Side Hustles Explored: Simple, Low Effort Ways to Make Money

Let’s talk side hustles. This is a topic I could never get tired of talking about. There are literally hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of unique side hustles you can do to earn extra money.

I started this series to help others learn about legitimate side hustles. I also want you to understand the necessary steps to take in order to get established and generate extra income. If you’re unhappy at your current job or if you’re dissatisfied with the income you are making, you can always establish a side hustle to help makes ends meet and improve your financial situation. Just that alone is what makes side hustling so powerful. It could also be considered as a critical solution to some of your financial issues.

I try to focus on fun and engaging side hustles with this series. I know I’m shooting out a ton of information and it can be a lot to take in and pose some additional questions. But today, I wanted to focus on a few simple, low effort ways that you can make money in your spare time.

Doing these things definitely won’t make you rich. They also won’t replace your current income by any means. However, they are some great options to take on for those moments when you wish you had a little extra money at your disposal.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks always gets mixed reviews as to whether or not it’s worth the time and effort. It’s basically a loyalty rewards program. It allows you to earn points for trying different offers, shopping online, watching videos, playing games, using their search function, and taking surveys. The points you earn can be redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.

When I use Swagbucks, I use it with the sole purpose of earning extra money for Christmas and gift cards for dining out. As long as it doesn’t take up too much of my time it’s worth it to me. Spending 5 minutes per day to browse through my feed and see if there are any offers I’d like to try only takes up 35-40 minutes each week and allows me to consistently earn more bucks over time.

Here are some of the best ways I’ve learned to earn Swagbucks consistently without putting any effort in.

The Search Feature

Installing the Swagbucks search feature to your computer will earn you Swagbucks every time you browse the internet. It’s just like searching on Google, but you earn points from it!

Referrals

Another way to earn more points with minimal effort is to refer your friends to join. When they join with your referral link, you’ll get a share of their earnings. What’s unique about this opportunity is that you’ll earn a percentage for life, which means more points for you as long as you, and your referral, use Swagbucks!

Shop Online

This is something that I, and many other people, already do on a regular basis. Swagbucks offers a certain number of points for every dollar spent with popular retailers. They work with so many too, like Walmart, Amazon, Kohl’s, and EBay along with a few travel related websites. Last fall I earned 700+ Swagbucks in one week after I purchased our deep freezer online and booked a professional photo shoot for holiday photos via Groupon. It’s a great way to earn some rewards by making normal purchases through their Shop</em function.

Sign Up For Free Trials

You can find new products and services to try and earn a ton of Swagbucks just for trying it out. Need to check your credit score? You can sign up for a trial through one of their offers and receive more points. Just be sure to keep track of what you signed up for. Then you can cancel it toward the end of trial if you no longer wish to continue.

Other Ways to Earn Extra Cash

While the above options are all the options I use to earn extra rewards which then convert to gift cards, you can also take surveys, find the hidden swagbucks (they are usually mentioned on the Swagbucks social media channels) and even play the different bingo games they come out with for extra points. While these aren’t my personal favorites, they are options that will help you earn more!

If you haven’t tried Swagbucks yet, I encourage you to give it a try via my link.

Review Websites

If you love critiquing websites, this is the side hustle for you. Sometimes, I find myself wanting to change a website so it is more user friendly, and now I can! While there are many companies that allow you to review websites for cash, I’ve found the one that’s legit and seems to pay the best.

UserTesting is a popular website that pays people to review other websites and blogs. I signed up for UserTesting in search of an honest review on my blog when I first started out and they were very prompt, professional, and timely with sending me a helpful review. They talked about the functionality and visual appeal of my blog.

A few months later, I learned that I could be one of the reviewers and actually get paid for it. It’s very simple to apply to be a user tester. As long as you have a basic microphone and your own computer or laptop you’ll be ready to go.

Testers get paid $10 for each 20-minute review and they just answer simple questions and record their first impressions and experience navigating through the website. If you only have 1 hour per week to dedicate, you can easily do 3 reviews in that time and earn an easy $120/month (before taxes). That’s enough to feed your latte habit, pay a bill, or through extra money into your savings account for a future purchase/expense.

Airbnb Hosting

If you know me, you know I love staying at Airbnbs. I typically choose an Airbnb over a hotel or motel. I get the feeling of being at home, while also having access to more amenities at half the cost. And now that I’m a homeowner, I’ve toyed with the idea of becoming an Airbnb host as well!

The great thing about Airbnb hosting is that once you get the upfront costs out of the way, you can then just focus on maintenance and bringing in extra income. First things first, you’ll need to see how much you could earn in your area and for your home. From there, you can decide if you want to rent out one room, multiple rooms, your basement, etc. Then you have to decide how big you want to go. Do you want to create an oasis that feels like a bed and breakfast? Do you want to offer certain amenities? Will you need to buy a new bed or other furniture to make your guests more comfortable? These are questions you should be answering when you decide to host on Airbnb.

Once you know your plan and can execute it, that’s when the real work and money come into play. Yes, this side hustle will cost money up front. However, once everything is in place, the only maintenance and effort you’ll have to put into it is cleaning after each guest stay. So after getting everything set up, this is definitely one of the low effort ways to make money in your spare time.

Another thing to consider is that Airbnb does complete background checks on both guests and hosts. So be prepared to submit valid IDs, other paperwork, and be subjected to a criminal background check. It’s nothing personal, they just want to keep everyone involved safe of course!

Sell Your Photos

If you’re an amateur photographer who takes quality photos, you can try selling your photos to Getty Images or iStock for extra money. If you have a nice camera and you’re out one day, you might as well take photos of the scenery that’s around you and the places you go so you can sell your high-quality photos in the future.

I know that as a blogger, I am always looking for high-quality graphics for various posts I write and at my day job we pay handsomely for an iStock subscription, so there is no shortage in regards to the demand for professional-looking photos. If you find companies that agree to pay you for your photos, you will most likely receive a royalty or percentage of the purchase price per download for each of your images.

This is a great option for those that have an eye for photography, and who can go with what’s currently trending or popular amongst blogs and websites. For example, in the personal finance space, bloggers are typically looking for flat-lays that involve money, business, insurance, etc. These stock images are hard to find, especially at an affordable price, so when we find them we jump at the opportunity.

While some people have actually made a living from selling their photos to companies, I would consider those circumstances very rare even though this is a great option as a side hustle. For more ideas of sites that will pay you for your photos, you can check out this roundup post here.

If you can find your niche and style, you can earn quite a bit in side hustle income. Plus, selling photos online is one of the best low effort ways to make money online!

Related: 80+ Extra Income Ideas That Don’t Suck

Work With Instacart

Do you find yourself loving going out and grocery shopping? Do you like seeing the new food, getting the best deals, and making quick decisions if something is out? If you said yes to those questions, you’d be a perfect fit with Instacart.

Not sure what Instacart is? Basically, when you work with them, you’re a personal grocery shopper. Depending on your area, you’ll get to go to different stores and get the groceries that a customer orders and deliver the groceries to them. Think about Walmart delivery, but with a 3rd party company (that 3rd part being Instacart).

To get started with Instacart, you’ll go through a similar process that you’d go through with Airbnb. However, Instacart also makes sure that you have a valid drivers license, and up to date insurance information. You can apply not to deliver the food, but then you would be considered a part-time employee. This could mean your hours may not be as flexible, which defeats the purpose of a good side hustle.

Overall, Instacart is a great option for many different reasons. For one, you can set your own schedule. For two, you get paid to shop, and you can even earn tips and extra money around times like the holidays. It’s one of the best low effort ways to make money, and you can get started by clicking here!

Have you started side hustling yet? What are your favorite low effort ways to earn extra money?