17 Side Hustles You Can Start With Your Stimulus Check

Most Americans are receiving $1,400 in stimulus checks, with many couples and families receiving $2,800 or more. If you’ve already received the money, or are awaiting its arrival, you might be unsure of exactly how to use it. Sure, you could splurge since you have some free money, but before you go ahead and do that, consider investing your stimulus check into yourself and your future.

If you invest your stimulus check wisely, you could increase your overall earnings on a consistent basis. Rather than a one-time boost to your income, it could have a long-term impact that lasts for months or years into the future. Below, we’ve listed some of the top side hustles you could start by using your stimulus check. Any of these options could even grow into full-time businesses in the future.

1. Blogging

Starting a blog is a side hustle of choice for a lot of people because it offers unlimited income potential and the ultimate in flexibility.

Blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Often, bloggers don’t make any money from their blogs in the first six months to a year, but if you stick with it and put the work into growing your audience and producing high-quality, engaging content, your income can soon pick up in a big way.

For many, what starts out as a side hustle can eventually become a full-time stream of income.

How to spend the money:

• Sign up for web hosting with Bluehost. For less than $100, you can host your blog for the first year (see How to Start a Blog that walks you through the simple process of getting hosting and setting up your blog in just a few minutes).
• Buy a premium WordPress theme from Elegant Themes. Your blog’s themes dictates how the blog will look and its overall functionality. Elegant Themes provides two outstanding themes, Divi and Extra, that will give you a professional-looking website for just $89 per year.

2. Start a Niche Website

Similar to blogging, starting a niche website allows you to share content with online audiences. The difference here is that your content will be highly focused and directed at a very specific target audience, looking at one particular niche topic.

When running your own niche website, most of your traffic is likely to come from Google searches. This means you’ll need to use specific keywords to direct traffic to your website. These could be long-tail keywords that have little competition, meaning your website will have a better chance to appear higher up in the search engine results when people search for these specific keywords.

Making money through your niche website might take a little time (like blogging), but once you’ve built your audience, you could earn a substantial amount of money through affiliate links and advertisements.

If you’re interested in starting your own niche website, read my Complete Guide to Building a Profitable Niche Website to find all the information you’ll need.

How to spend the money:

• Sign up for web hosting with Bluehost.
• Buy a premium WordPress theme from Elegant Themes to give your site a professional look
• Get a subscription to KWFinder.com – KWFinder is an excellent tool when running your own niche website. It will assist you in finding the best keywords to target your audience and increase your engagement levels (and it’s cheaper than most of the other leading keyword research tools).

3. Transcription

Transcription lends itself especially well to remote working, making it a great, flexible side hustle. There are so many transcription jobs and online platforms that hire transcriptionists with all levels of experience. And to maximize your income, you can work as a freelancer and cut out the middleman.

The entry-level jobs on transcription platforms tend to be pretty low-paid, but don’t let that discourage you. By working as a freelancer, you can take on higher-paying jobs. Be sure to check out this free mini course from Transcribe Anwhere to learn how to maximize your income.

How to spend the money:

• Buy a foot pedal. This will increase the speed and accuracy at which you’re able to complete jobs.
• A good quality headset also makes it much easier to hear audio files more accurately and avoid any distractions.
• Buy Express Scribe. There are many transcription software options on the market, but Express Scribe’s is reasonably priced, user-friendly, and popular.
• Enroll in Transcribe Anywhere to get professional training and learn how to grow your business.

4. Virtual Assistant

These days, many companies are looking to outsource elements of their businesses to remote workers or external contractors.

As a virtual assistant, there are a host of different services you could offer depending on your skills and expertise. You might provide assistance with administration, financial management, customer service, or a multitude of other services.

How to spend the money:

• Enroll in 10K VA. This online course shows virtual assistants how to grow their businesses and maximize their earnings, growing it to a six-figure income while working from home and maintaining flexibility.

5. Investing

Investing your stimulus money could be a great way of generating a new stream of income. It’s important to carry out plenty of research when looking to invest and you always want to invest your money wisely, but investing seems to be a more popular side hustle now than ever.

Here are some examples of companies that provide straightforward investment opportunities:

• M1 Finance offers an automated investment service and allows you to choose your preferred investment strategy and invest your money directly through the site with no fees.
• Fundrise gives a totally hands-off approach to real estate investing. Users can invest their money in property without having to deal with managing the property or dealing with tenants.
• Groundfloor gives investors the chance to invest their money into real estate projects which could prove to be highly profitable. This is essentially peer-to-peer lending that allows you to invest in real estate flips and earn returns that average around 10%.  
• Robinhood lets users invest their money in stocks, cryptocurrency, and EFTs. Of course, millions of people have started investing as a side hustle through Robinhood.

How to spend the money:

Choose your preferred investment option and get started.

6. Flea Market Flipping

Flipping pre-owned items is a great way of generating a profit and is highly rewarding.

Yard sales, flea markets, auctions, and thrift stores are great places to find items that can be flipped and sold for a profit. You might choose to flip clothing, children’s toys, homeware products, or a number of other items. You can then sell the item online through eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or other selling apps.

If you’re interested in flipping and want some more guidance, please see our list of the easiest things to flip for profit.

How to spend the money:

• Enroll in Flipper University, an online course that gives you all the information you will need when it comes to creating a successful flipping business.
• Buy some items to resell. It’s a good idea to start by doing a little research to find out what is likely to sell and which items have the highest profit margins.

7. Flipping Furniture

If you’re looking to take on a more large-scale project, furniture flipping is a great option. This process involves buying pre-owned furniture, restoring it, and then selling it for a profit.

Again, you can find great items to be flipped at yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores, and you may even find some pieces that have been put out for trash collection. Generally, furniture flippers look for items that are upholstered or are made of solid wood, so that they can be easily restored to excellent condition and increased in value.

This article will tell you all you need to know about furniture flipping, read our article Flipping Furniture for Profit.

How to spend the money:

• It’s a good idea to invest in some good quality supplies such as paint, brushes, sandpaper, or fabric upholstery.
• You’ll also need to invest in your first item of furniture. Try to keep costs to a minimum in order to maximize your profits.

8. Freelance Writing

If you’re a skilled writer, you might be able to monetize your talent and generate an extra stream of income.

There is a multitude of online freelancer sites that make it easy to find relevant jobs and connect with potential clients. Examples include sites like UpWork, Fiver, and Freelancer.

The work is flexible and can be tailored to fit in around other commitments, but once you have built up a portfolio and have made some business connections, it’s absolutely possible to turn your hobby into a full-time career.

How to spend the money:

• Pay for web hosting with Bluehost to set up a portfolio website. This is a great way of showcasing your talents and allows you to direct potential clients directly to your site.
• Buy a premium WordPress theme from Elegant Themes to use as a template for your site. Again, the more user-friendly and professional-looking your website is, the more likely you are to have good levels of engagement.
• Enroll in Earn More Writing. The course shows you how to kick start your writing career and turn writing into a full-time stream of income. You’ll learn how to find work, establish pricing, and successfully market your services.

9. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube continues to grow in popularity, both with viewers and also with entrepreneurial-minded people who want to start an online business. To be successful on the site, you’ll need to be consistent with your content and build an engaged audience.

Through YouTube’s Partner Programme, content creators on the platform can earn money from advertisements. Additional monetization options include direct sponsorships and affiliate programs. It’s a highly lucrative industry and one that looks set to continue growing.

How to use the money:

• While not completely necessary to get started, it’s a good idea to invest in a high-quality camera and microphone to produce the best quality video content.

10. Start a Podcast

Like YouTube videos, the popularity of podcasts is growing extremely fast. Now is a great time to get started if you want to earn money on the side or grow it to a full-time income.

You can start a podcast on any chosen subject and once you’ve built up your audience, sponsorships and affiliate programs are ideal ways to monetize the show.

How to use the money:

• If you’re planning to set up a website to host your podcast or to increase engagement with your audience, it’s a good idea to sign up for web hosting with Bluehost.
• Similarly, you can buy a premium WordPress theme from Elegant Themes to use as a template for your website
• The most important investment you’ll make when starting a podcast is in a high-quality microphone so you’ll be able to record high-quality audio.

11. Voiceover Artist

For those with a talent for voice acting, there are so many platforms out there for freelance voiceover artists to find paid work. Fiverr.com is a great place to list your services and connect with potential clients.

You could create voiceover content for online videos, commercials, movies, or audiobooks.

How to use the money:

• When working as a freelance voiceover artist, investing in a good microphone is of paramount importance. Of course, you want audio that is the highest-quality possible.
• It’s also a good idea to invest in some recording software so that your audio files can be recorded, stored, edited, and formatted efficiently.

12. E-Commerce

Starting your own e-commerce website is a great way of generating some extra income. The industry is experiencing significant growth so there’s potential to earn high amounts here and turn it into a full-time business.

Your e-commerce business could specialize in any area you choose; clothing, electronics, homeware, office supplies, and almost any other consumer goods can be bought and sold over the internet.

How to use the money:

• Shopify is the leading platform that lets anyone set up their own e-commerce site. You’ll be able to choose a template and Shopify provides all of the functionality you need.
• Your biggest investment is likely to come from buying your base inventory. The amount you’ll need to invest will depend on the items you are specializing in.

13. Buy a Website

If you’re looking to run your own website but don’t want to start from scratch, you could buy a pre-existing site for as little as $1,000 to $3,000. The site might not be making huge amounts of money at the time of purchase, so you’ll probably need to put a good amount of work into improving the site’s revenue streams.

While this can give you a good head start when it comes to running a successful website, it might not be a great option for those without experience in running a website since it does involve some financial risk.

How to spend the money:

• If you’re looking for potential websites to buy, it’s a good idea to join Facebook groups like Flipping Websites and Niche Website Flippers. Members will list websites they’re looking to sell and you can message them directly for more information.

14. Sell on Etsy

For those who are particularly crafty, Etsy is an excellent place to advertise and sell your products. Etsy hosts sellers that specialize in making and selling clothes, accessories, jewelry, home furnishings, and a hand-made items.

With lots of people trying to shop more sustainably and support small businesses, now is a great time to get your crafts up for sale on Etsy, or other sites like Etsy.

How to Make Money on Etsy offers some great advice on how to maximize your sales, as well as some common mistakes you’ll want to avoid.

How to spend the money:

• Your initial investment should be spent on purchasing the materials and equipment needed to create your products.

15. Trash Cleanup

Who knew picking up trash could be a highly lucrative side hustle? Many businesses will pay contractors to clean up their outdoor spaces and it’s a job that almost anyone can do.

It may not be the most glamorous business, but this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked if you want to start a side hustle that could easily grow into a full-time business. Brian Winch has been running his trash cleanup business for decades and his book Cleanlots lays out the exact steps you can follow to do it for yourself.

To learn more details, please read Picking Up Trash: A Surprisingly Lucrative Side Hustle.

How to spend the money:

• Buy the business guide from Cleanlots. This provides all the information you will need to successfully start your trash clean up side-hustle.
• You’ll also need to invest in some very basic supplies such as trash bags and a litter collection tool.

16. Powerwashing

Similarly, many homeowners and businesses will pay good money to have their property power washed. It’s a relatively simple job that anyone can learn to do, and it has the potential to grow into a full-time income.

Craigslist and local bulletin boards are great places to find work and it tends to be pretty flexible, making this a great side hustle. You could also advertise your services by going door-to-door or handing out leaflets in your local area.

How to spend the money:

• To get started, simply invest in a good quality hose and pressure washer.

17. Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning is another local service that’s in high demand. It’s a simple service but does require some specialist equipment, which means that most people are more than happy to pay a professional to take care of this for them.

You can offer this service to local people and businesses within your area and generate an excellent stream of income.

How to spend the money

• A commercial-grade carpet cleaner is essential in this line of work, but it’s a relatively small price to start a legit business.

Conclusion

If your stimulus check leaves you with some extra cash in the bank, consider investing it into one of these side hustles. In many cases, you could end up with a highly profitable, full-time earning opportunity.

What better way to invest your stimulus check than in yourself, your own financial stability, and a prosperous future?