25+ Unusual Side Hustles To Make Extra Money

What are the most unusual side hustles people do to make money in 2023? While there are plenty of high-paying side hustles, there aren't many that are strange yet pay really well.

From selling feet pictures to getting paid to cuddle strangers, this list of weird side hustles will definitely surprise you.

Although at first these side hustles might seem weird to you, they are certainly great ways to help you make extra cash, supplement your income and even build a successful, full-time business!

If you want to find the best side hustle idea, compile your list of side hustles in this free side hustle binder. 

Here are 25+ unconventional side hustles that will make you extra cash, no matter when you start.

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25+ Unusual Side Hustles To Make Extra Cash On The Side

1. Get Paid To Queue Up: Professional Line Sitter

Until few days ago, I've never heard of this unusual side hustle that is increasingly popular! How about that? You can actually get paid to stand in line.

If you absolutely love standing in line while playing with your phone (and get paid doing so), it's a strange but high paying side hustle to meet some new people and get cashed up.

Now, if you're scratching your head wondering why on earth would people pay others to stay in line, think about the long queue for things like the newest iPhone, Broadway tickets and cronuts of all things….

Since people are crazy over the newest iPhone, book the wedding venue of their dreams and special event tickets, there's always a huge demand for this fun way to make side income. These people usually have the money for these things, but just don't have the time(or patience) to queue up.

Provided that you know how to make the best use of your time, this unusual side hustle can potentially be quite lucrative!

How to get started:

Apps like TaskRabbit or Airtasker (similar to TaskRabbit, but for Australia) have people who are willing to outsource standing in line for cash, so you can start by getting an account with them.

Fun factor: 7/10

Cash factor: $25/hour to queue up

2. Cash up while you cuddle: Professional Cuddler

Do you have mad cuddling skills? I mean, how hard could it be…To be honest, I've never thought that you could actually get paid for “professional cuddling skills”. To me, cuddling strangers for money is one of the most unusual side hustles ever.

However, this side gig is great for those of you who are extra cuddly and loves giving hugs!

According to Cuddle Up To Me's Samantha Hess, she believes in changing the world one cuddle at a time. After a failed relationship that Samantha wanting more affection and reading about the story of a guy who charges $2 for “deluxe hugs”, something clicked within Samantha.

Fast forward 5 years later, cuddling is becoming a sought-after skill and is becoming a popular side hustle. You might even be surprised to learn that a cuddling session could cost as much as $80 an hour…

How to get started:

So how do you sign up and start getting cuddly? Here's how to become a professional cuddler. 

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: As much as $80 an hour

3. Help companies choose great gifts: Corporate Gift Consultant

Never thought you can make money consulting corporate companies how to buy gifts?

It's true-you can definitely get paid as a corporate gift consultant if you have a knack for gift-giving.

Just doing a quick Google search shows that there are corporate companies who actually place a high importance on getting consultations when it comes to gift giving.That's because sending the right gift to vendors, business partners and thank-you's for businesses are becoming increasingly important.

This is an unusual side hustle you can do in-person or even 100% virtual. Consider doing this during the holiday season to boost and supplement your income. Maybe you can turn even this side hustle into a full-time business!

How to get started:

Think about how you can market yourself as a corporate gift consultant for corporate companies. You can start by giving them suggestions on the different types of gifts you might choose for different people in your email pitch.

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $50-200/per hour

4. Gift Basket Business-Holiday Gift Giving

While researching for corporate gift consulting, I stumbled across this amazing side business that's perfect for any holiday! Unlike some side hustles like Corporate Gift consultant that's limited to Christmas, this side hustle applies to Mother's Day, birthdays and anniversaries.

The reason why this side hustle has potential to become very lucrative is the fact that many corporate clients are looking to purchase gift baskets via small businesses.

This unusual but lucrative side hustle is also a perfect way for stay-at-home moms with a good eye and some gift basket-making skills to make some extra cash.

How to get started:

Interested? Read this awesome and comprehensive guide on exactly how to set up a gift basket business online with no money.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $30-100 per basket

5. Run errands for cash-Senior/Holiday Errand Service

Running errands for seniors is one of the weird side hustles you can do for extra cash during the holiday season!

If you have some extra time to spare, a car and a love for customer service, then this seasonal side hustle will definitely earn you some much needed cash while you help seniors in need of some extra help. With delivery services on the rise during the pandemic, I imagine the holiday errand service will be even more popular in 2021.

This unusual but lucrative side hustle is great because it's not ONLY limited to the holiday season. Seniors will always require some errands to be done regardless of the time of year!

How to get started:

Have a soft heart, love helping out seniors with errands they can't do while making extra money? Here's how to get started.

Fun factor: 7/10

Cash factor: $15-25/half hour

Related side hustle to make money running errands: 6 Ways To Get Paid To Grocery Shop

6. Design window displays for cash- Freelance Visual Merchandiser

Ever walked past a shop window and be amazed by the magical Christmas display? That's the handiwork of an experienced and talented visual merchandiser!

If you have a great eye and artistic talents, consider being a freelancer visual merchandiser. Companies like this are looking for people like you to join their team.

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $13-15/hour

7. Get paid to play on Pinterest- Pinterest Virtual Assistant/affiliate marketing

I started side hustling as a Pinterest VA since July of this year. I must say, of all the side hustles I've tried, this is the most enjoyable and profitable.

If you're already spending hours on Pinterest and love using it, why not get paid to play on the platform? Check out this detailed post here on how I make money from home as a Pinterest virtual assistant. 

Another great way I make some extra cash each month is by pinning some of my favorite affiliate photos on Pinterest via MagicLinks! If you're a great lover of Pinterest and making extra dough, why not consider being an affiliate with MagicLinks??

How to get started:

Looking for a free Pinterest VA course to learn more? This free 7-Day Become A Pinterest Virtual Assistant e-course will show you the ropes!

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $25-50 per hour

8. Give your opinion about music-Amateur critic on Slice the Pie

Do you already enjoy listening to music all day long? How about giving your opinion about music and get paid for it?

Slice the Pie allows you to give feedback on tracks, artists' clothing and lots more so that brands and record labels understand and anticipate what listeners like.

How cool is that?? All you need to do is sign up for an account with Slice the Pie, leave honest and good feedback and get paid for that!

How to get started:

Head on over to this link to get started giving your opinion about now.

Fun factor: 9.5/10

Cash factor: $25-50 per hour, depending on you

9.Get rewarded to test websites for improved user experience-Website Tester

Are you a computer geek and love to talk? Did you know that you can get paid just by commenting about the usability of websites?

Companies like User Testing pay up to $10 per test. All you need to do is sign up for an account, do a trial run as a user tester and you can start earning money! Of course you would need to be approved as a user tester by following their rules. However, if you get approved, it's a great way to earn some cash, speak your mind AND have some fun.

If you do not already have a built-in headset on your laptop, consider getting a good quality headset to minimize unwanted background noise while user testing. 

How to get started:

Sign up for a FREE account with User Testing here.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $10-15 per test

10. Get Paid To Text-Professional Flirter

This one is a little bit of a no-no for me at first, but then again it's quite a fun side hustle for outgoing people.

There are actually legitimate companies that pay you to chat, text and flirt online! Among them include Chat Recruit, Dream Lover and FlirtBucks.

In my opinion, this is a great way to make money doing something you already do anyways. Why spend hours texting for free when you can actually make some serious money doing this instead?

How to get started:

Check out this guide on the 5 companies that pay you to text?

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: Unknown

11. Make money Preparing Meals For your Neighbours

Do you already spend hours every day preparing home cooked meals and think to yourself, “If only I could get paid for this”???

This side hustle is actually great for new moms on maternity leave.

Why not get paid to do something you're already doing for your family anyway? As well as making money and having extra to leftover after paying your bills, you can also get to know your community really well.

Take Michelle for example. After having her baby and staying at home for maternity leave, she's been making meals for Food St customers. Because she sells her home cooked meals through that platform, she's been able to make some extra money and extend her maternity leave.

How to get started:

Join as one of the Home Cooks for Food St if you based in Australia.

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $25-50 per hour

12. Web Search Evaluator/Ads Quality Rater

Ever wonder who evaluates the enormous amount of content online? Yup, that's the job of a web search evaluator. Although search engine results can be filtered by algorithms and computers, at the end of the day the internet is used by humans.

That's where you come in. Companies like Appen and Google pay work-at-home freelancers like you to censor and evaluate search engine results.

How to get started:

Read this article here on where you can find web search evaluation jobs. Start applying and get busy!

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $25-50 per hour

13. Remote English Tutor

Are you looking to make money online on the side around your existing day job and schedule?

Teaching English online with Cambly is your best bet. If you enjoy having a flexible schedule and teaching young children English online, then this fun side hustle will definitely be lucrative for you!

How to get started:

All you need to do is create an account, record a short video and wait for your account to be approved.

Fun factor: 7/10

Cash factor: Between 10-23/hour

14. Get Paid To Read All Day-Proofreader

Although proofreading is not really one of those unknown side hustles, getting paid to read and correct writing errors all day might sound unusual to some people!

If you are great at spotting spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, consider becoming a freelance proofreader. Caitlin Pyle who created the course Proofread Anywhere started making $3000 to $5000 a month proofreading court reporters transcripts in 2014. 

How to get started:

Keen to find out more about how you can start a proofreading side hustle? Watch the Proofread Anywhere Free Webinar below to learn more!

Fun factor: 7/10

Cash factor: $17-24 per hour

15. Get Paid To Turn Audio Into Text-Transcriber/Captioner

If you have mad typing skills paired with awesome listening skills, then being a transcriber would be godsend for you!

I started off doing some audio transcriptions with Crowdsurf but eventually got accepted as a transcriber with Rev.

General transcription does pay, but it is definitely on the low end of about $12 to $15 an hour. However, you can always get better at transcribing and eventually move on to better paying jobs.

Although I was only transcribing on and off, transcribing has actually made me around $500 this year!

How to get started:

Sign up as a transcriber or captioner an account with Rev here. You will need to follow their style guide and rules to pass their exam before you start making money.

Fun factor: 6/10

Cash factor: $10-14 per hour

16. Sell craft or teaching resources online

If you have been following this blog since the beginning, then you'll be familiar with one of my very first side hustles-selling teaching resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.

You can make some serious side income from selling craft on Etsy or teaching resources on websites like Teachers Pay Teachers! Until today, I still get sales from my TPT store, although I've since neglected the store.

Be inspired by this article that details how TPT sellers are making $45,000 a month here.

How to get started:

It's super easy to get started. You can literally start your very own TeachersPayTeachers store within minutes.

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $8-15 per hour

17. Virtual Receptionist/Virtual Assistant

Do you have a background in admin or a business-related industry? Virtual assistant jobs are on the rise, as hiring freelancers who work remotely is becoming increasingly popular.

Virtual assistant tasks could range from social media management, email writing, doing client calls or a combination of all of the above.

How to get started:

Decide what niche you're going to be focusing on as a virtual assistant. Sign up for a free account with Fiverr or Freelancer to find clients!

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $15-50 per hour

18. Freelance Writing

Love to write and wish you could make a career out of it? Well, you can still keep your day job while honing your writing skills as a freelance writer!

The best place to start making money as a freelance writer is Hubpages. You can write just about anything you like, make money from the get-go without spending money on a website AND keep earning passive income years after you've written an article.

How to get started:

Sign up for a FREE account with Hubpages and get writing almost immediately! You can also try Freelancer to get started.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: Depending on your experience

19. Dating Consultant

Do you have a knack with women? If so, do you want to make money by helping those who are unlucky in love?

It's time you considered being a dating consultant on the side. This unusual side hustle not only does not require any formal education, it only is pretty lucrative!

As with any online business, deciding the consulting method, pricing and marketing strategy that is right for you is really important.

Not convinced this is a legit side hustle? Here's proof.

How to get started:

You can read this comprehensive guide here on how to get started.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $50-100 per hour

20. Social media influencer

This side hustle is perfect for anybody who already spends lots of time using social media and is a micro-influencer.

What is a micro-influencer? Well, if you have a good amount of followers, you can turn that into a side income by influencing consumer habits. In short, you basically make money referring goods and services!

As a social media influencer, you can make money via two main ways: sponsored posts and affiliate marketing.

When you're doing a sponsored post, you're basically paid per article or per post when you recommend a product to your followers.

Affiliate marketing is similar too, but you don't get paid if somebody clicks on your link but do not take action. Let's say you're an affiliate with a Pay-Per-Conversion or Pay-Per-Sale affiliate program. Then you won't get paid if a potential customers clicks through but did not end up buying anything.

How to get started:

Read this article here about how these social media influencers make money on Instagram to get started.

Fun factor: 8/10

Cash factor: $50-300 per sponsored post

21. Get Paid To Refer Products And Services-Affiliate Marketing Through Blogging

Affiliate marketing through blogging is definitely one of the most lucrative side hustles out there. To those brand new to affiliate marketing, it can be one of those weird side hustles that is difficult to wrap your head around. 

The best thing about this favorite side hustle of mine is the fact that it can be 60-70% passive income after a few years of hard work.

That's because affiliate income will be consistently paid even years AFTER you've written a blog post!

Want to get started with your money-making blog in 2019? Follow this guide here to get started and use these FREE resources to make your first income from your blog.

How to get started:

If you're a total beginner, you can become an affiliate with MagicLinks or Zazzle without having a website. However, if you're serious about becoming an affiliate as a blogger, read this post here for more info.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $100-10,000 per month

22. Make money by keeping strangers company: Renting Your Friendship or Companionship

I get a bit sad when I think about the fact that it has come down to this: this world is so lonely that even friendship is for sale.

On the flip side, renting your time for companionship could be a great community service though. Even though you are getting paid for it, you could be doing someone a huge favor! Nowadays, people are willing to pay for a “friend” to go to brunch with or a “plus one” for a wedding.

How to get started:

Advertise your “rent-a-friendship” services here to get started.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $20-100 per hour

23. Get paid to get naked: Modelling For Art

Desperate for some easy cash? Why not monetise your natural asset-your beautiful body?

If you're comfortable being nude and contributing to the art industry, then modelling for art will be an unusual but lucrative side hustle.

According to this article by the Penny Hoarder, you could make money as an art model whether you're a college student or just somebody desperate for some side income. At times, you're not even required to be totally naked!

How to get started:

You can advertise yourself on Craigslist to get started! Better still, you can find modelling employment here.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $20 per hour

24. Earn money improving blogs or websites-Flipping websites for profit

This is by far one of the most lucrative side hustles I've ever come across. In fact, I've just started doing this myself!

If you're wondering how this works, let me make it easy for you to understand. Similar to flipping flea market items or garage sale buys for cash, flipping websites for profit works the same.

However, you DO need a quite comprehensive understanding of web design and how to make money from websites.

The idea is that you can buy a brand new domain, set it up with an affordable WordPress theme and then SELL it to somebody who want to purchase. Alternatively, you can also buy an existing blog with some content in it, improve it and then sell it at a higher price!

Think about this in terms of real estate. It's just like buying an existing property, increasing its value with renovation and renting it out for profit.

How to get started:

Read this detailed guide here to have a better understanding of how this works.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $200-800 per sale

25. Rent out your yard for dogs: Host A Sniffspot

Did you know that you could actually make money by lending your yard to dog sitters or dog walkers? Since dogs also need the right amount of space to roam around, Sniffspot allows churches, farms and businesses to rent their space or their backyard to dogs who need them.

Once you sign up as a “host” with Sniffspot, you can then earn passive income! This is how Sniffspot works:

Anyone with a yard, some extra space coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit can make money with Sniffspot. This is a great way to earn some cash while you lounge around your house watching the grass grow.

How to get started:

Create a listing here and see if you're eligible to be a host.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $4 per dog per hour

26. Sell Feet Pictures For Money-Instafeet

Last but not least, selling your feet pictures online with Instafeet is is one of the strangest yet side hustles I have learnt about. You might be automatically thinking that the target market are men with foot fetishes, but you are wrong.

Feet pictures are actually in high demand as some businesses need good looking feet to promote related products such as shoes, nail polish, and feet accessories. Some bloggers and entrepreneurs even outsource feet pictures to those who upload them on websites such as Instafeet.

Once you have a profile with Instafeet, you can set the price for a subscription service for your fans starting at $10 a month.

How to get started:

Start a free Instafeet account here- you must be 18 years and over to create a profile.

Fun factor: 9/10

Cash factor: $4 per dog per hour

27. Sell your poop for money

Did you know that you can sell your poop or stool sample for money? Yes, this strange(and seriously yucky) side hustle could be a highly lucrative way to make extra cash. 

Being a stool donor is a legit albeit strange side hustle that is highly lucrative; In fact, GoodNature pays you up to $1500 a month for your stool sample! Of course, there is a screening process to see whether you are fit to sell your poop for money. 

Firstly, you will need to apply to become a stool donor by filling in some basic personal info. Next, you need to complete a phone screen with a GoodNature specialist. This step is crucial to ensure that you can produce good and healthy stool sample for research.

Then, you will need to provide your stool samples by collecting them and delivering it to your local donation center. If you're eligible, you can stop by GoodNature Program's donation center for up to 6 days a week. That means you can get paid everyday for selling your poop!

Isn't this a rather strange side hustle?

Other notable fun side hustles

• Sell your plasma
• Dog sitting or house sitting
• Host children parties
• Make Christmas party favors
• Start an Etsy store
• Open a Zazzle store and sell craft you design
• Be a part of study panels
• Get paid to attend funerals

Source:

• Get Paid to Stand in Line: Make $25 an Hour as a Professional Line Sitter
• New app lets lazy people pay strangers to stand in line for them
• This 34-year-old gets paid to cuddle people
• Here Are 21 Fun Side Hustles That You’ve Never Heard Of
• ‘I sell home-cooked meals to my neighbours'

Conclusion

While some of the side hustles in this list are not super weird, you might find that they are surprisingly unknown! Some even make more money than a 9-to-5 day job, so it is definitely worth it trying them out. If you enjoyed this list of unusual side hustles, remember to save this article for future reference.