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Did you know that there are lots of creative hobbies that make money?
Two years ago, it never came to my mind that I could also turn one of my hobbies into a thriving business. I am so thankful that now I do what I love doing the most and I also get paid for it. More importantly, I have full control of my time and I can work on my own time, which means I can have time for my kid.
It sure does take a lot of hard work to monetize a passion, but it’s the kind of work that you will look forward to doing every day!
But, before quitting your job and following what your heart desires, you might want to find out first what hobbies can make you money today.
Because the truth is, while there are so many creative hobbies that make money, some hobbies probably don’t. But there is a good chance that you have lucrative hobbies under your belt that you weren’t even aware of.
So, I put together this list of the best hobbies that make money. Find out what you love doing that you can actually earn an income from!
This is not your usual post because I have also included in this post details on how to monetize these hobbies. So be sure to bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest so you can easily find your way back to this post when you need it!
Hobbies That Make Money: 10 Best Income-Earning Past Times
Table of Contents
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for purchases made through these links at NO extra cost to you.
1. Blogging
I put blogging at the top of this list of easy hobbies that make money because I believe it’s something everyone can do. It’s also one of the very few businesses you can start with very little capital but has a huge ROI.
I started this blog two years ago with zero experience in growing a blog. But I love writing anyway and helping other people through writing. Little did I know that just a few months later I would start making money from this small blog!
Blogging is so cheap to start at less than $3 per month. You also don’t have to be the best writer to make money from blogging, and you don’t have to be tech-savvy to be able to run a blog.
My most favorite thing about blogging is that it allows me to earn semi-passive income. For example, I’ve got posts I wrote on this blog two years ago that are still making me some money up to this day.
I must admit, though, blogging is not a get-rich quick scheme. You don’t start a blog today, write a few posts, and expect money to start coming in right away. It’s a long day but can be very financially rewarding.
Earning Potential and How to Start Blogging
How much you can earn: How much professional bloggers make vary wildly. You can earn from $1000/ month with a small blog to a million per year with an established blog. Your earnings as a blogger really depend on many factors such as your niche and monetization strategies.
How to get started: Check out my comprehensive guide on how to start a blog and make money. This post will walk you through selecting a niche, the technical side of blogging, how to write your posts, how to make money from your blog as a new blogger, and how to grow your traffic.
2. Flipping
If you love looking at various stuff in garage sales, consignment shops, and flea markets during your free time, why not pick up a thing or two and then flip them?
Flipping is one of the top hobbies that make money! You just need to look up for things that you can resell for a marked-up price, such as antiques, collectibles, furniture, books, and more. If you play your cards right, you can charge 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 10x the purchase price, and make a handsome profit from it.
How much you can earn: Melissa and Robert Stephenson from The Flipper University earned over $133,000 in one year from flipping alone. According to them, you can earn a nice profit from this hobby, from a few hundred per month to thousands, even as a beginner. The trick is to learn what are the best things to flip for a profit, where to find them, and the best places to sell them.
How to get started: If you want to learn more about flipping items for a profit, check out Melissa and Robert’s free webinar to start your flipping side hustle today.
Want to learn how to flip money instead? Here are ways legit ways to flip money!
3.YouTube
Filming is a great way to document your life and interest. But if you take filming to the next level, you can create a nice income from it. And today, you can easily turn this hobby into an income source by posting your videos on Youtube.
You can cover whatever topic that interests you. If you’re an avid traveler, you can film your tours and adventures. If you love makeup, you can create tutorials and reviews.
You may even show slices of your life that you think would interest your audience. And in those videos, YouTube will insert advertisements adn would pay you for ads seen on your channel. So, the more people watch you without skipping those commercials, the more money you make on YouTube.
Earning Potential and How to Start a YouTube Channel
How much you can earn: How much do YouTubers make? According to Influencer Marketing Hub, YouTubers earn an average of $3-$5 per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its cut. There are many things that affect your earnings such as your niche, length of the video, ad engagement, number of subscribers, how many ads there are on your videos, and more. The top 10 highest paid Youtubers make at least $10 million per year!
How to get started: You need to create a YouTube channel (it’s free) and upload videos on your channel. But to start monetizing your channel with Google adsense (ads), you need to have at least 1000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of Watch Time for the last 12 months. Watch Time refers to the amount of time people spent watching your videos.
I’ve searched the internet for some of the best YouTube courses that can help you succeed on this platform. Here are some of my findings:
Earn Money with Ads on YouTube (FREE)
YouTube Masterclass: Your Complete Guide to YouTube
2020 YouTube Marketing and SEO to Get 1,000,000+ views
4. Social media management
Almost every business we know is now on social media, but that doesn’t mean business owners have the time to manage their accounts. So, if you spend endless hours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, why not earn from it? Did you know, being a social media manager is one of the best hobbies to earn extra money from right now?
As a social media manager, you help your clients post content on their social media accounts, create graphics for promotions, or create social media campaigns to reach more people and increase sales. You may also need to manage a Facebook group and make sure that all the concerns of the members of that group are answered or attended to.
According to Asset Digital, small businesses spend around $89 billion on social media marketing. Meanwhile, half of the small business owners surveyed said they post daily on their accounts. This means that tons of businesses are inclined to hire a social media manager to free up their time.
Earning Potential and How to Start Working as a Social Media Manager
How much you could earn: The average social media salary is $50,473/yr. However, take note that this salary is for a full-time position. If you do it part-time for extra income, you could get paid $10 to $40 per hour, depending on your skills and the scope of your job. You could charge more if you help businesses with social media marketing.
How to get started:
Check out these courses:
Social Media Management: The Complete Manager Bootcamp
Become a Freelance Social Media Manager- Home Business
How to Start Your Simple Social Media Side Hustle
Read: How Much Do YouTubers Make and How They Make Money
5. Shopping
Do you love shopping? I know I did! I used to love going to Marshalls and other retail and big box stores to find great deals. It was like treasure hunting game for me. Little did I know that I could make money from this hobby by reselling the items for a marked-up price on Amazon! This business is called retail arbitrage.
I learned about retail arbitrage from Jessica Larrew from The Selling Family where she shares how you can buy and resell items on Amazon. She’s one of the people that really inspired me to get into this whole internet thing!
Earning Potential and How to Start Reselling on Amazon
How much you can earn: Jessica shared she made $100,000 in profit in her first year reselling on Amazon. That said, reselling on Amazon can be a very lucrative side hustle!
How to get started: To learn more about how to get started with this gig, check out Jessica’s FREE 7-day email course.
I was also able to interview Jessica so she could share her story and tips with my readers. Read the interview here.
6. Photography
Most people start their careers in photography as a hobby. So, if you love taking photos of everyday life and have a pretty good understanding of the camera and its features and mechanisms, I think it’s one of the fun hobbies that make money.
You can start covering important events, such as birthdays, weddings, and reunions to showcase your talent. From there you can build your portfolio which you can show to potential customers. Alternatively, you can take photos of everyday objects, sceneries, and events, and then sell them online. You’ll get a royalty for every high-quality image you sell.
How much you can make: According to PayScale, freelance photographers make an average of $25 per hour. However, you can earn passive income by selling your photos on stock photo sites or by creating your own stock photo membership site.
How to get started: If you have a great marketing plan, I believe that the best place to sell your photos is on your own website. This way, you can set your own rates or charge a membership fee.
You can start a photography website for only less than $3 per month with Hostgator here.
7. Podcasting
If you love to talk, but aren’t that confident to be in front of the camera, then podcasting is for you. Think of podcasting as having your own talk show. You can talk about anything you like and you can also invite guests to share their insights. But what makes podcasting really tick is the fact that a lot of people consume information on-the-go and podcasts allow them to just tune in to your channel and listen while they drive, jog, or work out. When it comes to making money, podcasting is a fantastic avenue to promote your affiliate business and earn sponsorships.
Earning Potential and How to Start Podcasting
How much can you make: According to Buzzsprout, with 1000 downloads per podcast episode, you can make $125 per month from Patreon and Amazon affiliate. However, once you hit 5,000 downloads per episode, you can make much more with podcast sponsorship, ads, and affiliate marketing. You can increase your earnings by promoting your own online course and offering consulting services.
How to get started: To help you get started, check out these top affordable courses on podcasting:
8. Crafting
Let your creative side make money! Crafting is one of the most popular hobbies that span across generations, especially among women. Some of the best crafting hobbies that make money include creating jewelries and accessories, or crafting home decors and tiny trinkets.
According to Research and Markets, the craft industry was worth over $500 billion in 2017, and it continues to grow. Even better, you have plenty of places to sell your products, such as in bazaars and trade fairs, as well as online, in eBay, Etsy, and Amazon Handmade.
How much you can earn: Obviously, your earnings depend on the products you sell and your marketing skills.
How to get started: Learn what are the best crafts to make and sell, and how to market your products. You can sell them on your own website, or list them on marketplaces such as Etsy and Amazon Handmade.
9. Party planning
If you are extremely organized with an eagle eye for detail and have great creativity and a sense of style, then consider looking for party planning opportunities. A lot of people hire party planners for their events, whether these are anniversaries, gender reveals, baby showers, and more.
If you’ve always loved to help out throw epic parties for friends and family, this industry might be meant for you. Apart from family occasions, you could also break into corporate party-planning, such as handling galas and charity events.
Other events you can organize:
- Dinner party
- Marriage/ wedding
- Graduation party
- Dances and balls
- Cocktail party
- Christmas caroling party
- Surprise party
- Fundraising party
How much you can earn: According to Indeed, an event planner can make an average of $33,000 per year. But planners could also make more money if they provide the event decorations.
How to get started: The best way to get started is to tap your existing network, and plan parties for them. Then, get reviews and referrals. It is also a great idea to start a website on your services so you’ll have an online portfolio for your potential clients to see.
For cheap party decorations, I can highly recommend Alibaba.com. It’s the cheapest source of products right now as you are directly contacting manufacturers.
10. Writing
Freelance writing is one of the best ways for making money online from writing. The good thing about freelance writing is that you can start today without paying anything.
Before I started blogging, I worked as a freelance writer for blogs and websites. Freelance writing remains one of my most favorite site hustles because it’s flexible and can be done from anywhere.
How much you can earn: You can easily earn $1000 a month from freelance writing. I earned $70,000 in my first three years freelancing part-time, and I was a real beginner with no previous experience writing for websites.
How to get started: I wrote this simple 6-step process on how to get started freelance writing. If you want to learn how to increase your freelance writing income to $200,000/year, I recommend checking out Holly Johnson’s FREE writing workshop where you’ll learn:
- Keys to online freelance writing success
- Tips to get your foot in the door and increase your income over time
- Techniques Holly has used to build her writing income from $200,000/year!
11. Affiliate marketing
Some people just have the innate ability to convince others to try and use the products or services they’re using. You can level up this skill and make it one of the hobbies that make money from home through affiliate marketing.
Having a blog or website is the first step towards making money through affiliate marketing. You can create content around a subject or topic, and then insert affiliate links within the post. When people click on that link, it leads to a page where they can buy the product you are promoting. Every purchase sends you some commission, at no cost to the customer.
I’ll be honest: affiliate marketing is not a walk in the park. It needs some strategies and a platform where you can promote other people’s products or services. However, this income opportunity allows you to earn semi-passive income later.
How much can you make: You can realistically earn over $1000/month with a small blog, but a well-established website can make you a lot more. Michelle from Making Sense of Cents make over $50,000 per month from affiliate marketing alone!
How to get started: To start making money from affiliate marketing, you need to have a platform—a website/blog or a YouTube channel. If you don’t have a blog or website yet, I highly recommend checking out my step-by-step guide on how to start a blog or website!
When I started blogging, I had no idea how to make money with affiliate marketing. Later, I realized that affiliate marketing is not just sprinkling affiliate links into your post. That is not the best way to go!
It wasn’t until I invested in this affiliate marketing online course for beginners that I started finally started seeing results in my affiliate income. My income has been consistently growing since!
12. Driving
You might be wondering, who would drive as a hobby? Well, there are actually many people that do that instead of staying at home. If driving is one of your hobbies, you could make money from it by becoming a delivery driver.
You can accept delivery driver jobs in your spare time, pick up the items, and deliver them to your clients. There are many delivery jobs available most especially if you live in a major city and many people do this frequently to earn an extra income.
Earning Potential and How to Get started
How much you can earn: Freelance delivery drivers can make $20 per hour.
How to get started: Check out Postmates, DoorDash and Instacart.
13. Stock market
Do you track the stock market for fun? For some people, it’s fascinating to see the market rise and fall, but others love to learn about it even more deeply so they know when to put in their investments.
Investing is quite a serious hobby, but it is also one of the best hobbies that make money. Since it involves risking some financial resources, it pays to be as knowledgeable about the market as you can be. There are now plenty of resources in the novice investors. Once you get the hang of trading stocks, and perhaps with some bit of luck, you’ll earn money even as you sleep.
How to get started: If you have no idea about the stock-buying game and need someone to manage the process for you, you may be a good candidate for a robo-advisor. Robo-advisor is a service that offers low-cost investment management. I recommend checking out Betterment, Wealthfront, and Ellevest.
Other Great Hobbies that Make Money
14. Fishing
Fishing can also be a lucrative hobby! I don’t just mean selling your catch to local markets and restaurants to make money from this hobby. If you know fishing tricks that work, you could make a YouTube channel and monetize it. When you already have established a good following, you can start creating your own fishing-related products and sell them on your own online store.
15. Pet Sitting
Do you love pets and love taking care of dogs? Then, make money pet sitting. It’s easier now, more than ever, to find pet sitting jobs in your area with sites like Rover.
Ready to Start Making Money by Doing Things You Love?
Having a hobby is great for a ton of different reasons. But hobbies can also be the perfect place to breed a good future with. After all, you are pursuing your passion, you are doing the very thing that makes you happy, why not make money from it as well?
A money-making hobby marries your need to chase your passion while making money. Not a lot of people are as lucky to be working on what truly makes them happy. Some people stay in their jobs because they need the paycheck. But are they happy? We can’t always say yes. So, if you could do something differently, consider hobbies that make money and see which of them is perfect for you.
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