The Best Side Hustles You Can Start With No Money
Today, I have a guest post from Chris Panteli. Enjoy!
Starting a side hustle is a great idea as the extra money can help you pay off debt quicker, build savings, or can be used as extra spending money every month. What is stopping you from trying some of the best side hustles?
For many people, the possible cost to get started prevents them from taking that first step to creating a successful side hustle. However, are they right? Does it cost that much to start a side hustle?
Great news! You can easily start a side hustle without having to pay anything. That’s right, many side hustles are completely free to get started.
In this article, you can learn about the best side hustles that you can start with no money. By the end there will be at least one side hustle that is suitable for you and you can get started at no cost to yourself!
Testing
A great way to earn extra cash is to work as a tester. Companies happily pay for users to test their website or app and provide feedback.
Most tests pay $10 and take an average of 20 minutes to complete. Potentially, you could earn $30 per hour. That’s $300 a week for 10 hours of work!
To work as a tester, you don’t need any special equipment. You can do the work from the comfort of your home using your computer or smartphone. If you are comfortable providing your feedback by audio or video, this is an easy side hustle to start at no cost to yourself.
A great site to get started on is Usertesting.
Freelancing
If you have skills, you could work as a freelancer. There are plenty of legitimate freelance opportunities online. Many big-name brands are choosing to hire freelancers for specific jobs, so the opportunities are there.
Provided you have an internet connection and a computer, you can work as a freelancer with no start-up costs.
There are endless freelance categories, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Graphic design
- Editing
- Proofreading
- Accounting
- Photography
- Software development
- Data entry
- Virtual assistant
Within these categories there are countless sub-categories, so you can drill down to something specific that you are skilled for. To learn new skills or improve your existing skills, try sites like Udemy. They offer a range of video courses that teach a huge range of topics.
Starting a side hustle as a freelancer can often turn into a full-time job. This could mean you get the chance to leave behind the 9-5-day job and have the freedom to work your own schedule from the comfort of your own home!
Getting started as a freelancer may involve taking jobs that are lower paid at first. Once you have built a reputation in your field and some repeat customers, then your earnings should increase. You could even create your own website and attract customers directly.
To start your freelancing journey, try Fiverr to start with. You can sell your skills for as little as $5 right up to $10,000!
Teaching
Thanks to modern technology we can stay connected with friends and family anywhere in the world. This also means you can connect with anyone else around the world too.
A fast-growing industry is online teaching. Don’t be put off by the word teaching. You could easily become a teacher online provided you have the required knowledge of the subject plus you don’t always need teaching experience.
You could start by offering your services through social media, checking online job boards, or freelance websites.
Alternatively, you could create courses in your chosen field and sell them. Websites like Udemy and Teachable can be a great way of building passive income selling courses you have created.
Start A Blog
Another one of the best side hustle ideas to start with no money is blogging. Provided you can create quality content on a regular basis you could build a blog that ends up generating thousands of dollars per year. Some phenomenally successful bloggers earn millions per year!
If you have specific knowledge of a subject, you could start a blog around it. If there will always be plenty to write about, then it could be profitable. Some suggestions for blog topics include:
- Food
- Travel
- Fashion
- Lifestyle
- Music
- Fitness
- Sports
- DIY
- Parenting
- Finance
All these topics are popular and offer lots of potential for constant new content.
Getting started on a blog has never been simpler. You can find a huge amount of help online to help get a blog started. Sites like WordPress and Wix are free to get started. Both offer the chance to create a blog from scratch using a variety of well-designed templates. This is ideal for beginners as you don’t need to worry about learning any coding, just use the design that suits your style and add your well-written content. Easy!
Start Your Blog With Bluehost Today!
Blogs tend to take time to start making money. Provided you have patience, then you could start seeing a regular income once the blog has been running for at least 6 months. Income can be generated in a variety of ways including:
- Affiliate marketing
- Ads
- Sponsored posts
- Selling merchandise
Once your blog is established and getting regular traffic you will start earning regular money. Income from a blog can turn into passive income which provided the blog remains active means you can revenue for years after it was written.
Sell Your Ideas
Are you an innovator? Do you regularly have ideas for new products or apps?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then there is some good news for you. There are companies that pay for ideas. Not everyone can bring a new product or app to market themselves. Instead of letting your great ideas go to waste, you can sell them!
There will be some work required on your part to identify the right company to sell your idea to. To help get you started here are some companies that regularly buy ideas:
- 3M. This company mainly looks for ideas relating to electronics, office supplies, and healthcare supplies.
- Dorman Products. If you have ideas about hardware, housewares, and automotive products, then Dorman Products would like to hear them.
- Henkel. Henkel is a big name in the personal products industry.
- Sharper Image. Do you have ideas for new toys, technology, or innovative gadgets? If so, Sharper Image wants to hear about them. In the email include a description of your product, any photos or videos, if you are currently selling it, and your contact information. Their merchandising team will contact you within 14 days to discuss your idea further.
- Jokari Home Solutions. If you have an idea for an exciting kitchen gadget, then Jokari Home Solutions want to hear it.
Another type of idea that can sell well is for an app. If you have a fully thought out idea for a new app that will likely be profitable, then there are companies that will pay for this. Contact one of the following to sell your app ideas:
- Apple
- King
- FundedApps
- IdeaPros
- Flippa
Not every idea will sell but you only need one great idea, and you could earn thousands of dollars.
Apps That Pay
These days most of us probably spend hours a day on our smartphones. This has given rise to a variety of apps that pay you for using them! You read that right, you can earn real cash from using certain apps on your phone.
Earning the money will take a variety of ways but usually involves completing online tasks such as:
- Cashback for shopping online
- Completing surveys
- Watching videos
- Playing free games
This list isn’t exhaustive and there are lots of other possibilities including apps that pay you for walking!
Getting started is extremely easy. Just download the apps you want to use and start earning. You won’t get rich doing this but if you use the right apps for your lifestyle, then this can be a decent side hustle that earns you a few hundred dollars a year.
That extra money could be used to pay debts off, increase your savings, or as fun spending money!
There are lots of apps that offer cash rewards in exchange for completing online activities. To help get you started here are 3 of the main ones:
- Ibotta
- Swagbucks
- TopCashBack
Related Reading: 10 Apps That Pay You Cash
FAQs
What is a side hustle?
A side hustle is a way of earning supplemental income in addition to your main source of income.
How do I know if a side hustle is worth it?
Only you can decide if a side hustle is worth it. Ultimately, how much you can earn from the side hustle versus how much of your time it takes up is the best way to decide. If it is worth it to you, then it is worth it.
Are these side hustles you can start with no money legitimate?
Absolutely, yes! All the suggestions listed can be started with no money. Provided you have an internet connection and a computer or smartphone, you can start earning.
Final Thoughts
Remember, you won’t get rich overnight from any of these side hustles you can start with no money. However, if you put the work in, then you will earn the rewards.
One day you might be the millionaire blogger working from the beach!
Looking for more side hustles? Check out this list that features more of the best side hustles out there.
Author Bio
Hey, I’m Chris. I have a degree in Business Economics from the University of Liverpool, own a small fast food business, and run LifeUpswing.com. I will help you to make money, save money, and think about money in a way that will give you back your freedom.
Before you sell your idea for a product, make sure your product or ideas are not already registered and get an attorney to help you patent or trademark it through the United States Patent and Trademark Office on https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment/uspto-fee-schedule and let your attorney negotiate and read over contracts with you before handing over your intellectual property for cheap. Patent and/or Trademark your company name, slogan, logo, product design, recipe, blog, or whatever your ideas are. This way, no one can just steal your idea and profit off of it without your permission. You will want to get paid for your idea plus future royalties. Watch Shark Tank as a resource for learning negotiating skills. People with money and power tend to take advantage of unknowledgeable individuals. Hint: Notice how the “sharks” don’t tend to give people deals who they can’t take advantage of financially! Learn about business at https://www.sba.gov/. There are plenty of FREE resources there and you can request a successful business mentor from your local area.
Also, one can get FREE EDUCATIONAL TRAINING at https://www.coursera.org/ and https://alison.com/. Coursera offers financial aid to those who need it for any paid courses. You can take Google IT Courses for as little as $50 a month. You can learn new skills and get certifications, including but not limited to, on how to make apps at Microsoft at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/browse/?roles=maker and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/browse/. Use these to websites to learn new or expand skills to start and/or maintain your side hustle(s). I hope, this information is super helpful to someone!
This is a great list! I’ve made a good amount of money as a freelance editor and proofreader on sites like Upwork.
That’s great. Keep hustling!
NOTE: The FREE educational sources I listed above are SELF-PACED, http://www.alison.com AND http://www.coursera.org. So, you can watch the short videos and do some of the activities and quizzes on your lunch break, if you have to or dedicate a hour or 2 a day after work for 2-3 days per week and you will be finished with one course in up to 6 weeks. The more hours one can spend on a lesson, the faster you will finish. But still, the courses are set up to be self-paced and have discussion forums to get help on http://www.coursera.org. After one finishes each course, you will be given a certificate to print and a link to add the courses to your LinkedIn profile and on your resume’. Alison and Coursera offers courses in some of every major field of study, not just I.T.