Ways to make money as a side hustle

I love making extra money, and that’s the power of a side hustle! I’m not alone in my love for side hustles — a new study from Zapier reported that 40% of Americans have a side hustle in 2022.

The best side hustles can help you:

• Squeeze an extra $500 into your budget to cover the bills.
• Find an extra $1,000 to $2,000/month to destroy your debt.
• Save up for a vacation that’s just a few months away.
• Add a few hundred dollars or more each month to your retirement fund.

Now that you understand the power of a side hustle, let’s dive into my top recommendations! My team and I have reviewed dozens of side hustles, and we've narrowed it down to ones with extreme flexibility, high earning potential, and room for growth.

If you’re just looking for a simple way to make a little extra money, you might consider taking surveys for Branded Surveys or Survey Junkie  instead.

But if you want to make an extra $1,000-$2,000 per month, keep reading. We’ve got the best side hustle ideas for you.

Quick Links

1. Get Paid to Proofread

Earning potential: $15 to $50/hour

If you cringe when someone uses the wrong verb tense or can’t tell the difference between their/there/they’re, then proofreading might be one of the best side hustles for you. Proofreaders are responsible for polishing written content for bloggers, content writers, website owners, academics, business owners, and more. 

Proofreading is an in-demand and valuable skill, and it’s one of the best side hustles because it’s inherently flexible. Ariel Gardner started proofreading when she was finishing her degree, working two part-time jobs, and caring for three young children. 

Ariel grew her proofreading side hustle, and she’s now a full-time proofreader, copy editor, and freelance writer. She’s put her expertise and knowledge into the Proofreading Launchpad course to teach others:

• Essential proofreading skills
• How to find and land your first paying clients
• Freelance business basics so you can sustain and grow your proofreading business

Want to start a proofreading side hustle?

Proofreading Launchpad takes you from “I don’t know how to get started” to “I just landed my first paying client!”

2. Run Facebook and Instagram ads

Earning potential: $1,000 to $2,000/month

Shortly after I quit my teaching job to run this blog full-time, I tried my hand at running Facebook ads for a local jewelry store. That first client led to another, then another, and pretty soon, I was out-earning what I made as a high school band director. The coolest part was that I was only working 2-3 hours a week per client, and it was from home!

Running Facebook and Instagram ads is simply digital marketing through two of the world's largest social media platforms, which continue to be some of the best platforms for small business owners to reach new customers.

You don't need a degree in marketing or have a background in advertising either — these are skills you can learn, and you can make $1,000-$2,000 per client!

If you're interested in learning more, check out the Facebook Side Hustle Course. You'll learn the exact strategy I used to build my Facebook ads agency.

Start making $1,000-$2,000 running ads

The Facebook Side Hustle Course teaches you:

• How set up a Facebook ads system
• How to find clients who need your services
• Exactly what to say to get business owners to say "yes" and move forward

Join the Facebook Side Hustle Course

3. Invest in Commercial Real Estate

Earning potential: Varies on the market

While this side hustle takes a financial investment to see any returns, you can start investing in real estate for as little as $10. Overall, learning how to invest in real estate can be a fairly lucrative and passive side hustle, but it's also an excellent hedge against inflation.

We highly recommend Fundrise if you're interested in getting started. You can start with as little as $10 and invest in commercial and residential developments. Fundrise's mission is to offer low-cost and diversified real estate portfolios to everyday investors, and they are currently offering new clients an additional $10 to invest!

Fundrise is giving new users $10

With as little as $10, you can start investing in real estate, and new Fundrise users get an additional $10 investment for signing up.

Join Fundrise

4. Get Paid For Your Opinions

Earning potential: $1-$3/survey

Large companies use market research companies, like Branded Surveys, to learn about the opinions and habits of their target customers. Because companies pay for the research, market research companies pay members an average of $1-$3 to complete surveys. This isn't the highest-paying side hustle (and I've had a love-hate relationship with surveys over the years), but it's honestly one of the easiest and fastest ways to make money online.

What we love about taking online surveys is that it's incredibly flexible. You can take surveys when you're waiting in the carpool line, watching TV, on your lunch break, and more.

Branded Surveys is our top pick for paid surveys, and users are paid in points that convert to cash or gift cards. New users earn 100 points when they sign up.

Claim your 100-point bonus!

Branded Surveys is one of the most trusted online survey sites, and new users can earn a 100 points when you join through our exclusive link.

Join Branded Surveys

5. Sell printables on Etsy

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

Founded in 2005, Etsy has become the go-to marketplace for all things crafty. It’s grown into a massive site that saw over $3 billion in sales in 2021, and some of the best things to sell on Etsy these days are printables. 

Printables can be things like:

• Planner pages
• Calendars
• Lifestyle/financial trackers
• Wall art
• Printable games
• Stickers
• Business cards

Because printables are digital files, all you have to do is create the product once, and you can sell it an unlimited number of times with no additional overhead. Plus, there’s no need to store or ship physical products.

There’s a fantastic free ebook called the Seasonal Products SecretSeasonal Products Secret that outlines printable ideas for each month of the year and how to capitalize on each idea. You should definitely grab a copy of that free ebook if you’re interested in learning more.

Learn how to sell Etsy printables

The E-Printables course teaches you how to generate consistent income selling digital printables on Etsy.

Join E-Printables

6. Work as a Virtual Assistant

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

As this site has grown, I’ve started leaning on a team of people to help me with jobs that I don’t necessarily need to do… okay, some tasks are better if they’re not done by me, like web design. But one of the most valuable behind-the-scenes people here is my virtual assistant (or VA).

My VA manages my social media accounts, handles billing, does inbox management, schedules meetings, and generally keeps me focused and on task. 

Additional virtual assistant tasks include:

• Data entry
• Responding to emails
• Project management
• Bookkeeping
• Blog management
• Preparing reports
• Research
• Simple digital marketing tasks
• Content creation
• Event management

You can leverage skills and experience you’ve learned in past jobs, especially if you worked in executive assistance, HR, customer service, or project management. What you’ll love about this side hustle is that it’s extremely flexible. Working as a virtual assistant is so flexible that my VA can work from home while she takes care of her young kids.

If this is one of the side hustle ideas you’re interested in, I highly recommend checking out Gina Horkey’s course Fully Booked VA.

Fast track your VA side hustle

Get the FREE resources you need to start a successful side hustle as a virtual assistant.

Check out Fully Booked VA

7. Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant

Earning potential: $500 to $1,000+/month

You’re probably already familiar with Pinterest — it’s a great place to find recipes, workouts, DIYs, etc. But did you know that online business owners and bloggers have a high need for Pinterest virtual assistants? 

Pinterest virtual assistants make an average of $500 per month/per client, and their responsibility include:

• Creating pins
• Optimizing images
• Developing a pinning schedule
• Doing keyword research

Learn what it’s like to be a Pinterest VA

Check out the FREE A Day In The Life Of A Pinterest VA workshop to find out more.

Watch the workshop

8. Bookkeeping

Earning potential: $15 to $30+/hour

Freelance bookkeepers help business owners record and manage daily financial transactions. This can include paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting payments. Bookkeeping is not the same thing as accounting, and that difference is why you can start bookkeeping online without a degree or certification.

Bookkeepers need to be familiar with popular financial software like Quickbooks and know how to read and create balance sheets. Pay averages $15-$30/hour, and you can work online and get paid daily or weekly.

9. Deliver Food

Earning potential: $20 to $25/hour

Food delivery services have blown up in recent years, and DoorDash now dominates the market, controlling nearly 60% of the market share. Because of this massive growth, DoorDash still needs new drivers, and drivers make between $20-$25/hour right now.

Dashers (what DoorDash drivers are called) can schedule themselves to drive whenever they want, and there are no minimums or limits to the number of hours they can drive a week. 

We recently spoke to a reader who drives for DoorDash, and here are her tips to make the most out of this side hustle:

• Make yourself available during busy hours, and the busiest times are during dinner hours and weekend evenings.
• Bring a friend or spouse along for the drive to keep things fun.
• Track your miles ASAP with an app like Everlance so you can write off your mileage and expenses at tax time.

DoorDash is one of the best food delivery services out there because they also offer drivers promotions to earn more, including Peak Pay (you earn extra per order to drive during busy times) and Challenges (DoorDash gives you additional pay to complete a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time). Learn more in our complete DoorDash Driver Review.

Make $20-$25/hour with DoorDash

This is one of the best side hustles if you are looking for a low-commitment gig and have access to a reliable vehicle.

Join DoorDash

10. Start a Blog

Earning potential: $500 to $10,000+/month

Blogging easily has the highest earning potential on our list of best side hustles. It’s a slow business model overall, but look at what I’ve done: I started this blog in my spare time after coming home from my job as a high school band director, and in five years I was able to turn my blog into a seven-figure business that I run from my laptop.

That trajectory isn’t the norm for everyone, but you get out of it what you put into it. You can start and grow your blog on your lunch break, after the kids go to bed, and on the weekends.

The reason I feel so strongly about blogging is that you are in complete control of your work, from when you work, what you blog about, how you make money blogging, and so on.

If you’re interested in starting one of the best side hustles, I highly recommend Bluehost for blog hosting, and here’s why:

• Bluehost has a ton of free themes to choose from, and that means you can get a professional-looking blog without paying for web design services.
• They have stellar customer service.
• You get a free domain name for your first full year.
• WordPress is included with Bluehost — that’s the platform THIS blog is built on!
• When you sign up for Bluehost using our link, my team will set up your blog and install key components at no additional charge with Launch That Blog.

Start your blog for less than $3/month

Blogging is, hands down, my favorite side hustle! It’s how I went from stressed, overworked high school teacher to 7-figure business owner in less than 5 years. And Bluehost is the exact platform I used to start.

Join Bluehost

11. Freelance Writer

Earning potential: $500 to $5,000+/month

Freelance writing is a broad field that can encompass a number of different jobs including:

• Marketing campaigns
• Blog posts
• Email newsletters
• Online and print articles
• Catalog descriptions
• Ghostwriting
• Web copy
• Grant writing
• Technical writing
• Content mills
• Resumes

It can take a little time to build your portfolio and business, but freelance writers can realistically make $1,000 to $5,000+/month. If you want to jumpstart your business check out the course Write your way to 1k.

12. Get Paid to Watch Videos

Earning potential: $1/hour

Here's another one of the easiest side hustles to make extra money. You can realistically expect to make under $1/hour watching videos (I know that’s low), but think of it as something that can run in the background while you’re working on other side hustles.

Here are a few platforms to check out if you want to learn more:

• MyPoints: Get paid to watch videos, take surveys, play games, and more. New users can earn a $10 bonus reward for signing up today.
• InboxDollars: Make money watching videos, playing games, and taking online surveys. New users can claim a $5 sign-up bonus.
• Swagbucks: Get paid to watch videos, take online surveys, shop online, and more. New users can take advantage of a $10 sign-up bonus.

13. Walk Dogs or Pet Sit

Earning potential: $15 to $25/walk and $35 to $70/overnight stay

Roveris a platform dedicated to connecting pet owners with dog walkers and pet sitters in their area. This should go without saying, but you have to love pets for this side hustle.

Pay varies depending on where you live. You’ll be paid more if you live in an urban area, which can be around $25 per walk or $70 for an overnight stay. Rover can help you find clients, but you can also list your services on social media. Because trust is such a big part of this side hustle, referrals go a long way. 

We spoke to someone who recently started with Rover, and they shared:

• Try your best to be steadily accepting bookings in order to keep your rankings up.
• Take advantage of pet sitting as an opportunity to work on one of your other side hustles.

Get paid to play with pets!

Rover is the best side hustle for pet lovers, and there is a one-time fee of $35 to sign up and create a profile.

Join Rover

14. Earn Cash Back When You Shop

Earning potential: $5 to $50/month

I was a little hesitant to put this on my list of best side hustles because there’s not big money in cash back sites and apps, but it’s honestly too easy to leave out. I mean, if you’re already shopping, why not make money back on your purchases?

Here are my top cash back app recommendations:

• Ibotta: Earn cash back when you shop online, in-store, or from your phone.
• Upside: Formerly known as GetUpside, this app gives you cash back on gas, grocery, and restaurant purchases. You can earn up to $0.25 back on every gallon of gas you purchase with the Upside app.

15. Sell Old Electronics

Earning potential: Varies based on what you sell

Decluttr is a company that will buy gently used electronics so they can refurbish and resell them. This site will buy tablets, computers, smartphones, video game consoles, and they’ll even buy Legos and textbooks.

The process is super easy: Simply find the item you want to sell in their database (you can use the app’s barcode scanner for some items), and see if you agree to sell at the offered price. Once you agree to sell, Decluttr will send you a prepaid printing label so you can ship it to them for free. Payments are processed one day after Decluttr receives your items.

16. Get Paid to Grocery Shop

Earning potential: $15 to $20/hour

Getting paid to grocery shop is one of the fastest-growing side hustles, and Instacart and Shipt are two of the most popular on-demand grocery services. Both let you set your own hours and have pretty minimal requirements for shoppers — you just have to be 18 years old, have a clean driving and criminal record, and access to a car and smartphone.

Make $15-$20/hour shopping for Instacart

Instacart shoppers are paid per batch. Every order differs in pay and depends on the size and difficulty of the order. Shoppers always keep 100% of their tips. You can learn more in How to Become an Instacart Shopper.

Earn $15-$20/hour grocery shopping for Shipt

Shipt is owned by Target and is available in far fewer locations across the U.S. than Instacart, but it’s growing fast. Shipt shoppers are paid a commission for each order, which is $5 + 7.5% of the order total. Learn more in our full Shipt shopper review.

17. Clean Houses

Earning potential: $20 to $50/hour

While it’s not the most exciting option on this list of side hustles, cleaning houses pays surprisingly well if you work for yourself. House cleaners can make $20-$50/hour working for themselves, and you can share your name with friends and family or list your services on Care.com.

As you begin to build trust with your clients, you’ll find them sharing your name with their contacts and growing your business from there.

18. Sell on Shopify

Earning potential: $500-$5,000+/month

Shopify is an easy-to-use platform for setting up and running your own eCommerce store. And if you’re thinking that it sounds like a lot of work running an online shop, it can be surprisingly passive if you use Shopify for dropshipping.

Let me explain… 

You use Shopify’s platform to build your eCommerce site — there are over 70 customizable themes, a drag-and-drop editor, and custom domains. You select items to sell on the site that can be drop shipped. You don’t touch, store, or ship these goods. You’re only listing them for sale, and then connecting the customer with the supplier.

After your site is built, it’s one of the more passive side hustles because you’re not actively managing or shipping orders — Shopify does this for you. You will need to run traffic to your site and check in to maintain it. You can start your Shopify side hustle for as little as $29/month.

There are already over 1,000,000 businesses powered by Shopify (they also manage point of sale technology for brick and mortars), with over $135 billion in sales. Learn more in our full Shopify review.

19. Side Hustle as a Tutor

Earning potential: $15 to $40/hour

If there is a subject you know well and can teach to others, tutoring is a great way to make extra money. I know this because when I was working as a teacher, I learned that parents are always looking for tutors for math, science, writing, foreign language, history, etc. 

Tutoring is actually one of the best side hustles for teachers because the hourly pay can get pretty high, around $15-$40/hour depending on where you live. 

If you're interested in this side hustle, BookNook is an online tutoring platform that connects K-8 students with tutors who can help them develop critical math and reading skills. Tutors make $15-$22/hour and must meet at least one of these requirements:

• 3+ years teaching or tutoring or
• 1 year teaching or tutoring and at least a bachelor’s degree or
• 1 year teaching or tutoring and current enrollment in a teaching credential program

You also must be a U.S. citizen to qualify. The tutoring sessions last 30 minutes, and you will work with 1-4 students at a time. There's no lesson planning involved — BookNook handles this part for you. 

20. Rent Out Your Car

Earning potential: Average of $700/month

If you like the idea of Airbnb, did you know you can do the same kind of thing with your car on HyreCar?

Hyrecar is a peer-to-peer rental platform where you can list your car, which dates it’s available, and then rent it out to prescreened customers. Don’t worry, HyreCar offers up to $1,000,000 liability coverage and coverage in the event of theft or physical damage.

Most of the cars listed on HyreCar list for approximately $35/day, and HyreCar takes a 15% to 25% commission. This is a great side hustle to offset the cost of your car payment, or if you aren’t driving as much these days. Check out my HyreCar review for more information.

How Do You Start a Side Hustle?

When I started my blog, I had no freaking clue that it would turn into a seven-figure business. I just really disliked being a teacher and knew I wanted more than a teacher’s salary could ever allow me.

That was why I started a side hustle. Your reason or goal is an incredibly important part of this process.

A hustle means work, and your why is how you motivate yourself to make it happen.

After you have your motivation, start looking into side hustle ideas by thinking about what you’re good at, things you enjoy, and your availability. For example, if you are already good at spotting errors when you’re reading, why not try proofreading?

Say you just want to make a little extra cash here and there with something pretty mindless. Why not drive for DoorDash or take surveys with Branded Surveys?

Or, if you’re really motivated to find something you can scale and maybe one day leave your 9-5 for, a lot of people have done that running Facebook ads.

What is The Best Side Hustle of 2022?

There is no magic pill to earn more money, and I see lots of so-called magic pills online. That drives me to produce lists like this. I want my readers to have the best options available, like:

• Get paid to proofread: Proofreaders make in the range of $15-$50, and this is an incredibly flexible option that’s great for people who love reading and writing. The Proofreading Launchpad course teaches you how to get started.
• Take online surveys: Sign up for Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie and make $1-$3/survey. It's not a lot of money, but it's super easy.
• Driving for DoorDash: Get paid $23/hour while on delivery (that’s the national average). DoorDash drivers set their own hours and can work as little or as much as they want. This is a nice side hustle if you’re looking for something that offers both a low commitment and decent pay.

The reality is that not all side hustles are created equal. Do your research, read the reviews, and find the best side hustles to make your goals happen.

FAQs

What side hustles pay the most?

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Blogging started as my side hustle, and now I run a 7-figure business from my laptop. There are other high-paying side hustles out there, like freelancing because you can scale it to a full-time income.

Are there any legitimate side hustles?

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Yes! Our definitive list of legitimate side hustle ideas has 19 different options you can start.

A side hustle is an entrepreneurial activity outside of your normal day job that generates extra income so that you can reach your financial goals faster.

How do I start a side hustle?

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The easiest way to start a side hustle is to look at our definitive list of quality side hustle ideas, select the option that seems like the best fit, and then jump in! We put together the best side hustle options that will allow you to make money in a way that you enjoy and fits your lifestyle.

About Millennial Money Man

Bobby Hoyt is a former band director who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in 18 months on his teaching salary and then left his job to run Millennial Money Man full-time. He helps other Millennials earn more through side hustles, save more through budgeting tools and apps, and pay off debt. He is a personal finance expert who has been seen on Forbes, Reuters, MarketWatch, CNBC, International Business Times, Business Insider, US News, Yahoo Finance, and many other personal finance and entrepreneurship media outlets.

View all of Bobby’s Posts

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