10 Best Side Hustles to Make More Money

Are you searching for side hustles to make more money or simply fill up your spare time?

You’re not alone. Many are looking to supplement their income by working side gigs.

Luckily, there are plenty of options to go for, from freelancing and affiliate marketing to pet sitting and social media marketing.

Read on to learn about each option.

Our Top Picks

If you’re looking to earn some extra money, check out the following top-rated side hustles:

1. Best Overall: Freelancing
2. Runner-Up: Reselling Things
3. Best Passive Income: Renting Out Spare Room
4. Best Flexible: Pet Sitting
5. Best From-Home: Writing
6. Best Quick: Taking Online Surveys
7. Best Zero-Budget: Social Media Management
8. Most Profitable: Affiliate Marketing
9. Best Creative: Graphic Design
10. Best No-Experience: Shopping

Getting Started With Side Hustles to Make More Money

Side hustles aren’t just for teens and students looking for financial independence.

Nowadays, getting a second job is a must, not only for people looking to make extra income but also for anyone who wants to branch out and learn more.

What Are Side Hustles to Make More Money?

Many people believe side hustles are businesses that people run in their spare time.

However, a side hustle can be many other things, from part-time jobs to physical tasks.

Regardless of your skills and education, you’ll find many side hustle ideas that suit you.

Why You Should Consider Getting a Side Hustle to Make More Money?

Getting a side hustle to earn extra cash is a no-brainer, but there’s a lot more to side gigs than financial benefits.

Side jobs can also help you learn something new, gain work experience, make connections, and advance your career.

Overview: Our Top Picks

The list of side hustles in the gig economy is exceptionally long. It’s only natural that finding the best side gig for you would be tricky.

What Is the Best Side Hustle to Make More Money?

Our favorite side hustle has to be freelancing.

The reason is that freelancing encompasses many things. So, you can make extra money through your hobbies or work the same tasks as your full-time job.

What Is the Best Side Hustle to Make $5,000 Per Month?

The most profitable side hustle by far is affiliate marketing.

True, you can earn thousands through any side gig if you put in enough time and effort, but what sets affiliate marketing apart is that it’s a passive income opportunity.

The Best Side Hustles to Make More Money

Here’s a list of the best side hustles that can increase your income in no time:

1. Freelancing

Do you already have a full-time job? Well, you can make extra money by doing the same tasks you perform every day as a freelancer!

As a freelancer, you get to be your own boss.

First, the hours of this side gig are extremely flexible. Second, you’ll only take on projects that you’re interested in and pick the clients you want to work with.

The best part about freelancing is that you’ll be able to use your experience to further advance your career.

So, even if you don’t have a full-time position, freelancing gigs will help you earn extra income, as well as build a resume.

Costs to Get Started

To become a freelancer, you don’t need any initial funding. All you need is to be really good at something that potential clients would find valuable.

Where to Find Freelancing Gigs

Depending on your field, you can find freelancing gigs almost anywhere, from LinkedIn to Fiverr.

Yet, if you want an all-rounder gig website to find all of the freelancing side hustles in one place, look no further than Gigworker.com.

2. Reselling Things

If you think about it, most jobs and businesses are built on reselling different essentials.

After all, you can’t expect consumers to head directly to factories for their household items, furniture, and clothes.

Accordingly, you can make a fortune by reselling different items. This side hustle can be as easy or complex as you like.

For example, you might start by reselling simple stickers or accessories on Amazon and partnering with different dropshipping businesses.

In contrast, an incredibly lucrative side hustle would be flipping used and vintage items for profit.

If someone is discarding their old furniture or electronics, why not buy them for cheap, fix them up, and make an extra income?

Costs to Get Started

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to buy plenty of stuff in advance to resell them.

Working slowly is best, especially if this is your first time trying a side hustle.

If you’re in the dropshipping business, you can buy the goods based on the orders you get.

Otherwise, only buy a few items to start. Then, purchase new products with the profits you made reselling the first patch!

Where to Resell Items

Fortunately, you don’t need to leave your home to resell things. Instead, there’s a variety of online marketplaces, with some websites even specializing in certain items.

These include:

• Facebook Marketplace
• eBay
• Amazon
• Thredup
• Etsy
• Craigslist
• Depop

3. Renting Out Unused Space

If you have extra space in your home, why not turn it into a passive income opportunity?

There’s a reason why renting out your unused space is a significantly popular side hustle. For starters, you don’t need any experience, skills, or spare time.

All you have to do is find a suitable renter, and you’ll make a superb profit, especially with the current real estate market conditions.

If you don’t like the idea of sharing your home with a permanent resident, you can still earn some extra money.

Just put up your listing for short-term subletting, operating as an Airbnb.

Costs to Get Started

On paper, it costs nothing to rent out your spare room. After all, the extra space is just collecting dust.

However, the cost of hosting another person in your home might quickly add up.

Sure, you can add the cost of electricity, water, and food bills to the rental fees.

Yet, you might need to do some extra maintenance, including cleaning and repairs.

Where to Rent Out Unused Space

Whether you’re looking for short-term renters or roommates, you can try the following online platforms:

• Airbnb
• Vrbo
• Facebook Marketplace
• Hooper
• Booking

4. Pet Sitting

One of the most fun side hustles you can try is pet sitting. If you’re a pet person, getting paid to spend time with some fluffy friends will sound like heaven.

Not only is pet sitting enjoyable, but it’s also a suitable gig for anyone who loves animals.

You don’t need experience handling animals, you can only pet-sit during your spare time, and you even get to stay in an empty house for free!

That’s not all. There’s no minimum age for pet sitting, making it the perfect side hustle for teenagers.

If you’re an adult with a full-time job, your pet-sitting responsibilities might just be dropping in and feeding some fluffy animals.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the gig for people with certain phobias or allergies. If you’re not good with animals, it’s best to refrain from pet-sitting.

Costs to Get Started

You don’t need to pay any money to start pet sitting. Pet owners typically cover all the needs of their beloved pets.

Where to Find Pet Sitting Gigs

To start pet sitting, you can post a couple of ads in your local pet store, around town, or ask your friends and family to recommend you to strangers.

You might also join social media groups and advertise your services.

5. Writing

Freelance writing is one of the best gigs you can find to earn extra money.

As a freelance writer, you can write about diverse topics, learning more as you work.

In fact, many freelance writers found their interests and niches, allowing them to transform the side hustle into a profitable part-time job, and even became best-selling authors.

While writing is an excellent way to make more money, the pay can be inconsistent at times.

So, you need to work harder to find clients and build your portfolio.

Costs to Get Started

As a writer, all you need to get started are a laptop, an internet connection, and a comfortable chair.

Also, purchasing some grammar, editing, and proofreading tools might make your job a lot simpler and help you write faster.

Where to Find Writing Jobs

Whether you want to find clients to write for or want to publish your work straightaway, you should try the following:

• Kindle Direct Publishing
• Text Broker
• Contently
• UpWork
• Fiverr

6. Taking Online Surveys

If you’re looking for a profitable side hustle that you can do from the comfort of your home, look no further than online surveys.

You might think online surveys are a waste of time, choosing to skip optional surveys every time they pop up.

Yet, your answers and data are incredibly valuable to marketers, as you’re helping them assess your responses to the services and products.

Keep in mind that most online services have a ceiling for how much you can earn.

For this reason, the surveys are only suitable for quickly making money, not replacing your full-time income.

Costs to Get Started

Not only is taking online surveys an incredibly worthwhile side hustle, but you don’t need to pay in order to participate in the surveys.

Where to Find Online Surveys

There are plenty of academic research groups as well as online services that are willing to pay you to take online surveys. These include:

• Survey Junkie
• Drumo
• YouGov
• Swagbucks

7. Social Media Management

If you have a social media account and enough digital marketing knowledge, becoming a social media manager might just be the best side hustle for you.

Social media management is an exceptional way to make a decent side income.

This side gig might even help with your digital marketing career.

There are many types of social media management, depending on your level of experience.

For starters, you can become a social media moderator who’s only in charge of customer service and replying to comments.

Alternatively, some managers take full responsibility for their clients’ social media platforms, including creating content, engaging with followers, and generating traffic.

Costs to Get Started

Becoming a social media manager costs nothing. You must be accessible, with a stable internet connection and a working phone.

Where to Find Social Media Management Gigs

Just like any freelancer, you can find social media management opportunities through the following:

• LinkedIn
• Fiverr
• UpWork
• Guru

8. Affiliate Marketing

Did you know you can become a millionaire through passive income?

Sure, this sounds too good to be true, but it’s possible through affiliate marketing.

We’re in the golden age of social media. Naturally, many people are looking for product recommendations and reading reviews before making purchases.

As an affiliate marketer, you can become a trusted source, recommending the best products to thousands of social media accounts.

You might even become an influencer in the process.

Affiliate marketing isn’t just another easy side hustle to make extra cash, though.

Dedicated affiliate marketers need to put in the time and effort to make a decent amount of money.

Costs to Get Started

To become an affiliate marketer, you need a social media account and a charming personality!

You may also need to establish a website if you’re looking to go the blogging route instead of the social media route.

Where to Find Affiliate Marketing Gigs

Here are some of the best online platforms that offer affiliate marketing programs:

• Amazon Associates
• Shopify
• eBay Partner Network

9. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the perfect side hustle for creative individuals, even those with no design background or experience.

The market demand for graphic designers is on the rise, from professional brands to soon-to-be brides.

For this reason, you’ll definitely find a digital design gig that fits your skill set and unique perspective.

You can utilize various tools to launch your graphic design career. For example, AI art is one of the most popular art forms at the moment.

Still, you need to be original, adding your personal, human touch to the advanced technology.

You might also use other graphic design platforms that suit various experience levels, such as Canva and Photoshop.

Costs to Get Started

To become a graphic designer, you need to invest in a couple of tools.

For starters, you need to research and purchase a graphic design tool as well as learn how to use it.

While you can take your time learning how to use these tools, you might also invest in a course that’ll quickly help you master the platforms.

Depending on your art style, you might need to purchase a trackpad, a keyboard, or a mouse.

Where to Find Graphic Design Gigs

Here are some online services for freelance graphic designers:

• Dribbble
• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Behance
• Freelancer

10. Shopping

Lastly, you can make extra money while doing something fun and enjoyable, shopping!

Many people, such as celebrities and business owners, don’t have time to shop for special occasions and everyday looks.

Personal shoppers solve this issue by catering to clients’ needs and budgets.

To start, you can become a shopper by simply running errands and delivering groceries and other personal needs.

Costs to Get Started

Shopping is one of the few side hustles that don’t require any tools, money, or experience.

Where to Find Shopping Gigs

You can find personal shopping gigs through the following:

• TaskRabbit
• Instacart
• Walmart
• Amazon

How to Start a Side Hustle to Make More Money

Now that you know how profitable operating a side hustle can be, it’s time to start your gig.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get a clearer idea:

Find Your Interest

The gig economy is full of different side gigs.

Choosing one depends on your interests and experience level, as well as how much extra cash you’re looking to make.

So, while a side hustle isn’t as permanent as a full-time job, you still shouldn’t blind-pick your side gig.

Instead, take time to understand the responsibilities and schedule of your new position.

You should also look for all the benefits of the new gig, not just the financial incentive.

Research the Market

Some side gigs, such as tourism-related endeavors, are seasonal.

That’s why a lot of entrepreneurs expect to make a fortune, yet only make a measly income due to improper timing.

Market demand also plays a crucial role in the gig economy.

For example, there are thousands of rideshare drivers, so you shouldn’t expect this side hustle to be as profitable as becoming an Airbnb host.

Start Working

Once you’ve found your niche, it’s time to start working. This isn’t as simple as commuting to your nine-to-five, though.

Since most side hustles involve freelancing, you’ll need to do the following to attract business:

• Build a portfolio
• Make accounts on different gig online services
• Connect with other freelancers
• Get client referrals
• Remain up-to-date on the latest happenings in the gig economy

Wrapping Up

Whether you want to repay your student loan debts or treat yourself with extra cash, starting side hustles to make more money is the answer.

Our favorite lucrative side hustle is freelancing.

The reason is that you can gain the freedom and flexibility of a freelancer regardless of your expertise and skills.

If you want a more specific side hustle, though, your next best pick would be reselling.

That said, affiliate marketing is one of the most popular side hustles when it comes to profitability.

Not only can you build a successful social media platform by recommending products, but you might even become a millionaire.

Make sure to leave a comment below telling us about your experience working side hustles to make money!

Similar Side Hustles to Check Out

If you’re looking for more great side hustle ideas, check out the following:

• Side hustles that pay well: Did you know side gigs can replace your full-time job? This list has all the best-paying side hustles.
• Simple side hustles: Side hustles don’t need to be all grind and no play. If you want to make extra cash while barely moving a muscle, read this simple guide on side hustles.
• Realistic side hustles: Some side gigs seem too far-fetched, especially if you have a full-time job. Luckily, this guide has all the realistic side hustles for you.