Unconventional Side Hustles That May Just Boost Your Bank Account Without You Even Realizing
The economy isn't the best right now, and it's safe to say that most of us could probably use another stream of income — I mean, I know I could.
It's pretty common to have a side hustle these days and it makes sense; they're a great way to earn a little extra on top of your main source of income. However, since they're not necessarily advertised all the time, it can be difficult to know what side hustles even exist.
I've combed through a few Reddit threads—specifically this post and this post—and compiled potential ideas for you. Under every idea, I've provided quotes from Redditors who have experience doing that side hustle, so you have a bit of context for each one.
Here they are, in no particular order:
DISCLAIMER: No, it shouldn't be an expectation to have a side hustle. It's important to take care of yourself and prioritize rest, too.
1.Resume and Cover Letter Writing
"Especially if it's more of a niche industry AND you're decent at writing them. I started on Fiverr a couple of months ago and have made a few sales. It's easy money for a couple of hours of work each time. I legit just made a thumbnail, then wrote up a couple of service tiers. No money was invested.
My premium service offers interview tips because my industry looks for certain things in candidates that a person new to that industry might not think of."
2.Refereeing
"If you are into sports, you could become a sports official for local leagues and/or high school. I had a friend who was a high school soccer referee, and they made around $500-$600 a month for two evening games a week. It might be difficult working the night shift, but there are other weekend leagues and sports you can officiate for. Officials are in high demand right now, and the price to get in should only be the price of a uniform. Most official organizations will give you training as well." —u/The_Bredman_Bakery
3.IT consulting
"People and businesses need help with the simplest of things. I am an IT Manager and work regular hours but do consulting on the side. If you are free during the day, you can also try to find remote IT work so you don't have to leave home. Find clients through word of mouth, Facebook, Upwork, Craigslist, and Fiverr. I mostly do remote work. I have an LLC, so I send invoices via QuickBooks. And I get paid upfront. For example, my last client paid me $275 to set up a domain and a business Google Workspace account." —u/bbazzracing
4.Dog Walking
"I make a quick $75 per week walking one dog for 10 to 15 minutes Monday through Friday. I don’t work for any agency; I just use word of mouth. I have two other clients that only need me on holidays, but that’s usually a $200 bonus a couple of times a year. Easy peasy! I would like to have one more dog to allocate my time better, but it’s so fun for extra cash." —u/wasmostexcellent
Rover is a popular dog-walking app, if you're thinking of trying this.
5.Selling rare items
"Selling records. It started out as a collecting hobby but my wife was like, 'This is out of control,' so I started selling them on Discogs and every now and then on r/vinylcollectors. I have about 900 LPs and sell between 5 to 20 a month. I love digging in the bargain bins and hunting for deals, so I usually make money on each LP I flip. It doesn’t make much ($75-$250 total per month) but makes the hobby self-sustainable." —u/ajdubbstock
6.Being a nanny, house cleaner, or "mother's helper"
"I’ve worked as a 'mother’s helper' for years. It’s a sweet spot between a nanny (because you usually don’t have to watch the kids) and a house cleaner (because you don’t have to deep clean). It's mostly the kid's laundry, dishes, tidying up, and making lunches. I make $25 an hour, and it barely feels like work. I found my first families through Care.com (they paid, I didn’t), and more recently through my local parents/nanny’s FB group." —u/dancing_light
7.Starting an Etsy business
"I weave backpack baskets and sell them on Etsy. I do custom orders when I have the time, but I typically make them in my spare time and just post them in batches. Eventually, they'll all sell, and then I'll make another batch. I make $175-$350 each sale depending on size, color, etc." —u/cloverthewonderkitty
8.Becoming a brand ambassador
"I'm a brand ambassador for liquor store promotions. Each promo is usually three hours and all you do is sample out the product of liquor that you’re representing for that event. It usually pays 25 to 35 an hour and pays for gas if you have to travel. Bonuses include getting to take home the leftover booze you’re sampling. Been doing these for years, and it's always a nice change of pace and a great way to make an extra $120 to $140." —u/shootermac32
9.Turning a hobby into a side hustle
"My advice is to build off a hobby; that way, you enjoy building the skills you need to charge a premium rate for your work, and you can write off many of the expenses you would ordinarily incur for that hobby. That's exactly what you want in a side hustle: a lot of money for very little time spent working and expense reduction (in the form of a tax shelter).
My wife enjoys doing tarot card readings, so she does them for bachelorette parties and baby showers. She just raised her rate to $500 per event and does one or two a month, plus a couple of private readings every week for about $100 an hour.
But since she does it as a business, many of the card sets and magic crystals she would probably buy anyway are now business expenses and get us a few thousand dollars in deductions every year." —u/Brainwormed
10.Teaching language lessons
"Language lessons/tutoring over Skype is actually really profitable. I charge around $20-30/hr depending on the time zone and purpose (casual lessons were cheaper compared to preparing for a fluency certification like TOEFL). I only had about two students but you can get many more if you apply to be a tutor on a language learning app like Italki." —u/oc974
11.Selling plant propagations
"I grow pineberries, which are like weird strawberries, but they're quite rare, and they produce runners like strawberries do. I sell them on eBay for £4 a runner and people usually buy three or four at a time. I only do it in the summer but can make about £100 a month and it's easy as I live right near a post box. I just buy a big sheet of stamps and some envelopes, wrap the root in wet tissue, and put it in a sandwich bag to post." —u/billysmallz
12.Selling products at farmers markets
"I’m in SoCal, and I picked up a job selling for a vendor at a farmers' market. You can pretty much pick one day of the week or two or a full week. You can work for multiple vendors if there’s a daily farmers market close to you. Most vendors pay a base pay plus commission. I’m averaging about $500 a week, working one Sunday for eight hours. Also, the farmers market community is awesome, from what I've experienced. A lot of vendors trade food, or you get great discounts. Best side hustle I’ve ever picked up." —u/Disastrous_Skill3515
13.Photography and styling food
"I am a recipe developer and food stylist/food photographer. People send me their delicious food products, and I send them back-tested recipes and beautifully styled photos. I take on one or two jobs per week to keep it fun. Food is a hobby for me, and I don't want to take the joy out of it by making it feel like work.
From a frugal point of view, it means that two to four meals a week are sorted!"
14.Participating in paid studies
"There are some websites out there through which you sign up. The one I use the most is userinterviews.com. You almost always get gift cards ranging from $25-$100 if you’re lucky. Some studies are 45-60 minute Zoom calls, while others are multi-day studies where they ask you to use their app or something and give your feedback. It’s a great way to check out new designs and products. Conversations are often fun and interesting. Some are group discussions with the other participants." —u/robinstrike8
15.Selling old clothes
"I sell on Poshmark. I usually make an extra $50 or so a month with minimal work. It helps me clear the clutter. I recycle boxes and envelopes for shipping. My only cost has been a one-time purchase of packing tape in the course of one year. I know others cross-sell on other platforms but I found Poshmark to be very easy." —u/hiking_intherain
16.Lastly, becoming a fitness instructor
"During the warmer months, I teach yoga in the park. We meet once a week, and it’s donation-based. Usually, people end up paying about $10 for a 75-minute class. I typically have anywhere from five to eight people show up regularly. It’s a pretty nice side hustle, and I love the little community we have created as a result." —u/azul_jewel
Do you have a side hustle that you like? Let me know in the comments below!
