10 Side Hustles That Make Good Money

What are some of the side hustles that make good money? I dug into that question and came up with these ideas. Whether you are a college student, working full-time or a stay at home parent, there is something for everyone to earn a bit of extra cash with this list. Here are my top 10 suggestions. 

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 #1 – DoorDash

DoorDash is a fantastic way to earn some extra money if you live in the US. They have worked out a great scheme where diners can get food deliveries to their homes. These deliverers are known as ‘dashers’ – and they represent the perfect side hustle to get your finances back in order. 

DoorDash is the new Uber: that is to say that it earns you good money as a side gig but you have the added bonus of delivering, instead of chauffeuring. If the thought of opening up your hard-earned car to strangers makes your head spin then DD might be just the alternative driving job you have been looking for. 

The Pros of DoorDash

• Your vehicle can be as old as you like. Unlike Uber and Lyft they do not require you to own a brand new car.
• You do not need to pick up strangers, making this side hustle safer.
• You get tips!
• You get all the benefits associated with a self-employed position. You can pick your hours, work during peak times or work at midnight if you want to.

The Cons of DoorDash

• Self-assessing your taxes is a necessary part of any job where you are classed as self-employed. When you drive as a Dasher you are technically self-employed, so you will need to file our taxes every year. 
• Wages during peak (or ‘surge’) times can be as high as $20 per hour, with tips. The downside? Tips are variable and surge times only cover a few hours a day.
• Your car will run up miles and maintenance while you dash.

#2 – Etsy

Etsy is growing pretty famous online right now and for good reasons. Makers and sellers from all across the world are able to use their online marketplace as a platform to sell their wares. Etsy gives creative people with fun hobbies a chance to make a little cash back on the things that they produce. Compared to the dominant online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, Etsy has lower rates for sellers too. 

When you post a listing it will cost you a flat rate fee of $0.20 – but that listing will last for four months, or until someone buys the item. When you do make a sale, Etsy will charge you 5% of the total price (including postage). 

Etsy seems to work so well for some sellers that they are able to quit their full-time jobs. Reportedly, other sellers have had accounts frozen for no apparent reason. However, with 33.4million buyers using the site on a regular basis they must be doing something right. 

The Pros of Etsy 

• More than 30 million buyers and a near-global marketplace for you to boost sales.
• Lower seller rates than both eBay and Amazon.
• Lets you sell unconventional, handmade or otherwise difficult-to-price art.
• Sellers name their prices and there are no auctions involved.
• If you don’t fancy selling but still love what the marketplace has to offer, you can still monetize by joining the Etsy affiliate program. 

The Cons of Etsy

• Once again; you will be expected to include your sales in your tax return.
• That 5% total fee comes from your postage, too. So if you sell an item for ten bucks that costs thirty bucks in postage – you will lose out.
• Your work needs to be good – not just acceptable. On the other hand, a great way to find out if your work is good or not is to put it on Etsy and see if it sells.

#3 – The Facebook Marketplace

Facebook has one of the biggest online marketplaces around. It is used in 70 different countries, by around 800 million people across the globe. Users simply access the marketplace through their ordinary account and sell what they want to sell. It is fast, easy, and a lot less regulated than other online market platforms.

That’s not to say that your details are less safe when you sell through the Facebook Marketplace, more that it is frequently used for local, pick-up-only sales. If you want to sell a sofa, a car or a flat-screen TV then the Facebook Marketplace is likely the right second-hand platform to go. Most importantly,  Facebook Marketplace is free unless you want to pay for advertising.

The Pros of Facebook Marketplace

• No fees, you only pay to advertise if you want to.
• Great exposure and reach.
• Friends and family can all see your wares.
• Free advertising for your side hustles if you are a service.

The Cons of the Facebook Marketplace

• Your friends and family can see what you sell.
• If you are selling large items you should be ready to welcome strangers into your home.
• It is better for local selling than international selling.

#4 – Airbnb

Airbnb is huge right now in the side-gig market. All you need to join as a seller is a free bedroom in your home. You can rent it out for an average price worked out depending on the popularity of your area. Sellers are given the opportunity to leave ratings and reviews of guests, as well as vice versa. 

Airbnb gives you the opportunity to make good money but does take a little time. The more popular your area the better you are likely to do. Likewise, terms and conditions apply to eligibility. You may need permission from a landlord or to own your own home.

The Pros of Airbnb

• You can turn properties into a business if you have multiple units to go around
• Low fees (6-12% when a guest books in, plus 3% per transaction).
• Almost a passive income. Once your listing is approved you only need to meet and greet guests. Making sure the room is clean and tidy will also earn you top marks.
• Sellers can review guests too.

The Cons of Airbnb

• You may want to invest in insurance to prevent damage to your property.
• You will need to do your own taxes.
• Your business could fall apart at the whims of one unhappy guest.
• You may need to seek approval from the property owner.

#5 – Rakuten (previously Ebates)

Rakuten uses the affiliate marketing model to run their business, and it makes a good idea for a side hustle. The site built affiliate links with over 2,000 online stores and this allows you to create a small passive income while shopping online. 

All you need to do is shop through their partnered store. When you make purchases buying your regular shop through their links, they will then refund you half of their affiliate link fee. Everyone makes a little money, and you get a nice lump sum every quarter in return for using them.

The Pros of Ebates

• Make money from doing your regular shopping online.
• Earn cashback as a lump sum every quarter.
• No products or services needed to make money.
• Daily deals change, as do special offers.

The Cons of Ebates

• You have to speculate to accumulate.
• You can’t make money by selling via Ebates unless you are a recognizable brand.

#6 – Rover

If you are a dog lover then stop! You have found your perfect side hustle! Rover lets you register as a pet owner looking for a sitter or walker, or as a sitter or walker yourself. You get to make money by doing one of your favorite things in the world – hanging out with dogs (or cats). 

You don’t need a license to become a pet sitter or walker – and you could earn as much as $125 a day. As a side gig, it is laid back, you can work when you want to, and a few good reviews is all you need for a successful business.

The Pros of Rover

• It’s a fun, laid back job that will make you fitter.
• You get to spend lots of time outdoors and exercising.
• You will meet lots of new people with similar interests to you.

The Cons of Rover

• You have to give the pets back at the end of the day.
• You pay a commission on every job that you do.
• If something goes wrong when the pet is in your care and you don’t have insurance then you could find yourself in hot water.

#7 – The Foap App

The Foap app is an online photograph purchasing community. It lets you upload images directly from your smartphone to their marketplace. Users can then search for images they want to use and purchase the use from you through the app. 

Typically, the average user pays around $5 per image. While that might not be enough to quit the day job, it is five dollars you didn’t have before. If you think you have an eye for a good photograph, then the Foap app comes highly recommended.

The Pros of Foap

• It is updating the world of digital photography to be a legitimate way to make money.
• It lets the whole world see your creative images.
• You make money from something you would be doing anyway.
• You can set prices as you please, plus missions give you an opportunity to make more.

The Cons of Foap

• Foap takes a whopping 50% commission. Even although you can make money, you need high prices to make good cash.
• To win a mission your photo or your following needs to be healthy.
• You have no control over the use of the image once it is out there.

#8 – Mystery Shopping Gigs

Mystery shopping is often cited as the easiest side hustle. It involves joining an organization as their mystery shopper, going to allocated stores and making purchases. Afterward, you will be asked to score the performance within the store in exchange for payment. 

Mystery Shopping has the potential to be a legitimate business if you have enough dedication. One user reports making $14,000 in one year by doing so. Pinnacle and A Closer Look are two of the best known secret shopper companies in the US.

The Pros of Mystery Shopping

• The freedom to work when you choose to.
• Most purchases, or at least part of the purchase, will be refunded to you. 
• You get paid for shopping!

The Cons of Mystery Shopping

• Work is not regular.
• Employees are not going to like you when they suspect who you are.
• When you are instructed to make difficult requests it is not the company that looks like the bad one. Further; bad customer service gives its own dilemma. Do you want to be responsible for someone losing their job based on poor performance? 

#9 –Selling Gift Cards

Do you know that billions of dollars of gift cards go unused every year? If you have some lying around at home, you could earn a small profit if you care to look for a buyer. 

Also known as gift card flipping, the best way is to acquire the card for free and sell directly to the end consumer so that you can earn a big profit margin. Look at your drawers for cards that you aren’t using, redeem them using credit card points or do micro tasking work to earn free gift cards. 

Alternatively, you can also get discounted cards from friends/families who are willing to sell for half the face value, purchase at discounts from the retailers or get it from eBay for cheap. While making a full profit from these sales is unlikely, you are still looking at earning an additional 30% to 50% from what you’ve paid.

The Pros of Gift Card Selling

• A gift card is a budget-saving commodity and it’s useful for shopping.
• They often carry long expiry, some up to 5 years while others have an unlimited time frame.
• They come in both formats – physical and digital which is more convenient for storage.
• There is always a constant supply of cards in the market so this is something you can do long term. 

The Cons of Gift Card Selling

• It can be quite a hustle to search for free or the lowest pricing cards.
• The profit margin isn’t a lot, usually within the range of $2 to $10 per card. You need to trade in bigger volumes to earn more. 
• Keep an eye on fraud cards. It’s the worst when you buy something only to find out it has no reselling values.
• The market demand is most popular in the US, Canada, and the UK, less in other parts of the world.

#10 – Start a Niche Blog

Have you always wanted to do something out of your typical 9-5? It’s time to stop that daydreaming and take action. Blogging is a great way to launch an online career. Most people start with affiliate marketing, leveraging from brands/products/retailers that are already established and monetized from sales commissions.

Here are just some fun niches you can be part of;

• Action video recording with GoPro
• Reviving the joy of playing Lego among kids and adults
• Teaching English to children through the VIPKid program
• Sell and promote human hair online (Yes! It’s legit)
• Promote your favorite Harry Potter merchandise
• Get more people to read by listening to audiobooks through the Scribd app or through Amazon Audible

…and the list goes on.

What I like about this is that you don’t need a lot of capital investment – just get a domain, a blog and with a large dose of passion + commitment, you are ready to roll. Feel free to use the builder down below to launch your first WordPress blog (for free!) and watch it go live within minutes.

I hope these 10 side hustles ideas have lit up some inspiration in you. If you can’t find something suitable here or have a better suggestion, please let us know in the comments below. For more tips on how to turn your passion/skills into something profitable, do check out my recommended training platform here.