Who has a side gig/job that brings in extra cash?? Share with us!

[independence]

My Appen Butler Hill 'side hustle' is rapidly becoming my main hustle. I'm at almost 30 hours/week now.

It's definitely making me feel more secure in my income so I'm revisiting starting an eBay business that can be outsourced in a year or so to be a passive income.

[independence]

I have an Etsy shop that I run on the side of being a parent and having a day job. It involves a niche jewelry market. It keeps me as busy as I want to be now. It's great since I enjoy making the items, and if no one bought them, I wouldn't be able to afford to keep making them.

I've been at it for almost two years and have over 700 sales. I will say that the "business" side to a creative outlet is waaaaay more work that I expected. But it's nice being able to put the shop on vacation when I need a break, since I don't depend on the income. Any profit goes straight to investments.

What are the business things that take up your time? I'm not an Etsy seller (just eBay) but I've been thinking about trying out Etsy too. :)

[Manguy888]

I have helped a few people in town take memoirs or other manuscripts and turn them into "real books" using my knowledge of Scrivener, Amazon, Createspace, etc. Sometimes I add light editing, and charge a small add-on fee ifor stuff like buying barcodes, ISBN numbers, etc.

Most recently I helped a local guy turn his memoir into a book and charged him $750 for about 10 hours of work. I was also able to kick my artist friend the work for the cover design. The internet is clogged with people and companies that want to help you publish a book for super cheap but the older clients I've dealt with want a little more hand holding and don't want to have to figure out any of the technology parts. They definitely aren't signing into Fiverr.

I don't know if this will grow or fizzle out but it's been a lot of fun

[Roots&Wings]

I have helped a few people in town take memoirs or other manuscripts and turn them into "real books" using my knowledge of Scrivener, Amazon, Createspace, etc. Sometimes I add light editing, and charge a small add-on fee ifor stuff like buying barcodes, ISBN numbers, etc.

Most recently I helped a local guy turn his memoir into a book and charged him $750 for about 10 hours of work. I was also able to kick my artist friend the work for the cover design. The internet is clogged with people and companies that want to help you publish a book for super cheap but the older clients I've dealt with want a little more hand holding and don't want to have to figure out any of the technology parts. They definitely aren't signing into Fiverr.

I don't know if this will grow or fizzle out but it's been a lot of fun

This is really interesting. I'd used The Book Patch to cheaply print a book previously (which was super easy), but never thought of offering this type of thing as a service for those who might be really tech challenged. Great idea!

[Manguy888]

This is really interesting. I'd used The Book Patch to cheaply print a book previously (which was super easy), but never thought of offering this type of thing as a service for those who might be really tech challenged. Great idea!

Thanks. What's really cool is that I'm not promising someone that they'll make a bunch of money publishing their book or some other pyramid scheme nonsense. Most of them just want to hold a book in their hands that they wrote and they're cool with the fact that only a few hundred friends and family will buy.

[NorthernDreamer]

I have an Etsy shop that I run on the side of being a parent and having a day job. It involves a niche jewelry market. It keeps me as busy as I want to be now. It's great since I enjoy making the items, and if no one bought them, I wouldn't be able to afford to keep making them.

I've been at it for almost two years and have over 700 sales. I will say that the "business" side to a creative outlet is waaaaay more work that I expected. But it's nice being able to put the shop on vacation when I need a break, since I don't depend on the income. Any profit goes straight to investments.

What are the business things that take up your time? I'm not an Etsy seller (just eBay) but I've been thinking about trying out Etsy too. :)

The business things that take more time than I expected include: sourcing materials, taking pictures for listings, writing listings, optimizing SEO, bookkeeping, answering customer inquiries (I offer custom made pieces, which require some back and forth), and managing social media (Facebook and Instagram).

[simone]

Naive question: how do you find your niche market? how can I find mine?

Thanks,
S.

I have an Etsy shop that I run on the side of being a parent and having a day job. It involves a niche jewelry market. It keeps me as busy as I want to be now. It's great since I enjoy making the items, and if no one bought them, I wouldn't be able to afford to keep making them.

I've been at it for almost two years and have over 700 sales. I will say that the "business" side to a creative outlet is waaaaay more work that I expected. But it's nice being able to put the shop on vacation when I need a break, since I don't depend on the income. Any profit goes straight to investments.

[BuffaloStache]

Rosy, have you looked into working for Leapforce or Appen Butler Hill?  It is online work like turking, but you are rating websites for search engines.  They pay $13-15 per hour.

Similar, but does anyone have background/more info on either Leapforce, Appen, or www.usertesting.com? I'll be taking some paternity leave from my full-time job in the near future, and would love something I could do from home on a part-time basis (while DS is napping; just a couple hours a day) to make some extra cash with an hourly rate that isn't as abysmal as Amazon MechanicalTurk.

[Dollar Slice]

Similar, but does anyone have background/more info on either Leapforce, Appen, or www.usertesting.com? I'll be taking some paternity leave from my full-time job in the near future, and would love something I could do from home on a part-time basis (while DS is napping; just a couple hours a day) to make some extra cash with an hourly rate that isn't as abysmal as Amazon MechanicalTurk.

Try Prolific Academic - it's all academic surveys (no consumer stuff or menial tasks like MTurk). The work is sporadic but it's nice if you have 15 minutes here and there, you can check in and see if they have anything. It pays much better and is much better designed than MTurk. (Referral link in my sig if you want, or just go to prolific.ac.)

[Moonwaves]

Similar, but does anyone have background/more info on either Leapforce, Appen, or www.usertesting.com? I'll be taking some paternity leave from my full-time job in the near future, and would love something I could do from home on a part-time basis (while DS is napping; just a couple hours a day) to make some extra cash with an hourly rate that isn't as abysmal as Amazon MechanicalTurk.

Try Prolific Academic - it's all academic surveys (no consumer stuff or menial tasks like MTurk). The work is sporadic but it's nice if you have 15 minutes here and there, you can check in and see if they have anything. It pays much better and is much better designed than MTurk. (Referral link in my sig if you want, or just go to prolific.ac.)

Cool! A survey website that doesn't restrict me just for living in Germany. This could be interesting. :)

[BuffaloStache]

Try Prolific Academic

Thanks DollarSlice! I used your referral code and will start filling out the pre-screening questions tomorrow. This may be a great start for me!

[VolcanicArts]

I have been working on creating a woodwork business on the side. I just got done opening up the business checking account, along with completing the partnership agreement. Even though we haven't officially started we have probably made a few hundred in sales. Initially all of our profit will be going to buying the rest of the machinery, and after that it will be going straight to investments. I'm estimating very conservatively 500 profit a month for me working at most 2 hours a day, and will move up from there once I get more experience and a better feel for the Market. Even though it won't be a lot of money at first, it is a niche market and is something I enjoy, so I don't even consider it work. I'll let OP know if I can swing a decent profit in a few months. Right now I'm sticking with the fun stuff like engravings, custom cutting boards, all types of boxes including customized jewelry boxes, and gardening items like planter boxes with an artistic element etc.

[SC93]

Wood can = tons of money. I guided my buddy in to the wood business. He was already a wood worker but I guided him to a business and he makes a lot of profit. He can't keep enough adirondack chairs made. He sells them before they are even made because he doesn't cut corners and people know his work is quality. He also started out with that small stuff but I had him making bigger things within a few months. he used to think he was cool because he could sell a pen for $10 then I showed him how much profit could be made with larger items. He sells to this one Montessori school and does very well. If he wasn't getting so old he would sell to more Montessori schools. He makes all of their book cases, tables and what ever else they need. Daycares, schools, moms groups, just any place like that can make you a nice profit if you only make quality items. The part that scares me and should scare you too is the dreaded...... partnership..... ouch! That will probably hurt your pocketbook in the future and probably your heart as well. Good luck! Keep us updated.

[BuffaloStache]

Similar, but does anyone have background/more info on either Leapforce, Appen, or www.usertesting.com? I'll be taking some paternity leave from my full-time job in the near future, and would love something I could do from home on a part-time basis (while DS is napping; just a couple hours a day) to make some extra cash with an hourly rate that isn't as abysmal as Amazon MechanicalTurk.

Try Prolific Academic - it's all academic surveys (no consumer stuff or menial tasks like MTurk). The work is sporadic but it's nice if you have 15 minutes here and there, you can check in and see if they have anything. It pays much better and is much better designed than MTurk. (Referral link in my sig if you want, or just go to prolific.ac.)

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

[bendixso123]

I have some apps on the iOS App Store that make me a tidy $100/month. They're these fun apps that give you a random trick to try when you're out skateboarding with your friends.

Skate Dice:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skate-dice-free/id547074685?mt=8

The initial revenue on these was really good, but it eventually plateaued after a few months. People are still interested though, and now I'm trying to figure out how to do it over again. With a fairly crowded App Store, that's easier said than done.

[bendixso123]

I was considering making some kind of FIRE date calculator app, something that lets you input your spending and earnings, then gives you a weekly notification telling you how things are progressing.

[Dollar Slice]

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

It's been totally dead the last week or two, for some reason!  I was wondering about it myself. Before I was doing closer to one a day than one a week. Sometimes more than one a day. The last couple of weekends were holiday weekends in the UK and US, so maybe it will pick up a bit now.

[Moonwaves]

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

It's been totally dead the last week or two, for some reason!  I was wondering about it myself. Before I was doing closer to one a day than one a week. Sometimes more than one a day. The last couple of weekends were holiday weekends in the UK and US, so maybe it will pick up a bit now.

Good to hear. There have been a few studies up since I signed up a few days ago but I'm not eligible for any of them (even though one of them was German, which I was sure I'd be able to do). Was starting to think maybe I shouldn't have bothered answering all the pre-screening questions. On the other hand, I've tried to sign up for studies at the uni I work at which I seem to fit all the criteria for and then when it comes down to it, they're actually only looking for people of x age because all the other participants turned out to be x age, or something like that. I try not to take it personally. :)

It also occurred to me that other survey sites that didn't work out for me were not always because of my location, but often seemed to be due to the fact that I'm not married/don't have kids and, more often, just amn't much of a consumer, especially of processed food.

[Dollar Slice]

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

It's been totally dead the last week or two, for some reason!  I was wondering about it myself. Before I was doing closer to one a day than one a week. Sometimes more than one a day. The last couple of weekends were holiday weekends in the UK and US, so maybe it will pick up a bit now.

Good to hear. There have been a few studies up since I signed up a few days ago but I'm not eligible for any of them (even though one of them was German, which I was sure I'd be able to do). Was starting to think maybe I shouldn't have bothered answering all the pre-screening questions. On the other hand, I've tried to sign up for studies at the uni I work at which I seem to fit all the criteria for and then when it comes down to it, they're actually only looking for people of x age because all the other participants turned out to be x age, or something like that. I try not to take it personally. :)

I have two available right now, but I don't want to do either (one is long and has a mediocre pay rate around $5.80/hr, the other is also long and has to be done on your smartphone).

I just checked my history and I did 15 in the first 15 days of August and and 6 between August 16th and now. So yeah, it's been very dry. I assume I also miss a bunch because I only log in a couple of times a day and some of them go pretty fast.

[APBioSpartan]

My wife and I recently started doing Rover and have brought in on average just over $100/week.  We are pretty selective with our clients as I work from home and we live in an apartment complex.  We started charging ~$20 a night to get some ratings/reviews, but now we charge $30.  Timely communication, tons of pictures, and sending dogs home tired are essential to staying competitive.   

https://refer.rover.com/s/Maddie6

[Roland of Gilead]

We have been writing a computer game (a MMORPG actually) for a couple of months and perhaps eventually it might bring some side income if it is popular and I figure out a way to monetize that popularity.  My awesome wife is doing all of the coding and writing her own 2.5D graphics engine of sorts although if we eventually go full 3D there are some deals you can get with Unreal where they let you use the engine and source code for free up to the first $3,000 of revenue a year then a 5% royalty.

I am trying to learn Blender (no, it is not for making shakes) because my job is to do the art and testing (and game flow).  I have Rhino 3.0 but the upgrade to Rhino 5.0 is $495 which is NOT happening.   Blender is free and open source.  Quite powerful but it is not CAD.  Rhino 3.0 has pretty good CAD modeling but can't do things like png with transparent background and I am designing a lot of icons for the interface bars which need that.  I have no clue why Rhino 5.0 is so expensive, it is not *that* great of software.

I will need alpha testers...hint hint

[Jellosalad]

I know it's anti-mustachian, but we own a small summer home which we only use for a month. (Maine Coast) This year, we rented it out through air BNB for August, when we're back home (Crested Butte), and rented out our full-time home for July, when we were in the summer house. Between that, and having air BNB guests in our guest room when we ARE at home, we cleared 10k this summer. Yes, we're crazy lucky to have these options, but it's well worth thinking about making some of the choices about where you live be dependent on how well you can rent the spare room, or the whole place, to help pay for it. 

[BuffaloStache]

I was considering making some kind of FIRE date calculator app, something that lets you input your spending and earnings, then gives you a weekly notification telling you how things are progressing.

It's not a bad idea, but it sounds a lot like budgeting to me- isn't one of the key tennants of mustachianism to not budget,but rather to actually live within your means? Then again, it may be nice to have a handy tracker outlining your SR for the month or something.

[Salim]

Interesting thread!

I have had three different good side gigs while being a (stay at) homemaker. The second and third were quite lucrative.

fine artist
graphic designer and illustrator (most lucrative of the three)
horseback riding instructor

Of the three, I found the easiest to find work for was riding instructor. It's not an easy entry career, nor an easy job in general. But, if you get in and are pretty good at it, there is lots of work... at least in New England (USA). I'm currently out of this one for health reasons.

[okits]

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

It's been totally dead the last week or two, for some reason!  I was wondering about it myself. Before I was doing closer to one a day than one a week. Sometimes more than one a day. The last couple of weekends were holiday weekends in the UK and US, so maybe it will pick up a bit now.

Good to hear. There have been a few studies up since I signed up a few days ago but I'm not eligible for any of them (even though one of them was German, which I was sure I'd be able to do). Was starting to think maybe I shouldn't have bothered answering all the pre-screening questions. On the other hand, I've tried to sign up for studies at the uni I work at which I seem to fit all the criteria for and then when it comes down to it, they're actually only looking for people of x age because all the other participants turned out to be x age, or something like that. I try not to take it personally. :)

I have two available right now, but I don't want to do either (one is long and has a mediocre pay rate around $5.80/hr, the other is also long and has to be done on your smartphone).

I just checked my history and I did 15 in the first 15 days of August and and 6 between August 16th and now. So yeah, it's been very dry. I assume I also miss a bunch because I only log in a couple of times a day and some of them go pretty fast.

Is everyone else still finding it slow with available studies?  I've only done three, all month.  I wonder if it being the start of the academic year has any bearing.

[humesapprentice]

I use Swagbucks instead of Google and get over $100 in Amazon gift cards a year. Swagbucks is a search engine that shares a portion of its ad revenue with the user in the form of "swagbucks" points that you can redeem for all kinds of things (I'm a big fan of the amazon gift card, but there's lots of other stuff). If I decide to fill out a few surveys on their site I can easily land a $25 gift card in a few weeks time, in my spare time only (a few seconds or minutes here and there). Interested?

[BuffaloStache]

DollarSlice- How often are you able to complete studies on Profilic? I know I'm pretty new to it, but I've only been eligible for one study so far. Can you reliably count on one or more survey per week?

It's been totally dead the last week or two, for some reason!  I was wondering about it myself. Before I was doing closer to one a day than one a week. Sometimes more than one a day. The last couple of weekends were holiday weekends in the UK and US, so maybe it will pick up a bit now.

Good to hear. There have been a few studies up since I signed up a few days ago but I'm not eligible for any of them (even though one of them was German, which I was sure I'd be able to do). Was starting to think maybe I shouldn't have bothered answering all the pre-screening questions. On the other hand, I've tried to sign up for studies at the uni I work at which I seem to fit all the criteria for and then when it comes down to it, they're actually only looking for people of x age because all the other participants turned out to be x age, or something like that. I try not to take it personally. :)

I have two available right now, but I don't want to do either (one is long and has a mediocre pay rate around $5.80/hr, the other is also long and has to be done on your smartphone).

I just checked my history and I did 15 in the first 15 days of August and and 6 between August 16th and now. So yeah, it's been very dry. I assume I also miss a bunch because I only log in a couple of times a day and some of them go pretty fast.

Is everyone else still finding it slow with available studies?  I've only done three, all month.  I wonder if it being the start of the academic year has any bearing.

I think a lot of it is what time of day you check the site. Early in the morning (US timezones) seem to have at least 1 or 2 available each day; I don't always do them but I've completed ~10 or so studies in the past couple of weeks.

[Dollar Slice]

@okits: I've found it a little better the past week or two, but not up to where it was a few months ago. I caught a couple of very high paying ones so I'm happy enough this week. I haven't checked in since Tuesday though (had surgery on Weds so I'm not upright long enough to get bored enough to do surveys...)

[401Killer]

1. Sharpening knives, scissors, lawn mower blades etc...

2. Friends started a tree service company. Most established tree service companies have huge overhead in equipment with bucket trucks, trailers, grinders etc... Some decent sized trees are easily quoted at a few thousand each. So when a person talks to us and tells us they were quoted $4,000, we come in at $2k and say it may take a little longer they generally don't ever care. We take low risk, no power lines, houses/property in the way jobs. Bought a dump trailer at an auction for a crazy good price. For good trees we sell the wood, if not we use each of our licenses to dump the trees for free. The money potential here is insane and we've made about 6 grand with just a few jobs this year while just getting started. The work is hard but it burns calories and you are outside. So you look great and make cash!

3. Recently started to drive for Lyft. 9 rides made $212. Not worth it for me during normal rate times, but if I keep an eye on the city and prime time rate increases (200 to 500%) I'll go out and make some easy cash.

[BuffaloStache]

1. Sharpening knives, scissors, lawn mower blades etc...

Do you do this one? How did you get into it? what type of equipment is required?

[SC93]

My buddy sharpens blades of all kinds. He started with a file and has now moved up to some type of machine. I have no idea what the machine is. He also tunes up push mowers (no riders). He stays busy just tuning them up. He doesn't really do much else to the mower except most need a new carb so he replaces it, tunes it up, sharpens the blade, cleans it up and and it's ready to go..... $79+ parts. He only does mobile service.

I met a guy who had a lawn service that was booming but he was selling it because he found there was way more money in the stump business and didn't have to deal with near as many workers so I can believe the tree business is a money maker. The trick should be to not be out there doing that hard work, get the $10 an hour guy to do the work while you sit in the truck taking a nap. Or better yet, stay at your desk and find more jobs for the workers.

[Fish Sweet]

I very recently (as in within the two months or so) started forays into an etsy shop, which has made me about $250 in profit so far, and I might be able to make about another $150 more before the materials I have (some of which are vintage and not easily acquired) run out.  I'm making and selling hand-made costume accessories for a specific costume for a specific series.  A few others are selling the same item, but I sell mine at the highest price because it's also the most accurate and highest quality of the products out there.   Time-wise it's actually been a huge time sink making the dang thing by hand, but it's work I enjoy and not stuff I could outsource (and personally I really love the sense that people are buying things that I created with my own two hands.)

And the best part is, I started this up because I had to make one of these accessories for myself, and some friends and ended up with a bunch of extra materials to produce more, so I'm practically making money out of stuff I have on hand.  I'm already inspired to create more things to sell and use the opportunity to a) learn new skills like resin casting and working with different thermoplastics, b) make back or turn a profit on expensive cosplaying materials I would've already been purchasing and c) build up some kind customer and/or cosplay fan base for my next projects.  Learning and bringing in $$$ at the same time! :)

I'm also looking into soap-making and making an etsy soap shop, though I know that's quite an oversaturated market.  I loooove handmade soaps though, so even if it doesn't take off, I'll be happy having just acquired the skills.

[fleanoodle]

I was a bartender through college for a small restaurant/bar chain and still pick up shifts once in a while. I call the owners when I have an open weekend and can usually work whatever shift I like. A closing shift on a Saturday night can pull in $400 to $500. An easy 8 hour shift usually pulls $200. It requires no commitments, investments, or creativity and is completely flexible. I've thought about starting other side businesses, but it's hard to pass up $25/hour with zero responsibility!

[afuera]

I referee soccer games.   Depending on the age group and skill level, I make anywhere from $20 to $70 per game.  Its really pretty easy to get certified to referee any number of sports, you typically just need to take one full day class costing less than $100, buy a uniform, and then pick up as many games as you want.  Some assignors even reimburse the cost of the uniform and certification class if you ref a certain number of games for them within the first few months.
Refereeing is a great side hustle because you are literally getting paid to exercise and you get some entertainment watching a sport that you enjoy.  You also get to develop social connections with other referees which has been a fun little clique to be a part of.  YMMV :)

[401Killer]

1. Sharpening knives, scissors, lawn mower blades etc...

Do you do this one? How did you get into it? what type of equipment is required?

I've been sharpening knives for 20 years as a hobby using stones etc... Was like a fun hobby I did for friends while up north around the camp fire etc... So a TON of manual sharpening. After looking into it as a business, and considering the many different types of sharpening rigs I decided on a 1" belt sander with different grits and a leather belt. The speed and absolutely insane edge you can get on a blade in such short time is incredible. You just have to be careful not to push to hard at certain times(esp the leather strop) as it will turn a thin blade's edge glowing hot quick.

As a business though you have to be very aware of the different edge types, the type of blade, how thick it is and the metal content. For instance, generally you don't want a fine razor sharp edge on a pocket knife. You want a sharp but durable edge. Making a blade "razor" sharp that you can shave with is really very, very easy to do.

The little belt sander works amazing and its CHEAP! $35 at Harbor Freight. I bought the belts where ever I could find them, and a 1" leather strop for the sander on Amazon. If you get more serious and get into professional shears for hair cutting and pets, you really need to invest in a good grinder where you can properly control the angle.

Lot's to learn. =D

[SC93]

I referee soccer games.   Depending on the age group and skill level, I make anywhere from $20 to $70 per game.  Its really pretty easy to get certified to referee any number of sports, you typically just need to take one full day class costing less than $100, buy a uniform, and then pick up as many games as you want.  Some assignors even reimburse the cost of the uniform and certification class if you ref a certain number of games for them within the first few months.
Refereeing is a great side hustle because you are literally getting paid to exercise and you get some entertainment watching a sport that you enjoy.  You also get to develop social connections with other referees which has been a fun little clique to be a part of.  YMMV :)

My buddy Chris is the announcer at the local dirt track and also announces all kinds of ball games during the week. He will announce 4-5 games on Saturday @ $50 each and then come to the race track and make $100 more.

[SC93]

1. Sharpening knives, scissors, lawn mower blades etc...

Do you do this one? How did you get into it? what type of equipment is required?

I've been sharpening knives for 20 years as a hobby using stones etc... Was like a fun hobby I did for friends while up north around the camp fire etc... So a TON of manual sharpening. After looking into it as a business, and considering the many different types of sharpening rigs I decided on a 1" belt sander with different grits and a leather belt. The speed and absolutely insane edge you can get on a blade in such short time is incredible. You just have to be careful not to push to hard at certain times(esp the leather strop) as it will turn a thin blade's edge glowing hot quick.

As a business though you have to be very aware of the different edge types, the type of blade, how thick it is and the metal content. For instance, generally you don't want a fine razor sharp edge on a pocket knife. You want a sharp but durable edge. Making a blade "razor" sharp that you can shave with is really very, very easy to do.

The little belt sander works amazing and its CHEAP! $35 at Harbor Freight. I bought the belts where ever I could find them, and a 1" leather strop for the sander on Amazon. If you get more serious and get into professional shears for hair cutting and pets, you really need to invest in a good grinder where you can properly control the angle.

Lot's to learn. =D

There was a guy in Houston that had a trailer set up to sharpen blades/knives/etc. He said he set up in the same spot every day for 25 years and made a killing! It was a few years ago when I spoke to him and at that time he was looking to sell his trailer and retire.

[401Killer]

There was a guy in Houston that had a trailer set up to sharpen blades/knives/etc. He said he set up in the same spot every day for 25 years and made a killing! It was a few years ago when I spoke to him and at that time he was looking to sell his trailer and retire.

I've looked into the small cargo trailer setup. This is also a relativity cheap thing to get into as these are abundant on the used market. I already own a little Honda generator that would be perfect for the task. You could travel and do restaurant cutlery, go to arts and craft shows or any kind of outdoor events and sharpen pocket knives, hand out business cards etc...

You can even offer other services/up-charge items such as restoration of blades. Most knives with a few minutes on a polishing wheel will clear any minor scratches and even up the appearance.   

[SC93]

Just don't spend all your profit on fuel. That's part of why this guy made so much money is because he set up close to his house and everyone got to know he was there.

You will quickly learn that for every 5000 business cards you hand out ....you will have lost a minimum $200+. lol That's it.... I didn't mention anything about new paying customers. It takes a certain skill to make a business card work. I actually have people ask me for a business card and I do get business from them but that is rare. I handed out business cards in the cleaning business for 19 years and never had 1 paying customer from them.

Any place that uses knives. Try to get all of your customers really close to each other. You know that fresh seafood warehouse in town? They need sharp knives. The place that processes meat... they need knives. Taxidermy... he needs a knife. Up sell those mesh gloves and even rubber gloves of all types. Don't buy the gloves ahead of time, have them order from you and you get them from some cheap place online and take them on your next visit.

[BuffaloStache]

...
This past year, I picked up golf balls on walks - we lived by a golf course - and am now selling them.  If I had time to burn, I'd package sets of them and could sell them for much more. 
...

Ok, now you've piqued my interest. What is the going rate for golfballs? Do you sell them online (craigslist/ebay/etc), or back to the gold courses direct?

[Mr Mark]

great thread!

Currently I'm in a cover band, 2-4 gigs a month at local clubs. I get $125 a gig plus usually a couple of free beers and meal. And it's a load of fun.

Once I FIRE hope to:
- do some consultancy in my area of expertise which should pull in about $5k/week plus expenses. 4-6 weeks a year would be perfect. May be able to get a short term consultancy in a wonderful overseas location (beaches, warm, popular holiday destination) and essentially get a paid vacation for family in the depths of a Michigan winter.
- DW will be able to coach horse riding
- will look into doing a class at local community college/University.
- ebooks sounds like a great idea esp. once you have a 'back catalog'
- partner with professionally skilled friends on commercial real estate development opportunities
- live poker. I typically make ~$25/hr at low stakes NLTH depending on the density of fish.

We have a FIREd friend who owns a tiny theatre company doing educational history shows for schools, where he and his DW dress up in costumes, put on short plays and have simple home made sets. They seem to have a total blast and get paid as well.
 

[Reggie]

So glad I found this thread! So many interesting ideas.

Once I reach FI I'd like to:

1. Start selling canned produce such as pickled carrots or salsa etc.  I find if you get the produce in season on sale, this can be very very cheap to make.  But there are a lot of regulations regarding selling food so it might be a super small side gig.
2. Hope to do some fun renovations work for people I know for cheap (max $20/hr). That way I don't have to feel bad for not being perfect.
3. Hope to write an ebook someday (like in 10 years) and maybe generate income from a blog one day.

[ladymary]

My buddy sharpens blades of all kinds. He started with a file and has now moved up to some type of machine. I have no idea what the machine is. He also tunes up push mowers (no riders). He stays busy just tuning them up. He doesn't really do much else to the mower except most need a new carb so he replaces it, tunes it up, sharpens the blade, cleans it up and and it's ready to go..... $79+ parts. He only does mobile service.

I met a guy who had a lawn service that was booming but he was selling it because he found there was way more money in the stump business and didn't have to deal with near as many workers so I can believe the tree business is a money maker. The trick should be to not be out there doing that hard work, get the $10 an hour guy to do the work while you sit in the truck taking a nap. Or better yet, stay at your desk and find more jobs for the workers.

So I guess I'll tag on here.  I've been watching this thread for excellent ideas.  SC93 has some great ones. 

Personally, I am beginning a financial planning business and had my first client meeting recently.  I enjoy that immensely and am able to add value to peoples' lives as well, so it's a win-win.  It also makes use of all the knowledge I gain from MMM and my leisure reading. 

This past year, I picked up golf balls on walks - we lived by a golf course - and am now selling them.  If I had time to burn, I'd package sets of them and could sell them for much more. 

I've had a lawn mowing business in the past that was wildly successful.  People detest hard, hot, sweaty labor, while I enjoyed the exercise (and listening to music).  I had fun making $$$ with it, and never wanted for business.  You'd want to offset that, though, with a winter business, as it gets slow during winter unless you're a company who forces people onto year-long contracts.  (I don't like that idea, personally, and was paid per job by a set of regular clients.)  Depending upon where you live, that could be an easy way to make some side cash. 

As SC93 said, you could really roll in dough if you found cheap reliable help.  Emphasis on reliable.

I am interested in your Financial Planning gig. I really want to do this as i think i would enjoy helping people and sharing my knowledge of personal finance as well. Did you need a certification or any formal training? How did you get your first client? thanks

[Rimu05]

I have a teaching license, so I was able to get a very part time teaching job at night.  I teach adult immigrants how to read English.  It's about five hours a week, and I take home an extra $500 a month.  It's super easy and fun!  Definitely a fun side gig.

I actually volunteer to do this, but is there a specific requirement in order to teach for income? I would love to have it as a side hassle because I genuinely enjoy it. Even when I am in a horrendous mood, just being in the class cheers me up.

[Rural]

I have a teaching license, so I was able to get a very part time teaching job at night.  I teach adult immigrants how to read English.  It's about five hours a week, and I take home an extra $500 a month.  It's super easy and fun!  Definitely a fun side gig.

I actually volunteer to do this, but is there a specific requirement in order to teach for income? I would love to have it as a side hassle because I genuinely enjoy it. Even when I am in a horrendous mood, just being in the class cheers me up.

Requirements all depend on where you are (and on the employer).

[JLee]

I was invited to participate in a research group for automotive enthusiasts/collectors...turns out it pays $600/half day and they want me for two (half) days.

I'm hoping it actually happens!

[crooner1]

Teaching piano. It started out as a favor to a friend who's daughter lost their previous teacher. My wife has a "wine night" every Monday, so I teach while the Mom's all hang out. It started a year ago with one student, now I have 6 students with a 7th getting set up soon. It's providing $250 extra / month at this point. All it takes is patience with the kids and a half hour each lesson. After working a 10 hour day it gets a little tiresome, but it's a good gig.

[PhoenixHeat]

I make about $1000 every holiday season by offering gift-wrapping service.

They provide their own papers, decorations & consumables (tape), I show up with my toolbox (good scissors etc) and do everything they have in 1 trip. I charge $3.50 per gift big or small and prefer to make only one trip to wrap everything (I work at their house).

When I started I had a classified ad, now I have enough referrals/regulars to stay as busy as I would like to be during the season. Average job is about 4-5 hours and 30-40 gifts.

I find a perverse satisfaction in making money from other people's consumerism LOL.

This is brilliant.

I agree - made  note for the season where extra personal time is available!

[BuffaloStache]

I make about $1000 every holiday season by offering gift-wrapping service.

They provide their own papers, decorations & consumables (tape), I show up with my toolbox (good scissors etc) and do everything they have in 1 trip. I charge $3.50 per gift big or small and prefer to make only one trip to wrap everything (I work at their house).

When I started I had a classified ad, now I have enough referrals/regulars to stay as busy as I would like to be during the season. Average job is about 4-5 hours and 30-40 gifts.

I find a perverse satisfaction in making money from other people's consumerism LOL.

This is brilliant.

I agree - made  note for the season where extra personal time is available!

Agreed, this seems like a great idea for the almost FI or the newly FIRED people that have a lot more free time on their hands.

[BuffaloStache]

In related news the past few days have been phenomenal for Prolific- I have taken several surveys that only took me ~10 minutes and paid $3.28 or more. For anyone interested PM me or use my referral link in the signature below.