Work alongside your significant other to bring in some easy cash every month with these side hustles!
Life is hecka expensive! Kyle works a full-time job as a financial professional, while I am a full-time student. We rent a basement apartment, and our housing costs alone feel like they are breaking the bank every month. Kyle recently told me that in our two years of marriage we have spent over $30,000 in just rent and utilities. It can be discouraging knowing that high expenses are keeping us from saving for our future. In order to give us more wiggle room month to month, Kyle and I have both adopted various side hustles in order to bring in some extra savings money. The biggest perk to this list is that you can do them with your significant other. I am excited to share and hope that you can find some of these ideas helpful!
#1 Facebook Marketplace | $20-100/month
I have sold almost 100 items on Facebook, including a collapsible stool, wireless speaker, hangers, side tables, plants, calculator, decor, baby swing, and much much more.
A good place to start is by conducting a "spring cleaning" and selling your extra stuff. I've found that decor, extra furniture, and baby items sell particularly well. Embrace that minimalist lifestyle and sell the junk that you keep around, but don't actually need!
Pricing is key. It's important to keep in mind that you're selling secondhand, so you'll need to slash the price a bit. A good rule of thumb is to look up the price of the item brand new (retail price) and account for any wear or damage in the price that you select. You'll know if you've gone too high if you get a lot of clicks, but no messages.
Staging is everything. In order to help your items sell, take lots of pictures from various angles. Make sure your pictures are clean and look as professional as possible. Help the buyer visualize the item in their own home. Including the dimensions of any piece of furniture will help minimize messages you get just asking more questions. Including the phrase "smoke free, pet free home" can also help your items sell more quickly (if that is the case haha). Offering to deliver your items for an extra fee can help make a few extra bucks, too!
One last note: not everything sells well on Marketplace. Electronics, technology, blankets, pillows, clothing, rugs, and anything that can't be thoroughly cleaned just has a harder time finding a buyer. People may be concerned about getting scammed and buying a broken piece of technology -- or are just grossed out by your old blanket. Whatever the reason, I would try and focus on items outside this list.
If you don't want to sell some of your items you can also post them for rent! We have done this with a pair of car ramps that we own. We don't use them very often, but we also don't want to sell them. We rent them out for $5, and have made a modest amount this way.
#2 Donating Plasma | $400-1000/month
If you're comfortable with needles, plasma can be an extremely efficient side hustle. Alone, you can make $400-500 every month. If you go as a couple, that's $800-1,000. Before I got pregnant with our daughter, we paid rent with plasma money alone! Now Kyle donates alone, and it's a really consistent stream of income. Broken down hourly, it's roughly $25-$30. Plus, it's non-taxable income!
When we started dating, Kyle and I would schedule our appointments at the same time and request to sit next to each other. Throughout the appointment, we would just talk or play games on our phones against each other.
For those of you that have never donated before I encourage you to give it a shot! Eat a meal before you go in order to minimize any queasiness/lightheaded. Don't let that scare you though -- I donated for a year and half and never felt sick once! Expect it to take anywhere from 1.5-2 hours. When you arrive, you will be screened ensuring you are feeling healthy, measure the protein in your blood, and check your weight and heart rate.
For some of you slightly smaller girls, be aware of your protein levels. I struggled on occasion to get high enough protein levels in order to donate. Nothing is more discouraging than showing up for your appointment when your compensation is the highest and being turned away for low protein. Just drink a protein shake and you'll be fine!
#3 Thrive Life Private Consultant | $50-500/month
Thrive Life is a commission-based side hustle, which makes it a bit different than the others on the list. Thrive Life is a freeze dried food company founded in 2009. The company pays individuals to sell food as "consultants" instead of selling through large stores.
Becoming a consultant is a relatively easy process. First, you purchase a consultant kit of your choice that ranges from $100-$500. Within the consultant kit are several cans of freeze dried food for you to taste and become familiar with the product you are selling. A single purchase of the consultant kit unlocks all consultant benefits.
This gig is zero pressure -- there are no sales quotas or minimums. You can approach it from so many angles. I have shared the food with family, conducted what are called "tastings" (essentially an at-home party), online advertising, or simply by word of mouth between friends and neighbors. Now my method of choice is this blog. It's up to you to choose your hours and methods. And you'll have at least one other experienced Thrive consultant to help you!
Passive income is a large draw to Thrive Life. You'll be paid for your client's orders indefinitely, and if you choose to build a team (sign up other consultants beneath you) you can get paid for mentoring. Another key benefit is the Thrive community. I didn't become involved in Thrive Life with the intent to immerse myself in the company culture, but I've made good friends along the way.
A final note: being a consultant has a variety of benefits. They offer fantasy getaway trips every year, free food and money back on your own purchases. I love this food and appreciate the extra income each month. Check out becoming a Thrive Life consultant!
#4 Furniture Flipping | $100-500/month
I'll admit....this is by far my favorite side hustle that we currently do! I just love all things interior design, decorating, creating and building things with my hands. I have been flipping furniture for about 8 months, so I am still relatively new to the scene. Although I do consider myself creative, I don't think that you need to be crazy artistic to pull off being a furniture flipper. I make approximately $100-$300 of profit on each piece of furniture that I sell.
There are many different places that you can get your furniture from. Facebook Marketplace is a go to for me. Some other places that I have gathered furniture from include family or friends, second hand stores, and furniture just left on the side of roads.
I've found that dressers bring in the most money. The first thing that I ask the seller is if all of the drawers are clean and function properly. I am pretty handy and have fixed numerous pieces of furniture, but it's always easier to avoid if you can.
I am always experimenting with my furniture and trying different methods. I have stained, sanded, painted, stenciled, etc. Although I like to be fun and different with all my furniture, I have noticed some very obvious patterns that buyers like. From my experience, buyers gravitate towards more neutral light colored furniture with relatively simply hardware. It feels boring after a while, but I throw in natural wood grains, gold and color when I can.
Stage your piece and take good pictures! It is a waste to create something that looks so nice and then take subpar pictures. The principles that I went over earlier when posting items on Facebook Marketplace apply when posting your furniture flips as well. Make sure to include the dimensions, take good pictures (and lots of them!) and offer delivery if you are able.
#5 DoorDash/UberEats | $100-400/month
This is by far the most casual of our side hustles. We do this together in the car all of the time. Some of our favorite "date nights" are when we grab something to eat and then Uber together for the rest of the evening. Often times we just talk or listen to a podcast or music. You can make about $15-30 an hour.
One important note: although we did start off with Door dash (as that is most commonly used in our area), we switched to Uber Eats due to insurance. We found out that Door dash doesn't work with any insurance companies to insure their drivers. So if you were to cause an accident while Door dashing, you would have to pay for the entirety of the damages.
Registering to become driver is relatively simple as well. Simply download the app, answer a few background questions, and you'll be on the road a couple days later.
We have discovered throughout our Uber experience that you get paid twice as much for giving rides to people instead of delivering food. Occasionally Kyle will go out on a Saturday evening and give people rides, but overall we love just delivering peoples food together.
Conclusion
I hope that you found these ideas helpful! Let me know in the comments which was your favorite and any other side hustles you have tried not on this list!
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