20 Fun Ways to Make a Little Extra Spending Money

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Many people approach making money as a chore, which makes sense if you’re currently in a loveless relationship with your 9-to-5. 

However, if you’re looking to bring in a little extra income to help you meet your savings goals, afford your expenses more easily, or improve your quality of life, there’s no limit to what you can do to earn said funds. 

This freedom means that you can find ways to earn extra money that are less boring or tedious than your main source of income. 

If you’re ready to generate income and enjoy what you’re doing to make it happen, we’ve compiled a list of 20 fun ways to make a little extra spending money that can help kick off your side hustle endeavors with ease. 

#1. Sell Your Photography

Are you someone with a good eye and a phone or a camera? If so, there are ways to monetize your skills and make extra cash.

Whether you’re someone who uses their phone to snap nature pics or someone with a more professional setup who loves to engage in photography as a hobby, platforms like Foap and Shutterstock make it easy to post images for sale.

If you’re good enough, you may see some sales over time!

#2. Start a POD Store

A print-on-demand (POD) store is where you apply your graphic designs to various products.

The platform that you post your goods to then handles fulfillment.

It’s a seamless process that can help you bring in some extra money regardless of your talent level.

Some platforms to consider include Zazzle, Redbubble, and Teespring, to name a few. 

#3. Create an Online Course

Do you have a lot of wisdom to share with the world but no desire to offer tutoring or one-on-one coaching?

You’re not out of luck. One fun way to monetize your knowledge is to create an online course.

There are plenty of platforms out there that you can use to post your courses for sale, or you can start your own website to sell courses and other online materials. 

#4. Flip Items You Find Online or Nearby

One fun way to make some extra money is to flip items.

Without the stress of turning it into a full-time business, it can be exciting to look for garage sales or estate sales and land a bargain on a product that’s worth way more than it’s being sold for.

Then, you just have to sell it and pocket the profits. 

#5. Get Crafty and Start an Etsy Shop

Are you someone with crafty hobbies who knows they could sell some of the stuff they produce?

If so, consider starting an Etsy store. Etsy will take a chunk out of your earnings, but it equips you with all the tools you need to start selling your wares.

Anything handmade can be sold there, regardless of whether you specialize in soaps, candles, or even printable worksheets. 

#6. Sell Your Jingles

Most people believe the only way to make money from music is to do gigs or become a performer, but that’s not true.

Plenty of people sell their audio files like they sell their photos, which can help you generate income when people need music for ads or videos.

If you have an ear for what people want, you can make money and enjoy what you do. 

#7. Design Greeting Cards

Greeting cards come from somewhere, so why don’t you throw your hat in the ring?

Whether you have a penchant for words or prefer to produce graphics or illustrations, see if there are greeting card design companies open to pitches and submissions or if any host regular contests you can participate in. 

#8. Write Short Stories or Poetry

Do you have a way with words? You might be able to make some money off of it!

Plenty of people submit short stories and poetry to various publications open for submissions throughout the year or host contests.

While it’s very much a numbers game and requires you to understand all the different expectations of various publications, it can be a fun way to express yourself and get paid. 

#9. Become a DJ

There are some professions that nearly anyone can get into, and one of them is being a DJ.

If you have the right equipment and know how to entertain, booking gigs like birthday parties, weddings, and everything in between can help you earn a decent chunk of change while doing something you’re good at and can have fun doing. 

#10. Share Your Opinion on Websites

Sometimes, fun is synonymous with easy, and one fun and easy way to make money is by testing websites.

Platforms like UserTesting and Userlytics will pay you to share your opinion about websites, and these tests pay more than most online surveys do.

You can make money if you have at least 20 minutes of free time and a functional laptop or mobile device with a camera and a microphone. 

#11. Put Your Fitness Goals to the Test

Fitness can be fun, especially if you’re motivated to reach your goals and do enough to the point where you see the positive health benefits in your daily life.

Believe it or not, you can make money pursuing fitness with apps that pay money.

Platforms like StepBet, Evidation, and Sweatcoin offer multiple ways to start turning your progress into points or real cash. 

#12. Become a Game Tester or Reviewer

Many people love playing video games, especially in an era of fantastic graphics and stories that are more cinematic than ever.

But you don’t necessarily just have to spend money on these experiences.

Some will find ways to get into game testing or reviewing to make money to offer their opinions or refine games, allowing them to spend a little extra spending money doing what they love. 

#13. Design and Flip Websites

Web design is a more skilled hobby, but some people enjoy creating a website.

If this describes you, this is a skill that you can put to use on the side. The most obvious route to freelance, but this may not be the most fun way to leverage your skills.

Instead, you could design websites and flip them.

If someone comes along who likes your website and your domain choice, you could make some good money with this hobby. 

#14. Play Games on Your Phone

Your phone is a money-making machine, but only if you know what to pursue.

One lucrative way to get paid to play games on your phone using a platform like Swagbucks.

Basically, they’ll pay you to hit certain milestones in a game. If you reach those levels, you receive a cash reward in return.

If you select the right games, you can bring in some money over time when you have breaks to play the games they ask you to download. 

#15. Write Fiction or Non-Fiction Ebooks

Ebooks are an underutilized way for writers to make money.

Even if you’re not entirely sure of your talent, chances are that someone out there will buy your books as long as you’re well-written and can weave an interesting story.

Try writing a book and see if that can make you a few sales. You may even see passive income over time!

#16. Develop a Following on a Revenue-Sharing Site

Starting your own blog is a lot of work and requires an investment of both your time and your money.

But if you’re passionate about writing up recipes or covering topics that are important to you (and potentially getting paid), you’re not out of luck.

Revenue-sharing sites like HubPages and Medium will allow you to get set up for free and make money if you can get the views and the clicks. 

#17. Rent Out Things You Own

Selling things you own isn’t always a viable way to earn some cash, which is why renting is often the better alternative.

You get to keep your stuff, and you have to do literally none of the work, as the other person is responsible for picking it up and bringing it back.

You can rent out pretty much anything you can imagine, from clothing to cars. 

#18. Babysit Pets or Walk Them

Who doesn’t love spending time with pets?

You may have your own furry friends at home, but you can always get paid for your love for animals with platforms like Rover and Wag!

Whether you’re interested in walking dogs or pet sitting when you have free time, there’s something for everyone. 

#19. Rent Out Your Friendship

There are plenty of reasons why people need platonic companionship, from needing someone to show them around a new place to someone to stand in as a groomsman or bridesmaid at a wedding.

The reality is that people out there may pay you to hang out with them, and it’s an opportunity that can be quite rewarding.

You can look into this further with platforms like RentAFriend.

#20. Become a Tour Guide

Do you live in a place people generally flock to? Do you know your city like the back of your hand?

If you answered yes to both questions, consider becoming a tour guide.

Being a tour guide can help you make some money on the side while doing something that isn’t too strenuous or difficult.

Best Side Hustles For Extra Cash

Are you looking for more ways to make money on the side?

I compiled a list of over 100 side hustles in various categories.

Some allow you to make a few bucks month, others a few hundred, and some you can turn into a full-time career!

The Best Side Hustles You Need To Know

Get Paid to Do Nothing

The dream is to get paid to not work.

But the reality is we have to work. But what if there were jobs that were so simple, it didn’t feel like work?

Here is how you can get paid to do close to nothing at all.

Get Paid to Do Nothing