Having a side hustle can make the world of difference. Whether you use the extra money to pay down debt or boost your savings, one thing's for sure: that cash can really come in handy.
So, we recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their money-making side hustles during and before the pandemic. Here are the ones that have been lucrative for them:
1. "My pandemic baking hobby turned into a small bakery business."
2. "Babysitting. I get $10 an hour, and I can schedule it around my classes and homework."
—luvly_grl
3. "I'm a veterinary technician, but I pet sit on the side."
4. "I'm a dog walker for a famous actress who's in her eighties. I get paid $30 for a 30-minute walk and do at least one walk a day."
"It's the perfect lil' side job to supplement my full-time income, and I get outside and get some fresh air at least once every day!"
If you want to get started with dog walking, Rover is a platform that'll help you book gigs as a pet sitter or walker.
5. "I have a custom pet portrait business. People send me pictures of their animals and I make a custom painting for them."
6. "I referee hockey games on the weekends (and occasionally, weeknights). I make anywhere from $25 to $100+ per game."
"Most games are an hour to an hour and a half long. If you played a sport in high school, you can ref it. You don't need to know everything to get started, and some sports are easier to get into than others. You just have to look up what the officiating body is and when they have clinics to get certified. Those usually only happen once a year, so put it on your schedule and don't forget to register when the time comes!"
7. "I started making custom sugar cookies!"
8. "My husband buys and sells sports cards — specifically baseball and basketball cards, but he’s dabbled in football every now and then."
"He’s an avid sports fan and loves to read up on potential basketball draft picks and baseball prospects in the minor leagues. If he thinks a minor leaguer will be a star player once he reaches the majors, he’ll buy a bunch of that player's cards and hold onto them. Most of these cards sell for $1–$5, depending on the player. If those minor leaguers are having a great season, or if they make it to the majors and absolutely kill it, he resells them and makes a pretty profit. One time he bought a card for $10 and resold it a year later for $800. It takes a lot of time and patience to see that money, but it’s definitely worth it. That extra money he makes helped us pay for our wedding and also helped us buy a car after my 1996 Toyota finally gave out last year.
His side hustle helped us a lot during the pandemic, especially when baseball and basketball started again during the summer. We’re counting on it to help us buy our dream home soon and so far we’re almost there!"
9. "Delivering for Uber Eats averages around $20+ an hour."
10. "I run an infant sleep consulting business on the side."
"Because of it, I was able to buy a house instead of a condo."
—amber98103
11. "I’m an elementary school teacher with an engineering degree. Since I've come to know many families, I also get to tutor math (algebra, geometry, calculus, etc.) on the side for their older kids."
12. "I’m a full-time kindergarten teacher and mother of four kids. I started a business selling all-natural, sugar-free sweeteners and drink mixes after I had gestational diabetes."
13. "I have a full-time job at a college, but I run a photography business on the side."
"I only do around 15 weddings a year and a handful of family shoots, but it brings in an additional $40,000 a year before taxes."
—shannonl44
14. "I bartended on Saturday afternoons before the pandemic."
15. "I have a Redbubble shop where I sell products with my art on them."
"I’ve only had it for a few months so I haven’t made that much, given that I only make about 15% of profits. But any money helps when you’re a college student."
16. "I started an Etsy shop! It doesn’t bring in a ton of money, but after the first few months, I definitely saw a significant profit."
17. "Before the pandemic, I worked a part-time gig for a pro sports team promoting their beer sponsors."
"We would go to local bars to give away swag and free tickets. Then on game days, we would work different promotions, like alumni signings, during the game. Best side hustle ever."
—pitz0041
18. "This year, my dad decided to start selling birthday cakes, and he makes $100–$300 dollars a week from them."
19. "I delivered pizzas as a second job for years."
"It really depends on the area you live in, your car's gas mileage, and the store you work for, but overall, it’s an easy night job that can bring in extra cash ASAP. I’ve made up to $150 in one night, although the average is closer to $50."
20. "I rent my spare bedrooms to traveling nurses and other medical professionals."
21. "I clip horses' coats and do fun designs for them."
"I've made over $3,000 in just three months this season!"
22. "I buy items on sale at outlets and clearance stores and resell them on eBay."
23. "I was a trivia host a few nights a week, and I loved it."
"When bars and restaurants can open fully again, I will return to it. Some places do have trivia still running but I have chosen to stay away from that type of contact until it is much safer."
—kirby3131
24. "I’m a freelance artist. My main work consists of picture books, comics, video game art, and pet portraits. But any time I need some quick easy income, I do cute cartoon animal art for furry commission."
25. "I used to sell pictures of my feet."
"I know it sounds weird, but there are a lot of people who are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for them. I once got $500 for a video of me putting on lotion."
—mmhemp060601
26. "I made $500 in two months selling crap on Craigslist."
