Are you looking for a past time that can also earn you a little bit of extra cash? Here’s a list of 13 fun money making hobbies to try in 2018 and beyond.
The U.S. Census Bureau has determined that the average American spends five or six hours enjoying hobbies and personal interests every day. Multiply that by five days and you’ve got nearly the equivalent of a full-time job on your hands. Wouldn’t it be great to somehow get paid for doing what you love?
For most hobbies, you can. The internet has made it easier than ever before to establish yourself as an independent contractor or to sell your wares online.
Read on to learn more about 13 money making hobbies that you can try right from the comfort of your home. They may just put extra cash in your wallet or even be the first step towards a full-time career.
1. Handcrafted Goods
Whether you love to knit custom sweaters for dogs or make your own skin care products with essential oils, you can find an outlet to sell your passion to the world.
Etsy is the most popular site for all kinds of artists and crafters, with nearly two million sellers using the platform each year. You can easily set up and brand your own shop, coordinate shipping and payment options, and more.
2. Writing and Blogging
Do you know how to weave words into a catchy headline? Or maybe you have a story to tell the world. Whatever your strong point is in writing, chances are there’s a way to get paid for it.
You can launch your own blog on WordPress or Blogger and run advertising and affiliate marketing on it once it’s gained an audience. There are many ways to build blogger wealth once you have an established site and following.
Or you can create a profile on Upwork or Fiver and begin reaching out to clients and building a portfolio.
Problogger is also a great job board for writers, editors, journalists, and bloggers of various backgrounds and niches.
3. Reselling Items Online or at Flea Markets
Becoming a flea market maven or Ebay wiz is a great way to unload unwanted items and make a little money in the process. If you have clutter in your home that includes never or gently used furniture, clothing, books, DVDs, holiday decor, cookware, and more, try putting them for sale online or holding a garage sale.
You may also want to scour second-hand and consignment shops such as Savers and the Salvation Army for good finds that you can mark up and resale in person or online. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace offer two low-cost outlets for posting items.
4. Photography
You don’t have to be a hot-shot photographer with expensive equipment and prints on display in a gallery to make money. Many stock photography sites are willing to pay for quality photos, even if you just snapped them with your iPhone.
You can always sell your photos on your own website, but another option is to upload them to sites such as Alamy, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock. Some sites pay you a portion of proceeds when someone downloads and purchases your photo, while others pay you when you contribute an image.
Photos of people are usually downloaded the most. Brands and companies love stock photography that contains people of all ages and backgrounds and doing different activities. Food is a close second.
5. Launch a YouTube Channel
If you love making video content and think you might have something interesting and useful to say to people, you may want to launch your own YouTube channel. Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 10,000 views you can monetize it and begin making money.
You don’t have to be a young makeup artist or fashionista to be a successful vlogger. Maybe you love showing others how to perform DIY car repairs or how to stay in shape. How much you can actually make depends upon how many views and level of engagement you receive with your advertising, but YouTube can be a lucrative way to make a second income.
6. Become a Personal Stylist
If you have a passion for fashion and always seem to know what kind of clothing looks best on others, you can turn this interest into a money maker.
Sites like Stitch Fix are accepting applications for personal online fashion stylists. Clients in your geographical area are referred to you, where you’ll choose outfits for them based on their preferences and personal style.
Or you can obtain an associate’s degree in fashion merchandising and start your own personal stylist business.
7. Pet Sitting
If you love animals, you can make extra money by sitting, walking, and caring for them when their owners are away. Check out websites such as Care.com to get started. You’ll need some references from other pet owners to add credence to your experience and profile.
You can also launch your own website and advertise your pet sitting services there. Getting certified in CPR and basic medical care for pets will also earn you more jobs.
8. Baking and Cooking
Many well-known food businesses, such as Mrs. Field’s Cookies, grew from a love of baking or cooking. The key to being successful as a food start-up is to offer something that not only is delicious but stands out from the competition. This could mean a line of gluten-free or vegan goodies or easy make-your-yourself meals that feature a set number of healthy and organic ingredients.
You can start slow by offering your food product at town fairs, bake sales, and trade shows. If there’s a demand, setting up your own website and food production operation could come next.
9. Become a Social Media Influencer
If you have a sizeable following on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube and you have content that people seem to eat up, you may want to consider becoming a paid social media influencer.
Sign up at sites such as to receive invitations from brands and advertisers to review products for a paid sum. The bigger your channels, the better. You’ll be matched with appropriate products based on your personal brand, content, and audience.
This is a just one way to make your passion your personal success.
10. Playing Video Games
It sounds too good to be true, but there are some ways to actually turn your passion for video gaming into making money.
For example, you can become a remote playtester and test new video games from home, providing feedback on them. Two such sites that occasionally need testers are Playtestix and PlaytestCloud.
You can also register at sites like MyPoints and Swagbucks to earn points for playing online games. These points can be swapped for cash or gift cards depending upon the company.
11. Refereeing
If you love sports and people, then you may be able to land a gig as a referee at a school or sports league. There are many sports that use referees such as football, soccer, and baseball.
There’s actually a shortage of high school referees so if this is something you’re qualified for, now may be a good time to get a referee job.
12. Personal Trainer
Your love of fitness and drive to help others stay healthy could become a source of income for you. You’ll need to complete AED/CPR certification and then choose a fitness specialty to get certified in. Personal trainers work out of health clubs or they travel to their clients’ homes to teach them proper fitness form and help them stay in shape.
13. Taking Surveys
Do you love sharing your opinion with others? Now you can make a little extra cash from doing so when you register with a survey site that pays you for giving your opinion about advertising campaigns, political issues, personal experiences, and more.
Sites such as Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, and Survey Junkie allow you to collect points for every survey you take. When you hit a threshold, you can convert these points into cash and have it deposited directly into your Paypal account. You probably won’t make a second salary by taking surveys, but it can be a fun way to earn extra money for holiday gift shopping and going out to eat.
Receiving Payment For Your Hobby
If you work for a company as an independent contractor, you may get paid for the work you do via Paypal or direct deposit. But if you’re working on your own and directly with clients, you’ll get to choose how they should pay you.
This usually is done through Paypal, but you may also want to consider setting up ACH payment through your website. ACH payment is just as secure and convenient as other payment methods for your client. Find out more about why you may want to offer this payment method.
Which Money Making Hobbies Will You Try?
Maybe you already do some of these money making hobbies, or maybe this list has inspired you to try some new ones. Whatever your passion, chances are there’s a way to make money from it, so why not give it a try?
If you’re interested in learning about additional hobbies whether for fun, money, or both, check out our latest hobby posts.
13 Exciting Money Making Hobbies to Try in 2018 and Beyond
13 Exciting Money Making Hobbies to Try in 2018 and Beyond
Are you looking for a past time that can also earn you a little bit of extra cash? Here’s a list of 13 fun money making hobbies to try in 2018 and beyond.
Keyword(s): money making hobbies
The U.S. Census Bureau has determined that the average American spends five or six hours enjoying hobbies and personal interests every day. Multiply that by five days and you’ve got nearly the equivalent of a full-time job on your hands. Wouldn’t it be great to somehow get paid for doing what you love?
For most hobbies, you can. The internet has made it easier than ever before to establish yourself as an independent contractor or to sell your wares online.
Read on to learn more about 13 money making hobbies that you can try right from the comfort of your home. They may just put extra cash in your wallet or even be the first step towards a full-time career.
1. Handcrafted Goods
Whether you love to knit custom sweaters for dogs or make your own skin care products with essential oils, you can find an outlet to sell your passion to the world.
Etsy is the most popular site for all kinds of artists and crafters, with nearly two million sellers using the platform each year. You can easily set up and brand your own shop, coordinate shipping and payment options, and more.
2. Writing and Blogging
Do you know how to weave words into a catchy headline? Or maybe you have a story to tell the world. Whatever your strong point is in writing, chances are there’s a way to get paid for it.
You can launch your own blog on WordPress or Blogger and run advertising and affiliate marketing on it once it’s gained an audience. There are many ways to build blogger wealth once you have an established site and following.
Or you can create a profile on Upwork or Fiver and begin reaching out to clients and building a portfolio.
Problogger is also a great job board for writers, editors, journalists, and bloggers of various backgrounds and niches.
3. Reselling Items Online or at Flea Markets
Becoming a flea market maven or Ebay wiz is a great way to unload unwanted items and make a little money in the process. If you have clutter in your home that includes never or gently used furniture, clothing, books, DVDs, holiday decor, cookware, and more, try putting them for sale online or holding a garage sale.
You may also want to scour second-hand and consignment shops such as Savers and the Salvation Army for good finds that you can mark up and resale in person or online. Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace offer two low-cost outlets for posting items.
4. Photography
You don’t have to be a hot-shot photographer with expensive equipment and prints on display in a gallery to make money. Many stock photography sites are willing to pay for quality photos, even if you just snapped them with your iPhone.
You can always sell your photos on your own website, but another option is to upload them to sites such as Alamy, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock. Some sites pay you a portion of proceeds when someone downloads and purchases your photo, while others pay you when you contribute an image.
Photos of people are usually downloaded the most. Brands and companies love stock photography that contains people of all ages and backgrounds and doing different activities. Food is a close second.
5. Launch a YouTube Channel
If you love making video content and think you might have something interesting and useful to say to people, you may want to launch your own YouTube channel. Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 10,000 views you can monetize it and begin making money.
You don’t have to be a young makeup artist or fashionista to be a successful vlogger. Maybe you love showing others how to perform DIY car repairs or how to stay in shape. How much you can actually make depends upon how many views and level of engagement you receive with your advertising, but YouTube can be a lucrative way to make a second income.
6. Become a Personal Stylist
If you have a passion for fashion and always seem to know what kind of clothing looks best on others, you can turn this interest into a money maker.
Sites like Stitch Fix are accepting applications for personal online fashion stylists. Clients in your geographical area are referred to you, where you’ll choose outfits for them based on their preferences and personal style.
Or you can obtain an associate’s degree in fashion merchandising and start your own personal stylist business.
7. Pet Sitting
If you love animals, you can make extra money by sitting, walking, and caring for them when their owners are away. Check out websites such as Care.com to get started. You’ll need some references from other pet owners to add credence to your experience and profile.
You can also launch your own website and advertise your pet sitting services there. Getting certified in CPR and basic medical care for pets will also earn you more jobs.
8. Baking and Cooking
Many well-known food businesses, such as Mrs. Field’s Cookies, grew from a love of baking or cooking. The key to being successful as a food start-up is to offer something that not only is delicious but stands out from the competition. This could mean a line of gluten-free or vegan goodies or easy make-your-yourself meals that feature a set number of healthy and organic ingredients.
You can start slow by offering your food product at town fairs, bake sales, and trade shows. If there’s a demand, setting up your own website and food production operation could come next.
9. Become a Social Media Influencer
If you have a sizeable following on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube and you have content that people seem to eat up, you may want to consider becoming a paid social media influencer.
Sign up at sites such as to receive invitations from brands and advertisers to review products for a paid sum. The bigger your channels, the better. You’ll be matched with appropriate products based on your personal brand, content, and audience.
This is a just one way to make your passion your personal success.
10. Playing Video Games
It sounds too good to be true, but there are some ways to actually turn your passion for video gaming into making money.
For example, you can become a remote playtester and test new video games from home, providing feedback on them. Two such sites that occasionally need testers are Playtestix and PlaytestCloud.
You can also register at sites like MyPoints and Swagbucks to earn points for playing online games. These points can be swapped for cash or gift cards depending upon the company.
11. Refereeing
If you love sports and people, then you may be able to land a gig as a referee at a school or sports league. There are many sports that use referees such as football, soccer, and baseball.
There’s actually a shortage of high school referees so if this is something you’re qualified for, now may be a good time to get a referee job.
12. Personal Trainer
Your love of fitness and drive to help others stay healthy could become a source of income for you. You’ll need to complete AED/CPR certification and then choose a fitness specialty to get certified in. Personal trainers work out of health clubs or they travel to their clients’ homes to teach them proper fitness form and help them stay in shape.
13. Taking Surveys
Do you love sharing your opinion with others? Now you can make a little extra cash from doing so when you register with a survey site that pays you for giving your opinion about advertising campaigns, political issues, personal experiences, and more.
Sites such as Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, and Survey Junkie allow you to collect points for every survey you take. When you hit a threshold, you can convert these points into cash and have it deposited directly into your Paypal account. You probably won’t make a second salary by taking surveys, but it can be a fun way to earn extra money for holiday gift shopping and going out to eat.
Receiving Payment For Your Hobby
If you work for a company as an independent contractor, you may get paid for the work you do via Paypal or direct deposit. But if you’re working on your own and directly with clients, you’ll get to choose how they should pay you.
This usually is done through Paypal, but you may also want to consider setting up ACH payment through your website. ACH payment is just as secure and convenient as other payment methods for your client. Find out more about why you may want to offer this payment method.
Which Money Making Hobbies Will You Try?
Maybe you already do some of these money making hobbies, or maybe this list has inspired you to try some new ones. Whatever your passion, chances are there’s a way to make money from it, so why not give it a try?
If you’re interested in learning about additional hobbies whether for fun, money, or both, check out our latest hobby posts.