Overworked and underpaid: what realistic side hustles can I start?

[MaddieXH]

I don’t know if this is the right place to ask but anyone know any good side hustles I can start?

I have a full time job but I’m being over worked and underpaid so I have little time but I’ve been trying to think of things I can do on the side that don’t take too much time?
probably not many things you can do for quick money otherwise everyone would be doing it lol.

Updates

10 h

I forgot to say I’m studying for my PhD so a side hustle doesn’t need to be something that turns into a future job but I still have 3 years left of studying and working a job I hate until I can do something I enjoy lol

[AI Opinion]

You’re right: “quick money, low effort” is mostly a myth. But there *are* realistic options that can slowly change your situation.

A few I’ve seen work for busy people:

1. Freelance with existing skills
- Upwork/Fiverr for writing, design, data entry, coding, translation, tutoring.
- Start with 2–4 hours/week; raise rates as reviews build.

2. Local micro-services
- Pet sitting, dog walking, house sitting, weekend babysitting.
- High hourly rate, flexible scheduling.

3. Online tutoring
- If you’re decent at a school subject, language, or test prep, platforms like Wyzant, Preply, etc.
- You control time slots; evenings/weekends only.

4. Selling knowledge, not time (longer-term)
- Simple digital products: templates, spreadsheets, checklists on Gumroad/Etsy.
- Takes effort upfront, but can become semi-passive.

5. Gig work with strict boundaries
- Instacart, DoorDash, Uber, Amazon Flex: only if pay in your area is decent and you set a weekly hour cap (e. g., 5–8 hours).

My usual process with clients:
- List your 3 strongest skills + what people already ask you for help with.
- Choose one idea that could realistically earn $100–$300/month in 2–3 months.
- Commit to a tiny, consistent block (e. g., two 90‑minute sessions per week).

If you tell me your skills, schedule (nights/weekends), and whether you prefer online or in‑person, I can suggest 2–3 very specific side hustles tailored to you.

[Effably]

For once the AI bot is right.

What are you good at? Don't limit yourself here. If you're good at talking, that's a skill. Anything and everything. Games? Cooking? Writing? Sports? Laundry? Peptalks? Worst performing clown in the city?

People have made careers out of being good at cuddling. Most things can bring in money.

Personally I could of course have picked up tutoring in various subjects. I do have a masters which means I can sell expertise as well. But why limit ourselves? I have been told for 10 years or so that I have an incredibly attractive voice. I am also comfortable socially. That trait alone can produce a eozen feasible ideas.

Just because you do not see a quality as profitable does not mean other people do not. Do you shamelessly enjoy women's most popular literature? That is a skill. A valuable one even.

You just need to pick something you're good at and then create that market.

[MaddieXH]

So I used to sell cakes and cookies when I was 16 on the side aha but my certificate is probably expired so I could look at getting a new one.
I applied for a few cleaning positions but not many do evenings so perhaps I could attempt to go off on my own with that? I just need an extra £50-£100 a week to get by better.

I do enjoy talking, cooking, dancing, animals, baby sitting etc..:
So I may try and baby sit for people even once or twice a week.
I did pet sitting at uni but nearly got myself in some dangerous situations so I stopped lol.

[Effably]

Sounds like you got plenty of ideas as is. I do think you can be more creative.

Talking can open up things like life coaching. Basically psychiatry without a license and more of a "You go for it! You're awesome!" thing. Paid bestie. Had a friend do that and just turn it into her main job. She now just hires sociable people to do it for her instead and spends her days vacationing.

I'd definitely pay someone to just cook a few extra meals and mealprep them for me. Might just be me being lazy but I bet many people are. Surely there is a market for that? Throw in twist of your choosing and double the price. Personalised good luck a X notes?

Dancing naturally depends on how good you are but that and baby sitting can absolutely be combined to earn 100 or more a week and get a little workout. Classes for understimulated kids? What parent would not throw a bit of money at that?

And everyone likes cupcakes. Obviously.

You can look into things like Beermoney and other similar subs in reddit if you want to pick up a small extra task today. That said they tend to be more work than worth.

A recurring one hour phone call for 100£ a week seems about the most ideal solution to me. But again, I am lazy.

[MaddieXH]

Life coaching would be good. How do you get into it? Like do you advertise yourself or apply to a company?

[MaddieXH]

Im studying to be a psychiatrist so like coaching would be interesting

[Effably]

Advertise yourself for it? Or given you are partway into a very relevant degree see if anyone is running that sort of thing already?

As a young woman with the degree you're pretty much most people's ideal candidate. I'd just give you a recommendation but doubt you're in Sweden.

Might be nice professional experience to see what it is like supporting someone without the full responsibility.

I know it sounds a bit weird and I personally laughed a bit at the first time she told me but most of my friend's clients apparently just performed better in life after. Not that she did anything super amazing. Feeling seen and appreciated and having someone enthusiastic to ask about the meeting you were nervous about just enables people. A little bit of direction and encouragement gets someone from treading water to swimming with purpose.

But google and look around a bit in your area? Worst case scenario set it up yourself? The friend I had did it during her studies too. Naturally she was in business so her expertise was in setting it up, not running it.

While you are not seemingly looking to turn it into anything longterm I will point out that psychiatry as a friend sort of angle can be quite interesting of a project and study.

[Tarifa]

If you are still studying, that puts a limit on the amount of hours you can put in daily / weekly. You don't want to commit to a job that takes away too much time. On the other hand, as long as you don't have a degree, the usual remark you'll get is that you lack experience.

We've all faced these situations when in between studying and entering the job market.

[MaddieXH]

It is really hard. I’m studying and work a full time job but it’s not paying enough at all. It feels impossible finding a side hustle at the moment even an extra £50-£100 a week would be ideal

[Anonymous]

You're 22 its hard to get taken seriously by employers at that age because they look at you like you're still a baby. Or they might they think you'll pregnant and take a long period of time off work because you're young.

Your best bet would be to network and meet the right people who can hook you up with a nice gig. Maybe go back do a masters and build connections with professors and look for more opportunities like business incubators.

[MaddieXH]

I am currently studying for my PhD but I have 3 years left of that so I need something on the side of my studying and working on the side of that and then i can finally leave my job and do something I enjoy aha. Gigs are a good idea to be fair so im going to look into that x

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah I understand the PHD life is rough. And when you get done it's still going to be hard because a lot of those jobs go to therapist with masters degree who they can pay $85k compared to the PhD who is $120k

It's cheaper for them to hire two people with a masters as the therapist. But even though I think it's good. A lot more demand for mental services in recent times.

What kind of gig? Don't do onlyfans a lot of that doesn't pay like it used to back in the days.

I know one woman who is doing the domintrix thing and it sounds like a horrible experience. But those guys pay like $500 a night plus tip or something ridiculous like that.

[MaddieXH]

I don’t think I’d be any good at only fans lol. I chose to skip a masters and go straight to PhD as you need a PhD to diagnose and prescribe. medication which I want to utilise in private work.
But I’m gonna have to wait and you’re right it is rough aha.
I’m really not sure what to get into, there’s so many options but also not much that I could fit in to my timings. I looked into life coaching but you need insurance and I don’t want to invest too much in something that might not bring in a lot

[Opinion Owner]

I agree. Its hard for mental health workers. I met a lot that want to do good and help, but its hard because most of the people who get it are usually poor and they dont get much money from a lot of their clients and the rich take only highly rate ones that have bee around for a while.

The PhD let's you prescribe? When I saw a PhD a while ago she could diagnose me and do therapy, but I she need the nurse practitioner to prescribe for her. I thought MD could prescribe or NP.

I never took any meds only did the therapy and that's it. But that's when I was kid. I hated therapy to be honest it made me more sensitive.

Yeah don't the onlyfans it's a trap. The people that money off of gimmicks like that usually get into it before it blows up.

Like bitcoin for example. In the late twenty-tens everyone was trying to get into bitcoin, but they didn't buy it back when it was just a $1000, they started buying it when it was way to expensive.

It's the same thing with onlyfans. I am sure you saw that girl on VladTV making AI images of her onlyfans income pretending like she's getting rich.

Most girls on their are probably only getting $200.

I work part leture in college and make $90 an hour. It's not that many hours because I am not cool with the right people, so it is hard for me to get full time. I have to have two jobs.

I don't know if you can teach your subject you learned at a college maybe, but psych is very competitive because a lot people love the subject of psychology.

I am in the mathematics and computer science department, so it's easier for me to get a job compared to the people I see trying to get into psych, but I do respect them.

A lot of them are usually really compassionate. There are the few who just get into it for money, but most I've seen are really passionate about it.

[MaddieXH]

So you can’t prescribe with just a PhD but my course is an mb/phd programme where it’s integrated. It’s a very long course but I just say PhD and say I have 3 years left because after 3 years I want to open up my own practice but 3 years is just when the mb course is finished. Once that’s all done I move onto the second part but I will open up practice before that.

I won’t be able to prescribe until everything is complete but I can still give therapy and start up my business.

I also did look to tutor psychology or biology but I doubt my knowledge constantly lol.

And yes getting a job in psych is harder. Luckily I have networked quite well for when I’m planning on setting up on my own. I know many therapists with long waiting lists who are willing to refer clients to me when I start up properly in a few years. In the meantime it’s much harder aha

[Iron_Man]

Welcome back to the site Maddie 😊. Well, you can always sell something for a side hustle something legal. Or you can be a babysitter for a while. Why don’t you get into modeling that would be good for you?

[MaddieXH]

Thank you. It’s been a rough few months aha. I was considering baby sitting I did pet sitting at uni and it was a slow start and a few people with ill intentions but after a while I had a couple who wanted me every week or so

[Iron_Man]

I’m sorry to hear that. I hope things work out better for you. You definitely have great beauty. You should do something with it like be a fashion model. You can earn yourself some good money. I guess try babysitting for now maybe you can get some more consistent work. My former girlfriend used to babysit. She had success between her jobs.

[Iron_Man]

And you are very welcome 😊

[MaddieXH]

Yeah I may try that thank you and I don’t think I’d be good at modelling I’m pretty awkward aha x

[Iron_Man]

Oh, you go to the gym you work out with Pilates you can handle it 👍

[Nikki1989]

Take on a nighttime job. It is not as hard as it sounds.

[MaddieXH]

I would but I get up for work at 7am so I don’t know how I’d fit it in with work and studying. I ideally need something I can do between 4pm-11pm 2 days a week

[Nikki1989]

I worked from 8 to 4 during the day and 7 till 12 five nights a week for 2 years. It can be done if you are motivated enough.

[jahaims]

Gain skills. You are paid what you are worth. If you have a trade then you could go somewhere else that paid better.

[MaddieXH]

I am studying toward my PhD but I mean in the meantime it’s hard. I have aspirations but they do take a while. 3 years in to my PhD I can set up my own work but for now I can’t so I’m trying to find something I can do between studying and working

[Anonymous]

If you're hot... or have any attractive body part (ass, legs, feet, etc.), then Only Fans is a GREAT option for SERIOUS $$$$!!!

[MaddieXH]

I don’t think anyone’s gonna wanna see that lol

[Opinion Owner]

You might be surprised about what people will spend $$$:on. Don't sell yourself short!!!

[Agape93]

What are things you are not willing to do?

[MaddieXH]

Clean, baby sitting, waitressing, cooking literally anything. I’ve applied to a few cleaning jobs but my availability being evening after work makes it hard

[Agape93]

Are you averse to sexuality? Because OF, selling underwear and such are options

[MaddieXH]

No one’s buying that lol. I don’t think anyone wants a pair of my knickers 😭

[Agape93]

You'd be surprised how fucking weird dudes can be

[Anonymous]

Only Fans and/or Chaturbate