One of the reasons this blog covers so many side hustle ideas is because of how powerful starting a side hustle is.
It doesn't matter if you want to get out of debt, boost your investment portfolio, or just save up for a purchase you've had your eyes on: learning to make extra money on the side is an incredibly valuable skill.
It also doesn't matter if you're making money online or turning to gig economy apps… Every little bit counts! So, let's dive into some of the best 2024 side hustles you can use to ramp up your income!
Want a fun way to earn extra rewards? Checkout:
- ESA Mastery: Get a done-for-you Shopify business with 20+ ready to sell winning products!
- Freecash: Get paid to play fun mobile games and to download apps!
The Best Side Hustles 2025
After testing out hundreds of side hustles over the years, here are over 75 of my all-time favorites.
1. Make Money Online With Freecash
Freecash is a brand new gpt site that's been growing rapidly in popularity. And it's a super easy way to begin making money from home.
This site pays you for completing a range of tasks. You can make money with paid surveys, cash games, watching videos, shopping offers, and by installing apps.
My favorite part about Freecash is that it has plenty of rewards. You can redeem gift cards, crypto, PayPal cash, and unique video game rewards. Plus, some rewards start at only $0.50!
2. Answer Surveys With Branded Surveys
If you want another fast, simple side hustle idea, you can also check out Branded Surveys.
This popular survey site pays you with PayPal cash and free gift cards for sharing your opinion. And with a $5 cash out minimum, you can actually get paid the same day with this platform.
The best part about Branded Surveys is that you can also earn bonus cash through its Branded Elite program. In a nutshell, this program pays you with bonuses the more surveys you complete in a month.
If you're a fan of survey sites and want some easy money, Branded Surveys is definitely one site worth trying out.
3. Play Bingo For Money With Bingo Cash
If you like playing Bingo, then one easy online side hustle is to compete in paid Bingo games with Bingo Cash.
This legit cash game lets you win real cash prizes for winning Bingo tournaments on your phone. Prize pools can reach $50 or even more, and you play against other players from around the world.
You have to buy-in to tournaments with entry fees, so this isn't the right app if you want to earn money online without spending anything.
But if you want a competitive iPhone game that pays real money, Bingo Cash could be worth trying.
Note that cash games aren't available in: AZ, IN, IA, LA, ME, SC, MT, and WA.
4. Become A Freelance Writer
If you enjoy writing and creating content, then freelance writing is another one of the best side hustles out there. And I firmly believe this because freelance writing for other personal finance sites is how I make most of my income.
Back in 2020, I quit my day job at a marketing agency, moved to Colombia, and went all-in on making money through freelance writing, blogging, and other digital marketing services.
These days, I'm able to travel the world, making money with my laptop through writing and blogging. And all of this was possible because of starting a new side hustle.
What I love about freelance writing is that you create your own schedule and know exactly how much your time is worth…there's no endless meetings, back and forth with clients, and time-wasting activities to distract you.
Want to accelerate your freelance writing income?
Check out my brand new eBook, Freelance Writing For Freedom, to learn how I went from $0 to $100,000+ in freelance writing income!
5. Play Android Games For Cash & Gift Cards
Cash Giraffe is a free Android app like Mistplay that lets you get PayPal cash and gift cards for playing a variety of mobile games.
I like Cash Giraffe since it has a wide variety of games you can play. Plus, it lets you cash out at only $0.20, which is very low in the world of paid gaming apps.
The app also adds new games pretty often. And you can always stack Cash Giraffe with other gaming reward apps to shuffle between offers.
Download Cash Giraffe or read my Cash Giraffe review for all the details.
6. Invest In Real Estate
If you want to earn passive income, one idea you can try out is to invest in real estate.
This method of investing for income doesn't require millions of dollars either. In fact, you can get started with $100 or even less thanks to the rise of real estate investing companies.
Some of the leading real estate investment platforms include:
- Arrived: Lets you invest in individual rental properties with only $100.
- Fundrise: Another leading platform with a low $10 minimum.
- RealtyMogul: Lets you invest in commercial real estate deals starting with $5,000.
- CrowdStreet: One of the largest commercial real estate investing networks with a $25,000 minimum.
The nice part about real estate investing platforms is that they are completely passive and generally low fee. Plus, you get to enjoy the power of compound interest and dividend payments as a member.
Ultimately, this cash flowing asset is a very popular way to effectively get paid to do nothing. And it's a very popular side hustle idea for diversifying income.
Note: This is a Fundrise endorsement and we receive compensation if you sign up with the provided link.
7. Get Paid For Your Opinion With Survey Junkie
Like Branded Surveys, another leading way to share your opinion for cash is Survey Junkie.
With Survey Junkie, you just answer online surveys and cash out through PayPal or free gift cards when you reach $5.
There's no frills, fake sign up bonuses, or unrealistic cash out minimums to distract you from your earnings. Again, this side hustle idea isn't really for me, but it's an easy option for making money in your spare time that's worth mentioning.
Sign up for Survey Junkie & work towards your first reward!
8. Get Paid To Download Apps With Kashkick
If you like side hustle ideas like Survey Junkie, another leading paid survey site you can use is Kashkick.
This popular U.S. site pays you for answering surveys and playing games for PayPal cash. And you can redeem your earnings for free PayPal cash once you earn $10.
I've used Kashkick for the last year or two, and it's quickly becoming one of the newer but more popular survey platforms out there.
What I like about Kashkick is that a lot of the download offers can pay $5 to $20, or even more. This means you can score some nice, quick cash without too much effort.
You can try out Kashkick today or read my Kashkick review for all the details.
9. Make Money With Sign Up Bonuses
If you want to get free money without much effort, one popular side hustle method you can test out is to use various sign up bonus apps and websites.
Plenty of companies are willing to pay new members for their business. So, this is a pretty simple way to snag some free cash without much effort.
Some of the top instant sign up bonuses you can take advantage of include:
- Current: This online bank lets you earn 4% APY and also has a nice $50 sign up bonus.
- InboxDollars: A leading paid survey site that also has an instant $5 sign up bonus.
- Rakuten – My favorite cash back extension that pays you to shop and has a $30 sign up bonus.
- Chime – A popular banking and cash advance app with a $100 bonus.
This isn't a very consistent side hustle since once you use a bunch of bonuses, you're done earning.
But it's always worth looking online for ways to get paid to shop or sign up. And some bonuses can reach $100 or even more!
10. Start A Blog
Starting a blog is the type of side hustle that can honestly change your entire life.
I started blogging when I was in college. The blog helped me land a job in digital marketing. By my third year of blogging, it also made over $22,000 and now lets me write and travel the world.
Now, in my fourth year, I made over $90,000 from blogging just to give you an idea of the growth potential here. And this year, this blog makes about $20,000 per month between Mediavine ads and affiliate marketing.
The bottom line is that a blog can turn into a business. Plus, even if it doesn't, you learn so many marketable skills by starting your own blog like:
- Becoming a better writer
- SEO
- Graphic and web design
- Social media marketing
Plus, you can start your own blog for free or for under $100 a year…not bad for something that can change your life.
If you want to start a blog, you can use SiteGround to find affordable domain names and WordPress hosting to get your blog up and running.
11. Make Money Playing Solitaire On Your Phone
Solitaire is one of the most popular, classic card games out there. But did you know you can now make money by playing it on your phone?
Enter Solitaire Cash: one of the leading and highest-paying real money Solitaire games!
This game lets you play against real players in games of Solitaire. Players have identical decks, so it's a matter of speed and skill to see who comes out on top.
You pay small entry fees to take part in cash tournaments. Games usually pay $5 to $10 to winners but can pay $50 or even more. Just note that you can't play cash games in these states: AZ, DE, LA, MT, SC, TN, and VT.
12. Deliver Food With Uber Eats
Another flexible side hustle you can get started with is Uber Eats.
This food delivery app is available in 6,000+ cities around the world. And it lets you make money by delivering food with a bike, car, or scooter.
What I like about Uber Eats is that it also lets you deliver when you want to, so you can build a schedule that works for you. Drivers get paid weekly for the previous week of completed deliveries. And you keep 100% of all tips as well.
Overall, Uber Eats is a popular delivery gig that's available in many places around the world, making it a very accessible side hustle.
Pro Tip: Save $600+ per year on auto insurance by using the free Best Match Auto insurance tool.
13. Start A Print On Demand Business
Print on demand, or POD, is one of the coolest side hustle ideas out there because it doesn't require money to get started.
Basically, POD companies manufacture and ship products with your unique designs on them.
This means you, the artist, just have to focus on creating new designs and promoting them online without worrying about logistics and manufacturing.
I used Printify, a POD company, to sell meme mugs on Etsy back in college as my college side hustle.
It was a very fun experiment, and if you have an eye for graphic design, I think starting a POD business is an amazing side hustle idea.
Get started with Printify & launch your POD business!
14. Make Money With Swagbucks
If you want to earn free PayPal cash and gift cards in your spare time, then Swagbucks is another excellent side hustle idea to test out.
I've been using this rewards website since college. And it's an easy way to make money by answering surveys, downloading apps, playing games, shopping online, and more.
I also like Swagbucks since it has a nice $5 sign up bonus for new members. And you can cash out for various gift cards at just $1 and PayPal cash at $5.
Plus, the variety of earning options means there's always something new to try out with the platform.
Start making money with Swagbucks or read my Swagbucks review.
15. Use Passive Income Apps & Websites
At The Budget Diet, I love talking about passive income apps.
After all, there's just something satisfying about earning bits of extra cash with your smartphone or computer without having to do much work.
If this sounds like it's up your alley, some of the best passive income apps and websites you can try include:
- Capital One Shopping – Automatically apply available coupon codes at 30,000+ stores to save money.
- Acorns – A leading micro investing app that rounds up your spare change and invests it to help you build good habits.
- MobileXpression – Another way to earn free gift cards for sharing your data.
- Pogo – Earn free PayPal money every time you shop and share your data.
- Mobile Performance Meter – Earn $0.10 per day or more with your smartphone for joining this market research panel.
- Bridge Money – A new app like Pogo that pays you when you shop with a linked card.
- Honeygain – This app lets you sell your unused internet for passive income.
These apps won't make you rich, but I firmly believe you can earn around $100 to $200 per year or more with a mixture of these platforms!
Note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up with the provided link.
16. Try Out Blackout Bingo
Blackout Bingo is a leading real money game for iPhone and Samsung devices that lets you compete in tournaments of its exciting Bingo money game.
This is one of my favorite games right now that lets you face off against players in cash tournaments. And games pay out anywhere from a few dollars to $40+ to winners.
You have to deposit money to compete in these cash games. And tournaments aren't allowed in a couple of states, including: AZ, AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, and TN.
However, it's one of the higher-paying apps in this genre. So, put your skills to the test are try out Blackout Bingo!
17. Find Missing & Unclaimed Money
Did you know that there's currently billions of dollars out there in unclaimed money and assets that's owed to people?
That's right: the Government and other agencies often owe everyday people a lot of money. This can happen when money from tax returns, investments, or other sources isn't paid back properly.
People can even be owed properties or other valuable assets without knowing about it. So, it's time to take action!
If you live in the United States, you can use this free tool from BeenVerified to do a quick search for missing money and assets that are in your name. It just takes a minute, and it could yield some surprising (and lucrative) results!
If you're outside the United States, I suggest checking out our ultimate free money now guide for more opportunities.
18. Make Money With Mistplay
If you enjoy playing games on your phone, then Mistplay is one of the best side hustle apps you could ever try.
Mistplay is a loyalty rewards program where you can earn free gift cards for trying new Android mobile games. The entire process is actually quite simple: just install Mistplay, browse for games you like, and play them.
As you level up in-game and with your overall Mistplay account, you earn points, which are redeemable for a range of free gift cards.
Plus, the redemption minimum is only $0.50, so you can actually earn some fun money to spend at companies like Amazon after trying a few games. There's also a range of genres, including strategy, cards, adventure, puzzle, and multiplayer games.
Download Mistplay today & start earning free gift cards!
19. Deliver Groceries With Instacart
Instacart lets you make money on the side by delivering groceries to people in your city.
Unlike most delivery apps, there's also two possible roles: an in-store shopper position and a full service shoppers.
In-store shoppers are W-2 Instacart employees, so you're actually hired by Instacart and work in partner grocery stores, assembling orders for drivers.
On the flip side, full service shoppers are like Shipt shoppers and complete entire deliveries to customers.
Full service shoppers can also earn around $20 per hour or more depending on the market and tips, so it's another high-paying side hustle to try.
Sign up to become an Instacart Shopper today!
20. Deliver Food With DoorDash
DoorDash is the leading food delivery service in North America, and is currently available in over 5,000 cities!
As a DoorDash courier, you can make money on the side by delivering with your car, bike, or scooter. And you can sign up if you're 18 or older and pass a background check.
Plus, the lack of strict vehicle and driver requirements and fast sign up process means you can boost your income with DoorDash pretty quickly!
And I like the fact that you can start delivering anytime you want as long as it's busy enough in your area.
Start making money with DoorDash!
21. Start A YouTube Channel
Now, I know what you're thinking: starting a YouTube channel isn't a viable side hustle idea because it's too competitive.
YouTube is competitive. However, I definitely think it's still possible to make money on YouTube.
I started my own YouTube channel, and within a year, we're closing in on 10,000 subscribers and regularly clearing $500 per month in profit.
YouTube is also a weekend side hustle for me, and I only spend a few hours per month on it. So, anything is possible if you put your content out there.
And, like blogging, starting a YouTube channel also teaches you a range of marketable skills, like video editing, film, and how to be a better public speaker/storyteller!
22. Use Cash-Back Reward Apps
Alright, time to talk about one of my all time favorite all time side hustles: using reward apps to earn free cash and gift cards.
There are so many apps and websites out there that let you earn real cash back for shopping and sharing your data. And I've been using these apps since my phone farming days to earn rewards.
Some leading reward apps you can test out include:
- Fetch Rewards: Lets you earn free gift cards for uploading your grocery receipts.
- Drop: One of my favorite reward apps that pays you with free gift cards.
- Receipt Hog: Lets you earn PayPal money for scanning your shopping receipts.
- Upside: A leading gas rewards app that can pay up to $0.25 per gallon.
- Shopkick: This app pays you to scan barcodes, walk into stores, shop online, and more!
You won't get rich with any of these reward apps. But if you stack them and put in some effort, I think earning $10 to $50 a month is definitely possible.
23. Rent Out Your Spare Storage Space
If you have some spare storage space, an empty parking lot, or even an empty garage or room you're not using, you can now earn passive income by renting it out on Neighbor.
Neighbor is a peer-to-peer storage marketplace that's basically the Airbnb of storage space. You can rent out storage space and parking spots to people in your neighborhood and make extra cash every month.
Neighbor lets you set your own prices, and hosts get $1 million in liability insurance as well. If you're not using your garage, backyard, or other areas of your house or driveway, this is a nice passive side hustle to test out.
A lot of Neighbor storage spaces cost $50 to $200 per month, so there's some serious money on the table for hosts.
24. Sell Stuff You Don't Need
If it's been a while since you've done some Spring cleaning, one fun side hustle idea you can try is selling your unused stuff for quick cash.
This is one way I've made money in the past, and I've sold things like used furniture and clothing on Facebook Marketplace before.
And the great news is that there are so many ways you can start selling stuff for cash, including:
- Poshmark: One of the best ways to sell shoes, clothing, accessories, watches, and handbags.
- Mercari: A popular selling app where you can list just about anything for sale.
- OfferUp: Another app like Facebook Marketplace that's great for fash local sales.
- Pawn Shops: Another option for selling expensive items like gold and silver, collectibles, sports cards, and anything vintage.
- Worthy: One of my favorite ways to sell watches, jewelry, engagement rings, and diamonds online.
You'd be amazed at how much you can make in a short amount of time if you do a quick clean of your house.
25. Sell Your Data For Money
If you want to make money on autopilot, one excellent, passive side hustle you can try out is to use the Nielsen Panel.
Nielsen is a massive data collection and market research company that's been in business for decades. And, the company is willing to pay you for sharing data about how you use your phone and computer.
When you sign up for the Nielsen Computer Panel, you begin earning sweepstake entries for your data. Sweepstakes are for cash prizes and other rewards, so if you get lucky, you can score big.
You can also join Nielsen's Mobile Panel with your smartphone. This panel pays you with points that are redeemable for a wide range of free gift cards.
The mobile panel pays $50+ per year, so it's a nice way to get some free cash if you're willing to share your data.
Get started with Nielsen Panel!
26. Get Paid To Workout
If you want to get paid to workout, then apps like Healthywage are one of the best side hustle apps you can possibly use.
With HealthyWage, you bet on yourself to reach a weight loss goal. There's also a lot of money on the line; up to $10,000 in fact for teams that win a HealthyWage weight loss challenge.
Now, you can compete in teams or on your own, and the entire point of HealthyWage is to hold yourself accountable while you tackle your fitness goal.
To use HealthyWage, you choose a weight loss goal, timeframe, and then decide how much money you want to bet on yourself. If you win, you get your entire bet back and then some. If you lose, you're out of luck and your money is gone!
It's intense, but it's meant to be. If you struggle to stay on track with your fitness, this could be the financial motivation model you need. You can also read our guide on the best ways to get paid to walk for even more ideas!
Calculate your HealthyWage prize!
Even More 2024 Side Hustle Ideas To Try
If you're still looking for more unique ways to boost your income, here's another 50 ideas to help you get inspired.
25+ Best Online Side Hustle Ideas
If you like working from home or remotely, some online side gigs you can try include:
- Sell crafts on websites like Etsy
- Flip stuff from flea markets and thrift stores online
- Sell Pokemon cards online
- Offer online coaching
- Stream video games on Twitch
- Sell your designs on sites like Redbubble
- Sell guides on websites like Udemy
- Try online tutoring with websites like QKids
- Become a virtual assistant
- Make money on Upwork
- Make money testing websites with companies like PlaytestCloud
- Try micro task websites that pay you for completing short online gigs
- Sell Yugioh cards online
- Earn money with Audible or become a voice actor
- Rent out things for money
- Try selling on Amazon
- Publish a book on Kindle
- Testing products for money
- Become a freelance editor or proofreader
- Make money with these highest paying apps
- Try selling on Fiverr
- Use apps like Dosh to earn free cash back
- Join online focus groups for money
- Using gaming reward apps like JustPlay and Money Well to earn prizes
- Create a niche affiliate marketing blog
- Sell notes or do homework for cash
- Offer video editing services
- Make money writing on Medium
- Use different beermoney websites
- Make money playing games with various reward apps and websites
25+ Best Offline Side Hustle Ideas
For more money-making ideas that involve getting out and about, checkout:
- Walk dogs with Rover or Wag!
- Try driving apps that pay
- Do yard work or landscaping for people
- Start a babysitting side hustle
- Try some men's side hustles like being a handyman
- Offer cleaning services in your city
- Make money renting out your friendship with Rent A Friend
- Drive for Uber or Lyft
- Using apps like TaskRabbit to find local cash gigs
- Become a caretaker with Care.com
- Start a local baking business
- Rent out your car for passive income with Turo or HyreCar
- Offer pool cleaning in summer
- Offer car washing or detailing
- Make money with P2P delivery jobs
- Teach music lessons
- Teach art lessons
- Referee sports games
- Make and sell coffee
- Work part-time at a summer camp (this is a great side hustle for teenagers)
- Find and resell golf balls
- Host a garage sale
- Become a lifeguard
- Style hair or do people's makeup
- Try mystery shopping gigs with Field Agent
- Work for a local pizza joint as a delivery driver
- Shovel snow
- Making money without a car by becoming a bike or walking courier
- Clean gutters and windows for people
- Offer a painting service in your city
- Run a bake sale
- Help people with junk removal if you have a pickup truck
- Get an online certification for a new skill (and then land a higher-paying job!)
- Drive for Amazon Flex
- Make money with Uber Eats
- Try some side hustle ideas for couples
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it: that's our ultimate side hustle list to help you boost your income.
My final piece of advice is to really just pick something that fits your skill set and to stick with it.
It doesn't matter if it's blogging, delivering for DoorDash or Uber Eats, or making money with Instacart; persistence is always the key to success.
Side hustles have a snowballing effect, and you'd be amazed at what a few months or year or hard work can produce. If you want even more ideas, I suggest checking out our side hustle database or guide on making money without a job for even more opportunities.
You can also read our posts on the best side hustles for men and the best side hustles for women for even more resources. So, happy hustling you The Budget Diets!
