Many of us would like to supplement our income with a part-time gig, but which ones pay and which ones waste your time? Frances Cook lists some winners and some money losers.
With money tighter than ever, more and more of us are keen to earn some extra cash on the side.
The bad news? The world of Ok, if you’d like your side hustle a bit cleaner, let’s go to the other end of the spectrum. Washing and folding is a pain point for families, and some older people. You can offer pickup/drop-off after work or on weekends, with clear per-bag pricing and turnaround times. Reliability is the product here, nail the schedule and you’ll keep clients for months. Yes, it’s common, and yes, it still works. The trick is avoiding race-to-the-bottom pricing. To get a better rate, specialise: end-of-tenancy cleans, mould/mildew treatment, pet-friendly homes, or “reset service” for new parents. If you can nail a niche, that usually means a higher rate and clearer referrals. A step up from general cleaning. Hosts will pay for a reliable cleaner who can flip a place between guests, and restock basics. You can charge a premium for linen service and damage reports. This is a great weekend hustle if you’re near hotspots, or if your regular job is flexible with hours. Another “muck equals money” winner: lawn mowing, hedge trims, green-waste removal, gutter clearing. Price by section size or time block, and batch jobs by street. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including thousands of small business3. Laundry folding / wash-and-fold
4. House cleaning that actually pays
5. Airbnb turnover service
6. Gardening and exterior tidy-ups
You don’t have to do every task, rather, you manage the flow and take a coordination fee.
Three to avoid (or at least approach with eyes wide open)
1. Day trading / crypto trading
Bluntly? Avoid.
This is one that gets spread around a lot on social media, but in reality, almost every who tries it will lose money.
The odds are stacked, the stress is high, and it’s not a side hustle. Instead it’s a risky, full-time job masquerading as a hobby.
If you want market exposure, regular investing into diversified funds is a safer path.
2. Drop-shipping
Oversaturated, with wafer-thin margins, which means you need to sell a lot to earn anything.
If you don’t own the product, brand, or audience, you’re competing on ads and luck.
Reverse image search means many customers will work out where you got it from, and cut you out as the middle-man anyway.
Don’t bother.
3. Print-on-demand with no angle
Slapping generic quotes on tees won’t cut it in 2025, as most customers have seen it all before.
Without a niche audience that already trusts you (or a truly original concept), you’ll burn time on designs and get pennies back.
The information in this article is general in nature and should not be read as personal financial advice.
