Easy Side Hustles For 2024: Less Effort, More Money

Let’s be honest. You could be working for your dream company with your dream position, but with inflation still rising, one nine-to-five job won’t be enough to cover the increasing bills.

If that’s your case, you could be looking for side gigs to go with your regular work and earn extra money. Well, you’re in luck with finding this post.

Today’s article discusses easy side hustles to earn extra income in 2024. We’re throwing in some practical hustling tips, including where you can find the best gigs to fit your needs.

The Best Easy Side Hustles (Overview)

Your job isn’t the only source of income you should rely on. Here are ten fantastic side hustle ideas you can do in your free time and earn with less effort:

• SELLING SERVICES ONLINE: BEST OVERALL
• RENTING AIRBNB SPACE: BEST PASSIVE INCOME
• AFFILIATE MARKETING: BEST FROM HOME
• ONLINE SURVEYS: BEST QUICK MONEY
• HOUSE SITTING: BEST FOR EVERYONE
• WALKING DOGS: BEST FOR PET LOVERS
• SELLING PHOTOGRAPHY: BEST FOR CREATIVES
• E-COMMERCE MERCHANT: BEST FOR ENTREPRENEURS
• SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: BEST FOR TECH-SAVVIES
• FREELANCE WRITING: BEST FOR FLEXIBILITY

Getting Started With Easy Side Hustles

According to recent reports, over 13 million working Americans have side hustles on top of their regular jobs. Let’s discuss the basics of side hustles and why you should consider having one below.

What are Easy Side Hustles?

Easy side hustles are side gigs to earn extra money without the typical effort and investment of a regular job. It can be a small business or other jobs that aren’t as demanding or time-consuming as nine-to-five work.

Most people invest in their skills, talents, or interests and make them a profitable income source. But you can also find companies and organizations that hire and pay side hustlers by doing different activities and tasks.

Why Should You Consider an Easy Side Hustle?

Of course, earning extra cash to pay your bills is the primary reason to consider looking for a second job. But there are also other practical reasons why having one benefits your career.

If you’re fresh out of university, you can use your earnings to pay off your student loans. Or, if you’re nearing 60, use the extra money for your retirement savings.

For business-minded individuals, starting your business on the side while having a day job is one of the easiest and risk-free ways to go. Giant names in several industries, such as Apple, Under Armour, SPANX, and Yankee Candle, began as a side business.

The Best Easy Side Hustles at a Glance

Earning extra money can be challenging if you don’t know how to find a side hustle. So, here are our top picks in terms of ease and profitability.

What is the Easiest and Most Profitable Side Hustle?

If you have extra skills in your resume, selling services online or freelancing in gig economy platforms is the easiest and most profitable option.

Most freelance jobs don’t require initial investments and provide flexible schedules. As such, you can immediately jump into your preferred projects without sacrificing your savings or family time.

What is the Easiest and Most Passive Side Hustle?

For people who prefer passive income without upfront costs, renting out property space for Airbnb could be the perfect side hustle for you.

Easy jobs from home are hard to come by, especially if you’re already having difficulties juggling your day job and personal time. If that’s the case, you can always use the free space in your property for that extra income.

Best Easy Side Hustles in 2024

So, do you need extra cash? Below are the ten easiest and most popular side hustles to make money in 2024. You won’t run out of options, from freelancing to setting up online business.

1. SELLING SERVICES ONLINE

The gig economy platforms are mines of lucrative side hustles for skilled and talented individuals. So, if you have knowledge and expertise in a specific field, you can effortlessly turn it into a profitable hustle.

Some of the most popular gigs as a freelancer include graphic designing, web designing, content editing, computer programming, and virtual assisting. If you have skills in these fields, you can earn as much as $50,000 to $100,000 per year selling your services online.

The cost of starting a side hustle selling your services online is minimal. In most cases, you won’t even spend a dime, as you’ll only be marketing yourself online.

Still, your cost will typically depend on the type of services you’re selling. For example, marketing yourself as a graphic designer means you’ll need the tools and software to do the job, which can cost between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars.

The demand for side gigs is rising. In fact, as of 2024, approximately 59 million American adults are part of the gig economy. This still-increasing number is primarily thanks to freelance platforms where freelancers and clients virtually meet, such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.

2. RENTING AIRBNB SPACE

Do you want passive income without lifting a finger? You can try renting your home’s free spaces through Airbnb. It’s an excellent opportunity to monetize unused rooms or guest houses.

But how much can you expect to earn renting spaces? On average, Airbnb hosts make around $44,000 annually, but your location can also impact your total earnings. Hawaiian hosts, for example, earn roughly $70,000 per year, followed by Tennessee and Arizona with $60,000 average yearly income.

As long as you have the space following Airbnb’s guidelines, you can start this business idea immediately at virtually no cost. Listing on Airbnb costs $0, and there’s no limit to how many rooms or houses you wish to rent out.

That said, Airbnb does charge a service fee for all their hosts, but only for confirmed reservations. They take 3% of your booking subtotal, which they use to improve their services.

Airbnb has over 200 million users worldwide. Last year alone, the company recorded over 398 million bookings on its platform. To become a host, you need only list your property on the Airbnb site, set your pricing and payment method, manage your schedule, and wait for reservations.

3. AFFILIATE MARKETING

Becoming an affiliate marketer is an alluring choice for people with a considerable internet presence. As an affiliate marketing partner, you’ll promote the products and services of companies through affiliate links. You’ll earn a commission for each purchase made using your referral.

American affiliate marketers earn an average annual salary of $59,000, as reported by Glassdoor.

Starting a career as an affiliate marketer doesn’t involve much cost, with initial investments only ranging between $0 to $350. But if you tap into affiliate networks, expect to pay $500 to $2,000 for account setups and profile building.

The global affiliate marketing industry’s value is around $17 billion, with hundreds of thousands of companies jumping in the wagon. So, there’s no shortage of affiliate programs you can explore for marketing opportunities.

Amazon Associates and eBay Partner Network are some of the best affiliate programs available.

4. COMPLETING ONLINE SURVEYS

Avoiding being lazy is essential to earning extra cash. So, why don’t you close that YouTube tab playing cat videos and use your time to answer online surveys for money instead?

Plenty of companies and organizations pay members to fill out reviews and questionnaires. And you can earn $1 to $6 an hour answering simple questions and detailing product feedback.

Online surveys are generally free to join. You’ll only need an internet connection and a device to answer the questionnaires, so you can earn without leaving your couch.

Many websites list paid surveys for various companies. You should join multiple survey panels simultaneously to optimize your time and earn more. Some of the best-paying platforms are Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Dscout, and User Interviews.

5. HOUSE SITTING

House sitting is just as it sounds: you watch other peoples’ houses while they’re away—like babysitting, but on properties. You can earn between $15 and $20 an hour as a property sitter, which translates to around $3,000 monthly.

Guarding homes as a side career doesn’t involve any investment. And you can do it according to your availability, whether you want to house-sit on weekends, full-time, or holidays.

One way to find house-sitting opportunities is through networking. You can talk to your family, friends, or colleagues and see if they know anyone looking for a house sitter.

Another excellent method is through a house-sitting website, which is a side hustle directory for property sitters. Platforms like HouseSitter.com and Care.com connect homeowners to house-sitters, providing a range of service options for both.

6. WALKING DOGS

If you love canines, becoming a dog walker could be the fun side hustle you’re looking for. It’ll be a fantastic way to break free from your busy routine, exercise, and be with these adorable creatures, all while earning in the process.

The average salary of dog walkers is $18 an hour in the U.S., which translates to $3,000 per month and $42,000 per year.

The cost of a dog walking gig can depend on the direction you want to take. For part-time dog walkers, the starting expenses can only include basic pet care supplies. But if you plan to establish a dog-walking service business on the side, costs can range from $500 to $1,000 for marketing, website, and essential supplies like first aid.

You don’t need to go far from your neighborhood to start a dog-walking gig. You can slip flyers into mailboxes introducing yourself as a dog walker and your price or join websites like Rover, Wag!, and PetSitter.com.

7. SELLING PHOTOGRAPHY

Do you have a knack for art and photography? Consider selling your work online and earning $20 to $500 for every shot you make from royalties and sales. This way, you can turn your passion into a profitable hustle you enjoy doing.

The only caveat when selling photos online is that they need high quality. As such, startup costs for equipment and training, which can go up a few thousand dollars, can seem daunting for newbies.

Photographers and artists have multiple venues to earn online. There are plenty of websites available where you can market your photography as a service or sell photos.

Alamy, 500px, SmugMug Pro, and Shutterstock are popular websites to sell stock images.

8. STARTING E-COMMERCE BUSINESS

One of the surest ways to earn quick money online is by selling items or becoming an e-commerce merchant. It’s a high-potential earning opportunity with a monthly salary range of $1,000 to $10,000.

One advantage of becoming an e-commerce merchant is the low startup cost. And you don’t need to vendor brand-new inventory to kickstart your online selling gig. You can sell any used appliances, furniture, clothes, and collectibles for extra cash.

Any website on the internet can be a venue for your e-commerce side hustle. Social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace or e-commerce websites like eBay and Craigslist are all fantastic avenues.

9. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGING

Social media management is a job involving public engagement. As a social media manager, you’ll create content, engage with followers, and implement strategies to boost customer interaction for your client.

Managing social media content can be lucrative depending on the type of companies or individuals you work for. But on average, social managers earn $4,000 monthly or $58,000 annually.

Social media management is a skill-based side gig. So, the cost of becoming one can vary depending on your on-hand capabilities and skills. For example, if you’re lacking in the writing and editing department, you can enroll in writing courses for $0 to $2,000.

Many businesses need social media managers to engage with customers on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Try contacting local businesses or marketing your services through online gig marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork.

10. FREELANCE WRITING

If you’re confident in your writing skills, now is the best time to capitalize on it. With companies and content creators scampering to dominate the virtual space, the writing business remains as robust as ever.

Freelance writers make written content for publications, channels, websites, blog posts, and more, earning an average salary of $100,000 to $200,000 annually.

Writing is excellent work with a relatively low startup cost. A laptop and a stable internet connection are all you need to start this hustle.

Selling your services through gig platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal is one way to kickstart your writing gigs. However, applying to writing companies such as Contra, Realm AI, and Quill Media ensures a continuous stream of work and hustle income.

How to Start an Easy Side Hustle

Before you roll the ball for your side hustle, here are some considerations you should note to increase your chances of success.

1. CHOOSE YOUR INTEREST

One of the most crucial factors to include in choosing an easy side hustle is your interests. Since your day job consumes most of your energy, picking a gig you enjoy doing is beneficial in the long run.

2. CONSIDER YOUR TIME

Another vital consideration to start a side hustle is how much time you can invest. Think of which part of the day you’re free to do a side gig. If you’re struggling to find free time, you can pick a passive hustle that won’t require consistent oversight.

3. SET EARNING GOALS

The third step is to set your financial goals in having a side hustle. Are you paying off debt, saving for retirement, or pursuing career improvement? Keep your motivations in mind and set your earning expectations realistic.

4. UTILIZE FREE RESOURCES

There are free resources you can utilize, regardless of your side hustle choice. Leverage free courses, platforms, websites, and groups to help your gig journey. Graphic design freelancers, for example, can find forums for practical resources and information.

5. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH

Researching the industry you’re trying to enter is just as important.

Research your niche’s competition and price rates. For example, if your area already has an active dog walker business, setting up a dog walking service is a poor decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Starting a side gig can be daunting for newbies. So, here are a few common questions that can help with your side hustle journey:

How Can I Make $1,000 a Month Realistically?

There are various ways to make $1,000 a month with side hustles.

Freelance writing, for instance, is an incredible gig that can earn you $1,000 to $5,000 monthly.

But it’s worth noting that work will likely be low at the start before you can move into high-paying tasks.

Are Side Hustles Hard Work?

Side hustles are a great way to earn extra money to pay your bills.

But like most financial ventures, they typically require considerable legwork to fly off the ground.

Still, there are easy hustle ideas you can try, including those in this guide.

Wrapping Up

As the world becomes smaller with technology, opportunities to earn effortlessly are becoming more and more accessible.

For people looking for the easiest and most lucrative ways to earn, selling your services online or freelancing is an excellent pick.

For busy individuals searching for passive income opportunities, renting Airbnb space is a great alternative.

For passionate creatives, sharing and selling photography is a must-try.