20 side hustles to make extra money even with a full-time job

Whether it is to pay off your debt quicker, save more, or just have a better lifestyle, earning extra money is never a bad idea. There are definitely a wide variety of options to enable you to earn side income every month.

We list out 20 ways to earn extra money and you can pick whichever suits you the most. Start earning more!

1. Become an online translator

If learning new languages is your hobby, why not earn some cash out of it? Websites like Upwork and translators town offer freelance translation jobs that are time bound and pretty lucrative.

The payment per assignment can range from $20 to $1,500. Because of the nature of the job, you can take up assignments as and when you have spare time or on weekends. Taking those extra languages classes in school wasn’t a bad idea after all!

2. Become a private home tutor

Tutoring is a favourite part-time job for undergraduates. After all, undergraduates are still familiar with what is being taught in schools, and it pays well. Undergraduates can expect to charge about $25-$40 an hour per student and this can only gets higher depending on the type of subject that you are teaching or tutoring.

If you’re about to earn $35/hour, and you give 8 hours of tuition every week, you can expect to make $14,560 in an entire year!

Private home tutoring may sound like a relatively easy job, but you do have to stay up to date with the education system, and actually have the patience to teach someone. You should also try to select students whose homes are easy to get to, so that you can minimize your travelling time.

3. Sell things on Etsy for extra income

If you are creative and have spare time over the weekends, it is a great idea to sell items on Etsy. You can sell loads of stuff ranging from accessories, craft supplies, bags, collectibles, art or poetry on it. Selling on the platform isn’t expensive (they charge only 3.5% commission), is easy, and the opportunities are endless. So, open your Etsy shop right away!

4. Become a babysitter

If your maternal instincts are high and spending time with kids sounds like a great activity, this is the perfect option for you. You don’t need to get into any full-time or part-time commitment to babysit. If you have friends or family with kids staying nearby, let them know you are open to babysit their kids for short durations over the weekends. Every parent, once in a while, looks forward to having a quiet dinner or an afternoon watching a movie. That’s where you come in. Since these are your friends or relatives, you can work out a price that is reasonable for both parties.

5. Plan experiences for tourists in your free time

If you think you know your country in and out, here is your chance to use that knowledge and lay your hands on some extra dough. Show a unique side of your country to tourists and use platforms such as Airbnb to host it. You can design and submit an experience or multiple ones over a couple of days and if those over at Airbnb like it, they will publish it. Once published, it will be booked by people visiting your country from around the world. The price and group size will be decided by you.

Sounds exciting? It is. Along with earning money, you will also get a chance to meet diverse people and show them your favourite places within your country.

6. Become a holiday photographer

Yes, such a profession exists. With the increasing pressure to look perfect on social media along with making perfect memories, people want fabulous photos of their vacation. So, if people photography is your passion and you think you know the most photogenic spots in your country, become a holiday photographer! Register yourself on websites like Frame A Tripor or SweetEscape and start earning some cash.

7. Participate in online surveys for easy money

This one is a teddy bear’s picnic. It does not require any commitment or major skills and is the ideal option to get some free coupons or cash. Whenever you are free, take up online surveys and in return, receive points which you can use to buy gift cards or vouchers. A few examples of these websites are AIP Online Surveys, Your Voice, and Toluna. After all, who doesn’t love being paid to give an opinion!

8. Become a lettering specialist as a side hustle

We might have moved on away from our pens and pencils on the back of technology but nothing feels as good as the written word yet. A hand-written invite, a thank-you note, or even a restaurant menu has a special feel to it. If you have an interest in calligraphy or other lettering styles, why not use it to earn extra money? Polish your skills by taking up workshops and start an amazing part-time career you love.

9. Earn extra income from being a part-time brand ambassador at events

Remember that girl handing over a free sample to you the other day at a roadshow? You could be her and make extra money at another event soon. High traffic areas regularly host events and promotions. If you think you have the confidence to engage with strangers and can present yourself well, this job is right for you over the weekends.

You should be giving out free samples, telling people more about the promotion, asking people to like a brand’s Facebook page or even wearing a mascot costume! Hourly rates for such roles tend to range from $15-$50.

10. Sell homemade food

If you (or your mother or even grandmother) make amazing noodles, pies, or brownies and want the world to get a taste of it, make it happen! Set up an online shop or spread the word and start making money out of it.

Just make sure you maintain high cleanliness standards. You could also participate in global platforms such as meal sharing where you invite travellers for meals at your home. You could also share your yummy home cooked food with others so as to prevent food wastes.

11. Be a yoga instructor

If flexibility is your forte and yoga your interest, why not teach it to others? Health consciousness is no longer just a fad and you can leverage on this growing interest. Conduct weekend programmes so that this does not interfere with your regular job!

12. Queue for food or run errands for others

In this fast-paced world, time is money. People are willing to pay those who can help save their time. That’s where you come in. Join a platform where you can become a runner to help people queue for food and deliver it to them. Lots of other apps offer ‘concierge services’ to help people run errands. You simply have to sign up with them to earn some part-time income.

13. Refer a friend and earn spare cash or credits

Loads of companies are willing to pay you in cash or kind if you refer relevant people to them. For example, inviting people to Airbnb can earn you and the people you invite travel credit to use for a new reservation. You and your friend will be awarded bonuses after a successful reference. All you need to do is know what your friends want and refer them to appropriate websites.

Referrals can earn you taxi discounts, coupons and extra cash (if you get your friend a job in your company), so keep an eye out for referrals schemes when you try out a new service or register on a new app.

14. Become a freelance writer

If you think you have the flair for the written word, you have a chance to make money from it. You can become a freelance writer for a website, magazine, news wire, or ad agency — the opportunities are aplenty.

These can be long or short-term commitments so decide what suits you depending on the timings of your full-time job. Make sure you do some market research and decide an ideal per word/per hour or per project rate based on your education and experience.

Don’t be too picky initially, build a versatile portfolio, and you will go a long way. Expect to earn $0.30-$0.50 cents/word when you start off and check out websites like freelancer.com.

15. Sell unwanted things for cash

Do you have a stash of things in your wardrobe, bomb shelter or study room that you have not used in the past 6–12 months? Consider selling them to someone else instead! In your free time, look around in your house and take stock of the items you don’t use, clothes you don’t wear, music instruments you don’t play, and baby stuff you don’t need. Sell them on websites like Gumtree or give them away. Decluttering can be good for your wellbeing too!

16. Instruct an online course on Udemy or build your own online course

Udemy, an online learning marketplace, is the perfect place to share your knowledge and earn while you do so. If you have been in the marketing field for long or have immense knowledge of baking, you could design a course and teach people through Udemy. You can use this platform not only to impart knowledge but also to expand your own. If you already have your own website and idea for an online training programme, you can use teachable to create and sell online courses easily.

17. Publish an ebook

Publishing a book may sound like a feat, and it is, but not in this case. You could write a 20–40 pager ebook and sell it on Amazon. If you keep the price of the book anywhere between US$2.99 and US$9.99, your book qualifies for a 70% royalty. That’s pretty awesome actually!

Try to select topics which are rare and interesting so that your book does not have too much competition. If your book gets rave reviews, it will prove to be a long-lasting passive income for you.

18. Get an ad on your car

If you own a car and dread the costs for parking, petrol, maintenance and so on, fret not. You can start using your car to generate a good passive income that will cover some of your costs. Register yourself on car advertising platforms and get an option to choose an ad you want on your car. They will apply removable vinyl stickers, which will be part of an advertiser’s marketing campaign, and you will get paid. You can earn up to $300 a month through this.

19. Become a tech reviewer

If you love technology and know the internals of your phone better than your wardrobe’s, it is time you start cashing in on that knowledge. Becoming a consumer technology reviewer is a huge career opportunity, has flexible working hours, and pays well. You could try working for global brands such as CNET. If you’re feeling enterprising enough, you can also start your own YouTube channel or blog.

20. Become a freelance designer

If creativity is your strength and graphics your interest, you can become a freelance designer. New business requirements come up daily, which means new job opportunities for designers come up every day. Whether you choose to design a logo, build a website, design an infographic, you get to keep your creative juices flowing while making money. It is a job that allows you to work at home or remotely on a beach if you wish. Put your portfolio up on sites like Fiverr for a start.