Side hustles are a great way to earn extra cash alongside your regular job. Side hustles have risen in popularity over the last decade for a number of reasons, such as economic slowdowns and the prevalence of part-time versus full-time work. Whether you’re looking for supplemental income to make ends meet or just interested in earning a little cash during your spare time, side hustles can be great for you.
Of course, not all side hustles will necessarily be worth your time. Several popular side hustles can be very difficult, if not impossible, to get into. Others promise huge amounts of cash but end up requiring a huge time commitment for minimal dividends.
We’ve done the research and come up with this list of 7 side hustles you may not have heard about to earn extra money.
Before we dive in, we want to remind you to keep your expectations in check. These side hustles aren’t going to earn the same amount that a full-time job would. Most people don’t immediately replace their day jobs with a side hustle. However, it’s entirely possible to earn an extra couple hundred dollars a month with a good side hustle.
House Cleaning Services
Ok, we said, “side hustles few people know about,” but everyone knows about house cleaning. Have you thought about turning something you do regularly into ways to earn extra cash?
Have you ever spent a day deep cleaning a room in your house? Maybe you’re cleaning out a room you rented right before moving out so you get your security deposit back. Do you feel satisfied, calmed down, or relieved of stress afterward?
Cleaning houses or rooms can be an excellent side hustle that can earn hundreds, if not thousands, every month once established.
How much can you make cleaning houses? It depends on where you live, the size of the house, the condition of the home, and how often you (and the residents) clean it. We looked at Freshbooks, Thumbtack and Jobber and found that basic house cleaning services start around $100 per house, whereas office or post-construction deals can make $300-$500 per clean. Hourly rates range from $25 to $50 an hour, depending on where you live.
In the screenshot below, we used Thumbtack to research how much house cleaners charge.
If you’re willing to put in the work yourself, the supplies and overhead costs are relatively cheap. The most important part of this is marketing. Sure, a lot of cleaning services spread via word-of-mouth, but starting out can be a struggle if you don’t have many prospective clients. Don’t neglect your online presence!
Turo Car Renting
Have an extra older car that you were thinking of selling or trading in? Maybe you work from home for your main job and don’t drive around a lot during the day?
Turo is a service that’s not only great as a side hustle, but as an alternative to traditional car rental services. The site operates similarly to AirBNB, letting hosts rent out their cars to other people. Turo has safety, support, and insurance similar to other house renting services. You can get started by downloading the Turo app.
This post on Turo explains the vehicles that net the most proceeds. This calculator on Turo will give you an idea of how much you can make by renting cars to other drivers.
You should be aware, though, that Turo requires vehicles to be 10 years old or younger. Additionally, people tend to dirty cars that they rent. Be prepared to regularly clean your vehicle before and after a rental. If you have a car wash with free vacuums nearby, this can be relatively low cost if you’re willing to put in the work!
Tutoring & Instruction
Have a hobby like music, art, sports, or programming? Or, maybe a higher degree in a field that’s being taught at a local college? If you’re looking for side hustle ideas from home, online tutoring and teaching may be a good fit.
Tutoring students or kids can be a convenient and profitable side hustle that requires very little in upfront costs from you. Many popular tutoring centers are looking for tutors for subjects like math, science, and English who are willing to work part-time. There are many services, such as TakeLessons, where you set your own hours and teach more specific topics that you’re personally interested in.
Being approved as a tutor and then getting clients as an independent tutor can be more difficult than a part-time position. Avoid services that require you to pay to get certified, as you end up paying more money for education/certification than you will make. Go about this carefully, and you can eventually make a decent amount on your own!
Focus Groups
If you’re in a major metropolitan area, many companies will pay you to participate in a focus group to get feedback about a new product or marketing campaign that they’re testing. When participating in a focus group, you listen to a product or service pitch and give honest feedback in a group setting. These only take about an hour to do and can pay anywhere from $50 to $200.
Sites like Focusgroups.org or User Interviews are popular for finding prospective focus groups, clinical studies, and online surveys that you’ll be paid for participating in. Don’t expect this kind of work to replace your full-time job, and watch out for spending too much on gas if you’re asked to travel to meet with the focus group, but this is a great small source of supplemental income.
Rent Out a Spare Room
Have a room sitting empty in your home or acting as storage space? Depending on the area you live in, renting out your spare room can be a lucrative revenue stream for very little effort from you. Sites like Airbnb and Vrbo are good for both temporary and long-term rentals. If you already have a spare bed and the room is furnished, all the better.
The biggest risk with this is, of course, the person renting your room. Although there are a lot of protections for rentals, you need to be careful during the screening process to ensure that the person renting out your room doesn’t end up taking over your house. Be sure to meet the person before agreeing to let them rent out your room, and make your expectations very clear in your room posting.
Test Websites and Apps
Play a lot of mobile games in your spare time? Or maybe you just tend to notice issues while navigating online websites a lot? You can get paid to point out these flaws in your experience on sites like Usertesting or UTest. These are similar to focus groups, but can be done within the comfort of your home. The sites act as a hub where you can advertise your interest and expertise and freelance out to companies looking to get testers.
You probably won’t make as much with this when starting out, as you’ll have to establish yourself first. The jobs are relatively low-skill and can be performed by just about anyone. The app and website tests can also feel a bit mindless and aren’t a great option for someone less tech-savvy.
Pressure Washing
If you already own a pressure washer, or have experience with how satisfying pressure washing can be, this can actually be a source of extra income. Pressure washing houses, driveways, sidewalks, and other pieces of personal property can be an excellent side business that can earn you a couple hundred dollars per house, depending on the size of the property and how long it will take you to wash.
Of course, with this hustle, there’s the upfront cost of a pressure washer and the knowledge of how to transport and set it up for an efficient job. You can experiment with this side gig by renting out a pressure washer from your local hardware store and pressure washing your own or a friend or family member’s house. Practice setting up and tearing it down to see if you enjoy the work! Leverage your social media connections including Facebook neighborhood groups to spread the word.
Photo house cleaning 30483424 | Ikonoklastfotografie | Dreamstime.com
Photo pressure washing 149655655 | Alan Budman | Dreamstime.com
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