5 Side Hustles You Need to Try This Year

It’s becoming increasingly challenging for salaries to keep up with living costs. Inflation doesn’t discriminate, and everything seems to keep getting more expensive. Side hustles are an excellent way to generate extra income without making career changes. Here are some options for you to consider if you’re looking for ways to make some cash on the side. 

Proofreading or editing online is an excellent side gig you can do from home. If you are a grammar whiz or always notice typos, this might be the perfect job for you to earn some extra funds. You can create a freelance proofreading business by taking a free workshop to get started or sign up for sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Scribe and more. 

There are also opportunities to read books for profit by joining an online book club and reviewing or narrating books. Reading manuscripts for literary agents is another fun option. Who wouldn’t love to get paid to read? The options are endless from nonfiction books to fiction novels to manuscripts. Tutoring or teaching English online can also raise substantial income, but you are required to have a degree. 

Making jewelry is a fun side gig that can be profitable. Making jewelry might be a fun hobby you’ve had for years, but you only make it for yourself or friends. Why not start earning money for those gorgeous creations? You can start your own business selling your jewelry or sell it on platforms like Etsy. Etsy is a profitable marketplace that sells homemade items for users. They do charge a commission, but they do the marketing for you. 

Clay jewelry is trending right now and it’s easy to make if you have all the necessary tools. Investing in the right tools can help you maximize your profits, like a bead maker that crafts beads in different diameters in seconds to use for other bracelets or necklaces. Whether you’re new to making jewelry or have been at it awhile, some tutorials can make jewelry making simple, fun, and easy to bring in a little extra income. 

Affiliate marketing is one of the most profitable side gigs that you can do because it’s so widespread. You can choose services or products or services that interest you to market.  Recommend and promote businesses and then earn a commission from items you help sell. Affiliate marketing is a flexible option that can generate passive income. You can also make money by starting a blog, posting consistent, valuable content and using affiliate marketing to attract income. 

Choosing a niche and platform should be your first priority and then you can research where to promote. Sign up to work with affiliate programs like Clickbank or Amazon Associates to advertise products on blogs, social media or other platforms. You can also watch videos, take surveys and more to earn gift cards or cash on sites like Swagbucks, which also offers an affiliate marketing program. 

Delivering food and groceries is a trend that offers plenty of opportunities to make extra money. You can sign up through delivery services like Instacart, DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, GrubHub, Shipt or others, depending on availability in your location. So many chain restaurants don’t have delivery services, making people pay top dollar for takeout that they don’t have to drive to retrieve. You can make a substantial income by ordering food and delivering it to people who often tip generously for your time and effort. 

You can even apply to deliver packages or prescriptions for people instead or in addition to food or groceries. Amazon Flex is a program that offers shifts in two-hour increments that pay a minimum of $18 an hour to deliver Amazon packages to people. Take a few hours before or after work to bring people their online orders and make some extra cash.  Delivery drivers help people get their stuff promptly, and you’d be surprised how much people are willing to spend for convenience. 

Digital downloads are excellent for people who are artsy or love graphic design. Software like Canva allows you to create custom designs and then sell them to people as digital downloadable content on sites like Etsy, Shopify or Amazon. You get the creative freedom to choose what you design and where and how to sell them. 

There are some tips and tricks to find what’s popular that can help you gauge what to make next. Checklists for wedding planning or stationery, digital organizers and planners, and worksheets for kids are some of the top-selling examples of digital downloads you can create and sell online. Brides are constantly looking for ways to organize their wedding planning, so creating an attractive wedding checklist download could be pretty profitable. 

Side hustles are everywhere and it can be challenging to know what’s legitimate. Utilize these side hustles to have fun and make extra cash on the side without quitting your day job.