The community here at Financial Independence Europe have at least one thing in common: we are all striving for financial freedom. Sometimes, the FIRE movement can feel limiting on your lifestyle and your pockets, with a focus on reducing expenses. But it doesn’t have to be. 

 

Creating additional income through side hustles is a great way to expand your lifestyle and financial goals. In fact, it means that you can strive towards financial independence while inflating your costs and continuing to enjoy life. Here are 21 side hustle ideas for extra money: 

1. Virtual Assistant
2. Start a blog
3. Social media management
4. Facebook ads
5. Instagram influencer
6. Airbnb
7. Uber driver
8. Flip furniture
9. Take online surveys
10. Online teaching
11. Dog walking
12. Amazon FBA
13. Online course
14. Babysitting
15. Graphic Designer
16. Personal trainer
17. Resume writer
18. Housesitting
19. Wash cars
20. Ebook
21. Podcast

Virtual Assistant

Imagine if you could take a job as an executive assistant, but perform all your tasks remotely? A virtual assistant (VA) role engages you in administrative or creative tasks while working online. As a VA, you’ll have to promote your custom services and specialities and find clients who are a good fit. Successful VAs are advertising their services on social media and finding clients through Facebook groups like this one. 

 

Start a blog

Did you know that you can monetise a blog? When you generate traffic in it’s thousands every month, different brands will pay to advertise in the white space on your blog. You can also get into affiliate marketing: which is a passive way to generate income through affiliate links to other companies. Of course, the hard part is generating the traffic in the first place- but there are a number of online resources to help you optimise your blog. 

Social media management

Social media is one of the fastest growing industries in Europe, with more than half of the world now registered for at least one social network. This being said, there are not enough individuals skilled in social media management for companies to work with. Don’t you think it’s time to upskill? Build your portfolio by demonstrating you can grow a following on Instagram, TikTok or Youtube and watch the clients come running! 

 

Facebook ads

In my opinion, running Facebook ads is one of the trickier side hustles on this list; as you’ll have to be highly proficient before offering your services. This is because ads have an expected ‘return on investment’ (ROI) which you’ll have to hit in order to succeed with clients. While there might be a steep learning curve, Facebook Ads managers are in high demand so if you can commit, you should be able to build a successful side hustle from this skill. 

 

Instagram influencer

If you’ve already got a large following on Instagram (or TikTok), brands are willing to pay to get in front of your followers. In order to become a micro influencer (under 1 million followers), create a pitch deck where you outline your following. This might include aspects such as audience demographics, click-through rate and results of previous partnerships. 

 

Airbnb

If you own real estate, why not utilise the space by renting out part, or all of the property? Hosting your home with Airbnb will not only lead to an extra income source, but will allow you to meet travellers from all over the world. Simply list your home on the site, take some professional photos and start vetting potential guests! 

 

Uber driver

If you own a vehicle, signing up to be an Uber driver could be a great way to earn some extra cash. With Uber, you’ll set your own hours which means it’s a flexible way to work as and when you are available. It’s worth testing different “shift” times, as well as different waiting locations in order to make the most profit possible. 

 

Flip furniture

As a creative, you might be looking for a more ‘artsy’ way to side hustle. Look no further than furniture flipping. It works by visiting charity shops, finding hidden gems and adding value by re-upholstering or adding finishing touches to the furniture. The risk to this is that you won’t know the level of demand for the furniture you are flipping until you advertise the final product: which means it’s an investment that might not pay off. However, if you can build a reputation for furniture flipping; it can be a lucrative side hustle idea! 

 

Take online surveys

Online surveys pay you for your opinion on household items, political figures, current events and more. In fact, it’s possible to earn €100s per year without having any particular training or skill. Companies specify certain demographics within their focus groups and if you fit the ranks, you’ll be called to give your opinion. Some of the most trusted survey sites include SwagBucks, Google Opinion Rewards and iSay. 

 

Online teaching

If you’re looking at geo-arbitrage (something we advocate for and have discussed on the Financial Independence Europe Podcast) then working online could be the best way to go. This way, you retain a high salary while reducing your cost of living. Online English teaching allows you to work with both children and adults online. In most cases, you’ll need a TEFL certificate or some evidence of English fluency. However, there might be an opportunity to tutor in your native tongue, too. 

 

Dog walking

If you are already walking a dog, doesn’t it make sense to walk a few more alongside it? Dog walking can create a side income without taking up more of your time, since you can walk several dogs at once. Plus, the dog walking industry is built from referrals and personal recommendations. It means that if you’re good at your job, you should be able to grow the income stream and have a steady client bank. 

 

Amazon FBA

Fulfilled by Amazon is a specific program for sellers or dropshippers who want to advertise their products on one of the largest marketplaces, Amazon. It works by getting your products delivered to their warehouse (this way you avoid nexus-related tax), and having their workers ship off your orders when they come in. The only thing you are responsible for is making sales! The biggest pitfall to this is choosing the wrong products to order in the first place- so do your research and find trending products to advertise and whitelabel.

 

Online course

Are you highly-skilled in… well… anything? Turns out, people would pay for skills like yours! By building an online course, you create an educational resource that is made once but accessible by hundreds. It’s a great example of passive income; as you only need to source buyers (the work is already done!). Work with programs like Kajabi or Teachable in order to host your course on an easy-to-use platform. 

 

Babysitting 

If you’re looking for a more traditional side hustle, and you’re good with kids, babysitting could be the gig for you! Be aware that you’ll require a safety check before you can start babysitting, plus, it’s likely better-suited to those who already have experience dealing with children in a range of settings. However, you set your rates and can either build a regular slot with one family, or create a roster of different clientele. 

 

Graphic designer

If you’re creative in nature, you can set yourself up as a graphic designer for small businesses who require branding materials like a logo, for example. Start on sites like Fiverr or Upwork in order to build your portfolio and hone in on your expertise. Working on sites like these allows your customers to leave reviews, which you can later use as testimonials to approach new clients. 

 

Personal trainer

If you’re into fitness, why not turn your hobby into a business by becoming a personal trainer? You’ll receive professional qualifications and can choose to work with clients in-person in the gym, or online. This means that you can work from virtually anywhere! Personal training is about being a good teacher (as well as knowing your anatomy, physiology etc), so learning how to instruct is going to be key. The great benefit here is that these are transferable skills that could help with your primary career, too!

 

Resume writer

If you’ve got primary career experience in HR or recruiting, why not put those working hours to extra use? Resume writers are in high demand, as more and more of us are finding the job market uber competitive. Again, you can place your proposition onto Fiverr or Upwork in order to build your portfolio and work with clients. Those with a resume writer side hustle can even gain qualifications, but must be good at sticking to deadlines.

 

House sitting

Are you looking at geoarbitrage to reduce your costs and see the world? Not only does house sitting eradicate rent payments, but it means that you could actually get paid to live in a new city- all in exchange for looking after the property. Websites like Trusted Housesitters and MindMyHouse are the perfect places to list your experience and find houses to sit. Sometimes, you’ll even get to look after pets like cats and dogs while you save extra your income! 

 

Wash cars

Want a side hustle without much of an upfront cost? Car washing only requires a bucket, sponge, car shampoo and some water- and you can make a solid side income. Plus, this is an offline way to make more money for those of us who aren’t so onboard with the tech! Car washers can charge from €10 to upwards of €35 for a full valet service- which can equal an hourly rate of €70 or more! 

 

Ebook

Writing an eBook is another great way to create a passive income stream (just like building an online course). If you’ve got a passion for a subject or some great ideas to share, turn them into an eBook and go get those sales! In fact, most eBooks are self-published these days which means that you shouldn’t require an editor or publisher (although it might be helpful for someone to look over your work before it’s out in the world). Sites like Kindle (hosted by Amazon) can be the perfect place to list your book to be downloaded hundreds or thousands of times! 

 

Podcast

Time for our very own favourite side hustle: the podcast! Starting a podcast could simply mean that you and a couple of friends get together to discuss your week, or review restaurants, tell jokes or talk about personal finance (like we do!). What it means, however, is that you create a digital asset that has space to advertise- which big brands might sponsor. Some of the most successful podcasters have turned this into their full-time job, making millions of dollars from listens and advertisements alike. 

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