Reddit Real Ways To Make Money Online
Gain financial freedom with these creative money-making side hustles.
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- Reddit Real Ways To Make Money Online
With COVID-19 unemployment stimulus benefits running out and jobless claims plateauing, people are hungry for new ways to make extra money. Whether you're unemployed or working part-time or full-time, it never hurts to explore the wide range of side hustles available out there. You can easily start a side hustle from the comfort of your home, and the best part is that side hustles can look good on your resume.
Even if you're a busy person, you can achieve your financial goals with a passive income and these simple side hustles!
Table of Contents
- 1 25 Best Side Hustles in 2020
25 Best Side Hustles in 2020
Sell on Amazon
You May Also Like: Best 22+ Ways To Take Online Surveys for Money, Completely Free! This is an interesting way of earning money as your opinion counts, literally! You get to give your opinion on music tracks and count your money twice a week. Swagbucks – Swagbucks is great for earning some extra cash. You can do a variety of things to.
We are big fans of making money on Amazon. When everyone was quarantining this year, it became apparent that E-commerce is a vital and necessary aspect of our lives. So why not capitalize on it and open your e-commerce storefront? Anyone with a computer and initiative can start their own Amazon marketplace.
The key to selling on Amazon is retail arbitrage. Buy items in retail stores at a lower price and then sell them online in your Amazon store. People who do this typically use large online marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay to resell their items for a significant profit.
Marketplace Superheroes and Your Money Geek offer a free webinar to introduce you to a training course from two individuals who built a multi-million Amazon FBA business.
Play Games for Money
We have written pretty extensively about the best ways to make real money from simply playing games on your phone, but we also have a favorite app. Anyone with an Android phone should download Mistplay today. What are you waiting for?
Well, there are some very easy and fun ways to make money online. And the good news is that you probably are doing most of these already in your everyday life – searching, watching videos, playing games, taking surveys, and more. You can take advantage of online platforms that are already out there or branch out and create your own money-making website. The possibilities are endless and you will be able to live a better life as a result. Share Your Skills. Any skills you have can offer you a legit way to potentially make money online, as well – think about it. How to Make Money From Home in 2020. If you’re looking to make money online, you’ll need to exercise caution. There are a lot of scams out there, but don’t fret: We’ve tested dozens, if not hundreds, of different money-making strategies and included only our favorites. Yup — none of them involve Nigerian princes, and you really will.
Making money on Mistplay is as easy as downloading the app, playing games, earning Mistplay units, and cashing out on gift cards. To maximize your income potential, make sure you note the games that offer higher value rewards.
Please find out more about Mistplay in our review of the app.
Become a Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant can be a lucrative way to start making money from home. You can set your own hours, run your own business, and be your own boss. Work from the comfort of your own home and combine your skills as a freelance writer, transcriber, or bookkeeping knowledge to attract higher-paying virtual assistant jobs.
The key to becoming a virtual assistant is good at managing your time. You'll be working either hourly or task-based roles, and your clients will expect the job to be handled in a timely fashion.
You can find virtual assistant jobs on virtually every job hunting source on the internet. Check out our handy guide to becoming a virtual assistant.
Start a Blog
Blogging can be a full-time job, but it can also be an incredibly flexible and fun job. The key is to have a solid strategy and theme for your blog and knowing your market. With a little effort, you can start reaching people and monetizing your blog within a few months.
Don't expect your blog to become a boon overnight, but do expect that you can start attracting ads and affiliate programs for your blog in a short period of time. Learn how to Start a Blog in 10 Easy Steps.
Drive for Uber or Lyft
Uber and Lyft aren't exactly going to make you quick money, but if you love driving and you don't mind driving people around — then it might be the perfect side hustle for you.
They are excellent gigs if you're looking for a job that lets you set your own hours, and if you live in a metro area, where a lot of people use ride-sharing apps, you can make some decent money. Be sure to check out the other apps that can make you money while you drive-share.
Walk Dogs
Wag! and Rover is two of the best apps for dog lovers looking for a side hustle. They're easy to use — download the app, create your profile, and sign-up to become a dog walker in your neighborhood!
Depending on where you live, there may already be many dog walkers, but it's worth checking out. Some users have reported making almost $4000 a month walking dogs part-time!
Dog walking is one of the best side hustles to pair with exercise apps like Sweatcoin.
Become a Freelance Writer
As a freelance writer, you can become your own boss and choose who you work for and when you work. Freelance writing is perfect for topic experts, resume writers, copywriters, proofreaders, and almost any written media creators. There are so many different apps that have been created to cater to freelancers, but you can also find listings on the typical job finding sites.
Being a freelance writer requires a lot of initiative. You need to be following every lead, following up with potential clients, and prowling social media for jobs to jump on. It's a highly competitive field, but there's also a place for everyone in the market.
Related: Fiverr vs. Upwork vs. Symposium
Perform Tasks Locally
You can do this side hustle whenever you want to and make some quick cash. TaskRabbit is one of the largest platforms centered around running errands, assembling furniture, and doing virtual jobs for other users.
Rates vary, but some tasks start at $15 an hour, paying all the way up to $100 an hour for more specialized jobs.
Check out these quick and painless ways to make cash today.
Deliver Food & Groceries
These apps are a little inundated with workers, thanks to COVID-19 making grocery delivery a vital part of our day-to-day lives, but there's still room for you.
If you have time to kill, and you're looking for a part-time or full-time gig, check out Instacart, DoorDash, Postmates, and Uber Eats to become a professional grocery shopper and food delivery service.
Utilize Airbnb
Do you have a spare room in your home? Or maybe you have a second home that sits empty throughout part of the year. You could be capitalizing on that space and making some decent money on the side.
The real key to making money on Airbnb has a property in a highly sought after location — a city center, near a convention center, or a popular destination. People will turn to Airbnb for extended business stays or off-beat vacation rentals, rather than turning to chain hotels.
So what are you waiting for?
Start a Graphic Design Business
Is graphic design your passion? (Bonus points if you get that reference) Then you may be able to monetize that passion and turn it into a marketable side hustle. Create yourself a website, showcase your portfolio, and start tracking down potential clients. You can search for businesses advertising the need for graphic designers or track down small businesses that look like they might need a little graphic design TLC.
If you're not in the market to start up a whole side business, 99design might be the best side hustle site for you.
Check out these other hobbies turned money-makers.
Flip Real Estate
Real estate flipping isn't as easy (or as painful) as HGTV and DIY shows make it out to be, but it does take a lot of patience, work, and a willingness to play the long game.
You can choose to invest in turn-key properties that can quickly be turned into rental properties, or you can look into investing in quick-sale fixer-uppers that need a lot of money invested in updating them. Here is everything you need to know about real estate investing.
If house flipping is a little daunting, check out how to flip cars for profit.
Become an Expert Consultant
Clarity is a lifesaver if you think consulting is the best side hustle for you. With Clarity, you can consult on a wide variety of topics (business, tech, product design, and more) and help entrepreneurs with their start-ups. The process is fairly straightforward. After you're set-up on Clarity, a client will reach out to you about the specific topic you specialize in; you schedule a call with them, consult, and then receive your payment.
Most people start at $60/an hour, but many consultants report making upwards of $300/an hour for their services through Clarity.
If Clarity doesn't seem like a fit for you, you can always launch your own consulting business.
Teach English Online
English language teachers are in high demand, and you can easily become a teacher from the comfort of your own home. Dozens of websites help match you up with kids from all around the world who are looking to learn English. If you're a native English speaker with a Bachelor's Degree, teaching experience, and can pass a background check, what's stopping you from becoming a teacher?
Last year, VIPKid was ranked as one of the Top 10 Places to Work by Glassdoor. New teachers in the program start with a base pay of $7.50, but that amount increases as the number of classes you teach increase.
You can also check out DaDa, Magic Ears, or market your skills as a freelancer!
Run Facebook Ads for Small Businesses
Make Money Online Fast Reddit
Becoming a Facebook Ad Manager might seem like a daunting task, but it's easier than you think. Are you well connected in a small town? Does your best friend run their own small business? Do you frequent mom-and-pop shops that need a little marketing boost? Then you may already have the right leads.
Despite the controversial nature of Facebook, it continues to be one of the largest tools for small businesses to market themselves, and now is the time to capitalize on it and turn it into the best side hustle for you. Some of the key aspects of managing Facebook ads are understanding the market, knowing the right keywords, and producing quality copy and graphics to engage potential customers.
Who knows, you might even turn Facebook ad management into social media manager job, which happens to be one of the best side hustles to do from home.
Rent Your Car
Has your unused RV been camped out in your driveway? Do you have a spare vehicle you haven't let go of yet? Then renting your car out might be the best side hustle for you. Several user-friendly apps out there will help you start renting out your car by this weekend.
Getaround and Turo make renting your car simple. These are the perfect apps for users who might have a second car that sits idle most of the time or someone who lives in a tourist destination that wants to make money off their vehicle. You can easily earn upwards of $500 a month to keep your car running!
RV Share and Outdoorsy are specifically geared towards users who own RVs. If you're an RV owner, but you only use it part of the time, why not list it and make money letting someone else use it? Some users report making over $300 a day renting out their RV! The great part of Outdoorsy is that they have a 1 million dollar insurance policy to cover their users.
Become a Mover
We mentioned TaskRabbit above, which has plenty of moving jobs listed, but you can make moving a cozy part-time job if you have the strength. Sign-up for Dolly and start making upwards of $300 a month, helping people move in and out. If you have a truck to help move larger pieces, you might even make a little more money than the average mover.
Always keep an eye out on Facebook Marketplace and NextDoor too, people are always looking for paid help to move!
Take Surveys
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular survey-taking websites in the market. Survey taking is far from a get-rich-fast scheme, but it is a great way to rake in supplemental income when you have free time.
The key is matching quickly with surveys that are looking for people like you to take them. This is a great way to make some extra money while watching TV, commuting, or over a cup of coffee.
Survey taking as a side hustle is one of our favorite topics to talk about at Your Money Geek, so be sure to check out the Ultimate Guide to Getting Paid to Take Surveys.
Turn Your Hobby into a Business
There are so many ways to make money off your hobby if you have the patience to build your own mini-empire. Whether you create quirky stickers, knit geeky scarves, woodcraft, or embroidery, Etsy makes it easy for you to turn your hobby into a lucrative business, but did you know you can also easily teach your hobby online?
You can turn your hobby into online workshops and start drawing in a steady income from fellow hobbyists looking to refine their skills or learn something new. Check out Teachable and Udemy and find out which one fits your personality best.
Youtube is also a valuable asset if you're building a hobby-focused brand, and you have the time and skills to create and upload videos regularly. You wouldn't believe how much money YouTubers are making thanks to ad revenue, affiliate programs, and sponsorships.
Related: From Hobby to Dream Job
Resell Domains
If you own a website, never forget to renew your domain! Some people make a living by buying up domains that people have forgotten to renew, and then they essentially ransom them at insanely high price tags (depending on the website, I've seen between $300 and $5000). But fear not, we are not advocating that you become a domain pirate — exactly.
Spend time looking for unpurchased domains that may have long-term returns. Focus on domains that might logically become a brand, socially-minded organization, or popular keywords that may one day entice someone into contacting you to buy it. Do your research, and don't start spending a ton of money on domains. Make strategic choices!
Create a Course Online
If teaching English wasn't the right match for you, but you have the passion and skills to teach other courses online, which might be the best side hustle for you. Especially with so many people looking for ways to learn new marketable skills or looking for alternative education for their kids online, this has the potential to be a highly lucrative hustle.
Some people report making upwards of $90,000 a year teaching online.
It's pretty easy to find online teaching jobs, but you will need a few key skills to get into the market. First, you will need to be proficient in a desirable field — do research, check out what courses are available online, and see which ones are sold out and have a clear demand. You will also need to have a decent computer, video recording and editing abilities, and the discipline and time to teach at a distance.
We already mentioned Teachable and Udemy, Thinkific and Skillshare are two more user-friendly sources for teaching online. Be aware that there is an overhead cost associated with these sites, so check each out and see which is the best match for you.
Upcycle Furniture
Have you ever been browsing Facebook Marketplace and come across someone practically giving away perfect furniture? Or maybe you've seen a piece listed for $5 that just needed a nice coat of paint and some TLC? There's actually money to be made in strategic upcycling. In fact, there are entire websites — like Freecycle — where people list pieces of furniture, trinkets, and electronics for free!
If you're a creative person, you could easily take a free kitchen table and transform it into a $200 piece with some paint and elbow grease. Keep an eye on thrift stores, too; you never know what sort of pieces you can find that would be perfect for flipping for a profit.
Become a Mystery Shopper
Companies all around the world hire mystery shoppers to give them feedback on their businesses. In exchange for money, these companies hire individuals to go into their stores and purchase specific items and services to rate and review their employees and product accessibility. Becoming a mystery shopper is easy and can even be done as part of your usual shopping habits.
Jobs2Shop lets you become a mystery shopper overnight, while Field Agent matches you with nearby gigs while you're out driving around. Typically the Field Agent jobs involve checking out store displays or checking on product inventory. While neither will get you rich, they're another great side hustle to help bring in some extra cash.
Start Dropshipping
Dropshipping can make you upwards of $5000 a month, but it does require a little effort to get into. To get started, you will need to set-up an eCommerce store (we recommend Shopify or WordPress) and then start selling stock straight from the supplier. Instead of shipping the products yourself, yous imply purchase goods from a wholesale manufacturer, and then they package and ship directly to your customers.
Each platform charges a different amount, so it is essential to do your research before creating a dropshipping business as a form of passive income.
Realistic Ways To Make Money Online Reddit
Start an OnlyFans For Your Content
In 2020, OnlyFans has proven itself as a great form of income for its users. If you have an online following and want to post exclusive content under a paywall, then this is one of the best side hustles for you. Many creators on the website, from fitness coaches to cosplayers, travel bloggers to adult models, and popular influencers to Do-It-Yourselfers. There's a niche for you.
This might be a great secondary resource if you've started building a successful brand for yourself on Youtube, as a blogger, or as a successful Twitch streamer. One adult content creator on the website, Monica Huldt, makes over $100,000 a year.
Your “fans” subscribe to your content at a monthly or yearly rate, so you must keep producing quality content to keep them happy with what they're paying for. You can set up Amazon wishlists for them to buy things for you and send you additional tips.
Check out the blog on OnlyFans and learn more about some of the website's most popular fitness gurus and how they've been managing home workout routines during the quarantine.
Launch Your Side Hustle
Launching a successful side hustle requires planning. It would help if you considered a ton of factors such as structuring your taxes and protecting your side hustle and assets.
Daniella from I Like to Dabble has released the best course we have seen regarding starting a new side hustle.
Back at the beginning, where I was piecing together articles and info from google to start my side hustle, I was so worried I would do something wrong. Everything online had such conflicting info, and the more I read, the more confused I would get.
The Launch Your Side Hustle course is the most in-depth course you will find to help you launch a legit side hustle and small business. It is everything I wish I had when I started. In 38 lessons, 7 videos, and 19 worksheets, you will learn everything from idea to action to profit.
We go through everything from the conception of your idea, mapping out how it will actually work, identifying your customer, how you can serve them, what you can offer them, and even how to price your services and products. We can’t forget about the legal and tax paperwork either, which is why I brought in an actual lawyer and accountant to walk us through those modules (since I am neither).
There are tons of bonuses, too, like using social media to build your brand awareness, if you need a website, and how to add more income streams over time (including passive income strategies).
This course is no-nonsense with no fluff. Forget online, get rich quick schemes, or MLMs (multi-level marketing schemes). This course is NOT that, and if that is what you're looking for, this course is not for you. However, if you are in this for real – let’s do this.
I am excited to see what you create! -Daniella
The Bottom Line
There are so many unique ways to make money online and at home; the key is finding the best side hustles for your lifestyle and schedule. Hopefully, we have helped you find some new ways to bring in a passive income or a new way to showcase and profit from your passions.
What is your favorite side, hustle? Be sure to comment on how you've been making money on the side.
“What are some good ways to make $500+ per month while keeping your full-time job?”
I see this question all the time on popular online forums like Reddit.
We here at MoneyPantry share a lot of ideas for making extra money.
But I thought it would be a good idea to find out how other people earn an extra $100-$1000 a month on the side and while working a full time job.
There were a lot of different ways people earn that extra few hundred dollars a month, but I gathered some of the best ones that almost anyone can duplicate.
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Let’s get started…
1. Register Wiki domains for new games: Earn $50 to $1000
Buying and selling domains is a profitable hobby.
The best thing is that anybody can do it and it only costs a few dollars to register a domain name through registrars like GoDaddy.
One Reddit user has found an even better way of turning a profit with domain flipping.
If you are a gamer, you probably know that there is a Wiki for almost every game out there.
One Reddit user has made registering domains for game Wikis his side hustle:
“Whenever a video game is announced that I have an interest in, I will register a domain to make a wiki for the site. I will actually make the site, but last year I was able to sell one of my sites for $1k.”
Now, you can either register the domain before anyone else does it and sell it as is, or you can actually develop the site and make money through ads and affiliate sales of other similar games.
The good news is that besides creating the major pages of the site, practically everything else is created by users themselves.
That’s how Wikis usually work, just like Wikipedia where users contribute and add content, game Wikis also have users creating content.
“The trick is the right place, right time. There’s a lot of luck involved, but it’s a fun hobby.”
And as far as how much you can sell the domains for, it really depends on the game and its popularity. There is really no specific number. Ultimately, a domain name is worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for.
That said, you can expect anywhere from $50 to $1000 (or even more) depending on the game you registered the Wiki domain for.
Best sites to register your domains for cheap:
2. Survey sites: Earn $100 to $500
“I consistently make over $400 a month with a few survey sites. My biggest earners are Swagbucks, OpinionOutPost, Pinecone, and SurveySavvy. To increase your earning you wanna join a whole bunch of surveys. That way, you don’t have to wait for a survey to be available from just a few sites. I am a member of over 25 survey sites and that’s how I manage to make that much every month. I always have available surveys.”
Taking surveys for money is one of the easiest and most fun ways to earn extra money. It’s how I started my online money making journey.
I wrote a lot about surveys, including a list of best paid survey apps, survey sites that pay cash, paid survey tips and tricks to help you earn more money, and even a post on how to get $50 per survey. Be sure to check them out.
Also, get a separate email address just for survey sites so you can have everything in one place.
If you don’t have a PayPal account, get one! It’s free and it’s how most surveys pay. Some pay with gift cards like Amazon, but almost all of them offer PayPal payments as well.
Best sites to use:
3. Assemble IKEA furniture: Earn $100 to $300 per month
If you are one of the few people who doesn’t have to spend a whole day putting together an IKEA furniture and still come up with a few extra screws, this is a great way for you to earn an extra few hundred dollars a month.
“I’ve been assembling IKEA furniture for a few years now. It all started when my aunt asked me to help her put her new IKEA kitchen table together. While doing it, a few of her friends showed up. They were amazed how easily and quickly I was able to put this thing together. They asked me if they could pay me to do this for them when they buy their next piece of IKEA furniture and I happily accepted the offer. From then on, word of mouth kept me going. I also started putting ads on Craigslist. I have been making between $100 to $300 a month consistently for the past few years, charging $30 an hour. The most I ever made was $1150 in one month.”
You have a lot of people you can target – people who can’t actually put the pieces together, busy professionals who can do it but they’d rather pay someone else to do it so they can focus on other more important things, people who can’t physically move the heavy pieces of the furniture, etc.
The best thing about doing this is that you don’t need a degree or any special skills. Nor do you need expensive tools.
All you need is a few screwdrivers and maybe a hammer.
If you want to speed things up you can get a cheap drill – you can pick one up from Harbor Freight or The Home Depot for under $10.
Best ways to get clients:
- Start with family and friends.
- Then expand to your neighbors.
- Print out some flyers and hand them out.
- You can also post free ads on Craigslist. Look on Craigslist for “furniture assembly” ads in “Services’ section and you’ll get an idea of how to create your ads.
4. Tutoring: Earn $100 a week
We have talked about getting paid to tutor online before.
Here is what a Reddit user posted in response to someone asking “how do you make an extra $300 per month?”
“Are there any subjects you could tutor? $20/hr is a pretty standard rate for someone with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. If you’re good (or can convince people you’re good) you can charge $50/hr or more, though a graduate degree helps if you’re trying to charge this much. You’re looking for college kids with rich parents. Sometimes departments maintain email lists with tutors because of the volume of emails the program secretaries get asking for tutors. See if your department has one. Otherwise post flyers, etc. I made over $100 a week (cash) in grad school and never had more than three clients at a time.”
Tutoring really is one of the best ways to make extra money without getting another job.
You can do it from anywhere as long as you have an internet connected device with you.
If you don’t want to deal with posting flyers or getting clients on your own, you can go through tutoring sites like TutorVista and Tutor.
Reddit Real Ways To Make Money Online Store
Best sites to use:
5. Youth Sports Referee: Earn up to $300 a weekend
If you like sports and being active, this is a great idea.
Not only will you get some exercise, you also earn decent cash.
Here’s what a Reddit user who does this says:
“The money is pretty decent, easily $250/mo if you did it two weekends a month. Tournament weekends can get you $300 in just one weekend.”
You can choose any sport you can think of and you can bet there is a referee shortage.
And the best part…
you get to pick your own schedule! In almost every sport, referees get to pick their own schedule.
So how do you find sports referee positions?
Well, there are a few ways – you can either talk to local schools and sports clubs directly or look on job search sites.
Yes, like any other job, sports organizations also post ads for open referee positions on job sites.
- Best sites to use:
- CollegeGrad (Their umpires/referees career section)
- Linkedin (Links to the search results page for the term “Referee Jobs.” You can search using similar terms as well.)
- Glassdoor (Links to YMCA’s sports referee jobs posting. You can search using other terms like “sports referee,” “sports officials,” etc)
6. Hang Curtains: Earn $400 a month
“I’ve charged $25 an hour hanging curtains. I did it for two years while in college and consistently earned over $400 a month.”
This is as simple as posting an ad on Craigslist.
Once you get your first few customers, word of mouth will get you more clients.
Your target clients are usually the elderly, single moms, and in general people who may not be able to do it themselves or may not have the time for it.
You can even create some flyers and give ’em out especially in neighborhoods with a big concentration of retirees and the elderly.
Best ways to get clients:
- Craigslist
- Word of mouth
- Flyers
- Neighborhood signs
7. Paid study/focus groups: Earn $50 to $200 a day
We have talked about legit paid focus groups many times here at MP.
Participating in focus groups, medical testing studies and clinical trials is an easy way to make extra cash on the side.
Here’s one Reddit user who made an easy $150 talking about mattresses for two hours:
“I did a study with FieldWork a couple weeks ago. Got paid $150 to talk about mattresses for two hours while eating free food. After the study I got an email saying that they are going to be giving me a brand new queen sized mattress and box spring for free in exchange for my feedback on it.”
Here is another guy who gets paid $50 to $200 per session:
“You can get 50-200+ bucks depending on the involvement. But most are like 2-4 hours and pay around 100 if you qualify.”
Focus groups are just like paid online surveys. The main difference is that you, as a part of a larger group (of 10 to 20 participants) discuss the topic of the study, sharing your opinion about it.
Another difference is that you are usually talking face to face with organizers (either offline in an actual brick and mortar building or online through Skype or other live group video tools.)
Best sites to use:
For a bigger list, check out our list of over 40 legitimate paid focus group companies that pay.
8. Test play video games: Earn up to $1000 a month
Getting paid to play games may sound unreal, but it is real!
It’s just like paid product testing.
Companies do this so they can get feedback from real players so they can improve the product before they are released to the public.
Not only you get paid for it, but you also get to play games that aren’t even available to the public.
According to an employee of VGM (a market research company that does video game tests for game designers), you can make decent money doing this.
“If you’re a dude between 18-35 who plays a lot of “hard core” mobile games and can speak eloquently about them, you’re pretty much the most desired segment. We pay anywhere from $75-$1,000 depending on the length and required activities for a playtest.”
As you can imagine, this a popular side hustle, so finding opportunities isn’t easy. That’s why we created a separate post where we list every company that offers paid video game testing jobs. Bookmark the post as we periodically update it with new companies we find.
Best sites to use:
9. Mystery shopping: Earn $150 a month
“I do mystery shopping for a few companies. I usually earn about $150 a month, sometimes up to $300-$400 if I really need the cash and have the time to pick up more assignments.”
Secret shopping is another topic we have covered many times before.
It’s along the lines of surveys and focus groups.
Basically, you are paid to pose as a real shopper and report back your experience.
There are mystery shopping jobs for retail and department stores, hotels and resorts, there are even companies that conduct movie mystery shopping.
The good news is that there are tons of legitimate and trusted mystery shopping companies that pay decently for each assignment.
Best companies to use:
For a bigger list, check out our huge list of over 200 legitimate mystery shopping companies that pay.
10. Dog sitting: Earn $1000-$2000 a month
Dog sitting (along with baby sitting) is usually one of the first few suggestions people throw at you when you ask them “how can I make some extra cash in my free time?”
And rightly so – it doesn’t require any upfront investment, it’s a reflectively easy job that almost anyone can do, and if you’re an animal lover, you will actually enjoy it.
It’s actually one of the best ways for kids to make money in their neighborhood.
Getting into dog sitting (finding the initial few clients to the ball rolling) is usually the hardest part and what stops most people from pursuing it, despite knowing that they can make good money.
But one Reddit user has found a better and easier way to break into the market:
“Some people have suggested dog sitting, but a great way to break into that market is using a site like Rover.com. I tell people it’s like Uber for pets. Once your background check is completed, you can set up your profile and offer a range of services from dog sitting at their home, drop-in visits, dog walking or boarding dogs in your own home. You set your own rates, and they take 20%, but make the whole process so simple. They also let you set up a discount code which gives a customer $20 off their first service, but you still get paid your same rate. I post this link all over the place and tell people it’s basically a free walk for your pet. Additionally, they give you a referral code for those interested in offering dog sitting, that rewards you with a $50 Amazon gift card. I’m currently making an extra $1000-$2000 a month using Rover. Here’s a look at what my calendar looks like. Some of those are dog walking, some are full on house sitting. Those two weeks represent about $900 after their fees.”
Best sites to use:
There are also other similar sites that we covered in our “Pet Sitting Jobs” post.
11. “Thrifting”: Earn an extra $200-$300 a month
Buying stuff low and selling them at a higher price is nothing new. In fact, most retail businesses are based on that. But starting something like that costs a lot of money. You have to invest a lot of money into buying your initial stock.
But there is another way that doesn’t call for a lot of upfront investment – thrift store filliping!
Here is how one Reddit user does it:
“I have been doing this for a long time. I make over $100K year doing this. I have a good eye for finding things that will sell well. It takes a lot of time and effort and you won’t make the kind of money I make right away. In fact, you may never make that much. But making an extra $200 – $300 a month is doable. I showed a few friends and now they are making extra cash in their free time doing exactly what I do.”
Thrift store flipping is one of the best side hustles you can do without a lot of initial investment.
All you need is a $100 or so and time.
Look on Craigslist, eBay or any other alternative to eBay, to get an idea of what kind of used stuff sells well. Then hit up local thrift stores and do your thing.
Best store to hit:
- TheThriftShopper: This is the national directory Charity-driven thrift store. Enter your zip code and find thrift stores near you instantly.
For a complete guide on how to make money buying and selling used items, check out our Thrift store flipping guide which also includes a list of 15 best items to buy and resell for profit.
12. Donate plasma: Earn $250-$350 per month
This may not be for everyone, but if you are up for it, you can actually make good money.
There are donation centers in almost every major city. You are, however, limited to donating a few times per month. The exact number varies from center to center.
“Donating blood plasma can net $250-350/mo if you go twice a week (or whatever the limit is). Typically takes 3hrs total per week.”
Don’t know how and where to start?
Read our”Donating plasma for money” post for details and list of places where you can get paid for donating your blood plasma.
13. Yard work: Earn $100 week (easily)
This is one of the most overlooked ways of picking up some extra cash.
How much cash?
According to a Reddit user, a lot!
“I mow lawns. I only mow for the neighborhood I live in, so I can walk to every job, so I don’t have to buy a trailer. In a good week, I’ll make $400 from charging $25/lawn.”
Making Money Online Reddit
That’s $400 a week!
Ok, not everyone is going to make that much. But even if you do 3 lawns a week and charge $25 per, you’re looking at $300 a month.
Each lawn would probably take you around 20 minutes or so. Of course, for bigger lawns, you charge more.
Best ways to get clients:
- First tell your friends and family.
- Let your neighbors know as well.
- Print out some flyers and hand them out.
- Post ads on Craigslist.
- Find communities where the elderly and retired folks live and go door to door offering your service.
14. Paint house numbers: Earn $50 an hour
Here’s a clever way to get paid for doing something so simple that most people don’t even think about it – painting house numbers!
How?
Reddit Real Ways To Make Money Online
“Buy some spray paint and number stencils from home depot and paint people’s addresses on their curbs. I did that before I went to college, door to door and just told people I was saving up money for school. I could make around $50/hr charging $10/house.”
This Reddit user goes on to say: “Paid for my whole first year of college and then some.”
Now that’s impressive!
And you know what the best part is?
Every single house is a potential customer!
Best ways to get clients:
- Start with your neighbors.
- Put ads on Craigslist.
- Put flyers or business cards on local bulletin boards.
15. Buy and sell Legos: Earn $800 a month
You are playing with your Lego kit and halfway through you realize there is a missing piece that without it you just can not finish the build!
If you are a Lego fan, you’ve probably experienced something similar.
One person has figured out how to turn that scenario into a money making project:
“I buy Lego kits on clearance, from Lego stores and thrift stores like Goodwill. I then separate the pieces and sell them individually on eBay. I have been making over $800 a month doing this.”
Best ways to find cheap Lego kits & pieces:
- Thrift stores
- Yard/garage sales
- Auctions
Wanna learn more?
Read our post on how to make money selling Legos on eBay.
16. Computer consultation for the elderly: Earn $100-$600 monthly
There are still a lot of people who aren’t familiar with computers and how they work, especially the elderly.
Usually, their issues are simple things that the younger generation take for granted – updating a Facebook picture, installing a browser, deleting unused files, and even simple things like closing all open browsers.
You can help them and make money on the side, like this guy:
“They aren’t tech savvy and usually have simple, fixable computer issues every month. They also spread the word quickly and are easy to deal with. A lot of em still run XP or Vista which are (for me) super easy to tinker with. Even simple jobs like resetting their internet router, setting up email, switching to chrome and setting their homepage to their favorite site. Easy side gig. I got the idea after I went to my g-rents house to “fix” basic settings on their computer to help it run faster and my Grandparents said they have friends that could use my “computer expertise”. They’re church goers so I got all of my clients through their church. I make $100-600 a month depending on how many askJeeves toolbars are installed and printers running out of ink.”
Best ways to get clients:
- Starts with elder family members
- Post ads on Craigslist and other local classifieds
- Have your elderly recommend your service to their friends and neighbors.
Your turn
What about you?
Do you have any side hustles that earn you a few hundred dollars a month?
If not, then I hope this post gave you some ideas on creating that side hustle that will help you earn an extra $100-$1000 a month.