Good morning hustlers! If you woke up thinking “Boy, I sure wish someone would tally up all the side hustles on J’s page so we can see them all in one sexy spot, along with how much they pay and how fascinating they all are” you’re in luck.
Fresh off the keyboard: 50+ Side Hustles and Other Ways to Make Money
And if your next thought was “This is soooo cool!! I F*ckin’ love that blogger! If only he’d now compare them all so we can be entertained and help us separate out the cray cray from the cool cool, I’d owe him like a million beers!” you’re also in luck. Or, rather, I’m in luck – I can use about a million beers after putting all this together ;)
So read on for some fun highlights and comparisons…. Who knew a random post about chicken farming four years ago would turn into one of the most popular series of this site? Of which I didn’t contribute a single word to? ;) Does that say something about my writing? (Don’t answer that)
Let’s start with the most popular gigs featured and go from there…. And btw, if you ever want to contribute one yourself – and it hasn’t already been covered (read = it must be unique/interesting!), do please reach out. I’d like to keep adding to this list over time and hit 100 :)
All-Time Most Popular Hustles (so far):
With #1 being read almost 300,000 times!! And being the 2nd most popular page EVER on this site too, wow…. Right after my free budget templates which couldn’t be more far apart ;) (Unless you’re a fan of this site, of course. My evil plan is working!!)
- “Phone Actress” (AKA Phone Sex Operator) (25¢-30¢/minute of *live* talk time)
- Air Force Reservist ($259.56/weekend + benefits (“Active” = $1946.70/mo + benefits)
- Online e-Commerce Store Owner ($810/day revenue (later shut down))
- Standardized Test Question Writer ($20-$30/question)
- Collectible Sneaker Reseller ($50-$300/shoe)
So one regarding sex (we all know it sells, right?), one the military (thanks for serving!), an online store that later folded (it’s not always easy hustling), one that involves annoying kids to death (damn SATs), and then a fashion reseller… This is what America is interested in, people.
The Most Unique Hustles (excluding a few above):
- Chick-fil-A Cow Mascot ($20-$30/gig)
- Gun Permit Instructor (“decent chunk”)
- Worm Counter (8¢ per dozen night crawlers)
- Frequent Flyer Mile Specialist ($80-$150/itinerary)
- Chicken Farmer ($89 1st test + free food!)
- Hankies Dealer ($100,000+/year)
- Sim Card Mogul ($10,000 profit)
- Teleprompter Operator ($20/hr)
Look at those price ranges too – from 8 cents all the way up to $100,000 a year! Which later became the hustler’s full-time job, btw – or at least his wife’s. Which is the perfect outcome for most people if you think about it: turning a hobby/hustle into a full-time gig! Exactly what happened with me and this blog here, actually (*looks up to the heavens and thanks the Big Man upstairs*)
The Hustles You’d Expect to Find Here:
- Lifeguard (min. wage)
- Referee ($30+/game)
- Human Guinea Pig ($40/hr)
- Babysitter ($30-$45/sitting)
- Substitute Teacher ($80/day)
- Mystery Shopper ($200-$500/mo)
- Freelance Writer ($500-$1,500/mo)
- Yoga Instructor ($15-$40/hr class, $60+ private)
Half of those you’ve probably tried yourself as a kid, eh? Though doesn’t mean you still can’t still rock them today and make that side cash… The only real difference is *where* you’ll put that money now vs then, right? ;) *Ahem* debt. *Ahem* savings. *Ahem* anything but candy and baseballs cards.
The Hustles That May Surprise You:
- Photo Booth Operator ($100/hr)
- Public Speaker ($750- $6,500/gig)
- Watch Dealer ($2,000-$7,000/watch)
- High-Fashion eBay Reseller ($7,000 profit)
The photo booth one and the public speaker gig just blew my mind… I knew there was money in both, but that’s a lot of Benjamins!! And interestingly enough related to specific events that you pretty much show up to, get the job done, and then go home. After all the prep work ahead of time, of course ;) Pretty cool though to say the least. And I’d never have the balls to flip fancy watches!
A Variety of Different Rates:
- Percentage of bar tab
- Per dozen night crawlers
- Per question
- Per shoe
- Per itinerary
- Commission and/or free cruise
- Public vs private (not what you think ;))
- Per minute of live talk time (it IS what you think!)
This one was fun to pull out (twss!) because it shows just how different the gigs can be. From percentages to one-time fees to bulk worm counting, haha… Which also makes it hard for me to figure out which hustles pay the most vs those which don’t ;) And thus I’m not doing that here. (Also because a lot of it depends on *how much time* you put in too, as well as other unique variables. But you can figure out for yourself which may be worth trying out and which not. You’re smart peoples.)
Lastly, Here Are a Few Failures That Went Down…
- I couldn’t part with my art ($0.00)
- I hated working a Phonathon (min. wage)
- How I Failed at Buying a Rental Property ($0.00)
So there you have it! A bunch of awesome hustles people are trying these days, as well as how much they pay and how you can get started with them too (at least the last 40+ or so, when I started asking the hustlers to beef up the info to be more helpful to everyone :)). And you only see about HALF of all hustles posted on this site over the years too!
If you want to check out all of them, again, go here: All 50+ Side Hustles
I’ve also added some other sections at the end to feature some of the more interesting *full-time* gigs people have shared with us on the site too. Like, say, being a mortician, working on a cruise ship, being a professional poker player (!), and even working in Guantanamo Bay.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! I only spent approximately 6+ hours putting both of these pages together, haha… I’M COMING FOR MY BEERS!!! :)
Got my man, J. Money, doin the finance shuffle/
Bring ya’ll a list of wicked awesome side hustles/
We got phone sex, chicken farmer, teleprompter, secret shopper/
Collectible sneakers and selling watches out of pocketsHe ain’t stoppin’, cuz’ there ain’t no breakin’/
when you 24/7 representin’ the ‘SIDE HUSTLE NATION!’Word to your wallet. I’m out.
——
PS: After thinking I came up with the title of this post all by myself (I mean, I am pretty clever), I realized that it’s more likely due to hanging out on my friend’s site, SideHustleNation.com, for a while… Oops. Big shout out to my boy Nick Loper!
PPS: I probably could have changed it back, but ya know – it’s catchy :) Makes me feel like the actual RAPPER, J. Money, up in here too! Who later changed his name to J. Futuristic btw, approximately 6 months after the real J. Money appeared on the scene (me). True story. I’d like to think it was due to him being scared of my financial skills, but considering he later got shot 6 times AND survived, something tells me he’s a bit tougher than the blogger J. Money. Still, no switch-backs!
[Photo credit: FromSandToGlass]
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I have to admit that the photo booth hustle had me scanning craigslist for a week looking for used equipment…
It sounds super easy and fun in theory, doesn’t it? :)
Very cool new element to your site! I love it! Probably up until recently, I would have been combing that list, looking for something I could implement myself!
What happened recently?
Definitely one of the best series on the interwebs…and clear proof that there is money to be made if you can get creative.
Thanks man – glad you like it! Turned out to be one of my faves on the site too, and I don’t even write any of it, haha…
Good stuff J. If you ain’t hustling you ain’t trying!
“If you ain’t hustling you ain’t trying!” – I’m stealing that!!! :)
Love it, but has never had any success with ebay so I hustle elsewhere
eBay does take a lot more work than, say, Craigslist, but I bet it gets easier once you learn the tricks and get the system down. I’ve actually sold one of my cars through it (that didn’t even work!) and it was a learning curve :)
Being a phone sex operator would be easy money if you could keep yourself from laughing. I would have to go into character or something!
Character, or “in the mood” ;) I always wonder what their significant others feel about it all?
My side frequent flyer mile redemption service is still going.
So is my room rental. I’m thinking of adding a slight little twist to make it more automated for my renting out room structure. I was thinking about incentivizing my roommates to find a replacement for themselves when they move out. I would pay them 20% for the first two full-months of rent collected giving them incentive to find a roommate who pays bills on-time and in-full rather than a dead beat. It’s going to be a nice little experiment.
Hah! Love that man – why not, you know? You have ultimate say at the end anyways so you can always decline the people if they’re not a good fit. I think that’s an excellent idea :) Let us know how it goes if you run with it.
I still want to get on the public speaker circuit. I think that will be my focus for 2015.
I don’t think my voice is sexy enough to be a phone sex line operator. I think they’d sack me. I’m teaching in a Saturday school 9-12pm for £400 per month (about $700) it’s not exciting and creative like anything on your list but it’s good money. :)
Good money counts! That helps to motivate you :)
Wow thanks for putting this together! This is legit one of my favorite series to read. Keep it up!
Glad to hear – thanks so much for saying so!
I love this compilation! I missed a few that I have to read now. :-) I also saw my Chick Fil A Mascot one and giggled. I have finally stopped that and moved onto pet sitting for $20-$25 per basic visit or $60 per night. :-)
You’ve upped your game :) (and a LOT less sweaty now, eh?)
The public speaking side hustle is one that I am working toward. I have a friend who books speakers for a college finance group and I was shocked how much you could make, especially if you have a published book. Which inspired me it get my book out there. Look out for it this summer! :-)
Haha thanks for the shout! Keep up the good work!
Fun stuff! Thanks for putting it all together in one spot for us to peruse through. I think I’ll keep this tab open through out my work day for nice short breaks:P These side gigs are always so much fun to read through!
Just don’t get caught and have your boss think you’re up to something! ;)
I’m going to assume you did the phone sex gig dressed up as the chick-fil-a mascot.
(Would you expect anything less out of me?)
Got my man, J. Money, doin the finance shuffle/
Bring ya’ll a list of wicked awesome side hustles/
We got phone sex, chicken farmer, teleprompter, secret shopper/
Collectible sneakers and selling watches out of pockets
He ain’t stoppin’, cuz’ there ain’t no breakin’/
when you 24/7 representin’ the ‘SIDE HUSTLE NATION!’
Word to your wallet. I’m out.
I’ve got 99 problems but a rap friend ain’t one!
#Baller
#HollaForaDolla
In college I was going to get a Capuchin monkey, and a Hurdy Gurdy for some side money. I found a monkey, but getting the organ was near impossible. Now with theinternet, I can find one, but he monkeys are pricey. And many places do not let you have them.
Maybe that would be a great gig after I FIRE.
I had no idea what you were talking about on either of those Capuchin monkey and Hurdy Gurdy) but after googling I’m now convinced you should join the circus once you hit FIRE :)
Holy wow what a great list! Some unique side hustles on here for sure. :) Not surprised at all that the sex post is the most viewed.
300,000 reads you say… Now I know what I need to shoot for to get my postinto the top spot in your side hustle series :).
I’d say yours has climbed up the list for sure, so you’re on the right track :)
What I learned today:
– I didn’t know thereA rapper formerly known as JMoney was shot six times and survived
– There was a period of 6 months where you could double your JMoney
– I need to up my side hustle
– I want to rap
Seems like a productive day to me!
Hmmm….I could be down with the professional public speaking circuit for that much money! Sounds especially lucrative if you just keep giving the same speech over and over and it no longer takes much prep. Plus, everyone is forced to stay there and listen to you!!!
Yeah great series, and motivating for many who are looking to make some quick bucks. Happy to be included in the list of hustlers.
Thanks for the post, J. Money! Proof positive that with a 1 part ambition and 2 parts drive, one can and will succeed at whatever hustle they put their mind to!
Yessirrrr. With a sprinkle of luck too :)
Your posts are phenomenal and totally creative. My job requires me to work all day and at least 3 nights per week. Child support takes away anything extra I make for the next ten years. Do you have a list of passive income ideas that are just as lucrative you can share? I love this post because now I know where to send my nephews for work. Thanks again for everyone and their input . You guys are inspirational! Happy New Year
And now the list of side gigs featured here is over 70 long!
None of them are truly *passive* (and of course none are get rick quick or else we’d all be millionaires by now ;)) but they’re all great for earning extra cash and hopefully having some fun at the same time. For really passive stuff I’d look into investing strategies where you put money in and then let it work on your behalf vs always having to work yourself for the $!