Live: The Art of the Side Hustle and Our 20 Favourite Ideas to Bring in Extra Dollars

Here at ELE we have been fascinated by the rise of the gig economy and the sheer amount of people embracing the side hustle. It seems that every second person we chat to is doing something on the side to bring in a few extra dollars and while it isn’t a new concept, the rise of the online world means that there are more and more opportunities available to anyone with a little time and inclination. So whether it is cash to get you through a tight spot, insurance against losing your job, a creative outlet, extra savings for a holiday or a way to test the waters for a new business idea without risking your main income, there is a side hustle for you. These are 20 of our favourite ideas:

Dog walking and pet sitting. Who doesn’t love furry bundles of love and energy? Dog walking in your local area is a great way to keep fit and earn a few extra dollars.  Try putting up a sign in your local shops, at the vet or check out your town’s facebook community group.  Trusted dog walkers and pet sitters are often in demand. Of course it helps if you genuinely love animals so you also get your daily canine fix.

Get paid to take online surveys.  One of the easiest ways to make extra cash is through taking surveys online. They aren’t highly paid but just by doing a few each day you can start to bring in extra cash to cover expenses or add to savings.  Different sites will compensate in different ways – either through cash direct to your bank account or PayPal or through gift vouchers.  Be warned not all sites are legitimate so do your research. Pure Profile, Octopus Group (primarily available in Australia) are two that are tried and tested here at ELE that we would recommend as they both pay cold hard cash. Toluna is a great points based survey centre where you can earn points to cash in for gift cards and there are always available surveys to do.  Swagbucks is another fast growing site which allows you to earn points back for shopping, watching videos online and taking surveys.

Handy with a camera or a keen illustrator? Turn your snaps and drawings in to extra cash by selling them as microstock. There are plenty of online agencies but our favourites are Shutterstock, Dreamstime, Adobe Stock and Getty Images.

Selling unwanted clothing and goods.  Take a good look around your house and through your wardrobe and you may be surprised by the amount of items you could potentially turn in to cash.  eBay, Amazon and Gumtree are three of the best places for selling unwanted goods, giftcards, clothing and electronics.

Offer your services as a declutterer. There are plenty of people out there who need help with banishing the clutter and getting their homes or wardrobes in order so if you are super organised this could be a great side gig for you.

Become a TV or movie extra or ‘non-typical’ model.  Agencies all over the world are looking for real people to be paid extras on movie sets, TV shows and in commercials.  It is a bit of fun for anyone who has ever harboured dreams of being on the big screen and can pay quite well too. Most large cities will have an agencies you can apply to join with just a few details and some headshots. You can work at any age too with demand for older men and women increasing all of the time.

Embrace the sharing economy. Get on the bandwagon and rent out unused space in your home on Airbnb or start driving for Uber or Lyft.

Sell your skills on Fiverr, Task Rabbit, Airtasker or Upwork. Whether you are great at marketing, website design, writing, photo editing, virtual assistance or as a handyman there is a whole range of potential gigs for freelancers available.

Babysitting or Tutoring.  Great with kids? babysitting is an easy way to earn some extra cash in your spare time.  No longer just the domain of the teenager or college student parents everywhere are looking for older experienced, caring people to look after their children (with grandmothers high on the list of most desired).  Tutoring can also be a great way to earn extra cash if you are particularly great in a subject and are good with teens.

Explore Alternative investments.  This one requires some capital to get started but if you have some cash to spare try peer-to-peer lending, business lending and real estate crowdfunding.  This is a great passive income stream that requires little time and effort.

Dress making and Alterations.  Handy with a sewing machine? Try advertising your dressmaking or alterations service in your local area.

Growing and Selling Plants. Got some space and a green thumb? Trying growing plants for sale at market or to sell to your local nursery. People will pay more for mature plants so try raising them from seedlings and onsell them once they are at a good size. Bulbs are another great option. A lot of bulbs will double in size over the growing season so you can split them when they are dormant and package them to send to customers through the post.

Garage Sales and Market Stalls. Take a good look around and if you have a lot of things to get rid of that aren’t right for eBay, clean them up, price them and book a space at your next local market or better still host your own garage or yard sale on a sunny weekend.

Teach Something. Are you a guru at yoga, music, martial arts or Tai Chi? Try setting up classes or offering individual lessons a few times a week to bring in some extras dollars.

Voicovers.  Got a great voice?  Try voiceover acting. There are plenty of gigs on Fiverr offering these services which can be done remotely from the comfort of your own home.

Become a remote English teacher. You can now teach English remotely online over Skype to people all over the world. Accreditation is preferred but as long as you are a strong native English speaker you can qualify. Explore opportunities at Indeed.com and Remote.co.

Tour and walking guides in your area. Know your local area well or where to find the best coffee in town?  Try offering guided tours to tourists visiting your town or city. Photography and food tours are popular so if you are a foodie or a keen photographer try selling tours based around your speciality.

Cooking and gardening workshops.  If you are blessed with a beautiful garden or kitchen and the skills to teach others try selling half day or full day workshop services. This is a great side hustle for instagrammers and bloggers who already have loyal followers who would love to come and learn how you created that perfect lemon drizzle cake or beautiful floral bouquet.

Mystery Shopping. Love to shop? A quick google search will bring up a whole range of companies who will pay you to mystery shop at their stores and provide honest feedback.

Selling your crafts on Etsy. If you are great at arts & crafts, upcycling or have an eye for vintage finds try starting a store on Etsy

This is just the tip of the iceberg with hundreds of clever ideas out there to earn some extra cash.

Do you side hustle already?  Let us know if you have any other great tips or tricks in the comments below.