5 Flexible Ways To Earn Side Income Outside Your Day Job
You've heard the suggestions a thousand times when it comes to side gig options. Drive for Uber or deliver for DoorDash, they'll say. Or, just sell stuff on eBay. Did you know you can become an influencer to make millions?
While some of those are perfectly fine additional income sources for those with the skills and time, they're not exactly surprising or innovative life hacks to earn cash in your spare time.
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If you're working a full-time job and looking for something a little more creative (but don’t worry, still totally flexible), these five under-the-radar side hustles deserve a spot on your radar. The best part is that every single one works around a normal 9-to-5 schedule without taking over your evenings or your sanity.
1. Mock Juror for Legal Cases
Law firms and attorneys need to practice their arguments before real trials, and pay people to sit on mock juries to give feedback. These sessions usually take place in the evenings or on weekends, and you can pick the ones that fit your schedule.
According to popular YouTuber Side Hustle Seattle, you can generally earn anywhere between $20 and $700 per case, depending on whether the study is a short online survey, a virtual focus group or a full in-person mock trial. You sign up through companies that recruit mock jurors, and they contact you when cases match your demographic profile.
2. Stock Photo and Video Contributor
This one takes advantage of the time you're already spending taking photos or videos. Every time you're out on the weekend hiking, traveling or even just around your city, you can shoot content that sells on stock photography sites.
The income is passive once you upload your work. People license your photos and videos for websites, marketing materials and publications and you get paid each time. YouTuber and photographer Jeff W claimed in a recent video that earnings typically range from $200 to $500 per month for established part-timers with a portfolio of 500 to 2,000 assets.
3. Creating and Selling Digital Templates
If you're good with spreadsheets, Notion, Canva or similar tools, you can create templates once and sell them repeatedly. Think budget trackers, meal planning templates, social media graphics, resume designs or project management dashboards.
The work happens entirely on your own time. You build the template, list it on marketplaces like Etsy or Gumroad, and earn money while you sleep. In fact, Yale Jeanette, a YouTuber with over 88,000 subscribers who now runs a digital product business, said earnings from digital templates vary widely, ranging from an extra $50 to $500 per month as a beginner to $4,000 to $10,000 a more a month for established creators.
4. Teaching English Online to International Students
Many platforms connect native English speakers with students in other countries who want to practice conversation. The schedules are flexible because you're often teaching students in different time zones, which means early mornings or late evenings in the U.S. can be prime teaching hours abroad.
You don't need teaching credentials for conversation-focused platforms. You just need to be a native or fluent English speaker who can hold an engaging conversation. Sessions are usually 30 minutes to an hour, and you can book as many or as few as you want each week. You can make between $10 and $40 per hour doing this.
5. Refereeing or Umping Youth Sports
If you played sports growing up, you can get certified to be a referee or umpire in youth leagues. Games typically happen in evenings during the week and on weekends, so they don't conflict with a 9-to-5 schedule.
The pay is decent for a few hours of work, and you're getting exercise instead of sitting at another desk. Most sports have relatively quick certification processes, and leagues are often desperate for referees. Once you're certified, you can pick up as many or as few games as you want based on your availability.
This works especially well in spring and fall when youth sports seasons are in full swing. According to ZipRecruiter, you can make between $23 to $30 an hour doing it.
Laura Beck contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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