Are you living paycheck to paycheck or need some additional money to meet your savings goals? I think we all do! Have you heard of a side hustle? If not, you’re not alone. Side hustles are additional jobs you pick up to generate more income for yoursel. They come in a wide variety, and can earn you a few dollars, up to a few thousand extra dollars every month.
Side hustles vary in their profitability based on how much time and effort you want to invest. If you have a few extra minutes each evening, choose something simple, like a survey site, that is easy to visit occasionally and make a few extra dollars while you sit in front of the TV. If you are willing to invest more of your time, you can looking into starting a blog, or creating an online sales business.
I started attempting side hustles a few years ago when I just wasn’t happy with my income and wanted a little higher stream of income for my time. So I started small, with survey sites – I could work on them while my husband and I watched TV at night. I soon realized that I really liked the extra money I was earning, so I started to branch out and look for larger streams of side income. It would be great if my side hustles could eventually replace my 9-5 income!
Here are some ideas of side hustles that you can start today! I’ll include notes with the ones I’ve actually tried.
1. Take online surveys. I used to think I couldn’t really earn money on survey sites. I figured that it would be impossible to earn more than a few dollars or ever cash out what I had earned. I was happily surprised that I was incorrect in thinking that! I’ve been using survey sites for a few years, and I have a few favorite (credible) survey sites that I use:
Swagbucks: This online survey site has easy ways to earn every day. There are surveys and videos that you can watch for credits that are redeemable for gift cards, or as cash to a paypal site! (I always redeem through paypal so it’s like earning cash) Check our my post about my favorite ways to earn on Swagbucks – I use Swagbucks every day!
InboxDollars: Inbox Dollars has tons of offers, videos, paid emails, and many more options to earn extra cash. They send you a check once you’ve reached the minimum requirement ($30) then you will be asked if you want to sacrifice a few dollars to cash out now, or make it to $40 and not pay a fee. I always opt to reach $40 because I don’t like paying fees! I’ve cashed out several times and can tell you from experience that you are sent a real check for your earnings, not like some sites that keep promising you earnings, but you never receive them.
MintVine: MintVine is another survey site that I have used successfully and find it pretty easy to cash out. You just have to reach 1000 points (equivalent to $10) to cash out.
PineCone Research: Pinecone Research does not have a constant stream of surveys, but the surveys they do offer you have larger rewards than any other survey site I have used! They periodically accept new panelists, so you may have to try to get into this one a few times.
2. Start a Blog! (Click here to read my post about how to do this) I was inspired by reading about other bloggers success at writing and being able to make blogging their job – I would love to be able to earn an income from blogging. You can start a blog about anything – equine related, recipes, building, gardening, travel etc. Blogging is simple and inexpensive to get started, and can act as an information hub for other people, or as more of journal for yourself that you can also share with others. I enjoy writing and sharing the things I have learned. Hopefully ya’ll enjoy reading!
3. Become a dog walker with Rover – Rover is an online based dog walking/sitting website that makes it easy for dog owners and pet sitters to connect. You set your own prices and Rover keeps 15% of your earnings, but they do have insurance and support for their sitters. I’ve signed up, but have only used it once so far, although I hope to have more time soon! If you just want to use this service to find yourself a pet sitter – click here – for finding dog walkers/sitters, and get $20 toward your next service. If you enjoy pets and making your own schedule, caring for dogs on Rover could be the perfect thing for you!
4. Drive for Uber – I have not personally tried this, but I do use Uber to get rides. Maybe I will try driving for them, as I have heard that you can make a decent amount of extra money as a driver. I think making your own schedule with Uber would be great. I like that rides are paid automatically so there are no questions at the end about payment. Don’t forget to factor in the wear and tear on your car when you are considering your take home pay. I recently took an Uber in a smaller town, and my driver said that Uber had just come to town in October of 2016. He didn’t like his day job, so he picked up a part time job at FedEx, and started driving for Uber a few nights a week. He said that he increased his total pay and is much happier. He enjoys meeting new people and picking the days he wants to work.
5. Sell products on Amazon – I have been working on this, and you can make a bit of money doing it! I will work on a blog post about the positive and negative things I have learned and tried. I did have a bit of a learning curve. You can private label products (ie manufacture and label with your own brand), or resell items that you’ve bought in new or used condition. You should consult with a tax professional to determine the best way to sell items so you stay within the laws in your state.
6. Mow Lawns/Paint Houses/Do Yard Work – This is simple, but a lot of people will fork over money every week so they don’t have to mow their own lawn or clean the gutters. With just a little hard work, you can make a nice little extra income. Out where we live, pasture mowing is also a thing, and if you have a tractor, or riding mower, you could probably do this as well! It is pretty soothing to be out mowing the grass, and no one bothers you when you do it!
7. Check out Craigslist for quick jobs so make some extra money! I recently read an article about one man who made about $1,000 extra in a month, just by picking up small jobs on Craigslist. Another good place to look for small side jobs is TaskRabbit – people in your area can request certain services (like handyman jobs, getting groceries, etc). I don’t think you would make a full time income doing this, but if you could increase your monthly income by $1,000 – that is $1,000 more that you can save toward a new house, truck or new saddle!
8. Have you crafted a unique item? Do your friends ask you if you make the same thing for them? Sell it on Etsy! Etsy has a ton of very unique and awesome products. I enjoy shopping there, as do thousands of other people every day. It is a great platform for smaller scale unique products. Amazon recently added Amazon Handmade, where you can list similar products – I don’t have any experience with the cost of listing goods there, so I am not sure whether Etsy or Amazon is the better route for keeping the most profit in your pocket.
9. Rent a room on Airbnb. Do you have a spare room in your house? Rent it out on Airbnb for extra money! Make sure your homeowner’s policy covers whoever is staying in your house. I have heard about people who make about $60 a night for just renting out a room. You can decide when a room is or isn’t available for guests, giving you more control.
10. Since this is an equestrian blog, an obvious side hustle is to work at the barn! Cleaning stalls, cleaning tack and washing blankets are all ways of earning a little extra cash around the barn. I always enjoyed cleaning tack (although somehow I don’t seem to clean my own tack enough). So when I was younger, I would clean tack for extra horse show money. You can easily clean tack while watching TV at night or watching a movie on the weekend.
There are many side hustles that will generate an extra stream of income. Generating an additional form of income is a great way to balance out your budget in favor of having more every month. Having additional money can mean being able to take a vacation, go to an extra horse show, save for retirement, and much much more. Just think what you could do with a few hundred extra dollars every month. Now go out and find a side hustle that fits your lifestyle!
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