The Ultimate Guide to Making Side Income (2023)
It covers everything from making quick side income to creating a long-term side hustle that could become your full-time job.
Making extra side income could change your life. I’ve explored dozens of ways to earn a second income on top of my day job, and it’s opened up so many doors. As a financial coach, I get the question all the time, “how can I make extra side income?“
If you want to save more towards financial independence, pay off your debt, or start a new side hustle because you hate your job, you’ll apply side income ideas from this post and start making more money.
Don’t Waste Your Time
Word of caution—don’t waste your time.
There are thousands of different ways to make side income streams.
I’ll tell you from my experience what works and what doesn’t work, so you don’t waste your time. Everything on this list, I’ve tried.
Nothing bothers me more than when an article benefits the person who wrote it more than the people reading it.
For example, a post telling me I can make $500+ per month completing online surveys isn’t real. Or when the article has the highest affiliate payout links but doesn’t add value to the reader.
You won’t get that here.
I don’t promote anything I haven’t tried. Many of the side income 2020 sources below are affiliate links that help support my business, but I’m sharing these ideas because I want to help you in times where you want to make money, not because it’s the highest payout for me.
I suggest bookmarking this page and coming back. Everything is free to join.
If you have a friend or family member who would like to learn how to make side income, please share it with them!
Here’s the link: https://simplifinances.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-side-income
Focus On Skills
The number one thing you can do to increase your second income is to invest in skills and get a good education.
Become an expert in one particular field and build up your career. If you’re struggling to make a second income, you don’t have a money problem; you have a skill problem.
You may feel like many of these ideas are a waste of time. But experiment and move on to another idea.
Especially in 2020 with the number of people who have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment, it’s more important now more than ever to focus on increasing your skills. A report put together by DollarSprout found that 1 in 4 side hustlers need extra money to make ends meet.
Table of Contents
- Quick Money
- Use Your Phone to Make Side Income
- Use Your Car to Make Side Income
- Work From Home
- Anytime Work
- Part-Time Work
- Ways to Make Extra Income at Your Current Job
Quick Money
Many of these quick side income 2020 ideas have worked great for me, which you can complete from your phone. There’s more to learn and more earning potential with your phone, especially as smartphones get smarter.
I share with you how much I’ve made on many of these not to brag but to show you it’s possible to make money.
A Note About Privacy
Keep in mind what you‘re giving up when you sign up to get paid to do stuff online. Often if an app is free, it means you’re the product. I’m not ignorant of the fact that I’ve given up personal information to make side income online. Many people aren’t comfortable doing that.
The way I look at it is when it becomes a problem and starts impacting my personal and private life; then I will take action. I want to take advantage of the opportunities out there. Plus, Google and Facebook already know more about you than you know about yourself.
1. HOW TO EARN SIDE INCOME ONLINE WITH ONLINE SURVEYS
Many companies are willing to pay you to answer questions for them. Surveys aren’t going to produce any significant amount of money, but it’s quick and easy.
Survey Junkie – Earn points by completing surveys, which pay anywhere from $2 to $75 per completed survey. The longer the survey, the higher the pay. Even if you don’t qualify for a study, you’ll still get rewarded for trying.
Total earned: $13.91
Sign up for Survey Junkie today!
Swagbucks – Rack up Swagbucks by shopping at your favorite retailers, completing online surveys, surfing the web, watching videos, playing games, signing up for offers, and more.
Total earned: $15
Sign up for Swagbucks and get a $10 bonus!
InboxDollars – Inbox dollars is a website/app you can join to earn extra money (although the money is more like pennies) because it takes forever to build up enough money to make a withdrawal. You can also get rewarded for watching videos online. You need a minimum of $30 to withdraw funds.
Total earned: $40.29
Use this InboxDollars link and get started with $5.00!
Persky – Perksy is a new mobile app launched in 2018 aimed toward millennials. It’s super easy to complete “stacks” for points, and they do a great job with the UI. At the time of this writing, it’s only available on iOS. Take advantage of the Perksy stack codes available right now!
Total earned: $35.98
Sign up for Perksy and get started making money today!
Google Opinion Rewards – A mobile survey tool that rewards you with cash in your Google account (Android Users) every time you complete a brief survey. Payments are sent via PayPal if you use iOS.
Total earned: $13.31
Sign up for Google Rewards today!
2. GET PAID TO DRIVE AROUND AND SHOP
Shopkick – If you aren’t using Shopkick, you should be! Shopkick allows you to earn points for various activities you turn into gift cards or cash. There are four main ways to earn points: walking into the store, scanning items, purchasing items, and uploading your receipt and a shopping portal.
Whenever we go to Walmart, for example, I might earn ten kicks for walking in. Then I earn hundreds of kicks scanning items we’re already walking past.
You don’t even need to go into the store, driving by slow will give you kicks!
Total earned: $69.00
Sign up for Shopkick and claim 250 kicks.
Zap Surveys – Get rewarded for entering stores like CVS and Walmart. These rewards are available at most major retailers.
When a partner retailer or restaurant is running a promotion, and you’re nearby, Zap Surveys will send you a notification. If you open the app, you’ll get rewarded with up to $0.25. You can also earn money from surveys and checking in daily.
Total earned: $70.21
Sign up for Zap Surveys and get $1.00!
Checkpoints – This is similar to Zap Surveys. When you arrive at a store, it will send you a push notification, and is all you have to do is open it up, and it will reward you. You could be miles away from a store, and it will still give you 20 points. Cash-out via gift card.
Total earned: $25
Sign up for Checkpoints! Use code scotthendy121
Panel App – Earn points towards sweepstakes and gift cards for leaving the app running in the background. You can ramp up your rewards even more if you answer questions based on where you went.
Total earned: $37.73
Sign up for Panel App and make extra dough!
Monkey Rewards – Similar to other paid survey apps that allow you to make money for taking surveys but with a twist, SurveyMonkey Rewards users earn credits that can be redeemed for either Amazon Gift Cards or donated to a charity – and they match donations!
Total earned: $39.45
Download the SurveyMonkey Rewards app and start earning rewards today!
Surveys On The Go – This is one of the easiest ways to earn quick money. Each day, I’ll have the opportunity to participate in surveys and most of the time I don’t qualify for them or they will take too long. But even if you don’t qualify they still give you $0.10 which is pretty good.
Total earned: $56.65
Get started with Surveys On The Go!
3. GET PAID TO TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR RECEIPTS
Ibotta – An easy-to-use cashback app with 100+ retailers, both in-store and online. Anywhere you go shopping, you’ll find cashback opportunities.
When you get home from your shopping trip, click the + icon and take a picture of your receipt, and you’ll quickly earn cashback. Get paid via Venmo, PayPal, or gift cards.
Total earned: $397.43
100% free to download and you’ll get a $10 bonus after uploading your first receipt!
Receipt Hog – Upload your receipts from shopping to earn “coins,” which you can turn into cash rewards. It’s a simple process requiring a small amount of your time.
Unlike earning money completing surveys, using Receipt Hog is quick – a snap of a receipt, and that’s it! It takes seconds of your time. Get paid via PayPal, Visa, and Amazon gift cards.
You have to apply to Receipt Hog and they have a waiting list.
Total earned: $45
Sign up for Receipt Hog today!
Receipt Pal – Similar to Receipt Hod, take a picture of your receipts and get rewarded. You can cash out with gift cards or through a Visa gift card. The first time I redeemed $25, it was a gift card to Restaurants.com. I’m $5.00 away from cashing out with another $25 Visa prepaid card.
Total earned: $55
Sign up for Receipt Pal and get rewarded for taking pictures of receipts!
Fetch Rewards – Pays you for uploading pictures of your grocery receipts. But it’s different from other rebate apps (like Ibotta) in a few ways.
- No action is required until you scan your receipt
- There are no surveys to take or videos to watch
- Even better? You don’t have to indicate you’re going to make the purchase, and you don’t have to scan the barcodes of the items you purchased
- Lastly, Fetch doesn’t pay its users with cash — instead, you redeem your earned points for gift cards
Total earned: $60
Start with Fetch Rewards and claim 2000 points ($2.00)!
CoinOut – A smartphone app available for Android and Apple users that gives you the ability to earn pocket change from a variety of receipts from everyday purchases you make.
If you guys happen to watch Shark Tank, then you may recognize Jeffrey from the appearance he made on the show back on February 18, 2018, where he first introduced this revolutionary app to the entire world.
Total earned: $21.78
Checkout 51 – Start earning cash while you grocery shop. Browse the list of grocery items posted and select which items you’re interested in buying. The list updates Thursday at midnight, and the grocery items on the list qualify for cashback until the following Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
It’s harder to earn cashback than Ibotta but worth a shot.
Total earned: $29.80
Start earning cashback at the store!
Trunow – A money-saving app that not only finds you the lowest per-gallon gas prices near you, but it also gives you cashback on your gas purchases from partnered gas stations. Is all you have to do is upload a picture of your receipt after purchasing gas, and that’s it!
Total earned: $9.31
Sign up for Trunow and get $0.50!
Coupons.com – Get printable coupons, link loyalty cards, and earn cashback on everyday purchases.
This one can be difficult to earn cashback because the amount of offers is limited. They may have deals where they give away free food, and they’ll reimburse the cost of the purchase. Last month, we got free eggs!
Total earned: $7.31
SavingStar – A free smartphone app (also available online) that helps you save money without clipping or printing coupons by giving you cashback on purchases you make.
Like other cashback rebate apps, you can submit pictures of your receipts or link your store loyalty card, and money is to your account.
Total earned: $1.00
4. GET CASH BACK AUTOMATICALLY
Rakuten – This is my favorite cashback app (previously known as Ebates). It has gained popularity over the past few years. There are two ways I earn cashback:
- Enabling the Google Chrome extension, and each time I go to check out on any partner’s website, it asks if I’d like to activate cashback. Then I don’t have to remember to go to the website; it’s always there.
- The second way is using the Ebates app. Open the app and click through to your favorite stores, and when you purchase an item, cashback is added automatically.
Total earned: $226.39
Sign up with my direct link and get a $10 bonus!
Pei – Automatic cashback in Bitcoin or cash. This app is similar to others where you connect your debit/credit cards. When you purchase items at popular places like McDonald’s, CVS, Taco Bell, Walgreens, and Chick-Fil-A, you get automatically rewarded. This one is becoming my favorite to have on my phone.
Out of all the other apps, this one is probably the easiest because of the popular merchants they work with.
Total earned: $30.95
Sign up for Pei and get cashback automatically!
Drop – An intuitive and easy-to-use app that lets you earn gift cards for the money you’re already spending. Link up a card, and you’ll automatically get cashback when you spend money at certain brands such as Walmart, McDonald’s, etc.
The best part – when you spend money five times at a retail partner, you get the chance to play Snake for additional supercharge bonus points!
Total earned: $54.34
Get started with Drop and earn gift cards automatically!
Dosh – A smartphone app that gives you cash back every time you make a purchase at participating outlets using your credit card.
If you link your credit card with the Dosh App for the first time, they’ll instantly add $5 cash to your Dosh Wallet. There’s no “unlocking” this bonus; you get it as soon as you link your card. And you can add additional cards for more cash.
For a deeper look at the Dosh app, read: A Review of the Dosh App. Legit or a Scam?
Total earned: $54.28
RetailMeNot – Coupons, promo codes, gift cards, and a whole bunch of other incentives. Last year, they released the ability to link cashback offers. And I don’t spend much money, but so far I’ve earned cash back from a purchase I made at CVS.
Total cash back: $4.00
Paribus – An easy way to put money back in your pocket. It’s an online service that tracks your online purchases for lower prices and requests a refund if it finds a lower price.
The more you buy stuff online, the more you’ll get back. Paribus even tracks orders from Amazon to see if they were delivered late. If it was, then you’re entitled to compensation from Amazon. Here’s the script they give you:
“Hello, me order #112-5044649-6629004 arrived later than promised. Could you please fix the issue through your shipping promise? Thank you very much.”
I tried it once and the next day Amazon had issued me a $5 gift card.
Total earned: $6.53
Sign up for Paribus and get refunded when prices drop!
Earny – This is similar to Paribus; you’re giving Earny permission to track your purchases. You’ll get double the refund back if both apps pick up a purchase of a product that has dropped in price. Maybe you’ll be the lucky one! Get started connecting your credit card!
I hardly spend online which is probably the reason I haven’t earned cash back.
Total refund: $0.00
Honey – A Google Chrome Extension that will flash anytime you’re about to check out on most websites, and it will automatically find the best coupons and promo codes for your purchase with a single click. It gets added to your Honey account, and you can cash out when you reach $10.
Total earned: $10.40
Up to this point, each app I’ve listed by itself might be a waste of time. But, when you stack one on top of another, it starts to become more worth it. Making $5 on one app is nothing to be too excited about, but I’ve earned over $1,000 from the apps listed above.
Most of these apps have been introduced in the past couple of years. I believe we’re still early in making money from our smartphones and we’ll continue to see more and more opportunities as phones get smarter.
5. INVEST YOUR SPARE CHANGE
Acorns – This is a smartphone app that “rounds up” your spending to the nearest dollar and invests it. For example, buy a drink for $3.50, and $0.50 is added to your investment account.
You link a credit card and checking account, and Acorns does the rest. It makes investing painless because you’re spending only pennies at a time. You can also invest any amount of money you choose to monthly or at one time in low-cost Vanguard index funds.
Sign up for Acorns and get $5 to start investing!
6. SAVE MONEY ON YOUR BILLS
Trim – Saving money on your bills will free up cash. “Trim isn’t an app, but rather an AI assistant that analyzes your financial transactions and finds ways to save you money. When Trim started in 2015, its core capability was finding and canceling unwanted subscriptions, and this is still what it’s best at.” – PC World
You can read a post I wrote about Trim and see how I saved $25 on my internet bill.
Start saving money today with Trim!
7. EARN MORE INTEREST ON YOUR SAVINGS
Varo – A new online bank I discovered because of its high-yield savings account. We’re earning 1.80% interest on our savings—100x higher APY than other banks.
They operate only through an app and are changing how we do mobile banking. They’re the first mobile-only bank to apply for a national bank charter and be approved. Take advantage of the Varo $75 referral bonus!
Sign up for Varo and earn more interest on your savings!
8. SELL UNWANTED GIFT CARDS
Raise – The best way to get rid of your unwanted gift cards and make extra money, with little effort. Raise is an online marketplace where you can sell your unwanted gift cards for cash at whatever price you choose and buy discounted gift cards to the places where you shop.
9. LEND MONEY TO YOUR PEERS
Lending Club – Peer-to-peer lending platforms are a great alternative to the stock market and still yield a decent return. You can participate in two ways:
- Lend other people money and get a decent return
- And act as the bank, which is pretty neat
And if you need a loan you can borrow one. It’s worked out for many people for over 10 years.
Lending Club is the world’s largest online credit marketplace connecting borrowers and investors. Worth looking into!
Learn more about Lending Club!
10. SAVE MONEY AUTOMATICALLY
Digit – Automatically save your money so you don’t have to think about it. Designed to help you save small bits of money over time.
As with the Acorns app, you won’t get rich off the money you save with this service, but it does initiate that first step toward creating a savings habit and building wealth.
11. GET PAID TO STAY FIT
Achievement – This app connects to more than 20 other health and fitness apps (Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, Samsung Health, or Apple’s Health app). It tracks your healthy activities, including sleep, step, and nutrition data, and it rewards you with points.
You can convert your points to cash or donate them to a health-related charity you care about. You can also earn points and money for participating in health studies. Why not get paid to perform healthy activities?
Total earned: $38
Set it, leave it and get paid!
USE YOUR PHONE TO MAKE MONEY
12. MAKE $3.00 – $20.00 AT THE STORE
Field Agent – Once you download the app, you can set it to check for jobs in your local area. These jobs vary, but for the most part, they involve doing inside the store activities. For example, I was at Walgreens, and I took three pictures of beverages, answered a couple of questions, and made $3.
When I’m at Costco shopping with my wife, I’ll wander off by myself and complete a job or two. They may ask you to buy items and they’ll reimburse you 100% of the cost. What’s better than free food?
Total earned: $46.90
Mobee – Pays you to complete missions near you. These missions consist of going to local stores and answering questions about the store. Every time you complete a task, you earn points that can be exchanged for gift cards.
Total earned: $28.75
Sign up for Mobee! Use my referral code: K1KC to earn 300 points
Easy Shift – The Easy Shift App pays you for completing small, simple tasks. It gives you shifts you must complete within a specific time limit. The duties include going to local stores and taking pictures of whatever product requested.
These tasks are longer and more difficult than Field Agent and Mobee.
Total earned: $21.50
Try out Easy Shift for yourself!
Gigwalk – If you sign up to be a Gigwalker and download the free app, you’ll get the opportunity to do little odd jobs, or “gigs.” These jobs might consist of taking pictures of different businesses, downloading and trying out different apps, and answering consumer research questions.
Total earned: $9
13. GET PAID TO TAKE PICTURES
Spare5 – The Spare5 app pays you to complete small and manageable tasks from your smartphone. Use the time waiting in line, riding the train, or waiting for a friend to earn a bit of spare cash.
What I did was go to the park with my wife one day and take pictures of random objects. They’ve got a list of hundreds of ideas you could take a picture of.
Total earned: $0.68
14. GET STARTED INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE
Fundrise – You can buy individual shares of real estate property through a website like Fundrise. According to their site, investors can earn an average of 12% to 14% annually on their investment.
15. GET STARTED INVESTING
Robinhood – A free-investing app ideal for investors who want to trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds, and cryptocurrency without paying commissions or fees. I signed up for Robinhood in 2016 and have been using it ever since.
Warning: it can be addicting! I try not to check it as much as I used to!
Get started investing with Robinhood and get a free stock!
Vanguard – When it comes to investing for retirement with accounts such as a Roth IRA or a 401k, I recommend Vanguard because of their excellent customer service and low fees.
Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, changed investing for the average investor by creating the index fund. They don’t have the most user-friendly online interface, but it’s ok because you only need to set your money and forget it.
Stockpile – Stockpile is an app that offers gift cards which can be used for the purchase of both stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The gift cards can be purchased and redeemed on the Stockpile platform. It avoids the hassle of having to purchase a single stock.
Instead of giving gifts to my little sisters, the past couple of years I’ve given them fractional shares of Lululemon and Disney.
Buy fractional shares of companies.
MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR CAR
16. ADVERTISE ON YOUR CAR
Wrapify – I haven’t done this, but I’ve heard of people making anywhere from $200 – $400 a month to wrap their entire car with advertisements. The more you drive, the more earning potential you have. So if you’re a rideshare driver, you could make additional side money with this. Another car advertisement company is ReferralCar. They’ll pay you to put an advertisement on your back window.
Start advertising on your car.
17. DRIVE OTHERS AROUND TOWN
Uber – I’m sure you’ve heard of Uber before, and I don’t need to go into detail on what it is. Ridesharing has been the most popular side hustle over the past few years.
I haven’t driven for Uber and Lyft because the town I’m in is a college town and there are more drivers than people needing a ride and I’ve never felt like I’ve had time to do it. However, there are many people making a decent second income.
Give Uber a try and make $125 guaranteed in first 30 trips.
Lyft – Lyft is another great way to make extra money by using your car. New drivers who sign up with Lyft earn a $75 bonus after their first 50 rides. If you have weekend and evening availability, you could reach the bonus in a few short weeks. Sign up with Lyft to claim your $75 bonus!
Turo – Turo is like the Airbnb of cars. When you’re not using your vehicle, you can rent it out to other people who need one for a short time.
It’s estimated the average owner makes an additional $540 a month letting others use their car but it depends on how often you make it available.
GasBuddy – Enter to win cash when you report gas prices with GasBuddy. You can also use it to find the cheapest gas prices in town. When you pull up to a gas station to fill up or even when you’re driving past a gas station, report the gas prices and you can enter to win $100 of free gas.
I’ve never won the gift card but I also don’t spend much time reporting gas prices.
WORK FROM HOME
18. WALK DOGS
Rover – If you’ve considered becoming a dog sitter, you may have wondered where to find a steady supply of dog-sitting jobs. Maybe you’ve even thought of starting your own dog-sitting business – putting up flyers, or posting ads on Craigslist or your neighborhood bulletin. Each of those is good ways to get started, but this is another option for anyone considering a part-time or full-time job pet sitting.
19. TEACH CLASSES ONLINE
VIPKid – VIPKid is an online teaching service. Teachers from North America teach students in China who are mostly between ages 5 and 12. The pay varies from $15-20 per hour.
Udemy – Udemy is a global marketplace for education. With its wide-ranging topics, Udemy has courses for both professional and personal development.
Anyone with a background in teaching or particular expertise can design and offer a course on Udemy. However, courses must have at least one to three hours of content.
As an instructor, you must create a curriculum, set course goals, and define your target students.
20. TEST WEBSITES
User Testing – This is a simple to use program. Business owners have their websites reviewed by you as an end-user. Record what you’re seeing, and they pay you for your time.
Tests take no longer than 20 min. Each test will pay $10.00.
21. BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Fiverr – Fiverr is an online marketplace offering tasks and services for as little as $5 per gig.
If making money on Fiverr is your goal, you’ll need to set up your free account and then complete your seller profile.
Then you can go in and create your gig. If you aren’t sure what to sell, spend time browsing the Fiverr catalog to see what’s out there and what service you can offer.
See what you can offer on Fiverr.
22. SELL YOUR UNWANTED STUFF
If you want a way to make a quick $500 this weekend, consider going through all over your unwanted stuff and having a garage sale. My wife and I made $600 before we moved to Texas.
You can also sell your unwanted stuff on places like LetGo and Decluttr.
23. FLIP STUFF ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
Suppose I had to start over from scratch and had nothing to my name: no income, no furniture, nothing. The first place I’d look would be Facebook Marketplace. I’d go to the free section and turn around and sell the same item. I’d keep doing this until I’ve made enough money to move on to the next side hustle.
Is all you have to do is find free stuff, fix it, and sell it.
ANYTIME WORK
24. RENT OUT YOUR SPARE BEDROOM
Airbnb – Airbnb is an online community marketplace that connects people looking to rent their homes with people who are looking for accommodations. Why not list your extra bedroom and start making passive side income?
25. DELIVER GROCERIES FOR OTHER PEOPLE
Instacart – Shoppers make money by shopping for groceries at local stores the company is partnered with and delivering those items to customer’s homes. The hours are flexible, and the orders come through Instacart’s shopper app. I delivered groceries a few times and made anywhere from $25 – $20 an hour.
You could also save time going to the grocery store and have groceries delivered to you while you work on another side gig at home.
Start delivering groceries with Instacart.
Shipt – Shipt is a grocery delivery service. Target acquired it in 2017 for $550 Billion. If you’re interested in earning extra money in the sharing economy, Shipt could be an excellent way for you to make good money (about $25 per hour) on your schedule. I also delivered for Shipt a few times.
Start delivery groceries at Target.
26. BECOME A BABYSITTER
Care.com – Care.com is a one-stop site to find caregiving services for your family and home. You could walk dogs every day, be a housekeeper to tidy up homes once a week or watch kids regularly — all in one place.
Take care of other people’s family/home.
27. SELL YOUR OLD TEXTBOOKS
Amazon – I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Amazon before? It got its start selling books on the internet and has grown a bit since then.
In college, I’d always buy my textbooks used off of Amazon and then turn around and sell them. A few times for a profit.
28. BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER
Market Force – Marketforce is a mystery shopping company that most users are satisfied with.
Not a great way to make side income but you can be reimbursed for your meals.
The amount varies depending on what you’re doing. In most cases, you’ll visit a place of business and purchase food costing at least a certain amount of money as well as fill out a survey on how clean the restaurant was, how helpful the workers were, etc.
You’ll be reimbursed for what you bought and paid extra for taking the time to do the mystery shop. It’s not going to amount to a fortune and won’t cover all your bills, but it could be a source of extra money for you.
I’ve completed a few mystery shops at Five Guys. I was paid $6.00 and reimbursed for $12.75.
29. RATE ADS ON FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE
Appen – Appen is a data collection company that uses information (gathered from human interaction) to make machine learning programs act more “human-like.”
They do this through independent contractors (you) and employees who perform tasks online like speaking phrases into a microphone or having you evaluate social media and search engines.
I’ve been doing this for months and have consistently made $300 per month for a few minutes of work every day. It’s become my favorite way to make side income!
PART-TIME WORK
30. SELL CRAFTS ONLINE
Etsy – Etsy is an excellent tool for marketing and selling your creative works. My wife has always been the creative type. When she was in high school, she started selling handmade earrings and bags on Etsy.
A few years ago, she decided to start her online e-commerce business Cozy Cottontail and sell only on Etsy. She made over 500 sales in the first six months and then decided to create her online store with Shopify. So she sells on both!
31. START AN ONLINE E-COMMERCE BUSINESS
Shopify – Shopify makes it easy for people who know nothing about programming, coding, and web development to startup and run their online store. They do this so entrepreneurs can focus on building the aspects of their business they excel at without having to worry too much about the technical stuff.
Running a business with Shopify has made everything so much easier. It can be expensive and hard to get your business off the ground, but I recommend it if you want to sell stuff online.
32. BECOME A NOTARY PUBLIC/ LOAN SIGNING AGENT
The Loan Signing System – I was listening to the Side Hustle Show podcast, and the episode was titled “How to Become a Loan Signing Agent and Earn $100 An Hour Part-Time.” At first, it didn’t sound easy. What did a loan signing agent even do? Before we moved to Texas, I wanted to find a new viable side hustle. I never spend money on courses, but this one felt like I could do. So I purchased the course and, within a month, did my first loan signing. I’ve since done 42, and it has been a fantastic side gig!
I’m a “Loan Signing Agent.” No, not a real estate agent, and I don’t give out bank loans. What I do is assist borrowers in filling out and signing their documents for loan officers. I then sign and notarize. The course is called the “Loan Signing System” by Mark Wills. Mark is an excellent teacher, and my upfront cost was $350, which I made back in the first month. I’ve learned a ton about the real estate industry, and I could see myself doing this for many years!
33. BECOME A HANDYMAN
TaskRabbit – The site works as a middleman to let clients post the work they need help with that requires a handyman, cleaner, mover, etc. As a “Tasker,” you can use the site to find jobs, contact potential clients, and collect payment for your work (minus a 20% service fee).
Using the site, as opposed to working through an avenue like Craigslist, helps make sure you get paid for your work and reassures clients you are who you say you are and don’t have a criminal record.
Earn side income from your skills.
34. BECOME A FREELANCER
Upwork – Upwork is an international freelance marketplace where independent business people hire and meet with freelancers for various web-based tasks.
You can work at Upwork if you possess the skills the website requires and can perform the service on your computer remotely. All you have to do is create an account, specify what service you provide, start looking for jobs, get hired, and get paid.
35. PREPARE TAXES
Individuals and businesses are willing to spend a few hundred dollars a year to have their taxes prepared. There are resources out there to learn tax preparation and all its complexities.
I became a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistant) a few years ago and have helped many people prepare and submit their taxes to the IRS. It was part of my job, so I never charged my clients, but I could see myself offering this as a service.
36. FLIP FURNITURE
My favorite activity to do is find used old furniture for free and turn around and flip it. There aren’t many places where you can find a free product and turn around and sell it for a significant profit!
37. BECOME A SPORTS REFEREE
Local rec leagues, whether it’s softball, flag football, soccer, etc. need people to officiate games. Working a game or two each weekend is a great way to make an extra side income.
I did this during my senior year of high school, and it was great because it was on Saturdays and at night on weekdays. I did this for two years as my main side hustle and would make $10-$12 a game.
Check out a post J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy put together about becoming a referee.
38. START A WOODWORKING BUSINESS
Woodworking is a great skill to have. The better you are, the more you can get paid. I’ve been doing wood projects since high school, and to me, it’s therapeutic.
When I become financially independent, I can see myself spending a considerable amount of time on wood projects. There’s nothing quite like putting the final touches on furniture you built and putting it inside your home. And if I made money doing it, I wouldn’t complain.
This website is my favorite place to find wood projects.
39. START A CAR DETAILING BUSINESS
Car detailing was my number one side hustle for years. I started detailing cars in high school while working at a car wash. I started my auto detailing business in 2014, which I ran for four years, all through college. It provided a high second income and the ability to set my schedule and rates.
It’s not the fanciest work, but believe me, so many people are willing to pay for a good car detail every year. You need a few thousand dollars to get all of the right equipment to have a successful business up and running in a short amount of time. I’d recommend anyone do this.
MAKE SIDE INCOME ONLINE
40. START A BLOG
Bluehost – This can be a pure side hustle, or it can turn big – it’s up to you. I’m a huge fan of blogging because I love writing and connecting with people. Everyone has a passion and a story to tell. Give blogging a try, and you never know what it could become.
Sign up for an email course created by Grant at Millennial Money that got me to start a blog.
41. START A PODCAST
Anchor – What if your writing isn’t all that great, but you’re a great conversationalist? If you have a topic you’re passionate about, why not start a podcast? As your audience grows, you can land sweet sponsorship deals.
42. START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Youtube – Your topic area can be anything. From pranksters filming their antics to chemistry professors sharing their how-to videos, anyone can make a side income job from YouTube.
Share your skills with the world.
43. BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER
Content is what drives web traffic. Websites are always pumping out fresh, new content for their readers, and they’re always looking for writers! If you aren’t quite ready to launch your blog yet, this might be an excellent option to see if writing is for you.
I started freelancing a few years ago, and it can be a great side income source, and the flexibility to work from wherever makes it all worth it.
44. MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
If you enjoy learning about social media and want to take your passion a step further and make an extra side income, social media management is a great option. If you’re good at it, it can open up doors for you down the road.
Every business nowadays needs social media manager.
45. BECOME A FACEBOOK ADS MANAGER
Facebook ads are invaluable to both online and brick and mortar business owners these days. You can bring in $1,000 or more of side income per month with a handful of Facebook ad clients.
If you’d like to take a course and learn the ins and outs of managing Facebook ads for businesses, you should check out the Facebook Side Hustle course that my friend Bobby has put together.
46. WRITE A BOOK
It doesn’t have to be a novel! Many popular ebooks are less than 50 pages. The Penny Hoarder has a great article that outlines How to Publish Your Ebook and Earn Money.
It requires upfront work, but once it’s written you can say you’ve written a book and after that, it’s passive side income.
47. CREATE A COURSE
If you’ve got expertise in a particular area, package up your knowledge into an online course and sell it. This has become a popular business model for online entrepreneurs over the past several years. The two big websites to sell online courses are Udemy and Teachable.
48. START A YARD MAINTENANCE BUSINESS
Depending on where you live, there can be a pretty strong demand for this type of service. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, this is a great idea!
49. START A WINDOW CLEANING BUSINESS
It’s not glamorous work, but pretty much all brick and mortar businesses need it. Why couldn’t you do it?
50. DESIGN WEBSITES
Every business needs a website, and many are willing to pay a pretty penny to get it done right. I’ve designed multiple websites. I’m in no way an expert, but you could make a high side income specializing in website design.
51. BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER
If you have specialized skills in any sport, there are opportunities out there for teaching others the fundamentals (and getting paid).
Who doesn’t want to be fitter and healthier? Becoming a personal trainer might bring in a high side income as you help people reach their goals.
52. BECOME A FINANCIAL COACH
AFCPE – I wanted to become a financial coach many years ago. So I took and passed the Accredited Financial Counselor exam. You don’t have to do this to coach people. It’s about connecting and building relationships with people. But for me, it lends credibility and shows people I’ve taken my profession seriously.
Read: The Difference Between a Financial Coach and Financial Planner
53. GET PAID TO PERFORM/SPEAK
GigSalad – GigSalad is the largest and most diverse marketplace for booking bands, performers, speakers, and services for events, parties, and productions of all types and sizes. A great way to make side income if you want to be a performer.
Get paid to share your talents.
54. WHERE TO LOOK FOR MORE SIDE INCOME SOURCES
Steady – Steady is here to help you look after your financial health. From matching you with job opportunities to make extra money. From providing you a side income tracker to monitoring your earnings, ensuring you have the benefits you need while you work.
Look for more side income streams.
WAYS TO MAKE MORE AT YOUR CURRENT JOB
55. GET A PROMOTION
Easier said than done, I know. But if you’re willing to go above and beyond and prove yourself to management, you can move up the ladder.
56. ASK FOR A RAISE
If you ask for a raise, what’s the worst that could happen? They say no. So why not give it a try?
57. WORK OVERTIME
I’m not a huge fan of trading your time for money, but the offer of working overtime is too good to pass up. Ask your boss if you can pick up extra hours each week.
CONCLUSION
Remember, if you’re struggling with how to earn side income, you don’t have a money problem you have a skill problem.
Many of these ideas are short term, while others could turn in to full-time jobs that require a skill. Focus on developing a skill or a talent stack, and the money will follow.
Focus on how you can add the most value to other people’s lives. If you focus on developing skills and adding value, you’re not going to struggle.
We all go through different phases of life, and at times, you need to make quick money.
I hope you’ve received value from this post on how to increase your side income streams!
Which one will you get started with?
