RD.COM Money Saving
ByScott Steinberg
Updated: May 23, 2024
Whether you're looking to branch off into a new career and are testing the waters, or you simply want to make a bit more money, these side hustle ideas will set you on the right path
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Side hustle jobs
It helps to know the best side hustles in 2023, what with the annual inflation rate now hovering around 7% to 8% and the average cost of living for many Americans having increased by double digits over the past year. After all, it can be difficult just trying to cover housing and basic life expenses under the best of circ*mstances these days, even with a full-time job. Or perhaps you’re looking to follow a passion and test out a new entrepreneurial venture, or you’re exploring a different career option and you’re looking at side hustle jobs for inspiration as to what’s feasible. Gen Zers, in particular, are reportedly looking for alternative revenue streams; in a recent H&R Block survey, 52 percent of Gen Z respondents say they have a side hustle.
Whatever the case may be, there are many easy side hustles that can help you put more money back in your pocketbook, or more readily afford a host of rising expenses, from food to energy costs. Better still, for those wondering how to make money fast (or how to save money more rapidly), a host of them can also be done from home, and in your spare time to boot.
Curious how to start a side hustle (say, discovering how to work as a social media consultant or sell clothes online) with a minimum of time or fuss? We’ve got you covered. From online side hustles to part-time gigs in your local area, let’s take a closer look at some of the best side hustles to focus on today.
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1. Become a Lyft or Uber driver
Allowing drivers to work a flexible schedule, use their own vehicles and pick up extra pay for working at peak times, Uber and Lyft have become popular side hustles for self-starters. These ride-sharing services make especially great options to consider if you like meeting new people or setting your own hours, and they offer employment opportunities in many towns and cities. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, it helps to know that many full- and part-time workers, as well as retirees, have found a great way to earn extra income and/or kill time by moonlighting as rideshare drivers. In fact, Uber drivers make an average of $42,257 a year in the U.S., according to Comparably—not too shabby!
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2. Rent your car out
Prefer to relax at home and let someone else take the wheel of your automobile instead? Note that services such as Turo and HyreCar also let you rent out your car to everyday drivers as an alternative. Riders in different cities often find these types of solutions a more cost-affordable alternative to car rental providers, or a great way to clock in hands-on time with classic and vintage automobiles. Naturally, they offer a great way to bring in passive income if you don’t have to be anywhere at a specific time on certain days or have an extra means of local transportation (read: an additional pair of wheels) to spare.
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3. Babysit for families with children
Surprise! With UrbanSitter reporting that babysitting now pays a national average of $20.57 an hour for one child and $23.25 for two, part-time sitting isn’t just for teens and tweens anymore. What’s more, Parents.com says that demand for sitting has only continued to rise in recent years—and that pay rates are also growing, plus you’ll often get nice tips. Bonus: This side hustle costs next to nothing to get started with.
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4. Walk dogs or pet sit
If you love animals, pet sitting and walking dogs around your neighborhood represent easy side hustles that you can get started with now. Pro tip: There are also simple, user-friendly apps that you can sign up with such as Wag! and Rover if you’re looking to expand your business to nearby locales as well. Part-time dog walkers alone make around $33,716 a year, or $16 an hour, on national average, per ZipRecruiter—not too shabby, especially if you enjoy spending time with all sorts of four-legged friends. Before you take your new charge to the dog park, brush up on these etiquette rules.
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5. Take online surveys or join in-person focus groups
If you’ve got strong opinions about certain products, services and brands, many market research firms are happy to pay you to share them. Paid online survey sites such as Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys, MyPointsand Swagbucks can help you get started assisting companies with their market research needs. You can also do an online search for focus groups in your area (simply punch “focus groups New York City,” for example, into your favorite search engine) to find local research companies that will pay $75 to $150 or more for an hour of your time in-person.
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6. Rent out your property for short-term or vacation stays
Got a property that you’re looking to rent out? Services like Airbnb, Vrbo, FlipKey, Agodaand Plum Guide can help you bring in passive income by booking short-term stays. (Note that available rental providers may differ by your specific location.) You don’t even need to rent out the entire place if you’ve got, say, a spare room you’d like to let out nightly. Lending firm Earnest reports that Airbnb hosts make, on average, around $924 a month.
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7. Start doing odd jobs for others
Ever need a spare hand with a random time-saving task? Join the club: That’s why countless individuals are now using Taskrabbit, Thumbtack, Handy and other gig-economy services/apps to, in some cases, pay $50 an hour and up for help with deliveries, errands, cleaning, yard work and other routine chores. Got free time and don’t mind putting in a little physical effort and energy as part of your side hustle? These popular marketplaces can pair you with paid tasks such as furniture assembly, providing others with help moving or even standing in line to grab tickets to popular concerts or sporting events.
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8. Transcribe phone calls, videos and recordings
Transcriptionists take audio or video recordings and type them out into written rundowns for others to easily read and reference. From consulting calls to classroom notes or even archives of legal proceedings, the subject matter is often diverse and interesting, which makes this online side hustle a great fit for fast typers with an ear for detail. A number of freelance sites such as Rev, GoTranscriptand TranscribeMe can pair you with paid opportunities. Learning how to record a phone call could give you a leg up.
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9. Mow lawns or do repairs and handyman work in your local area
Some of the oldest side hustles today remain some of the best side hustles as well. Happily, thanks to the magic of technology, solving one of the most time-honored challenges—finding new clients to service—is easier than ever. Using services like TaskRabbit, Handy.comand TaskEasy, you can locate short-term lawn care and handyman or repair gigs to take on. If you’re good with a mower, or a dab hand at DIY challenges, they can help you earn a steady source of extra income. If you go this route, you’ll definitely want to know the best time to buy a lawnmower.
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10. Wash clothes for other families
Doing laundry is a task that few people savor, so the wash tends to pile up for many of us. Services like Sudshare and Hampr will pay side hustlers up to $20 an hour to work from home laundering and neatly folding picked-up or dropped-off laundry from customers’ houses. In effect, you could get paid for washing other people’s clothing—and even watch TV or do other tasks on the side while it’s running, all from the comfort of your own abode. First, brush up on our guide to how to do laundry.
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11. Wash and detail cars
It takes time to keep cars clean inside and out—but almost anyone can perform these tasks if properly incentivized. That’s where services like Jobble, Steady and TaskRabbit come in, as they can help you find a steady stream of car wash gigs and other side hustles wherever you reside. With just a handful of cleaning products and a few spare hours, you can get started with one of the most steady easy side hustles today.
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12. Deliver packages for Amazon
If you’ve got a car, truck or SUV and some spare time, you can sign up to help deliver packages using Amazon Flex. Among today’s most popular side hustle jobs, it allows you to schedule flexible hours for set blocks of time and accept as many delivery assignments as you can handle. Considering how much shopping now takes place online, this one should offer decent side hustle job security going forward.
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13. Hire yourself out to test apps or websites
Software products such as smartphone apps and websites need extensive testing to remove bugs, or glitches, in their coding. Sign up for sites like UTest, UserTesting, UserCrowd, Enroll and Userlytics, and you can get paid to poke around with them, click on buttons and otherwise make sure things are in good working order. If you like to tinker and fiddle with new technology, it’s a fun way to get paid while also sharing your feedback and making sure products and user interfaces function as smoothly as possible.
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14. Work as a photographer
Sites like Shutterstock, Smugmug, Burst and Getty Images are always on the hunt for a steady stream of new photos that clients can license and use for websites, promotional materials, advertising campaigns and other marketing efforts. But you can also sell your own photo-branded goods and products using services such as Shutterfly, Snapfish, Zazzleand Vistaprint if you’d like as well. Of course, that’s before you even consider local opportunities in your living area—photographing things like family portraits, baby showers, weddings, school get-togethers, concerts and work-related functions. Noting this, side hustle ideas don’t get more versatile than working as a freelance shutterbug. Share these tricks for looking good in photos with your future clients.
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15. Tutor students online
Inside tip: You don’t necessarily need an advanced teaching degree to help educate others. If you’re an expert on a particular subject and a strong communicator, check out sites like Tutor.com, Studypooland TutorMe, where clients will pay you to help them get up to speed on different topics. Serving K–12 students and up, tutors may teach English to non-native speakers or get sprouts up to speed on math and science basics.
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16. Get started as a life coach
Yes, you can get paid for refereeing many sporting events. (Though some gigs are strictly volunteer.) But professional and online coaching (life coaching, business coaching, career coaching and more) can offer much bigger bucks, with e-learning, business coaching and online education already multi-billion dollar markets. From sites like The Muse (where you can become a career coach) to CoachHub (where you can assist organizations with a host of topics including change management, retail growth and talent development), employment options are plentiful. Side note: Given the current economic climate, it also helps to remember that many individuals are likewise earning extra income by serving their local communities as financial coaches who aid with budgeting and financial planning as well.
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17. Launch a paid blog, subscription service or newsletter
Blogging for fun and profit has long been one of the most popular side hustle ideas. Thanks to Substack, a platform that empowers writers to publish original work and get paid through recurring subscriptions, more independent authors are joining the crowd than ever. If you’re more tech-savvy or looking to source advertisem*nts or affiliate shopping income (monies earned from sales leads you’ve initiated), be advised that other options are available as well. For instance, you might consider using a host of free or low-cost WordPress templates to quickly and cost effectively get a website/blog up and running and leverage Shopify, Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network and other popular partnership tools to monetize it.
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18. Work as a freelance writer or proofreader
Many small and large businesses are consistently in need of copywriting and proofreading services—and are happy to hire freelance writers and editors, making these among the most popular side hustle jobs today. If you’re a whiz with words, online marketplaces including Contently, Fiverr, FlexJobs, Skyword, Upwork, WriterAccess and others can help you find clients in need of blog posts, e-books, whitepapers and more. Better still: From marketing materials to website copy and social media posts, you’ll find that a growing roster of clients in every industry and space have a constant need for creative contributors year-round.
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19. Resell clothes, or design your own fashion line
If you’re looking for good side hustle ideas, you might also consider reselling your clothes online using services like Poshmark, The RealReal, Flyp or Mercari, which let you list gear on online marketplaces for others to buy. Of course, if you’d rather not go the eBay-for-fashionistas route, you can also use online providers like Shopify, Bonfire, Teespring, Printify and Spreadshop to sell your own print-on-demand T-shirts, sweatshirts and other clothing ideas. Sites like Zazzle, WackyButtons.comand Sticker Mule can also help you design and sell your own buttons, magnets, stickers and more. So no matter which way your creative muse moves you, you can easily turn great ideas into physical products with a minimum of time or startup investment.
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20. Begin recording and publishing a podcast
For less than $100, you can purchase a high-quality USB microphone and start recording your own talk or music radio show on your computer or smartphone for distribution online. Recording and sharing platforms like Audacity, SoundCloud, BuzzSproutand Podbean can help you find an audience and spread the word for your creations. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), podcasting is expected to be a $4 billion business by 2024. Given that snagging even a little piece of that money would prove a nice payday for many, starting a podcast has quickly become one of the most popular and affordable side hustles today. Get inspired by checking out our list of top podcasts.
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21. Sell handmade goods and products on Etsy
If you’re a pro when it comes to arts and crafts, one of the most popular side hustle jobs you’ll find is setting up a store on Etsy. This online marketplace for handmade goods allows you to create and sell your own bespoke and artisanal items. From leather goods to custom glasswork and artwork, countless creatives have looked to the site for easy side hustles they can start out of a spare bedroom or garage.
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22. Create unique and tasty baked goods
Like spending time in the kitchen? Baking and cooking fans looking for side hustle ideas can create all manner of delicious treats for sale on the internet. It’s one of the most popular online side hustles for aspiring chefs, with many individuals running accounts on Instagram or TikTok to promote their product. However, you can easily set up a website where you can sell your wares using plug-and-play tools from services like Squarespace, Wixand GoDaddy. From custom birthday cakes to cookies with friends’ and families’ faces printed in icing, the sky’s the limit. Some online mixmasters are even bringing in $1,000 a month baking one cake a week.
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23. Help out with graphic design and illustration
If you’re an artist or graphic designer with a flair for visually helping bring new ideas to life, consider signing up with providers like Crowdspring, 99Designsand DesignCrowd. Each helps put client briefs in front of creative freelancers worldwide and allows you to submit your designs for their review as part of paid contests, with cash prizes awarded to the winners. If you’d prefer to work on paid commissions and bespoke designs only, sign up for Fiverr, Toptal, DesignHilland Behance, which can help pair you with commissioning patrons instead.
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24. Start your own YouTube channel, or become an online streamer/influencer
People from around the world now watch more than 250 million hours of video on YouTube daily and consumed more than a trillion minutes of material on Twitch in 2022 alone—and there’s an ever-present desire for new filmed content. So if you’re passionate about a subject (comic books, gardening, van life, fill in the blank) and are comfortable sharing your thoughts on camera, there’s never been a better time to start taping. Pro tip: There are many ways to make money as an online influencer in addition to video advertisem*nts, including paid product placements and tips from adoring fans. And hey, all that free gear from companies looking to be featured and the attention you’ll often receive from the general public don’t hurt either.
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25. Offer your professional services on freelance online marketplaces
Online side hustles come in all shapes and sizes these days. A global freelance marketplace where you can offer virtually any kind of service—logo design, animation, editing, story writing, voice-over acting and more—for $5 and up, Fiverr can pair you with customers. Whether you’re a web designer looking to help small businesses, or a book editor looking to assist with proofreading, you’ll find global opportunities of all sorts here. Likewise, many freelancers worldwide leverage alternative providers such as Upwork, Freelancer.comand Guru.com to offer programming, data entry, sales and marketing services, and other solutions. If you’re wondering how to start a side hustle, these popular online markets offer a great place to begin your research.
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How to start a side hustle
Start by picking a side hustle that matches your schedule, skill set and personality. Before settling on a part-time gig, be sure to research pay rates, job availability and growth opportunities in your area. If you can, attend professional meetups and gatherings or join online message boards and community forums to connect with others and get advice from experienced pros in the field.
In addition, remember that it’s OK to start small. That may mean devoting fewer hours at first to, say, marketing your services as a freelance book editor or graphic designer online while you’re building up a client base. Alternately, it may mean using preexisting templates and promotional materials to create a website, brochure and other marketing materials for less.
As you plot your calendar, make sure you prioritize your time wisely, and focus on opportunities that grow your income or clientele the fastest. Don’t forget to block out time for brain breaks and recharging as well. Likewise, consider: Do you have to work solo, or could you benefit from teaming up with others with similar talents and interests? Oftentimes, the fastest way to grow your side hustle is to work with other part-time gig workers, or trade services and resources, to help accomplish goals and tick tasks off your to-do list more quickly.
Sources:
- U.S. Inflation Calculator: “Current US Inflation Rates: 2000–2022”
- Comparably: “Uber Driver Salary in Washington, DC”
- Earnest: “How Much Are People Making from the Sharing Economy?”
- UrbanSitter: “2022 Babysitting Rates: National Average & by City”
- ZipRecruiter: “Part Time Dog Walker Salary”
Originally Published: March 13, 2024
Author
Scott Steinberg
Scott is an award-winning futurist and influencer covering business, consumer lifestyle and technology trends. He is a bestselling author who has written 30 books, and his work appears in numerous national publications. He has also partnered with dozens of brands, writing about technology (telecommunications, cybersecurity, consumer electronics), b...
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