Earn money without a job: 5 ideas for side-hustle income
At the very beginning of the process myself, I am by no means an expert, but the point of this silly little blog is to bring you along with me.
Earn money without a job: getting started
To earn money without a job you first need to establish why.
Maybe you just want some extra cash, maybe you’re looking to break free of the 9-5 hustle and live a freer, more chaotic lifestyle.
Maybe you just want to be different and fight the system.
Whether cash or chaos, here are 3 things you will need:
Laser-focused determination: Know why you’re doing it, because people will tell you you shouldn’t and sometimes, ‘people’ will be you.
Is it because you aren’t great with authority? Is it because you want autonomy and flexibility? Is it just because you can?
I don’t want to say ‘remember your why’, but I’ve said it now and that’s basically what this is.
Ironically, money: of course there’s the ole speculate to accumulate, but you also need to be able to support yourself financially while you level up
Frugality: if you’re going to make a jobless life work, you need to be prepared to be skint, a lot.
Set expectations with friends and family by saying I can’t afford presents this year, can we do secret santa instead (if you celebrate jesus / presents), can you come visit me instead of me coming to you, please can I have some money, etc etc
For some of you neurodivergent folks out there that find socialising a lot, this is a ‘two birds’ kind of situation.
I’m no preacher, I am a lost sheep.
Oof, biblical af.
Maybe I am a preacher. My body is composed primarily of bread and wine.
This isn’t a success story (yet), it’s a story about persistence, intermittent resilience and stubbornness – I will make this less than conventional life work, because it has to. Because the conventional one suuuuucked.
None of my side hustles are quite making me rich (yet!), but they are keeping me fed (mostly).
Instead of one big hustle, I am opting for multiple side ones that sort of stack up to one hustle and allow me to just about survive.
A life less conventional is about doing things a different way, and not everyone gets it.
Their loss (not financially, of course – that loss is mine).
Casual work
If, like me, you crave newness but need flexibility, casual work is where it’s at.
Of course the pay is generally crapola, but if you want to make this life work, then initially you need to view it as topping up your bank account with bits and bobs, rather than nice big lump sums (oh I miss those).
To earn money without a job, sometimes you need a job, I’m afraid.
But you can at least get one with minimal commitment and maybe a decent boss (if you’re lucky).
There are of course the obvious options like housekeeping or contract work, but I’m not here for the obvious. I’m here for the left-field.
1) Earn money without a job but with kids: Invigilating
As long as you don’t have any nasty convictions or predilections, invigilating is a good low commitment and (relatively) low responsibility option.
Exams don’t run year-around, so it’s not going to make you millions, but if you have free time and flexibility around exam season then this can be a nice little bump to your pocket money.
Not only that, it’s bloody easy (not for the kids).
You will, of course, have to:
Pass a security check
Do some training
Be vigilant (it’s in the name)
In all the blogs I’ve read while looking for alternative income streams, I’ve never seen invigilating in any of them.
Maybe because the amount of money you can make is severely capped.
Progress:
Pride flags at school!
Drawbacks:
Pocket money, not boat money – you’re working for a school at the end of the day
If you want to make the most of the £ then you need a fairly clear or flexible schedule for exam season
It is a big responsibility: Yes, it’s the exact opposite of what I just said … but … You’re not just there to check for cheating, but also for the welfare of the students – the pressure they’re under is even worse than back in the day and it can be heartbreaking
Benefits:
Very low to no commitment: even if you worked every exam, you would still only work 6 ish weeks of the year. You could even just work one exam in each exam season – flexible af.
You’ll likely meet a group of really interesting people of all ages, professions, backgrounds – it’s the most varied team I’ve ever worked in
You might make professional connections! You never know who you’ll meet or what opportunities they might come with
Other than child welfare and checking for cheating, you have 0 responsibility – no deadlines, no reports, NO EMAILS!
Check with your local high schools to see if they need invigilators for exam season – you will likely be part of a great team of casual workers from all sorts of interesting backgrounds!
2) Earn money without a job but with dogs: Dogsitting
I was going to say something like only weirdos and psychopaths wouldn’t want to look after animals for money, then I realised that ain’t inclusive.
And psychopaths probably would want to but not for the same reasons.
There are many sites out there, but the one I use is Rover.
While I await my dream of a smallholding filled with dogs, I get paid to look after other people’s dogs (& cats, but they sort of look after themselves).
Not only do I get a mini break in someone else’s house, surrounded by someone else’s half-finished projects and endless to-do lists, but I get a little buddy for a week or weekend.
The houses are also often way nicer than mine, although not always cleaner …
When I first moved to Bristol, dogsitting was a great way to get to know different areas of the city, as well as find some hidden woodland walks.
Benefits:
Getting paid to look after dogs and cats – shouldn’t really need to sell this one …
Time away from your home (and co-habitants and mess and jobs and unfinished projects)
No distractions: I am so much more productive in my desk-based work at other people’s houses
It’s free to use! Rover take a cut of each sit, but you don’t need to pay to be on there
Sometimes caring for someone else is a good distraction from yourself
Getting outside!
Drawbacks:
Over the summer I was constantly packing and unpacking, with little time in my own bed, which was exhausting (but I was financially flush)
Getting to know new dogs can be exhausting and frustrating
People are not always as clean and tidy as you are, and they rarely think to leave fridge space
If, like me, you are a night owl not an early bird, early morning starts for food and walks can be tough
Caring for someone else can be tiring – it’s bad enough trying to look after me!
Advice:
You obviously need some animal care experience to get bookings in the first place
While you’re starting out, you might not be able to be so picky – getting ‘jobs’ and (good) reviews are the best way to get new bookings. Once you’re established, you can be a bit pickier.
Always meet them beforehand: in their home and ideally go for a short walk together (particularly if there are any behavioural issues)
If they don’t provide one, ask for a care sheet outlining routine, behaviour, commands – anything and everything – including where the fuse box is (v important, from personal experience)
A note on Trusted Housesitters:
Although membership is paid and you don’t get paid, they have international listings, so for us part-timers, it’s a great way to have a nearly-free holiday!
Earn money without a job but with creativity
I am a weird combination of creative and practical, so anywhere I can use either is great – both is even better and if it makes me money, awesome.
3) Fiverr & Upwork: marketplaces for freelancers
Showcase your skills and kickstart your freelance career.
Cripes. I sound like an American Ad Robot.
But seriously, Fiverr and Upwork (and I’m sure others) are great for freelancers of many kinds.
You could be a graphic designer, IT buff, digital marketer, writer, work in video & animation, music & audio, business, finance, AI … etcetera
If you’ve got a desk-based skill to sell, you can sell it here.
Some of the services I sell:
Website design
Content writing: blogs, emails, website content, socials
Social media management
Copywriting
Proofreading and editing
General admin
Benefits:
So flexible: pick and choose your work, hours and rate
Diverse: there are so many options – have a browse around and see if there’s anything you could do for cashmoney
Drawbacks:
It’s competitive: You have to be good at promoting and selling yourself, but they have a pretty decent onboarding processes to give you tips
It can take a while to get set up and earning – be prepared to work for next to nothing to build up
4) Upcycling
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I love upcycling.
I’ve said before on my insta, not only is upcycling a way for me to earn money, but it’s also a great method of productive mindfulness.
My ADHD brain can’t meditate for shit, but this is close enough.
Yes, sometimes I listen to murder podcasts, but that’s how a lot of people unwind.
It’s also a great learn on the job kind of job.
The best places for finding furniture to upcycle:
Facebook marketplace (particularly the free section)
Charity shops: there are many specifically for furniture, bigger items, half-used paint
The tip! Most decent-sized recycling centres have a shop where they sell things that are too good to chuck – they’re usually cheap and make great upcycling projects; plus sometimes you can find tools and half-used paint
Benefits:
Completely flexible – do it when and where you want
Productive mindfulness: clear your head and fill your bank account (a bit)
The reward of seeing progress is a good motivator
Treasures: if you’re good at it and get lucky with finding some free / cheap treasures, you can sell on somewhere like Vinterior or Upcite for a decent whack – although it is difficult to go on those sites and not want buy something …
Drawbacks:
To do anything of a decent size, you obviously need space. BUT even without space, you can still do little things like mirrors or bedside tables
You do need to speculate to accumulate: sander, paint, brushes, varnish, oils etc
You might not always make what you think an item is worth
Not ideal if you live in the middle of fucking nowhere – you’d have to have …
Access to a car
Yes, it’s another fucking bureau
5) Blogger & Social Influencer
I’m just starting out here, so I’m not even going to pretend to give advice other than:
Just do what you enjoy and see where it goes.
Doesn’t matter if no one reads it.
You have to start somewhere, and progress is better than perfection.
Someone out there might want to hear what you have to say, might even be able to relate to it, or learn from it.
I procrastinated this very blog for over a year, but I’m enjoying it. Whatever it is.
Talking into the void is like free therapy … or is it a modern dear diary?
5 tips for abandoning full time work:
Don’t listen to anyone saying you can’t: the world is on fucking fire, so why not? Life is short. If not now, when. Seize the day. Etcetera.
Take your time and be patient
Upskill where you can: there are so many options for free / cheap training – Hubspot, Futurelearn, Google courses, Coursera … all sorts!
Know your needs and limits: how poor are you prepared to be? How long are you prepared to stick at this to make it work? How low can you go?
If you can, don’t leave your full time job until some of your side hustles are established (impulsivity & burnout prevented me from doing this, oopsy)
Find your ikigai: the Japanese concept of finding your purpose
This doesn’t need to be a decades long journey of self-discovery, just 30 seconds a day to think about what you want and need.
Ikigai
The most useful and simple advice I read was:
At the end of each day, write down the things you enjoyed and the things you didn’t.
Do this for 30 days and you’ll have a good idea of what to fill your life with.
It isn’t always easy to put this information into practice, but it is an insanely easy way to see what does and doesn’t work for you, and learn from it.
To demonstrate how simple this process, here are some of my recurring ones:
✔ Writing
✔ Outside
✔ Dog cuddles
❌ Deadlines
❌ Communicating
❌ Other people (this one comes up a lot)
Earn money without a job: is it for me?
I won’t lie and say it’s easy and I’m loaded and I have no worries and I’ve figured it out, as none of these words apply to my current situation.
Things I don’t have:
Much money / Pension contributions / A set routine / A commute / Consistency / A cycle to work scheme
Things I do have:
Anxiety/ Flexibility / Autonomy / Happiness / Colleagues / Time / Access to dog cuddles / ‘Work’ pyjamas
Whatever your reason, knowing it will help you stay on track and block out the naysayers.
Best of luck!
Love,
A life less conventional
Weekly win or woopsy?
This week it’s a two-punch combo:
✔ I finally reorganised my entire wardrobe, packed away my winter clothes (prematurely), and culled an absolute fuck-load of clothes.
This is something I do a few times a year.
Partly to clear out some of the Vinted shite that I have accumulated and discarded for whatever reason
Partly because my AUDHD brain likes to organise and rearrange – variety is the spice of life
Anyway …
❌ In doing this I obviously cannot find anything, causing a lot of frustration.
Eventually I’ll learn where everything now lives, just in time to completely reorganise it again.
🪷 If you enjoyed or related to any of this drivel, I’d love to hear from you 🪷
