You’re certainly familiar with all of the popular side hustles available, such as joining an Uber delivery partner or delivering food with DoorDash. But, if you’re seeking for ways to generate money and none of the typical suspects for side gigs appeal to you, don’t despair. The gig industry is massive (yeah, that’s a term), and luckily for you, we’ve got the lowdown on a handful of the top side hustles you’ve probably never heard of.
So, whether you enjoy spending time with dogs, have a gorgeous automobile you’d like to share, or have some other strange marketable skill-set that your 9-5 boss isn’t aware of (don’t we all? ), keep reading to discover more about these unusual side hustles you can start today to earn some extra cash.
1. Advertize your car
What if we told you that you could get paid only to drive your car around – with no strangers in the rear seat and no stinking take-out food in the front? You’re just going about your business.
It may seem too good to be true, but if you’re willing to place a few adverts on your car, you’ll be paid to do it. Carvertise and Wrapify, for example, will pay you to drive around with branded wraps on your car. Most importantly? You may choose which campaigns to participate in, and the wraps will not harm your car or paint work.
There isn’t much in the way of you and your passive-driving money, although certain sites (like Carvertise) do demand you to drive a minimum distance per day (in this example, 30 miles), making this profession best suited for people who commute.
2. Rent out your car
Another excellent side hustle for car owners, this one does not require you to drive anyone. In fact, you won’t even be driving.
If you own a car but do not use it frequently, try renting it to someone who does. When you’re not using your car, you may rent it out through services like GetAround. This programme, which is especially useful for city dwellers who don’t own automobiles, has grown in popularity in recent years by allowing users to hire cars when they need them — whether it’s for a few hours to run errands or for a weekend getaway.
Check out our advice on how to use GetAround to earn money from your parked car.
3. Charge eScooters
Have you ever wondered how those bizarre devices are charged up? It’s definitely not a scooter fairy.
You can actually collaborate with companies like Lime to maintain their fleet of electric scooters charged and ready to go. This work entails going out into your neighbourhood, looking for scooters, charging them at your house, and then releasing them back into the wild.
Because the pay is typically by scooter, this gig is best suited for someone who lives in a community with a big number of these scooters and has a large car to transfer them to a charging site.
4. Socialize with dogs (or cats)
Remember how we mentioned dog lovers? This is for you. Whether you prefer to walk dogs, visit them, or even work as a doggie daycare host, Rover has a plethora of opportunities for pet owners to earn additional money.
Sign up for the Rover app to find clients in your area and understand what type of pet service they require. Depending on what you decide to offer, you may require more than just healthy affection for animals, such as a place for them to hang out indoors and a car to transport them to and from clients. Keep these considerations in mind, and read our guide on earning money with Rover to get the most out of this side gig.
5. Deliver booze
Everyone is delighted when the booze delivery person arrives, just like when the pizza delivery guy arrives — and spreading that joy may be your next side career.
Saucey and other such services enable you to deliver beer, wine, and spirits around your city. While you’ll need a newer automobile to get about (2007 models and later), the organisation takes pride in providing courier possibilities that don’t require you to drive a lot during shifts.
You must be 21 or older to apply for this job and have a smartphone that can connect to their app.
6. Help people move with Dolly
Have you ever spent an afternoon assisting a friend with their move? Then you might be interested in doing it again for money. Dolly is a firm that links people in need of moving assistance with experienced movers like you.
You can earn extra money by assisting others in getting their belongings from point A to point B, whether you have a car to donate (or, better yet, a truck) or just your two hands and a nice attitude. To begin using Dolly, you must be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s licence.
7. Rent a friend
Friends can’t be bought, but they can (supposedly) be rented. If you enjoy meeting new people and mingling in social situations, you can think about becoming someone’s (rented) friend for the day.
But, to be clear, Rent A Friend isn’t a dating site; rather, it’s a method for people to connect based on mutual hobbies (such as cooking or sports) or to have a wingman or lady at a party they can trust. Some folks could even hire a friend to help them network and break the ice.
If any of these apply to you, look through the local listings on Rent A Friend to locate social possibilities in your area.
8. Become an online juror
If you enjoy watching court trials on daytime television (and who doesn’t? ), why not get paid to be a part of one? Sites like OnlineVerdict and eJury pay you to be a part of a jury while also assisting lawyers in preparing for their actual trials.
Although you will not be giving actual decisions affecting innocent or criminals, your feedback will assist lawyers create a stronger case for the actual day of judgement. What is the best part? Because everything is done remotely, you can wear the Judge Judy wig and mallet while working.
9. Sell your photos
Whether you’re looking to start a photography career or simply enjoy taking images with the latest iPhone, you could be being compensated for all of your creative work. Sites like EyeEm and Shutterstock allow content makers to purchase your contributed photographs, paying you for each download.
In order to make the maximum money, it’s best to send as many high-quality images as possible. It’s also really cool to see brands use your photographs for their content!
10. Write for Hubpages
You can get paid to write poetry, fiction, or even nonfiction on sites like Hubpages.
Hubpages will not make you rich, but it will help you get some published writing samples and earn a little money in the process. It will also teach you a little about how the blogging industry works, because you’ll be doing what other bloggers do, earning money from advertising put in and around your posts, and earning even more as traffic to your pages increases.
11. Become a user tester
Have you ever wondered how everyone in the tech industry gets their websites and apps to perform so well? Of course, the answer is testing!
You might get paid to test apps and websites simply by using them if you have some free time on your laptop. User Testing may earn you money over your lunch break or even after work – all you need is a laptop and an internet connection to get started.
12. Become a (professional) cuddler
This is for everyone who wears “free hug” t-shirts. Although it’s not for everyone, companies like Cuddlist enable you to provide paid “cuddling” sessions if you’re 18 or older.
This may appear disturbing, but the site emphasises that snuggling sessions are only for therapeutic purposes (and nothing more). We’re doubtful, but we’re guessing you’ve never heard of this before.
13. Give local tours
Want to brag about your neighbourhood? Then you should think about working as a local tour guide with ToursByLocals. Spend your spare time guiding tourists around the city, taking them to all the best spots with your insider knowledge.
This job is best suited for persons who are familiar with their city and have a few hours to spare during busy travel seasons, such as summer and weekends. Begin by creating your tour guide profile to help travellers find you!
Last but not least
There are ways to create money for everyone, regardless of their secret abilities and interests. However, the greatest approach to succeed at a new side gig is to choose the one that most suits you. Working strange hours or odd jobs, in-person or online — whether that means working odd hours or odd jobs — it’s crucial to take the time to choose something you’ll genuinely want to do outside of your day job. For more ideas, see our comprehensive list of side hustles.
Hustling for a side gig is difficult, but if you take the time to select something you enjoy, even if you’ve never heard of it before, it will feel a lot less like work – and may even grow into something you can do for years to come.
