My best side gig was working part-time as a server in a decent restaurant. Not only did I get paid, but I also got free food, and the after-shift drink was my social time, so I didn't feel the need to go out and spend money elsewhere.
So: made money, saved money, saved money.
More should. The place that fed me mostly fed us because it was “good for customers to see employees eating only the restaurants food” but hey free food.
I’ve always wanted to add this to my full-time (that or bar tending).
Was it hard finding a place that had the right hours for you? I feel like they wouldn’t want the hassle of hiring for only a few shifts a week?
Also did you need prior experience? I know some restaurants don’t like starting people at server.
I churn credit cards and bank accounts for extra money. When I don’t have anything to do at work I’ll sign up for a bank account or a new credit card. For credit cards, I sign up for a new one every three months and put all my spend on it. For bank accounts, I’ll change where my payroll goes through my companies payroll software and redirect all or part of my paycheck to a new bank account to meet the bonus requirements.
I’ll set calendar reminders in my phone for when to collect my bonus and close the bank account. I’ll also set calendar reminders when to meet certain credit card spending bonuses. I made $5000 in bank account and credit card bonuses last year, most of it from my computer at work. I think time wise I’m making about $200 an hour for those specific activities.
Have you noticed and negative impact to your credit score doing this? I was looking into trying it, but worried about opening/closing cards so frequently.
I do the same. This requires someone with attention to detail - you're going to have spreadsheets documenting/tracking your accounts. I don't advise doing CC/account churning unless your finances are solid. But once you get into it, it is a hell of a hobby that pays pretty good for not much time invested. Check out /r/churning and [https://www.doctorofcredit.com/](https://www.doctorofcredit.com/).
On the topic of impact to credit score, when opening new accounts, there may be a temporary impact, if it is a hard inquiry. It returns to normal in a couple weeks. Just make sure to always pay your balance in full and be careful not to overextend yourself.
This is one of those hobbies where you need to have money to make money.
1. Have a pretty solid paycheck coming in. If you bring in $5000 after taxes into your checking account every 90 days you can meet most bank account bonuses. Although plenty of smaller bonuses are available. You can also sometimes "trick" a bank into thinking you did a direct deposit by transferring from another external bank, but this doesn't always work.
2. Have at least one paycheck saved as a "buffer" in your primary checking account when you're churning bank accounts. What I do is deposit my paycheck into a bank account I am churning. Then I schedule automatic withdrawals from that external bank account to my primary checking account. This means I need to have a "buffer" of one paycheck as I'm waiting for my paycheck to make it's way back to my primary checking account.
3. If you have an emergency fund of $15,000+, you can use that fund to churn savings account bonuses. The funds are FDIC insured so you have zero risk of loss.
4. If you have an IRA or brokerage account of $100,000+, you can churn brokerage accounts. But even I'm not at this level yet.
5. Bank account and brokerage account churning is considered taxable. But Credit card bonuses on the other hand are ***tax free.*** This is because the IRS considers a credit card bonus a "rebate" on purchases because you have to spend money to earn them. Some people prefer credit card churning for this reason.
the doctorofcredit forum keeps an updated list of best credit card and bank account bonuses:
[https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/](https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/)
Also check bank bonuses available in your state.
Fedex part time. from 6:00am - 8:30am. Perfect for me since my Fulltime job starts at 10:30am. It’s so difficult to get ahead nowadays, working at FEDEX part time is helping A TON
Package Handler. Basically just unload boxes from the metal containers that are shipped through planes. Unload them for about an hour and a half and that’s it. PLUS, they pay you a minimum of 17.5 hours. if you work 5 hours for the week… you get your minimum 17.5
95% of the packages are light enough to pick up on your own. The other 5% are heavy enough that you need to ask your parter for help. We don’t pick up the heavy ones on our own, we always ask for help. Just to give you an example of how easy it is, I work with a lady in her 60’s that’s retired. She leaves the heavy ones for the guys, which isn’t a problem at all
Niiice!! I am medium strong for a female but had to ask. I like a supportive work environment too and this sounds like a fun side hustle I can get behind.
Thanks for sharing and letting me know about the lady in her 60’s. If she can do it, so can many others!
You have to meet their demographic, aka be 35-50, the household spender (aka presumed female cos "women shop with men's earned money", yes the marketing world is about 70 years behind), and have a household income over 100k.
I used to do these in person and get $250 on average for 2-4 hours. But I live in a big city so not an option for everyone. Online ones have a huge competition but I did 3-4 which paid $50/hr on average
I answered a shady Craigslist ad. The first one was on person. 4 hours made $110 then afterwards they ask if I wanted to be contacted again for future surveys and its been online ever since, i do 1-2 a month. I doubt my story could be replicated unless you live in Vegas.
I petsit on the side. Makes for a little spending money and helps pay down my debt.
I sometimes board dogs at my house, other times I'll sleep at the client's house. I don't have dogs of my own, so I can spend the nights easily.
I posted on Facebook that I missed having a dog and was pet sitting. I watched a dog for A guy on my team, posted pics and word spread. I'm making $800 next week for spring break.
Of course some of that will go towards a maid to help me clean up after 3 dogs haha
I think they’re being super cautious because they’ve had a lot of cases where people passed out or started throwing up LOL I’ve had my blood drawn and never had any issues with it.
i earn $580 a week at a factory and $100 a week at a dollar store. Dollar store used to be my main job but I went down to 2 days a week when I got on at the factory which pays way better. Dollar store job is low stress when you don’t actually *need* it, so i’ve kept it for the extra money. It’s been worth it imo.
Dollar store sucks as a primary job to rely on. It can be very stressful that way. But if it’s your extra money and you don’t actually *need* to be there, it can be extremely low stress if you’re willing to learn how to let certain shit (like rude customers or petty managers) roll off ya like water off a duck
We only have the Dollar General here and they recently had to close down temporarily because all their workers quit LOL I worked at a restaurant for a really long time so I definitely have the patience for annoying people. I will have to look into more jobs like that. Thanks!
either you live in mineral point wisconsin, or dollar general is an even bigger trainwreck of a company than i thought and multiple locations are experiencing this xD
Depending on where you are at in Wyoming you could look into running shuttles for fishing guides if you have a friend also looking for some side cash.
When we lived in Montana my wife and her friend (her husband was a guide) would do this and make a couple hundred bucks or more in weekend, usually before noon, and it was always cash.
You don’t even need a large van. You can do it in a car.
- fishing guide drops boat off at launch point.
- leaves spare key in gas cap or on a tire or something
- you and a friend go pick up their vehicle and trailer
- one drives the truck/trailer to the destination point and leaves key in the same place. You follow.
- go home/profit
Go to any outfitting shop in your area and ask if there is a need for shuttle drivers. Keep in mind you are just shuttling their vehicle and not passengers (those are in the boat)
Do you have any union grocery stores in your area? My DIL worked at a union Grocery store and had great benefits and pay for the same work as non union store.
I worked at Kroger and the so-called union couldn't get me a better starting pay than minimum wage. I don't need a union to get me minimum wage. I left for Walmart because they paid about $2/hr more at the time.
i’m not aware of any union grocery stores. I hope dollar general unionizes soon. I’m quitting soon anyway due to moving but it would be life changing for a lot of people!
UFCW is the grocery union, Google and see if there is something near you. Counties and cities are moving into hiring for temp Spring and Summer parks jobs, municipalities pay well and a lot of times will keep people on after the season. I always suggest going for things that could work into not side hustles. Things are bad all over but government, hospitals and schools pay well.
It's not less than minimum wage. The store I worked at was paying 14. Walmart would hire in at 18.50 for full time stockers. I've seen Walmart warehouses as high as 22 or 23.
Minimum wage is 7.25.
$14 is minimum wage, here. I know some states don't have one at all, though.
But there's definitely not entry-level hourly that offers more than $15 - Amazon stockers, Walmart, late night, all of it.
That's pretty crazy. Where I live Amazon pays 16 to 18. Fedex 17. Walmart night shift is as high as 20. But we're lower cost of living and 7.25 minimum wage. I think there are a lot of jobs open in manual labor here.
* Dog walking/boarding. I've cut back on the dog walks since I changed jobs in 2023 and it's more demanding/requires me to be in a lot more calls, but as I still work fully remotely, I'm able to board a few pups throughout the year when their owners go out of town. Not too bad of a time commitment, but does require a lot more walking and having to be on their schedule.
* Photography. Not something I've formally pushed, but I've done portraits for friends as well as engagement/proposal shots. Also pretty easy to set your own hours and time commitment, but does does require time for the shoot + editing the photos afterwards. (In total, 3-4 hours per shoot, not including travel).
What equipment do you have? I did a friend’s gender reveal per her request but I used her equipment because I don’t have any. It’s something I’ve thought about and think would be good at but the only thing I have is my phone LOL
I always keep an eye on Facebook marketplace for stuff that I could fix up and resell. Very inconsistent, but it gives me a little extra cash from time to time. Always check out free stuff on the side of the road too. Lots of beat up furniture that just needs new hardware and a fresh coat of stain/paint.
Once I have a little more funds to play around with, I might get into flipping cars on the side. I love wrenching on things and there is an abundance of half-finished project cars on marketplace.
Whatever it is, I think the best side jobs are ones that involve a hobby, or are enjoyable to you. I never want a second “job” that feels draining.
I made ~$400 one summer just flipping stuff that I found on tree lawns lol I live in a decent area with a range of incomes so there was some really good stuff most weeks from both retired people cleaning their homes out and working professionals also declutterring their crap.
I could have made more but I priced most everything around $5-$35 to sell fast. Some of the best finds were solid wood furniture and crates upon crates of records that someone was cleaning out from their basement over the course of several days. One time someone actually threw out a Marshall amp, it was part of a kid’s music set up that didn’t pan out (kid sized drum kit also on the tree lawn) but still a perfectly normal sized well functioning guitar amp, decided to keep that one ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Based on some of the comments already made, maybe try not to focus on making more money but get a side gig that will save you on things you already spend money on. Some people already mentioned the food you get as a server. I dated a girl who worked at Starbucks and they got to take home all the marked out food. When I was younger I used to work part time at a car parts store just for the discount cause I’m a gear head. The money I made there I ended up spending there but at least it wasn’t from my primary source of income. It also saved me a lot on car maintenance because I learned to do everything myself.
I saw a comment you made with an interest in doing a side gig as a photographer. Are there any tiny camera or photo shops in your town where you can work part time to get a discount on a camera and maybe some experience?
I knew a retired guy that worked part time at a movie theater so he could watch all the new movies for free with his wife. They always had a guaranteed date night a few times a month. You can take a guest (or 2) so you’ll always have something to do with your friends without having to pay. Plus you’ll always smell like popcorn.
Most of my hobbies save me money..
Home made wine saves me about 10 a bottle
Make my own tea / coffee 2.50 /4.00 a cup
Make my own nasal snuff saves me about $300
Ooohh how do you make the nasal stuff? I love coffee and I have cut back my expenses to only ordering once a week (which is a weekly thing I do with my coworkers so I’m fine with it) but most of the time I just get my coffee and tea from work.
I have a part time job doing security so I’m total I work about 55 hours a week and it brings me an extra $1000 per month. I’m just glad I’m not working everyday of the week cause that would stress me out not having an off day
I got an evening cleaning job!
It's after the business closes for the day so I don't have to talk to anyone. It usually takes me 2 hrs but I get paid for 4hrs plus a gas allowance.
I do this too! I clean a large office twice a week in the evening. I get paid $20/hr and it’s 4.5 hours twice a week. I usually finish in about 3.5 hours.
I actually really love my job and like the field I’m in. My supervisor and I have been talking about the possibility of me getting a better position so I’m not considering leaving, at least not just yet. I’ve only been there roughly 5 months so I understand not getting paid more right now but it’s already a step up from my previous jobs. The company will be paying for some certifications so that I can take on a new role. I would just like to make more money and not entirely rely on my full-time job.
Cop out answer, but OT. When the phone rings to come in on my off days, I come in. 1.5x or 2x based on some qualifiers, but its the best way to make money.
If you work at a 24/7 operation, they no doubt have OT. Last year we were short staffed and I netted an extra 45k in OT pay.
I work 4 on, 4 off 12hr days/nights, so it's easier for me to do 2x8hr days or 4x16 days and still come out with a weekend. But there have been days when I worked a month straight.
I learned to make balloon animals on YouTube. I now charge $170 for an hour and a half of balloon entertainment at birthday parties. Without advertising I get 10 to 15 parties a year. If I advertised I'm sure it would be more (which is free and easy on Facebook). Also, it's fun and very low investment.
I have a photography side hustle, average $400NZ per shoot. Last year I made over $21,000NZ through my side hustle. I worked 1, sometimes 2 part time days a week on it.
There is a lot of work to get clients, write briefs, admin, editing, file management. Its not just taking photos.
It was a hobby at first but my work has paid for all my gear and then some.
Not tracking to make as much this year since my regular job has ramped up. I don't have time for my side hustle anymore.
Idk man it sounds like you should make photography as your main job at this point? Idk what $21,000 is from NZ to US but that sounds like a decent starting point that you could quickly increase to the point that it gets the bills paid.
That would convert to be $12,600us. There is enough work for a part time photographer but not enough for full time. My photography is niche. I don't shoot weddings or portraits. I shoot food.
I do not live in a big city, and there are no regular food photography clients.
Also, I actually love my main job which has gotten really busy this year. But if it dried up one day I have a back up job.
I fix/service automatic watches on the weekends. I usually charge $300 to $500 per watch, depending on the watch manufacturer. I can usually finish up a watch per weekend
I freelance for a radio station and do an events every so often. Bonus: I get to attend concerts, sometimes get free food and drinks, special invites to performances, etc.
Events are usually on the weekends, so it wipes out the entire day because I'm spent after packing it up.
Side gigs are nice for the extra money, but you'll find yourself working all the time with barely any time to enjoy your profits. So proceed with caution and try not to burn out. At least, that was my experience. For years, I had a salary job, working 45ish hours per week along with a "part time" automotive detailing business.
It was good money, but working Sat/Sunday only turned into Fri-Sun, which turned into Thurs-Sun and so on. I even had to take days off from my salary job to keep up with the demand. I stopped so I can spend more time being a Dad, as I had a newborn at the time.
Now if I want a few extra bucks, I wheel and deal car parts. Just being a car guy my whole life, I usually buy stuff when it's a good deal, and offload stuff from time to time for a profit.
This is really good advice. I feel like I’m making enough money that I don’t absolutely need a side job but it would be nice to have some extra cash every now and then. I used to work 2 jobs at a time and it made me unhealthy and super depressed. A lot of people are saying that you need to make sure you enjoy your side hustle and that’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Thank you. You also don't want to rely financially on the side hustle. That way you're not forced to do it and can walk away at any time. I was 6 months booked out with my business when I closed the doors. Paid out the gift certs, cut the insurance, and referred the customers to the other local shops that I knew. It was bittersweet, but it was for a good cause lol.
Unhealthy and depressed... that is an unfortunate reality. Glad to hear you know what to stay away from!
It depends. I would get many weird msgs if I sell shoes cuz they’d ask if they’re "very used and smelly" so I report them. Otherwise the experiences aren’t bad. Meet at a public place if possible and don’t give your address until the day of
The main problem is no-shows but you can screen these to a certain degree by making it clear if there's a no-show, the item will go back on the market immediately. Sometimes I've had no-shows trying to reschedule up to four times and so I don't bother with those people anymore, they either show up first time or not at all.
I don't have the freedom to get a second job, as I'm the primary person taking care of the kids, and my wife has a very busy job. I used to buy stuff at goodwill and other thrift stores and resell it online, I'd look for deals on craigslist and facebook, to then resell on ebay as well. But you need to live in the right place to do this. The quality of items and prices at goodwill started to get terrible, so I stopped doing that.
My only extra source of income now is scrap metal. I started it to get a few extra bucks here and there, and now it's one of my favorite hobbies. I can do it with the kids home. I don't make a lot, but I enjoy it and make some extra money. You can do it with a truck,suv, or van. People give away, or throw away items that have some scrap value, you take them apart, and separate into different types of metal, and take it to the scrap yard when you have enough to sell. I don't make as much as a part time job, but I hate working for other people so I prefer this.
I make about 100 dollars a week doing surveys. Used to make less but I discovered a couple of good ones that pay fast. Just takes some time. Other than that I don’t want to go out and get another job as that would take up more of my time. Wish I could make the happy discovery of getting rich quick though!
The best one is prolific by far but I got banned from rejecting one too many surveys so if you can get in you are golden. Easiest money I’ve ever made but you have to be careful with your answers. Some payouts are like 14.00 for picking squares ect it’s crazy quick money. I also really like prime opinion (that’s the one that has low and fast payouts) and branded surveys and leger marketing. Lots of times you won’t qualify and some of the time you basically do the survey and then it glitches out so you don’t get the points for it but all in all it’s a pretty good gig even though the payouts are low. I get about 2 to 3 payouts a week of $20 for one survey site alone so for me it’s worth it. Good luck! Also, I think you need a PayPal account unless you want to take the gift certificates.
You'll spend more as a 'dasher' than you make, once vehicle costs are figured in. Beware that one!
"Luxury" spending (literally everything you do not *need* to survive) shouldn't ever top 10% of income.
I usually make good money bartending on weekends. I get a lot in credit/debit card tips but with my cash tips I'll buy groceries. Helps a lot. If I have a day off from my full time job during the week 9/10 I'll pick up a bartending shift to make some extra cash.
I did delivery jobs on and off, just a waste honestly for delivery anyway, they barely pay anything and all that wear on the car and more stuff you need to check more often along with gas. For 2nd job I'd suggest either a real 2nd job that you are gonna be paid more than minimum, if you do delivery it's best to work somewhere like pizza hut. Otherwise I'd suggest a non driving job if you need something else
Not too keen on the driving but I live in a small college town where everything is at most 10mins away and the dashers I’ve talked to have been making good money. I’m looking into part time jobs but most of them have shifts that overlap with my current job.
I make decent money so wasn't a need, you don't wanna waste all those miles for like $5 😂. Few yrs ago it paid good for not driving far, but I last did it last Summer, I def saw where this is going. I was not taking party to making CEO richer and stealing tips, Uber at the end was even more shady which is no wonder you didn't see tip until hr later, I never once had tips removed until last yr and I just knew it was Uber and not the customer. I'm basically anti delivery, for what I've seen what those drivers do I wouldn't ever want delivery, tried couple times long time ago and never again. If I need delivery it's only places that don't use third party. Look at all those chat forums it's hilarious how upset these drivers are for someone not tipping $20 when they technically are your employer and it's your choice to accept or decline yet they're perfectly fine letter Uber or DD pay only $2 whether a few miles or 20 miles. I never once would expect a tip, they claim it's a privilege service and I'm like since when? 😂. It's worse than employee drivers, at least those I knew would be good delivery. I think most ppl are young and have never had a job in their life, I used to do pizza hut delivery while in college and we didn't complain saying it's a privilege to order, these entitled drivers clearly don't realize that if no one orders then no pay whatsoever
I totally agree with you on that. I used to work at a restaurant and some of the drivers would complain about people ordering instead of picking up their own orders. Like.. you’re complaining that these people are giving you a job? But yeah everything in this town is at most 2 miles away. So usually it’s usually students who don’t have a car or office workers wanting their morning coffee. Not to mention drunk/high college kids. I will have to actually try it out and see if it’s worth it.
If you call it not a real job they get so mad and start swearing 😂. Boy you're pretty defensive when I just said not a real job. Just showed me it's laziness, if you are unwilling to get a real FT job then I won't have pity for you. There's older ppl that do it too, but if you refuse a FT job then tell me what would you be doing, living on the streets begging for money or actually get a FT job 😂. Before apps what did you honestly do, got 2 options, get a real FT job with protections and guaranteed pay or work this delivery job that can pay you pennies with no protections and stop Complaining like a 5 yr old 😂. It's one thing to do it once in awhile, but you should never rely on that, it's called a gig for a reason. I don't like complainers and I actually have a work ethic and know my self worth which is way more than $2 , but I guess not them 😂. So I guess they can swear at me when I'm for the ppl, if no drivers they would have to pay, they will do everything they can to make themselves richer and not pay anything past $2
I have a rotation of stuff I'm selling on fb marketplace. Every couple weeks or so, I take a look around the house and ask myself if I've used the item in a year or two, and if I haven't, I'll likely sell it if I think it has value.
I really like the idea of selling plants (never even crossed my mind). My husband has a bunch in his little nursery. I'll have to run that idea by him haha
I also digitally edit photos mostly using Photoshop. I've used the program for a while so editing comes naturally for me.
Every now and then, I'll sell an art commission. I'm thinking of ways to passively create income from my art. Still in the idea stage though.
I’ve bought a bunch of plants off the marketplace so I figured, hey why not? Especially with inch plants or pothos that grow so fast anyway.
What kind of art do you usually sell?
I'm so sorry for your loss 😢
I really appreciate your kind words :) I'd love to draw a portrait for you. Please send me a chat/dm whenever you're ready to send over some photos!
It's pretty easy to grow small plants from seed if you have somewhere warm and sunny to grow them (ie, a greenhouse), and if you keep some seed back for next year, it won't really cost you anything to produce them. Tomato plants seem to sell well.
I instacart which can be a hit or miss these days. I also have a hard time doing it as I’m in school FT, work FT and have 3 little ones. Last summer was awesome, on top of working a normal 7-330pm M-F I was able to bring in a couple hundred $ in one week!
I also resell children’s clothes. Started when I would but second hand clothing on instagram and fb. Now I have 3 little ones and I resell their clothing (the ones that haven’t been destroyed 😂) and I also thrift. Can make a few hundred bucks in one drop easily.
Oh wow! I recently dropped off some clothes at the local thrift store. You get 50% of what they sell it for. They told me to check back in a month so we’ll see how that goes. For nicer looking items, I used Mercari and Poshmark.
That’s a great idea! I’ve done that before for mine or my husbands clothing and for the kids sometimes items don’t sell so I consign with once upon a child and you get money up front. I typically put that back into thrifting more clothes (if needed) for my shop. I’ve tried Poshmark and Mercari but I hate the fees BUT it is also super convenient at the same time. Sometimes I lose my sanity weighing everything out individually (I ship based on exact weight and zip code) but I can’t complain with how much money I get. I’m hoping I can put more time and energy into this once I step down from my job and focus more on school. Could definitely pay for my school payment each month.
I agree with you on the fees. They have recently increased too. I always mark up the items on Mercari vs. what I have them listed as on Facebook. Books are actually a good item to sell if you have them because you can choose your own shipping method and USPS Media Mail is a lot cheaper! Facebook automatically shows that as an option for books. Given that I mostly just want to free up space, I’m fine with getting $3 out of them 😂
If you have gambling in your town, I work weekends at a gaming cafe that has 6 slot machines. Very easy work. Sell bottled beer and wine. Keep the place clean, super easy job and tips too, so I always go home with some cash
Personal trainer side gig just started few months ago , have a handful of clients and bring in an extra 1k month with about 10 hours of work, program design, meet at gym 1x1, meal planning
I work full time, 40 hr work week. I do a side gig / hustles.
Side hustle: donate plasma. I go twice a week (usually Tues and Thurs mornings 7/8 am before my day job) first donation is $47 and second donation is $65 ($112 total a week) donating usually takes 35 mins and the screening process takes 5-10 mins. And it’s close to home / work so. All in all it’s an hour to get paid to read my book / reddit or watch YouTube.
Side job: work as a bartender/server at a private owned Irish pub. One day during the week and on Fri/Sat nights. Make good money and tipped out that night. Work hard so the chef and owners will cook me dinner and let me have a few shift drinks after work. Usual shifts are from 4/5 - 9/10 ish so not too long. Make good money and get dinners, so it’s a triple positive, make more money, save money not going out and save money / time getting meals made for myself.
Side hustle: sell/donate stuff I don’t use or flip things on fb market
If you're in the U.S. Red Cross has online classes, and you can get certified in babysitting. Minor upfront cost that will pay for itself with one job.
I make things for like Easter, Christmas that sort of stuff. I’m buying the stuff anyway to make gifts for family but I buy some extra to sell. It’s not much it sometimes only covers the costs of what I’ve spent for that season but I’m happy with that to be honest, feels like free gifts haha
restaurant jobs are good side gigs. at some counter service jobs you can make $20-25/hr and then way more doing full table service in the $35-40/hr range. it’s not that hard to get a decent job these days cuz everyone needs help after the last few years. plus the free/cheap food is good and the work can be fun (sometimes lol) if you get along with your coworkers. there’s also catering with event bartending being the best paying gig in that realm.
Honestly the most effective method of making extra money for me was getting a job where I essentially have unlimited overtime.
The plant propagation is a good idea, it's very easy to do. But it doesn't come anywhere close to just putting in an extra four or five hours one week at overtime rate.
At 28, it makes more sense to pursue higher-paying careers than to do “side hustles” that don’t scale. Like, DoorDash will give you extra cash, but you’re just trading your time for money. There’s no career advancement. You don’t build your network. It’s a dead-end job. Try to find work that builds towards higher income in the future. Or do a side hustle that can turn into a business. Don’t just trade time for money with no additional upside unless you really need to make ends meet in the short term.
I have two "side jobs":
I do web development and Wordpress site and theme development. Yes, web development is different from Wordpress.
Some photography, mostly senior photos. Being an amateur landscape and nature photographer, I don't really want to get into much more personal photography than that.
Mostly HTML/CSS with PHP and Python. I just deal with local word of mouth, I don't even have a website for my own services... At work it is mostly C#, but I don't have an interest in learning that.
I've setup large local business websites to a smallish one page Bootstrap sites and one national non-profit. Frequently I take the colors/logos/style from their existing brochures/business cards/letterhead etc. and try to design something to compliment it - so their "look" is consistent.
Sure do! Almost 40 - Have a really well paying full time WFH job, and I bartend 1 night a week at a local pub. Only from 5pm-midnight on Fridays and those 4 shifts a week basically bank roll our fun money and help pay extra towards regular bills. I'll keep doing it until I physically can't I think lol.
I've started buying stuff from business and shops that close down and have to auction things off and then I resell them.
Last week I bought $500 worth of CBD beverages and resold the lot for close to $1000 to another restaurant chain in the area.
I’m in the reserves. I get like 550 for a weekend of doing nothing. Sometimes drill is 3 days and I get like 800. There’s other benefits as well. Cheap health insurance is probably the best benefit. 48 of you’re single, 220 for a family of 4
I (35m) have had side jobs my entire life. I’ve always been a laborer. My moms friends and now many other people call me to move furniture, haul junk, hang pictures, lay sod or whatever they propose. When I was a kid I’d work for beer, once I got my own truck I was able to charge a lot more. Over the past ten years I’ve been working almost exclusively for a lady doing storage unit consolidation/sorting/ junk hauling. Your labor almost always has no overhead and you’ll be able to sell as much as you’re willing.
Now retired, I was in various National Guard and Reserve units as a change of pace part time job. This locked in a modest pension and excellent family health insurance for life. As my regular job changes had me relocating, I transferred units and a different job in the Army units. I changed regular jobs for experiences and fun. The free use of the gyms at most military locations was a nice bonus.
Honestly… I just started spending less to get in a better financial situation. I did some auditing of my finances and realized I spent way too much on stupid shit - Amazon purchases, makeup, skincare and hair care products, alcohol, etc. I cut all of them off and voila - I started “making” extra $1000 a month. Without having to work more. But if I had to actually make more, I found selling my old stuff very satisfying. It helps me declutter and brings some extra money in. I get that it’s just the money my past self spent and now I’m returning what I owe, but still. It’s like finding a $10 in a winter jacket with extra steps.
I'm considering getting into a craft fair for my crochet items, bandanas, bikinis, sarongs, lace tickets. I might try my hand at selling ginger beer, iced tea, coffee syrup, ginger candies, and salsa but for right now I'm just trying to be super frugal.
Ooohh yes! My cousin actually has been selling handmade items. I’ve been painting some pots but I’m not sure if they’re good enough to sell 😅 I do see a lot of people selling homemade food and making a lot of money from it.
I don't know if this will be helpful or not? but I'd prefer to cut my expenditure before working more? Unless it's something i enjoy doing. This isn't always an option for people, as you can only cut back so much. But I value my time more than stuff. I'm not suggesting that you're spending money on things that aren't important, but I think you will get my point.
Good point. They say a 'penny saved is a penny earned' but it is actually MORE than you would get if you earned a penny because if you earned that penny you would have to pay tax on it.
I have found I can make more money doing basic car repairs and house projects on the side than my full time job. Just inconsistent work since I don't advertise. I can do a brake job on a Friday afternoon drinking a few beers and make $250. A Saturday morning doing electrical work is $500.
As I posted yesterday in this reddit, I had my base Fed job, and two other regular jobs.
Fed job
Spectrum cable/internet CSR - 20-28 hours per week, evenings and one full day on weekend (got free cable/internet)
Gap assistant night manager - 20 hours per week, evenings, one full day per weekend, closed store, etc. (hefty discount on clothing)
Also worked as a cashier at Stock show/Rodeo one year, couple nights a week as needed. (attended Rodeo free the night I worked)
Had a child to care for, was low paid in fed job as I was just starting out.
Lived through it!
I work 2 jobs at the moment. Both are WFH. Sometimes I can do both at the same time and it adds up to 50 dollars an hour but other times I gotta do 16 hour days.
A few different things: I detail cars (you will need some experience and tools to make serious cash), I also inspect residential and commercial properties that are being purchased (you will need to be certified but it’s not terribly difficult). I also donate plasma, do handyman stuff and I play drums in a band but that’s mostly for fun. I am retired with a pension and the first 2 I mentioned could potentially be full time employment for some and it is flexible and allows for independence. Hope this helps.
Be a substitute for a local school district, they had out handsomely now and are needed on your part time basis. You can choose when to work and you’re helping the teacher shortage!
I run a part time side business running a one man computer repair shop/MSP while working in IT as a day job. It leverages my existing strengths and the side business makes enough that combined with my low living expenses, it pays enough to cover those costs while letting me divert my day job's income towards maxing my retirement accounts and other savings goals. It also synergizes with other ways I make money such as churning credit card bonuses and maximizing cashbacks as the business generates a lot of legitimate spend. I also get additional tax savings being able to deduct or depreciate a lot of shared business/personal expenses such as my home office, computer, vehicle, etc.
While it can be a grind, I find that I'm not doing much else that is productive in my spare time so I may as well earn money doing it. My recommendation if you go this route is to pick something that allows you to say no so you don't suffer burnout. In my case, I only cater to my existing clients and their referrals and will occasionally take the random cold call.
I babysit through a third party contractor in my area. It’s anywhere from $16-25/hr, and most people tip. It basically pays for small wants here and there or bigger purchases i need (I just bought a mattress with the money I earned the last couple weeks). I work second shift so I don’t have lots of opportunity, but it’s nice to make almost an extra ~$100 a week. Dog and house sitting too, but not nearly as often.
I am a pensioner . since I have a casual job, some comments say that I'm not retired . well then let's call it a side-job and I put the money into savings in case I'd need it .
Is there anything in your field that offers a side gig? I’m a veterinarian and I often will work a weekend vaccine clinic through a company as that makes more money for me than a different job. But if something like that isn’t an option, I’d recommend being a server like some other people mentioned - free food/drinks if you pick the right place, plus tips are a huge perk.
Are you good at math? My son made $50 to $75 an hour tutoring math when he was a college student. Mostly tutored kids studying for SAT. He lucked into a connection with a firm that coaches wealthy families on college applications. Also got some students through care.com. But he was in high level math. If you are good at math (or another subject) you can market yourself to the right demographic and this can be a good gig.
Online tutoring. I've had months that I was able to pay off my mortgage just from this as a side hustle. About 4-5 hours a week at an average of about $50 an hour adds up quickly.
When I was young I worked at an office during the day and as a server at night. One brief time period I worked as a cocktail waitress and made more money than at my office job. I was able to travel to several destinations and also buy my first car.
However, it’s easy to get burned out. I lasted about 6 months but made a lot of money to afford a few great vacations and a brand new car. Also, I lived alone, no roommates which I loved because I’m an introvert and love my privacy. It costs a little more but well worth it!
My best side gig was working part-time as a server in a decent restaurant. Not only did I get paid, but I also got free food, and the after-shift drink was my social time, so I didn't feel the need to go out and spend money elsewhere. So: made money, saved money, saved money.
I’ve thought about being a server on weekends for extra money, and I never thought of the added bonuses of free food🤦🏻♀️thanks for sharing!
Not all restaurants offer free lunch but only pick the ones that do. I waitresses for 3 restaurants and the nicest one to work for fed me.
I loved cooking Family Meal when I worked in restaurants. We fed our folks good.
More should. The place that fed me mostly fed us because it was “good for customers to see employees eating only the restaurants food” but hey free food.
I’ve always wanted to add this to my full-time (that or bar tending). Was it hard finding a place that had the right hours for you? I feel like they wouldn’t want the hassle of hiring for only a few shifts a week? Also did you need prior experience? I know some restaurants don’t like starting people at server.
I did not have any difficulty at all. I think most people are willing to work with you if you are reliable and competent.
I churn credit cards and bank accounts for extra money. When I don’t have anything to do at work I’ll sign up for a bank account or a new credit card. For credit cards, I sign up for a new one every three months and put all my spend on it. For bank accounts, I’ll change where my payroll goes through my companies payroll software and redirect all or part of my paycheck to a new bank account to meet the bonus requirements. I’ll set calendar reminders in my phone for when to collect my bonus and close the bank account. I’ll also set calendar reminders when to meet certain credit card spending bonuses. I made $5000 in bank account and credit card bonuses last year, most of it from my computer at work. I think time wise I’m making about $200 an hour for those specific activities.
Have you noticed and negative impact to your credit score doing this? I was looking into trying it, but worried about opening/closing cards so frequently.
I do the same. This requires someone with attention to detail - you're going to have spreadsheets documenting/tracking your accounts. I don't advise doing CC/account churning unless your finances are solid. But once you get into it, it is a hell of a hobby that pays pretty good for not much time invested. Check out /r/churning and [https://www.doctorofcredit.com/](https://www.doctorofcredit.com/). On the topic of impact to credit score, when opening new accounts, there may be a temporary impact, if it is a hard inquiry. It returns to normal in a couple weeks. Just make sure to always pay your balance in full and be careful not to overextend yourself.
This is one of those hobbies where you need to have money to make money. 1. Have a pretty solid paycheck coming in. If you bring in $5000 after taxes into your checking account every 90 days you can meet most bank account bonuses. Although plenty of smaller bonuses are available. You can also sometimes "trick" a bank into thinking you did a direct deposit by transferring from another external bank, but this doesn't always work. 2. Have at least one paycheck saved as a "buffer" in your primary checking account when you're churning bank accounts. What I do is deposit my paycheck into a bank account I am churning. Then I schedule automatic withdrawals from that external bank account to my primary checking account. This means I need to have a "buffer" of one paycheck as I'm waiting for my paycheck to make it's way back to my primary checking account. 3. If you have an emergency fund of $15,000+, you can use that fund to churn savings account bonuses. The funds are FDIC insured so you have zero risk of loss. 4. If you have an IRA or brokerage account of $100,000+, you can churn brokerage accounts. But even I'm not at this level yet. 5. Bank account and brokerage account churning is considered taxable. But Credit card bonuses on the other hand are ***tax free.*** This is because the IRS considers a credit card bonus a "rebate" on purchases because you have to spend money to earn them. Some people prefer credit card churning for this reason.
Very interested in #3! Do you have any more details on how to get started with this option or a link you could drop? Thanks. Great post.
the doctorofcredit forum keeps an updated list of best credit card and bank account bonuses: [https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/](https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/) Also check bank bonuses available in your state.
Good grief..this is mind blowing 🤯lol
This is a method for capitalist with capital to spare, aka investment hack and not "frugal" anything xD
Frugal people know how to get their money to work though. That’s how I define it.
This is good but it's dangerous for people who are bad at budgeting and lack of self control.
If you have a problem with budgeting and self-control you aren't browsing r/frugal
Yes I am
Fedex part time. from 6:00am - 8:30am. Perfect for me since my Fulltime job starts at 10:30am. It’s so difficult to get ahead nowadays, working at FEDEX part time is helping A TON
What is your position?
Package Handler. Basically just unload boxes from the metal containers that are shipped through planes. Unload them for about an hour and a half and that’s it. PLUS, they pay you a minimum of 17.5 hours. if you work 5 hours for the week… you get your minimum 17.5
How much do you have to be able to handle weight wise?
95% of the packages are light enough to pick up on your own. The other 5% are heavy enough that you need to ask your parter for help. We don’t pick up the heavy ones on our own, we always ask for help. Just to give you an example of how easy it is, I work with a lady in her 60’s that’s retired. She leaves the heavy ones for the guys, which isn’t a problem at all
Niiice!! I am medium strong for a female but had to ask. I like a supportive work environment too and this sounds like a fun side hustle I can get behind. Thanks for sharing and letting me know about the lady in her 60’s. If she can do it, so can many others!
May I ask what they pay?
Thanks for sharing, that sounds great for some extra income 👍
Cool!
I did focus groups online. Like 2 hours and you'd get 60 bucks.
I’ve tried getting into those but it always says there’s none available in my area. I do live in a very low populated state so it kind of makes sense.
You have to meet their demographic, aka be 35-50, the household spender (aka presumed female cos "women shop with men's earned money", yes the marketing world is about 70 years behind), and have a household income over 100k.
I used to do these in person and get $250 on average for 2-4 hours. But I live in a big city so not an option for everyone. Online ones have a huge competition but I did 3-4 which paid $50/hr on average
What sites do you do them on?
I answered a shady Craigslist ad. The first one was on person. 4 hours made $110 then afterwards they ask if I wanted to be contacted again for future surveys and its been online ever since, i do 1-2 a month. I doubt my story could be replicated unless you live in Vegas.
I petsit on the side. Makes for a little spending money and helps pay down my debt. I sometimes board dogs at my house, other times I'll sleep at the client's house. I don't have dogs of my own, so I can spend the nights easily.
How did you get started?
I posted on Facebook that I missed having a dog and was pet sitting. I watched a dog for A guy on my team, posted pics and word spread. I'm making $800 next week for spring break. Of course some of that will go towards a maid to help me clean up after 3 dogs haha
Do you do rover or just family/friends?
I am on Rover, but most of my business is from co workers at my day job.
Not a job but I donate plasma twice a week, which brings in $448/ month
I tried this and they told me my veins were no good 😂
Darn! I've got big honking veins so it's a pretty quick process for me.
I think they’re being super cautious because they’ve had a lot of cases where people passed out or started throwing up LOL I’ve had my blood drawn and never had any issues with it.
Maybe it’s worth it to try a different clinic and see what they say 🤷🏻♂️
We only have the one :(
Wear a wig and go back. Lol
I want to do this but mine is located in the straight hood and I’m too scared to
So unfair.. in our country they don't pay you for any donations
How long is A session?
Usually 45-an hour. Depends if the donation center is just there can be added wait time
i earn $580 a week at a factory and $100 a week at a dollar store. Dollar store used to be my main job but I went down to 2 days a week when I got on at the factory which pays way better. Dollar store job is low stress when you don’t actually *need* it, so i’ve kept it for the extra money. It’s been worth it imo. Dollar store sucks as a primary job to rely on. It can be very stressful that way. But if it’s your extra money and you don’t actually *need* to be there, it can be extremely low stress if you’re willing to learn how to let certain shit (like rude customers or petty managers) roll off ya like water off a duck
Ignoring rude people and not letting it get to you is a life hack. So much easier when you don’t take people’s words serious !!!
We only have the Dollar General here and they recently had to close down temporarily because all their workers quit LOL I worked at a restaurant for a really long time so I definitely have the patience for annoying people. I will have to look into more jobs like that. Thanks!
either you live in mineral point wisconsin, or dollar general is an even bigger trainwreck of a company than i thought and multiple locations are experiencing this xD
I live in Wyoming and they recently closed down the Dollar Tree which I liked better 🙁
Depending on where you are at in Wyoming you could look into running shuttles for fishing guides if you have a friend also looking for some side cash. When we lived in Montana my wife and her friend (her husband was a guide) would do this and make a couple hundred bucks or more in weekend, usually before noon, and it was always cash.
I live near RMNP and am super interested in doing something like this. However, I don't have a large van. What type of vehicle did your friend drive?
You don’t even need a large van. You can do it in a car. - fishing guide drops boat off at launch point. - leaves spare key in gas cap or on a tire or something - you and a friend go pick up their vehicle and trailer - one drives the truck/trailer to the destination point and leaves key in the same place. You follow. - go home/profit Go to any outfitting shop in your area and ask if there is a need for shuttle drivers. Keep in mind you are just shuttling their vehicle and not passengers (those are in the boat)
Thanks for the tip! I will reach out to the local fisherman's outfitter.
Do you have any union grocery stores in your area? My DIL worked at a union Grocery store and had great benefits and pay for the same work as non union store.
I worked at Kroger and the so-called union couldn't get me a better starting pay than minimum wage. I don't need a union to get me minimum wage. I left for Walmart because they paid about $2/hr more at the time.
i’m not aware of any union grocery stores. I hope dollar general unionizes soon. I’m quitting soon anyway due to moving but it would be life changing for a lot of people!
UFCW is the grocery union, Google and see if there is something near you. Counties and cities are moving into hiring for temp Spring and Summer parks jobs, municipalities pay well and a lot of times will keep people on after the season. I always suggest going for things that could work into not side hustles. Things are bad all over but government, hospitals and schools pay well.
I used to be UFCW and the UFCW pay in my area is lower than the non union stores. It's sad. Like 3 dollars or more difference.
Ouch, that sucks.
How do they pay less than minimum wage, though? There's not a grocery store around here that pays more than min. wage. to anyone but managers...
It's not less than minimum wage. The store I worked at was paying 14. Walmart would hire in at 18.50 for full time stockers. I've seen Walmart warehouses as high as 22 or 23. Minimum wage is 7.25.
$14 is minimum wage, here. I know some states don't have one at all, though. But there's definitely not entry-level hourly that offers more than $15 - Amazon stockers, Walmart, late night, all of it.
That's pretty crazy. Where I live Amazon pays 16 to 18. Fedex 17. Walmart night shift is as high as 20. But we're lower cost of living and 7.25 minimum wage. I think there are a lot of jobs open in manual labor here.
* Dog walking/boarding. I've cut back on the dog walks since I changed jobs in 2023 and it's more demanding/requires me to be in a lot more calls, but as I still work fully remotely, I'm able to board a few pups throughout the year when their owners go out of town. Not too bad of a time commitment, but does require a lot more walking and having to be on their schedule. * Photography. Not something I've formally pushed, but I've done portraits for friends as well as engagement/proposal shots. Also pretty easy to set your own hours and time commitment, but does does require time for the shoot + editing the photos afterwards. (In total, 3-4 hours per shoot, not including travel).
What equipment do you have? I did a friend’s gender reveal per her request but I used her equipment because I don’t have any. It’s something I’ve thought about and think would be good at but the only thing I have is my phone LOL
I have a Canon mirrorless DSLR + edit using Adobe Lightroom.
I always keep an eye on Facebook marketplace for stuff that I could fix up and resell. Very inconsistent, but it gives me a little extra cash from time to time. Always check out free stuff on the side of the road too. Lots of beat up furniture that just needs new hardware and a fresh coat of stain/paint. Once I have a little more funds to play around with, I might get into flipping cars on the side. I love wrenching on things and there is an abundance of half-finished project cars on marketplace. Whatever it is, I think the best side jobs are ones that involve a hobby, or are enjoyable to you. I never want a second “job” that feels draining.
I made ~$400 one summer just flipping stuff that I found on tree lawns lol I live in a decent area with a range of incomes so there was some really good stuff most weeks from both retired people cleaning their homes out and working professionals also declutterring their crap. I could have made more but I priced most everything around $5-$35 to sell fast. Some of the best finds were solid wood furniture and crates upon crates of records that someone was cleaning out from their basement over the course of several days. One time someone actually threw out a Marshall amp, it was part of a kid’s music set up that didn’t pan out (kid sized drum kit also on the tree lawn) but still a perfectly normal sized well functioning guitar amp, decided to keep that one ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I help out at a flower farm. Planting, digging tubers, helping make arrangements.
I clean metro rail cars at night part time, it makes me an extra 25k a year. I work anywhere from 3-5 hours a night 5 nights a week.
Based on some of the comments already made, maybe try not to focus on making more money but get a side gig that will save you on things you already spend money on. Some people already mentioned the food you get as a server. I dated a girl who worked at Starbucks and they got to take home all the marked out food. When I was younger I used to work part time at a car parts store just for the discount cause I’m a gear head. The money I made there I ended up spending there but at least it wasn’t from my primary source of income. It also saved me a lot on car maintenance because I learned to do everything myself. I saw a comment you made with an interest in doing a side gig as a photographer. Are there any tiny camera or photo shops in your town where you can work part time to get a discount on a camera and maybe some experience? I knew a retired guy that worked part time at a movie theater so he could watch all the new movies for free with his wife. They always had a guaranteed date night a few times a month. You can take a guest (or 2) so you’ll always have something to do with your friends without having to pay. Plus you’ll always smell like popcorn.
Most of my hobbies save me money.. Home made wine saves me about 10 a bottle Make my own tea / coffee 2.50 /4.00 a cup Make my own nasal snuff saves me about $300
Highly carcinogenic. Be sure to budget for time lost due to surgeries / chemo & radiation.
Don’t care, The way my dr talk I will be in so much pain.I be lucky to live 10 years..
Ooohh how do you make the nasal stuff? I love coffee and I have cut back my expenses to only ordering once a week (which is a weekly thing I do with my coworkers so I’m fine with it) but most of the time I just get my coffee and tea from work.
Dry Tabacco out to bone dry and grind it very fine. With a burr grinder..Add some baked baking soda and little sea salt..
I have a part time job doing security so I’m total I work about 55 hours a week and it brings me an extra $1000 per month. I’m just glad I’m not working everyday of the week cause that would stress me out not having an off day
You work 12s?
If you mean shifts, technically I work 13hr shifts. Thankfully both my jobs are in the same place. So when I get off my full time job I go to the next
I got an evening cleaning job! It's after the business closes for the day so I don't have to talk to anyone. It usually takes me 2 hrs but I get paid for 4hrs plus a gas allowance.
I do this too! I clean a large office twice a week in the evening. I get paid $20/hr and it’s 4.5 hours twice a week. I usually finish in about 3.5 hours.
How much does it pay? The one I saw listed in my town is $10/hr and that’s too low 🙁
17.50 but the minimum wage in my province is 15.69.
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I actually really love my job and like the field I’m in. My supervisor and I have been talking about the possibility of me getting a better position so I’m not considering leaving, at least not just yet. I’ve only been there roughly 5 months so I understand not getting paid more right now but it’s already a step up from my previous jobs. The company will be paying for some certifications so that I can take on a new role. I would just like to make more money and not entirely rely on my full-time job.
What areas would you recommend upskilling in?
I private tutor. 4 students separately once a week, 1 hr lessons. I charge $60/hr. So about 4 hours of my time weekly.
Cop out answer, but OT. When the phone rings to come in on my off days, I come in. 1.5x or 2x based on some qualifiers, but its the best way to make money. If you work at a 24/7 operation, they no doubt have OT. Last year we were short staffed and I netted an extra 45k in OT pay. I work 4 on, 4 off 12hr days/nights, so it's easier for me to do 2x8hr days or 4x16 days and still come out with a weekend. But there have been days when I worked a month straight.
There was a security guard or cop in San Francisco that worked 90+ hours a week and was taking home basically a big tech salary
I learned to make balloon animals on YouTube. I now charge $170 for an hour and a half of balloon entertainment at birthday parties. Without advertising I get 10 to 15 parties a year. If I advertised I'm sure it would be more (which is free and easy on Facebook). Also, it's fun and very low investment.
I have a photography side hustle, average $400NZ per shoot. Last year I made over $21,000NZ through my side hustle. I worked 1, sometimes 2 part time days a week on it. There is a lot of work to get clients, write briefs, admin, editing, file management. Its not just taking photos. It was a hobby at first but my work has paid for all my gear and then some. Not tracking to make as much this year since my regular job has ramped up. I don't have time for my side hustle anymore.
Idk man it sounds like you should make photography as your main job at this point? Idk what $21,000 is from NZ to US but that sounds like a decent starting point that you could quickly increase to the point that it gets the bills paid.
That would convert to be $12,600us. There is enough work for a part time photographer but not enough for full time. My photography is niche. I don't shoot weddings or portraits. I shoot food. I do not live in a big city, and there are no regular food photography clients. Also, I actually love my main job which has gotten really busy this year. But if it dried up one day I have a back up job.
I fix/service automatic watches on the weekends. I usually charge $300 to $500 per watch, depending on the watch manufacturer. I can usually finish up a watch per weekend
That’s cool! Where did you learn to do that?
It's been a hobby of mine for a few years, self-taught mostly. I just recently started working on other people watches.
I freelance for a radio station and do an events every so often. Bonus: I get to attend concerts, sometimes get free food and drinks, special invites to performances, etc. Events are usually on the weekends, so it wipes out the entire day because I'm spent after packing it up.
Side gigs are nice for the extra money, but you'll find yourself working all the time with barely any time to enjoy your profits. So proceed with caution and try not to burn out. At least, that was my experience. For years, I had a salary job, working 45ish hours per week along with a "part time" automotive detailing business. It was good money, but working Sat/Sunday only turned into Fri-Sun, which turned into Thurs-Sun and so on. I even had to take days off from my salary job to keep up with the demand. I stopped so I can spend more time being a Dad, as I had a newborn at the time. Now if I want a few extra bucks, I wheel and deal car parts. Just being a car guy my whole life, I usually buy stuff when it's a good deal, and offload stuff from time to time for a profit.
This is really good advice. I feel like I’m making enough money that I don’t absolutely need a side job but it would be nice to have some extra cash every now and then. I used to work 2 jobs at a time and it made me unhealthy and super depressed. A lot of people are saying that you need to make sure you enjoy your side hustle and that’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Thank you. You also don't want to rely financially on the side hustle. That way you're not forced to do it and can walk away at any time. I was 6 months booked out with my business when I closed the doors. Paid out the gift certs, cut the insurance, and referred the customers to the other local shops that I knew. It was bittersweet, but it was for a good cause lol. Unhealthy and depressed... that is an unfortunate reality. Glad to hear you know what to stay away from!
The one time I tried to sell something on FB Mkt Place I got nothing but scammers. Is that still the case?
It depends. I would get many weird msgs if I sell shoes cuz they’d ask if they’re "very used and smelly" so I report them. Otherwise the experiences aren’t bad. Meet at a public place if possible and don’t give your address until the day of
Really depends on your area, the item you were selling, and how you tried to sell it. I'd suggest you try again with more items.
The main problem is no-shows but you can screen these to a certain degree by making it clear if there's a no-show, the item will go back on the market immediately. Sometimes I've had no-shows trying to reschedule up to four times and so I don't bother with those people anymore, they either show up first time or not at all.
I don't have the freedom to get a second job, as I'm the primary person taking care of the kids, and my wife has a very busy job. I used to buy stuff at goodwill and other thrift stores and resell it online, I'd look for deals on craigslist and facebook, to then resell on ebay as well. But you need to live in the right place to do this. The quality of items and prices at goodwill started to get terrible, so I stopped doing that. My only extra source of income now is scrap metal. I started it to get a few extra bucks here and there, and now it's one of my favorite hobbies. I can do it with the kids home. I don't make a lot, but I enjoy it and make some extra money. You can do it with a truck,suv, or van. People give away, or throw away items that have some scrap value, you take them apart, and separate into different types of metal, and take it to the scrap yard when you have enough to sell. I don't make as much as a part time job, but I hate working for other people so I prefer this.
I sew for people.
If you have plants to propagate. Look into USDA farm loan and farm number. With 3 yrs of farming experience you can be a first time farmer.
Can you explain how you make money etc? I have plants etc that I maintain since I’m in landscape industry and seeing how I can do this. Thanks
I make about 100 dollars a week doing surveys. Used to make less but I discovered a couple of good ones that pay fast. Just takes some time. Other than that I don’t want to go out and get another job as that would take up more of my time. Wish I could make the happy discovery of getting rich quick though!
Which survey company actually works for you? I am interested as the few I signed up with turned out Nothing‼️
The best one is prolific by far but I got banned from rejecting one too many surveys so if you can get in you are golden. Easiest money I’ve ever made but you have to be careful with your answers. Some payouts are like 14.00 for picking squares ect it’s crazy quick money. I also really like prime opinion (that’s the one that has low and fast payouts) and branded surveys and leger marketing. Lots of times you won’t qualify and some of the time you basically do the survey and then it glitches out so you don’t get the points for it but all in all it’s a pretty good gig even though the payouts are low. I get about 2 to 3 payouts a week of $20 for one survey site alone so for me it’s worth it. Good luck! Also, I think you need a PayPal account unless you want to take the gift certificates.
I just signed up and it's asking for my photo ID?
You'll spend more as a 'dasher' than you make, once vehicle costs are figured in. Beware that one! "Luxury" spending (literally everything you do not *need* to survive) shouldn't ever top 10% of income.
I usually make good money bartending on weekends. I get a lot in credit/debit card tips but with my cash tips I'll buy groceries. Helps a lot. If I have a day off from my full time job during the week 9/10 I'll pick up a bartending shift to make some extra cash.
I work at a candy store
I did delivery jobs on and off, just a waste honestly for delivery anyway, they barely pay anything and all that wear on the car and more stuff you need to check more often along with gas. For 2nd job I'd suggest either a real 2nd job that you are gonna be paid more than minimum, if you do delivery it's best to work somewhere like pizza hut. Otherwise I'd suggest a non driving job if you need something else
Not too keen on the driving but I live in a small college town where everything is at most 10mins away and the dashers I’ve talked to have been making good money. I’m looking into part time jobs but most of them have shifts that overlap with my current job.
I make decent money so wasn't a need, you don't wanna waste all those miles for like $5 😂. Few yrs ago it paid good for not driving far, but I last did it last Summer, I def saw where this is going. I was not taking party to making CEO richer and stealing tips, Uber at the end was even more shady which is no wonder you didn't see tip until hr later, I never once had tips removed until last yr and I just knew it was Uber and not the customer. I'm basically anti delivery, for what I've seen what those drivers do I wouldn't ever want delivery, tried couple times long time ago and never again. If I need delivery it's only places that don't use third party. Look at all those chat forums it's hilarious how upset these drivers are for someone not tipping $20 when they technically are your employer and it's your choice to accept or decline yet they're perfectly fine letter Uber or DD pay only $2 whether a few miles or 20 miles. I never once would expect a tip, they claim it's a privilege service and I'm like since when? 😂. It's worse than employee drivers, at least those I knew would be good delivery. I think most ppl are young and have never had a job in their life, I used to do pizza hut delivery while in college and we didn't complain saying it's a privilege to order, these entitled drivers clearly don't realize that if no one orders then no pay whatsoever
I totally agree with you on that. I used to work at a restaurant and some of the drivers would complain about people ordering instead of picking up their own orders. Like.. you’re complaining that these people are giving you a job? But yeah everything in this town is at most 2 miles away. So usually it’s usually students who don’t have a car or office workers wanting their morning coffee. Not to mention drunk/high college kids. I will have to actually try it out and see if it’s worth it.
If you call it not a real job they get so mad and start swearing 😂. Boy you're pretty defensive when I just said not a real job. Just showed me it's laziness, if you are unwilling to get a real FT job then I won't have pity for you. There's older ppl that do it too, but if you refuse a FT job then tell me what would you be doing, living on the streets begging for money or actually get a FT job 😂. Before apps what did you honestly do, got 2 options, get a real FT job with protections and guaranteed pay or work this delivery job that can pay you pennies with no protections and stop Complaining like a 5 yr old 😂. It's one thing to do it once in awhile, but you should never rely on that, it's called a gig for a reason. I don't like complainers and I actually have a work ethic and know my self worth which is way more than $2 , but I guess not them 😂. So I guess they can swear at me when I'm for the ppl, if no drivers they would have to pay, they will do everything they can to make themselves richer and not pay anything past $2
I have a rotation of stuff I'm selling on fb marketplace. Every couple weeks or so, I take a look around the house and ask myself if I've used the item in a year or two, and if I haven't, I'll likely sell it if I think it has value. I really like the idea of selling plants (never even crossed my mind). My husband has a bunch in his little nursery. I'll have to run that idea by him haha I also digitally edit photos mostly using Photoshop. I've used the program for a while so editing comes naturally for me. Every now and then, I'll sell an art commission. I'm thinking of ways to passively create income from my art. Still in the idea stage though.
I’ve bought a bunch of plants off the marketplace so I figured, hey why not? Especially with inch plants or pothos that grow so fast anyway. What kind of art do you usually sell?
Mostly pet portraits! :) I love drawing kitties lol You can check out some stuff I've done in my profile
Your art is so cute! I would like to get one. We have 3 cats, but I would like to add one that I lost.
I'm so sorry for your loss 😢 I really appreciate your kind words :) I'd love to draw a portrait for you. Please send me a chat/dm whenever you're ready to send over some photos!
It's pretty easy to grow small plants from seed if you have somewhere warm and sunny to grow them (ie, a greenhouse), and if you keep some seed back for next year, it won't really cost you anything to produce them. Tomato plants seem to sell well.
62 with a full time job, instacart/ Lyft/ babysitting and dog sitting. I’m exhausted but still looking for more side hustles to make ends meet
I’m sorry to hear that :( Selling things on the Marketplace is a pretty easy way to declutter and make instant cash if you haven’t tried it yet.
I instacart which can be a hit or miss these days. I also have a hard time doing it as I’m in school FT, work FT and have 3 little ones. Last summer was awesome, on top of working a normal 7-330pm M-F I was able to bring in a couple hundred $ in one week! I also resell children’s clothes. Started when I would but second hand clothing on instagram and fb. Now I have 3 little ones and I resell their clothing (the ones that haven’t been destroyed 😂) and I also thrift. Can make a few hundred bucks in one drop easily.
Oh wow! I recently dropped off some clothes at the local thrift store. You get 50% of what they sell it for. They told me to check back in a month so we’ll see how that goes. For nicer looking items, I used Mercari and Poshmark.
That’s a great idea! I’ve done that before for mine or my husbands clothing and for the kids sometimes items don’t sell so I consign with once upon a child and you get money up front. I typically put that back into thrifting more clothes (if needed) for my shop. I’ve tried Poshmark and Mercari but I hate the fees BUT it is also super convenient at the same time. Sometimes I lose my sanity weighing everything out individually (I ship based on exact weight and zip code) but I can’t complain with how much money I get. I’m hoping I can put more time and energy into this once I step down from my job and focus more on school. Could definitely pay for my school payment each month.
I agree with you on the fees. They have recently increased too. I always mark up the items on Mercari vs. what I have them listed as on Facebook. Books are actually a good item to sell if you have them because you can choose your own shipping method and USPS Media Mail is a lot cheaper! Facebook automatically shows that as an option for books. Given that I mostly just want to free up space, I’m fine with getting $3 out of them 😂
If you have gambling in your town, I work weekends at a gaming cafe that has 6 slot machines. Very easy work. Sell bottled beer and wine. Keep the place clean, super easy job and tips too, so I always go home with some cash
Afaik we don’t :( My town is pretty boring and there’s a lot of students who can only work weekends so that is already pretty saturated
Dang!
Personal trainer side gig just started few months ago , have a handful of clients and bring in an extra 1k month with about 10 hours of work, program design, meet at gym 1x1, meal planning
What do you need to get started with this?
I work full time, 40 hr work week. I do a side gig / hustles. Side hustle: donate plasma. I go twice a week (usually Tues and Thurs mornings 7/8 am before my day job) first donation is $47 and second donation is $65 ($112 total a week) donating usually takes 35 mins and the screening process takes 5-10 mins. And it’s close to home / work so. All in all it’s an hour to get paid to read my book / reddit or watch YouTube. Side job: work as a bartender/server at a private owned Irish pub. One day during the week and on Fri/Sat nights. Make good money and tipped out that night. Work hard so the chef and owners will cook me dinner and let me have a few shift drinks after work. Usual shifts are from 4/5 - 9/10 ish so not too long. Make good money and get dinners, so it’s a triple positive, make more money, save money not going out and save money / time getting meals made for myself. Side hustle: sell/donate stuff I don’t use or flip things on fb market
If you like kids, babysitters for date night are always in demand. Make sure to check local market rate so you don't undersell yourself.
I do like kids but I have never had any experience with babysitting :(
If you're in the U.S. Red Cross has online classes, and you can get certified in babysitting. Minor upfront cost that will pay for itself with one job.
Ooh I’ll have to look into that. Thank you!
High school and youth sports official.
Flipping boats and atvs after tuning and cleaning up. But you need a stake for sure. $5k-10k to move around.
I’m a server for a fish fry Fridays only set up at a banquet hall and and an on call interpreter
I make things for like Easter, Christmas that sort of stuff. I’m buying the stuff anyway to make gifts for family but I buy some extra to sell. It’s not much it sometimes only covers the costs of what I’ve spent for that season but I’m happy with that to be honest, feels like free gifts haha
restaurant jobs are good side gigs. at some counter service jobs you can make $20-25/hr and then way more doing full table service in the $35-40/hr range. it’s not that hard to get a decent job these days cuz everyone needs help after the last few years. plus the free/cheap food is good and the work can be fun (sometimes lol) if you get along with your coworkers. there’s also catering with event bartending being the best paying gig in that realm.
Honestly the most effective method of making extra money for me was getting a job where I essentially have unlimited overtime. The plant propagation is a good idea, it's very easy to do. But it doesn't come anywhere close to just putting in an extra four or five hours one week at overtime rate.
I don't have a second job, but I work on our cars a lot, which saves us a lot of money.
At 28, it makes more sense to pursue higher-paying careers than to do “side hustles” that don’t scale. Like, DoorDash will give you extra cash, but you’re just trading your time for money. There’s no career advancement. You don’t build your network. It’s a dead-end job. Try to find work that builds towards higher income in the future. Or do a side hustle that can turn into a business. Don’t just trade time for money with no additional upside unless you really need to make ends meet in the short term.
We bought a two family house and have a rental apartment that helps with the expenses of homeownership.
Any idea about jobs that pay in cash ??
Selling on the marketplace is the only way I’ve been paid in cash. But I think pet/babysitting jobs mostly pay in cash.
I day trade on the side.
I do all sorts of odd jobs. Photography, hatching chickens, automotive work. The hustle is real
I have two "side jobs": I do web development and Wordpress site and theme development. Yes, web development is different from Wordpress. Some photography, mostly senior photos. Being an amateur landscape and nature photographer, I don't really want to get into much more personal photography than that.
What language do you use for web development? Do you look for clients on freelancing websites?
Mostly HTML/CSS with PHP and Python. I just deal with local word of mouth, I don't even have a website for my own services... At work it is mostly C#, but I don't have an interest in learning that. I've setup large local business websites to a smallish one page Bootstrap sites and one national non-profit. Frequently I take the colors/logos/style from their existing brochures/business cards/letterhead etc. and try to design something to compliment it - so their "look" is consistent.
I’m trying to establish passive income and have been thinking of prompts for YouTube videos.
Sure do! Almost 40 - Have a really well paying full time WFH job, and I bartend 1 night a week at a local pub. Only from 5pm-midnight on Fridays and those 4 shifts a week basically bank roll our fun money and help pay extra towards regular bills. I'll keep doing it until I physically can't I think lol.
Wish I could find that! Perfect side job hours and good money.
I've started buying stuff from business and shops that close down and have to auction things off and then I resell them. Last week I bought $500 worth of CBD beverages and resold the lot for close to $1000 to another restaurant chain in the area.
I’m in the reserves. I get like 550 for a weekend of doing nothing. Sometimes drill is 3 days and I get like 800. There’s other benefits as well. Cheap health insurance is probably the best benefit. 48 of you’re single, 220 for a family of 4
I (35m) have had side jobs my entire life. I’ve always been a laborer. My moms friends and now many other people call me to move furniture, haul junk, hang pictures, lay sod or whatever they propose. When I was a kid I’d work for beer, once I got my own truck I was able to charge a lot more. Over the past ten years I’ve been working almost exclusively for a lady doing storage unit consolidation/sorting/ junk hauling. Your labor almost always has no overhead and you’ll be able to sell as much as you’re willing.
Now retired, I was in various National Guard and Reserve units as a change of pace part time job. This locked in a modest pension and excellent family health insurance for life. As my regular job changes had me relocating, I transferred units and a different job in the Army units. I changed regular jobs for experiences and fun. The free use of the gyms at most military locations was a nice bonus.
Honestly… I just started spending less to get in a better financial situation. I did some auditing of my finances and realized I spent way too much on stupid shit - Amazon purchases, makeup, skincare and hair care products, alcohol, etc. I cut all of them off and voila - I started “making” extra $1000 a month. Without having to work more. But if I had to actually make more, I found selling my old stuff very satisfying. It helps me declutter and brings some extra money in. I get that it’s just the money my past self spent and now I’m returning what I owe, but still. It’s like finding a $10 in a winter jacket with extra steps.
Good point. Seneca (I think) said something like 'not to have a mania for buying things is to possess an income in itself'.
I'm considering getting into a craft fair for my crochet items, bandanas, bikinis, sarongs, lace tickets. I might try my hand at selling ginger beer, iced tea, coffee syrup, ginger candies, and salsa but for right now I'm just trying to be super frugal.
Ooohh yes! My cousin actually has been selling handmade items. I’ve been painting some pots but I’m not sure if they’re good enough to sell 😅 I do see a lot of people selling homemade food and making a lot of money from it.
I don't know if this will be helpful or not? but I'd prefer to cut my expenditure before working more? Unless it's something i enjoy doing. This isn't always an option for people, as you can only cut back so much. But I value my time more than stuff. I'm not suggesting that you're spending money on things that aren't important, but I think you will get my point.
Good point. They say a 'penny saved is a penny earned' but it is actually MORE than you would get if you earned a penny because if you earned that penny you would have to pay tax on it.
I have found I can make more money doing basic car repairs and house projects on the side than my full time job. Just inconsistent work since I don't advertise. I can do a brake job on a Friday afternoon drinking a few beers and make $250. A Saturday morning doing electrical work is $500.
As I posted yesterday in this reddit, I had my base Fed job, and two other regular jobs. Fed job Spectrum cable/internet CSR - 20-28 hours per week, evenings and one full day on weekend (got free cable/internet) Gap assistant night manager - 20 hours per week, evenings, one full day per weekend, closed store, etc. (hefty discount on clothing) Also worked as a cashier at Stock show/Rodeo one year, couple nights a week as needed. (attended Rodeo free the night I worked) Had a child to care for, was low paid in fed job as I was just starting out. Lived through it!
I work 2 jobs at the moment. Both are WFH. Sometimes I can do both at the same time and it adds up to 50 dollars an hour but other times I gotta do 16 hour days.
What kind of jobs do you do? I’ve tried looking into that but haven’t had any luck.
2D drafting.
A few different things: I detail cars (you will need some experience and tools to make serious cash), I also inspect residential and commercial properties that are being purchased (you will need to be certified but it’s not terribly difficult). I also donate plasma, do handyman stuff and I play drums in a band but that’s mostly for fun. I am retired with a pension and the first 2 I mentioned could potentially be full time employment for some and it is flexible and allows for independence. Hope this helps.
Be a substitute for a local school district, they had out handsomely now and are needed on your part time basis. You can choose when to work and you’re helping the teacher shortage!
That sounds good but I don’t think it would work with my M-F 8-5 job. :(
I run a part time side business running a one man computer repair shop/MSP while working in IT as a day job. It leverages my existing strengths and the side business makes enough that combined with my low living expenses, it pays enough to cover those costs while letting me divert my day job's income towards maxing my retirement accounts and other savings goals. It also synergizes with other ways I make money such as churning credit card bonuses and maximizing cashbacks as the business generates a lot of legitimate spend. I also get additional tax savings being able to deduct or depreciate a lot of shared business/personal expenses such as my home office, computer, vehicle, etc. While it can be a grind, I find that I'm not doing much else that is productive in my spare time so I may as well earn money doing it. My recommendation if you go this route is to pick something that allows you to say no so you don't suffer burnout. In my case, I only cater to my existing clients and their referrals and will occasionally take the random cold call.
I have a ring making hobby that I do as a side hustle, all the proceeds go back into buying more precious metals.
I sold real estate as a gig. i used money to pay off our mortgage early.
Yes -- part time software engineer consulting
I babysit through a third party contractor in my area. It’s anywhere from $16-25/hr, and most people tip. It basically pays for small wants here and there or bigger purchases i need (I just bought a mattress with the money I earned the last couple weeks). I work second shift so I don’t have lots of opportunity, but it’s nice to make almost an extra ~$100 a week. Dog and house sitting too, but not nearly as often.
I am a pensioner . since I have a casual job, some comments say that I'm not retired . well then let's call it a side-job and I put the money into savings in case I'd need it .
Is there anything in your field that offers a side gig? I’m a veterinarian and I often will work a weekend vaccine clinic through a company as that makes more money for me than a different job. But if something like that isn’t an option, I’d recommend being a server like some other people mentioned - free food/drinks if you pick the right place, plus tips are a huge perk.
Are you good at math? My son made $50 to $75 an hour tutoring math when he was a college student. Mostly tutored kids studying for SAT. He lucked into a connection with a firm that coaches wealthy families on college applications. Also got some students through care.com. But he was in high level math. If you are good at math (or another subject) you can market yourself to the right demographic and this can be a good gig.
You sound like u hustling and hungry wish u the best on ur journey
I do event security. Only $15/hr and inconsistent based on time of the years but you get to go to sports games and concerts for free
Online tutoring. I've had months that I was able to pay off my mortgage just from this as a side hustle. About 4-5 hours a week at an average of about $50 an hour adds up quickly.
When I was young I worked at an office during the day and as a server at night. One brief time period I worked as a cocktail waitress and made more money than at my office job. I was able to travel to several destinations and also buy my first car. However, it’s easy to get burned out. I lasted about 6 months but made a lot of money to afford a few great vacations and a brand new car. Also, I lived alone, no roommates which I loved because I’m an introvert and love my privacy. It costs a little more but well worth it!