Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
I don’t know about you, but I always feel like I don’t have enough time in the day or money. Thankfully, there are side hustles that don’t require days of attention.
To make extra money, you can start a side hustle with just five hours or less a week. But which side hustles don’t require a lot of time and are lucrative?
To find the most lucrative side hustles for you, I scoured the internet using sources like Business Insider. I’ve actually participated in a few of these. They are side hustles you can do for either five hours a week or turn into a full-time gig. Can you think of any others? Write it down for us in the comments.
1. Freelance Writing
I’m biased. There was no way I wasn’t going to mention freelance writing. Believe it or not, I started my freelance writing career as a side gig. It was something I did on the weekends for a few hours.
In the beginning, I was only making about $100 extra per week, but that $100 really helped with bills. Once you get more practice into your craft, you can charge more and turn that $100 into $200 or more.
2. Dog Sitting
Dog sitting isn’t the most reliable source of income, but it’s easy if you’re a pet person. I used to dog sit years ago when I had the space, and on a fully booked weekend, I could earn as much as $200.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, market yourself on local Facebook groups. I’ve also had luck using apps like Rover.
3. Online Surveys
Not everyone would consider this a side hustle, but it can be if you’re conscious of your time. Do you have extra time to waste? Instead of scrolling on Facebook, use a points-based reward app to take surveys or play games.
I’ve used Swagbucks since I was 13. On the app or website, you earn points called Swagbucks, which you can convert into gift cards.
4. Delivery Driving
It truly stuns me how many ways there are to make money with just a phone and an internet connection. When I first went full-time as a freelance writer, I didn’t have that many clients.
To supplement my income, as I found more clients, I drove and delivered for Uber Eats, DoorDash, and InstaCart. Although I never used Amazon Flex, it’s an option if you have the space for packages. You don’t need a car either. Uber Eats allows delivery drivers to use bicycles on short runs.
5. Uber/Lyft Driving
You don’t need to deliver food or packages. If you have a car, another option is to drive using Uber or Lyft. While you can make money in less than five hours, you can also up your hours for more income.
I recommend driving around downtowns and airports when using Uber or Lyft. These popular areas get busy and may pay more.
6. Selling Digital Items
Do you have a talent for digital items? Are you a budgeting queen? Something I’ve noticed online is digital product sales. This is perfect if you don’t have the money to invest in a physical product.
You can sell reading guides, budget planners, excel sheets, and more. Although I haven’t sold a digital product yet, it’s something I’m considering.
7. Reselling Physical Items
Reselling items also doesn’t take a long time. You can dedicate five hours or even less a week to uploading images and packing orders. I like reselling gently used clothes, accessories, home, and cookware.
Facebook Marketplace is excellent if you want to sell locally. You can also resell items online through platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Mercari.
8. Tutoring
Side hustles don’t require a bunch of clients. With just an extra five hours a week, you can tutor students in various subjects. I’ve tutored on and off since 2017 in English and College Writing.
The good thing about tutoring is that you can always increase your hours if you want to make more money.
9. Social Media Affiliate Marketing
Do you have a natural talent for social media? If so, I recommend looking into social media affiliate marketing.
Amazon has a program where you can market their products. You get a unique link to share on social media. With each purchase, you can earn a commission. So, what products could you see yourself promoting?
10. Selling Print-On-Demand Products
For a short while, I designed stickers and t-shirts. Instead of printing shirts at home and selling them from here, I used a print-on-demand service.
With this side hustle, you don’t need to spend hours each day marketing or creating designs. Create one or two strong designs and schedule marketing posts on social media. This side hustle does require work and a little bit of luck.
11. Dog Walking
Dog walking deserves its own section, although it is closely related to dog sitting. With dog walking, you don’t need to care for a pet in your home. Instead, you can spend thirty minutes to an hour each day walking one dog.
By charging $20 for each dog walk, you can earn about $100 a week. The more time you put into this side hustle, the more money you can make.
12. Mobile Notary
It’s not that hard to become a notary in the United States. Each state is different. In Florida, all you need to do is take a three-hour program and apply for the license.
People will pay for a mobile notary. Advertise yourself on places like Facebook Marketplace and NextDoor. It takes time to build a name, but it is worth it. The average notary in the United States makes $18.03 an hour.
13. Virtual Assistant
Not many people consider virtual assisting a part-time job, but it can be. When I first started as a freelance writer, I also picked up part-time virtual assistant gigs.
My daily tasks for these clients included answering emails, calling for appointments, and data entry. I found most of my virtual assisting clients through Upwork.
14. Lawn Mowing
Do you own a lawn mower? Have you noticed any of your neighbors with unruly or tall grass? Consider talking to them and starting your own small lawn-mowing business.
As a side hustle, you don’t need a bunch of clients. Just one or two a week will keep you at the five-hour cap. You can charge anywhere from $50 to $250 for a yard.
15. Furniture Assembly
I don’t have much experience with furniture assembly. Instead, my husband usually puts everything together. During COVID-19, when his hours were cut back, he signed up for TaskRabbit and completed furniture assembly jobs. He charged a minimum of $50 for an hour-long project.
If you do this, you can easily earn $250 a week with only five hours of work.
16. Pressure Washing
Not everyone owns a pressure washing machine, but it’s a great investment if you want to make extra money on the side. With time, it can even grow into a full-time and extremely lucrative business.
So, how much do pressure washers make? According to Thumbtack, pressure washer technicians charge about $250-$350 per job, depending on the size and area. It costs a lot more to pressure wash a home than a driveway.
17. Personal Shopper
Do you like shopping? Another way to make money every week with just five hours or less of work is personal shopping. There are plenty of websites like Thumbtack where you can advertise your services.
With personal shopping, you often buy items for clients, like groceries or beauty products. In 2020, I used to shop for a family. They sent me a grocery list each week, and I’d shop for it with their credit card. I made about $50 for each store run, which rarely took an hour.
18. Car Detailing
Car detailing isn’t for everyone. But if you know how to deep clean a car and have the right tools, why not offer this service?
I have an old-school friend who started car detailing as a side hustle. He only cleaned one car a week for way less than five hours. In no time, car detailing became his full-time business. You can charge anywhere from $100 to $300 depending on the service.
15 Highest Paying Jobs That Nobody Wants
Truthfully, almost all of the best high-paying jobs that no one wants to work, are blue-collar jobs. Working in the trades can sound intimidating, but it comes with great benefits, high pay, and job security.
Despite the pros, not a lot of people turn to the trades. If you’re feeling stuck, you may want to consider one of these high-paying jobs.
To curate this list, we chose jobs where you could earn at least $25 an hour. These jobs are also high in demand. To find out how in demand, we used Indeed and ZipRecruiter.
Here are 15 high-paying jobs that nobody wants.
- Read More: 15 Highest Paying Jobs That Nobody Wants
15 Bizarre Items That People Bought and Sold on eBay
We all have an eBay account, but who still uses the platform? Traditionally, eBay was the go-to website to sell and buy used items. Now, there are many marketplaces for second-hand items, but eBay is the place where weirdness abounds. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen on eBay? I can bet it wasn’t as weird as some of these items.
The Purpose of a Budget and 11 Reasons Why You Need One
The primary purpose of a budget is to track your income and expenses. A budget also ensures your bills are paid on time, helps you plan for the future, helps identify any bad spending habits or areas where you could reduce your spending, and ensures that your spending reflects your priorities. By creating a budget and sticking to it, you can ensure your needs are met, your bills are paid on time, you get out of debt, and you meet your financial goals.
