Side hustling is a great way for someone to diversify income streams and accelerate the path towards wealth! Over the course of 10 years, I made about $200,000 in profits off of side hustling as a wedding photographer. Today, I have an awesome guest who will share her journey to $53K in side hustles!
In 2015, I remember tallying up all my debts (student loan, car note, personal loans, medical and credit card debt) and feeling a pit in my stomach. It totaled more than $60,000.
I needed to act. I was desperate to dig myself out of the debt hole and flung myself into various side hustles to make extra income every month to pay off the debt. From 2016-2020, I was able to make over $53,000 in side hustle profits, which not only helped me pay off all my debt, but helped me make a down payment on a rental property.
Here are some of my most lucrative side hustles:
- Tutoring/babysitting: On weekends, I would drive a few kids to and from their various extracurricular activities. During the week, I would tutor in math and Spanish for $35-50/hour. Not only were these the most consistent and lucrative, I also really enjoyed the families I worked for. I applied for gigs through Care and Sitter City.
- Pet care: I WFH for my day job, which meant I can help pet sit. I would walk dogs, dog-sit at my place and stay at the owners’ homes to take care of their animals. During the holidays, it is common to see pet sitters charge $50-75/night.
- Etsy: I have always wanted an Etsy business. I combined my love of nature with minimalism and made concrete planters by hand that came with air plants. I purchased plants wholesale at local nurseries (I live in San Diego). I really enjoyed making something by hand to sell. Etsy is not just for crafts, but also digital products! If you are handy with a spreadsheet, many Etsy shops specialize in resume templates, budget spreadsheets and everything in between.
- Reselling: Flipping or reselling items was my most time-consuming side hustle. I would go into thrift stores or estate sales and look for items that were popular. I purchased electronic items, used clothes and homegoods to resell on Poshmark, Offerup or Facebook Marketplace. If you are passionate and knowledgeable about a certain style or product (collectible shoes, wicker products, etc.), this could be a good side hustle for you.
- Uber: For a few months, I tried my hand at Uber driving and enjoyed it! If you have a car already, there’s zero start-up costs and you can begin right away. I found that airport pick-ups/drop-offs and driving after 10/11PM made me the most money. However, I drove a SUV, so I realized that it wasn’t worth the money since my car is a gas guzzler.
If you would like to learn more, please feel free to follow me on Instagram (@moneyandmelinh) or my site (moneyandmelinh.com) where I also offer 1:1 personal finance coaching and blog about side hustles, personal finance and real estate.
Curious about how side hustling can help your budget and knock out student loans? Follow me at @savemycents on Instagram and @savemycentsfb on Facebook for fun and helpful info.
If you could use a new budget or redo one that’s not working for you, head to my blog a special Budgeting: How to start with your first budget for a coupon to get Your First Budget Spreadsheet for free. Also the Save My Cents guide 10 Steps to Student Loan Freedom helps people with how to pay off student loan debt.
