Side Hustles Tried & Tested by us!

If you’ve been searching for a side hustle, one thing’s clear – you’re here to make money. And the fact that you’ve decided to step out of your comfort zone and start exploring? That already puts you ahead of most people.

Here’s the thing: plenty of folks save Reels, Shorts, or Pins they see in their feed, but never take action. They’re still waiting for the “right time,” stuck in the comfort zone.

I’m genuinely glad you’re here. With this post, I’ll make sure you walk away having learned something new, or at the very least, I’ll spark a little curiosity that pushes you to take the next step.

Either way, you’re already on the winning side.

If you’re ready, I’m going to share a few side hustles that Anku and I have personally tested and yes, they actually worked. We talk a lot about them in our ‘Make Money’ , and you can give them a try too.

5 Top Picks Side Hustles

1. Blogging

If you’re a regular reader, you probably already know about my love for blogging.

Anku and I started our first blog in 2017 as a summer project.

Starting a tech YouTube channel required a good setup and on-camera skills, we had neither! So, a tech blog seemed like the perfect alternative.

Now, in 2025, blogging is still my top recommendation for anyone who enjoys writing and has valuable insights to share in any niche, whether it’s DIY crafts, yoga, event management, or something else.

If you’re a housewife or a mother, blogging is definitely worth considering.

Start it as a side hustle, and if things go as expected, you can easily generate thousands of dollars per month through a combination of Display Ads, Affiliate Marketing and Digital Product.

Throughout our blogging journey, we’ve consistently earned a 6-figure income from niche blogs, with Raptive as our ad management partner.

If you want to learn everything about blogging, check out our detailed guide on How to Start a Blog, where we share insights and step-by-step instructions.

You can start today and potentially earn $100–$200 by the end of Month #2 and even $1,000 by Month #4 if you leverage Pinterest traffic effectively.

2. Print on Demand (T-shirts)

Print on Demand became really popular back in 2017, and you’ll see multiple people now calling POD a failing idea. But what’s really happening?

Well, we won’t say POD is as easy as it was back in the day, but it still works. The only reason it has become harder is because people keep trying to sell the same types of designs that worked in 2017.

And since potential customers have already bought those designs, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get sales with similar ones.

But if you’re confident in your research and can create relatable and good-looking designs, you’ll definitely get sales. As we said in our POD Guide, Design is the Heart of POD business.

If you want to start a POD Business, make sure you check our detailed guide on –

How to Start a Print-on-Demand (POD) Business

3. Digital Products

Just like the POD business, selling digital products is a tough thing to crack. But isn’t that the case with almost every business these days? Everything is competitive if you don’t come up with a unique product to sell.

You can easily sell a digital product if you can ensure one of these two key factors:

• A unique product in a saturated niche
• A unique niche that isn’t oversaturated

If you do solid research, you can definitely find a product that sells like crazy.

And you don’t have to start your research from scratch, check out these 102 Digital Products Ideas you can start selling. You can host your product page on Gumroad, Shopify, Teachable, Payhip, or ThriveCart.

4. Faceless Youtube Channel

Another great idea that a lot of people have been trying is the faceless YouTube channel. The good thing about a faceless channel is that you can use a lot of AI tools to increase your video production capacity.

If you follow a solid strategy, earning $1000 from a Faceless YouTube Channel isn’t hard at all. Check out our detailed guide – How to start a Faceless YT Channel.

But making a sloppy AI-generated video won’t earn you anything. According to YouTube, low-effort AI content will not be monetized starting July 25, 2020.

You’ll need to put effort into scriptwriting and editing to actually make money from a faceless video.

That said, there are plenty of ideas to choose from. We’ve shared 26 Faceless YouTube Video Ideas in our recent post.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is another competitive side hustle that still works – IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. It’s quite similar to selling POD products or digital products, but with a few key differences.

In affiliate marketing, instead of selling your own product, you promote products from other sellers. And there are plenty of platforms where you can find relevant products. Some of the popular ones include Share A Sale, Amazon Associates, Clickbank, Impact and more.

The main goal is to drive attention to your affiliate page. One effective way to do that is by writing a Blog post around the product and promoting it on Pinterest.

MUST READ: How I Get 30k Monthly Visitors Without Ads

Side Hustles that Still Work

Writing & Content Creation

• Write on Medium and get paid for views
• Freelance writing on platforms like Upwork
• Proofreading & editing for blogs, books, students
• Resume writing or LinkedIn profile optimization
• Create and sell presentations (e.g., pitch decks, slide designs)

Design & Creative Services

• Design and sell websites in WordPress
• Commission digital art or illustrations
• Sell stock photos on sites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock
• Custom calligraphy and prints for weddings, journals, or events
• Voice acting for characters, ads, or audiobooks
• Make and sell stickers or pins via Etsy or Ko-fi
• Create low-content books (journals, planners, trackers)

Service-Based Freelancing

• Virtual assistant for entrepreneurs or creators
• Online tutoring (Wyzant, Chegg, or private)
• Language translation for content or video subtitles
• UX/UI testing on platforms like UserTesting
• Typing and data entry gigs on Microtask sites

Sales, Reselling & Rental

• Sell items for others and split profits
• Flip thrifted or vintage items (clothes, electronics)
• Sell handmade crafts or gifts on Instagram or Etsy
• Rent your car on Zoomcar or Turo
• Rent out your home or room on Airbnb
• Rent equipment like cameras, tripods, decor
• Pet sitting or dog walking through Rover or local ads

Tech-Savvy Side Hustles

• Design WordPress websites and offer it as a service
• 3D modeling or animation services
• Teach online courses via Skillshare, Teachable, or Udemy

That’s pretty much everything about the side hustle ideas.

We started with our top picks, and if any of them caught your interest, go ahead and give it a try!

You’ll only figure out what truly works for you once you actually try it.

So what are you waiting for? Start working on your idea right now!

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and trust.