Looking for ways to earn extra money? Here are 20 Side Hustle Jobs you could do – some easier than others, but all genuine ways to make extra cash.
Inflation. Shrinkflation. Interest rates. The cost of living crisis.
These words and phrases have been thrown around a LOT lately. There are many Australians looking for ways to save money, ways to make more money and ways to prevent them getting into financial difficulty.
Side hustles have become more and more popular as ways to earn extra income and the beauty is, there are so many!
Personally, I have always had more than one job, so here are 20 side hustles you can do as a busy parent, many of which I have done myself, some more successfully than others.
20 Side Hustle Ideas
ONE – Sell your stuff!
Most people don’t realise just how many items they may have lying around their home, that can be turned into cold hard cash. I wrote an entire article on this with 17 of my best tips on selling your stuff online which you can check out here.
I have made thousands of dollars doing this, and I have also sold other people’s things too, for a commission.
Some items could be quite valuable, but don’t look past the $5 items in your house too! They all add up.
I have sold my son’s soccer boots he grew out of, plants I have propagated, appliances, earrings, tools, books, old video games, kids clothes, exercise equipment, toys and even old text books.
I also sometimes buy and flip items I have bought at op shops. My best flip was selling a genuine, brand new Louis Vuitton scarf for $420, that I found at an op shop for $3!!!
Scour your cupboards, and even ask around! There are many people who want to sell their stuff but they may not know where to start. Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are your friend here, my friend!
Turn clutter into cash!
TWO – Babysitting / nannying
This is something that is usually some through a verified agency these days, but back when I was doing this as a teenager, it was cash in hand all the way.
You could definitely still get cash jobs doing babysitting or nannying, but there is more demand these days for people who have qualifications, first aid knowledge, a Working with Children Check or all of the above, before working with anyone’s children.
You can look at babysitting agencies such as FindABabysitter or Sittr or you could simply put up an ad on social media, or get jobs by word of mouth, depending on your local community.
THREE – Surveys
There are many companies that offer online surveys in exchange for cash or gift cards, but to be honest, they can take a long time, and may not pay very much at all. I have done many of these in the past but I don’t find it to be a very lucrative side hustle and it can often be a big waste of time, particularly when you need to complete survey qualifiers, only to find out you don’t qualify for a survey, and you’ve already wasted valuable time completing questions.
If you don’t mind completing survey questions while sitting on a bus or train or while waiting for a doctors appointment etc, perhaps it could be worth it, but in my opinion, there are better side hustles.
FOUR – Start a blog
I started TeachingBrave as a creative outlet and a way to connect with other parents and educators, and also for the learning journey. I have learned a lot along the way, particularly about various parenting and education topics, but also about making money online.
By running a few ads through my website, and taking on some affiliate partners, I have been able to produce a side hustle income. It’s certainly not for everyone, and it can take up quite a bit of time when you are setting up your blog, building traffic and writing articles, but it can also be a lot of fun, a great way to learn new digital skills and a unique way to make money!
FIVE – Tutoring
Yes, I do primary teaching for my day job, and so it may be easier for me to get tutoring gigs (which I currently do after school on some days, as well as during school holiday periods) but I also have friends that have started tutoring businesses when they don’t have any background in education.
It’s about knowing your strengths, knowing and understanding what you can actually teach, understanding your market, marketing and advertising yourself appropriately, and building clientele.
For more information on getting into tutoring, you can head to Seek.
SIX – Dog walking or pet sitting
There are many people who have animals who are not in a position to walk them daily, and there are also many people who need their pets cared for when they go away on holidays. There are companies you can work for, where you don’t need to source your clientele (such as Mad Paws), but you can also put ads up around your local community or on Facebook, in local community groups, or send paper flyers around your neighbourhood.
This was one of the very first jobs I had as a young kid, walking a local dog for $1 a day! Prices have gone up since then, and if you’re walking anyway or you just love animals, this can be a great side hustle for you!
SEVEN – Driving for Uber or Amazon
Driving can be very flexible work. Usually you choose your own hours and you can work as little or as much as you like.
Whether you’re driving as an Uber/ DiDi driver or doing deliveries for Amazon, you might need to ensure your car is modern enough, has an ANCAP safety rating and is reliable.
I haven’t done this one myself but when I looked into it a few years ago, my car (while less than 5 years old) didn’t have a 5 star ANCAP safety rating and so I couldn’t do it.
Driving may not pay very much, especially when you consider fuel costs, tolls, car maintenance, insurance and wear and tear on your car, but it can be easy work.
EIGHT – Market research
This is something I’ve been doing since I was about 13 when my mum registered me for market research group talks.
These can be a fun side hustle idea, and pay pretty well for only usually an hour or two of your time. There are different companies that run these and you usually can’t participate in more than a couple of talks or research studies per year, per company. You can however register with several companies, receive their emails and respond when you think the research category is applicable to you.
I have completed market research on chips, female sanitary products, toilet paper, nappies, hand soap, holiday resorts, soft drinks, and many more.
To register, look up companies such as MyOpinions or PaidFocusGroups.
NINE – Social Media Influencer
Now this is something that has really taken off in the past few years but if you are good at it, and you are willing to put in the time, it can pay off big time!
You need to have valuable, engaging content and you need to put quite a bit of time into your marketing strategy but it can be very lucrative.
The amount of money you can make will depend on the social media platform, how many followers or subscribers you have, and who you might be partnering with to promote products or services.
There’s big money to be made here, but it involves a big time commitment.
TEN – Air Tasker tasks
Have you visited Air Tasker before? There are heaps of people who need odd jobs done, and people willing to put their hand up and do those jobs, qualified or not!
I have seen ads where people are asking for someone to go and buy them takeaway food, pick up cigarettes on the way, and drive it to their house, and they are paying pretty decent money for this!
There are all kinds of tasks on Air Tasker, and you don’t need any particular qualifications (though it helps if you do list a qualification). It also helps once you build up your profile with feedback from past customers.
Take a look, and you might be surprised at the tasks you could complete for others for some quick cash.. deliver something, help with cleaning something, put some flat pack furniture together, look after animals, some gardening, the list goes on.
ELEVEN – Online tasks – VA work, Freelance writing, Editing
There is a multitude of online jobs available these days for those who like to work from home, work remotely, choose their own hours or all of the above.
If you use platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer or Fiverr, you can find work as a VA (Virtual Assistant), as an editor for articles or podcasts, you can do freelance writing or even data entry.
You might be surprised as to how many jobs you can now do entirely online, and with flexible work hours, which is what suits a lot of people who have other main jobs and busy schedules.
TWELVE – Get creative and sell your items on Etsy
Now this is not me, but for those that do have creative skills, platforms such as Etsy can be a fantastic way to sell your creations online.
I have been amazed at the variety of items you can buy on Etsy! Vintage items, shoes, lighting, jewellery, monogrammed items, knitted items, woodwork, and HEAPS more!
From some friends who have started their stores on Etsy, I’ve been told it’s pretty easy to set it all up and then it’s just about selling your items.
THIRTEEN – Brew your own Kombucha and sell the SCOBY
SCOBY stands for a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It’s the gooey stuff that forms when you are brewing Kombucha. It can take a while to form, but if you buy it from someone, you can start making your own Kombucha right away, or cut off pieces and sell it yourself. This is something I did for about a year before I got sick of it, but I was making about $30 per SCOBY I sold, for not much effort at all, and I had delicious kombucha to drink or give away in the meantime!
FOURTEEN – Photography
If you have a talent for photography, or even if you’re just starting out or learning, you can sell your images on stock photo sites such as Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash. It may not be a huge money earner and you can’t sell just any old photo, but if you have a keen eye for photography, there’s certainly platforms that will buy!
You could also take on small photography gigs as a way to practice and build up your portfolio.
FIFTEEN – Acting, extra work, modelling, voice work
If you register with a talent agency, you can get hired to be an extra in an advertisement or a TV show, or you can get hired for small acting roles, modelling or even voiceover work. This usually requires an upfront fee, payable to the talent agency for a personal portfolio. This is not a small cost, so it has to be something you are very interested in, and something you have time for as well, as in many cases, you may be standing around waiting for your turn, or waiting to say or act your part, or even waiting for a phone call for a (potential) job.
SIXTEEN – Sell feet pics!
This is something I have considered, but I have not done myself. And it’s not for everyone! But there is DEFINITELY a market for feet pictures as long as there are people willing to take these pics and sell them.
Platforms like OnlyFans and FeetFinder attract hundreds of thousands of customers, and there is no shortage of people with foot fetishes!
If it’s not for you, fair enough, but if the thought of somebody getting turned on by your feet doesn’t give you the major ick, then good luck to you! You could find this to be a very well paying side gig!
SEVENTEEN – Cleaning
Self explanatory. You could do this privately, or work for a company, but there will always be cleaning jobs, whether it’s in private homes, or commercial cleans for offices or large buildings. It could be flexible work if you are working for yourself, but if you have a contract, it may be at a set time after businesses close for the day, or whenever it suits the client.
EIGHTEEN – Investing
Now, this will take some initial investment of course, but if you have done your research and you are comfortable investing a particular sum of money, then when it’s time for dividends to be paid out, it can feel like a mini pay day! (Depending on how much you have invested, of course). It’s always smart to make sure you have a chunky emergency fund before doing any kind of investing, but for more information on investing, you can check out the Money Smart website.
NINETEEN – Propagate plants or succulents and sell them
This is easier than you might think! If you start with a few healthy succulents (or whatever your plant of choice might be), it can be very easy to propagate them with a small cutting, and then place the rooted cutting into a recycled, washed out jar with a bit of potting mix and some cheap decorative stones, and Voila! Sell your mini succulents for $5, $10 or $20 each. They make great gifts too!
TWENTY – Sell your storage space, car spot or garage
I have done all of the above and it’s a fantastic way to earn a bit of passive income with extremely minimal effort.
This will depend on what storage space or car spaces you may have and your location of course. Those who may be located in rural or remote areas, or even some suburbs in the outskirts of main cities may not attract customers who are interested in storage or car spots in those areas, but if you are located in a major city, or in an area that has medium – high density housing, you may be able to rent out your garage, your car space, a spare room, or a storage space for a decent price.
I have rented out my storage cage as well as my spare car spot, and it’s such an easy way to earn extra money. My biggest tip? Make sure you obtain the correct personal details (name, address, email, copy of drivers licence etc) from the person who is renting out your space, so you don’t fall into the same trap I did where the person stops paying, disappears from the face of the earth and leaves you with all of their crap!!
You can organise or advertise this privately, or use a third party such as Parkhound or Spacer.
Summary
There are so many ways to earn extra cash and you don’t have to quit your full time job! Some of these side hustles require little to no time commitment (renting out storage), while others are almost a full time job in themselves, so these job ideas are clearly not for everyone, but hopefully, there’s an idea or two in there you can use, so you can start a side hustle sooner rather than later!
Do you have a good side hustle I haven’t mentioned here? And what do you do with your side hustle money? Let me know in the comments!