Five EASY Side Hustles
The world is not what it once was.
This statement can be looked at in several ways. Perhaps people are unhappy with the way the world is changing. Others love that change.
It might be someone yearning for an era gone by. I know for me; I miss how simple the world used to be. But that thought in itself is rather simplistic. My life was simpler as I was younger. Was the world actually more simple? That is a matter of perspective.
One angle, however, cannot be argued. The world today is nowhere near as cheap as it used to be. Cost of living is rising at an alarming rate. We are living in an era where the middle class is set to disappear entirely.
The gap between the upper echelons of society, and the rest, are widening by the minute.
What my generation was taught, was that you need to get a good education, go to university, get a good job, save as much as you can, and you’re good to go. In a nutshell anyway.
If you are still approaching your life goals, and your financial planning in that manner, I’m sorry to say, but you are now in fact a dinosaur. A dinosaur named Blockbuster with a meteorite named Netflix coming right at you!
With the rising cost of living, inflation eating away at your savings like termites to a newly found haven of wood. You MUST start to look at earning more money.
There are an incredible number of options available to you these days. I will outline five ridiculously easy side hustles that can earn you a little extra change each month.
I mean, after all, who couldn’t use their phone bill being paid for, or some debt being paid down right?
The first option, which is perhaps already on your radar, is pushing for that raise in your current 9–5. There is nothing wrong with this, and if you have a clear career path and a ladder that is open for you to climb, go for it.
However, for many out there, this is not the reality of their situation. So, if you are like me and you are at the top of your wage bracket in your field of expertise, or, you don’t have that progression laid out before you. Here are five easy side hustles that any of you can get started with today.
1. Reselling — This may seem rather basic in nature, and not earth-shattering info. You would be right to think as much. BUT it is doable for every single one of you out there. You all have material items you don’t need. So, sell them. Better yet, figure out a market that you know well, and buy for cheap and resell at a profit. For example, I love my kicks (my wife hates my love for kicks), but I know the market well. Recently I saw on FB Marketplace a couple of pairs of shoes that were advertised for $60 a piece. They are $250 shoes brand new. I bought them both. I then sold them both for $100 each. $80 profit just from knowing their worth. It has never been easier. There are apps like Ebay, Offerup, FB marketplace (and many more). Do your research, make that money.
2. Affiliate marketing — I have been doing this myself for a while on Twitter now. I have to say it’s rather easy. Don’t get me wrong, it takes work, I’m not going to lie. But the work itself is not difficult. If you have ever talked to a friend about a product that you have purchased and made that recommendation to them. You just affiliated. Yes, those fresh Air Max 97's, you just affiliated for Nike, without being paid. You can do this and earn commission on other peoples’ products and services. It’s great. If you are indeed interested in this, don’t be afraid to send me a message on here, or indeed a DM on Twitter (@dadbodfinance) and I’d be happy to have a chat and help you out.
3. Surveys — Yes! Surveys! I have recently started to give this a try through a friend of mine on Twitter. This is ridiculously easy. There are companies out there willing to pay you GOOD money to just have a chat for an hour or two. I have landed two so far myself, and for 2 hours of my time, I’ve been paid $150 just to give my opinion. Those same 2 hours that I may have otherwise used in an unproductive manner.
4. Cash back — That’s right! We have all seen the credit cards that give cash back for the purchases we make. Outside of credit cards there are companies and programs out there that do the same thing. We are all spending money on things away, so why not get paid for it? Rakuten for example is a company where you make a purchase through their site and get paid for doing so. The amount paid is small of course but make enough purchases of things you would be buying anyway, and it adds up quickly.
5. Food delivery — I remember getting a delivery job with Domino’s pizza back in the day. I was incredibly nervous at the thought of having to knock on strangers’ doors, talk to them, accept cash, and hopefully get a tip. With the apps these days (and there are a TON), you don’t have to worry about that. Thanks to covid, we have contactless delivery now as well, so those of you with anxiety out there, fret not. Drop the food on the doorstep and take off. Payments and tips are taken care of digitally for you. Fire up your favourite Spotify playlist, crank the tunes, drive around for a few hours, get paid.
That’s it, that’s all. There are plenty more side hustles out there, and maybe I’ll highlight some others another day. But those of you looking for some ridiculously easy ones. Perhaps give some of these a try.
Become Steve Buschemi for a while, being supported by Ben Affleck! There will be no Armageddon! That Netflix meteorite can piss right off. Blockbuster is here to stay!
Talk soon everyone,
Dad Bod.
