Side hustles?

[webcat86]

I know these are popular around here and I was hoping to have a discussion about what people do or have done. Im partly curious and partly looking for inspiration.

For a bit of background here, i graduated university in 2009, during the recession. I was doing some freelance book editing in my final year and continued that after leaving, and undertook a 3 month unpaid internship as an editor at a publishing company. I then did four years as a freelance editor and writer of articles, books etc. 18 months ago I got a job doing in-house PR for a firm, and six months ago we bought our first house -200k mortgage over 33 years.

We are overpaying this slightly but I worked out today if we pay 5000-8000 extra a year, starting this time next year, the mortgage will be clear in 12 years instead. Huge incentive! We had a target of 21 years so actually reducing it to that would be amazing.

So my plan is to earn that much with a side hustle, so our salaries can cover expenses and savings/investments, and side hustles exclusively hitting the mortgage.

My obvious opportunity is trying to get a few writing gigs again, and I'm also going to start offering online guitar lessons via Skype and am thinking of a course to offer for beginners. (I am available to offer these lessons from now so if anyone is interested in learning...)

My wife is open to the idea of a part time gig but has no idea what to do. She has a great camera and enjoys photography but doesn't do much, I'm sure that could change if she had a financial incentive.

So what have you guys done to earn extra?

[schimt]

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/who-has-a-side-gigjob-that-brings-in-extra-cash-share-with-us!/?topicseen

9 pages and counting

[Mother Fussbudget]

This topic has been covered numerous times - search 'side gigs'.  But it might be a good opportunity for people to include *NEW* ideas for side gigs beyond the ones already discussed, and the perennial "rental properties" and "mortgage notes".

See these posts for topics discussed in the past:
1. How many mustachians running side projects with full time jobs
2. Who has a side gig/job that brings in extra cash?  Share with us!
3. Put your writing stuff online and earn money

[webcat86]

Thanks guys. I should clarify I was hoping for what Mother Fussbudget mentioned with new ideas. I wasn't looking for a recap on mystery shopping, rentals, and selling stuff on eBay.

This forum is massive. That means that many new topics are going to tread old ground - not many people want to trawl through a thread with hundreds of replies, and invariably when people do comment on an old thread they get scolded for reviving an old thread. So they start a new one and get scolded for talking about a familiar topic.

[Retired To Win]

Thanks guys. I should clarify I was hoping for what Mother Fussbudget mentioned with new ideas. I wasn't looking for a recap on mystery shopping, rentals, and selling stuff on eBay.

This forum is massive. That means that many new topics are going to tread old ground - not many people want to trawl through a thread with hundreds of replies, and invariably when people do comment on an old thread they get scolded for reviving an old thread. So they start a new one and get scolded for talking about a familiar topic.

Don't worry about it.  Forum face punches are only virtual; no bruising involved.

With your editing experience, I should think you would have no trouble picking up sidework off the web.  For your wife, photography is a much more "iffy" proposition (and I speak from experience).

Good luck.

[Kaikou]

uhhh....nevermind

[Meowmalade]

Yeah, I'd say no to the photography.  Running it as a business kills all the fun, and it's a hugely competitive market everywhere.  I quit my wedding business earlier this year and it was the best thing I ever did!

[webcat86]

Yeah, I'd say no to the photography.  Running it as a business kills all the fun, and it's a hugely competitive market everywhere.  I quit my wedding business earlier this year and it was the best thing I ever did!

Yeah I don't think she'd be interested in it as a business anyway. That's the main reason I was fishing for ideas here, as she doesn't really know what options there are whereas I'm a bit happier to dive in with what I know

[webcat86]

uhhh....nevermind

?

[Meowmalade]

What's your degree in?  There are companies where you can help edit papers and dissertations and such, but they are often from foreign students who expect you to rewrite their work.  My sister has a PhD in Chemistry and did freelance editing on technical papers while she was in school-- if I recall they paid $30 each, but she said that they wanted her to spend more time fixing each one and in the end it wasn't worth it to her.

[webcat86]

What's your degree in?  There are companies where you can help edit papers and dissertations and such, but they are often from foreign students who expect you to rewrite their work.  My sister has a PhD in Chemistry and did freelance editing on technical papers while she was in school-- if I recall they paid $30 each, but she said that they wanted her to spend more time fixing each one and in the end it wasn't worth it to her.

Oh I've done that before, when I was editing I worked for a company that edited student documents and a lot were from overseas students. Not something I'd be terribly keen to do again if I'm honest, as you said it was predominately rewriting to make it readable and the hourly rate was pittance (because the fee was based on words, not how long it took to complete)