Most of us wouldn’t mind making a few extra bucks (or a lot more) every month. It used to be you had to work your full-time job, and that was it. But now, new types of side hustles pop up all the time!
Below, you'll fine 12 unique side hustles you may have never thought of trying! You might discover a great new business that brings in that much-needed extra money.
More articles on side hustles:
1) Become a Mobile Notary
Did you know you can earn up to $200 per appointment as a loan signing agent? Becoming a mobile notary that helps move mortgage closings forward is one of the fairly unique side hustles that’s simple to start. Not totally crazy, but interesting and a decent money maker!
A Notary’s basic job is to verify a person’s identity and serve as a witness to them signing important legal documents.
Check your state’s requirements for the job to decide if it might be a good fit for you! You’ll need to factor in driving time and expenses like a printer and a notary stamp, but working as a mobile notary is flexible and can earn you a great side income!
2) Narrate Audiobooks
Do you have an endearing or interesting voice, and a creative itch to express yourself through audio? Then you might be a good candidate to build a unique side hustle as an audiobook narrator.
Audiobooks are growing in popularity—about 20% of Americans say they listen to audiobooks — and authors need great voices to provide the narration for their books. That’s where you come in.
3) Become a Voice-over Actor
Similar to audio book narration, voice-over acting is another one of those unique side hustles that you may love. And it's great if you’ve got a dramatic flair. You need the ability to channel different emotions into your voice to be an effective voice-over actor.
The skills of using and changing your voice to fit different characters and plot lines are not easy to learn. You can find solid resources online, though, and if voice-over is something that interests you, why not pursue it for your side gig?
Related: How to Start Voice Acting
4) Teach Weird Subjects on Outschool
If you’ve wanted to teach online, but aren’t interested in the more common subjects like English, you can try Outschool to teach just about any subject you like. They do have semi-normal categories like Coding and Tech, World Languages, Social Studies, and English, but also a ton of “out-there” subjects like...
Would you enjoy teaching a class about Harry Potter or Pokemon? There are classes with titles like “LEGO Jedi Masters Camp” and “Drawing Cats: From Whiskers to Mittens”. Think outside the traditional “teacher” box and brainstorm what your expertise is. Outschool teaching is a unique side hustle that’s flexible, too. Be sure to check out more great side hustles for teachers!
5) Sell Your Photos Online
Shutterstock and other websites provide a platform where budding photographers can sell their photos. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just like to dabble, as long as you provide unique and useful photos, you can earn a side income from these websites. It's easy!
Just head to the site, scroll to the top or bottom and look for, "Sell your images". Then follow the instructions to get started!
Read more:
6) Market Your Creations on Etsy
Etsy is a huge platform where creative people can earn money by selling their own creations or designs. It can be tough to make a lot of money on Etsy, but if you truly enjoy working with your hands and making something unique, it may be worth it anyway.
To sell on Etsy, you'll pay a small fee to list your items as well as a percentage of the sale price as a commission. This can be a challenging side hustle to scale up if you’re truly making your products yourself. But you could also sell items like printables, which don’t require extra work on your part when you make more sales.
7) Be A House Sitter
Instead of (or in addition to) caring for children or pets, house-sitting is yet another one of those fabulous unique side hustles. These gigs may be hard to find, but it’s not unheard of for folks to pay someone to stay in their home while they are away on vacation.
You can provide peace of mind to people as they travel by:
taking in their mail,
maintaining the yard, and
simply being present in the home.
House-sitting can help deter criminals because they don’t want to mess with a house that is lived in. For people who travel extensively or long-term, this is a really valuable service to provide.
8) Transcription
Yet another of these unique side hustles is transcription. It’s something you can do if you’re skilled at turning audio recordings into typed text. It’s also an incredibly flexible side gig, which means you can take as many jobs as you want, fitting them into your busy schedule. Learn more about transcription and other flexible side hustles here!
9) Use Patreon to Earn Money Creatively
If you’re a creator of some kind, you may be able to earn monthly income through Patreon. Whether you produce a podcast, write content, create visual art, or some other creative endeavor, you can find people who will support your art.
Patreon is a platform that enables creatives to gather funding on a monthly basis. You would ideally already have fans or followers who would love to see additional content or receive other “bonus” material as a thank-you for signing up as patrons. Patreon just might help you build the unique side hustle you’re looking for!
10) Be A Friend With RentaFriend
Yes, this is an actual, real thing: people pay money to “rent a friend”! It sounds crazy, right? It’s strictly a friendship website, not a dating website, so you could earn some extra side income by renting out your services as a friend.
RentaFriend makes money through their membership fee, which people pay to access the site on a monthly basis. You can become a Friend and get paid for your time. You might meet new “friends” for a drink, accompany them to a concert, or just hang out at a local park.
Follow smart safety precautions whenever interacting with someone you meet through RentaFriend. But you might actually enjoy getting to know someone new while earning some cash, making this one of the truly unique side hustles!
11) DJ for Special Events
For someone who has an interest in music and engaging with an audience, working as a DJ might be a lucrative and fun side hustle. Once you have your equipment and start promoting your services, you could pull in hundreds of dollars (or more) for every gig you do!
This is a unique side hustle that doesn’t require any expensive education or training. DJ work lets you enjoy putting on a show and interacting with the public.
12) Wash and Detail Cars
If you have a penchant for making vehicles gleam and shine, you could start your own independent side gig detailing cars. Plenty of people are willing to pay good money (like, $100+)for you to do the deep cleaning and special detailing on their cars.
More Unique Side Hustles to Try
This is just a small sampling of the great side hustles available to help you earn more money. For more inspiration, check out this side hustle post.
Get creative and use your talents to get out of debt and improve your financial situation!
