Side hustles often involve long days, deadlines and grind. But what if your side work feels like play? What if you enjoy it so much that you forget about the time?
Not only is that possible, it’s also practical. If you find side work that feels like play, you’ll do it whenever you have the chance. That gives you more earning hours and a better chance of turning this side gig into a long-term money-maker.
The key is finding a gig that fits your unique passions and strengths, and transcends a purely monetary focus to become a meaningful part of your week.
Finding Fun Side Work
Everybody has a slightly different definition of what’s fun. But most Americans use their free time to engage in one or more popular pastimes. These include baking, reading, playing video games or sports, shopping, crafts, collecting things (like stamps and china), singing and playing musical instruments. Conveniently, there’s a side hustle platform that can help you monetize any of these activities.
Baking
For instance, if you want to make money with your baked goods, you can join a platform called Hotplate, which helps you pre-sell your baked goods for pick-up. If you’d rather bake for guests, another site called EatWith, helps you host fancy dinners in your own home with paying guests.
Reading
Avid readers can review books for $25 to $75 per review with U.S. Review of Books. If you’re able to edit or proofread, you may also be able to sign up with Reedsy, which helps self-published authors get their manuscripts in shape. And, you can offer to write, edit and proofread on ServiceScape, setting your own rates and the genres you’re interested in.
Play Video Games
If you’re an avid gamer, you can earn money playing games on Twitch, where avid followers subscribe to watch their favorite players. Not that good — or interested in playing games 24/7? If you like fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons and are organized, you can sign up to be a “gamemaster” on StartPlaying, setting your own rates and schedule.
Coach sports
If the games you are good at are the outdoor variety, a number of sites can also help you find clients to coach. It doesn’t matter whether your sport is basketball, soccer, la crosse or pickleball. Athletes Untapped, TeachMeTo and CoachUp all allow prospective coaches to sign up, say how much they charge, and when they’re available to coach. The sites book clients and collect payment for a portion of your proceeds.
Shop
Love to shop? You can get paid for it by signing up with mystery shopping firms, such as ServiceEvaluationConcepts and BestMark. Mystery shopping gigs aren’t usually terribly lucrative, paying between $10 and $50 per gig. But you sometimes also get free stuff, like spa treatments, meals and oil changes.
Sell Crafts
People who love to make things — from custom soaps to aprons, jewelry to furniture — can set up shop on Etsy to sell your wares. The site pulls in millions of customers each week, who buy some $13 billion worth of goods each year. Creators decide what to make and sell and how much to charge for it. Etsy takes a commission on each sale.
Buy and sell collectibles
If you’re among the millions of people who collect things — stamps, legos, lladro, or even tennis shoes — there are nearly endless online marketplaces to resell these products at a profit. Sites like eBay draw a worldwide audience to bid on everything from industrial equipment to stamps. Meanwhile, sites like Poshmark specialize in clothing and accessories, allowing sellers to create “closets” that get followed by people interested in that seller’s specific type of merchandize.
Sing or Play an Instrument
Life makes you want to sing? And you can’t imagine something more fun than creating a new tune on your trumpet or guitar? There are two side hustle platforms that can pay you to play. One, Songfinch, enlists songwriters and performers to write custom tunes for people celebrating a special occasion. Meanwhile, a site called LessonFace allows skilled musicians to teach their craft to students around the world through their online platform.
Or….
None of these speak to the type of side work that feels like play to you? Check out the SideHusl Quiz to find a way to earn money that suits your skills and passions.
