So, you are motivated to build wealth, but there’s just one problem– you don’t make enough money. You can meet all of your needs and maybe even save a little cash, but at the end of the day, you don’t have much to invest. You may ask yourself, “What side hustle can I do to make extra money?” 

 This blog will give you 30 side hustle ideas so you can earn extra income as soon as possible. After all, the best time to start investing was yesterday, but the second best time is now! 

 The best part is that you already have every resource you need– if you don’t have money, you have time, knowledge, and God-given talents you can put to good use. But before we get too deep into our discussion, what is a side hustle?

What is a Side Hustle?

A side hustle is a job or business that brings in extra money beyond one’s primary source of income. Side hustles can stay just like that–on the side–but they can also turn into a full-time job. Or, some people may prefer to start several side hustles to diversify their income and pursue different interests.

Why Start a Side Hustle?

1. It can get you out of the paycheck-to-paycheck rut rather quickly. If you need more cash to fuel into your debt repayment plan or investments, side hustles can help you earn extra income to fund your goals. 

2. The economy is moving in favor of side hustlers. Check out this data from Lloyd Staffing:

“Characterized by short-term and flexible work arrangements, the gig economy has witnessed significant growth. With over a third of U.S. workers now freelancers or independent workers, the gig economy is on track to encompass more than half of the workforce by 2027.”

In many cases, companies are just as likely to hire independent contractors and freelancers as they are full-time employees. So, the market is ripe with side hustling opportunities!

3. Side hustles an avenue to pursue your God-given dreams and passions. You can explore your gifts and talents outside of your 9-5 job and make money while doing so!

Two Ways to Earn Extra Income: Passive Side Hustles and Active

Side Hustles

Whereas there are multiple side hustle ideas, their payment falls into one of two categories: earned income or passive income.

Active side hustles generate earned income and involve tasks that you do yourself. In other words, the amount you get paid is directly correlated to the time you put into your side hustle.

Passive side hustles generate passive income and involve investment strategies, tasks you hire someone else to do, or creating content once that people pay for multiple times over. This is considered leveraged income because you get paid more for your time. In other words, the amount you get paid is not directly correlated to the time you put into your side hustle. If you can, it is better to start a side hustle that generates passive income (or one that could potentially scale to one.)

If you want to learn more about how to start and scale a side hustle, join us for our FREE WealthBuilders Business & Nonprofit Bootcamp. Learn more and register by clicking the banner below.

Top 10 Side Hustle Ideas of 2024

1. Rent Out a Room in Your House / Buy a Rental Property

Type: Relatively Passive

With a little bit of strategy, you can make money off any space you own. Do you have a spare room, unfinished basement, or guest house that you’re willing to share? If so, list it on Airbnb or VRBO as a short-term/vacation rental.

Determine the cost to rent the space by comparing similar spaces in the same location, post the listing, wait until an offer comes in, and accept it if it’s a good fit. You can also charge a cleaning fee to cover any minor damages or messes. Managing bookings, communicating with guests, and cleaning the space make this “passive” strategy a little more active. 

For an almost completely passive option, you can rent the space out for months or years at a time. This provides a more steady, predictable income stream. Whether you go long-term or short-term, both options provide a pathway to have someone else pay your mortgage! 

A higher-level option would be to get into real estate investing. Some ways to get money from real estate are through rental income, fix and flips, or even wholesaling. Click here for a more in-depth analysis of real estate investing strategies.

2. Freelance 

Type: Active

From writing to graphic design, you can freelance almost any skill for virtually any type of company. Freelancing enables you to set your own hours and pace of work, and you have the flexibility to only accept the types of projects you enjoy.

Fiverr and Upwork are both online marketplaces where you can offer your freelance services in anything from engineering and architecture to admin and customer support. Freelancers create a profile, set a budget for their services, and apply for jobs posted on the site or wait for employers to contact them.

To be successful as a freelancer on an online marketplace, you will need to create a robust profile and portfolio. Don’t be shy about your skills and be sure to include samples of your work to attract potential clients.

3. Drive for Uber or Lyft

Type: Active

Uber and Lyft are services that allow people to sign up and become drivers for passengers who need a ride. Passengers can reserve a car using the Uber app. Then an Uber driver is called to the passenger’s location to pick up the passenger and take the passenger to their destination.

You can start a side hustle with Uber or Lyft immediately. All you need is verification of your vehicle registration, car insurance, a background check, and your driver’s license information.

4. Become a Virtual Assistant

Type: Active

A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while working outside of a physical office. According to Investopedia, “Virtual assistants have become more prominent as small businesses and startups rely on virtual offices to keep costs down and businesses of all sizes increase their use of the internet for daily operations.”

A virtual assistant should have a good tech IQ and have high proficiency with computer skills. Depending on the role, virtual assistants could manage anything from bookkeeping and email to social media content and blog writing.

5. Rent a Car on Turo

Type: Relatively Passive

Do you have a relatively in-shape car that you don’t use often? Consider renting it out on Turo, a peer-to-peer ridesharing platform. Think of it as the Airbnb of cars. You can either purchase a new car and have the rentals pay off your car payment (and then some), or you can rent a vehicle you already own. 

Either way, it’s a great way to pay off cars quickly and earn extra income! Note that you will have to manage bookings and clean the vehicles (unless you hire someone else to do so), which makes this passive strategy somewhat active.

6. Deliver Food or Groceries

Type: Active

If you have a bit of a shopaholic side, this could be a fun option for you. Services like Instacart or DoorDash work a lot like other side hustle ideas in the gig economy such as Uber or Lyft. Essentially, a consumer places an order for a meal or groceries, and you go to the specified location to do their shopping for them. Each order has a base payment, and it’s up to the consumer to decide how much to tip you.

You will need a viable driver’s license, car registration, and auto insurance. In addition, ensure the amount you’re getting paid for an order is well worth the time it takes and the gas it uses.

7. Write an eBook

Type: Relatively Passive 

In today’s digital marketplace, writing an ebook is a great way to generate passive income. Sure, you will have to put in the work on the front end when it comes to actually writing the book, but after that every sale you make is money in your pocket. 

You can write about any topic that interests you, but do your research to make sure there is a demand for that type of content as well. Then, you can sell your book on platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Kobo, Libraries, and Gumroad. 

It’s also important to note that this strategy requires a good bit of marketing acumen – you can’t just write your book, you need to promote it as well using email funnels, working with affiliates, and blogs, for example.

8. Create Digital Products 

Type: Relatively Passive 

In addition to ebooks, there are so many digital products you can create. You can develop a digital product that meets the needs of any audience you want to serve, from printables, paid courses, templates, and more. There is no right or wrong answer for a digital product that will sell well. The key is to understand your market thoroughly, make things as easy for your customers as possible, and automate the sales process.

9. Buy and Resell Items 

Type: Active (But You Are Making Money by Exercising the Law of Conversion)

If you enjoy garage sales or thrift shopping, this is the side hustle for you. Go to places that resell goods, either in-person or online, and look for deals. Then, you can resell them for a higher price. 

This side hustle works best if you add additional value to the product after you purchase it. That could be through your packaging, branding, and delivery, or you could literally fix-and-flip items like furniture. My grandson, Brayden, and I did this with a rusty old wagon. We bought it at a garage sale for $2, added a fresh coat of red paint and fixed the wheels, and sold it for $20!

10. Start a Blog

Type: A Mix of Active and Passive 

A blog is a regularly updated webpage where you share ideas or advice, much like the one you’re reading now. Through posting consistent content and sharing it via social media and email, you can develop a loyal audience. If you attract a certain number of page views, you can monetize your blog through affiliate marketing or featuring advertisements on your site. If you already have a business, your blog can encourage readers to purchase items from your shop.

To create a successful blog, you’ll need a clear goal and defined audience, consistent posting, and knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO). Luckily, there are plenty of free online courses about how to create and monetize a blog from scratch. It will take patience to monetize a blog—usually, creators post consistently for six months before they can begin to monetize their efforts.

20 More Side Hustle Ideas 

None of those side hustles stand out to you? Here are 20 more side hustle ideas to help you get going:

11. Dog walk or pet sit 

12. Consulting 

13. Tutor

14. Sell products or crafts on Etsy

15. Start a Magazine (Becky and I did this one, and we called it “Home Sweet Homes!” You make money through selling advertisements.)

16. Get a Part-time Job (Less flexibility, but a very easy barrier to entry.)

17. Sell your photography

18. Mow lawns or do other landscaping tasks

19. Take surveys online

20. Start and build a YouTube channel

21. Become a fitness coach

22. Edit videos

23. Sell unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace

24. Start a cleaning business (and you can make it passive by hiring other cleaners).

25. Become a referee

26. Get a real estate license

27. Stage houses (this was one of our VP, Karen Conrad Metcalfe’s, first side hustles).

28. Do virtual bookkeeping

29. tart a podcast 

30. Become a notary 

Many of these side hustle ideas require some level of business acumen. Even if you’re doing it on the side, a business plan and marketing can help you rise above the competition and earn extra income. That’s why we want to invite you to our WealthBuilders™ Business & Nonprofit Bootcamp. It’s a free, 5-day intensive training designed to help you create a practical, ready to implement business plan and advance your wealth building goals. Click here to register for free!