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Career => Entrepreneurship / Side Hustles => Topic started by: Jamie on August 09, 2018, 11:52:44 PM

Title: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Jamie on August 09, 2018, 11:52:44 PM
There are lots of ways to earn side income now, especially in bigger cities, but it's not always fun. I've driven for Lyft here and there, especially when they have promos, but it's not my favorite thing to do and I really don't have much patience for traffic anymore. What's your favorite side hustle and why? And while we're at it, what's been your least favorite? thanks
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Sydney on August 11, 2018, 06:57:12 PM
I had a lot of fun cat sitting. I don't have time anymore b/c all my time is devoted to my toddler but I might get back into it down the road when he's much older and no longer wants to spend so much time with me. I tried dog sitting too, but I'm much more a cat person. Cat sitting is also a lot easier too imo! :) I'm sure dog lovers would much prefer dog sitting over cat sitting though, personal preference. One of my former colleagues was a very active side hustle dog sitter and brought in a lot of extra cash, several hundred a week on average. She did overnights pretty often which pay a lot better than just dog walking. Helps to have a car or find clients close by your work or home to save time too.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Captain on August 12, 2018, 11:38:30 PM
I'm in my 60s now but when I was younger and free of arthritis, I did a lot of side work as a painter. It was more enjoyable to me than mowing lawns and I got pretty good at it with all the practice. Back then we didn't have the fancy paint sprayers either. It would have been a lot faster and more fun with them.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Snow on August 14, 2018, 12:14:22 AM
I actually don't mind mowing lawns that much lol. For me it's much better than being stuck behind the counter at a pt retail job or delivering food. I have some regular clients in my neighborhood during spring and summer. I rake and bags leaves in the fall and shovel driveways in the winter. I like being outdoors and setting my own hours.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: sfpf on August 18, 2018, 04:32:59 PM
I tried TaskRabbit and thought it was okay. Although I had a lot of different services I offered, I only got chosen to buy groceries and help pack up people's homes before a move. There wasn't too much activity in my neighborhood so it wasn't a steady stream of income for me. And the commission they took was a bummer. I've built relationships with a couple people on my block since then who I work directly with from time to time picking up groceries and dry cleaning for cash so that's been nice. Not a ton of money, but it's still nice to earn some extra here and there.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: SeanC73 on September 09, 2018, 02:01:46 PM
I buy/sell tickets to theatre, sports, concerts, etc. as well as vinyl records.  I've been a music nerd my whole life so concert tickets and vinyl records just made sense to me.  A lot of shade is thrown at ticket brokers and I get it, but flipping is addicting.  If it isn't tickets, it's vinyl records, shoes, and anything else I can buy and sell at a profit.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: FabFitRetired on September 09, 2018, 03:28:03 PM
Credit cards for travel rewards.  After opening up 6 credit cards in the past 3 years my credit rating went to 850, and I received a ton of travel points.  My last trip to Europe was pretty reasonable.  It takes some time and planning, but is well worth it.  I charge everything I can to rack up the point.  Of course, I pay off the balance every month and have never carried a balance my entire life.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Super Bub on September 09, 2018, 06:59:46 PM
I agree with FabFitRetired - obtaining credit card rewards and bank account opening bonuses are a fun hobby.  Safe mid-teen percent returns can be achieved.  Chase Bank has the biggest bonuses right now and there are multiple websites that rank them.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Sam on September 10, 2018, 06:56:33 AM
My favorite side hustle was writing a post before going to work from 5:30am - 7am and 10pm - midnight between 2009 - 2012. Writing felt cathartic. Now it's my main "hustle" that doesn't feel like a hustle at all. Instead, it feels like my ikigai.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: MontgomeryWard on September 10, 2018, 08:19:51 AM
I ran a walking tour in my city for about a month. I listed on Airbnb Experiences. I didn't do any marketing and got 3 tour groups. I may open it up again next year (tourism season is sort of coming to a close). And if I do, I'll make some online content to spread the word!
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: southern on September 10, 2018, 09:32:50 AM
Building websites in various niches, scaling to $xxx to $xxxx/mth in revenue, then flipping them for profit.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: kcpope on September 10, 2018, 10:13:23 AM
I've dabbled in many...from painting house numbers on curbs to searching at garage sales/goodwill for profitable eBay flips. Currently, Amazon FBA is my jelly. I can't say it's a good longterm game, as Amazon's policy regarding it's sellers is to shoot first and ask questions later. Time will tell, but for right now it's returning good monthly profit, which I plan to roll into a real estate investment in a year or 2.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: SouthWestIron on September 10, 2018, 11:07:49 AM
My absolute favorite is Youtube videos. Even a mediocre video done on the right subject matter can yield income years after its made. 
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: sara@gatheringdreams on September 10, 2018, 11:37:31 AM
I always seem to come up with a different side hustle every 2-3 years, as I get bored very quickly.

I started a personalized tea business around 7 years ago, but having to deal with physical products was far too much work, so I would say this was my least favorite.

Then I flipped properties: it was still a lot of work, but far more profitable :)

And I am now blogging, which I'm really enjoying!
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Sam on September 10, 2018, 11:47:30 AM
Quote from: SouthWestIron on September 10, 2018, 11:07:49 AM
My absolute favorite is Youtube videos. Even a mediocre video done on the right subject matter can yield income years after its made.

I have a feeling that a lot of young folks nowadays want to be YouTube stars!  With so many examples of success, I can easily understand why.

Maybe one day I'll have a video Channel. Or maybe I'll let my son do it when he's old enough to understand the consequences of fame and privacy.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: kgschnyd3r on September 11, 2018, 07:01:30 PM
I installed some home automation features like smart sockets to control lights, USB charging ports and connected them to Alexa.
Also, install the DIY security systems for people who would rather pay someone else.
Now they tell me a license is required to do this?  :(
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: emilio g on September 12, 2018, 11:45:38 AM
I'm a musician which often is a combo of 4-6 different "side hustles".

One of them has always been teaching lessons since I play a few instruments and know my way around recording software. Depending on the student and instrument I can charge from $40-$80 an hour.

I also have a buddy who runs a booking company. He basically just advertises and nurtures relationships with event planners and performers, then connects them when there's a need.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: SouthWestIron on September 13, 2018, 02:52:51 PM
Quote from: Sam on September 10, 2018, 11:47:30 AM
Quote from: SouthWestIron on September 10, 2018, 11:07:49 AM
My absolute favorite is Youtube videos. Even a mediocre video done on the right subject matter can yield income years after its made.

I have a feeling that a lot of young folks nowadays want to be YouTube stars!  With so many examples of success, I can easily understand why.

Maybe one day I'll have a video Channel. Or maybe I'll let my son do it when he's old enough to understand the consequences of fame and privacy.
Stardom isn't really even needed.  I'm 45 and young at heart. Countless examples of ones who remain anonymous and are just crushing it!
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: AlexNY on September 14, 2018, 08:12:05 PM
Some of my favorite side hustles are repairing PCs, wall mounting flat screen TVs and hooking up entertainment systems. I first got into it by helping friends and then that spread to friends of friends, neighbors and now people who find me through sites like Craigslist.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Sydney on September 14, 2018, 09:16:40 PM
I totally forgot I taught music lessons for a couple years. I enjoyed that a lot, especially with my regular students who were really into learning. One of my students had the best attitude and tried really hard. Even though she wasn't the most naturally gifted amongst my students and she would get frustrated at times, she stuck with it. I liked giving her extra time for free when she came to her lessons because we both had so much fun.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Jamie on September 14, 2018, 09:36:25 PM
I love how there's such a big range of side hustles in this thread! Lots of fun and creative ideas.

A few others I've thought about but haven't tried are being a notary, designing and selling t-shirts, bartending private parties, being an extra when film crews come through town, and house sitting. I'm sure it's probably best to focus on just a few at a time though depending on demand and not getting spread too thin.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: TigerUppercut on September 14, 2018, 09:39:04 PM
I enjoyed driving for Lyft for the first year until the rates tanked.

My favorite side hustle is SEO/content marketing consulting. Every single startup and established company alike needs an SEO and copywriter. The Chief Content Officer job is going to be huge.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Field on September 15, 2018, 06:32:29 AM
Do 2nd jobs count as side hustles?  I work as a chef's assistant two or three times a week at a cooking school a couple blocks away.  I love it- you learn about food, meet interesting people, and the tips are nice.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: hansgruber on September 16, 2018, 01:44:57 PM
First Post!

I am an automotive engineer at an automotive company but build my own cars for fun.

On the side I started writing DIY articles for an online auto parts vendor I buy a lot of parts from. I kind of fell into it after starting my own blog about the same topic and they approached me about writing for them. Doing it for fun, extra cash, and exploratory purposes because you never know what new doors it may open.  8)
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Bonsai on September 18, 2018, 03:17:08 PM
I like to write options using my stock investment account.  I write covered calls against my individual stocks.  I write naked puts (of short duration) too.  I wonder if a side hustle intended to primarily bring in revenue and/or have fun and ad spice to one's life.  About 15 years ago I started collecting coins and then got distracted.  I may go back to coin collecting again but it would be to build the collection, not generated extra revenue.  So I don't know if coin collecting, to primarily expand the collection, would be considered a side hustle.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: kiquos on September 18, 2018, 07:22:19 PM
I've been learning to Syndicate Commercial Real Estate, and Networking with Qualified Investors to purchase my first MutliFamily Apt complex, about $100 Units ~ $5-9M. I've been reading going to seminars and practicing the numbers. Now to start finding a deal and make offers. All mainly off hours, managing my day job and wife, kids, family life etc... Engineer by Day Commercial RE investor by night!!  ;).

Always looking for people interested in Cash Flow and backend Equity.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Fufina514 on September 19, 2018, 03:05:52 AM
I rent out my guest bedroom.  Most of the people come as a referral from a friend of mine that knows people all over.    This current one is doing a CDC Fellowship so responsible and busy at work.    I'm picky about the person being older (late 20's or more) thus more mature with how they treat my house.    So far it has been great having interesting people staying here, they help with my dog if I need to do something after work and easy way to add to my savings.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Sam on September 19, 2018, 01:25:23 PM
Just saw a headline that someone makes $90,000 a year as a side hustle acting as a TUTOR! Not sure exactly what s/he is tutoring, but wow, that's big bucks.

Another thing you can do is take advantage of the paranoia parents have about their kids going to college. If you went to a good school, or work/worked at a prestigious firm, you can act as a college admissions tutor/adviser for big bucks.

Proof is in the pudding: you.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: Kendall on October 01, 2018, 09:37:10 AM
I have been charging electric scooters in San Jose since the beginning of September. Made about $400 in one month and will probably make more next month. It is not great money and like a lot of these driving gigs, it is easy to actually lose money. People forget about taxes, vehicle depreciation, gasoline. Mainly I am interested in having some earned income so that I can contribute to my IRA.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: paulbunyan on October 10, 2018, 07:56:34 AM
I like the side hustle that builds into an asset.  Through my business purchases I play the credit card rewards game ASAP as some mentioned.  Most recently I took a duplex that was breaking even cash flow and renovated both units(over a couple years) with my side hustle time. I increased rents a little over 50% and forced appreciation $120K after refinancing out all my original investment.  Now my eyes are open for the next opportunity.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: PandaAtlanta on November 10, 2018, 10:58:42 AM
A buddy of mine in San Francisco has a Turo - side hustle car rental business while working a full time job as a software engineer. He buys these smart cars at a steep discount directly from the dealers and rents them out like houses. I think he is up to 10 cars and generates $100,000/year part time semi-passive income. Not bad for a side hustle. 
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: TravelGirl on July 26, 2020, 05:31:34 AM
Quote from: supportingmaps on July 02, 2020, 09:57:23 AM
I have two:

1) Filling out surveys for about $15/hour was pretty fun but not so much anymore.

2) I sell physical items online. That venture has dried up but you jump for joy when you see a sale.

What's your favorite survey site?  I've got a lot of time on my hands right now.  I'm already participating on two sites, but can easily fit in another.  TIA! 
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: TravelGirl on July 27, 2020, 04:06:23 AM
Thanks, I'm retired from Tech and onto being a Travel Agent - so lots of free time to burn.  TA is just for extra money, discounts on trips, and I'm learning a whole lot about the industry.  So I'm taking tons of classes and read a lot, but still have some spare time.  And yes a handwritten note often goes a long way.
Title: Re: What's your favorite side hustle?
Post by: TravelGirl on July 28, 2020, 04:14:30 AM
Quote from: supportingmaps on July 27, 2020, 10:42:47 AM
Cool, I'd love to learn about your background if you don't mind over private message. I have a thread on this forum about programming that I'm about to post in right now.

For Tech, I basically did everything up to Executive Level, except Programming and DBA.  Not sure if you'd be interested in the hardware side.