No one wants to work more hours than they have to, but the reality is that many people have to take on a side hustle or part-time job to make ends meet. The thought of working more hours is exhausting, but there’s a way around that. 

Believe it or not, you can earn extra money without breaking a sweat. Many side jobs don’t require any particular training, but you’ll need a certain degree of people skills. To start earning money, try out one of these passive income gigs. 

1. Freelancing

The best part about freelancing is you choose what type of work you want to do, how many hours you want to work, and when you want to work. Freelancing has a world of possibilities that may even lead to full-time income.

Writing is one of the most common freelancing gigs, creating content for blogs or niche websites. Graphic design, virtual assistant, and social media manager are just a few other examples of popular available freelancing jobs. 

2. Room Rentals

You probably don’t have a second house you can rent out, but if you have an extra bedroom in your home, you can rent it out as an Airbnb. How much you earn varies, but you’ll make out pretty well if you’re highly rated.

You’ll have to check your local ordinances to see if there are any prohibitions against or limitations for renting out a space in your residence. If you have the all-clear to rent out your extra room, it’s an easy way to generate passive income.

3. Pet Care

If you love animals, one of the best ways to show it is by offering pet care services. You can limit it to one service like dog walking or grooming, or offer a variety of services that include activities like feedings and companionship. 

Some apps allow you to sign up as a pet care provider, or you can create your own online business. Busy pet owners want to make sure their pet relatives are well cared for, so there is a high demand for these services.

4. Consignment Sales

If you have new or barely used high-quality or high-end products, like furniture, shoes, clothes, and other household goods, consider selling them through a physical or online consignment shop. There’s a huge market for these items. 

Instead of trying to find a buyer on your own, prospective buyers visit consignment shops and websites for merchandise. The shop or online platform takes a small percentage of each sale, but you still turn a nice profit. 

5. Teach Online

People who want to learn a specific subject often turn to online programs for training, tutorials, and classes. These lessons can be on any topic from public speaking to computer basics to the fundamentals of graphic design.

If you have a skill that you’re willing to share with others, make it work for you! Online educational sites like Udemy and edX have teaching opportunities in different subjects. You don’t even have to teach live; your sessions are recorded in advance.

6. House Sitting

If you want to get a feel for how the other half lives, house sitting might be for you. Typically, those who are going to be away from their homes for an extended time like the idea of their pets and property being safely attended to and cared for. 

Sites like TrustedHousesitters connect homeowners with vetted house sitters, and websites like MindMyHouse have you upload references, allowing owners to choose based on house sitter profiles. Some gigs are unpaid in exchange for room and board, but others are paid.

7. Thrifting and Reselling

If you know what you’re looking for, thrift stores have valuable items to easily resell for serious bucks. You may not find a million dollar painting at your local thrift store, but numerous other items are real finds.

Gently used or new designer clothes, shoes, and handbags are easily resellable. Antiques like glasses, toys, furniture, and home decor sell for a few dollars at the thrift store but command several times the purchase price when they’re resold. 

8. Tutoring

Students of all ages and grades are in need of tutoring in all subjects year round. Whether you’re working with elementary school students or adult learners, tutors fulfill a vital role in the educational system. 

You have the option of tutoring online or in person, and you can work on your own or through tutoring sites like tutor.com, Chegg, and Wyzant. You typically set your own rates, and the more experience you have, the more you can command. 

9. Become a YouTuber 

Starting a YouTube channel isn’t just for influencers; all it takes is having interesting content to market. Think about something you enjoy doing. Maybe it’s gaming, shopping for clothes, doing makeup, offering financial advice, or DIY repairs.

There’s a viewing audience for pretty much any topic you can think of. Building up your brand online may lead to paid sponsorships for your channel. Identify one of your interests and decide if it’s something you can create video content around. 

10. Sell Stock Photos

Selling stock photos isn’t only for professional photographers. If you have a talent for taking high-quality photos with your camera or smartphone, consider selling them online as stock photos.

Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and iStock accept stock images to be sold. You earn a commission on all images that are downloaded from the platforms. Social media outlets like Pinterest and Instagram are also popular ways to promote and sell your images.

11. Join Focus Groups

Companies that want to test out a product, service, or website hire members of the public to serve on focus groups to gather data. The information collected consists of feedback from the members of the focus group. 

Businesses use this feedback for product development, to change or implement marketing campaigns, and even update their websites to be more user-friendly. Focus group reimbursement varies, but some can pay as much as $300 for 60 minutes. 

12. Dropshipping 

Some online retailers sell items that are in their inventory. Other retailers engage in dropshipping, which is a way of selling items without possessing the inventory on hand, but having a supplier who fulfills the order for them. 

This is an easy, low-cost way of starting an e-commerce business. Your overhead is low because the products are kept at the supplier’s warehouse. Almost anything sells by dropshipping, including cosmetics, cell phone accessories, and office supplies. 

Inspiration Links: