Are you looking for an additional income stream? You’re not alone 45% of people currently have a side hustle, with 30% of those saying they do so to meet basic needs.
Luckily, these days, side hustles are composed of many different activities to suit everyone’s skill set and specialties.
However, for those looking to make money, not spend money, being able to find side hustles that don’t cost you any money or have a significant outlay can help you earn money faster and make it more profitable.
If this sounds right up your street, here are some side hustles that don’t require anything to get up and running.
House and Pet Sitting
In the past 4 years, demand for house sitters has risen by 20%, and more and more pet owners prefer their furry companions to be cared for in their own homes when they’re away for any reason.
House sitting and pet sitting alone or as an all in one deal can be highly lucrative, especially if you can travel to the location or take on extra duties during your stay. The Economic Research Institute estimates you can earn an average of $16 per hour of house sitting.
If this sounds enticing to you, you can advertise your services on local networking sites such as Next Door, get family and friends to share you with their contacts, or put out ads on marketplaces.
Always take precautions and do your homework on your client before agreeing to stay in their home to ensure you are safe and feel comfortable with what you are being asked to do.
Printables/Digital Assets
If you have a keen eye for graphic design and access to a laptop and Internet connection, then why not look at creating a series or product people can buy online?
You can sell teacher resources, planners, children’s activity pages, industry-specific checklists, how-to guides, or anything you can come up with.
If you don’t have access to paid editors, you can use tools such as Canva to get started. Then, all you need to do is turn your design into a downloadable file and get it listed on a website or marketplace for sale for people to purchase and download.
There are many people creating resources online for a range of different uses that are downloaded only and have been created using sites such as Canva, digital marketing assets, templates, artwork, quotes, and more.
Freelance Work
Listing your skills and services on sites like Fiverr and People Per Hour can allow you to earn an income doing things you already know how to do. Are you a whizz at video editing and already have the equipment to edit videos for others? Or can you design websites, write fantastic content, or anything else that can be of value to others?
Whatever your skill set, there is likely someone looking for your knowledge and experience for their own business. How much you earn depends on your skills, experience, and the level of work you provide to clients; the better your reputation, the more you can charge, but to get started, you can efficiently work your way up by charging lower amounts until you build up your client base or reviews.
Sell Items
What you sell can vary depending on your circumstances. But there is a massive market for used or handmade goods that you can tap into to help you get started.
Sell Old Items You No Longer Want
Listing fees aside, you can get started selling items for nothing at all; all you need to do is list what you no longer want and sell it for a reasonable price. This way, you get to declutter your home and earn some money at the same time. Once you have sold everything you no longer need or want, you can either keep all the money or invest in buying items for less than their value and selling them on. Auctions and return lots can be great places to find items for low prices to sell on.
Crafts and Food
Another option to make money selling items is to sell your crafts or homemade food and drinks. It’s essentially the adult version of a lemonade stand. Be it selling homemade hats and scarves, blankets, clothing, pet accessories, and more. If you are already making them and have the resources in you to start for zero outlay and then use anything you do make to reinvest in more materials to support your side hustle.
This goes for making food (you might need to obtain relevant permits per your state guidelines), but both are viable options for making money on top of your current employment.
Upcycle
It’s not strictly something you can do for free again unless you have the tools and materials. But if you are adept at upcycling clothing, furniture, or anything else, you can sell your finished items and make some money. There is a lot of interest in upcycled furniture thanks to the recent growth of the sustainability trend, and more people are finding they prefer to buy used, well-crafted, and restored items over new modern pieces.
Tutor/Coaching
If you think that tutoring is only for qualified teachers, think again. You can tutor in any topic you are an expert on or have qualifications on. If you are a mechanic by trade, you can tutor others in all aspects of automobiles online, whether they are hobbyists or learning the trade themselves. If you are a fitness coach, you can coach people online to help them reach their goals. Get the idea?
Identify what you can teach, find out if there is a need for the niche, and get yourself listed with relevant sites to advertise your services. You can get going for free, again this is depndant on if you have equipment to access the internet, and you can set your schedule and work when you want to make as much or as little as you need.
There are so many side hustles you can get started on for free and make money quickly if you don’t have the funds to invest in anything upfront. Get creative, look at your skill set, what you enjoy and are good at, and see how you put this to work for you to get your new side hustle up and running.
