Find your side hustle
51 side hustle ideas you can start today.
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With additional reporting by Nicole Willing
Financial independence. Whether it's achieved by paying off debt, buying a property, or building up your savings and investments, we all want it.
The only thing is, we probably need more income from our 9 to 5s to achieve this, giving us more left over after paying all those bills and other expenses.
One way to reach your goal faster is to take on a side hustle to earn some extra cash on top of your day job.
The only question is where do you start?
The great thing about a side gig is that it doesn't always require a massive upfront investment or specialised skills. You can fit it around your schedule, and some gigs you can do from the comfort of your home. If it's something you love doing and it works out well, you could even make enough money to quit your job and make it your new career!
We've compiled a list of 51 side hustles, so you can get out there and make some extra dosh.
Side hustle ideas
 | 1) Airbnb. This idea makes use of THE most expensive asset you will ever purchase in your life – your house. Wouldn't it be great if you could have someone else pay your mortgage while you still live in your home? Wouldn't it be great to double your income in comparison to the traditional rental market? The next time you go on holidays or away for a few days, you can have vetted people stay in your house and keep the money flowing in. Find out how Tom makes $700 per week from his property. If you want to get the ball rolling now, you can become an Airbnb host in just minutes. |
 | 2) Driving. If you have a car and commute to or from work, you are in a prime position to start making extra cash. You can work before or after your regular job, on weekends and even during your commute to work! Use your vehicle to transport people to the club, medical appointments or to get groceries in your spare time. Check out sites like Uber to start earning while you drive today. |
 | 3) Delivery services. Make extra money by delivering takeaway food to your local community today. Uber Eats will pay you to run errands and deliver food, groceries and other similar items to people. It's a cool idea if you are already running around on a bike on your regular commute. You can work in your own hours, on weekends and during times that suit you. |
 | 4) Freelancing/gig economy. Perhaps you work in a specialised field or have high-level skills in a specific area. You can be certain someone, somewhere is willing to pay you for those skills. For instance, you can do some freelance writing outside your regular journalism job or cash in on your video skills using your drone. Sites like Fiverr or Upwork offer a quick way to start earning extra today. |
 | 5) Invest in stocks. If you're willing to take on a little risk, investing in the stock market can be a great way to make an extra income. In share trading, you earn a profit by selling shares for a higher price than what you first paid for them. Some companies also pay a portion of their profits to shareholders in the form of dividends twice a year. This means you can get an ongoing passive income without ever having to sell the shares or worry about stock price volatility. |
 | 6) Blogging. If we told you that you could renovate your home from the money you make blogging, you'd think we were crazy right? Try telling that to Jake Falkinder (author of It Pays To Blog). Jake was able to gain some traction on his first blog and make money off the ads. "My focus was designer T-shirts and the blog grew in popularity, receiving international coverage in books, magazines and popular websites… not to mention providing us with the funds to renovate our family home." Easier said than done? That's true. We spoke to Jake, and he was kind enough to write up a guide for us on how to make money from blogging (and from scratch). |
 | 7) Photography / artwork sales. There is a myriad of ways you can monetise that passion you have for photography or art. Set up an eBay account to sell online or pop down to your local shops to see if they will hang your paintings for free and help sell them for you. There are tons of online courses like Udemy to help you get started. |
 | 8) Rent out your car. Instead of driving people around, would you rather they do all the work for you? Utilise your car while it is at work or even overnight when you do not need it. Sites such as Car Next Door offer you the ability to monetise one of the most expensive purchases you will make. If you have a spare car sitting in the garage, then this idea is even better for you as you can offset the cost of insurance, registration and running repairs. |
 | 9) eBay. While we know eBay is not as much of a gold mine as it used to be in terms of making some extra cash on the side, it can still provide you with a decent income if you do a little research around what products are selling quickly and who the target audience might be. Alternatively, if you are looking to declutter around the house, then this is a good way to make some extra dollars. |
 | 10) Amazon. Similar to eBay, Amazon is a great way to make some quick and easy cash. However, with Amazon's FBA program, you do not need to hold any products in a physical form. With this service, Amazon will stock, pack, ship and service your customer orders for you. How good is that? Amazon also allows you to redirect customers from your own website to enable multiple income streams running 24/7 – check out our guide. |
 | 11) Rent out your garage or driveway. Got an empty parking space or driveway? Sites like Spacer let you rent out your unused parking space, garage or driveway. It can be especially profitable if you live in an urban area where people work or if you're near a train station. These apps are really easy to use as well. Most of the time, all you need to do is take a picture of the space, set a price and they'll do the rest for you. |
 | 12) Tutoring. There are millions of people around the world who want to increase their skills in many foundational areas such as language, maths, science and even into more complex topics such as business management and medicine. If you hold strong knowledge or, even better, an education background, then you can use this as a side hustle with very minimal outlay. |
 | 13) Teach people to cook at home. Been told that you make a killer lamb roast or tofu smash? You can earn money from the comfort of your kitchen and make recipes of your choosing, so you can eat them or give them to the kids afterwards. If cooking is your passion, then check out ClassBento. |
 | 14) Food prep and meal delivery. This flows on from the previous side hustle. After you have run your cooking class, you can deliver and sell the food you cooked to your local neighbourhood! Many people want to eat good, healthy food but simply do not have the time to make the necessary preparations. You can prep and deliver meals for a cost to people on specific diets, people with food intolerances or body builders. |
 | 15) Publish on Kindle. Kindle allows you to access an audience of millions with minimal outlay, so if you are an aspiring author, regardless of whether you write nonfiction, fiction, poetry or something else, you should be on Kindle. You can also link your publishing with the Amazon account you have already created and multiply your income stream. |
 | 16) Dropshipping. Dropshipping is blowing up around the world as a great way to earn a passive income on the side. The concept of dropshipping is that you advertise a product online and then use a third party supplier for delivery arrangements. You advertise the product but have none of the shipping or warranty issues. There's a few ways to dropship including services like Amazon's Fulfillment program as well as platforms like Shopify. |
 | 17) Pet sitting. Love animals and just can't get enough of them in your life? Pet sitting is the avenue for you to turn this love into dollars. You can choose when, what type and for how long you look after people's pets. Going through a platform like Mad Paws can help you find jobs in Australia. |
 | 18) Make money providing classes in arts and crafts. Whether you're an expert candle maker, photographer or artist, you can run workshops at a place of your choosing and make cash with ClassBento and other similar online marketplaces. The Sydney-born company operates in lots of locations and has helped independent local artists and artisans reach out to a wider audience looking to up-skill or simply take up a new hobby. |
 | 19) Make money as a private chef. You don't need to work in a restaurant to make money as a chef these days. Marketplaces like At Your Table and Take A Chef allow cooks to earn an income from private dinners and events. If you're a chef, you can also use your expertise in the culinary arts to earn an income from birthdays, weddings and other events both big and small. You can even cook from home and have your meals delivered to other people's homes. |
 | 20) Babysitting. Babysitting is a classic side hustle and with the explosion of new online marketplaces in the past few years, it's never been easier to earn an income as a childminder. Most Australian sites require that you have a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and a First Aid Certificate to get started. If you're a student looking to make some money while you study, a backpacker or simply want to utilise your spare time to earn extra cash, there are always loads of parents looking for babysitters and nannies, especially during the school holidays. |
 | 21) Housekeeping. Are you a whizz at domestic chores and housekeeping? If so, there are plenty of people out there who aren't and they're in drastic need of someone to get their house back in order. You can usually find plenty of ads for a housekeeper on sites like Airtasker and Gumtree. |
 | 22) Marketing focus groups. Companies and businesses want to know what consumers think before releasing their goods and services. Marketing focus groups are where you, the consumer, come in. There are loads of online services where you can make some extra cash simply by sharing your opinion. Better still, it's usually easy to fit it into your schedule. |
 | 23) Sell your old clothes at a local market. Got old clothes you don't wear anymore? Don't just chuck them out, sell them at a local market. Even if you don't have enough to warrant renting an entire space at a market, team up with your mates and sell your unwanted clothes together. |
 | 24) Etsy. If you wish to make, sell or distribute products that are unique, antique or just vintage, then Etsy is the platform for you. Etsy takes niche selling to the global audience and allows millions of independent artists to sell their products with minimal costs. So, if you are thinking of selling your artwork, handmade clothes or restored vintage goods, then take a look at Etsy. |
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How much money can you make with a side hustle?
The amount of money you can earn from your side hustle is up to you. It depends on what you choose to do and how much you're prepared to work on it. You could go from making as little as a few extra dollars a month into the thousands.
How much can you make on each platform?
We've compared a few popular side-hustle options and estimated the potential earnings.
How can I ensure my side hustle is successful?
To make a success of your side hustle, you need to have a plan, and change how you view your time. Here are 6 things you need to consider:
- Be realistic with your time. To be serious about your side gig you'll need to be prepared to sacrifice some of your free time outside work.
- You'll need to have discipline. You need to be prepared to work on your side gig when your friends and family are off socialising and you're wishing you can join them.
- Evaluate your skills. Decide on a gig that's a good fit for your skills, because you'll need the right knowledge and abilities to make them work.
- Research your idea. Before you spend time and money getting started, test out your idea to see if it's a viable way to make money that will work for your circumstances and lifestyle.
- Set clear goals. These need to be measurable milestones so that you can track your progress and feel a sense of accomplishment as you build up your hustle to a regular source of cash.
- Build a sustainable customer base. A successful side hustle will have more than one customer. If your gig is sustainable over the long term, it could put you in a position to replace the income from your day job.
How can I work out the right side hustle for me?
If you're trying to decide the right side hustle for you, here are some things you need to think about:
- Start by making a list of your skills and interests. After all, if you don't have the appropriate skills for the work it'll be an uphill climb. Even if you do have the skills, if it's not something you'll enjoy you won't want to spend your free time doing it.
- Be realistic about the time you'll have available. Estimate how many hours or days a week you'll be able to spend working on your side hustle. Don't forget you still need some sleep and free time!
- Set an income goal. Be clear on why you want to make the extra money and how much you want to make so that you can explore side hustles that have the potential to reach that goal. If you only need to make a few extra dollars it might be enough to clean out your closets and sell a few things on eBay. But if your goal is to make hundreds of dollars, consider higher-earning gigs like renting out a room, consulting or freelancing.
What side hustles are Australians doing?
During Christmas, we asked Australians how they would increase their income with a side hustle.
| Side hustle | Proportion of Australians |
|---|---|
| Sell things online | 16% |
| Make my skills available via Airtasker/Freelancer | 4% |
| Drive an Uber | 2% |
| Rent a room/whole house | 4% |
| Deliver food | 3% |
Source: Finder Customer Sentiment Tracker April 2021
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Financing your side hustle
- Self-financing. Taking the time to amass your savings before launching is one of the most tried and true methods of funding a new venture. Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook on the side – what can you do?
- Personal loan. It might be difficult to obtain a business loan as most lenders require a minimum of 6 months trading history. It could be a better idea to check out personal loans instead.
- Borrow from those close to you. Going to the Bank of Friends and Family can be a quick way to help you get your side hustle off the ground at the beginning, but always be cautious not to blur the lines too much between business and personal life!
Don't forget tax!
Side gigs can be a lot of fun, but you're still required to report this income to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) alongside your everyday earnings.
In Australia, the first $18,200 that you earn is considered tax-free as it's in the tax-free threshold. However, you can't claim that tax-free threshold twice so if you have a second job or start a business on the side, the second income will be assessed for tax.
How much will you pay in tax?
The tax office will take a look at your total taxable income for the financial year. So if you have a side hustle it's a good idea to set aside money from that income to pay for your tax at the end of the financial year.
Take your total projected income and look at the official tax brackets to get an idea of how much you'll need to pay.
Resident tax rates 2020–21
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| 0 – $18,200 | Nil |
| $18,201 – $45,000 | 19 cents for each $1 over $18,200 |
| $45,001 – $120,000 | $5,092 plus 32.5 cents for each $1 over $45,000 |
| $120,001 – $180,000 | $29,467 plus 37 cents for each $1 over $120,000 |
| $180,001 and over | $51,667 plus 45 cents for each $1 over $180,000 |
Foreign resident tax rates 2020–21
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| 0 – $120,000 | 32.5 cents for each $1 |
| $120,001 – $180,000 | $39,000 plus 37 cents for each $1 over $120,000 |
| $180,001 and over | $61,200 plus 45 cents for each $1 over $180,000 |
What are the insurance requirements of a side hustle?
Keep in mind that certain side hustles may require you to get the right type of business or personal insurance. Every side hustle is different, but as a general rule of thumb:
- If you're running your side hustle as a business out of your home you might need property insurance to cover your equipment and product inventory.
- If there's a possibility a client could sue you if they're not satisfied with your work, professional liability insurance could protect you against legal claims.
- If you interact with the general public, you might need public liability insurance to cover in case an accident happens.
- A small business insurance package can protect you from a host of unexpected costs like theft, loss of assets, or injury to a client who sues for damages.
Start out with even a small side gig, and you may be surprised at how quickly it takes off. It could just become your main source of income.
Picture: GettyImages
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