We’ve rounded up legit ways to make extra money with little effort.
For as little as 5 hours a week or less, these 26 tips for how to make extra money will help you add to your savings accounts (or fund extra expenses) with ease! From simply sharing your opinion to selling handcrafted items or driving safely while commuting, there’s something to suit everyone’s schedule and skill level.
1. Do some dog walking or pet sitting.
Give us all the fur babies! With apps like Wag, you can easily become a dog walker in no time and make a little side cash while spending some quality time with cute pups! Win, win…or should I say…Woof! Woof! 😉
“I started dog walking recently and have 4 regular clients. I started by posting in our neighborhood Facebook group asking if anyone needed a dog walker or sitter and I got responses right away. I’m making $450 a month and working just 3 hours and 20 minutes a week! It’s easy money, I get exercise and plenty of dog love! The flexible schedule is great for me and I love the extra money!” – Sarah, Hip2Save Reader
2. Get crafty and sell your handmade goods.
There’s a huge buyer’s market for handmade goods these days. Discover something you love to make and start selling it on Etsy or in a local community group.
Seasoned pros on Etsy shared how they got started and became successful.
As another idea, check to see when your next local craft show is and make a bunch of goods to set up and sell! You could do anything from sourdough, festive candles, crochet accessories, and more! If you need more ideas, we have a whole page full of DIY ideas that you can check out. If anything, they could inspire you to get started on some gorgeous money-making projects.
“I’ve been sewing scrunchies and also other items on my Cricut. I love making them and it’s great extra cash.” – Becky, Hip2Save Reader
“I started making Elf on the Shelf kits for Christmas. I create 30 ideas with supplies. People love them!” – Jenifer, Hip2Save Reader
3. Become a fitness instructor.
While you may have to work your way up to become an instructor, Emily from our team has proven that it’s possible and not very difficult to do at all! In fact, she started as a student and realized she could teach barre, and get paid for it, all while still enjoying class.
Check out these best free workout apps to start your fitness journey without spending a dime.
“I was going to a barre class for several months and was so in love with it, that I asked the owner if she was hiring new instructors. After about a year, she asked me to join their team of instructors! Even though I had no formal fitness training prior, I completed an online course & video submission to become barre certified (an expense the owner paid for). I make anywhere from $300-$400 per month and I get to take other classes at the studio outside of my own for free, so I’m saving a ton on my fitness expenses and making a good chunk of change in the process!” – Emily, Hip Sidekick
Hip Tip: Speaking of working out, these workout accountability app options pay you to work out!
4. Tutor some students.
Being a private tutor could be the perfect side gig if you have a knack for educating others and sharing your knowledge. From math sessions to piano lessons, there’s a demand for all types of after-school helpers. Either call your local schools or share yourself in local groups to get started!
“My husband teaches piano on the side. When we were getting out of debt, he also worked extra events as a teacher to make more.” – Jenna, Hip2Save reader
“I tutor and offer ‘Homework Hour’ for busy parents at a local library. The hourly fee adds up nicely and takes up a little of my day! Parents enjoy not having to fight over homework each evening as kids complete everything during the session.” – Cindy, Hip2Save reader
5. Start driving for Uber.
Drive your car and be your own boss! If you enjoy driving around or maybe you need to get to know your new city, then Uber could be a great part-time (or even full-time) gig for you! However, there are a few conditions to consider, such as owning a car that’s 10 years or newer, it must pass an Uber inspection, and among a few other things, you have to have a driver’s license in good standing.
“I like that I can do some driving and get paid when I have extra time on the weekends. It’s not huge money but the flexibility is great and gives me some extra cash to pay for the extras my teenagers always seem to want or need. I do Uber and Lyft and flip back and forth depending on who has passengers available first. Plus, it’s always interesting, last week a man got in my car with fishing poles as long as my car and a bucket of live fish. LOL!” – Angela, Hip Sidekick
6. Sell some yummy baked goods.
One thing many people love more than a yummy baked good is not having to make it in the first place! If you’re handy in the kitchen and love crafting up confections, try your hand at making baked goods for others for profit.
Check out all of our Hip-tested desserts to get started on baking up some money-making treats!
“I sell my baked goods to family and friends – my pumpkin rolls are my top seller! I become especially busy during the holidays, which is great for gift funds.” – Debbie, Hip2Save reader
“I learned to make custom sugar cookies and sell them. I started to practice by making them for my baby showers and kids’ birthdays. Over time, I’ve been slowly building up a little cash business!” – Nichole, Hip2Save reader
7. Take photos of people.
With social media at its peak, the options for taking photos are endless. Consider family sessions, senior portraits, helping small businesses build their brand, and more! You can also sell some stock images on Shutterstock for extra cash!
If you’re intrigued, but don’t know where to get started, invest in a new camera and ask some local photographers to let you shadow them or do a one-on-one session to learn your way around your new camera.
“When I first had kids, I became really passionate about photography. I wanted great photos of my kids as they grew, so I purchased a starter camera and talked to a local photographer that I became friends with. She shared her expertise with me and I practiced a ton with my own family! From posting my pictures on my own social media, people started asking me to take photos of them. I have photographed everything from a floral workshop, families, and large company products, and before I knew it, I was making hundreds of extra dollars a month! It was great extra cash with the flexibility to work when I could and I was still able to still stay at home with my kids.” – Sara, Hip Sidekick
8. Cook or meal prep for people.
People are busy and the last thing they want to do is think about what food to make for dinner. Whether they’re on their own or have a whole family to feed, they may pay for their meals to be ready to make!
“I love prepping food! I do all the chopping, cutting, marinating, etc., and assemble people’s meals for the week or the special occasion that calls for a ‘home-cooked’ meal. I shop for ingredients while I do my own family’s grocery shopping. I prep for families, friends, work clients, and one-off orders.
All of my meals can also be frozen and cooked when needed which I heavily market since these kinds of meals are ideal for all types of situations – new babies, unexpected passings, late-night sports practices, etc. Meal prepping is nothing too lucrative and it’s not making us millions, but I love cooking and it’s that stress reliever for me when things are crazy at work.” – Nicole, Hip2Save reader
9. Use apps to your advantage.
With apps like OnMyWay, you can get paid to simply drive safely! For every mile you drive and don’t text or use your phone, you’ll get paid. It’s really that simple. As a bonus, you’ll get immediate rewards just for signing up! It takes just a few minutes to enter your information and start earning.
The payout is unconventional; you will earn $0.05 for every mile you drive without texting and driving. The majority of prizes are things like a “free” meal at a fast food restaurant. It’s important to note that in order to get the item, you first buy it, record a video of you with the item they’re offering give a shoutout to the app, and upload it on their link and on a social media platform. They will then Venmo you the money you spent. For some, it may not be worth the effort, but if you’re often driving, love sharing with others, and getting free food, this could be perfect for you.
10. Donate your plasma.
There’s a high demand for donating blood, and if you’re a good candidate then you can earn cash for donating up to the limit they allow. Plasma donations can range from $30-$100 depending on the center, location, and promotions. Frequent donors can earn $300–$700 per month if they donate the maximum (usually twice a week). Platelet donations can vary, but some centers offer $50–$100 per donation, depending on demand.
For blood donations, consider looking into Red Cross Blood Services, America’s Blood Centers, or checking local hospital websites. For plasma donations, consider finding locations through Donating Plasma, CSL Plasma, BioLife Plasma, Octapharma Plasma, or using Google to search near you.
“I donate plasma twice a week. Each time takes just about an hour and I take home between $70-$90 a week.”– Ashley, Hip2Save reader
11. Be a food delivery person.
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub…the list goes on! As mentioned by Ramsey Solutions, becoming a food delivery driver is an easy and great way to make extra money, especially because you pick your own hours.
12. Get a babysitting gig.
With apps like Care.com, babysitting is totally booming, and long are the days you’ll pocket a 20 bill for an entire Saturday night. According to a national study, in 2024, the average in the US for just one child was $25/hour. If you’re looking for a sitter in 2025, you can expect to pay anywhere from $16 to $28 per hour depending on your location.
While you could do it for just a few hours a week, that hourly amount could be enough for some people to be able to quit their day job.
“I babysit and sell crocheted items. People pay way more for babysitting than the hours I spend making something, so I love the time with kids and the extra spending money.” – Shawna, Hip2Save reader
13. Shop for Shipt.
If you meet all the requirements to become a paid grocery shopper, you can score a job paying you between $13-$22 per hour with Shipt or Instacart! You can work part-time or full-time or any time you want since you get to set your own hours. Earnings tend to depend on order size, time, and effort required. Plus, you’ll get paid every week in addition to banking 100% of your tips.
“I shopped and delivered groceries for Shipt while I was waiting for my teaching license to transfer states. Great job and you really learn your way around a new town!” – Keisha, Hip2Save reader
14. Participate in a research study.
If you have a local teaching hospital or university, check and see if they offer the ability to participate in a paid research study. While some may take more time than 5 hours, the payoff can be worth the time invested! As a tip, you could also sign up for ResearchMatch.org to see what’s available to you as a volunteer.
Before participating, ensure that each opportunity aligns with your preferences and schedule. Always review the terms and conditions of each platform to understand the nature of the tasks and the compensation offered.
“I love being a research study participant. It generally pays at least $25 per visit of each study. I even once made $1,000 for completing a long-term one!” – Keila, Hip2Save reader
“I participate in research studies whenever I can! I’ve made as much as $3,500 on them over the course of 2-3 months before!” “– Rebecca, Hip2Save reader
15. Taste test some food.
Yes, you can even get paid by the hour to eat some food. The food and beverage industry offers many opportunities to get paid. McCormick is just one example of ways to get paid to test foods. To find out where you can taste test food near you, Google “food tasting in my area”.
“I taste test new food products! I get called for about 3-6 jobs per month usually. I get paid between $30-$50 each time and I am usually done in about 15-20 minutes. The longer jobs pay a little more but take up to 30-40 minutes. It’s fun and very flexible so I can do it only when I want to!
Just some tips, once you register, make sure to fill out the screeners to see if you qualify. If they email you a screener, fill it out fast because the groups fill up quickly! If you have an account, log into your profile often to see what new groups are available. Be honest with your answers. (However, if you’re really picky and say that you don’t eat cheese or seafood or 28 other foods, chances are you won’t ever qualify!) They will then schedule you for a specific day and time if you do qualify.
I see retirees, moms, business professionals, and all kinds of people there when I am there. Sometimes kids are allowed to use these ways to make extra money too if they are over age 13. It’s really easy and fun and it’s a great way to make some fun money for the holidays or vacations, etc.” – Karen, Hip2Save reader
16. Sign your name as a witness.
Know any local lawyers or law firms? You can consider giving them a call and offering your presence whenever they need a witness for some documents. While not all firms are likely to use just anyone, it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask. This could be an easy way to make extra money!
“I work with a local lawyer who does estate planning. I go in for 30 minutes sign my name a bunch of times as a witness and get 25 bucks. I do this about once a week, sometimes twice!” – Ashley, Hip2Save reader
17. Do some house cleaning.
People are busy and cleaning their homes is one thing many people outsource. Whether they’re elderly, have busy schedules with kids, or work all the time, ask some friends and family if you can clean their home for them. After a couple of visits, chances are they’ll be telling their friends about your services!
Read our post about how to declutter your home if you need a jumpstart for your own space before starting our other ways to make extra money.
“I like to clean houses for people I know. I usually just do one house per week for some extra cash, and it’s good, easy money!” – Bridget, Hip2Save reader
18. Score some freelancing gigs.
Consider freelancing if you have some experience in marketing or design. This is a contract-based service you can offer to others by utilizing your talents in design, copywriting, brand development, project management, etc. As far as a career choice, it’s definitely possible too. Try finding clients through Facebook groups or online services like Fiverr or Upwork, or start by reaching out to friends who you think could benefit from your skills.
Not into marketing? No worries, there are even remote, freelance options for personal assistants, scheduling, and more! While this does take some gumption and creative selling of your services, once you get started, it’s easy to get referrals and meet other clients through current ones!
“One easy way that I’ve made extra money on the side is freelancing. I wanted a way to make extra money with low start-up costs and this only required that I purchase an email address and create an easy website. I have even had the opportunity to help ghost-write books! The internet offers so many options, so get creative and really tap into what you’re good at! On average I was bringing in an extra $500-$1500 a month while staying home with my kids!” – Tiffany, Hip2Save reader
19. Clean out your closet and sell your clothes.
It’s better to just let go of the clothes you no longer wear in your closet. Therefore, it’s time to go into that closet and clean out everything you don’t want! There are countless apps you can sell your clothes, shoes, and accessories. Check out our post explaining how to sell clothes online along with the best places to sell them.
20. Rent your car out.
Just like you can rent your home out on Airbnb, you can actually rent out your car on sites like Turo or Getaround. This could come in handy, especially if you live in an area where you can rely on public transit or don’t drive that often. CNBC reports one worker rented out his car out to two-three times a week and generated around $3,500 a month!
21. Fill out some surveys.
Some websites will either give you gift cards or money in your PayPal account to take surveys! Survey Junkie is a legit way to earn small side earnings. If you’re okay with spending time answering surveys for a few extra dollars, it can be worth it. Head over to our full post all about surveys for money with Survey Junkie.
“So worth the download!! This app is great! The surveys are kind of long for what you get, but hey – money is money! This is the EASIEST side hustle you can do. I can make $150-$175 extra a month just by answering a few simple questions! You’d be silly not to try it out for at least a week.” – Joseph, Hip2Save reader
“Really great service that works! I like the fact that if midway through a survey I end up not being able to participate, they still reward a few points, which I haven’t seen other survey websites do.” – Tyler, Hip2Save reader
“Awesome payouts! I am unemployed and waiting on disability. This app has given me the freedom to purchase things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Thank you for this app.” – Elizabeth, Hip2Save reader
22. Take pictures of your receipts.
Apps like Fetch and Ibotta will allow you to upload receipts from ANY store or restaurant (or enter your eReceipts using the handy receipt scanner), earn points, and then redeem them for gift cards to your favorite stores! These are some of the best ways to make extra money just for shopping you’re already doing!
“A fun aspect about Fetch Rewards is that they have rewards programs inside the program! So far I’ve seen PepsiCo and Huggies, but there may be more.
Once you join the Huggies program, you receive exclusive offers for bonus points on Huggies products, and once you spend certain amounts you earn even more rewards. Sometimes these offers stack too, when I first signed up, I got 5,000 points for spending $50, 5,000 points for buying specific Huggies diapers, and 1,000 points for buying Huggies wipes!
I purchased the $50 on one receipt and received ALL the offers. They are also offering new daily points when you scan a receipt. It spins a cute little wheel and gives you the chance to earn extra points. So far I’ve only won small amounts but every little bit adds up!” – Chelsey, Hip2Save reader
23. User experience testers are always needed.
When a company is first launching, they need feedback on what is and isn’t working. This is where user experience testers come into play! It will vary based on the company, but your primary purpose is to let companies know if their websites are user-friendly. Ramsey Solutions shared how to get your feet wet with user experience testing, but you can also look on sites like TryMata.com and UserTesting.com. This is a great way to score some extra pocket money!
24. Assist realtors with their open houses.
Local realtors may need your help and an extra smiling face to nail down a sale at their next open house. You could consider reaching out to some nearby companies or small home builders to see if they need an extra person to be at an open house and greet guests as they come in. If you get really good and know your way around a house, chances are they may use you for future home sales!
“I work open houses on Saturdays and Sundays for a local home builder. It’s only 3 hours per day but it’s super easy and fun!” – Shanna, Hip2Save reader
25. Get your car wrapped with an ad.
Wrapify is one of the best ways to make extra money by simply driving your car as you normally would while displaying ads on it. The process is straightforward—sign up, get your car wrapped, and start earning based on the miles you drive. Earnings can vary depending on location and campaign availability. While it’s an essentially effortless passive income stream, not all drivers qualify, and you’ll need to keep your car’s wrap clean and maintained for the best results.
26. Join a focus group.
Focus groups like Sago (previously Schlesinger) are a great way to earn some side cash. A focus group is a research method where a small group of people discuss a product, service, or idea to provide valuable feedback, often for market research purposes. That means you’re getting paid to simply share your opinion.
“I have been doing focus groups with Schlesinger for years. I did one recently for $120. They are legit and pay well. All the groups I have been invited to participate in have been $100 and up. SUPER EASY!” – Rebecca, Hip2Save Reader
“I have done focus groups with Schlesinger since the early 2000s. They are legit.” – Steph, Hip2Save reader
Make money with our other top tips.
