Like many people, I got caught up in the side hustle hype.
Everywhere I looked—YouTube, TikTok, Instagram—someone was making thousands of dollars a month with a “simple” side hustle. No experience needed. Just a laptop and a dream. That’s what they said, anyway.
So I decided to give them a shot. Seven of them, to be exact.
Some were fun. Some were frustrating. One was so ridiculous I still laugh about it. But out of all seven, only one actually made me real, consistent money.
Here’s what happened.
1. Dropshipping
Profit: $0 (but spent $297)
I started with dropshipping because every influencer online swore it was easy money. You set up a Shopify store, find cheap products on AliExpress, and run some ads. That’s the pitch.
So I followed the script:
The result? Two sales. One canceled. The other led to a complaint because shipping took three weeks.
Between the Shopify fees, domain name, and ad spend, I ended up in the red. Big time.
Turns out, customers don’t like waiting a month for a glowing dog collar from China. Who knew?
2. Print-on-demand (POD)
Profit: $3.20
This one had potential, I’ll admit. I designed a few t-shirts with witty sayings like “Introverted but Willing to Discuss Cats” and uploaded them to a POD site.
They handled printing, shipping, everything. I just had to market it.
I posted on Instagram. Made a TikTok. Even asked friends to share. One person bought a shirt.
The commission? $3.20.
The design was cool, but standing out in a sea of custom t-shirts is tough unless you already have a following or go viral. I didn’t.
3. Online surveys
Profit: $8.55 (after HOURS of clicking)
Yes, online surveys are real. But wow—they’re painfully slow.
I signed up for three different survey sites. Each survey paid between $0.50 to $2. But many were “sorry, you don’t qualify” halfway through.
After clicking through a week’s worth of surveys during my lunch breaks, I made $8.55.
That’s barely enough for a sandwich. Not worth the time or sanity.
4. Selling digital products on Etsy
Profit: $0 (but had fun designing)
This one sounded smart. You create a product once—like a planner or checklist—and sell it forever with no shipping.
So I designed a few minimalistic digital planners using Canva. Uploaded them to Etsy. Added cute descriptions like “Declutter Your Mind in 30 Days.”
Crickets. Not a single sale.
It seems digital products only sell well if you have great SEO, a niche audience, or a big social media presence. I had none of those.
Still, it was kind of fun designing them. I might try again later with better marketing.
5. Flipping free stuff on Facebook Marketplace
Profit: $65
Now we’re talking.
I started browsing the “free” section on Facebook Marketplace and picked up a few items:
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A slightly scratched coffee table
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A dusty bicycle that needed a bit of cleaning
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A set of mismatched dining chairs
After cleaning them up (mostly with vinegar spray and elbow grease), I relisted them for a low but fair price.
Everything sold within a few days. The table got me $30, the bike $25, and the chairs $10.
Not life-changing, but it felt good. Real cash. No gimmicks. Just some cleaning and hustle.
6. Becoming a Notion template creator
Profit: $0 (but people said “cool template”)
I’m a bit of a productivity nerd, so I loved the idea of selling custom Notion templates.
I created a “Weekly Reset” dashboard and a “Goal Tracker for Procrastinators” and listed them on Gumroad.
Shared them on Reddit and in a few Facebook groups. People liked them—one person even messaged me to say “this is cool”—but no one bought them.
Maybe I priced them too high. Maybe Notion users are mostly DIYers. Who knows. It was a fun creative outlet, but no money came in.
7. Freelance writing on Fiverr
Profit: $340 (winner!) ✅
This was the only one that truly worked for me.
I signed up for Fiverr, created a simple gig offering blog posts and article writing, and priced it at $25 to start.
I had no formal writing background, but I wrote a decent sample and added it to my profile. Within a week, someone ordered a 500-word article. Then another. And another.
By the end of the month, I’d made $340 from seven different clients.
The best part? It felt like real, valuable work. I was using my brain, helping businesses, and building a skill. Plus, I could raise my prices as I got better.
This side hustle actually felt sustainable.
What I learned
Trying all these side hustles taught me three big lessons:
1. If it sounds too easy, it probably is.
A lot of the hyped-up side hustles rely on luck, algorithms, or massive effort upfront with no guarantee of return.
2. Skills matter.
The one that worked—freelance writing—was the one that required an actual skill. It wasn’t passive, but it was reliable.
3. Start with something that doesn’t cost you money.
The easiest way to kill motivation is to spend hundreds on ads, courses, or tools before you even make your first dollar.
Final thoughts
I’m glad I tried all seven. Even though only one of them made money, the process taught me what to focus on.
If you’re looking for a side hustle that actually works, my honest advice is:
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Pick something skill-based
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Avoid anything that feels scammy or overly hyped
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And don’t be afraid to start small
Most “overnight” success stories took a lot of unpaid nights.
So start where you are, with what you have, and see where it leads. Who knows—you might surprise yourself.
