There are so many ways to earn money these days that it is sometimes hard to determine where to begin. There is a whole world of possibilities from selling products, to blogging, using social media, and many more. It isn’t always easy finding the right side-hustle for you though.

What can be helpful is listening to some real examples of people describing some of their side-hustles they did that earned them the extra income; and some that eventually replaced their 9-5 jobs.

Here are 7 side-hustles that real people have chosen to work on to earn money.

7 Side-Hustle Ideas from Real People

1) Babysitting

I’m a well-off resident of the United Kingdom who could make good money babysitting, which was especially simple since the children were in bed already when I got there!

I was able to do my homework while I was there as well. Working on New Year’s Eve offered me double pay all the time; I never did anything for New Year.

2) Baking

Last June 2020, I just started baking to relax after all of the intense studying in my final year of law school. I only created my business two months ago, and since then, I’ve made a lot of money! Unfortunately, because I must prepare for the bar examinations, I have had to stop my hustle. I wish I had more time to give this side-hustle my complete attention, but at least I made some extra money.

3) Trading Magic the Gathering Cards

I buy and sell Magic: The Gathering cards. I try to keep an eye on emerging trends, as well as potential unknown gems. Because I play the game, it isn’t like I don’t use the cards for myself. However, I will occasionally purchase cards when they are cheap if I think that they have a good chance of appreciating in the future.

4) Poshmark – Selling Used Clothes

I’ve made nothing substantial off of selling on Poshmark, but I like that the gently worn stuff that I don’t want to wear anymore is going to someone who wants them. Particularly, my clothing can also be potentially picked up by someone that couldn’t afford it at retail price.

I feel good when I sell my stuff on Poshmark. The money from those sales goes towards new clothes from brands I’d want to try out without paying the full sticker price.

5) Refereeing

I’m a college referee! I make $600 for spending a Saturday away from home to officiate competitive collegiate games, and it’s not terrible.

I do college-level refereeing 1-2 times a week, usually on Monday and Tuesday. Typically, I make around 20k throughout the year. It’s a temporary gig, but I enjoy it. It’s fantastic to be paid for doing something you love.

My kids are in baseball and if you have the certification for being a high school umpire, it could be some nice side cash. My husband coaches my son’s travel team, and he can’t easily find umpires with qualifications in the area. So I get how it might be lucrative. We’re always short on soccer referees.

6) Pet Sitting

While I worked as a veterinary assistant, I cared for dogs and did bathroom break visits for them.

I charge $20 to let your dog out, and $40-50 to stay the night.

I would charge extra if I had to administer medication.

Granted, I priced my services based on a more expensive area of Denver, but they were still considerably lower than those charged by other folks, therefore I had a lot of work. I made more money than I was earning at the veterinarian clinic each month, and I got to live in some fancy homes as well.

7) Local Lead Generation

I began offering local lead generating several years ago, where I started sending leads to local business owners such as carpet cleaners and plumbers.

It began by generating me about $1,500 a month, but it quickly accelerated until I was able to give up my 9-5 job and do it full time. Now making a pretty solid income…

Bottom Line

It’s always good to have a side-hustle that can help you earn extra money. The best hustle here is the one that overlaps with something you enjoy such as baking, dogs, or playing trading cards. Another great way to identify side-hustles are gigs that can scale enough in the long run to replace your 9-5 corporate job.

I appreciate that the spectrum of ideas that includes side-hustles that require a lot of expertise, as well as some that don’t need special skills at all. Hearing about actual experiences from real people is always encouraging; if they can do it, you can too!