9 Realistic Side Hustles You Can Do From Home

I’m sure you’ve seen the posts all over social media about how to make extra money online or how to “side hustle” extra cash. Maybe you follow some accounts who do this with great success or who are aiming to pay off their mortgage early. It’s very inspiring!

There are a lot of "side hustles" out there...

I’ve dabbled in different realistic side hustles myself. From selling unwanted household items to getting cashback for switching bank accounts. Here are some ideas for side hustles you can start today:

1. Online Surveys

Online surveys such as YouGov - you get paid to take surveys and give your opinion. This is one of the most popular side hustles you can do from home.

2. Cashback Deals

Cashback deals such as on Top Cashback or Quidco - I’ve earned upwards of £1000 in cashback using these over the years. This is a simple yet effective realistic side hustle.

3. Switching Bank Accounts

Switching bank accounts - some banks offer large sums for you to switch to them - up to £200. It’s a lucrative side hustle you can do from home with minimal effort.

4. Testing Websites and Participating in Research

Testing websites or taking part in research - through sites such as User Testing or People for Research. I recently got paid £10 to spend 5 minutes testing out a website menu. This is a flexible realistic side hustle.

5. Selling Unwanted Household Items

Selling unwanted household items such as clothes or furniture on Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, eBay. I’ve been working my way through selling my stock from my old business. This is an excellent side hustle you can do from home.

6. Petsitting, Dog Walking, Freelancing, Tutoring

Petsitting, dog walking, freelancing, and tutoring - these activities are great realistic side hustles that can be managed from home.

7. Delivering for Amazon, Uber, Deliveroo

Delivering for Amazon, Uber, Deliveroo, etc. These are physical side hustles but can still be managed around your schedule.

8. Playing Online Games

Playing online games - while not always the most lucrative, it’s an enjoyable side hustle you can do from home.

9. Matched Betting

Matched betting - I don’t do this or understand it, but people seem to make a lot of money doing it. It’s a controversial yet profitable realistic side hustle.doing it.

The Downside of "Quick Money" Side Hustles

All of these will allow you to make some extra money which is great. But do you know what they all have in common?

If you want to make more than a few pennies, you have to spend lots of time doing them. I don’t know about you, but I work full-time and don’t want to spend hours of my time outside of work to make a few pounds here and there.

More than that - I’m not sure you could stick at some of them for very long because they are mind-numbingly boring! There are only so many online questionnaires I can complete or online games I can play before I lose my mind!

Some of these ideas encourage unhealthy habits that aren’t going to be good for us in the long term - betting, spending loads of time on our phones completing surveys or playing games.

I’ve seen online side hustle influencers burn out from trying to do all of this on top of a full-time job and their family commitments.

So, the all-question you'll need to ask yourself when decided which one works for you, is this: "Is this side hustle realistic for me in my current situation?".

Looking for a Sustainable Side Hustle?

These will bring in some quick extra cash in the short term, but if you want to generate extra money in the longer term then you might need a different plan.

Or would you rather build up an income stream based on what you love and one that has potential to grow, provides you with a regular reliable income, and doesn’t require as much of your time, so you can create more freedom in your life?

The Secret to Sustainable Success

Let me tell you a secret…

…you already have everything you need to be able to start your own online business.

You can create an offer based on your existing knowledge, skills, and experience and sell this online.

You don’t need a load of money to invest to get started.

You can learn everything you need to know about each step of the process.

If I can do it, then I promise you that you can do it too!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about 9 realistic side hustles that you can easily start from home today, and the pros and cons that come along with having a side hustle. In my opinion, starting an online business using your passions and skills is a more sustainable approach that will bring long term success.

However, it is important that you find the right fit for you when it comes to creating additional income - remember to ask yourself what is a practical side hustle or business in your current situation.

Let me know what your key takeaways are - I'd love to know :)

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A little bit about me...

Hi, I'm Laura!

Freedom seeker, deep thinker and musicals lover!

I have over 12 years of experience in navigating myself to career happiness through toxic day jobs, redundancy and owning two different businesses. I've tried literally every combination of working, quitting my job, running a full-time business, working part-time, taking redundancy, going back to a day job, juggling a day job and a business, quitting one business, starting another business, and everything in between!

In my day jobs I've coached people to find the career that's right for them - whatever that looks like, as we are all unique! And that's the most important thing - because I've tried it all out myself I think outside the box and my superpower is thinking of ideas that you might not have considered. I am skilled at being able to listen to you and think both logically and creatively about how you can resolve the problems you are experiencing.

Book a power hour, lets have a chat, and if you don't feel I've helped you at the end then I'll refund you!

Laura x