It is time for another installment of the awesome side hustle ideas series. Here is the link to part 2, part 3 part 4 and part 5 as well if you missed them. And today I have got some more for you! If you want to share your unusual, weird, unheard of or well paying side hustle with my readers, please drop me a line at tdmpauline at gmail dot com, thank you!
Brand ambassador
My favorite side hustle is being a brand ambassador. A brand ambassador represents a brand at events, expos, etc. to increase brand awareness. The job consists of talking to people and handing out free stuff. I dig it because it’s pretty easy and pays between $15/hr-$20/hr. I have represented such companies as Starbucks, Ghirardelli, Keurig, Columbia Sportswear and more. The gigs are fun and you usually get free stuff. I got my first gig on Craigslist and got many subsequent gigs after signing up with various marketing agencies. To do the job, you just need to be able to talk to people and stand on your feet for long periods of time. I’ve made several thousand dollars each year doing brand ambassador work.
Melanie from Dear Debt
Cracking walnuts and squishing worms
Growing up, my parents always gave us non-paid chores which we were expected to complete as part of the family. However, certain tasks would arise (usually unpleasant or time-consuming) that they would entice my brother and me to do for a little income. So here were my first side hustler jobs, starting as early as age 6:
- Cracking walnuts: Our relatives had a walnut tree and would give us bags of unshelled walnuts. Retrieving the precious nut was a laborious process of smashing it with a hammer at just the right angle and then very delicately extricating the meat, trying to keep the walnuts halves intact as much as possible. Pay rate = $0.01 per walnut.
- Squishing worms: White moths would often flitter over the fence into our backyard, lay eggs on our petunia plants, and soon we would have fat, green worms eating our flowers. Pay rate = $0.10 per squished worm and a whopping $1.00 per killed moth!
Although these first side hustler jobs didn’t earn me enough to pay for college, it was nice not having to pay tax on it (and I did learn good work ethic for which I am eternally thankful).
– Deb from Saving the crumbs
Valet parking
During my college years I had an excellent easy side hustle that helped me avoid college loans. I used to do Valet parking for weekend social events. I found the job via an agency. The pay was a decent hourly rate, and the tips were a welcoming bonus that I got to keep. The competition was fierce as some guys wanted to park all the cars, but for the most part we took turns. Imagine extra hustling at a side hustle gig. On average I could make about 75 – 100 dollars for a 5 hour event. In addition to the money, I got to drive many brand new luxury cars. It’s unfortunate none of the attendees owned a classic Ferrari, as that is the ultimate driving experience in my opinion. I’m on a different mindset now, and I don’t really see myself doing this again, but in an emergency it is a very easy side hustle to take on.
– Rich Uncle EL from Money Watch 101
Writing for business directories
One of my favorite side hustles was writing business descriptions for business directories. The company I was working for would send me names and websites of businesses. I would then take a look a look at the business and write a 2-3 sentence description of what they were all about. I’d have to write anywhere from 20-100 descriptions for the same business.
The work was very repetitive but it was also extremely simple. I got paid $2 per description and could complete around 25-30 descriptions per hour. It worked out to a nice hourly rate and didn’t require too much creativity on my part.
Oddly enough I found this job on Craigslist. Many people warn that Craigslist jobs are all scams but this one was truly legit!
– Alexa from Single Moms Income
Social media manager
My best paying side hustle has been as a freelance social media manager. I got the job through a friend I was working with FT at a software company. A client of her’s mentioned she needed help managing the social media day-to-day for a non-profit she was working for. One client turned into three, and I make about 1k a month managing the social media channels. I can schedule social media in advance on the weekends, and all told I probably spend between 7-10 hours managing these clients each month. It’s been great!
– Lauren from LBee and the Money Tree
Sweet, I need to get into social media management. I’ll leave the squishing worms to someone else 😉
Stefanie @ thebrokeandbeautifullife recently posted…Real Estate Comparison: What Can You Buy in New York City?
I may have found a new tiny side hustle last night. Will email you if it turns out to be legit.
Will @firstqfinance recently posted…Side Hustle 1:1: Each Expense Gets Its Very Own Income Stream
cool, thanks, and good luck!
Cool Side Hustles and I was happy to share mine. It was a fairly easy job that was fun and the time went by really quick. Thanks for the opportunity.
EL @ Moneywatch101 recently posted…Can you Define Happiness?
When I was 8 my mom paid me to cut out coupons for her. She ran a coupon train that was also a membership type thing. That was way before the internet and printed coupons. Anyway, she paid me one penny for each coupon I clipped. Being 8 I thought that was a great deal as I could quickly see my pennies accumulate. Needless to say, I didn’t realize just how many pennies it would take me to earn $1.00! :o)
Tennille recently posted…The Versatile Blogger Award
When I was in college, my side hustle after school work was to work at a lawyer office as an office assistant. I was paid more than enough because the lawyer was a good friend of mine. Thus, it was able to support most of my school expenses. By the way, good side hustles, I like the social media managing….
Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…What is The Future of Recruitment in Australia
Love the social media manager side hustle. This is something that a lot of companies could use some help with. Small businesses right up to large corporations want to leverage “social media” but don’t know where to begin. Good idea!
Thomas recently posted…Need Money Fast? Try Swagbucks!
I would love the brand ambassador side hustle. That’s my speed right there. I will have to check that one out! Nice post Pauline
Ced @ FuggingDebt recently posted…Moneymoon- The Honeymoon of Consumerism
Wow! Some of these sound like amazing side hustles. I’m impressed at how much you can make doing some of these things. The key to side hustling is just to keep your eyes open for opportunities and then work hard at it (seems like).
Kayla @ Red Debted Stepchild recently posted…You Might be a Workaholic If…