This is not a post telling you all about earning lots of money quick and easy. On the other hand, if you are thinking about how you could get a little bit of extra income, you might find some inspiration. And a bit of warning. I will tell you about my experiences with different little side hustles I have tried and investigated - some with luck, some not so much.
For a while, I had a part-time job that I really liked and wanted to keep. But work days varied a lot and so it was hard to fit in other part-time jobs. I started looking for online work that would pay that little extra to make ends meet, and work where I could "set my own hours".
Here are the different types of "hustles" that I will cover in the following:
- Online Surveys
- Micro Jobs
- Transcription
- Selling Stock Photos
- Pet Sitting
- Medical Trials
I would dare say that this list goes from least to most potential as a side hustle, but it, of course, depends on your interests and skills. And maybe you tech-savvy people already know a lot more than me about some of these options. I apologize for the out of date information you might encounter, some of these endeavors were done a while back. Anyway, here goes:
Online Surveys
Doing surveys online can earn you a little bit of money, and sometimes it can be fun, in a get-to-know-yourself better - kind of way. But I find it quite tedious and repetitive, and often not worth the peanuts.
Most survey platforms will send you emails when a survey is available, and sometimes you have to do a small survey to test if you are the target audience. Very often I was not, and then got nothing of course. And sometimes, when I actually was a match, I would be told that the survey was no longer available as they had already had enough replies. So…not a lot of action.
On top of that, there will be a lower limit to the amount that you will get paid, and as long as you do not reach that limit your earnings will be locked away in their system. I ended up with three different accounts - to try and accumulate some money - and none of them never reached a level where I got actual money out of it. Although, not a big loss to be fair.
Nevertheless, I will provide you with links to a couple of the sites that I was using. They have all changed a lot since I used them back in 2017, so hey, they might be more fun and lucrative now. It might be just the thing to do during a long commute for example.
Micro Jobs
Micro jobs are, as the name might suggest, little tasks that you do for a small amount of money. It is a form of crowdsourcing done by companies that need help with various tasks, mostly performed online. There are several platforms out there where you can sign up and get going. My experience is with Clickworker - anno 2017(I still have an active account though, and might start using it again).
The jobs are varied and include proof-reading, data entry, taking surveys, writing and web research. Some jobs are less computer-based and might have you visit a store to take pictures of certain products. Or how about the odd one that I did, where you had to take pictures of your own eyes looking in different directions! There can be great variation, and that makes micro jobs more interesting to me than just doing surveys. That being said -there was a lot of surveys available and less of other kinds of jobs.
The jobs that I performed ranged between 0.03 and 4 Euros. On their website, Clickworker says that you can earn around 9 dollars an hour, and that might be true for some people. Same as with the online surveys described, my issue is that there doesn't seem to be enough micro jobs available to make any significant money from it. But it might in part have to do with the fact that I am in England and not the USA.
Since 2017 they have developed an app, and I think that will make it easier to get several jobs done and accumulate some income… why not do a little data entry while waiting at the doctor's?
Clickworker
Where to find more micro jobs
Transcription
Do you love language, are you quick on the keyboard and great with grammar? Then you might really enjoy doing transcription jobs - converting audio files and video into text and making captions for videos.
I certainly loved the idea of it, but it takes certain skills that I do not have. I tried my luck on a website called Transcribe Me. They use crowdsourcing which in this case means that a longer audio file or video is broken down into smaller chunks, so you as a transcriptionist does not have to work on big files. A.k.a. you can do bits here and there to fit it into your daily schedule.
To become a transcriptionist you need to do a small English exam, and you need to read the rules and guidelines for how to write and use punctuation etc. They call it a style guide. Once signed up all you need is your computer and maybe a set of good earphones to hear the audio clearly. The system has its own online program where you work on the transcriptions.
Personally, I struggled to follow the style guide, and I was not typing fast enough to make it worth the pay(starting at 15 $ pr. hour of audio transcribed - not hour worked, mind you!)But I still wish I could have made it work, as I found the job fun and flexible - you could learn some interesting things while listening to the audio. Money and knowledge, what's not to like!?
A website where you can test your own writing speed and accuracy. I believe you need at least 50 WPN(Words Pr. Minute) to be in the same playing field as professional transcribers.
Test your typing speed
Selling photos online
If you like to take photos and do a bit of editing, but in no way shape or form feel like a professional photographer, the thought of selling your pictures online might not feel like an option. But I am here to urge you - if you have a bit of time on your hands -DO IT! It is not that hard to get accepted as a contributor, and once you have pictures online you basically don't have to do anything else. It could certainly be the most passive of incomes on this list.
I rejected the idea myself a couple of times. I have used stock photography in my work and know the high quality of those pictures - heck, even the free stock photographs are amazing to look at - so I thought no way would I be allowed in, let alone be able to sell anything.
But last year I decided to give it a go. I read an article about a guy who was making good pocket money, mainly based on one simple picture that just kept selling. He would never have thought that this photograph would be popular(I think it was a green field), but it turned out it was a hit. So if he could get lucky, so could I. And so could you!
I have an account at Shutterstock and it was a pleasant experience to sign up and get approved. You have to submit a couple of pictures, which will be evaluated based on image quality(min. 4.8 mill pixels, focus, noise levels etc - more info when you sign up) and on the metadata that you enter for the pictures. If that goes well you have your account and can submit as many or few pictures as you like. They will keep reviewing your photos, but I do not find them unreasonable.
You will earn 0.25 $ pr. picture sold, which might not sound like a lot, but then again, you never know if you might get lucky. So far I do not have that ONE picture that gives me pocket money, but I enjoy the process, so nothing is lost.
Below is a collage of my pictures that actually sold - not so you can ooh and aaah, but so you can see how fairly average they are. And hopefully feel inspired to be a Shutterstock Contributor too!
Pet sitting
I would like to mention being a pet sitter as an option, even though I have no experience with it myself. But if you like animals like cats and dogs, why not make a little money walking dogs in the neighborhood or feed and fuss some cats while the owner is on holiday?
I have heard great things about a website called Tailster which seems to me to be the Airbnb of the pet sitting and dog walking world. You make a profile(that will be reviewed), tell potential clients a bit about yourself and your experience, and you can set your own prices for different services. Communication and payments go through Tailster. They do take a little bite out of the cake, 15 %, but they provide secure payments and you get insurance on top - plus great support if you really want to make your own pet sitting business.
It may look a bit like you have to already be set up as a professional pet sitter, but there are plenty of people who use it to earn a bit of extra money during holidays, or perhaps to get in contact with people in the neighborhood, who are willing to pay you to take their dog for a walk a couple of times a week.
Sadly Tailster is only for the UK, but I easily found another similar American site, so I am sure there are many more great services out there for several countries.
Medical Trials
This is the big whopper. It might sound scary to some, but there are so many benefits. Taking part in a medical trial - and earning money while helping develop new medications.
We all know the scary stories of people getting really sick from being part of a medical study. The one I remember from being a kid was the one where people's heads "started swelling up" as they were screaming in agony. But from watching a documentary on this particular case as an adult, I now see how I misunderstood what was actually going on.
On top of that, my partner has participated in several studies during his time at University, and have only had good experiences. Because of his recommendation, I decided to do a trial myself last year, and I am about to go do another one this coming week!
My experience is again UK based, and I refer to what I know about this one company called Quotient Sciences based near Nottingham, UK.
THE BENEFITS:
Around 100£ a day, plus travel expenses.
The studies vary in length and pay, but as a rule of thumb, you are paid 100 £ for each day you have to stay at the clinic. They pay more depending on level of "Inconvenience" - Like if they have to wake you up several times a night, or do tests that might be a bit uncomfortable.
Free time
You might have to stay in a bed for a big portion of the day, but the time is yours to spend on reading books, binge watching tv series or catch up on your studying. Or you can be social with the other volunteers and play games or watch movies in the common lounges.
Medical check up
Before you are accepted on a trial you attend a screening appointment where you get a thorough medical check-up to make sure you are well and healthy. Your health will be monitored throughout the trial.
Taking part in a medical trial is a great earning opportunity if you meet the requirements and are able to commit to the dates of the study. It is quite popular with students during study breaks or before finding a permanent job. People who have been traveling might do a trial before settling back into "normal" life, or use it as a means to earn money in between travels. Or if you are your own boss, like a small business owner, you might be able to do a trial and attend to administrative work during your stay.
My upcoming stay will sustain me financially for a few months, as I am in between part-time jobs, and I am looking forward to working on some personal projects and reading several books. It is a longer stay, 17 days, and my partner is a little bit worried that I will get cabin fever. Reading books and having me-time is my specialty, so I am not so worried, but I would like to keep you guys updated on my time on this trial. So my next post will be "a report from inside a medical trial", and hopefully it will inspire you to try it for yourself.
Quotient Sciences
Here you can see the requirements and how to take part in a trial with Quotient Sciences.
