So I was just brainstorming a bit thinking of ways to earn a little extra without the responsibilities of actual employment, meaning you can do it when there’s time and put it on hold if you have to. Personally I like crafting so I could imagine having something like a little etsy store. I could carve beads from wood, antler or bone and turn them into jewelry. Something like that. That wouldn’t just be a way to make money but also sounds like a nice hobby. Not sure how financially feasible it would be though, maybe someone here already has some experience? But yeah I’d love to hear about your ideas/advice. Anything that’s legal and not exploitative, be it entirely independent or also freelancing stuff that doesn’t require special training.
Donate plasma. Easy $500/mo.
Donate for money?
Bee keeping. Sell the comb and honey on etsy.
One of the risks around monetizing hobbies is that while you may enjoy that hobby now, doing it to make more adds level of stress and responsibility that can quickly make it into another job that you no longer love. Places like Etsy are competitive and reward consistency in listing and sales, so to have any real success you can’t really list just one or two items and wait for them to sell. You’ll drop far down in search rankings and suddenly your store dies because Etsy stops sending people to it.
This isn’t to say don’t try, but be aware it isn’t as easy as “hobby but get paid for it”.
Every time I start a hobby, I end up monetizing it, then all the fun goes out of it, and I eventually drop it.
Prostitution works for me
I salute you. Despite society’s warped morality, it is a noble profession.
I’m a tax consultant, so I see a lot of people’s side hustles.
As other’s here have said, once you monetise a hobby it’s not a fun hobby anymore… just another responsibility.
Take the beads thing for example. Carving some beads to make some cool jewellery sounds like a great hobby, and you could make some really amazing unique gifts for family. However, if you want to make money from it then you need to compete with other etsy vendors - you’ll very quickly find the pieces that sell and then it becomes a question of how many of those pieces you can turn out per hour or per day.
Economically, making money requires time, or skill, or capital. The most appropriate will be a mix of all three that fits your circumstances. As a “side hustle” you kinda want a little of each rather than a lot of each. Good examples might be:
- window cleaning - for businesses or residences
- gutter cleaning - get one of those telescopic pole thingies with a camera so you don’t actually need to go on anyones roof
- lawn mowing - just a few customers in your street
These things aren’t “hobbies” but they will be a lot more satisfying, enjoyable, and profitable than carving beads.
I created [email protected] as I resell as a hobby on eBay and marketplace. It’s a good way to clear out stuff that you don’t want or need and fuel your hobbies. I think it’s pretty funny that the other user says that reselling is gross and goes on to explain that they buy and resell things for a profit.
I’m going out to the middle of bfe this morning to pick up some stuff I won through an online estate auction. I got a dresser for $1. I might keep it I might sell it for a profit. Nobody else wanted it and I’m saving the family the hassle of having to throw it away somehow and someone else might be really happy to have it after I clean it up.
I think it’s pretty funny that the other user says that reselling is gross and goes on to explain that they buy and resell things for a profit
I think what they meant is drop shipping where you’re just selling any old crap from alibaba
Reselling sounds like a neat idea if you have the space.
I took up guitar during Covid and got obsessed. Now I am buying up beat up old guitars, cleaning, repairing, restringing them, and reselling them at a profit. It feels great to take an old guitar that may have been neglected for decades, and put it back in the hands of someone who will give it a new life.
This is tough without special training or scummy morals
Like you can resell stuff but that’s gross
Crafting is cool but that’s a special skill. I know people that sell crochet, needlepoint, etc
I refurbish electronics but that’s also a special skill, it’s not terribly difficult to learn though and can actually be quite lucrative. Good for the environment too. Buy a switch that someone is just going to throw away, fix it, resell it as refurbished, that kind of thing. This is getting much harder though. Ebay was the primary way to go and they’ve been shifting away from refurbished and used sales a lot over the past few years
I have a friend that does custom artwork for people but that’s a special skill. I have another friend that sells music for people that wants beats but again special skills. Fivver type stuff
Basically a lot of these will be “monetize your hobby”
Like you can resell stuff but that’s gross
Buy a switch that someone is just going to throw away, fix it, resell it as refurbished, that kind of thing.
Huh? So are you for or against reselling?
Donating plasma has been pretty good for me. $60 per donation and you can donate twice a week.
[off topic]
Get this book. “Discover What You Are Best At” by Linda Gail. It’s a series of self tests that gauge what skills you already have, and then lists the jobs that use those skills. For example, a hair dresser and a nurse both need good social skills and good dexterity; two totally different jobs with a similar skillset.
I spent my whole life thinking I’d never find a job I actually liked, then I got the book and it led me to a career I enjoyed and got a decent salary.
Also, selling self-help books
