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Want to make some extra cash? Same. I love having extra cash lying around to save or spend on some splurge-worthy item. I figured you might too, so I put this list together of over 20 different side jobs you can start to make some extra dough.
I’ve done some of these myself and so I wanted to share things that actually work if you dedicate time and work hard to become successful. Some of these may already be hobbies for you and maybe now is the time for that extra nudge to start your own business.
A lot of these can turn into full-time careers, but it really just depends on your passion and drive.
Important Business Items You Need To Know
- You may need a license to start some of these side jobs (refer to your state’s business guidelines)
- Taxes are different for sole proprietors, LLCs, S-Corps – understand what you need and if you need to pay quarterly
- DOE = Depends on Experience
Side Hustles That Don’t Suck
Alrighty, let’s get into it. Here are some successful side jobs you can start today. I’m even including some examples of the amount of cash you can make from doing these.
Note: Offerings and pricing may vary depending on where you live, your expertise, etc.
Mow Lawns / Yard Maintenance
You don’t need a full landscaping business to do this. But offer yard maintenance services to your neighbors, friends, family, on Facebook, Nextdoor App, etc. Mowing lawns can be exhausting, but if you get some customers you could roll in the dough!
Potential Earnings: 10 clients mowing 2x/month, $25-$40 per service = $500-$800 extra per month
Flip Storage Units
This one is definitely a “you have to spend money to make money” and you do take the risk of losing money. However, I know plenty of people who head to auctions and purchase storage units site unseen and then they sell/pawn whatever they get.
Potential Earnings: Hit or miss depending on unit auction cost, resale values, etc.
Sell Free or Unused Items
My husband and I do this ALL THE TIME. We sell items in our home that we no longer want or use. Larger items we sell via Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp.
We also love FREE items. So we check out local Facebook groups and Craigslist listings and if we see a free item that we know can resell well, we pick it up (may or may not fix it up), and then sell.
If you’re into dumpster diving and it’s legal where you live, go for it…
Potential Earnings: Varies depending on depreciation of items, however if you get good deals on quality items, resale value could be higher than what you paid. Items we love selling: dressers, tables, nightstands, bookshelves. We usually make 30-90% profit.
Fitness Instructor
If you are physically fit, see if your local gym has any part-time instructor positions open. You can teach classes like yoga, barre, spin, crossfit, zumba, etc. Some may require certifications, but are usually flexible to your schedule once you have them.
Potential Earnings: Depending on the number of classes/hours you teach. I know some people who do as little as 2 hrs/week and make $30-$60 per class.
Private Tutor, Instructor, Substitute Teacher
Depending on your strengths you can teach a variety of lessons.
- Tutor and specialize in a subject
- Teach a musical instrument if you are skilled
- Sports – snowboarding, swimming, soccer, golf, etc.
You can also become a substitute teacher. It is a process and varies by school district. In my area you can make around $90/day as a substitute.
Potential Earnings: Tutor/Instructor = DOE ~$30-$150/hr. // Substitute teacher = ~$90/day.
Bookkeeping
Are you organized? Do you love spreadsheets and numbers? Skilled with Quickbooks, Wave, etc.?
Look into bookkeeping. You are by no means an accountant or CPA, but you may be able to help small businesses keep track of their expenses, revenue, losses, etc.
Potential Earnings: DOE, I’ve seen everythings from $10/hr to a flat monthly fee.
Photography / Videography
If you have a knack for photography or videography with a professional camera, think about offering your services. P.S. you should be pretty comfortable with Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere.
Business owners are ALWAYS looking for good brand/product photo and videography. Individuals and families like portrait sessions.
Potential Earnings: DOE
Invest in Real Estate
Real estate is one of the BEST ways to grow your wealth. I’m saying this from PERSONAL experience. It definitely takes money to make money here, but YOU CAN start small.
If you are thinking about purchasing your first/next home – think about a duplex or triplex and living in one and renting out the others. Or buy a fixer upper if you are handy and have a knack for design. Or maybe you are buying and renting out vacation homes.
They are a lot of work, but can be well worth it.
My husband talks way more about real estate on his website and is super insightful for anyone wanting to invest. If you have some money to invest, talk to Kit.
Potential Earnings: Depends on situation, home, investment, etc.
Freelance as a Gig Worker
Maybe you have some creative juices in you or you like the idea of entrepreneurship. If you are good at something you can join a freelancer platform like Fiverr or Upwork and offer your services.
Some examples:
- Copywriter (if you are a great writer)
- Resume Writer
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Video
Potential Earnings: I know people who make $100/mth and those that make $5000/mth. Sign up and you can see what other people are paying.
Sell Handmade Items
Do you make handmade items that are very specific to an industry or audience? Why not sell them?
If you haven’t yet, why not sell your items on Etsy or Amazon.
You can rent booths at shows depending on your target audience. Booth rentals can get pricey so make sure you have and can sell enough inventory to cover those costs and profit after.
Potential Earnings: Depends on item, labor, material costs, how much you mark up the item, etc.
Buy and Sell Gift Cards
Did you know you can purchase discounted gift cards? I do almost weekly.
I personally use Raise (here’s a referral link for a free $5) and we NEVER pay full price for Starbucks Coffee and some other major retailers. While I am usually on the buyer end, you can actually be the seller!
You may have old gift cards sitting around or you can watch for when different retailers have sales on their gift cards. (Target has theirs in November/December).
Potential Earnings: Depending on the discount you purchase and sell can vary. However, if you have a credit card, be sure to check the rewards as they often offer discounts on gift cards and you earn points.
Become a Personal Shopper/Delivery Person
If you don’t mind shopping at the store or driving around, you could be a personal shopper. You can ask neighbors or senior citizens (who may not drive anymore).
You could also apply for a third-party delivery service like:
- Instacart
- DoorDash
- GrubHub
Potential Earnings: Depends on hours worked and any tips.
Start a Blog
This is in no way an easy side job to make quick cash. It takes a ton of work, creativity, and business management skills, but if you are driven and love to share your life, travel, style, or tips with others, you can always start now.
If you are interested in starting a blog, I’ve linked my blog article on how to start a blog and grow it organically.
Potential Earnings: Depends on individual, blog stats, and partnerships.
Valet
Depending on where you live there may be country clubs, casinos, conventions that need valet help.
If you are a good driver, can drive manual and automatic, this could be great for you.
Potential Earnings: Hourly + Tips
Babysit, House Sit, Pet Sit
Alright, let’s bring the side job back to middle and high school. Good with kids, offer to babysit. Love dogs or cats, pet sit. Or maybe someone is going on vacation and they need someone to watch over their house.
Potential Earnings: Depends on length of sitting.
Become an Ordained Minister, Officiate a Wedding
Have decent public speaking skills? You can easily become an ordained minister, online.
Start performing ceremonies immediately once you get the word out!
Potential Earnings: Usually a flat fee of $250 to $800.
Caregiver
If you have a big heart and patience, this is one of the most rewarding jobs.
There are a lot of agencies you can look into to see if they are hiring, however, if you have any training, there are so many families in need of reliable and affordable caregivers. You can check sites like Care.com as well.
Potential Earnings: DOE
Walk Dogs (or Cats)
Love dogs? This is a great way to earn some cash and quickly! Become a dog walker. You can share your new service with your neighbors or you can sign up for a dog sitting service like Rover or Wag (it’s basically Uber/Lyft for dog walking).
Potential Earnings: Rates vary, but the most common is ~$20/hour walk. Some are more and some are less.
Bank Bonuses
This is genius, if you are wise with your money and bank accounts. I personally haven’t done this, but it is super interesting!
What is a bank bonus? It’s a monetary bonus that banks pay new customers for opening a checking or savings account. They have zero impact on credit, are easy to redeem, and provide a great source of extra income.
This facebook group is all about bank bonuses if you want to learn more.
Potential Earnings: Depends on bank bonus offerings.
Donate Plasma
If you don’t mind donating blood, you might look into donating plasma! There is a limit of how often you can do it, but it does pay well.
Potential Earnings: 2x a week = ~ $320/month
What Side Job Will You Choose?
There are so many ideas for side jobs and this list doesn’t even include all of them!
Hopefully, this list of over 20 side jobs will give you a headstart when it comes to making some extra cash to spend or save for a rainy day.
P.S. if you know of a great side hustle that I haven’t included, let me know in the comments below. I will continue updatingt this list as I come across more.
