What's your side hustle / freelance gig?

Hi everyone!

I’ve seen a number of threads with members asking how they can earn extra income. With jobs being slashed left and right, we could all use strategies to earn more money. I wanted to start a thread where we could talk more specifically about side hustles / freelance gigs we have or had in the past.

Let’s help each other understand the possibilities out there! So, if you’re willing to participate, please tell us:

  1. What’s your side hustle?
  2. What’s the most you made in a month from the said side hustle? If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, please consider giving a range in terms of income generation potential.
  3. How did you get started?
  4. What’s your #1 tip for someone new to get started?
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Hi

i think I might actually look into upwork. There I can do programming on the side. Sharon

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  1. I’ve sold on eBay since 1998, with a few breaks here and there.

  2. I range from $200 to $500 a month (profit) depending on how much work I put into it. I do it very part time, less than 10 hours a week.

  3. I have always just wanted to do stuff for myself and earn more money on my own, so I signed up. I tend to stick with the same items (or related items), but have changed what I sell over the years; clothing, cellular accessories, card games, stamps/postcards, books, and currently CDs/DVDs/Books.

  4. Read everything in the forums. Buy before you sell. Find a good group of knowledgeable sellers who will answer your questions. Research and then think twice. eBay has changed a lot over the years and is not as seller friendly as it used to be (although Amazon is 100 times worse).

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I do transcription on the side with TranscribeMe. The most I have made in a month was $600.00, I believe. I found an article about online transcription companies, and I thought it would be a nice way to keep my skills fresh and earn a little on the side. I used to have my own transcribing business but can no longer do it full time after carpal tunnel. So I do it during the downtime of my regular work and enjoy it. Number 1 tip? You won’t get rich or really be able to do this fulltime to replace your job. It’s supplemental at best, and it’s better to have experience and be fast and accurate than to think it’s something you can just jump into.

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Hi, All! I have been selling on Poshmark since 2014. It brought in a good amount of side money when I was consistently posting. However, Poshmark had gotten so saturated. I also recently started selling plants. My aloe plant produced lots of aloe pups, which I have been selling for $3 each. I made $20 so far!

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@leighofmar Cool. That’s one I forgot doing. I did some transcription work for an executive search firm back in the early 90s in the evenings after my main job. These were very long 2-person interviews, but it was interesting work. I still have the old transcription machine; this was before the software you use now.

@shurley You should absolutely take advantage of your programming knowledge to generate income. Good luck! Sharon here.

What exactly is transcription, like if you would get a side gig what exactly would you be doing? And how would one look into this or get started?

I would like to know about transcription as well.

Hi, all. I have been doing mystery shopping and merchandising for over three years now. Before the pandemic hit, I was averaging around $500 to $600 a month. It would vary but I think my best month was around $900. I use several reputable websites (Market Force, Confero, Customer Impact, for example) and some of them offer shops almost all the time in my neck of the woods (I’m in the foothills area of North Carolina.) You have to be detail-oriented and sometimes you have to playact a role, but it’s interesting work and I can usually set my own schedule. I don’t mind driving a little way if the pay is good enough (put in my earbuds and listen to an audiobook while driving.) Most shops stopped when the country shut down but are starting to open back up again. During that time I re-opened my Etsy shop and started listing masks that I am making. That’s quite a bit slower now that so many people are making masks but I’m trying to specialize with seasonal fabrics so I’m still hoping to make a little bit with that. I won’t say my shop name here but if you’re interested, please let me know. I had to quit my part-time job and didn’t qualify for unemployment so anything I can do now helps out a lot. Stay safe everyone and good luck.

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Hi

If you don’t mind me asking, why did you quit your part time job? You might be eligible for something.
Sharon

1-I mystery shop for several mystery shopping companies. I joined a mystery shopping forum 20 years ago and they had a list of all the shopping companies. I signed up for all of them.The most I ever made was $250 a month.

2-I’m a buyer for a market research company. I buy consumer products that are new to the market and then send them to the company every month. The most I ever made was $1400 one month The company found my name through a mystery shopper database and contacted me with the job offer.

3-I work on different projects for Appen and the most I ever made was $75 for one month. I saw an ad for the company on Facebook and signed up.

4- I pet sit and the most I’ve ever made was $150. My sister owns a pet and house sitting business. Around the holidays she gets super busy and refers some of her clients to me.

5-I transcribe for Rev off and on. I’m still considered a newbie so the most I ever made was $16. I found out about the company through Reddit.

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@SHurley, I worked at a Hospice house. My job wasn’t an essential one but I was in contact with the public that came in. I’m over 60, am diabetic, and have some heart issues. I just didn’t feel as safe in that situation when all this started and the cases began rising in North Carolina. I know I’m out in public while doing the mystery shopping but I’m very careful and choose locations in counties that haven’t been hit that hard. I did apply for unemployment and when I was denied by the state, I applied for the federal plan. I still haven’t gotten a determination from them yet. So I may yet get something but I’m not holding my breath. I’ll just keep plugging away and do the best I can. Thanks for asking. Pam

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Mine is Legal Shield

https://brendahamilton.wearelegalshield.com

now for 20 years

Hey guys!! I’m excited to be sharing my side hustle with you guys and taking tips from all of you!

My side hustle is called PICKL and it’s an app that gives me $5 every time I take pictures of a brand that they tell me about. They give me examples of the pics they want me to take and they’ll tell you when an opportunity is nearby you (if you keep your location and notifications on)

I’ve made $120 in a month from this side hustle, but you can make more depending on how often you want to do it/have stores in your area with opportunities!

I learned about it from a Facebook advertisement.

The app is super self explanatory but if I had a tip to give I guess it would be to always check your phone when you’re about to go to the store (even things like CVS because they have them too) and you can maybe make money!

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Isabel, I’ll have to look into that Pickl app! That sound easy and fun. I also use the Ibotta app while grocery shopping so I get cash back.

Is the PICKL app free? I looked it up on Google and there was mention of BASIC & ESSENTIALS at $14.99, and PRO for $12.99. Also say SHOPPERS FREE APP & BRANDS & RETAILERS FREE TRIAL. I am not shouting, these were the letters that were uppercase in Google. So far I am confused. This app is not in my Playstore and I don’t have FB. Can you offer any guidance?

I don’t consider it as a side hustle but more of a passive income!

I rent out stuff we don’t use that much at home and I use a site for that. I’ve made some good cash from renting out our family’s canopy since we only use it a couple of times a year.

The golden tickets to renting out are tools and costumes!

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And to follow up on my previous comment. I’d like to acknowledge how you can rent out your tools, costumes, and appliances by taking advantage of our platform online.

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