Here are four side jobs that might not be worth your time, based on my personal experience.
1. Surveys: In my experience, paid surveys often aren’t as profitable as they may seem. They’re unpredictable and often don’t pay well for the time committed.
– When they might work: If you’re just chilling while watching TV, then you can try to make an extra $20 or so per month. This could also be useful if your job has sporadic slow periods.
– Suggested alternative: Consider giving UserTesting a shot. It pays $10 per website review and takes about 10-15 minutes of your time.
2. Mystery shopping: Mystery shopping is not likely to make you rich. Payments generally range from $5 to $15 per shop, regardless of the time or money spent to get there and back. Also, some shops require a purchase where you often end up spending more than the reimbursement limit.
– When it might work: If you live in a big city where you frequently walk past shops, or if you often travel by flight (some companies pay well for airport mystery shopping).
– Suggested Alternative: Try out being a Brand Ambassador. You can find work on Craigslist or apps like Pinata. You could make around $60 per week or $240 per month even just committing to one 3-hour shift a week.
3. Selling your books: Using book buyback sites might seem like a great idea, but these sites often pay just cents for each book.
– When they might work: If you’ve just finished a semester and have recent textbooks to sell, these sites can be helpful.
– Suggested Alternative: Selling on eBay usually brings in more money per book. You can even bundle similar books or series together to increase your profits.
4. Rev: Rev is a transcription service that pays from 25 cents to a $1 per recorded minute transcribed. While this sounds good, as a beginner, it took me roughly six hours to transcribe an hour of content. Depending on the audio quality, the time spent might not be worth the wage.
– When it might work: If you’re in between jobs and have time to spare, Rev can offer some income.
– Suggested Alternative: Freelance writing often brings in more income with less work. It requires some effort to build a portfolio but soon, you could earn between $75-200 per article.
Remember, not all side hustles work for everyone. It’s all about trying different things and finding what works best for you. Let me know about any side hustles that either worked or didn’t for you. Share this with anyone who might find it helpful!