50+ Hobbies To Make Money That You Can Start Today

Did you know there are hobbies to make money from just about anything you do in your free time? You can make money by playing video games, starting a YouTube channel, or surfing the internet.

As everybody is looking for a way to boost their earning potential, finding profitable hobbies to make money is a great way to pad your wallet and do activities that you enjoy.

Hobbies To Make Money

You can make extra money from these hobbies anywhere you have an internet connection.

1. Start Freelancing

If you want to make some extra cash, gig economy sites are a good place to start. For example, Upwork helps you make extra money from freelance writing, graphic design, website design, or being a social media manager.

You simply find a job and place a bid. If the client likes it, they will pay you to complete it. Depending on the client’s needs, it could become a long-term project.

2. Write

Writing can be one of the best hobbies for making money. There are so many online publications that are willing to pay you to write for them. If you can write a research paper or easily put words on paper, you can make money freelance writing.

The best way to earn money as a freelance writer is to find gigs that correlate with your skills and interests. Which subjects do you love? Personal finance? Animals? Children? Relationships?

Write about what you love. Find blogs and websites that discuss what you love and/or are good at, and contact them about writing gigs. A beginner freelance writer can make between 5 and 10 cents per word.

3. Design Graphics

If you have an eye for design, you should try CafePress, Redbubble, or 99 Designs to turn your hobby into cash. These services can help connect clients with graphic design needs, including t-shirt designs, website graphics, logos, personalized gifts, and book covers.

You create the design. These companies print it on t-shirts and other items. You’ll earn a commission every time they sell an item with your design.

Bonus: You don’t have to deal with production, inventory, customers, or returns.

4. Start a Blog

Making money from a blog or website has several benefits. For starters, it’s an easy way to build an online portfolio for prospective clients to view.

A second benefit is that your own site allows you to be yourself. You can publish the content you want to build your brand and express your opinions.

Once you get traffic, you can even start making money posting ads on your site. To get started, you will need to purchase a website hosting package.

It only takes 10 minutes to get a blog up and running.

5. Earn Money from Affiliate Marketing

After you have created your own blog, you can make money through affiliate marketing. This is where you make extra money by recommending services & products that you use.

This is through an “affiliate link” that pays you a referral award when somebody signs up through your unique link.

You have probably seen affiliate links with Refer-A-Friend programs, which give you a cash reward for friends and family you refer to a site you use and love.

6. Sell Products

You can also use your site as an online store, build an online portfolio, or earn money from affiliate income. This can be an excellent option for selling physical goods like self-published books, handicrafts, scented candles, or artwork.

You can turn your hobby into cash by selling your creations. To start selling, you will need to sign up for an online shopping cart like Shopify. These platforms allow you to embed a shopping cart and checkout page directly on your site.

Once the purchase is completed, they will also automatically deliver digital products like ebooks or Excel spreadsheets.

7. Sell on Amazon or eBay

Did you know you can turn your online shopping into one of the more profitable hobbies to make money? If you shop on Amazon or eBay, you have probably seen vendors selling just about everything for low prices.

Both sites allow you to participate in drop shipments, in which the product you sell is stored at a warehouse (not your garage or basement). It ships directly from the warehouse when it sells, and the profit is transferred to your bank account.

If you have a craft or artwork to sell, you can also create an Etsy shop. Etsy is the leading marketplace for handmade items and crafts that might not be popular on Amazon or eBay, specializing in manufactured goods.

Selling on online marketplaces, in addition to your own website, will help boost your exposure and reach a broader audience that wouldn’t visit your website. Basically, shopping on Amazon or eBay can easily become a money-making hobby.

Related article: 14 Ways to Make Money Selling on eBay

8. Create a Course

If you like to teach and help others, this can be one of the top hobbies for making money. Online training courses from a site like Udemy are popular among working professionals who want to learn new skills but do not have the time or means to attend a regular college or continuing education class.

If you can create an online course about the newest computer program, playing the acoustic guitar, photography, or your favorite hobby, you can teach others a new skill.

9. Take Paid Surveys

If you like expressing your opinion to the world, turn your hobby into cash by getting paid to take opinion surveys from a site like Survey Junkie. Once you earn enough credits, you can get paid cash via PayPal or with gift cards.

Most surveys only take 10 to 15 minutes to complete. You can easily complete them during your lunch break or in between activities when you have a little downtime.

10. Surf the Internet

Did you know that you can make money searching the internet?

There are several ways to surf the net and get paid for it! One way is to use Swagbucks, which pays you to take surveys, watch videos, search, and even play games.

You can also get paid to test websites from several online companies. This option is a little more competitive, although the pay is higher.

If selected, you visit websites on a live video conference and tell the site designers how you interact with the site and what can be improved. Testing websites can pay you as much as $30 an hour!

11. Create a YouTube Channel

If you would rather video than write blog posts, it’s possible to make money from YouTube videos by starting a YouTube channel. In some ways, you could say that video is the future of the internet.

Whether you make videos for a YouTube channel of how-to videos, unbox cell phones, complete DIY projects, or something else, it’s possible to build an audience.

As you build your audience, you can earn money via ads, affiliate links, or product commissions. If you get popular, you could even sell your own products by advertising them on your YouTube channel.

12. Sell Your Video Games

Are you the first among your friends to beat the latest video game? Now, you can start making money from selling your old video games. You can sell your video game accounts on sites like eBay or player-to-player peer platforms like PlayerAuctions or Playerup.

Do you have video games that you no longer play? See what you can get for them on a site like Decluttr, which makes it super easy to get rid of many items quickly.

Decluttr has a Trustpilot score of 4.3/5, meaning many people enjoy using this company to buy and sell stuff.

13. Invest

So, you might already invest in a 401(k) or IRA account for retirement. How about setting aside a small portion of your taxable investment portfolio for hobby investing?

Using the online brokerage Ally Invest gives you many investment options, and trading fees are free for individual stocks. It can also be a good way to try a new investment strategy without impacting the standard accounts you rely on to build your net worth.

14. Sell Used Books

Whether you are a college student looking for some extra money at the end of the current semester or want to clean out your library, you can make money from selling books.

Bookscouter will automatically search 35 online marketplaces if you have textbooks to resell and give you the best price. Do you have lots of books? You can now do a bulk ISBN check.

A BookScouter user may enter multiple ISBNs to learn which vendor will pay more for a whole set of books. You can always list them on eBay, Half.com, or Amazon as a third-party seller too.

15. Sell Handmade Products

You can make money by selling at local craft fairs if you do woodworking, pottery, painting, or other handmade items.

You could also post an advertisement on social media, Craigslist, or another Craigslist alternative site to reach more online shoppers.

Along with selling locally, you might be able to sell lightweight products online that are cost-effective to ship.

16. Be a Handyman

Can you fix just about anything? Or do you have a favorite DIY YouTube channel that has taught you everything you need to know about handyman work?

If so, TaskRabbit allows you to turn your hobby into cash by putting your strength and wit to work as you help neighbors with repairs and other house projects. Most of these tasks are one-time needs, such as loading a moving truck, painting a bedroom, and setting up furniture.

Some people simply need a helping hand, while TaskRabbit clients might not know the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer.

17. Mow Lawns or Shovel Driveways

Mowing lawns and shoveling driveways can also be lucrative hobbies for making money, as many working professionals don’t have the time (or desire) to keep their exterior landscaping in top appearance year-round.

It’s possible to build a client base by knocking on doors and handing out business cards. A digital way is to add your name to Plowz & Mowz to join an online database or to advertise your services on social media.

18. Join a Fitness Rewards Program

Your employer might already offer a fitness rewards program, but you can join Evidation to earn fitness rewards.

Getting paid to exercise just might make it easier to accomplish your fitness goals, too! You earn points for physical activities and steps when you use Evidation to get rewarded for fitness.

You can then use your earned points to get free gift cards and other rewards.

19. Sell Fresh Produce

Gardening can be one of the most lucrative hobbies that can make money. If you like to garden, sell your bounty of fruits and vegetables at your local farmer’s market.

You can even invite people to visit your garden or farm to see the produce source firsthand. This side hustle can also be a good activity to help teach your children skills and a unique way to earn money in their teen years.

Assuming you can grow plants, flowers, and trees, you can sell these products at local markets or post listings on Craigslist. People want affordable trees, shrubs, and flowers to landscape their yards without paying the retail price charged by a local nursery or superstore garden center.

20. Recycle Wood Pallets

If you want to help protect the environment and make a little money, recycling wood pallets can earn you a little extra cash. This hobby is most effective if you own a truck and trailer.

You can make money by reselling directly to local businesses, on Craigslist, or to pallet brokers. Another way to make money with wood pallets is to paint designs on them and sell them to homeowners and business owners.

You could personalize a pallet with a family’s name or paint an American flag, a rainbow, or any other design.

21. Recycle Cans and Bottles

If you enjoy being eco-friendly, your environmentally conscious tendencies can be one of the top hobbies to earn you money. Another way one person’s trash can become your treasure is to recycle aluminum cans and glass bottles for cash.

This side hustle is more lucrative if you live in a state with a bottle or can deposit, as you can automatically earn up to 10 cents per can or bottle that you sell. Other scrap metal vendors will offer you the current spot price (30 cents per pound on average) for the aluminum.

Since scrap metal prices are cyclical, you might consider waiting until the price rises before you reap your bounty. In addition to collecting old soda cans and glass bottles, you can also make money selling other scrap metal. It’s worth something from old copper piping to your old washing machine.

To prevent illegal scrap metal sales, some states require proof of ownership or permits before vendors will pay you. Some metals, like railroad spikes, are prohibited from being sold for scrap in any state.

22. Flip Garage Sale Finds

Garage sales happen in every community every weekend. We have all heard stories on the news about how one person found a rare painting at a garage sale for a few dollars and sold it for a fortune.

While you might not find a missing Van Gogh or Rembrandt, people deeply discount items or give them away for free because they want them gone. By buying name-brand clothes and other valuable items for really low prices, you can make some quick cash by selling them on Craigslist.

In addition to garage sales, you might also browse the aisles of local thrift stores or their clearance warehouses for the extra clothing and items they don’t have room to sell in their regular stores.

If you think thrift stores are a good deal, clearance centers are even cheaper but less organized, meaning it might take a little more time to find valuable items.

23. Tutor

Are you academically bright? How about tutoring elementary, high school, or college students?

Depending on your level of expertise, hourly rates start at $15 an hour. However, you might earn up to $75 per hour, making this side hustle one of the more lucrative ways to make money.

You can search local advertisements for tutors or join an online site like Tutor.com to connect with local students. Other sites to consider include StudyPool or Chegg, which are more oriented toward online tutoring.

24. Teach Music Lessons

Parents are always looking to sign up their children for music lessons. Playing the piano, guitar, violin, drums, and trumpet can easily become money-making hobbies.

Find students by advertising at local schools, homeschool co-ops, and youth recreational centers. You could provide private lessons or do community education classes as well.

As you probably took paid music lessons from a teacher as a child, it’s a good way to pass on the skill to the next generation.

25. Become a Street Musician

Anyone who loves music would probably agree that being a musician is one of the best hobbies for making money.

Have you seen children or adults playing guitar, an electric piano, or a saxophone on the street corner for tips? That could be you.

Whether you are a solo act or in an a cappella group, people will stop, listen, and pay you money for your hobby.

26. Referee Youth Sports

When you love sports but don’t have the time to coach, becoming a youth sports referee is a good alternative for high school students and adults. You can earn as much as $30 an hour working as a referee or an umpire for youth sports such as football, baseball, or soccer.

To get started, talk with your local sports organizations. Contact organizations that offer sports that you are familiar with. For example, if you’ve played baseball for years and are familiar with the rules, contact your city’s youth baseball organization.

If you are familiar with the rules of several youth sports, you could potentially have umpire/referee jobs all year round.

27. Teach a Fitness Class

For fitness lovers, teaching a fitness class can be an ideal hobby for earning money.

If you can access a gym or gathering place like a church or community center, you can make money teaching a fitness class. In most instances, you can get paid per student.

One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is related to health and fitness, so there is an “evergreen” demand for fitness classes.

28. Babysit

Parents periodically want a date night to get away from the children for a few hours and focus on each other. They may need to hire a sitter if they don’t have an older sibling or family member to care for them.

If you enjoy hanging out with kids, babysitting can be a fun way to earn money. However, it requires focus and attention, and you’ll need to be able to ensure the kids stay safe.

You’ll also need to play with them, potentially make them meals, and know how to prepare them for bedtime. You should also be willing to help with potty training and other skills.

You can babysit for any child or specialize in a specific age range, such as infants, toddlers, or older kids. One of the easiest ways to get babysitting jobs is to share your services on social media or use a site like Care.com.

29. Care For Pets

Pet sitting is one of the most adorable hobbies that can make money. Animal lovers who love walking dogs can make good money caring for other people’s pets. After all, it’s not every day you get paid to take the dog for a walk.

Some people earn a six-figure income by becoming professional dog walkers or pet sitters in big cities. To get started, ask your neighbors if you can walk their dogs or care for their other pets.

You can also post your services on local boards or dog-walking service sites like Rover to get pet-sitting jobs.

30. Clean Houses

This side hustle can be relatively easy money if you have a gift for cleaning and organization. You’ll probably do best at this job if you love cleaning. Do you like seeing the results after you clean your own home?

Do you like washing windows and decluttering spaces? If so, cleaning houses might be a good side hustle or hobby for you.

Craigslist or TaskRabbit are two good places to start when looking for work. You could also advertise on Facebook. If you do a good job, your current clients might even refer you to their friends, too!

31. Clean Commercial Businesses

In addition to cleaning houses, many businesses outsource their cleaning needs to agencies. It can be in medical offices or other professional buildings. Listings are usually advertised on Craigslist, or you can always ask local cleaning agencies if they have any needs in your area.

Unlike houses, you might be able to clean during the workday when the owners are away, but most businesses require you to come in after they close.

If you are a night owl, this hobby could be a great way to earn money while doing some physical activity before bed.

32. Decorate Homes

Home decorating can be one of the most creative hobbies that can make money. Homeowners want their homes to be nicely decorated and cleaned. This would be a good option if your house were the next featured photo spread in a Better Homes & Gardens or similar home décor magazine.

The job description could range from strictly decorating the interior rooms to extending to the outside landscaping with season-appropriate lawn decorations.

A popular time for this service is Christmas, when you can hang exterior Christmas lights and decorate the family Christmas tree.

33. Drive Others Around

For car enthusiasts, driving others around can be one of the most fun hobbies to make money. If you have a newer car and like talking to people, you can make money driving with Lyft.

You can choose the routes that work best for you. If a prospective ride doesn’t mesh with your current activities, you don’t have to take it.

Driving with Lyft is a flexible way to make extra cash and get around town, too.

34. Deliver Phonebooks

If you want a seasonal hobby, delivering phonebooks is a good way to make some money and get exercise. Unlike owning a full-time paper route, it’s not necessary to own a full-time paper route.

Delivering a phone book to each doorstep in the various apartment communities and family neighborhoods is also a good way to exercise daily.

35. Teach Cooking Lessons

When it comes to healthy hobbies that make money, cooking tops the list, in addition to getting paid to get in shape, you can also earn money by helping people eat healthily.

Many people rely on the frozen foods section of their local supermarket because they don’t know how to cook from scratch. Home cooking is cheaper, healthier, and more delicious.

You might be able to teach classes at a local church, community center, or community college. Whether you teach the latest lifestyle diet or traditional cooking like Cajun or French, the possibilities are endless if you love to cook and show others how.

36. Become a Photographer

Pictures are a great way to relive the fun memories that happen every day. There are many ways to make money as a photographer, but one of the best-known is wedding photography.

If you have the camera equipment and editing software, you can be in high demand during the wedding season. After the wedding, you might be able to expand your photography services by taking family pictures and newborn photos in the upcoming years!

You could also do family portraits or photography for local sports teams. The beauty of this hobby is that the opportunities are endless. Plus, this can be one of the most fun and memorable hobbies that make money.

37. Perform at Weddings

Performing at weddings can be one of the most fun hobbies that also earns money, as it allows you to be part of someone’s special day.

You can use a variety of talents to make money performing at weddings. If you have musical talent, you can make money singing or playing a musical instrument at a wedding.

Hint: You can also use your musical talents at other local events, such as fundraisers, banquets, or parties.

Other ways to make money include being a disc jockey, a wedding planner, or a baker.

Are you in a band? You and your bandmates could be hired for the wedding reception. Those garage band dreams you had in high school could finally become a reality.

38. Be a Mystery Shopper

If you love to shop, turn your hobby into cash by being a mystery shopper. Many major retailers and restaurants are visited several times per month by anonymous “mystery shoppers” several times each month to measure the quality of customer service and a few other factors.

Each agency has different needs depending on where you live. Still, you might start visiting fast-food restaurants and eventually upgrade to sit-down restaurants or retail stores with higher spending allowances.

39. Shop for Other People

Do you like to shop? Shopping for yourself can cost you some serious cash. However, why not reverse that cycle and shop for other people?

Certain groups of people like homebound senior citizens and working professionals hire people to buy their groceries and handle their other shopping needs.

These other needs might include buying birthday gifts, planning a party, or simply shopping weekly if the client lacks time.

You could also offer to shop for clients preparing to go on vacation. You could also be a shopper and help your client choose outfits or other clothing. This hobby of making money can put a whole new meaning on “shopping until you drop.”

Advertise your services on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

40. Get Paid to Shop

While you technically don’t get paid to shop, you get cash back with nearly every online purchase using Rakuten.

Approximately 30 stores also offer cashback on in-store purchases. Cashback rates range from 1% to 40%, with most stores offering between 3% and 10%.

As a new Rakuten user, you get a $10 cash bonus after your first $25 order. If you will make the purchase anyway, why not get cash back?

41. Sell Plasma

If you roll up your sleeve each time there is a local blood drive, you can make money selling your plasma. You might associate plasma donation with only being a quick way for college students to earn cash.

For this reason, many plasma donation centers are strategically placed near college campuses, but anybody can donate plasma and earn up to $50 each visit. Even better news is that you might be able to make several donations every month.

42. Sell Firewood

Do you have access to firewood? Many people still heat with wood and need to buy firewood for the winter. Summer campers might also want bundles of wood for their camping trips.

This is not only a great summer job for teens. It could be a good year-round side hustle. You could provide firewood for campers during the warmer months and homeowners who heat with wood during the colder months.

If you own a wooded land lot, selling your downed trees for firewood can be easy money as you clear your property each year. And if you don’t, you could approach homeowners with wooded lots and ask them if they want you to clear their lots for them.

Depending on the market you’re in, you could charge a small fee to clear a wooded lot, or you may do it for free. Either way, you have access to wood you can chop up into firewood and sell.

43. Sell Local Honey

Local honey has many health benefits, from being a home remedy for ailments to helping with allergies to cooking. The most profitable way to sell honey is to keep your own bees.

Keeping bees means you have your own source of bees to pollinate your garden and honey for you and others to enjoy. However, you do have to learn how to keep bees properly, as doing so takes skill and knowledge.

Once you get the hobby down and your bees start producing honey, you can sell your local honey at farmers’ markets and potentially to local health stores.

44. Be a Guinea Pig

Your local university or hospital might perform routine medical experiments. To complete the testing, they often need paid volunteers.

Medical studies can encompass a variety of experiments, from medication testing to physical testing on the body. Each study is different and requires different types of volunteers. Therefore, depending on the lab study, you must meet specific target criteria.

For example, a study on male pattern baldness probably won’t accept female volunteers. But don’t get discouraged if you aren’t accepted the first time. A relevant research will eventually appear.

45. Advertise on Your Car

Companies like Carvertise will pay you to drive around town and get paid to turn the necks of drivers and pedestrians alike as your car is transformed into a mobile billboard.

Car advertising companies require specific criteria to be met for the cars that advertise for them and the drivers of the vehicles. For instance, you will need a car without significant body damage. Also, driving during busy times could be a plus if you live in a major city.

Check out the Carvertise website for more information. This can be one of the easiest ways to make money, as it is true passive income.

46. Sell Domain Names

If you keep track of the latest trends for domain names, you can make money flipping domain names to businesses and entrepreneurs.

There is even more potential to earn money now that you can buy extensions like .club, .xyz, and .sports, instead of the traditional .com or .net extensions.

Using Flippa is an online marketplace oriented toward domain flipping, but you can receive offers from any domain service.

47. Participate in a Mock Trial

Relive your favorite Law & Order episodes without actually being summoned to a real court of law. It’s possible to earn money by being a mock jury member at Online Verdict.

Real-life attorneys often use these mock trials to simulate cases that will be going to trial soon to predict how the actual jury will react.

As with any jury selection, applicants from all walks of life are accepted. If you can be called for real jury duty, you can qualify for a mock jury. This is an excellent way to make money for anyone who enjoys legal shows.

48. Rent Your Car

Do you have a car that you don’t use often? Or do you regularly lend your possessions to neighbors and friends?

Now, you can get paid to rent your belongings to strangers. One way to make money is by renting your car. Several companies help connect car owners with people who need or want to rent a car.

These services, like HyreCar, can be cheaper than traditional rental car agencies. Because of that, business and vacation travelers might pursue this option to save a few dollars in travel costs.

Depending on the type of car you have, where you live, and what times you can rent the car out, this side hustle could pay you a lot of money. For instance, if you have a mid-size sedan, live in a major city, and don’t often need your car, you could rent it five to seven days a week.

49. Rent a Room on Airbnb

If you have a spare bedroom or an empty basement, becoming an Airbnb host can earn you extra cash. This is an easy way to make money from real estate, as you don’t have to own a second property.

To maximize the money you can earn from renting out a spare bedroom or basement, you’ll want to create a welcoming space for renters. Be sure the room or basement is spotless. Stage the area like you would if you were selling a house. Have clean furniture that is in good shape. Add decorative pieces that feel warm and welcoming.

Keep a mini fridge in the room and stock it with a few water bottles. Put a mint on the pillow. Provide an information sheet about things to do and see in the area, great restaurants, etc. Be a gracious and friendly host when you have guests.

If you like meeting people from around the world visiting your area, renting out a room or a level of your house can also be really fun. See our post on how to make money with Airbnb for more great tips on renting a room or level in your house.

50. Sell Real Estate

One final way to make money is to get a real estate license and sell homes. There is a small learning curve to this hobby, but it can be a good primer if you eventually want to own rental properties.

Not everybody with a realtor’s license works for a full-time agency. This can be a good way to make money on the weekends, as people are constantly relocating for work or upgrading to a larger house as their family size increases.

51. Baking

Do you like to bake cakes or cookies? This can be one of the best hobbies for making money. You can earn cash by baking your favorite recipes and selling the goods to friends, family, and coworkers.

The start-up costs are low, and the demand is usually steady since almost everybody loves baked goods. Baking your favorite chocolate cake or blueberry pie can easily become a money-making hobby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

The best part about having a hobby, in addition to making money, is that we all have one. This means anybody can make money from what they already do in their spare time.

Whether it’s starting a YouTube channel in the evenings or surfing the web during your lunch break, there are plenty of ways to make money from your hobby.

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