21 Ideas To Make Money On The Side
Are you sick of the same ‘get a second job’ or ‘save more money’ spiels when it comes to working out ways to get more cash in your hands? Or even the eye rolls you get when you say that you want to make money on the side?
The thing is, we’ve come a long way since relying on a second job to earn more money, there are now so many ways for you to make money on the side of your day job, or even to replace your day job, and anyone can do it!
I’m not talking about buying into pyramid schemes, or risking it all on the stock market, I’m talking legit make money on the side, put cash in your hands and pay the bills kind of thing.
I know this because not only have I spent time talking to people about how they make extra money, I actually have done a lot of these myself when we were working towards our financial goal of paying off over $120k in debt.
So if you’re serious about your financial goals, or if you want to be able to get ahead financially or if you just want to make more money because money is awesome, then these ideas to make money on the side are for you:
Sometimes, our day job isn’t enough to keep us financially afloat.
Nearly half of all Americans have a side hustle, and 30% of them need that second job to afford living expenses.
There are so many opportunities to make some extra cash, so this list of ways to make money on the side is not all-inclusive.
Do any of these side gigs catch your eye?
1 – Rideshare Apps
Sign up to become an Uber or Lyft driver!
Of course, you will need a driver’s license, a car, and a clean driving record to start driving for these ride share companies.
2 – Sell Your Unwanted Clothes & Items
Do you have a closet full of clothes you don’t wear anymore? Or a whole heap of items around your home you no longer need? Sell them online!
Vinted and Poshmark let users sell secondhand clothing and often have a better sell rate than somewhere like Facebook Marketplace.
Regular household items you no longer want or need sell well on Facebook Marketplace and can be an easy way to turn your clutter into cash.
While it’s not a regular way to make money on the side, it can be a great little side hustle to help you declutter and put some extra cash in your wallet.
3 – Sell Thrift Store Finds
If the previous idea of selling your clothes gets you excited, then why not make selling clothes into a more regular side hustle?
Scope out your local thrift shop or garage sale for great deals and unique finds, then, sell your items online for a profit!
If you’re savvy with a needle and thread, you could even modify or customize the clothes and create your own vibe, Nasty Gal style.
4 – Babysit
If you have some free time, sign up for Care to become a babysitter! You can choose your only schedule, ranging from being a full-time nanny to a date night sitter.
Another great place to advertise is simply on Facebook or Craigslist.
Be sure to prove how responsible you are (testimonials are a massive bonus), and you’ll have a whole lot more enquiries.
5 – Become a Freelance Writer
Ghostwrite for a website by signing up with Freelancer, Upwork, or Fiverr!
You can also find work in Facebook groups for virtual assistants selling pre-written articles, or finding a client who has a set list of articles they want written.
Stick to your zone of genius as your niche when you’re starting out – it’s a lot easier to write to a higher standard when you’re writing about something you’re confident in.
You don’t need any qualifications, but you do need to be able to write to a decent standard (the better you write, the more you can charge).
You can use a program like Grammarly to help you polish off your articles too.
6 – Become a Transcriptionist
Can you type quickly?
If so, you’d be the perfect candidate for a remote transcriptionist position! Rev pays $1/minute to anyone who can type what they hear in an audio clip.
Alternatively, you could add this to your gig list on Fiverr and charge more for a quicker turnaround (people pay for convenience and speed).
7 – Walk Dogs in Your Neighborhood
It’s easy to find furry clients to take on walks! Sign up for Wag! and take some neighborhood dogs around the block.
You can make over $20 per walk and you get your daily exercise in while loving on some super cute dogs!
This is a super simple way to take something enjoyable and make money from it.
8 – Make and Sell on Etsy
Sell handmade and digital items on Etsy!
Whether you sell home décor, clothing, accessories, or anything else, your merchandise will find a home on this popular website.
You can use programs like Canva to create digital products and sell them on Etsy, and once you’ve made them, you can sell them again and again (the perks of digital products).
Or you can put your creativity towards physical products and create your own side hustle empire.
Personalized products are HUGE on Etsy, so if you can create something unique, and personalize it, then you’re in with a winner.
Etsy is growing in popularity among people who want to not just make money on the side but actually turn their side hustles into full time gigs.
9 – Get Cash for Your Recyclables
If you live in a state with a bottle deposit law, you’ll be charged a few cents for every bottled item you buy.
Get that money back by depositing your recyclables at your nearest deposit center!
Walmart and grocery stores usually have places to drop off your bottles.
10 – Become a Tutor
Tutor kids in your favorite subject! This is the perfect side gig for recent college graduates and teachers.
Often tutors are required for those who simply need an extra set of eyes and someone to help walk them through a particular topic.
Pick a subject you love and excel at, and specialise in tutoring this topic.
11 – Teach English to Kids Online
Sign up for a website that lets Native English speakers teach English as a second language to kids!
This work-from-home position can bring in big bucks. Check out VIPKID to get started.
12 – Offer Home Cleaning Services
Advertise yourself on Facebook and on Craigslist to start cleaning homes! You set your price, and you can choose who you’re comfortable working with.
Cleaning can be a great way to earn decent money too, especially if you’re maticulous about your work.
Be sure to ask any clients you get for referrals, and soon you’ll have a network of people who love your services.
13 – Deliver Food
Everyone loves food, and with food delivery services growing in popularity, you’ll always have a high opportunity for work.
Become a food delivery driver by signing up with Postmates or Uber Eats.
This service lets users order groceries, alcohol, and restaurant food for delivery.
14 – Become an In-Store Product Representative
Search for companies that hire people to stand in department stores and set up a booth to display their products.
These workers are typically paid a commission, plus an hourly rate per event.
15 – Become a Direct Sales Representative
While your chances of ‘getting rich’ using a Direct Sales Company (or Multi-level Marketing – MLM) isn’t huge, you can certainly make some extra cahs on the side.
Sign up for a direct sales company that sells products you would buy, like Young Living or doTERRA.
Loving the product you support, and making sure it’s a product you use yourself, will help you promote the product more naturally.
Be aware, there are some really shady companies that only pay you a commission when you recruit others and have very pushy tactics to get you to sell.
Don’t push your product onto your friends and family, it’s a surefire way to get them annoyed with you, and make you frustrated with your side hustle.
16 – Self-Publish on Amazon
This gig is perfect for writers!
Compile a written work and sell it on Amazon as an eBook. If the book is long enough, they’ll even let you sell it as a paperback!
Everyone has a story in them! Let your creativity flow and get writing!
Be sure to have an Editor check over it before you hit publish, and you can even get a great designer to create a cover for you on Fiverr.
17 – Assist the Elderly and People with Disabilities
Many organizations hire people part-time to care for the elderly and people with disabilities.
These jobs would involve going to a person’s home or driving them to appointments.
Spending time with new people and helping them in the process is a great way to spend your time, and can be incredibly enlightening for you.
Find your local organization today!
18 – Start a Blog
Starting a blog on its own won’t necessarily bring you any income, but selling ad space certainly will!
It’s not a get rich quick scheme, that’s for sure, and it certainly is a slow burn, but if you love writing, then it is one of the best side hustles ever (if I do say so myself).
You’ll need around 50,000 sessions a month to apply to an ad management company like Mediavine (our top choice and the ad management company we use here at Daily Femme).
You can also make and sell digital items that your blog readers will benefit from, create courses to sell your expertise, and make commissions from affiliate sales (see below).
19 – Sign Up with Amazon Affiliates
If you already have a website, you can sign up to become an Amazon Affiliate!
What this means is that you’ll get a small kickback on any qualifying item someone buys through your link.
The really cool thing is that they don’t even have to buy the item you’ve suggested!
While sharing items you love is by far the best way (don’t just go sharing a ton of links to random items, that’s just spammy), if someone clicks through your link and buys anything, you get a commission on their cart total!
While Amazon doesn’t have the best commission percentages, a few dollars here and there adds up and can become quite a good little side hustle.
20 – Sell at Craft Fairs
The crafty creative skills you put into practice to make and sell items on Etsy can make you money locally too!
Make and sell items to showcase at a local street fair or markets!
Be on the lookout for vendor events through non-profit organizations and business chambers and sign up.
Often the cost of having a stall is quickly covered by your sales, especially if you have a number of items you can sell.
21 – Work in Retail on the Weekends
If you don’t mind working on the weekends, pick up a weekend retail job!
There are often jobs out there, and stores need to be staffed the most on weekends. You can usually find casual seasonal work too coming up to the busy times of the year like Black Friday Sales and Christmas.
There you have it! You don’t have to do all of these (actually, that would be crazy), but you can pick a few that stick out to you, or even just pick one and work hard at it.
But these are some great ideas to make money on the side and inspiration for you to work hard towards your financial goals.
When it comes to finding a side hustle, a little bit of creativity goes a long way.
Whether you find a side gig or create your own, get ready for that extra cash flow!
