#MoneyMoves : 6 Side Hustles to Increase Your Income

If you’re like many average Texans, then there’s a good chance you’re looking for a way to make more money. You may have already established a personal budget to keep your current finances out of the red, but you still want — or in some cases need — to bring in more money.

Not everybody wants to spend their time driving for Uber and Lyft, and sometimes a part-time job isn’t the best option, but there’s still hope. There are many side hustles that can bring in extra income if both fast money and long money. Check out these six side hustles and start stakin’ your paper.

Sell Stuff Online

People are giving away perfectly good stuff all the time. Pick it up, take better photos and sell it for a profit. Screenshot from Craigslist.com

There’s a solid chance that you’ve been holding onto random stuff that you know you won’t use. That free mug you got when you went to a conference? That graphic tee you got as a gift, but didn’t really like? Those resistance bands that you swear you’re going to use? Get ‘em out of here. There are plenty of online outlets that allow you to sell your stuff at your own price, like Ebay, Craigslist and even Facebook. That mug could sell for $5, that shirt $15, and those bands could be $25 easy. That’s a quick $45 just from junk taking up space around your house or apartment.

If you start liking the hustle of selling random stuff, you can start doing it regularly to make a pretty decent monthly income. The name of the game is to buy low and sell high. There’s tons of people selling their stuff for cheap, and if you can get your hands on it, you can flip it for a profit. You can find a couch for $20 on Craigslist, clean it up a bit, and post it the same day for $50. Take clear, crisp photos of the items you’re trying to sell and include a well-written description and you’ll have a higher success rate.

Create Online Courses

If you have a skill, first of all, you should be using that skill to make money, but like they say, “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” Even if you are in the “do” group, you can still make passive income by creating online courses to teach others how to do on their own time. Sites like Teachable allow people to leverage their knowledge to create a decent income. So whether you’re a photography wiz or good a crafting, you can create courses that make you money.

Write an E-book

If you’ve got a creative mind, then flesh out your thoughts and start world-building. Writing isn’t for everybody, but it’s not as exclusive of a club as you might think. With platforms like CreateSpace by Amazon you can create long-standing income opportunities by writing an e-book that doesn’t have the production costs of a conventional publisher. I’m not saying you’ll be the next J. K. Rowling, but you don’t need to be. Find a niche or genre that you like and get started. I’ve got personal friends that have written books, and trust me, if they can do it, I’m sure you can.

Yes, it takes some time up front, but the beauty of it is that once you’re done you will have created intellectual property that can make you money for the rest of your life. If your book develops a following, you may get new opportunities like speaking engagements with book clubs or at conventions. In the odd chance that your writing finds its way to some executive’s short list, they may consider making it into something — a Netflix mini-series, a new Adult Swim feature, etc. Granted, the odds of that are slim, but anything’s possible if you create something.

Become a Personal Chef

If you know your way around a kitchen, and have the time needed, then you could be making extra cash as a personal chef. I talked with Katie Simon of Kitchen Canvas in Austin, Tx and she had some great insight for aspiring chefs.

“Whether the person went to culinary school or not, practicing your craft – trying out and learning different techniques and cuisines – before setting out to become a personal chef will ensure self-confidence and help them become a better cook,” she explained. “After becoming comfortable with these techniques and cuisines, the next step is to get creative with the food by taking what they know to create new dishes, especially ones personalized to your clients’ tastes. A good work ethic makes a well-rounded personal chef as well.”

One of the best benefits of this hustle is that you can easily market your services to your personal network through Facebook and Instagram. You can take on as many clients as you want (don’t bite off more than you can chew) and you set the price.

Babysit

Are you a natural homebody? Are you good with kids? You might have a side hustle. Plenty of people are in need of a babysitter to keep an eye on their kids. Whether it be while they’re at work or just going out for an evening, if you can watch their kids, you can make money. If you network well you could have a pretty regular clientele to keep you occupied.

The best advice for success with babysitting is to keep a very clean home that’s safe for children, have photos and references available, and be friendly. Unfortunately, this is a pretty female-dominated hustle, so guys may be out of luck here. Luckily I’ve got one more for the fellas.

Wash and Detail Cars

Setting up a mobile detailing side hustle can be a great way to make money. Start by offering a few of your friends a free appointment in exchange for telling their friends about it on social media. Take before and after photos so future customers can see your work, and then just be sure to provide top-quality service. You can also print off flyers to leave with businesses or hand out to spread the word. Work your way into some upscale neighborhoods and you can establish regular clients that schedule your services on a regular basis.

Each of these are pretty solid side hustles that allow you to generate income on your own time on your own terms. They each have their own pros and cons, and some require more work than others, but the number one key to success is effort; you get out what you put in. If you don’t promote your book, it won’t be seen as much. If you take dark,blurry photos, people will be less likely to buy your stuff. If you’re not serious about your side hustle, you can’t expect people to pay you much for it.