Perhaps now more than ever, people are looking for ways to earn an additional income. Times are tough as we experience the cost of living crisis and with the winter still to come, there are serious concerns about keeping homes warm. While taking a second job may sound like the perfect solution, let’s be honest: how many of us really have time for this? With childcare, personal commitments and the risk of burnout being very real, a second job just isn’t practical.

The solution, that many have been benefiting from for years now, is a side hustle. There are a host of ways that you can make money without committing to another job. Side hustles are flexible and work around you. Stuck for ideas as to what you could do? Well, here are a few suggestions from us.

venture into teaching

There are a host of websites right now where you can register and find yourself teaching whatever skill you are good at. It could be that you’re helping children or even a business owner who’s looking to get a better grasp of, say, content creation, coding, or even playing the piano. These websites are 100% flexible and you work the hours that you want. You can even do this, with some of the sites, without holding a teaching qualification.

CLEAR OUT AND SELL

The ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ is something a lot of people experience. If you see your friends partying or purchasing something you can’t afford, you can feel sad and anxious because you’re missing out on what other people have.

However, FOMO can result in overspending, which can cause even more anxiety and spiral into depression. Instead, you need to control those dreaded FOMO feelings.

There are a number of ways to do this. Taking a hiatus from social media is a good place to start. You should try to see things from a different perspective. Relish being out of the loop and having our own life, rather than worrying about what other people are doing.

start a blog

This certainly isn’t a side hustle that’s going to bring you money in today. In fact, you’re probably looking at a good six months or so before you’ll see even a penny. That may not side great but, trust us, it's still well worth the effort.

If you can find a subject that you’re passionate about and share that passion, that’s all that you really need. You will, of course, need to get visitors to your site and that’s the bit that takes time. However, when this starts to arrive this can turn into a truly passive income further down the line.

pet boarding

There are some pet owners who refuse to use the likes of a boarding kennel or a cattery. They may be looking to take a holiday, but they want their pets to remain at home in the surroundings that there used to. These people will happily pay you to take care of their pets while they’re away.

You may have to spend a certain amount of time with each pet, feed them and even provide medication. This is a great way for an animal lover to bring in an additional income.

dog walking

If you’re a dog lover, and you like to keep active, then this could well be a great way to make some extra cash. The truth is that there are many people out there who either don’t have the time or are physically incapable of waking their dogs. These people still want the best for their dogs and so will pay you to walk them.

As side hustles go, this one is pretty good. That’s because it’s likely to provide a regular and steady income once you’ve developed your client base.

Virtual assistant

Many business owners and freelancers are looking for support when it comes to calendar management, content writing or social media creation and scheduling. VAs usually work on a retainer basis for about 10 hours a month. The average (starting rate) in the UK is about £25-30 per hour. VAs can also help with planning, accountability and invoicing / bookeeping.

get creative

If you’ve got a hidden talent then you may as well use it to make money. It used to be that if you produced any type of craft items, you’d have to head to a local market, or even a car boot, to sell them. That’s not the case anymore.

Sites such as Etsy are there purely for sellers who have handmade goods for sale. By listing there you are exposed to a huge audience and, in truth, the competition can be stiff. You can get yourself at the forefront though just by taking a little time to learn how Etsy works and how keywords can get you more views.

What about you? Any tips?