50 Fun and Exciting Hobbies That Make Money

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Hobbies That Make Money

Most Americans don’t enjoy their jobs. You probably work because you need money to pay the bills.

Some people are fortunate to have jobs they love, but most people would rather spend time on their hobbies than at their jobs.

But what if you could earn money from your hobby? It may seem far-fetched, but there are a lot of ways to make extra money from the things that you like to do.

In this article, we’ll look at 50 different hobbies that make money, as well as some specific ideas for how you can make money with that fun hobby.

The ideas covered in this article are based on the assumption that we’re talking about a side hustle or part-time venture, but many of them can scale up to a full-time income if that’s what you’re after.

Related: 10 Ways to Make Money from Your Hobby

Hobbies That Make Money

Now, let’s look at some specific money-making hobbies that offer excellent potential for income generation. Chances are, you enjoy at least a few things on this list.

1. Blogging

For many reasons, blogging is my favorite side hustle to earn extra money. You can start a blog on any topic you like, which can be applied to just about any hobby.

Bloggers can earn money in several ways, but regardless of the monetization strategy, running a blog is a great way to spend more time on your hobby. It’s fun, and it can earn money. What’s better than that?

If you’re interested in being able to pursue your hobby full-time, blogging could be an excellent business idea. While it will take some time to grow a blog into a significant source of income, countless bloggers are earning six or seven-figure incomes, so the profit potential is definitely there.

Another reason to love blogging is that you’re building an asset that can be sold later if you want to. I’ve sold multiple blogs for six figures (including blogs on my hobbies like photography and web design), which has completely changed the financial picture for me and my family.

Ways to Make Money for a Hobby Blog:

  • Display ads (like banners)
  • AdSense
  • Promote other people’s products as an affiliate
  • Create and sell your own products (digital or physical)
  • Offer services
  • Publish sponsored content

Action Step: If you’re ready to start earning money online as a blogger, the first step is to choose the topic for your blog. Once you’ve selected a topic, you’ll need a domain name (.com) and web hosting. See my article on domain name ideas to help you find the perfect name. You can also follow my step-by-step article on how to start a blog. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s very simple, even if you’re not tech-savvy.

2. Photography

I’m putting photography near the top of the list because it’s my own hobby, and I’ve been able to make good money with it (it’s also one of the most popular hobbies that make money). If you want to see the details of my story, please read How I Turned a Photography Hobby Into $1,138,610. or you can read this article about my photography hobby that was published on Forbes.

Although there’s no shortage of photographers, there are plenty of hobbyists who earn money. For me personally, one of the biggest perks of earning income from my photography hobby was that it gave me some opportunities to travel and enjoy nature while working.

The most common way to make money with photography (although it’s not the approach I took) is to get paid to take photos for individuals and families. To get started, simply talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, and you’re almost guaranteed to find at least one or two people willing to pay you to take photos. It could be family portraits, portraits of kids, newborns, maternity, engagement, sports, professional headshots, or even weddings.

Once you have a few clients, hopefully, you’ll get more work, thanks to word-of-mouth advertising. You can also create a Facebook page for your photography business, and whenever you’re done with a session for a client, post some of the best pictures to Facebook and tag the client (ask their permission first). If you tag them, their friends may see the photos, leading to more exposure and more clients for you.

Ways to Make Money with a Photography Hobby:

  • Freelance photographer – take photos for clients
  • Sell landscape or fine art prints
  • Sell stock photos
  • Start a photography blog
  • Be a freelance writer for other photography blogs
  • Write a photography ebook

Action Step: Start by gathering some photos you’ve taken in the past to create your portfolio. You can use a platform like SmugMug to create your own portfolio website starting at less than $10 per month. If you’d prefer to start with something free, you can use a platform like Behance to host your portfolio instead.

Once your portfolio is set up, start reaching out to people you know to see if they’re interested in having some portraits or family photos taken. Use your new portfolio to show the best samples of your work.

3. Flying Drones

Flying drones is a profitable hobby for a growing number of people. You can turn this passion into a business by using your drone to take photos and videos. And if you turn this lucrative hobby into a business, you’ll be able to legitimately write off the cost of a drone as a business expense.

There are a few different ways you could do this, but one of the most popular options is to start a business doing real estate photography and videography. Every house or property listed for sale needs photos for online listings, and many realtors will hire photographers. Drone photographers can provide impressive aerial shots and videos that help a listing to really stand out. It’s a great business that you can do part-time or scale up to a full-time income.

Another option is to use your drone to take photos or videos you sell on stock photo marketplaces. These photos are impossible for the average person to take on their own, so most people are willing to pay for a high-quality photo or video taken by a drone.

Stock photography can be an ideal way to earn money part-time, but it’s difficult to scale up to a full-time gig. If you’re looking for something more significant than a few hundred dollars per month, consider combining this option with using your drone for real estate photos.

Ways to Make Money Flying Drones:

  • Take photos and videos for real estate agents
  • Take aerial photos and videos that can be sold on stock photo websites
  • Provide services to photograph or video events
  • Create a blog or YouTube channel about drone photography
  • Create an online course to teach others how to fly drones

Action Step: Get started with the Drone Photography course on Skillshare. In about two hours, you’ll learn everything you need to start taking beautiful photos with a drone. Skillshare allows new users to sign up for a free trial, so you can get access to the online course at no cost.

4. Investing

Over the past year or so, more and more people have begun investing as a money-making hobby. Thanks to investment apps like Public.com and Moomoo, investing is more practical than ever for the average person.

Thankfully, you don’t need a lot of money to get started. It’s possible to start with just a few dollars, although your ability to earn money will be limited if you start small. The downside is you can lose your money, so only invest money you can afford to lose.

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If you’re looking for something different than the stock market, investing in real estate could be the right opportunity. Fundrise allows anyone to start investing in real estate with as little as $10 (you’ll even get a free bonus when you start). With Groundfloor, you’ll invest in a portfolio of income-generating properties.

Ways to Make Money with an Investing Hobby:

Action Step: Create your account at Public.com so you can start investing. There’s no reason to delay starting.

5. Web Design and Coding

Plenty of businesses and organizations out there need the services of a web designer. You could be creating the first website for the business or organization, redesigning an existing site, or providing ongoing maintenance for their site. This is one of the most profitable money-making hobbies if you have the right skills.

Don’t know how to code? Don’t worry, you could still work as a web designer. WordPress themes like Divi from Elegant Themes make it possible for you to create custom websites for clients without the need to code. Divi features a powerful drag-and-drop builder and hundreds of pre-made templates you can use as starting points.

Ways to Make Money with a Web Design or Coding Hobby:

  • Design and/or code websites for clients
  • Maintain websites for clients
  • Create and sell your own website templates and themes (including for WordPress, Shopify, and other platforms)

For more details, please see my article How to Make Money as a Web Designer.

Action Step: Start by deciding what services you want to offer, and then dedicate some time to getting more familiar with the platform. For example, if you want to use Divi Builder to create websites for clients, sign up for a membership at Elegant Themes and watch their tutorial videos to get a thorough understanding of how Divi works. When you’re ready, start reaching out to people you know or businesses in your area that might need your services.

6. Graphic Design

There are plenty of other design opportunities aside from websites. Graphic design is a perfect hobby for making money because there’s always demand for designers, and there are projects of all shapes and sizes.

As a part-timer, you can still put together a great portfolio that shows off your abilities. If you’re just getting started, there are plenty of clients for small jobs that may not have the budget to hire a professional agency.

Of course, graphic design is a profitable hobby that could turn into a full-time gig if that’s something you want to pursue.

Ways to Make Money with a Graphic Design Hobby:

  • Design for clients (logos, brochures, business cards, product labels, etc.)
  • Create your own stock graphics to sell at marketplaces like Creative Market and deal sites like MightyDeals
  • Start your own website to sell your stock graphics for extra money
  • Write design tutorials on a freelance basis for blogs and magazines

Action Step: If your plan involves offering services to clients, you’ll need to put together an online portfolio to showcase the quality of your work. You can either create your own website or host your portfolio on a community site like Behance. Once your portfolio is set up, you can start reaching out to people in your personal network and try to land your first client.

To learn more about earning money as a freelance designer, read How to Start a Graphic Design Side Hustle.

7. Taking Surveys

One of the most popular ways to make extra income is to take online surveys. Countless survey sites allow you to create a profile and get paid to take surveys.

In most cases, you won’t make a lot from each survey, but if you’re just looking to make some extra money in your spare time, it can be a good option.

If you enjoy answering questions and sharing your opinions, this could be a good fit. One of the nice things about this side hustle is that it’s totally flexible. You can take surveys whenever convenient, and you can even do it while relaxing or watching TV. You can see why it’s one of the most popular hobbies that make money.

Websites That Pay You to Take Surveys:

Action Step: Getting started with online surveys is easy. All you need to do is take a few minutes and create a free account at a couple of sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Once your profile is set up, you can begin taking surveys and making money.

8. Creating Niche Websites

Here’s another method, like blogging, that you can use with just about any hobby. Niche websites focus on a specific topic. Many make money by participating in Amazon’s affiliate program, other affiliate marketing programs, and display ads.

The great thing about niche websites is you can create your own website on any topic. If the topic is one of your hobbies, your work will be much more enjoyable.

Many niche websites publish content that includes links to products sold at Amazon, but you can also use other affiliate programs or monetize your site in other ways. The niche sites that use Amazon links usually publish detailed product reviews or lists of the best products of a certain type (for example, Best Blenders Under $100).

If you want to learn all the details about how to do this, please see my article, Complete Guide to Building a Profitable Niche Website.

Ways to Make Money with Niche Websites:

  • Amazon Associates (Amazon’s affiliate program)
  • Other affiliate programs
  • AdSense and other ad networks
  • Publish sponsored content
  • Create and sell your own products

Action Step: The first step is to choose the niche for your site and secure a domain name. While it’s possible to create a site on any topic that interests you, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to make money with it. To ensure you’re choosing a niche that offers profit potential, think about the types of products you would be able to promote as an affiliate at your site. If there are no products you could promote, it’s best to choose another topic or niche.

You also want to ensure enough content to write about on your topic of choice. I recommend brainstorming article ideas, and if you come up with at least 100 ideas before you decide to move forward with the site. That may sound like a lot, but it’s not hard. Browse other blogs/sites in the niche to get ideas.

9. Restoring Furniture

If you love working with your hands, flipping furniture is one of the best money-making hobbies. You can easily find old furniture for free or cheap at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, or Craigslist. Use your skills to re-finish the item and then sell it for a profit on the Facebook Marketplace or several other selling apps.

Not only is this a fun activity, but it can be quite profitable, and you can make good money for the time you invest. It’s one of the best hobbies that makes money for people who enjoy working with their hands.

If you want to learn from a successful flipper, read Flipping Furniture for Profit, where I interview Virginia, and she shares all the ins and outs.

Action Step: The first step is to find a piece of furniture to work with. You may already have an old piece of solid wood furniture in your house that would be ideal for flipping. This is an excellent way to start because you won’t need to dedicate time to finding a piece, and you won’t need to spend any money on it. If you don’t have anything at your house that you can use, check with friends and family, or spend a Saturday morning browsing some yard sales.

10. Yard Sale and Flea Market Flipping

While furniture is a great item to flip, there are countless other things you can buy and resell for a profit. You may be surprised that some people make a full-time income flipping items bought at yard sales and flea markets.

If you love finding great deals at garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales, and auctions, this is a side hustle you should consider. It’s flexible and fun, and you can start to make real money pretty quickly.

Be sure to see my article that covers The Easiest Things to Flip for Profit.

Action Step: Before you get started, you need to know what to look for. This free workshop from a pro flipper will teach you how to start making money with your own re-selling business in 14 days or less.

11. Video Games

Getting paid to play video games would be a dream job for many people. It sounds crazy, but some people actually make money from playing video games. Read this article on Market Watch called Millennial Kids Can Earn $10,000 Per Month Playing Video Games. This article is specifically about people making money by playing video games and streaming their live gameplay. But there are other ways to make money playing video games.

Ways to Make Money with a Video Game Hobby:

  • Streaming your live gameplay
  • Selling your video game accounts
  • Competitive gaming
  • Start a podcast or YouTube channel about gaming

Action Step: If you’ve got some gaming skills, the first step is to decide which method you want to use to make some money. Streaming your gameplay or starting a YouTube channel are two options that give you the most realistic path to earning money with this fun hobby.

12. Writing

If you like to write, there are plenty of ways to make money. Freelance writing is one of the best opportunities for making money online.

There are tons of blogs that pay writers, and more blogs are being launched every day. There’s a huge need for talented writers, and some of the best opportunities pay well.

Freelance writing is just one possibility. There are many other ways to make money with your writing hobby.

Ways to Make Money with a Writing Hobby:

  • Write for blogs and websites
  • Write for magazines
  • Write and sell ebooks
  • Write greeting cards
  • Write sales copy

Action Step: See our lists of websites to write and get paid instantly and freelance writing jobs for beginners. You’ll find freelance writing opportunities that you can pursue immediately.

13. Create a YouTube Channel

Creating a YouTube Channel is a similar online business idea to blogging in some ways. You can create content on any topic, just video instead of text.

The other significant difference between these hobbies that make money is that your YouTube Channel will be hosted on YouTube. As a result, you’re not in total control over the site and everything that goes on there.

Of course, you can also create your own blog or website and embed videos from your YouTube channel.

A YouTube channel is great for monetizing your favorite hobby because it can be fun, and there are millions of people on YouTube and Google searching for videos on hobby-related topics. I use YouTube all the time to learn things related to landscaping, tools, and other DIY topics. The YouTubers creating the videos help me out a lot, and they’re making money from it as well.

Ways to Make Money from a YouTube Channel:

  • Ad clicks
  • Sell sponsorships for your shows
  • Promote affiliate products

Action Step: Once you’ve chosen your topic, the next step is to create your channel and your first video. Don’t obsess over creating the perfect video. It’s more important to simply get started. Use whatever equipment you already own to create the video, whether it’s a smartphone or a webcam on your laptop. You can upgrade your equipment as your channel grows, but there’s no need to invest a lot of money right from the start.

14. Create a Podcast

Podcasting is also like blogging or creating a YouTube channel, except the content is in audio format instead of text or video.

You can start a podcast on just about any topic you can imagine as long as people want to listen to it.

A podcast can be used in combination with a blog, and actually, that’s an effective way to provide your audience with quality content, both written and audio.

In terms of earning income, podcasting is a natural fit with affiliate marketing. You can invite guests with their own products to sell (like courses or ebooks) and then promote those products as an affiliate.

Ways to Make Money with a Hobby Podcast:

  • Sell sponsorships
  • Promote other people’s products as an affiliate
  • Create and sell your own products

Action Step: To learn how to start a money-making podcast, please see Podcast A-Z: The Complete Course for Podcasting.

15. Voice Acting

If you enjoy acting or using your voice in different ways, you may be able to get paid to do voiceovers and other types of voice acting. With the high volume of video content that’s being created online, there’s a strong demand for talented voice artists, making this one of the best hobbies that make money.

Not only is there a lot of work available, but talented voice actors can make a very good income, whether part-time or full-time.

Websites like Voices.com and Fiverr are ideal places to find work.

Ways to Make Money with Voice Acting:

  • Commercials 
  • Advertisements
  • Sales videos
  • Podcast intros
  • Corporate training videos

Action Step: To learn how to make money, please see Voice Over Masterclass – The Official DIY Guide to Voice Acting.

16. Music

If you love music but have a full-time career in another field, you may enjoy a side hustle that allows you to make money from your hobby. There are several different possibilities involving performing, teaching, and entertaining.

One of the most popular options is to work as a DJ. There are plenty of weddings and events that provide opportunities to make some extra spending money.

Technology also offers new possibilities, like teaching online lessons through sites like TakeLessons and Lessonface.

Ways to Make Money with a Music Hobby:

  • DJ weddings and events
  • Start a band
  • Sing/play at bars, restaurants, and events
  • Teach private lessons (locally or online)
  • Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Action Step: With so many different possibilities, the first step is to decide how you want to make money with your musical hobby. The approach you would take to start a business as a DJ would be completely different than what you would do to start a YouTube channel. Consider the options listed above and see which one would be the right fit for you.

17. Social Media

How much time do you spend on social media each day? Have you ever thought about using it to make money?

Social networks are used for more than just wasting time. Businesses use social media to connect with their customers and increase exposure through digital marketing.

If you enjoy spending time on social media, there are a few different ways you can put this to use. Many businesses outsource work related to social media, which means there’s an opportunity for you to be hired to do the work. See my article How to Make Money on Pinterest.

Aside from managing social profiles for clients, you could also create your own following (become an influencer) and make money from sponsorships. Many people have done this successfully, and it’s especially popular now with Instagram.

Ways to Make Money with Social Media:

  • Work as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant
  • Work as a Facebook ads manager
  • Become an influencer

Action Step: Working as a social media manager or social ad manager is the most practical option, so that’s what we’ll focus on. To get started, set up your own website to provide information about the services you’ll offer. You can then start reaching out to potential clients. Starting with clients in your local area is an ideal option because many small business owners prefer to work with someone local.

18. Surfing the Internet

Who doesn’t love to surf the internet? Wouldn’t it be great if this was a money-making hobby?

It might not be one of the first hobbies that make money that comes to mind, but several different companies will pay you to surf the internet. You’re not going to get rich with these offers, but there are some easy ways to make extra income in your spare time and from things you already do. For more, see my article about ways to get paid for surfing the web.

Ways to Make Money by Surfing the Internet:

  • Swagbucks members can make money by using Swagbucks as their search engine, as well as from things like watching videos online.
  • MobileXpression will pay you to share your mobile browsing data with them.
  • Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel will pay you to share your browsing data with them.

Action Step: Getting started is easy. Simply sign up for a few programs listed above and take the necessary steps (for example, installing an app). It takes just a few minutes and then you’ll be earning rewards with no effort.

19. Selling on Amazon

A few years ago, my wife and I started a side hustle together selling private-label products on Amazon. We intended for it to be a small project, but it grew much faster than we anticipated. We made a six-figure profit in our first year and sold the business the following year.

If you enjoy buying or selling online, this could be a great side hustle. You could also incorporate it into your hobbies in terms of the products that you sell as you build your own online store. For example, if I wanted to build an online business around my photography hobby, I could create a brand and sell photography accessories on Amazon (products like lens cases, camera backpacks, rain gear to protect a camera, tripods, lens cleaning cloths, and much more).

To learn all the details, please see my article Complete Guide to Selling Private Label Products on Amazon.

Ways to Make Money Selling on Amazon:

  • Create your own private-label brand
  • Retail arbitrage (buy sale items and retail stores and resell for a profit on Amazon)
  • Buy wholesale items
  • Buy and sell used items

Action Step: The first step is to decide which approach you want to take (from the bullet points above). Creating a private-label brand worked well for us, but there is more investment and effort involved in going this route. Starting with used items or pursuing retail arbitrage allows you to start with less of an investment of time and money. The Selling Family offers some of the best training if you want to learn how to start a successful retail arbitrage business.

20. Brewing Beer

Any type of job or business involving beer would be a dream come true for many people. With thousands of people brewing at home and many more who are interested in learning, this is one of the best hobbies that can possibly turn into a profitable business.

If you’re already interested in brewing beer, why not try to find a way to make some money from it?

Ways to Make Money Brewing Beer:

  • Sell your own beer (be sure to check the requirements in your area and do it legally)
  • Sell your recipes
  • Start your own blog, podcast, or YouTube channel
  • Create an online course or write an ebook to teach others

Action Step: Creativity and Beer: A Brewmaster’s Guide to Flavor Emulation is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more.

21. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

If you love pets, have you ever considered turning this fun hobby into a business to earn extra cash? Whether we’re talking about a part-time side hustle or a full-time business, working with pets is one of the best options on this list of hobbies that make money.

Many pet owners cannot walk their own dogs as often as they’d like because of a busy schedule or physical limitations. As a dog walker, you can get paid to exercise and spend time with pets, and you might be surprised by the income potential.

Starting a home-based pet sitting and dog walking business is an ideal way to take this profitable hobby and turn it into a significant income source. You can make good money by pet sitting, especially when overnight stays are involved.

To learn more about dog walking and pet sitting, see my article How to Become a Pet Sitter.

Ways to Make Money from Dog Walking:

  • Create a profile on Rover so pet owners in your area can find you
  • Walk dogs
  • Offer pet sitting services at your home

Action Step: To start with dog walking and pet sitting, create your profile and Rover and list your services. Rover has a very active community, and pet owners will be able to find and hire you. You may also want to look for a few clients on your own. You can talk to people in your personal network, reach out to pet owners in your neighborhood, or place ads on local bulletin boards.

22. Driving

Driving is one of the best money-making hobbies, as there are a few ways to earn money from it. Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft are extremely popular alternatives to taxis, and they also offer opportunities for drivers to make money with a completely flexible schedule.

There are several delivery jobs available, especially if you’re in a major city. Some of these companies (like DoorDash) focus on restaurant deliveries, and there are also some grocery delivery options. Amazon also offers a great opportunity for delivery drivers through Flex.

If you decide to pursue any of these options, consider the added upkeep and maintenance costs due to putting more miles on your car.

Ways to Make Money with a Driving Hobby:

Action Step: First, you’ll need to decide what type of driving you want to do. If you work as a delivery driver, as opposed to a rideshare driver, you won’t have to give rides to strangers. DoorDash is our top recommendation because they have a presence almost everywhere and because there is a steady flow of work for most drivers.

23. Costumed Character

Do you love dressing up and entertaining people? Working as a costumed character at parties and other events could be a great way to monetize your hobby. Costumed characters may be hired for a kid’s birthday party, community events, fairs and festivals, and even business events. 

Action Step: You might be able to find clients through your personal network, by posting ads to Craigslist, or by creating a profile at Gig Salad.

24. Shopping

Making money from shopping may be the ultimate in monetizing a hobby. Instead of spending money, you’ll actually be able to make money.

There are a few different ways you can make money as a shopper. Of course, you’ve probably heard of mystery shoppers or secret shoppers. While these opportunities do exist, there are not a lot of them, and most of them don’t pay very well. Still, some possibilities exist if you’re just looking to make extra money.

Another option is the growing number of opportunities to work as a shopper in the gig economy. There are a few companies (mentioned below) that allow you to work as a shopper for other people. Sometimes this involves delivery as well.

Ways to Make Money with a Shopping Hobby:

For more details, please see our article 5 Realistic Ways to Get Paid to Shop.

Action Step: Consider the different options and decide which one you want to pursue. If you’re working through a platform like Instacart, create your profile and get started. Some apps require a background check, so there may be a delay of a few days before you can start working.

25. Antiques and Collectibles

Do you collect something specific as a hobby? If so, have you ever considered turning it into something that makes money?

Instead of only collecting for yourself, you could buy collectibles for the purpose of reselling them for a profit. This approach is popular with antiques but could certainly be used with other types of collectibles as well.

This approach would be similar to yard sale or flea market flipping mentioned earlier in the article. You would look for underpriced items that you know are worth more, buy them, and then resell them elsewhere.

Types of Things to Collect and Sell:

  • Antiques
  • Vinyl records
  • Comic books
  • Coins
  • Toys
  • Sports memorabilia

Action Step: To start, head out to yard sales, flea markets, or auctions and look for underpriced items you could buy and re-sell.

26. Crafts and Handmade Products

This is a broad category, so it could encompass a lot of different possibilities. If you’re crafty and enjoy creating things, you could build your own online store or sell your products at marketplaces like Etsy. Etsy is a huge online marketplace with millions of customers looking for artsy handmade goods.

Many people are making good money selling their creations on sites like Etsy, and the possibilities are endless. This can truly be a great hobby and profitable business for artists and creatives.

Types of DIY Crafts and Handmade Products That You Can Sell:

  • Clothes and accessories
  • Jewelry
  • Home decor
  • Wedding items

Action Step: Decide on the types of products you will create and sell, then name your online business and start your Etsy shop.

27. Landscaping & Lawn Care

If you love being outdoors, a great option to turn this into a hobby that makes money is to offer services related to landscaping and lawn care. Some services, like mowing, are simple and require no real experience. Other projects, like building a deck, would be more involved and require some experience. Regardless of your situation, there are ways to make money here.

Ways to Make Money with a Landscaping Hobby:

  • Mow lawns
  • Leaf cleanup
  • Snow removal
  • Powerwashing

Action Step: To start, you could simply talk to people you know or post an ad on Craigslist. Read How to Start a Landscaping or Lawn Care Business for more details.

28. Gardening

If you like to work in the garden, there are also some ways to turn this profitable hobby into extra money. You can grow your own produce and sell it at farmer’s markets, flea markets, or road stands. If you have a large property, you could also set up a stand in your garden or have some sort of activity at your site (berry picking, corn mazes, hayrides, etc.).

Aside from using your own garden to make money, you could also offer services to help others with their garden, like weeding and trimming.

Ways to Make Money with a Gardening Hobby:

  • Sell your produce
  • Offer activities at your farm or garden
  • Offer services like weeding and trimming

Action Step: Decide on the product or service you will offer. Evaluate your current land to see if you have the possibility of growing produce to sell. If not, consider offering services like weeding and trimming to others in your local area.

29. Cooking and Baking

If you love to cook or bake, there are a few ways to make extra cash. Of course, you could offer services like baking birthday or wedding cakes. There are also several ways to use your skills with an online business, which gives you a lot of flexibility in your working hours and schedule. You could also teach your skills to others.

If you’re a good cook, you’ve probably been told by people that you should start a restaurant. While that’s an option, restaurants fail at incredibly high rates, and they also require an insane amount of work and very long hours.

Ways to Make Money with a Cooking or Baking Hobby:

  • Bake birthday cakes or wedding cakes
  • Offer cooking classes
  • Write a recipe book or ebook
  • Start a food blog or YouTube channel

Actions Step: Think about the types of businesses you could start (selling food, teaching, or an online business) and decide which one would be the best fit for you.

30. Sewing

Sewing is a talent that seems to be increasingly less common, making it one of the most unique money-making hobbies. This also means that if you can sew and you enjoy doing it, there are many people willing to pay you to do it for them.

A few years ago, my wife and I had an online business selling products on Amazon, and one of our shipments of products that we ordered from China had a stitching defect (hundreds of items). I found a local woman on Craigslist through an ad for sewing and alterations, and we hired her to fix the items for us. Her business was mostly alterations and customizations, and she said she was really busy through prom and wedding season just from word-of-mouth and posting on Craigslist.

Ways to Make Money with a Sewing Hobby:

  • Offer alterations and repairs
  • Create custom clothes for clients
  • Create and sell home decor
  • Teach sewing classes
  • Start your own online store and sell your creations

Action Step: Talk to people you know about the services you offer, start a Facebook page, and post ads for your services on Craigslist. You could also advertise on local bulletin boards.

31. Decorating

If you have a good eye and some ability with design or decorating, there are a few ways to make this a creative money-making hobby. As an interior designer, you could get involved with various projects, including commercial and residential.

There are also opportunities to create and sell your own home decor products. You could use a marketplace like Etsy or set up your own e-commerce site using Shopify.

Ways to Make Money with a Decorating Hobby:

  • Work as an interior designer
  • Create and sell decor products
  • Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Action Step: Start by building your portfolio. You’ll need quality photos of your work to show what you’re capable of. If you don’t already have projects to include in your portfolio, take on some projects around your own house or do some work for family and friends to build your portfolio.

32. Fashion and Beauty

If you love fashion and beauty, you could start a service-related side hustle like working as a makeup artist or stylist. Additionally, you could offer fashion consulting. This could be something that you do on the side of your full-time job, or you could pursue it more aggressively and grow it to a full-time income.

You could also create and sell your own products. It could be your own hand-made products, or you could start a private label brand and simply find a manufacturer to create the products for you.

Ways to Make Money with a Fashion and Beauty Hobby:

  • Become a makeup artist
  • Become a stylist
  • Create and sell your own products
  • Start your own blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Action Step: First, you need to decide if you want to start a service-related business, create and sell a product, or start a content-based business (blog, podcast, or YouTube channel).

33. Modeling

Do you enjoy modeling? If so, you might be able to make some extra money from it. 

While there are several ways to get paid as a model, one of the best opportunities right now is to work with photographers who sell stock photos online. Stock photographers need models to create photos that generate their income, and many of them hire models. 

To find these opportunities, you can check Craigslist or other local message boards. You can also create your own post offering your services to photographers.

Ways to Make Money Modeling:

  • Work for stock photographers
  • Model for art or drawing classes
  • Create a profile at Model Mayhem or other similar websites

Action Step: Create your portfolio featuring several professional photos of yourself. If you don’t have photos already, get a friend who’s good at photography to help, or hire a local photographer. You could also barter with a photographer by allowing them to sell your photos if you have the right to use them in your portfolio.

34. Designing T-Shirts

If you’re creative and enjoy designing things, one of the best hobbies that earns money is designing t-shirts. Even if you’re creative, but you’re not the world’s greatest designer, you could still make money by outsourcing the actual design work to someone else.

Thanks to print-on-demand websites, it’s possible to start your own t-shirt business without investing thousands of dollars in inventory that you may or may not be able to sell.

Ways to Make Money Designing T-Shirts:

Action Step: Before selling t-shirts, you need to have some designs. Work on some concepts and design the first few t-shirts you can start selling. Read How to Start a Print-on-Demand Business for more details.

35. Art

If you love art, it may be your dream to earn some money with your work. You don’t have to be a “starving artist” to pursue what you love. You can either have a full-time job and make money from your art on the side or use available technology to make art more profitable.

There are a lot of ways you can make money online with art and design skills. I used to run a web/graphic design blog. While I’m not an artist myself, I hired several freelance designers and illustrators to work on projects related to that blog and the products I sold on the blog.

Ways to Make Money with an Art Hobby:

  • Sell your art at galleries or exhibits
  • Work as a cartoonist
  • Work as an illustrator
  • Sell your creations at stock photo and graphic marketplaces
  • Teach art classes locally
  • Create a video art course and sell it online

Action Step: There are so many possibilities that the first step is simply considering the options and deciding what would be a good fit for you.

36. Woodworking and Carpentry

Woodworking is a really popular hobby, and there are plenty of ways you can make money from it. I’ve seen several examples of people using this skill online through the creation of a YouTube channel, ebook, or online course. And, of course, there are plenty of services and products you can offer in your local area.

Ways to Make Money with a Woodworking or Carpentry Hobby:

  • Build custom furniture
  • Home and furniture repair
  • Create and sell handcrafted items
  • Teach others through a YouTube channel, ebook, or online course

Action Step: Consider the different options and decide which approach would be best for you. Many people who have this hobby are willing to spend money to improve their skills, so creating some sort of educational content or product is an excellent option. It could be a blog, YouTube channel, ebook, or online course.

37. Fixing Things

Do you love to fix things? I do, but I’m not very good at it, so it doesn’t happen often. Usually, I try it myself, fail, and then search Craigslist for someone I can hire to do it for me.

Earlier this year, I found a guy on Craigslist to fix two leaf blowers that I couldn’t get to start. He fixes all kinds of small engines in his home garage in the evenings after his full-time job. From talking to him, it seems he stays pretty busy with this side hustle.

There’s also plenty of handyman work available. This can include all kinds of different things like painting, installing lights or ceiling fans, and minor repairs. When our family moved two years ago, we had about 15 light fixtures to replace, and I knew it would take me forever to do it all. I hired a friend who works as a handyman, so I wouldn’t have to take time away from my business.

Ways to Make Money Fixing Things:

  • Work as a handyman
  • Repair small engines (lawnmowers, snowblowers, leaf blowers, etc.)
  • Work as a mechanic
  • Create a YouTube channel with DIY tutorials

Action Step: Websites and apps like Handy.com and Jiffy can help you find work as a handyman. Create a profile at those sites, post ads on Craigslist, advertise on local bulletin boards, and talk to people you know. See my article How to Start a Handyman Business.

38. Health and Fitness

Health and fitness are passions for a lot of people. If that’s the case for you, why not turn it into a money-making hobby? There are a lot of possibilities.

You could start a service-related business. Offering services as a personal trainer is probably the first thing that comes to mind, but there are other possibilities (some are listed below).

The internet also creates many other opportunities for product creation, teaching, and content. There are thousands of health and fitness influencers earning income on YouTube and Instagram.

Ways to Make Money with a Health and Fitness Hobby:

  • Work as a personal trainer
  • Offer nutrition consulting
  • Teach/lead classes (yoga, pilates, spinning, etc.)
  • Start a blog or YouTube channel
  • Create a video course or ebook to sell online

Action Step: If you want or need to start making money, offering a service in your local area is the best option. However, if you want to build something long-term and you’re okay if it takes a while before you start making money, starting a YouTube channel or a blog is a better approach that provides higher income potential than working as a personal trainer or some other service provider.

39. Sports

When I was growing up, I dreamed of being able to make money with sports. Being a professional athlete wasn’t in the cards, and I never thought about other ways to earn money by working around sports.

There are some really good possibilities, and most of them could easily be done on the side of a full-time job.

Ways to Make Money with a Sports Hobby:

  • Coach a team
  • Offer private lessons or instruction
  • Referee
  • Start your own blog, podcast, or YouTube channel
  • Cover sports for a local newspaper

Action Step: Decide the path that’s the best fit for you. Things like coaching and refereeing can be ideal for making a small amount of extra cash, but if you want to turn it into a full-time business, working online is a better option. Pick your specific topic and decide on starting a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel.

40. Riding a Bike

Riding a bike is great exercise and can also be fun. You may be surprised by some of the possibilities for generating income.

Ways to Make Money with a Biking Hobby:

  • Deliveries by bike to earn money
  • Teach a spinning class
  • Work in a local bike shop
  • Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Action Step: Consider the possibilities for earning extra cash and decide which one is best for you. I like the idea of a biking-focused blog or niche website. You could write about biking tips, cover the best places to bike, write reviews of bikes and accessories, and create list posts of the top products in different categories.

41. Dancing

If you love to dance, why not make money with it? You may have fun, get exercise, entertain or teach others, and make some money all at the same time.

Ways to Make Money Dancing:

  • Teach classes or private lessons
  • Work as a paid performer
  • Perform on the street
  • Start a blog or YouTube channel

Action Step: Starting a dance-focused YouTube channel is a great opportunity, and if one of your videos goes viral, you could grow a large following very quickly. Start by just getting some videos created and uploaded to your channel. The first videos don’t need to be amazing. Just focus on getting some content out there and improve as you go.

42. Bartending

Bartenders can make good money through evening and weekend shifts, so it’s a great side hustle. In most cities, there are plenty of bars and restaurants where you could work. You can also bartend at events. Check out this article at Budgets Are Sexy – How to Make $25-$50 Per Hour as a Freelance Bartender.

Getting Started: Check the local wanted ads to find openings for bartenders, or simply stop in at restaurants and bars in your area to see if they’re hiring.

43. Travel

Traveling is a passion for many people, and some have been able to turn it into a full-time career. It’s crazy how many travel bloggers are making a living in the industry. Of course, there are also other careers that involve plenty of travel.

But even if you have a more traditional full-time job and you’d love to make extra money that somehow involves travel, there are possibilities. The biggest challenge of involving travel in a side hustle is doing it in a way that doesn’t interfere with your main responsibilities, like a full-time job, school, or family.

Not all travel bloggers are full-time. Many start off by just writing about their weekend trips or vacations, which is a great option if you’re not in a position to travel all the time. You can also write about local attractions you visit without spending much time on travel (for example, setting up a website or blog that features the attractions in your own area).

For some, travel hacking with credit card rewards could be considered a side hustle. Instead of making money, you can save a ton of money and travel worldwide for very low prices or even free.

Travel is also the perfect retirement hobby, especially for those who retire early.

Ways to Make Money with a Travel Hobby:

  • Travel hacking
  • Part-time travel agent
  • Start a travel blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

Action Step: Read my article How to Start a Blog for step-by-step instructions to get your blog online in just a few minutes, even if you have no technical skills.

44. Hospitality

If you love hosting and entertaining people, there are a few ways you could turn this into an income. I know a few people who started their own bed & breakfast to earn money. This is a good option but requires more time than a side hustle. A similar option that would take less time would be renting out a room on Airbnb.

Ways to Make Money from a Hospitality Hobby:

  • Host an experience for travelers through Withlocals
  • Offer local tours (see Tours By Locals)
  • Rent out a room on Airbnb
  • Start a bed & breakfast

Getting Started: Create a profile on Airbnb and list a room in your house for rent.

45. Planning and Organizing

If you have planning and organizational skills (and if you enjoy it), there are ways to make money, thanks to those of us who don’t have these skills.

One option would be to start your own business as an event planner or wedding planner. 

If your skills are related more to organization than planning, you could help clients organize their homes or lives. 

Ways to Make Money with Planning and Organizing:

  • Offer services as an event planner
  • Become an organizing consultant
  • Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel
  • Write an ebook or create an online course to teach others

Action Step: Define the specific services you’re going to offer. Create a simple website with information about yourself and your services. Then start reaching out to people in your personal network, create a Facebook page, and advertise on Craigslist.

46. Comedy

If you love being funny and making people laugh, there are a few ways to make money. Earning a living as a comedian isn’t easy, but with some creativity, you can make a little extra cash on the side and have fun while doing it.

Ways to Make Money with a Comedy Hobby:

  • Work as a standup comedian
  • Work as a clown
  • MC events
  • Start a YouTube channel
  • Start a satirical news website

Action Step: A comedy-focused YouTube channel is an excellent possibility. Create a name for your channel and get it set up. Then, create your first video and work on improving your videos as you go.

47. History

Are you a history buff? It’s possible to turn your knowledge and love of history into a nice little side gig.

Finding a way to earn money with history may be a little harder than other options on this list, but there are a few possibilities. I live 45 minutes away from the well-known Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg. There are all kinds of guided tours going on there (including small private tours). If you live in an area that attracts tourists, offering historical tours can be a good option.

Ways to Make Money with a History Hobby:

  • Offer guided tours
  • Start a blog or website about a historical topic
  • Write a book or ebook

Action Step: Consider the possibilities and decide if you want to offer tours in your area, write a book, or start a blog or website. Self-publishing a book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is an outstanding option. It will take some time to write your book, but that book might continue to generate passive income for years to come.

48. Working with Kids

If you love being around kids, there are a few ways to turn this into money. None of them are extremely lucrative, but they can all be sources of extra money from your spare time.

Ways to Make Money from Working with Kids:

  • Be a babysitter or nanny
  • Start an after-school program
  • Tutor

Action Step: Babysitting is the perfect way to start making money quickly. There are always parents in need of a good babysitter. Talk to everyone you know, especially parents, and you’ll probably find a few people who will hire you. You can also create a profile on sites like Care.com.

49. Language

There are several legit ways to make money related to language skills. Most of these could be either a side hustle or a full-time income.

Ways to Make Money with a Language Hobby:

Action Step: If you have some typing skills, working as a transcriptionist is one of the best opportunities. Get started by going through this free 7-lesson mini-course from Transcribe Anywhere.

50. Speaking

If you enjoy speaking in front of people, there are ways you could turn this into a side hustle. This could involve speaking at events on a particular topic, or it could involve being paid to be on camera (or just audio) as a spokesperson.

Ways to Make Money with a Speaking Hobby:

  • Speak at events like seminars and conferences
  • Work as a spokesperson for companies in videos
  • Offer voice acting/voice-over services

Action Step: There is a strong demand for people with the skills to be on camera for online videos. Many entrepreneurs and businesses need someone to serve as a spokesperson for sales videos, training videos, and more. Create a profile at Fiverr and set up a gig to start offering your services.

How to Evaluate the Income Potential from a Hobby

Chances are, there are probably a few different fun hobbies you enjoy. Maybe you’re trying to decide which hobby idea would be best in terms of income potential. Evaluating the money-making opportunity is something you should do before putting in too much effort. Here are some things you can consider as you evaluate potential hobbies that make money.

Are People Passionate About This Hobby and Willing to Spend Money?

The best hobbies that make money are the ones that tend to have large audiences of people who are willing to spend. For example, my biggest success with making money from a hobby came from selling digital products to photographers. In my case, I was selling products to other photographers. Some of my customers were professionals, but many were amateurs who just loved photography and wanted to improve their photos. Photography can be an expensive hobby, but millions of people are willing to spend money on it. They buy expensive cameras and lenses, so you know that photographers are willing to spend money, and that means you can earn extra cash.

Another example from the list of cool hobbies above is restoring furniture. Of course, plenty of people are willing to spend money on furniture, so this hobby provides some income potential.

Many hobbies will give you the chance to make money, but asking yourself this question can help you avoid trying to make money from some obscure hobby that no one cares about.

Is There a Product You Could Sell or a Service You Could Offer?

The two most obvious ways to make money are:

  1. Sell a product
  2. Provide a service.

Think about your own hobbies and see if there is a way for you to create a product or offer a service.

Creating a product may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. For example, your product could be an ebook, which can be easily created with free software like Google Docs or OpenOffice.

If you want to sell a physical/tangible product, it could be something that you create yourself (like baked goods, art, or woodworking), or it can be something that is manufactured for you. It’s easy to find manufacturers who will create your product and put your own brand or logo on it. Search on Alibaba, and you can find manufacturers for just about anything.

Is it a Fad?

Be sure that you’re not putting a lot of time or effort into monetizing a hobby that will be a fad or a passing trend. The best hobbies that make money are timeless, and people will still be interested in them 5-10 years from now.

Could it Be Turned Into a Full-Time Business?

Maybe you have hopes of turning your money-making hobby business into a full-time business, or maybe you’ve never even considered the possibility. In my opinion, it’s a good idea to choose something that gives you the potential to make a serious income. Building a business of any kind or size takes time and effort, and personally, I would prefer to invest my time in something that has the potential to grow to a significant income.

Final Thoughts on Hobbies That Make Money

Now that we’ve taken a look at 50 lucrative hobbies that make money and the different ways you can earn from them, hopefully, you have some ideas that you can put to use with your own hobbies. I know from firsthand experience that monetizing a hobby can be rewarding, fun, and lucrative. If you’d love to make money doing something you enjoy, now is the time to take action and get started.


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