Which side hustles are working in 2026 and how can you maximise them?

It is up to you what you choose to do to make extra money.

How much time you have, what your skills are, where you live and how much energy you have can all play a part.

Here are 80+ side hustle options, how to do them and tips we have from trying them. 

At the end, you can find our top side hustles and what we are continuing.

Disclosure, this post may contain affiliate links to products or services we personally use.

Online Side Hustles With Little or No Skills

Make money online with no special skills or qualifications needed with these options.

Online Surveys

Octopus Group is Australia’s highest paying online survey site and they offer payment for reading the newsletter plus $45 to $120 for market research.
Here is our list of the best online survey sites for Aussies.

Cash Back Sites

Whenever you pay for something online, you might be eligible for cash back offers. Shopback is our favourite and often we combine the cash back with other offers or sales to save even more.
Cash back sites for Aussies that we have used can be found here.

Bank and Sign Up Bonuses

ING offers $100 with a few steps here, Up Bank offers $15 instantly and uBank offers $30.
Bank bonuses are a way they get new customers but read the fine print and know that if you do them with credit cards etc it all goes on your credit history.

Market Research

Get paid to give your opinion by doing market research. Read my tips for getting $100+ per hour for market research.

Product Testing and Reviews

Some websites will pay you for your reviews or to test products e.g. Product Review.

It takes a little time and usually pays in gift cards so it is not taxable income.

Online with Skills or Qualifications

With a few skills, most of which can be easily acquired, there are numerous online ways to make money on the side.

Etsy

If you can make something, you can sell it on Etsy.

Anything from physically made items such as keyrings my nephew makes to digital items such as ebooks, calendars and other printables.

You will need to spend some time promoting your store or have something highly sought after but slightly different.

How much you make depends on what it is, how much you sell of it and how well you market it.

Graphic Design

Some graphic design work can be easy to learn and sell but other design work is not as simple as people think and does require qualifications.

It is one of those things many businesses outsource and it is easy to freelance to have multiple clients with it.

The better you get, the more you can charge and the faster you can be doing your work too.

This Is Your Life

Editing photos and videos together with music chosen by your client can be an easy skill to learn and create gorgeous memories.

While this can be done automatically with some apps, selecting the exact photos, correcting timing etc all takes skill and many older people are not familiar with how to do it.

This is your life video montages are popular for big milestones such as 18th, 21st, 50th, wedding anniversaries, engagements etc.

Consulting

Anything you are good at, you can probably do consulting, mentoring or teaching on.

For example, SEO, business, life coaching, relationship etc.

Some areas will require qualifications, others can be done based on life experience and there are no regulations.

Resumes and Cover Letters

Writing resumes and cover letters that get people hired is a definite skill and highly sought after.

Being able to stand out from the crowd, get through and AI filters and land a job interview is not easy.

Virtual Assistant

From organising email to booking travel to creating content, virtual assistant is a term that covers an array of things.

Essentially, anything that can be done online can fall under the scope of a virtual assistant but each virtual assistant specialises in something different.

There are general VA’s who do your basic admin such as email, paying bills, scheduling etc.

Then there are those who specialise in marketing or similar. These ones can charge more.

Read all my tips on how to become a virtual assistant.

Social Media Manager

If you are great at social media, willing to do a course to teach you more about the management/marketing side of it, then you can make money.

Most businesses do not know what they are doing with social media and do not have the time or resources to learn so they outsource it.

This is something you can grow and train others under you to expand it to a larger business as well.

Content Creation

Creating content for your own brand (influencer/blogger type work) can be lucrative but it does require time and skill.

Knowing what to record, how to record, editing it and promoting it are all different skills but relatively easy to learn.

Each platform pays differently and the pay can vary from country to country.

On top of the payment from the platform directly (e.g. TikTok or Facebook) you can work with brands, get sponsored, use affiliates and sell your own products through content creation.

Or you can create content for others as a freelancer.

Websites

One of the best ways we have made money is through websites and you can find out how to get started and make money with blogging here.

We’ve built, bought and sold websites as well as made money through ads, sponsored posts, affiliate links to products and services we use as well as selling my own products.

Buying or creating a website, increasing its income and selling it for a profit worked well. It is a little harder now as you need all the social media channels etc but can still work.

Or creating websites for clients based on their needs. Basic website development can be learnt fairly quickly but fully customised websites require more skill and knowledge.

Dropshipping

If you like the idea of having a retail store but not having stock on hand, dropshipping is a great option.

You can design and create products, have them manufactured elsewhere then sold on your site or other sites and shipped directly to customers.

No holding stock or trying to clear inventory when it doesn’t sell.

Illustrator

There are numerous websites and Facebook groups connecting authors or publishing houses with illustrators.

Creating images based on what a client wants is a skill and not as free as creating art however you want.

However, with a few solid connections, you can make an ongoing income or choose to illustrate your own cartoon e.g. The Oatmeal.

Voiceover

With a little training regarding recording, timing and tailoring things to what a client wants, voiceover work can be good.

Read how to get into voiceover work and tips from a voiceover artist.

Investing

Research thoroughly before investing in anything and make sure you know what you are doing.

Being smart with your investing, ensuring you have a financial plan and sticking to it instead of inveting in any random thing can pay off.

Most investing is for the long term and your risk tolerance level will determine how comfortable you are with different investment options.

Get professional advice tailored to your goals and go from there.

Get Paid to Write

We made this its own category since there are numerous ways we get paid to write and all of them can be done separately for multiple streams of income.

Blogging

Mentioned above with websites, blogging has been a fantastic income over the years.

Writing, marketing, content creation, website development, these are the sort of skills needed or you need to be able to outsource.

Income has been from ads, affiliate links for things we use, my own products and services, sponsored articles and social media payments

Books

Getting royatlites from books published with traditional publishers is a great feeling and residual income.

Sales from self-published books get you more per book but don’t always come with the same credibility.

Each type of publishing is slightly different but requires you to write the book and market it before it’s published, as well as after.

If you want to go with a traditional publisher either use an agent or check the submission requirements for each publisher.

Self-publishing can be done with print-on-demand publishers and you promote it heavily.

Once you have written your manuscript, leave it a while then come back to it with fresh eyes to edit it. Then send it to a professional editor to be refined further.

Editing, cover design and marketing are all crucial to the success of your book. Without them, even if the content is great, it can be a hard sell.

Freelance Writing

Even though AI has taken over part of it, there is still work for freelance writers.

Find out how to make money freelance writing.

Fiverr

Any skill such as graphic design, content creation, websites, photoshop for others can be sold on Fiverr.

Originally a marketplace where people could offer their services for $5, Fiverr has expanded drastically and you can earn much more.

Upwork

Another freelance marketplace is Upwork and it is generally higher paying. Again, you need skills such as marketing, graphic design, writing etc but it can be a good place to start your portfolio and get clients.

Create A Course

If you have any knowledge, skills or talents, they can be turned into a course.

What do people want help with or want to know? What area do you have skills and knowledge that could be turned into a course? How can you provide a course on that?

Do some market research to determine if the course is wanted and will sell before launching into making it.

Once you have determined that the course you want to create is worth it, create it, price it and market it.

Teachable is a popular platform to sell courses and you tend to have more control. Others include Skool, Skillshare and Udemy.

Editing

Whether you edit books, flyers or websites, editing can be lucrative if you have the right skillset.

It is not limited to correcting spelling errors or minor typos. Each type of editing requires specific skills regarding formatting, ease of reading etc.

Books will be quite different to flyers and websites, especially fiction as continuity of story is essential.

Good editors are highly sought after.

Submit Jokes and Stories to Magazines

Writing this way is not consistent income but you can make $50 for little jokes and up to $2,000 for stories, especially if they are real life stories for magazines such as That’s Life.

Check the submission process online for each one you want to submit to.

Look at SourceBottle as journnalist and editors sometimes do callouts for specific topics there.

Ghost Writing

Many famous people use ghost writers to write their book instead of doing it themselves.

As a ghost writer, you don’t get the writing credit but you do get paid well.

Some writers offer this as a standalone service, others have it as one of the services they offer.

Transcribing

Doctors, medical professionals and podcasters are a few who require transcribing services.

While there is software that can do it, it is not always accurate and some occupations do not allow it due to the sensitve nature of their work and need for accuracy.

Find jobs on LinkedIn, Upwork and business sites.

In Person, No Skills

Aside from getting an entry level job, there are a couple of things you can do in person without skills.

Medical Trials

You can get paid thousands to do medical trials but it is not without risk.

There are tips here to ensure it is safer such as never be in the first group.

Deliver Flyers

Delivering flyers takes time, especially if you are walking and you get paid per flyer so it isn’t that highly paid.

It requires no skills though and they are always looking for people.

If you do it a lot, an ex-postie bike or similar can make it much faster and increase your income but that requires a licence and a bike.

Cash in Cans

At 10c per can, it is not heaps but even kids can do it. Collect the cans and bottles you currently use, ask neighbours, pick them up when you go out and about and you will quickly collect quite a few.

It doesn’t take long to cash them in and when my kids did it as part of their fundraising, they usually made $25 to $40 for the average person when they cash them in.

In Person with Skills or Qualifications

These options require skills but they are typically easy to obtain or can be taught on the job.

Cleaning

As we get busier, more people are outsourcing their cleaning

It is one of the first things people outsource and most cleaners I know or see in business groups are booked out.

Regular home cleaning, end of lease, estate cleaning etc all have different prices and are in demand.

Good cleaning skills are required and you can either do it for someone else or start your own business.

Babysitting/Childminding/Nannying

These 3 are slightly different but fall under the same general idea.

A babysitter is usually someone who looks after the kids for a few hours either at a regular time each week or sporadically as needed.

Nannies look after children for longer, often working the whole week. Some live in, others live out. It is usually expected they have some child qualifications.

Childminding in general can be childcare services such as in family day care.

Each one requires some skill, first aid qualifications, working with children check and many prefer you to have other childcare qualifications too.

Gardening

Mowing lawns, pulling weeds, trimming everything can all be part of your services.

After cleaning, this is one of the most outsourced tasks in a home.

You can work for yourself or another company as an employee.

Odd Jobs

With some general knowledge such as how to set up flat pack furniture, hang pictures, minor home maintenance etc you can do odd jobs or work as a handyperson.

If you have your own business, working closely with real estate agencies can guarantee ongoing work.

Alternatively, check sites such as Airtasker to find gigs.

Pet Sitting

Please only do this if you genuinely love animals and have some basic knowledge about the types you pet sit.

Looking after pets in their own home is a great side gig for those who love animals. Check out MadPaws to get set up and secure gigs, or sometimes people post on Airtasker and similar.

Dog Walking

Some people don’t have time or others don’t enjoy the walking part of owning a dog.

Dog walking can be a great way to make money, have fun with animals when you can’t have a pet and get paid.

MadPaws offers this service too.

Photography

You can teach yourself a lot or you can do a course, work with a photographer to learn and then go out on your own.

Speciality photography such as weddings, newborns, maternity shoots, family photos, sports, boudoir etc will earn more than trying to cover everything.

Decide what you are good at, what you enjoy capturing and go from there.

Sell Stock Photography

Create specific images for stock photo websites and get paid when people use them.

If you are doing other types of photography, consider having consent to use them or capture images on the day (without the people in them) that could be used e.g. if it is a great location.

The pay isn’t much but it is relatively passive once you upload the photos.

Birth or Special Event Sunset Photos

Select a location to take photos of at sunrise and sunset then sell them online or through the hospitals and similar.

Each date can commemorate something such as a birth, death, wedding, engagement, graduation day etc.

Ironing

Charge per item not per basket is my biggest piece of advice with ironing for others.

People will cram as much as they can into a basket but they cannot do that if it is per item.

Offer extra services such as pick up and drop off, alterations etc.

Alterations

Good sewing skills are essential for doing alterations but everyone I know who does it was self-taught.

Replacing zippers, shortening hems, fixing seams or bringing in an outfirt were the most common requests.

Tutoring

Some subjects such as English, math, science and languages are excellent for tutoring.

This can be a great one for high school or university students teaching students younger than them, often for a higher rate than they would get at a part time job.

Teach English

With exceptional English skills you can teach English. Some websites require you to have a degree as a minimum, others are about peer to peer language skills.

Hand and Feet or Pregnant Belly Casts

Casts such as these are one of the many ways people like to capture these special moments in their life.

You can upsell with an offer of photo/video of their experience and different packages for how the casts are presented e.g. framed.

Spray Tanning

Mobile spray tanning can be a great income.

It requires no special training but is solidly booked out for good spray tanners.

There is a cost to set up but overall, it is a cheap business for anyone to start and maintain.

Furniture Makeovers or Restorations

If you have these skills, it is easy to get into, otherwise it is something you will get better at the more you do it.

Pick up pieces for free on Marketplace and overhaul them or if you are already good at it, charge to restore or makeover pieces for others.

Upcycle Clothing

With an eye for detail and sewing skills, you can create new clothes from old and charge accordingly.

Design your own peieces or offer it as a customised service to others.

Personal Concierge

Be the go to person for clients, offering services such as picking up dry cleaning, taking their car to get services, any administrative tasks etc.

All those errands that take up time, people will pay others to do.

Even though you might not pay someone to do those things for you, you’d be surprised what people are willing to pay to have taken off their to do list.

MC

If you are confident, witty, work well under pressure and are organised, being a Master of Ceremonies for events can pay well.

Bookings will typically come from word of mouth, an agency or excellent marketing yourself.

Spruiking

Talking to people walking past the store is terrifying to some and a regular job to others.

Speaking on a microphone, trying to entice people into the store or try a specific product is what spruiking is about and since not many like to do it, there can be a decent amount of work available.

Door to Door Sales

Companies that employ people for door to door sales often hire backpackers or similar so it can be an easy entry level side gig.

Some offer an hourly rate plus commission plus referal bonuses. Others are based mainly on sales.

Gig Economy

There are multiple ways to make money from the gig economy, although the hourly wage is considered low when you take everything into account.

Taxi/Rideshare

You will need a relatively new car, keep it immaculate and drive a lot but some people love it.

Uber and Shebah are 2 options most people use, although Shebah is female only.

Ubereats

Any car or bike will do for delivering with Ubereats and other food services.

You need to be quick and efficient to earn good money and people will tip if your service is good.

Doordash

Considered to be one of the better paying options, DoorDash is easy to join and begin making money.

Airtasker

Any odd jobs, whether online or in person can be done through Airtasker.

People post things they need done, you bid for it and if chose, you do it then get paid.

Read our article on how to make money with Airtasker for tips.

Rent Your Baby Gear

Use Kindershare to rent out the baby gear you have. It works best if you are close to an airport or other transport.

Camplify

Rent out the caravan you own to others and make money when you are not using it.

Camplify is a way for people to book a caravan, take it where they want to go and return it.

Hipcamp

If you have land you can rent it out for people to camp through HipCamp to make money.

Let others camp on it or set up glamping options for more income.

Airbnb

Originally for properties, you can now rent a room, rent your whole place or offer experiences and services.

All my tips for Airbnb are here.

Drive Mate

Rent your car out by the hour or day through Drive Mate. It is not available everywhere yet but has been expanding after Ubercarshare closed.

Deliveries

Deliver packages through Amazon and similar courier options.

Or to deliver to businesses in cities, Sherpa is another option.

Swimply

Rent out your pool with Swimply and make money from it when you aren’t using it.

From Your Property

Making money through your property rather than working from home can be a great way to create multiple income streams with little effort.

Short Term Rentals

Different to having a boarder, short term rentals are done through Airbnb or Booking.com or similar places.

You can rent out your whole home when you are away or a spare room if you have one.

Boarder

Having a boarder means more consistent income than short-term rentals usually but for lower income.

Use these tips if you want to rent a room in your home.

Rent Out Your Pool

Mentioned above, Swimply is a way to make money from your pool instead of it only costing you money.

Rent Out Your Garage or Driveway

There are a few platforms you can use to rent out any space you have such as a garage, carport, driveway, storage container etc.

Spacer is one I have used before, ParkHound is another.

Rent the Home for Movies, Photographers, Content Creation etc

If your home has a specific era, vibe or look, you can make money renting it to movies and tv shows or to photographers, influencers and others looking for specific styles.

You can choose when it is rented, how much for and what is included in the listing.

List on Peerspace, Giggster and A Perfect Place or go through an agency.

Signage on Your Fence or in Your Yard

Placing signage for other businesses on your fence or in your yard might need council approval. Check with relevant authorities before doing it.

Many have it up when they are getting work done, and some homes in high traffic areas get paid to have signage up all the time.

Sell Plants or Produce

Plants and anything plant-related sold incredibly recently. In fact, it was a top seller in 2025 for some members of our team.

It is easy to propagate plants or grow seedlings and sell them. Learn what you can about plants that are easy to grow in your area, get some cuttings from people, unique or popular pots etc and list them on Facebook Marketplace.

$1 vases and glass containers from the second hand store were used for most of mine and people commented on the cute, unique glassware as well as the fact the plants could grow in water.

Host International Students

When hosting, you do need to help them get set up in your area and treat them more as family than if you had a boarder.

It can be a great cultural exchange and addition to the family for a while to host an international student.

Our friends who did this to pay off their home created lasting friendships with the students they hosted.

Seasonal

Throughout the year, there are specific times you can do certain tasks or sell things that you can’t at other times. Utilising those seasonal moments can be a good way to boost income.

Install Decorations

Christmas, Halloween or general party setup isn’t easy for everyone.

Some people love their house decorated but can’t physically do it or don’t want to.

During those times, you can advertise your services and do it for an hourly rate or quote per job.

Sell Seasonal Decor, Food etc.

Buy the items on deep clearance the year before and store them to sell the following year.

Or create specific items for Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s or Father’s Day etc and sell them online or at markets.

Valentine’s Day

Sell flowers, set up romantic dates, picnics and so on.

There are a few ways you can make money with Valentine’s Day. We have listed them with more tips here.

Other

Here are some random ways to make money that didn’t fully fit in the other categories.

Sell For Others

Along with reselling, we sold items for others and took a flat rate or a percentage of sales.

We prefer to take a percentage of sales because we sell the items for more than the average person does. expected.

You can use the tips in our ebook on reselling for this.

Enter Competitions

Winning prizes can save money plus some of them can be cash or gift cards.

We had the most success by entering competitions on products or services we use.

Read all our tips on how to win competitions.

Car Wrap

You need a car in excellent condition to be eligible for this one but the average income is $1,500 for doing your normal driving.

Sign up to a company such as Wrappr, when a suitable campaign is found you get your car wrapped. At the end of the campaign they remove it and recycle it for you.

Telemarketing

Once you have done your initial training, telemarketing is a job that can be done from anywhere with some companies. Others require you to do it from their headquarters.

There is an hourly rate and usually a bonus structure so you can earn more through any sales you make.

Your Hobbies

Review your hobbies, what is needed for them and how you could make or sell something relevant to it to make it pay for itself.

You do not need to make money from hobbies for them to be worthwhile though!

Check out these 10 hobbies that can make and save you money for ideas.

Quick Course to Offer a Service

Massage/Nails/Makeup can all be done after a course in less than a year. They’re flexible and can generate great income in as little as a weekend if you are good.

They are also services than can be offered from home or mobile (you go to them) making them even easier to have as side hustles.

Second Job

Getting a second job isn’t ideal for everyone but there are some that are more flexible such as casual jobs, cleaning up at the end of the day, shift work etc.

Approach small businesses to see if they have any random jobs or apply for casual jobs that have hours different to your regular work.

Take into account your lifestyle, how much time and energy it will take and whether it is worth it.

You might be better off looking at ways to increase your current income through upskilling, changing careers or asking for a raise e.g. how to double your income.

The Easiest Ways We’ve Made Money On The Side

By testing so many side hustles, we quickly saw what made us the most money with the least amount of effort.

Writing

Blogging (see how to make money blogging) was the beginning for writing. Then we got paid writing gigs, published a book and self-published some ebooks.

If you want to go down the writing path, we share our tips in how to make money as a freelance writer.

The websites continued to make money even when we didn’t do much with them. Book royalties have been paid for almost 2 decades now and the ebooks continue to sell without much marketing from us.

Most of our ongoing paid writing is from things we wrote a while ago and still get paid for.

Reselling

When we actively do this, we can easily make over $10,000 in a month. Find out how in this ebook.

You can also read more about reselling in this article.

Property

There are a few ways we make money with property: being a landlord, renting out a room or doing it through Airbnb.

In Vanuatu, our properties are managed by our family and we leave the money there to support them.
Previously, we used Airbnb when renting our whole homes in Melbourne or a room in Canberra.
Renting to a boarder was more consistent income but lower than Airbnb.

Business

Our team has had a variety of businesses aside from this site. A mobile hair and beauty business, a marketing company, consulting/public speaking, freelance writing, content creation, dropshipping, Etsy, a tourism company etc.

Running a business isn’t always easy but it has been fantastic for us.

For more ways to make and save money follow us on social media:

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