35 Rewarding Side Hustles (Almost) Anyone Can Do To Earn More Money

How you heard the term side hustle? I’m sure you have.

The word is being used a lot more frequently these days. Whether you want to pay off your student loans, save for an emergency fund or just earn extra cash, side hustles are a great way to help you reach those financial goals. 

There are side hustles tailored to hyper-focused niches or expertise. These aren’t an option for everyone.

But there are also side hustles (almost) anyone can do. Some of these side hustles anyone can do are fun, enjoyable and entertaining. The others require a time commitment and hard work.

Let’s dive into 35+ rewarding side hustles (almost) anyone can do to earn more money.

Freelancing Your Skill Set Online

Upwork

Upwork is a global freelancing platform that matches business or individuals seeking specific help with a freelancing professional. What better way to side hustle your way to extra money than using the skills you already have?

Whether you have experience and training in accounting, marketing, writing, web development, graphic design or one of a dozen other professions. Check out their full category listings for all the freelancing opportunities available.

Upwork is a great side hustle that anyone can do if you have a matching skill set of their freelancing categories offered.

Freelancer

In the same vein as Upwork, Freelancer is another online platform matching businesses or individuals with prospective professionals.

There is no harm in being active on both Upwork and Freelancer to try and secure the jobs you want. The most important thing is you’re side hustling your way towards your financial goals by using the skill set and experiences you already have.

Check out Freelancer’s category listings to see if the current openings match what you can offer in terms of skills and experience.

Fiverr

Similar to Upwork and Freelancer, Fiverr allows you to sell your services in dozens of different specialties. From graphic design, accounting and computer programming to copywriting, resume building and proofreading. Over 25 million jobs have been completed on the Fiverr platform.

The revenue possibilities are substantial after you get your reputation built.

Make Money Online With Digital Rewards Platforms

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is allows you to make money online in a variety of ways. You earn rewards, or SBs, by: taking surveys, doing your normal online shopping, using the Swagbucks search engine, watching videos, playing games, discovering deals and buying gift cards.

The website is user-friendly, set-up is super easy and you can really start to pile up SBs in no time.

Is Swagbucks legit? Yes, they have an A rating on Better Business Bureau and have paid out over $270 million their users. You earn your SBs and then convert them to PayPal cash or gift cards to your favourite retailers.

Sign up for Swagbucks using my special link to earn a bonus $5!

Check out my full review on Swagbucks to learn more about the platform and how you can earn free cash and gift cards.

Survey Websites

You won’t get rich quick of these survey websites but you can make some bonus money during your free time.

Plus some offer free welcome bonuses to give you a little boost off the start.

If you want to check out more digital rewards platforms and online survey opportunities, here are 19+ of the best paid survey sites to make more money.

Earn Extra Cash With Deliveries

DoorDash

DoorDash is a food delivery service that has partnered with local restaurants in over 300 cities across the U.S and Canada. This is the type of service I wish I’d taken advantage of in University when I needed extra cash and had a flexible schedule to take advantage of opportunities to do so.

Whether you’re looking to pay off student loans, start investing or put some extra cash in your pocket, DoorDash opens that door.

As a Dasher, you get connected to local restaurants and act as the middle man for their customers. Quick, easy deliveries around your city and town on a schedule that fits best for you. It might be Dashing for an hour on the evenings or packing a longer shift into your free time on the weekends.

It’s a free service and you can start earning in a short time frame after an initial registration and background check. Then you’ll be on your way and able to get paying Dashes.

Register for DoorDash today and start making more money.

Postmates

Postmates is an on-demand delivery side hustle platform that is free to join, takes no fees or commissions and gives you the flexibility to earn when it fits your schedule.

Essentially picking up takeout food, catering, small meal, beverages and so on from restaurants in your neighborhood.

While technically you can use your car to be a Postmates “deliverer”, restaurants and shops are generally in high-density traffic areas. So driving will be slow, stressful, expensive to park and not as financially rewarding as using your vehicle to drive for Uber or Lyft instead.

So if you have a bike and live in the downtown core of a major city, you can make some good side hustle income. AND get the amazing health benefits of whipping around town on your bike. After signing up you will receive a specialty Postmates delivery bag and prepaid card, then it’s off to the races.

You won’t get rich off Postmates but the one-two punch of extra income and health rewards is pretty intriguing. If you live in a higher density US city, enjoy biking and want to earn some side hustle money, give Postmates a try.

Make Money Hanging with Dogs

Rover

If you’re a fan of dogs, why not earn some cash for your affinity of canines? Rover is a side hustle anyone can do. They have 5-core services you can deliver to dog owners. Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Dog Walking, Doggy Day Care and Drop-In Visits.

You can earn over $1,000 a month with Rover, set your own schedule and stay close to home (or in your home).

Wag!

Wag! is a another dog walking and dog sitting side hustle you can do in your spare time to earn extra income.

If you’re 18 years or older, have a smartphone and have basic experience with dogs, Wag! could be a fit. They have a application process that will require some review before becoming a certified dog walker. Once you’re in, you could earn up to $25 per hour.

Wag! is American based only right now so my Canadian friends should keep their attention directed at Rover.

Earning Money Watching Movies

Movie Industry Certified Field Associate

How about an entertaining side hustle anyone can do in their spare time? Get paid to watch movies and go to theaters.

Sounds fun right?

Now you aren’t going to make life changing money here but you can make $10 – $20 per hour as a Certified Field Associate through Market Force Information.

Almost anyone in Canada and the US can apply and once accepted you’ll start to get email alerts with assignments. Watch trailers, record ads, count attendees, mystery shop as a movie patron and more.

Mystery Shopping

BestMark

One of the most reputable and long-standing mystery shopping providers is BestMark. They are certified and recommended by the MSPA, so you don’t need to worry about any scams or legitimacy issues.  

From restaurants, retailers, hotels and banks, they have opportunities in almost all industries. If you’re over 19, have reliable transportation, good communication skills and internet access, you can apply.

Visits to a bank, mall or restaurant could range from $20 to over $100. Plus you can get free meal, free drinks and even free products in the process.

You can learn and improve your process along the way as you gain mystery shopping experience. Bundle your shopping experiences together with nearby stores, avoid traffic and figure out what jobs you enjoy most.

BestMark is hiring mystery shoppers in almost every state and Province. If you have the free time and are interested, side hustle your way to some extra cash.

Leverage The Peer-to-Peer Lending Economy To Make Money

Fat Lama

Fat Lama is a new(ish) company making big waves in the peer-to-peer sharing economy within the USA and UK. So what is it?

If you’re looking to earn money by lending/renting the items you own, Fat Lama provides that opportunity. Whether it’s your bike, camera, guitar, car, stereo equipment or one of 100 other things, you can list it online and find a renter to pay you for it.

Renters and borrowers need to pass a two-step ID process as part of their security measurements. All money is managed online so you don’t need to worry about getting cash hand-to-hand from any prospective renters. Fat Lama full insures all your items but they also take a 15% commission to cover this insurance and administration.

New users get a $20 credit when they register (look for the promo code pop-up). Get started today and start earning with Fat Lama for free.

Get Paid Using Your Language(s)

VIPKID

Ranked #1 on Forbes 2017 “Top 100 Work From Home Companies”. Sounds like an ideal side hustle? VIPKID is an online video chat platform that teaches students in China English. VIPKID pays $14 – $22 per hour.  

The hours are flexible around your schedule, the work is location independent and the outcome is both financially and intrinsically rewarding. You teach 25 minute lessons that require minimal prep or post work.

In order to be eligible you must:

• Be a native English speaker with a North American accent
• Have completed a bachelor’s degree
• One year experience with youth – this can be VERY flexibleTeaching, coaching, Sunday school, scout leader, tutoring, swimming lessons, etc.

After applying and getting accepted you will receive some onboarding from an existing teacher. From the editorials I’ve read, it’s quick and easy to get the hang of things plus find ways to earn more through the platform.

If you meet the criteria, give VIPKID a try.

Verbling

If you’re bilingual and looking to earn some additional income, Verbling is a great option. Verbling is an online language-learning platform that connects prospective learners with qualified teachers. The teaching sessions are done online through video chat.

Similar to VIPKID previous “teaching” experience is required. However, the flexibility on what that teaching experience is broad.

You set your own rates, schedule and can work from anywhere in the world. Your earning expectation with Verbling falls in the same range as VIPKID, $14 – $25 per hour.

Unbabel

Another language based side hustle is the translation platform Unbabel. They offer translation jobs for 28 different languages, so if you’re bilingual you should find a fit.

You just need to apply and complete Unlabel’s standard training and evaluation. Then you’re off and running to accessing paid gigs.

The more experience you get and faster you complete your translation tasks, the higher your rate will be. You can work remotely as well through Unbabel’s mobile app.

Earning Money By Flexing Your Creativity

Etsy

If you have a knack for crafts, creating art or working with your hands for DIY product development, Etsy is a viable side hustle option for you.

There are so many success stories from Etsy. From a few hundred dollars a month to six figure annual incomes. Here are some success examples from Business Insider UK.

Whether it’s wedding accessories, clothes, Christmas tree decorations, jewelry, woodworked household decor, phone cases, prints of your artwork or one of a hundred other options.

Setting up your Etsy shop is intuitive and easy to do. Etsy has a helpful guide and there are dozens available on both Google and YouTube. After you’ve grown a presence, you can move off the Etsy platform to open your own ecomm website to maximize profits.

Teespring

If you’ve ever had an idea for a t-shirt, whether it be witty or visually stunning, it’s never been easier to get it to market.

One of these solutions is Teespring. A print-on-demand service that follows a similar model to Kickstarter. Your apparel will only get produced if you hit your goals. So there is no risk, no upfront costs.

Teespring provides a powerful, easy-to-use platform to help you do so.

• Design your products using their online tool
• Set pricing and campaign targets
• Promote the campaign

Hit your goal, the products get produced, then shipped and the profits hit your bank account

Using Your Vehicle

Uber

I’m sure you’ve heard Uber recommended before as a side hustle anyone can do. There’s a reason why: it’s a proven and effective way to earn extra money if you have a vehicle and some free time on mornings, evenings or weekends.

A good friend of mine uses the “Driver Destination” setting on his way to and from work each day. This allows him to complete 1-2 trips on both his way into work and way home. That setting only delivers him trips that fall within the general route of his destination – the office or home. These time slots also generally fall within “surge pricing” windows. Surge pricing generates him 1.5x – 2.0x the standard fare.

What does it take to get approved as an Uber driver?

• Valid drivers license (duh)
• 21 years old with 3 years of driving experience
• 23 years old with 1 years of driving experience
• Driver (you) is listed on the vehicle insurance
• No criminal record  
• Vehicle requirements vary (check uber.com/drive/*yourcityname* for your specific city’s details)

Uber lets you set your own side hustle schedule and get paid instantly.

Lyft

If Uber isn’t your cup of tea and you want to give another ridesharing platform a try or sign up for both – drive with Lyft. They’ve received great reviews – from both riders and drivers.

They frequently offer sign-up bonuses for new drivers, sometimes up to $500+ (I am seeing $300 in my area right now). And they are gaining momentum in most major cities around North America.

The growing competition between Lyft and Uber should continue to benefit drivers. Bonuses, better rates and improved processes. An easy example of this is Lyft had a tipping option for riders to tip their drivers right out of the gate.

Uber did not. Jump to the summer of 2017 and Uber adds tipping. A win for side hustling drivers.

Perform Daily Tasks For Others And Make Money

TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a platform that offers a variety of side hustles that anyone can do. It connects customers with “taskers” – the side hustlers who will perform a task for pay.

What kind of tasks? It’s a wide spectrum. Deliveries, moving, handyman jobs, landscaping, shopping, TV mounting, computer admin tasks, IKEA furniture assembly and so forth.

How much are taskers making? Again, it’s a wide spectrum.

Some taskers report earning $10 an hour but more experienced, skill-specialized taskers push $50+ an hour easily. Depending on the difficulty and necessity of the task, the power can really be in the taskers hands on what the price of the gig will be.

You set your own rates, schedule and have the flexibility to do multiple tasks on your own terms. If you’re looking for a side hustle, explore TaskRabbit and see if it’s a fit for you.

Be The Local [X] For Your Neighbours

An easy side hustle that anyone can do is the become the go to person for [x] in their local community.

This would work best if you’re in a more residential neighbourhood with detached houses. However, you can still be the [x] provider for your townhouse development or apartment building.

Create a flyer explaining your expertise, unique selling proposition (how you deliver value and make their life easier) and contact information. Drop this flyer in mailboxes, slip it under doors, chat face-to-face, post the flyer at the local community centre or apartment notice board.

Here are examples of side hustles you can do for your community:

Snow Shoveller

Invest in a plow for your truck or use manpower with the ol’ shovel to clear sidewalks, driveways and steps.

Lawnmower

Enjoy some extra time out in the sunshine (hopefully) and take the hassle of lawn upkeep off your neighbour.

Painter

If you have experience painting or enjoy it, why not become the resident provider? Chances are your rates will be lower than a local company with expensive overhead to account for in their quotes to your neighbour. Whether it’s inside or outside, there should be plenty of work.

Handyman

Why not become the local handyman if you have a knack for solving standard residential problems like plumbing, hanging ceiling fans, putting in crown molding, etc.?

Electronics Set Up & Repairs

Not everyone is as well versed in the modern technological world like millennials. Setting up home theatre systems with receivers, multiple speakers, TVs and cable boxes can be daunting. So can the standard set-up of a new laptop or smart home devices. If you’re tech savvy, you can earn some extra income by being the go-to electronics person.

TV Mounter

The task of mounting a TV to the wall is intimidating to some people. Will it be straight? Will it not fall off the wall? Will all my different cords reach and look organized? If you’ve done it a few times, you know it’s not that hard.

Pool Cleaner

You might live in a neighbourhood that has dozens of properties with pools. As my friends with pools have told me, it’s time consuming to clean them yourself but also expensive to pay for that upkeep. Why not be the solution for those who’d rather pay for that service than do it themselves?

Car Washer

Some people don’t have the time to wash their car and would prefer to pay. Instead of having them go to a local drive through or hand-detailing service, you can be the local car stylish.

Auto Technician

Continuing with the car side hustles, if you have experience and are handy under the hood, you can probably earn some extra income. From oil changes, brake and exhaust work, snow tire swaps, spark plugs and other smaller auto jobs that people would rather pay for than do themselves.

Tutor

If you live a residential neighbour with families and kids in the elementary or high school age range, you can offer your expertise to tutor. This is tailored for those with experience as those general school topics – English, Math, History, Chemistry, etc.

Sports Referee & Officiating

Offer your services to be a referee for the different sporting bodies in your city: youth associations, high school, collegiate and adult recreation leagues. These bodies are always looking for dependable, skilled officials at all levels.

Speed Round List Of More Side Hustles To Make More Money

eBay

The global marketplace where you can sell new and used goods across all product categories. I made $1,900 in 2 months selling old electronics, sporting goods and textbooks. eBay is a great place to sell your unneeded items for side hustle income.

Amazon

Sell used items, publish a Kindle book, private label FBA…the side hustle opportunities are endless with the global behemoth Amazon. Do some Google searching on Amazon side hustles and find the route that might best fit you.   

Cafe Press

If you fancy yourself a creative person, develop your own merchandise designs to sell on Cafe Press. Clothing, home decor, wall art, stationary and so much more. Cafe Press is like a combination of Etsy and Teespring for side hustling.

Udemy

Udemy is an online teaching platform that allows you to deliver a course to their 20m+ student user base. Choose a topic, create a course and promote it to prospective students. If you have expertise and experience in a specific field or topic and feel you can deliver value in an easy to digest means, you can have some serious success on Udemy.

Wyzant

Tutor students in the standard secondary school topics with Wyzant. You have the flexibility to pick your students based on location and schedule and then set your rate to earn side hustle funds.

Care.com

Babysitters, nannies, senior care nursing, dog walkers, pet grooming, housekeeping and gardening are just some of the services you can provide to clients on Care.com.

In Closing…Side Hustles To Make Extra Money

These are 35+ rewarding side hustles that (almost) anyone can do. Some take a specific skill set but lots are open to anyone willing to invest the time.

There are 100 more opportunities out there depending on your skills, experience and hustle.

What are your side hustle goals this year?

What side hustles have been working best for you?

Let me know in the comments below – keep hustling!

Here are some other posts to help you take control of your money and life:

• How To Make $1,000 Quick: 9+ Fast Ways To Earn Money When You Need It
• The Best Personal Finance Podcasts – 30+ Money, Investing And Side Hustle Shows
• 15 Smart Money Moves You Can (Easily) Make This Month
• Waking Up At 5AM Changed My Life – Win The Morning, Win The Day
• 55 Great Online Udemy Courses For Millennials, Entrepreneurs And Side Hustlers