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On Tuesday, we shared our reasons for side hustling. If you haven’t told us why you are side hustling (or want to side hustle) – stop! And click here to tell us why you’re hustling. 😉 Trust me, by sharing your aspirations for your side hustles this year, you’re much more likely to succeed!
Okay, so you know why you’re side hustling: whether it’s to make some extra money to put towards debt, or to supplement income like Tonya, you have a goal. But if you’re not already side hustling, how can you get started making money right away?
Here are three ways you can get started with side hustling. All of these options will pay you right away, although the payouts may be small at first. Some of these ideas will allow you to charge more as you improve, while others may stay small. Either way, all of these ideas will get you some cash right away – and might be a fun way for you to earn some extra money!
Related: 16 Side Hustles You Should Start!
Side Hustle Idea: Writing for TextBroker
As I mentioned on Tuesday’s post, if you’re a decent writer and want to break into freelance writing, try Textbroker.com. With Textbroker, you’re given various writing assignments paying anywhere from $5 to $50, depending on how long you’ve been writing and your track record for successfully completed assignments.
If you’re curious about how Textbroker works from someone who currently writes for them, check out this post by Beyond Your Blog about a writer who currently makes a living writing for content mills like Textbroker.
While Textbroker is a content mill site, and not everyone thinks highly of them, one of the best parts of Textbroker is it pays, and it pays quickly. If you’re looking to make money immediately from your writing skills, Textbroker is one way to go. Best yet, you will start to build a portfolio that you can use to pitch to people looking for writers.
Not sure where to find jobs after you’ve built a portfolio? Check out ProBlogger’s Job Board. Jobs will be all over the place in terms of content, but it’s a good start – and you can use your Textbroker portfolio to showcase your varied writing credentials!
Side Hustle Idea: Mystery Shop
Not into writing, but don’t mind shopping? Sign up to be a mystery shopper! With mystery shopping, you will expend some time becoming qualified to be a mystery shopper, and you will spend some time in the store interacting with employees. Be prepared to get creative with your answers: you’re mystery shopping, so you can’t tell the truth of why you’re shopping for baby gear with no baby in tow.
While mystery shopping pays little at first, you will get paid and sometimes you will get free meals out of shopping as well, if you’re given restaurant or fast food tasks. Curious about the realities of being a mystery shopper? Mel at Broke Girl Rich covers how she got rich (not really) being a mystery shopper.
While you won’t make a ton of money being a mystery shopper, if you like to shop, don’t mind being creatively dishonest, and can type up a decent report (or check some boxes) reviewing stores, it could be the perfect side hustle to do after work or on the weekends.
In addition to being a mystery shopper, you can sign up to take surveys or participate in focus groups. FocusGroup.com, which I’ve signed up for and worked with, emails you with a qualifying survey. If you fit the target demographic, than Focus Group calls you and asks you to schedule a time to be part of the focus group. Within one to two hours, you’ve made $75-$200!
Side Hustle Idea: Review Others’ Websites
Do you visit other people’s websites and immediately notice things they could improve? Are you good at summarizing what others could improve on their own websites? If so, you could make $10-15 reviewing other people’s websites online and through your phone.
Similar to taking surveys, you will have to qualify as a target demographic before you are chosen to review a website. Beyond that, you’ll need a computer and a microphone and the ability to review and summarize websites’ usability and clarity.
If you’re looking to start a side hustle, any of above ideas are great ways to get you started. Even if you don’t want to be a freelance writer, or mystery shopper, or website reviewer, hopefully these ideas got your creative ideas hopping!
Another similar side hustle here is reselling industry relevant websites. For example, The SEO Dentist builds websites for dentists, and you can often resell these at a mark-up to local dental clinics.
Have you ever mystery shopped, written for content mills, resold websites or reviewed websites as a side hustle? What other ways do you side hustle for quick side income?
Are you looking for more ways to make extra money? Check out my newest post on making extra money here!
I started freelance writing last year as my side hustle and the extra income was a nice bonus. Guess it helped that I actually enjoy writing.
It definitely helps if you enjoy writing, and others enjoy it as well! Looks like they do if you’re getting paid to do it 🙂 Nice job side hustling!
Thanks for the mention! Mystery shopping is definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme although the longer you do it, the more companies you wind up learning about. My last mystery shop was $75 and that was pretty cool for 20 minutes of work. Those are really rare though.
I loved reading your descriptions of mystery shopping! I think the biggest appeal to me was being able to get paid to eat, haha. Pretzels?! Yes please!
Interesting ideas! I hadn’t thought about doing something like the user testing before so I might check that out. I love looking at websites so this might be a fun way to look at them and get paid!
That’s what I thought! I automatically review (or judge, I guess haha) others’ websites when I visit them, so might as well get paid to voice your opinion, right? And since you have a website and run your own blog, you know what to look for (and how easy it is to implement certain changes). Reviewing websites and making money? I’m in! 🙂
I’m going to have a poke around textbroker.com. I’ve been looking for a little more freelance writing work. Thanks for the heads up!
Do it! Might as well keep busy, keep writing, and make money doing it all! I can’t believe you have any extra free time though – you are so busy! 🙂
I had my blog reviewed before by User Peek and have always wondered how one becomes a reviewer. I think it would be a lot of fun. Thanks for the link!
I’ve wanted to get my blog reviewed by them as well! Did you find your review helpful? I’m just nervous about the feedback I’ll get, which is why I haven’t done it yet 🙂 Yeah, if you have free time, I think reviewing others’ websites could be a lot of fun – and profitable!
I am checking out that review of Textbroker now. I work for a content mill and don’t mind it at all! The work is steady, it’s pretty easy for me now that I’m used to it so even though the pay per article is a little low, I can crank them out fast and make a lot per hour!
That’s awesome, Sarah! Which mill do you work for, if you don’t mind? The biggest one I’ve heard of is Textbroker, but I’m sure there are many more out there! Thanks for sharing your experiences – it can be done! 🙂
There is an unlimited number of side hustles available if you think about it for about 30 seconds. Even if you try 100 before one takes off, if you limit your risk you will have tried.
Never underestimate the ability to make a million here in the USA. It is done all the time. No one had even head of toilet paper before indoor plumbing, and someone made a fortune on it.
That’s so true! You might have to get a little creative to hit it big, but almost everyone can side hustle in some way. You don’t even need an internet connection to get started – pet sitting, shoveling snow or pulling weeds – it might not be easy, but no one ever said making money was going to be easy. Thanks for the words of wisdom!
I’ve been usertesting for about nine months now, off and on. It’s great because it’s easy and the pay per hour is excellent; however, the actual work is very sporadic and you can’t guarantee there’ll be anything at all on a day you desperately need to make $10. I’ve found it’s best to just keep the site open in a tab and click over to it when it chimes. When I do that consistently I make about $300 a month or more, and I can do it without disrupting other stuff too much. I’m reluctant to mystery shop because the pay seems low for the time investment, but I might try a content mill…who knows!
Oh, that’s a really great idea! That way you don’t have to keep checking your email for an opportunity – very smart! And hey, $300 extra isn’t bad at all, especially for user testing! Brb, off to read your post about saving money on dry cleaning – I need that! 🙂
Great post! I’ve been a mystery shopper off and on for about 11 years. Many of the jobs are low-paying and require extensive report writing, but I’ve narrowed down the type of shops I’ll accept, which are limited to hotel mystery shops and restaurants shops. Just a few weeks ago I got paid to do an overnight evaluation at a major hotel chain, and the room was over $300 per night, plus I got paid to eat/drink at the restaurants as well. Can’t beat it!
I’ve never even considered the last one! May have to check that out next time the budget is in a pinch!
Yay! Every little bit helps 🙂
I have never heard of textbroker. I have used other writing sites before. I will have to check this one out.
Yay, I hope it’s a success for you, Michelle! It seems like a good way to make some steady extra cash 🙂
I’ve signed up with text broker. I need to go back and look at that again. I’ve need to see if this will work for me. Thanks for the reminder.
You’re welcome! Like I mentioned, I’ve definitely heard positive things about it, so it’s worth a look. I hope it works out for you!
These are great! I’d never heard of textbroker before, but I’m definitely excited to give it a try.
Yay, I really hope it works out for you! If it’s a success, it could definitely be incorporated into a blog post – I’d love to read it! 🙂
Good reminders. I hadn’t heard of TextBroker before, I’ll check that out. I saw at the bottom of your post that you linked to an AIP party. Are you on AIP? We’re on it at our house right now too.
I’m glad it’s useful – I’ve heard good things about TextBroker, so it’s definitely worthwhile to check out 🙂 I am not currently on AIP, it’s just part of the link up party 🙂
There’s a couple ideas on here that I haven’t heard of or even thought about…it’s always nice to bring in a few extra dollars; especially when it isn’t too time consuming. I do get so very tired of clicking on these sponsored posts and seeing the same information. It was refreshing to read some new and interesting ideas!
Thank you so much, Amanda! I’m glad you found this post useful 🙂
How about donating plasma! That pays pretty well and you are helping out the hospital donor banks.Win-Win.
What a great boost ,side hustling is a big time income booster,with that extra coin its all worth it.Am into writing i bet freelance writing is going to work out for me,i just started out am hoping for a successful journey.
I side hustle, because my husband & I chose for me to stay home & raise our boys in a completely different environment than he & I were raised in (we were both raised by very hard working single mothers & no paternal involvement whatsoever). We struggle financially on just 1 income, so I side hustle to relieve a bit of the financial pressure & put money aside for our sons future educational costs.
Hi, I read your article and I am interested in the mystery shopping stuff, do you know a great site where I can apply to get that?
Hi Joelle, Market Force is one prominent company you could check out to do some mystery shopping. Let me know how it goes! http://www.marketforce.com/become-a-mystery-shopper/
I think mystery shopping sounds fun.
I think it would be a lot of fun, too, especially if you get to shop for things you really like! I think it’s easier if you live in a big city, but I bet you could also find mystery shopping opportunities anywhere.
Great ideas! I have worked for Textbroker for quite a few years now and love it! I’ve also done some side jobs on ODesk.com and that is a great side gig as well.
This year I’m focusing all of my side work to be on my blog and making it profitable!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
That’s awesome, Jessie! I’ll be cheering you on as your blog gets bigger and even better! It’s awesome you’ve been successful with Textbroker and ODesk, too. I know it can be hit or miss. Have you written about working for them? I’d love to read about your experience!
I’ve been writing for Textbroker for a little while now, but I can’t figure out how to use it to build a portfolio? I can’t claim or copy anything I’ve written – it belongs to someone else as soon as I am paid.
Any suggestions? Am I missing a way to use the Textbroker writing other than as a way to gain uncredited experience?
Might send Textbroker along to my daughter who writes. It can be nice to have a way to earn a little money… I might add babysitting. Although that might sound silly, it is really good money, and if you can drive, you can charge a premium. It can be a good gig:)