Side Hustles That Actually Pay (And Ones That Waste Your Time)

I\’ve tried a lot of side hustles over the years. Some made me good money. Some were complete wastes of time. Here\’s my honest breakdown of what actually worked and what didn\’t.

Quick disclaimer – what works for me might not work for you. Depends on your skills, location, schedule, car situation, etc. But hopefully this gives you a realistic sense of what to expect.

What actually made me money

DoorDash / Food Delivery ($15-25/hour)

I did this for about 6 months when I was paying off debt. The pay varies a lot by market and time of day, but during dinner rush I could reliably make $20-25/hour including tips. Lunch was slower, maybe $15.

Pros: Flexible, you can work whenever, decent money during peak times. Cons: Wear and tear on your car, gas costs eat into profits, some areas just don\’t have enough orders.

My strategy was only working Friday/Saturday dinner rush (5-9pm). That\’s when pay is best and I made maybe $300-400 on a good weekend.

Freelance work in my actual skill ($30-50/hour)

I\’m decent with spreadsheets and data stuff from my day job. Started offering this on Upwork and to local small businesses. The pay varied but was generally way better than gig economy stuff.

Pros: Uses skills you already have, can lead to recurring clients, pays well. Cons: Takes time to build reputation, inconsistent at first, feels like more work after work.

This is where I\’d recommend most people focus if they can. Your professional skills are worth more per hour than generic gig work.

Selling stuff I already owned ($100-300/month during decluttering)

This isn\’t sustainable long-term but during my initial debt payoff push, I made good money selling things I didn\’t need. Old electronics, clothes, books, random stuff accumulating in closets.

Facebook Marketplace worked best for furniture and local pickup items. eBay for smaller things that could ship easily.

What was meh

Survey sites ($2-5/hour)

I tried Swagbucks and similar sites for a few weeks. Made maybe $30 total after hours of clicking. The hourly rate works out to basically nothing. Not worth it unless you\’re doing it while watching TV anyway.

TaskRabbit ($15-30/hour but inconsistent)

I did some furniture assembly and moving help gigs. Pay was ok when I got tasks, but in my area there just weren\’t that many. Spent more time waiting for gigs than actually working.

Might be better in bigger cities. In my medium-sized market it was too inconsistent to rely on.

What I wouldn\’t do again

MLM stuff (negative money)

A friend roped me into one of those \”network marketing\” things years ago. You know the type – buy inventory, sell to friends, recruit people under you. I lost money. Almost everyone loses money. The business model depends on recruiting, not selling actual products.

If someone approaches you about an \”opportunity\” and it involves buying inventory or recruiting others, run.

Dropshipping / Amazon FBA (breakeven after lots of effort)

I spent months trying to make dropshipping work. Made a few sales. After advertising costs and fees and time spent, I basically broke even. The people making money at this are either lucky, already have marketing skills, or are lying to sell you a course.

Not saying it\’s impossible, but the barrier to actually making profit is way higher than the YouTube gurus suggest.

How I think about side hustles now

The best side hustle is usually one of two things:

1. Leveraging skills you already have. Freelancing in your profession, tutoring a subject you know, consulting in your industry. The hourly rate is higher because you\’re providing actual expertise.

2. Trading time for guaranteed money. Delivery driving, TaskRabbit, retail shifts. Lower hourly rate but predictable. You work, you get paid, no risk.

The \”build a passive income empire\” stuff that\’s all over YouTube is mostly BS for most people. Can some people make it work? Sure. Will you? Probably not, statistically. Focus on what\’s reliable.

Be realistic about the math

Before starting any side hustle, calculate your actual hourly rate. Include commute time, prep time, expenses like gas or supplies.

That delivery gig that pays $20/hour? After gas, car maintenance, and unpaid time driving to the zone… might be $12/hour. Still worth it? Maybe. But know the real number.

Also consider opportunity cost. If you\’re exhausted from side hustling, are you missing chances to advance in your main career where raises might be bigger?

What I\’d recommend

If you need money now: delivery apps during peak hours, selling stuff you own, picking up shifts at your current job if possible. This was key when I was paying off my $34k debt.

If you can build something: freelancing in your skill area. Takes time to get started but pays way better long-term.

If you\’re just exploring: try a few things, track your actual hourly earnings, stick with what works for your situation.

Don\’t fall for the passive income fantasy. Most side income requires active work. That\’s ok. Just pick work that pays decently and doesn\’t make you miserable.