Starting a side hustle can be a great idea to pay the bills every month. It can make life easier for your family and potentially help you deal with unexpected expenses.
Maybe you'll be able to afford a nice holiday thanks to your side gig. Or you can go to this fancy restaurant down the road where you've always wanted to eat.
It's never been easier to earn a secondary income with a side hustle, and you should do it too! We asked several experts for their opinion on what is the best side hustle you can start with no money. Here we go!
The Best Side Hustles You Can Start With No Money
#1 Writing podcast show notes
#2 Combine Pinterest with Affiliate Marketing
If you don’t have a budget but are looking to earn money on the side, then learn all you can about Pinterest. While blogging might be costly for newbies, a Pinterest side hustle can be started with $0. You can create a business account, design beautiful images using Canva, and even schedule Pins with Tailwind for free. If you join good affiliate programs and are consistent with pinning, you can soon make your first affiliate sale without even having a blog.
And here’s my list of the best side hustle ideas that pay $1000/month: https://letsreachsuccess.com/best-side-hustle-ideas/
-Lidiya K, Letsreachsuccess.com
#3 If you can drive, you can make money
#4 I love mystery shopping!
There are side hustles out there with no upfront costs; which is why I love mystery shopping. You do have to pick the jobs that don’t require you to purchase an item first, however they do reimburse you later but there are always plenty of jobs to pick from. An up and coming side hustle in the UK is selling your smartphone photos via certain apps, no financial outlay, you choose which photos to sell and hope someone buys!
-Sarah, SarahBethBlogs.co.uk
#5 Hosting foreign students is a great idea
One of the best ways I have found to make extra money with the most minimal outlay is to host foreign language students. If you have a spare room with a desk and are prepared to share meals with your guests, you can make around £150 extra a week, depending on where you live. It is a real family event too.
My teenage daughter made such great friends with one of our Italian students, that five years on they have met up several times and message each other regularly. It gives you the opportunity to meet interesting young people from all over the world and learn about their culture, whilst they immerse themselves in yours. There are various organisations looking for host families if you look online and locally for language schools. You can find my top tips for hosting language students here: https://www.
- Jane, Shoestringcottage.com
#6 Create small affiliate websites to earn a side income
There are countless “offline” ways to earn a side income without spending money, from dog walking to pizza delivery and selling stuff people give away for free in the classifieds. However, you can’t match the mobility and potential of earning a side income “online”.
You could start with simple surveys for pocket money or apply for online jobs such as transcription or ESL tutoring. The way I did it though, was a little different. I used free online resources like Wealthy Affiliate and in my spare time created simple websites that cost next to nothing to build, generated free traffic from search engines and social media, then monetized with things like Ad revenue, affiliate sales and CPA (cost per action) offers. It’s a slower approach but the end result is a significantly larger income that comes in even if you take weeks off or make up your own schedule and do what I love doing… driving my kids to school every day.
- Jay Petrie, gighustlers.com
#7 You should try online tutoring!
One of my favourite no-cost side hustles is online tutoring. If you’ve
got a skill that you can share, then it is worth looking into.
There are several companies out there recruiting tutors and they will
provide all the software you need to connect with your students.
The reason that I love this side hustle is that it is completely flexible.
You can do it in your free time, after the kids have gone to bed, in your
lunch break or before work.
- Charlotte, lookingafteryourpennies.com
#8 Follow your wildest dreams
Creating a side hustle is an interesting proposition. You’re in effect looking at making some extra money on the side and if you were really honest about it, you’re probably hoping this side hustle grows to something much larger, so you can quit your day job and have the freedom to do something you love.
So, if you’re going to spend your weekends and evenings side hustling, why not try and follow your wildest dreams? What have you always wanted to do?
- Debbie Clarke, debbiedooodah.co.uk
#9 Explore multiple revenue streams to maximise income
If you’re interested in starting a blog and earning money from sponsored features, don’t just stop there.
As well as being paid for writing articles, I also work on affiliate marketing, and I’m currently writing a book, with a starter course (which I intend to sell as part of the book package) to increase my passive income. Diversifying your income streams mean that if one dies out, you still have access to another revenue path.
Try to make as many of your income streams as passive as possible, so you can concentrate on the areas of your business that really need your attention – for me, it’s my article writing for my parenting magazine. Creating a book and a course on my niche allows me the opportunity to continue earning income without neglecting other important areas of the business.
- Leyla, motherhooddiaries.com
#10 Offer a service or a solution to a problem
- Charlotte Musha, charlottemusha.co.uk
#11 Learn a skill you can monetise
The best way to start a side hustle without any money is by learning a skill you can monetize. With free resources like Google, YouTube, and Udemy you can easily learn a new skill you can make money with.
Some of the easiest skills to learn in today's digital society are virtual assistant work, social media management, graphics design, freelance writing, and even proofreading. Once you learn the skills you need to start networking like crazy and land your first client. Show them the value you can provide by taking things off their plate so they have more time to focus on bigger projects within their business.
The best part of all of these side hustles is that you can start earning money online right from the comfort of your home!
-Kelan & Brittany Kline, thesavvycouple.com
#12 Selling on Ebay is a very good idea
-Eric, highfivedad.com
#13 Sell your possessions
-Jacqueline Gilchrist, mommoneymap.com
#14 Have multiple income streams
have just thrown away or recycled. Empty liquor bottles, empty perfume bottles, designer gift bags – these are all items I have sold to willing buyers on eBay!
-Melissa, skinnyspending.co.uk
#15 Create a YouTube channel around your niche
-Evan Hoeflich, evanhoeflichmarketing.com
#16 I blog my recipes and kitchen tips
-Valerie Skinner, Thymeandjoy.com
#17 Find that one thing you’d do even if you didn’t get paid
-Mike Monfredi, Mikedupblog.com
#18 Ask yourself, What am I good at?
-Braden Dennis, Stratosphereinvesting.com
#19 You should sell your things on eBay
-Andrew Herrig, Wealthynickel.com
#20 Become a freelancer
-Brad Anderson, Readwrite.com
#21 Start several side hustles
Some of my favorite ways to earn side income is with my online blog, flipping stuff on eBay and freelancing. These are all ventures I can do easily during the evenings and the weekends and decide when I work.
The best side income opportunities are those that you can set your own schedule so you don't feel too overwhelmed with the multiple commitments.
-Discover Daniella's favorite ways to earn a side income
#22 Earn money by watching videos on your phone
Whether you’re a stay at home mom, a college student, or merely working part-time, you can leverage even the smallest window of opportunity to earn a side income. My favorite way to earn money online without spending money is through earning money by watching videos on your phone.
Swagbucks lets you get paid for watching short videos in whatever category you choose, like entertainment, fashion or food (my favorite). You can watch from the comfort of your laptop, mobile device, or tablet. It's such an easy way to make some easy wins without spending a dime.
-Brian Meiggs, mymillennialguide.com
#23 List an experience on AirBnb or Funzing
A great way to create some extra income is to list an experience on AirBnb or Funzing. Gone are the days of having to rent out your room, everyone can now get in on the action. These pay well and you get to meet awesome people from around the world.
You can create and design an experience on whatever you’re interested in or love about your city - such as taking tourists to your favourite pubs, or giving tours of your favourite areas, a cooking class in your house, or a jewellery making or yoga class.
There are so many different experiences out there. I was in Osaka, Japan recently and my ‘local host’ took to me to some cute little bars I never would have found. It was fun, I learnt about the culture but it was really very simple.
-Molly Benjamin, shesonthemoney.com
#24 Use your writing skills
If you don't mind writing and typing, a great way to find work right now online is via Textbroker.com or Rev.com. Textbroker focuses more on content writing using your creative side, whereas Rev is more along the lines of transcription, wherein you type what you hear.
Both companies have a fantastic reputation and you could be making money in as little as 24 hours. Don't expect to get rich, but once you get the hang of things, $10-$15 per hour is very doable!
-Tom Nathaniel, lushdollar.com
#25 Leverage your digital skills
The easiest way to earn a side income without spending money is by leveraging your digital skills. You can work from the comfort of your own home and utilize the skills that you already have. You can do freelance writing, content marketing, graphic designing, blogging, proofreading and much more.
There are many sites to help you get started in these fields, such as UpWork.com and Freelancer.com. These sites usually pay you on an hourly basis so the total money you earn depends on the number of hours you've worked in a month.
-Hamna Amjad, gigworker.com
#26 I earn money with my travel blog
-Sonja Bolger, migratingmiss.com
#27 Become an influencer on Instagram
-Dustin Tyler, Instagram account: iamdustintyler
#28 You have to do something that you love
-Laura, Thriftylondoner.com
#29 Blogging, blogging, blogging!
My favourite way of earning money is going to be blogging. There is a small investment so that you can then monetise using affiliate links, or sponsored content. If you do it the smart way and launch with a lot of content, you can see the return on investment much faster.
I’m a chronically ill disabled woman. Due to my conditions, if I didn’t have blogging, I wouldn’t be able to hold down a job of any kind. I would be reliant on government assistance, instead of supporting my family. It’s an incredible way to earn a living!
-Claire, Hearthandmade.co.uk
#30 Register on freelance marketplaces
#31 Sitting on the Toilet....
#32 Earn money from your smartphone
If you have a smartphone and some spare time there are tons of apps you can download to make some extra cash.
I’ve earned £100’s using mystery shopping, tasks and audit apps, completing surveys, uploading receipts, watching videos, taking pictures of job adverts, and blogging from my phone. These apps can all be used from the comfort of your own home, during your daily commute, or when visiting your local store.
While these apps aren’t going to earn you enough to quit your job, they are super convenient side hustle options for when you have a spare 5 minutes here and there.
#33 Find your niche and monetize it through your own website
One of the easiest ways to start making money at home is to look in your wardrobe. Nearly everyone has clothes with the tags still on them, purses that were hardly used, or shoes that were worn just once. These are perfect to sell on clothing apps like DePop. All you need to do is download the app, take photos on your phone, and list your items for sale. Some people have even found success buying gently used items at charity shops and flipping them for a profit, as well.
In today's world, finding a side hustle with little to no start-up cost is easy. There are many online sites that allow you to offer up your
services including freelance writing, computer skills, mystery shopping,
babysitting, dog walking, and tutoring. And all of these are free to get
started.
My personal favorites are writing, tutoring, and selling my old clothing
on sites such as Poshmark, eBay, and Facebook Groups. The key is to find
something you enjoy and use it to make extra money. If you are
successful, maybe you can quit your day job and turn your side hustle
into a full time gig.
mistakes in any online document or blog post. As the volume of online content increases, there is a
growing demand for proofreaders to polish the content before publication. Experienced proofreaders
can charge as much as $100 per hour and work from anywhere in the world!
We love freelance proofreading as a side hustle because you can work from the comfort of your home.
#38 Deliver food in your city
#39 Match betting can be great to earn money
#40 Find a good idea, and scale it
Starting such a side hustle will require time and effort. But one thing that is certain, this is hard work and serious money.
- M. Farasat Khan, IsItWP.com