Get your side hustle on to make extra money

Fun little etymology lesson: The word “hustle” goes way back to the 17th century Dutch “husselen” which was a reference to shaking a bag of money. Two hundred years later, like in the 1970s, the word had developed a bit of a shady, illicit connotation–doing something on the sly or more like a swindle.

These days, side-hustle employment, which even a couple of decades ago would’ve been frowned upon by old-school employers as “moonlighting,” is something you just gotta have. Side jobs help make nasty student loans disappear, they’re a source of extra cash, they maximize earning potential in your spare time; even potential employers will want to hear about your side gigs. 

A side hustle says you’ve got dimension, energy to spare and passion. It says you take an active role in life even outside regular business hours. And if a potential employer is smart, they’re thinking about how they can blend your extracurricular interests into their business and help you pursue it further.

For your part, a side hustle can be an outlet—a way to engage yourself for your own fulfillment and edification, without any agenda and without anyone telling you what to do. Side gigs are your gigs. The best side hustles can also be stress reducers—ways to find your so-called “flow state,” and completely lose yourself, mind and body in a productive activity. And, of course, they help you save up additional money, which also feels good. Best-case scenario, it’s all of the above.

If you’ve got a little something going, or if you plan on starting, here comes our sales pitch: Toggle^® can cover the tools of your side trade. Cameras, turntables, computers, landscaping gear. Almost anything that doesn’t involve a car or vehicle is game.

You want your side hustle to be special. Or maybe you don’t, no judgment. Either way, we did a little research by way of inspiration. Enjoy!

1. Low-hanging hustles
Let’s go ahead and get the easy side hustles out of the way. If it’s not about pursuing a passion or making a killing, the sharing economy is making downtime earning easier than an app download. Uber, Lyft delivery—great ways to squeeze the most out of the wonderful world of online business when you’re feeling it, and punch out when you don’t.

Got a spare room, or plan on doing some travel and leaving your place vacant? Airbnb is a great way to convert unoccupied space into cash.

Sell your services on Fiverr. All kinds of services, from WordPress skills to logo design, voice-over talent, SEO, writing and way more. Price points start at just $5, but good sellers can earn six figures. Somewhere in the middle, you can probably pick up some solid spare change.

Don’t let odd jobs go unrewarded. Be a TaskRabbit.

Got some design chops? 99designs is a crowdsourcing platform that can reward fast work with cash.

Bottom line: If you’ve got a potentially marketable skill, there’s very likely a sharing app for that. All it takes is a quick search.

2. Analog hustles
If you think all hustle ideas need to incorporate a tech component, you’re mistaken. Start thinking like a little kid trying to earn money for a video game. No guide to “how to make money on the side” article would be complete without a bunch of simple analog ideas.

Walking dogs, for example, is a great way to get you outside for fresh air, exercise and some extra cheese.

^{Photo by Hannah Lim on Unsplash}

Tutoring! If you’re in college, or you’re a teacher (or if you’re just wicked smart), spending one-on-one time helping someone else better understand subject matter you’re familiar with is a satisfying way to pad your pockets. It also might sharpen your skills for your day job or reinforce learning you’re pursuing anyway.

While we’re on smarty-pants side-hustle ideas, think of all the things you know that other people might like to know. Is English your second language? Teach people your first. Are you musical? Help other people become musical. Skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, art, dance, juggling, cooking, mixology, brewing, hang gliding (again, we recommend side-hustle coverage)—if you have a hobby, chances are someone will pay you to teach it to them.

Personal training. Hey, you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into your bod. You deserve to see some return on that investment beyond that selfie in the bathroom mirror.

Housesitting. Get paid just for living in a place. Pet sitting. Get paid to pretend their pet is your pet. Babysitting. Okay, this sitting’s more serious. But if 12-year-old-you could do it, adult-you can, too.

What we’re saying is that those jobs that used to fill your piggy bank are now real jobs for which real people will pay real money. That money is gonna land in someone’s bank account. Might as well be yours.

3. Miscellaneous moneymakers
Ever wish you could get paid to go shopping? Seems a little like a weight-loss plan designed around eating more, right? But in fact, there are ways. Check out Poshmark and Thumbtack.

Ever see yourself on the big screen? Big film towns are always looking for extras. It’s not exciting work, but it’s easy, it pays okay and you might get to glimpse yourself for a split second in a feature film.

If you’ve got a sound that everyone says is something special, put together a voice-over sample. The good VOs (that’s industry talk for “voice-over talent”) score incredibly good money and only work for an hour or two here and there.

Maybe be a DJ. Hey, everyone else is doing it.

Got a way with words? You’d be surprised how many people don’t. Hunt around for gigs writing cover letters and resumes, blog contributions, ghostwriting and freelance writing for publications. Maybe self-publish an e-book. If you know your Strunk & White cover to cover, you can even find jobs proofreading on the side.

Your side hustle doesn’t need to change the world. Of course, if you do have a world-changing idea, by all means go for it! Just keep your eyes, ears and mind open, and realize that anything you can do might be worth something to those who can’t or won’t.

May the scratch be with you and happy hustle-hunting!