5 hobbies that can make you $1,000 a month
Turning hobbies into money is no longer just a dream, but a viable source of income in today’s economy. What once served as a relaxing escape and creative passion can now be monetized with the right strategies.
A June survey by Bankrate found that Gen Y part-time workers can earn an average of $1,129 in additional monthly income, while Gen Z part-time workers bring home an additional $958 per month.
Here are five hobbies or passions that you can turn into a thriving side hustle:
Write
If you enjoy telling stories, whether it’s through blogging, copywriting, fiction writing, or technical writing, there’s definitely a market for you to make money from it. You can start by creating a portfolio of your best writing samples and making them available on sites like Medium or on a personal blog.
You can then sign up to freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiver, or Freelancer to connect with clients looking for writers. Start with small projects to build a reputation, and eventually move on to more complex and better-paying gigs. Once you’re established, reach out to companies that can utilize your skills, and don’t just wait for opportunities to knock on your door.
Remember that consistency is key when writing, so keep writing and editing until you find your style and build a strong client base. Continue to set achievable goals and evaluate your progress.
Teach
Teaching is a noble passion and profession, but few have the patience to do it as a full-time job. However, if you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, tutoring might be for you. You can set your own schedule and adjust your rates according to your qualifications.
Tutoring for language learning is one of the most common and requested types of tutoring today, not only for children but also for adults. Of course, depending on your knowledge, you can also offer other subject areas such as mathematics, science or even exam preparation.
You can offer your services through local community boards or social media groups, or sign up on tutoring platforms like Wyzant, Tutor.com, or Chegg Tutors for a wider and international reach. Once you’ve built up a group of tutors and have a good rapport with them, you can also ask for testimonials, as good reviews can attract more clients. $15 per hour is a reasonable rate to start with, but you can gradually increase your hourly rate as you gain more clients and experience, as some make as much as $41 per hour, according to Indeed.
Working with children
Do you like to play? Perhaps you enjoy spending time with your younger cousins and the children of family and friends playing games or having a tea party in the garden. Then babysitting and working with children might be for you.
Many parents pay extra for childcare these days, at least $600 per month per child, so watching your family and friends’ kids for a few hours a week can be a sustainable source of income, especially if you already like them in general and just think of it as a playdate.
This is a win-win situation for those parents and for yourself because they get to leave their children with someone they already trust and you get to make some money doing it too. Just remember to set boundaries, like what specific times you can take them and what’s included in the payment.
Arts and Crafts
If you’re creative and enjoy doing crafts like painting, knitting, jewelry making, or woodworking, you can develop a line of products that showcase your style and craftsmanship. You can start with custom orders and a few items, then expand as demand increases.
Use social media to market and sell your products, and set up an online store with high-quality photos and detailed descriptions to attract buyers through Etsy, eBay, and Amazon Handmade. Be sure to price your items competitively, as arts and crafts projects take time and cost materials. You can also showcase and sell your creations at local markets or art shows to build a local customer base.
You could even go further by posting videos of you making the products on YouTube or TikTok and monetizing those videos, bringing home extra money and sharing your creativity with others.
Event planning
Do you enjoy planning house parties or birthday celebrations for yourself and your family? Perhaps you have strong organizational skills, creativity, vision, and problem-solving abilities. Then event planning as a side hustle could be something for you.
You can start by offering your services to relatives and friends at a discounted rate or for free in exchange for testimonials and photos to include in your portfolio. Encourage them to recommend you too, as word of mouth is very powerful in the event planning industry.
Once you’ve developed a brand identity and style, you can use social media to showcase your events and engage potential clients. If you’re not ready to jump into full-blown event planning, you can offer consulting services, where you provide guidance and advice to clients who want to plan their own events but need professional input.
Turning your hobbies into a side hustle is not only a way to make money, but it’s also a great way to enrich your life by doing what you love. By taking deliberate steps to harness your passion, build your skills, and market your services, you can turn your hobbies into a worthwhile venture!
