What are the best ways to make money online in 2024? Side hustles are a great way to boost your income! When deciding on what should be included on your list of the best side hustles, look at a variety of ways to make money and achieve your financial goals. In this article, I’ll review the best side hustles you should start today that have personally helped me make over $15,000 over the course of three years. Aside from your regular day job, you can participate in market research interviews, sell templates and earn money from watching ads to earn extra income. Even an extra $10 or $20 at a time really adds up in the long run. Achieve your financial goals and make life easier for yourself this year!
Read on to learn about the best side hustles to start today.
Best Side Hustles: What Is a Side Hustle?
Before we dive into the best side hustles, what is a side hustle? In short, it’s simply an extra way to make money. Typically, this is through a part-time job, whether online or in person. Side hustles can range from anything like becoming a delivery driver part-time to participating in paid market research focus groups, which we’ll get into shortly. We’ll focus on making money from home. Why an online side hustle? They’re convenient – plan your work around your schedule. Additionally, there’s no need to commute to an office or get dressed.
How Do You Start a Side Hustle?
Starting a side hustle is easy – just sign up for one or more of the platforms mentioned below, complete the required tasks and keep your calendar open. Each week, set aside some time to dedicate to your side hustle. Don’t overwork yourself – just do it an hour or two a day, and you’ll slowly build an extra income stream! Read on for the best side hustles to start today so you can start making an extra $20, $50 or even more.
Best Side HustlesPart 1: Paid Market Research Focus Groups
When it comes to the best side hustles, paid market research focus groups are one of the best ways to achieve your financial goals this year. There are several different companies that offer ways to participate in paid market research online. Companies all over the world continually post opportunities. While taking online surveys won’t replace your day job, they’re a great way to earn extra cash at almost any time of day and help you increase your future net worth.
Best Side Hustles: Respondent
Respondent is an online survey platform where participants share their opinion, shape future products and services and earn extra money. Make money online with Respondent and enjoy doing it!
If you’re looking for extra income, this site is worth looking at. On average, you can make anywhere between $100 USD to $500 USD per hour. Respondent hosts mostly online studies, so you can work online from home. No need to commute somewhere to make extra cash!
For higher-paying studies, you’ll generally need to be in a specific area of expertise, such as software development or IT. Even if a study isn’t suitable for you, if you refer someone, you’ll get a $20 bonus if they sign up. Additionally, you’ll get another $50 if they complete the study!
Signing Up on Respondent
Studies and focus groups fall into many different categories, including but not limited to:
- Information Technology (IT)
- Human Resources
- Home and Shopping Habits
- Entrepreneurship
- Auto Insurance
- Beauty and Haircare
After you sign up, you can browse different studies that you think you’ll qualify for. Fill out a quick screener to apply. If you are chosen for a study, researchers will review your application and send you an email.
Respondent is a great addition to your list of best side hustles for teens. Many studies target teens, including those about movie preferences, favorite TV shows and studying habits. Work online from home and make some extra cash! Good side hustles for teens are those that are flexible with their busy schedule. For the same reasons, Respondent is a fantastic option to add to one’s list of side hustles for college students.
In addition to focus groups and research studies, Respondent also occasionally offers unmoderated surveys that typically pay $10 USD each for your time. This is a great way to earn extra cash in addition to the regular paid market research online opportunities. All in all, Respondent is a great platform with many paid market research studies and paid surveys for teens. Try it out!
Since Respondent pays out via PayPal, you’ll need to link your accounts. While there are many studies where you can get paid up to $200/hour for your opinion, many others pay less. Be sure to browse through all currently available opportunities. To sign up to Respondent, click here.
User Interviews
User Interviews is another platform I had to include in the Best Side Hustles list. This is a platform where you can participate in market research online. Companies want to get feedback on their products and services from people like you!
Similarly to Respondent, User Interviews is another one of the best side hustles. You can choose to apply to whichever studies fit with your schedule.
After signing up to User Interviews, you can browse the different studies currently available. For the highest chance of success, sign up to studies you believe you will qualify for. Generally, studies that require a specific area of expertise or higher skill level will pay higher. For example, IT and developer-specific studies typically pay over $150 USD/hr.
If you qualify for a study, you will receive an email or text message to sign up for a slot. Sign up for a slot as soon as possible, as they fill up on a first-come, first-serve basis! Share your opinion, provide useful feedback and have fun!
Although User Interviews is one of the best ways to work online, be cautious of some studies. While User Interviews is one of the best websites for surveys and interviews, some companies post low-paying opportunities. For example, they may only offer $25 for an hour of your time. Knowing when to walk away from a study is important. Value your time properly!
Sign up here.
dScout
In addition to Respondent and User Interviews, dScout is another top platform to join and participate in paid market research online, which is why I’ve included it on the Best Side Hustles list.
dScout is an online market research platform where participants take part in diary studies and video interviews. Companies ask participants about their experiences with various products and experiences and also ask them about their habits, like shopping.
One con with dScout is that it can take several attempts to be approved for a study. To qualify, you must submit a quick screener survey. If you pass this screener, you usually need to submit a one-minute video answering several questions relevant to the study. Researchers review your video, and if you are approved, will offer you a slot in an upcoming research session.
While the screening process is challenging, you can make up to $30 USD or more per session. Increase your chances of success by continually and consistently applying to every study available. A great way to keep on top of new opportunities and apply to studies is to download the app on your phone and keep notifications turned on. This way, once you receive an opportunity, you can apply to it as quickly as possible. Similarly to Respondent and User Interviews, slots fill up on a first-come, first-serve basis. Be sure to apply as quickly as you can! Get paid to answer questions while earning some extra cash!
Best Side Hustles Part 2: Usability Testing
Usability testing websites are another great way to participate in paid market research online. I’ve included usability testing websites on the Best Side Hustles list because you can earn money in your spare time, complete them relatively quickly (most surveys are around 10-20 minutes in length), and best of all, they’re fun to do! Different than conventional market research interviews, usability testing opportunities are generally unmoderated. Participants fill out screener surveys. If their profile is a good fit with the study, researchers invite them to an unmoderated testing session.
Participants are generally recorded while walking through a new website or testing out a new product or service. They respond to specific questions and test out different aspects of the website. After the study is completed, the participant submits the recording. UX staff review the session, pay the user, and use the research to improve future products and services.
Below are the best usability testing websites based on my two years of experience participating on both platforms.
UserTesting Unmoderated Testing
UserTesting is a user experience platform where UX professionals, business executives, product managers, business owners, developers and more get feedback from real people (like you!) about their products and services.
Companies are continually looking for feedback on their current and upcoming products and services. They want to ensure their customers will like their product before releasing it. I included UserTesting on the Best Side Hustle list because of its easy signup process, numerous tests available and ease of finding studies you can participate in that align with your schedule. This platform is another great way to get paid to answer questions based on your opinions and experiences. Let’s get into how to get started with this fantastic platform.
Getting Started on UserTesting
After you sign up, you will begin receiving test opportunities based on your profile and demographics. Before being approved, fill out a quick (1-3 minute) screener that asks you about your habits, job or lifestyle. For example, if the test is about online shopping, you may be asked questions such as whether you shop or not, how often you shop, and what items you typically buy.
If you don’t qualify for a test, don’t worry, there will be more! Typically, you will qualify for about 1-2 out of every ten tests if you answer the questions thoroughly and honestly. Some studies are more general, like shopping or traveling habits, so you may have a higher chance of qualifying for them.
Tests typically pay $3 USD for a shorter test around 5-10 minutes and $10 USD for a longer test, which typically takes around 15-25 minutes. You can fill out as many screeners as you want. If you qualify, researchers will ask you to participate in the test right away. Prepare a quiet workspace and headphones. Sometimes you will turn your video camera on for the session depending on the study. Be sure you are ready to be on screen to share your opinion!
Live UserTesting Interviews
In addition to usability testing, UserTesting also offers occasional live interviews. Half-hour interviews are $30 USD, while hour-long interviews are $60 USD. If approved, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a time slot to chat via Zoom or Skype with a researcher or panel of several researchers, product managers, business owners, or company executives. These business professionals are looking for live feedback about your opinions on their upcoming or current products or services. Live interviews are another great way to participate in paid market research online and meet your financial goals this year.
Whether you fill out screeners for usability testing or live interviews, be sure to fill them out as soon as you receive a notification, as studies fill up on a first-come, first-serve basis! A great way to be first in line for survey screeners is to keep one tab open on your computer. When you see the notification pop up, fill out the screener as soon as possible before the opportunity disappears.
In addition to filling out screeners as quickly as possible, be sure to provide the highest-quality feedback that you can. Researchers can rate you on a scale of 1-5 stars. 1 is the lowest rating possible and 5 is the highest. Researchers will evaluate you on how clearly you speak, how accurately you followed instructions, and whether or not you spent enough time on a test. Remember, good quality responses are often 15-20 minutes long!
UserTesting is a great way to help you earn extra cash. Since studies typically only take around 15-20 minutes each, you can do them on your own time when you’re at home or on break at work. Most of all, they’re an enjoyable and fun way to help companies shape their products and services!
Sign up here.
TryMata
TryMata is another user experience platform where UX professionals, website designers and business professionals want to learn about how to improve their products and services. People like you participate in interviews so that companies know where to spend money to ensure their products and services are the best they can be!
Another reason TryMata is one of the best paid market research online opportunities is because you can do it on your own time. This platform is another way to meet your financial goals this year through making some spare cash. When else can you check out new websites, test products and apps, tell companies your honest feedback, and best of all, get paid?
Getting Started on TryMata
Similarly to UserTesting, after you sign up, you must first pass a qualification test to ensure you know how to provide quality feedback to researchers. After being approved, you will begin receiving study opportunities based on your demographics and profile. You’ll need to fill out brief screeners that ask you about your habits, job and lifestyle. For example, if the test is about a food delivery platform, you may be asked questions such as whether you use the platform or not, how often you use it, and which food(s) you usually order on the platform. Studies typically pay $10 USD per test and can take 10-20 minutes to complete.
Studies pay via PayPal, so be sure to have an account you can link to TryMata.
TryMata Live Interviews
TryMata also offers chances to participate in live interviews. How much does TryMata pay? Participate in studies and get paid $15 USD up to $30 USD per session. Starting 30 minutes before the live test begins, you can join the line to participate in a test.
Depending on where you are in line and how long the people ahead of you take in the study, you may have to wait for a while. Once you are first in line, you will be able to join via an invite from the researcher. Be sure to join the study before the 30-second timer runs out, or you will have to go to the back of the line and start all over again.
After you’ve accepted the invite from the researcher, you’ll join the call right away. The call will be on video, so be sure to be ready to be on camera and give useful and detailed feedback!
Sign up for TryMata here.
Best Side Hustles: Take Online Surveys
While a lot less profitable than side hustles like paid market research online opportunities, taking online surveys are a great way to make a few extra dollars in your spare time, which is why I’ve included them in the Best Side Hustles list. There are many online survey websites. Some are better than others because of how many opportunities they provide, how many surveys you can qualify for, and how much they pay. Below are my favorite online survey websites based on researching survey availability, payout and time required to complete the surveys.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is a market research company that allows customers to fill out surveys about businesses’ products and services so they can continually improve. One of the best websites for surveys, Survey Junkie has a wide variety of topics that you can qualify for, including auto insurance, purchasing a vehicle, grocery shopping and more. Want to get into side hustles with no experience? Survey Junkie is a great way to do this. Why? To qualify for paid surveys, you only need to fit certain demographics and continually apply to them.
Sign Up on Survey Junkie
After creating a Survey Junkie account and verifying your email, complete your profile so you can participate in opportunities based on your demographics. Companies are looking for honest feedback from specific ages and demographics. Ensure you are honest about your age, number of people in your household, spending habits and more!
It is a relatively simple process to start with Survey Junkie and make extra money as there are many new survey opportunities each day – sometimes, upwards of 20 or 30. Tip: keep your browser tab open to Survey Junkie so you can apply to surveys whenever you’re on your computer and have a few extra spare minutes. Even if you don’t qualify for a survey, keep applying! In my experience, I’ve qualified for 1-2 out of every 10 surveys. Just be patient and persistent!
One of my favorite things about Survey Junkie is that they list how much an opportunity will pay upfront. You can browse through different opportunities to see which ones are worth your time based on the estimated amount of time they’ll take to complete and how much they pay out. Survey Junkie is also one of the best side hustles for students. One can apply to and participate in studies at any time online.
Firstly, you fill out a survey screener to determine whether or not you qualify for the full survey. If approved, you can earn $0.40 up to $5 per survey. When you do not qualify for a survey based on your demographics, you still receive a few points as compensation for the time taken to fill out the screener.
Get Paid on Survey Junkie
While some take a while to pay out (a few days to a week or so), Survey Junkie is a website with surveys that pay instantly once you’ve completed the questionnaire and reach $5.00, or 500 points, in survey rewards. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards.
Based on my experience, you will get more survey opportunities if you take the time to fully, thoroughly and honestly complete your profile and the surveys.
While Survey Junkie won’t make you rich, it’s a great way to make some extra cash to pay for those extra coffees or a fancy lunch – or, save that extra $5 or $10 a week and invest it. Over time, you’ll make money on your money due to compound interest.
DailyRewards
Similarly to Survey Junkie, DailyRewards (formerly InboxDollars) is an online platform that pays members to complete different surveys and tasks. This platform is another one of the best websites for surveys because you can partake in different activities to earn extra cash in your spare time, including answering surveys, playing games, watching videos, shopping online and referring friends to join too.
Upon signing up, you’ll receive a $5 welcome bonus. After verifying your account, choose different activities that suit your interest, including:
- Answering Surveys: participate in surveys about a wide variety of products and services for different companies. Surveys pay up to $5 and vary in length, from several minutes up to 30 minutes.
- Shopping Online: use coupons and receive cash back for shopping via the DailyRewards website.
- Reading Paid Emails: Get paid to read emails and engage with companies.
- Playing Games: play games and earn up to 18% cashback.
- Watching Videos: get paid to watch ads and commercials on the DailyRewards website.
- Referring Friends: when your friends and family sign up using your referral code, you receive $1.00 per referral.
Branded Surveys
Just like Survey Junkie and InboxDollars, Branded Surveys is another one of the best websites for surveys to make extra income. Upon signing up, you can 50 points for creating your account and another 50 for taking your first survey (50 points = $0.50).
Why Join Branded Surveys?
What separates Branded Surveys from other online survey platforms is their Survey Matching Engine which links you to opportunities that align with your profile, saving you time normally spent on applying for a survey, only to find out you don’t qualify for one. Additionally, you are only shown three surveys at a time in your “Survey Spotlight”. This page is refreshed every time you take a new survey so you keep getting fresh opportunities.
On this page, you’ll also see how long the survey will approximately take to complete and how many points it’s worth so you can decide whether or not it’s worth your time. Remember that the times listed are only an estimate. Some will take longer than expected, and some will take shorter than expected.
Additionally, Branded Surveys will send you survey offers via email. Be sure to respond as soon as possible as the surveys can expire or no longer be available (as enough participants have signed up) within several minutes.
Get Paid on Branded Surveys
If you participate in enough Branded Survey questionnaires, you will qualify for various tiers in the Elite Program, a bonus program. There are three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The higher your status, the more points you can get for completing 12, 20 or 30 surveys within 7 days.
The bonuses are added to your account at the end of each week in addition to what you earn from taking surveys.
Once you have 500 points ($5 USD), you can redeem the points for PayPal cash. If you’re in the US, you can also redeem the points for Branded Pay, or you can get gift cards.
Like Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys is another one of the best websites to make some spare cash from surveys. You can complete the surveys on your own time, there are many different topics, and you can choose to redeem your points for either cash or gift cards.
Branded Surveys pays within 1-3 business days, so it’s a great quick pay survey website that everyone should add to their Best Side Hustles list.
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Best Side Hustles Part 3: Selling Printables and Digital Art
Best Side Hustles: Sell Printables on Etsy
Selling printables on Etsy is another fantastic way to make extra money online. Selling printables on Etsy is one of the best side hustles. Why? People are always looking for designs from anything from printables to use for gifts to framed pictures in their homes. Additionally, selling printables on Etsy is a great way to generate passive income, because once you create the product, there is no limit to how many people can purchase your design. The possibility of generating passive income through selling printables on Etsy is a major reason as to why I added this to the Best Side Hustles list.
Etsy printables include templates and drawings that customers purchase, download and print. Once you create the design, Etsy will take care of the other steps, including processing the payments and shipping logistics. Etsy charges a $0.20 fee for each listing and takes a 5% cut per sale. Taxes vary depending on your country and region.
Although you may need to take some time to come up with different design ideas and practice drawing and designing, after some practice, almost anyone can create beautiful designs.
How do you start designing and selling printables on Etsy? While there are many different tools to use, start with Canva. Canva comes with both a free and premium (Pro) version and hundreds of pre-made designs to choose from. The Pro version allows you to do many more things than the free version including image resizing and accessing many Pro design elements and images.
Although there are many different designs, you should ensure that you are modifying the designs to make them your own. The Pro version is worth upgrading to as the non-pro account will keep a watermark on the Pro designs.
Selling Etsy Templates
After signing up on Canva and creating some great original designs, you’ll need to set up at Etsy Seller account. Set up an account using your email and password. To create a merchant account, go to the “your account” section and click Sell on Etsy. Complete the language, country and currency details and check whichever box aligns with you – are you selling full-time or part-time? Choose your Etsy store name, fill in your payment details and add a test product ($0.20 listing fee per item) to open your store.
Once you’ve set up your shop, it’s time to come up with Etsy shop ideas. What are you going to sell? Who are you going to sell the items to? While it’s a good idea to choose something you’re passionate about, you’ll want to sell items that people will actually buy. One way to find what items are popular is to go on other shops and find Etsy best selling items. You’ll find many Etsy business ideas simply by browsing other shops. Look at what they’re selling and how their shop is doing in terms of sales.
Once you’ve come up with Etsy shop ideas, narrow them down to 1 or 2, then choose:
1. Who your target audience is
2. What products you want to sell.
Become a seller on Etsy here.
Best Side Hustles: How to Sell Canva Templates
Selling Canva templates is another great way to generate passive income. People have busy lives and want pre-made designs to save time and make life easier. With just a bit of practice, you can become a pro at making templates to sell and make passive income. Below, I’ll walk you through how to sell Canva templates. Selling Canva templates is a great way to generate passive income, which is why I’ve included it on the Best Side Hustles list.
Canva is a graphic design tool that everyone can use. Unlike other tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Canva has a simpler interface where you can drag, drop and resize images. Additionally, Canva comes with hundreds of pre-made designs, logos, fonts and images you can modify yourself.
Why Sell Canva Templates?
One of the first questions you might be asking could be “Why would someone buy Canva templates when there are so many already available?” The answer is simple: many people are running businesses and busy with their lives. They want to save time, but do not want to use the same templates that thousands of other people have used. They want unique designs that they themselves only have access to and can use over and over for their business branding.
If you are someone who is interested in graphic design, you should definitely consider learning how to make money with Canva.
You don’t even need to be an expert at graphic design. With passion and practice, you can create beautiful designs and make money selling them, so long as you’ve found people willing to buy your items! Not sure where to get started? There are many workshops online and YouTube videos to help you get started.
There are a wide variety of potential customers who would be interested in your designs, including:
- Brick-and-mortar store owners
- Real estate agencies
- Online business owners
- Content creators
- Freelancers
And more!
Getting Started on Canva
First, evaluate how much it will cost to set up your Canva business and start working.
- Canva account – FREE. The Pro version costs $12.99 USD per month (or $119.99 USD/year) and unlocks many great features like image resizing and accessing the Pro library containing hundreds more graphic design assets, fonts and images.
- Website to sell templates – the cost varies. A WordPress site with a domain and hosting will cost you less than $10 USD a month! You can also choose to sell on Etsy Marketplace, Squarespace or Shopify.
- Marketing costs – how are you going to market your templates? You can also run Facebook and Instagram ads, but these can be costly. My personal favorite way to market is by using Pinterest. It’s free and attracts thousands of potential customers who are searching for products you’re selling within their niche. Create pins advertising your products and regularly pin them to your boards and guest boards. Be sure not to spam though – aim to pin a maximum of 3-4 times per week!
Next Steps With Canva
Want to get started with learning how to make money with Canva? here are the general steps you’ll need to take.
- Sign up for a free Canva account. As mentioned before, you can also choose the Pro account which will grant you access to many more features like image resizing and access to more graphics, fonts and stock photos.
- Decide on What Designs You Want to Sell. Think about who your target audience is, your level of design skill and interests. Should you design book layouts, posters or just logos? There is no right or wrong answer – just what you want to sell and what you think your customers will buy based on their needs.
- Create Templates. Design unique templates – don’t copy them from someone else! Once you’re finished, export the design to a shareable PDF link. Finally, share the link with the customer as a template.
- Create Product Images. Your buyers see a preview and not the actual product, so be sure to create 10 images per product so customers can decide if your designs match their needs.
- Decide on Your Price. Choose how much your designs will cost. One great way to determine what price you’ll sell the templates at is to look at similarly-priced products in your niche.
- List Your Templates. Once you’ve completed the first five steps, list your products on all platforms you want to sell them on such as Canva, Etsy, WordPress.
- Market Your Products. Pinterest is a great way to market your products. You can create some images and pin your products to boards you’ve created. Additionally, you can request to join boards in your niche. For example, if you are selling baby shower invitations, you can request to join baby shower and motherhood boards. Once approved, get posting!
Side Hustles to Avoid
While there are many great side hustles to sign up for and make extra money, there are many that simply aren’t worth it. As mentioned earlier, some websites may offer surveys or studies that pay a low amount, so they’re really not worth your time. Think about it – is it really worth it spending 30 minutes on a survey, only to make $1? I don’t want to deter you from signing up to different platforms – there are many side hustles that are absolutely worth your time. However, before you sign up to a study or start filling out a survey, check to see how much it’ll pay you and how long it will take to complete. Valuing your time is a crucial part of making money and frugal living!
Conclusion – Best Side Hustles
There you have it – the Best Side Hustles list. While this list is non-exhaustive, it should give you a great starting point and inspiration to earn extra cash so you can hit your financial goals this year. The opportunities I reviewed are excellent side hustles for moms, teens and anyone else who needs a flexible way to make some extra cash.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can use a tracker to keep tabs on how much you’ve saved over 52 weeks, just from your side hustle(s). What are your favorite ways to make extra cash in your spare time? I hope this list is helpful and you have lots of fun making extra money! Be sure to check out even more fun and creative ways to save money and help you reach your financial goals this year.
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Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
