52 Side Jobs You Can Start Today

Side Jobs You Can Start Today - picture of two females walking lots of dogs

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Happy Monday everybody! We hope y’all had a great weekend! Let’s start the week with a little bit of fun, all right?!?

We all know that one of the keys to financial freedom is living within your means. Saving more money than you earn is the way to get ahead. And while cutting costs and living on a shoe string budget can get you a long ways, there comes a point in time where there really isn’t anything left to cut. If you want to get ahead, you eventually have to either start earning more money or find a second job. That is where a side hustle comes in.

I am a big big fan of side jobs. Not only can side gigs provide you with additional income, but much of the time, you can actually control how much money you make. You are the boss! Typically, the harder that you work on your side job, the more you are going to bring in – especially if you are working for yourself. Better yet, a side job can turn into something even more. If you hustle hard enough, that side gig you’ve been working on could turn into your full-time career.

Don’t believe me? It has happened to us! We started this blog about 3 years ago. Holly turned writing into a full-time gig within a year. I recently quit my job to work at home on our businesses as well!

Seriously, it can be done. Even if you don’t want to turn your side job into a career, it can still help you to earn some extra cash. And, obviously, the more you make, the easier it becomes to live on a smaller percentage of your income.

Yet, whenever we mention side hustles, we always hear the same things: “I don’t have time. I’m not creative enough. I can’t come up with anything…” The list goes on and on. Well, here are 52 side jobs that I came up with off the top of my head. Most of them require little to no special skill or knowledge. Many of them hardly require any investment. Scroll down the list and see if there are any there that you could try!

52 Side Hustles You Can Try

  1. Freelance writing
  2. Clean houses
  3. Organize houses
  4. Virtual Assistant
  5. Personal Assistant
  6. Sell stuff on Ebay, Craigslist, Etsy
  7. Mow lawns
  8. Rake leaves (rich people hate leaves)
  9. Landscaping services
  10. Cut hair
  11. Do nails
  12. Personal cuddler (Yup, these exist)
  13. Housesit
  14. Babysit
  15. Petsit
  16. Pet walker
  17. Start a blog
  18. Interior painting
  19. Exterior painting (houses, fences, decks, etc.)
  20. Tax preparation
  21. Basic elderly care
  22. Personal shopper
  23. Website creation
  24. Tutoring
  25. Wellness coaching
  26. Handyman
  27. Car repair
  28. Autobody repair
  29. Newspaper delivery
  30. School bus driver
  31. Coach a sport
  32. Officiate a sport
  33. Drive for Uber
  34. Take surveys
  35. Wait tables
  36. Clean gutters
  37. Become a landlord
  38. Become a property manager
  39. Computer repair
  40. Create a course on, well, anything and charge for it
  41. Buy and sell coins
  42. Wash and detail cars
  43. Provide graphic designs
  44. Be a weekend/wedding DJ
  45. Deliver pizzas
  46. Shovel snow
  47. Become a lifeguard
  48. Collect and sell night crawlers or other fishing bait
  49. Affiliate marketing
  50. Put an ad on your car
  51. Become a local tour guide
  52. Event planning

Peeps, I just came up with in 5 minutes…off the top of my head! I’m sure that I could come up with dozens more if I put a little more time into it. There are literally countless ways that you could make extra income. All you have to do is find a need and fill it! So get out there, start your side gig, and make some fat stacks yo!

What are some other side hustles that you can think of? Do you think having a side job makes sense for your situation? Let us know all about it in the comments below!

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65 Comments

  1. Ha ha ha… Rich people hate leaves. Love it!

    There are some great ideas in that list, including a few I’ve never thought of before like ‘officiate a sport’ if you’ve got the knowledge there must be heaps of opportunities to be an umpire or referee – especially for youngsters.

    I’m off to explore a few of those ideas now.

    Cheers!

  2. This is really a perfect list! 🙂 I never think before that I can make money from being a virtual assistant.

    1. I don’t know about perfect (you’re making me blush), but there should be a few good ones on there that anybody can use 🙂

  3. Great list! We are already doing several of these things- we are landlords, and I run a blog. And I make it a point to list at least one item per week for sale on either Ebay or Craigslist! But, as you point out, there are lots of other ways to make spare cash! I love the creativity on this list- I’m not sure night crawlers are for me, but that’s a great side gig for someone!

    1. Tee-hee! We used to sell night crawlers and lemonade as kids…not together 😉

  4. Nice list! I’ve thought more than once about how I could own a “hall” where people could rent it out for the evening and host events like bridal parties, baby showers, etc. That sort of thing just seems like a cash cow.

    1. I love owning real estate and renting it out. Whether its a house or an event center, I think real estate is the bomb diggity.

  5. My wife recently quite her job to stay at home. She has been selling stuff around the house that we need to get rid of. So far, a few months into it, she is still selling full time! We have a lot of junk, so she’s basically killing two birds with one stone. She gets to stay home and that’s awesome!

    1. That sounds awesome Kalen! You’ve got an entrepreneur on your hands. Glad it is working out for her!

  6. Awesome list Greg. What I like about it is at least half of the items require little to no skill at all. I’ve heard the same excuses as well, but all it takes is a little creativity and you can monetize many things.

    1. Once you learn how to look for money making opportunities, the possibilities are endless!

  7. This is a great list! I started blogging on the side a few years ago and slowly spent more and more time on it as the income grew. Eventually I got to the point where I took it full time. It was great doing it on the side because it allowed for me to make mistakes and grow it at a pace I was comfortable with. I still had an income from my job so there was no rush or pressure. When the time came (and it won’t always come) to go full-time, I jumped at it.

    1. Pretty much the same story with us! It feels great, doesn’t it? Congratulations on your success!

  8. Great side job ideas. I agree that you can only cut your expenses by so much, but your earning potential can be limitless.

    1. Cutting expenses is only one part of the equation. You have to learn to earn as well. Thanks for stopping by!

  9. It\’s very interesting topic about these 52 Side Jobs You Can Start Today. I\’m sure many will be glad to read this article. Thanks for sharing it. Fantastic post!

  10. I’ll add another two. Rent out a room on Air BnB or be a substitute teacher. I believe you need a few college hours and a background check for the latter, but schools are always looking for subs.

    1. catherine says:

      You don’t need a teaching degree?!!

    2. Boom! Kim #FTW!
      I think substitute teaching requirements vary by state. Here, I think you just need a bachelor’s degree and to apply for a permit…but don’t quote me on that!

  11. This is a serious list!! I have a friend who actually works as a wedding dj on the side and it’s a great gig to have because it doesn’t cost that much to build a music library and once you have that money invested, it’s all profits for you. The only drawback is the potential to hear the Electric Slide one too many times in a month.

    1. Ha! I worked as a wedding DJ in college for a few years. It was a blast, and it only took up a few hours a weekend.

  12. Great list. It’s the route I’m having my 16 year old son lean towards instead of a P/T job. he has a busy schedule with school and sports so having a job or a hustle where he can make his own hours would be key.

    1. Yeah man! Summer is coming up. Have him pick up a few lawn mowing gigs. Better yet, I worked as a baseball field crew guy one summer. We got all the fields prepared in the morning for the games at night. I also helped coach T-Ball, which was a great time!

  13. Great list Greg! I love that you point out that you and Holly started the blog as a side gig and it blossomed into a full time job for both of you. Can I put an ad on your car? 🙂

    1. Sure you can Katie! (For a price 😉 )

    1. Keep on hustlin’ Kayla! (I know you are 🙂 )

  14. Love this list! There are so many different things a person can do for a side job.

  15. Great list.

    Was watching a reality show on Netflix a while ago called Filthy Riches about people living off the land – harvesting eels, worms, mushrooms, ginseng or burl.

    Like this list, it\’s a great reminder that there are many many ways to earn money besides a job. Something I wish my parents had spent more time pointing out to me when I was younger.

    1. We’ve been coaxed into this “find a job” mentality. Well, finding a job is great. But, we forget that you can create one for yourself. Just find a need and fill the gap!

  16. I wonder how one starts a professional ‘personal cuddling’ business?

    Take a photo of yourself spooning with a pillow and say “this could be you”?

    🙂

    Nice list of ideas!

    1. Brian, it looks like you just found a new side job in marketing for yourself!

  17. Make things to sell on Etsy? Assuming you’re a good photographer, you could also offer your services for weddings. (And you can sell other photos on Etsy.)

  18. The other great thing about side jobs is that it can help you evaluate new careers without making the leap from your full time gig. I’ve had about a dozen side gigs over the last ten years (since the start of college), and almost all of them ended with me thinking, “I am so glad this is not my real job.”

    I’m hopeful that I’ll eventually stumble on a side gig that will be my ticket to entrepreneurship.

    1. Great point Hannah! They are a great way to test out other professional fields prior to making the leap.

  19. I am both curious and scared to know about the personal cuddler job, but points to whomever figured they could earn a little extra money doing it. 🙂 And I absolutely agree – cutting out the fat from your budget is key but if you truly want to get ahead – you have to earn more!

    1. Hey, I love to cut my expenses. But, you’ve also got to make dat cash, homey!

  20. Great list, definitely a few things I can consider doing to generate more income.

    1. What are your tips for mystery shopping? How do you find good gigs?

  21. Great list, I’d be interested in trying out the virtual assistant stuff. I’m trying to increase my online income-generating possibilities.

    I recently started tutoring as a way to make some side-income. I work for an agency but I’ve also gotten my first private tutoring gig with a family. I charge out at $50.00 an hour which adds up pretty quickly over the course of a month! (As a sidenote, I’m not a teacher and I have a degree in psychology. As long as I was willing to learn the material – I could be a tutor.) Anybody can do it!

  22. catherine says:

    Having a side job (I don’t really like hustle- too illegal sounding haha) give me huge peace of mind. I like knowing I have an alternative way to earn money for my family. My husband does too though hasn’t pursued it as much as me. It’s like a secondary emergency fund!

  23. I have a coworker who makes (and sells) crafts in her spare time. She likes making them and would make them regardless of whether she sold any or not. Her hobby has turned into a small, growing business

  24. I don’t know how many side-hustles I’ll have while having a corporate gig. But these are definitely things I’ll dabble in during early financial independence years to speed up the process and lower my withdrawal rate.

  25. I’ve done half a dozen or so items on this list at some point or another. If you have the economic capability to do so becoming a landlord is one of the more profitable ones here. Unfortunately too many landlords don’t treat it like a real business and get into trouble with it.

  26. I can’t believe you came up with this list it’s awesome. I read the article of the women who became a professional cuddler and I was really impressed with it. I personally couldn’t do it but it showed how with a little thinking out of the box you can make some good money.

    I live in Japan and my daughter is going back to the states for the summer. I am planning on teaching english. People in Japan actually will pay you to sit and have conversations with them. Can’t wait.

    1. What a great plan! I have heard they will pay very well for the service of conversation. Get that $$

  27. My favorites have been housesitting and petsitting. I also taught aerobics at a gym for many years and that not only brought in the dough, it also forced me to work out! 🙂

  28. CharlesMakesCents says:

    We haven’t been dedicatedly doing the resale thing on ebay/craigslist, but we HAVE been pruning some of the ‘junk’ we have lying around to make space for the nursery since Marie is pregnant. In the last month we’ve made something like $200 selling stuff from boxes that we didn’t even remember we had.

    It might be time to consider picking it up as a bigger hobby, like the Flipping a Dollar guy. I just wonder if doing it for a real side-job would become too time consuming to be worth it. It would certainly be fun if you could turn a small profit, though!

    Keep on saving,
    Charles

    1. It depends on what you want to get out of it. What is worth it to me may not be worth it to you. If you want to crush your debt, retire early, or start a business, maybe it is worth it. If you just want extra spending money, maybe not. I knew that I wanted to work for myself someday, so we hustled at our side gigs until that was able to happen.

  29. Stephannie says:

    Love this list! I have unintentionally made a career out of side hustling. After having 4 kids finding a full time job wasn’t something I considered possible , or wanted. I needed income but a full time position wasn’t how I wanted to do it. So before all the kiddos went off to school I started small with selling handmade items , selling on ebay, and havingv garage sales. Then when the all kids started school I took what I thought would be a one time job with a petition company. The job description was to campaign in my area for alcohol sales. (We were a small city that was dry.) We won the election and this led to more work with this firm. I began a career in politics. (Since I was raised in politics this came naturally to me.) Every yr I took on more work with this firm , therefore traveling more. I began taking on management roles early on , which proved to be stressful but very rewarding! During the course of 4 yrs I continued havinfg garage sales , as well as getting my real estate license with the intention of going into a special real estate position. After becoming licensed I became a referral agent for a top producing agent with a national company. So for the last 4 yrs I’ve held two steady part time careers..One of those allowing me to travel part time (approx 12 wks out of the yr.). In addition to these part time gigs I’ve also: sold items online (local classified ads and Facebook auction sites and local for sale pages) , opened an antique booth at a local antique mall (One of the most enjoyable pursuits!) , sold with an MLM business (not my cup of tea but can be lucrative) , worked for another fellow antique seller distressing and painting items for her to resell, and recently, became a test subject for consumer product panel (hoping this proves to be worth while. TBD) I also forgot to add we became landlords after moving and rentiong our home out. My husband also did a side job with his Dad.. Together they stripped generators bought from a plant where my FIL worked. After stripping them down they turned around and sold the copper and metal. This is a very dirty job and these MUST be bought through the right chain of people..Thus , from the company he worked for. We also sold an old car we could not repair, or sell, to the junk yard.

    Every yr, for the last 3 yrs, I’ve continuously made a steady income from side gigs. I can count on approximately the same amount every yr. Even after being told I couldnt make a career out of my petitioning job, I managed to do so, with that job taking the lead. I even went out and got full time office job, thinking this was what I needed to do to provide more of a steady income. After one day I realized a full time sales position was not for me. While the possibility of a 6 figure income sounded nice, more time with my family ,and freedom, sounded more appealing. I’ve never regretted the decision to continue on with my part time jobs. In doing so, it has allowed more time for travel and creative thinking. Looking at starting a blog next!

    1. Stephanie! That is a fantastic story! Thanks so much for sharing. Looking forward to reading your blog 😉

  30. I realy am in desperate need for some cash right now…and this post has some nice ideas i will try for sure
    Thanks and Good Karma coming your wayy

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  32. Jennifer Spielvogel says:

    This list is great, but nothing there for me. I am on SS Disability and it is very hard for me to do physical jobs. I have no talents in making things and selling them, not great at writing so a blog is out, and have nothing worth selling (did that years ago for extra money). I am 63, very limited physically, and have a 2013 model laptop. Would like to try a work at home position, but am leary of all the fake companies that rip you off. PLEASE, is there any ideas for a person like me? I desperately need extra income to continue living in my home!!

    1. You write wonderfully. Have you thought about writing about yourself in a blog. You can write about past or present experiences. Or you can write about the good times or challenging times you had.
      You mentioned you have a disability. You can write about that, if you wish.
      The possibilities are endless and if you don’t want people to know your name, you can write with a pen name and still make money.

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