Looking for a legitimate side hustle with low startup costs? You’ve come to the perfect place. In this post, I’m going to reveal 10 of the best side hustles you can start for less than $100.
You see, here at Be The Budget, we are all about side hustling for a little extra money. I mean, if you have the opportunity to earn a few hundred, or even a few thousand, extra dollars each month, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
Well, I can think of one reason… cost.
There are plenty of side hustles out there, but too many of them cost a bunch of money to get started. And, to put it simply, if your goal is to make more money, the last thing you want to do is spend a bunch of it.
So, if you’re looking for a good way to make some money on the side, but want to avoid large startup costs, here are a few side hustles for you to consider.
1. Develop WordPress Websites
I’ve been developing WordPress websites for a few years now, and I can tell you from personal experience that it is a great way to make an income. In fact, this little side hustle has the potential to make you more than most people make from their full-time job; which is also why it is at the top of this list.
If you get good at developing custom WordPress websites, you could easily earn a few thousand extra dollars each month while still working a full-time job. And I’m not even talking about developing anything complex. Oh, and the best part is, there are all sorts of great, and reasonably-priced, WordPress development courses out there that will teach you everything you need to know.
Seriously, if developing WordPress websites is a side hustle sounds interesting to you, I recommend heading over to Udemy, and taking the course: Become a WordPress Developer: Unlocking Power With Code by Brad Schiff. This was the first WordPress course I ever took, and now it’s my full-time job. In fact, everything I learned in that course was the foundation for this very blog. At the time of writing this, it costs just $94.
Considering the fact that you can charge between $1,500 and $3,500 for a fairly average WordPress website, the return on this investment could be huge!
Now that’s a great side hustle with a low startup cost if you ask me.
2. Create/Sell Online Courses
These days, the world has taken to the internet to learn new skills. From web development (which we’ve already discussed) to baking, marketing, singing, painting, photography, leather-working, and just about any other skill, people are searching for courses that will teach them new, and exciting skills.
So, on the flip side of taking an online course, if you have a valuable skill that you think others would pay to learn, then you should consider creating and selling a course of your own. And here’s the best part, you don’t even need to be a master.
You just need to know more than a beginner.
So, if you’re passionate about a skill that other people would like to learn, don’t be afraid to stand in front of a camera and teach others how to do it. You never know, you could end up selling your course to hundreds, thousands, or even tens-of-thousands of people.
Talk about a lucrative side hustle.
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- 11 Key Tips To Start A Thriving Side Gig
- 10 Tips To Make More Than Minimum Wage
- 25 Proven Ways To Make Extra Money On The Side
- Is A Second Job Worth It? (Benefits vs. Drawbacks)
- Starting A New Job With No Money? Do These 5 Things!
3. Become A Virtual Assistant
As a business owner, I can tell you from personal experience that life gets pretty busy sometimes. Between managing the company finances, posting new content, managing social media, handling the technical aspects of our website, and so much more, sometimes we business owners need some assistance.
However, hiring a part-time employee isn’t always a great option.
And that’s why becoming a virtual assistant can be incredibly lucrative.
If you can find a few business owners in need of some help with things that can be accomplished virtually, then you can make a great side income. And the best part is, since the whole thing is virtual, you aren’t restricted to businesses in your local area.
Since you’ll be working from a computer, you can operate from anywhere in the world. So, whether you like to travel, or you just need a side hustle with a flexible schedule, this can be a great way to earn money on the side.
4. Flip Furniture
If you’re a DIYer, and like the idea of sanding down old wooden chairs, or slapping a nice coat of paint on an old table, then you should consider flipping furniture as a side gig.
In fact, in many cases, all you have to do is go pick something up. You see, oftentimes, people need to get a piece of furniture out of their house quickly, and therefore, will post it “for free”. All you have to do is go pick it up, snap a photo of it, and repost it.
Seriously, if you keep your eye out for deals like this, you could easily make an extra $100-$200 per weekend. And if you are good with a paint brush, or power tools, you could make a lot more than that!
Just be careful not to fill your garage with a bunch of crap that nobody wants. Finding nice pieces of furniture that you can actually turn around and sell is one thing. Whereas, stocking up on other people’s garbage and never selling it, is just hoarding.
5. Become A Freelance Writer
Good writing is a skill that is becoming more and more in-demand. Whether you’re writing advertising copy for local businesses, ghostwriting ebooks, or writing blog posts for, well, bloggers, if you know how to write, then you should set a price and market your skills.
Many people make a great part-time, or even full-time, income freelance writing, and the opportunity is only growing.
If you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer, I recommend setting up a profile on Fiverr and/or UpWork, as well as creating a small portfolio website for yourself where people can read your work.
Also, if you’re interested in learning more about freelancing, be sure to check out our post, 9 Lucrative Freelance Skills You Can ACTUALLY Learn Online.
6. Start Tutoring
If you have a passion for math, SAT/ACT prep, science, language, history, programming, or any other subject taught in school, and you want to make a decent side income, then you should think about starting a tutoring business.
Whether you land a couple in-person students, or opt for teaching your students virtually through a tutoring platform like Wyzant, you can make anywhere from $15 per hour to well over $100 per hour.
The only real cost of this side hustle is sweat equity. The most difficult part about tutoring is getting your name out there. But once you do, you could make some great money.
7. Teach Music Lessons
If you know how to play an instrument, and you have a good grasp on music theory, then teaching music lessons might be right up your alley.
Starting out, you could make $15 to $30 per half-hour lesson, but the more experience you gain, the higher you can set your rate. Additionally, you can choose to teach group lessons, for which you can charge around $15 to $20 per student.
The best part about teaching music lessons as a side hustle is that your expense
8. Social Media Management For Local Business
A good social media presence is something just about every business owner knows they need, but very few have enough time to dedicate to working on it. In fact, for many entrepreneurs, the idea of managing a social media account or two is just plain overwhelming. And that’s where you come in.
If you have a solid understanding of social media, and think your skills could be put to good use for some businesses in your area, then you might want to start a social media management business. Honestly, this can be quite a lucrative side hustle.
When it comes to digital marketing, the sky’s the limit. So get out there and start managing some social media accounts. You might be surprised how high this side business can fly.
9. Start A YouTube Channel
If there’s one thing I’m sure of when it comes to the internet, it’s that the world is shifting further and further into the realm of video. And whether somebody’s searching for an answer to a DIY question, trying to learn a new skill, or just looking for some entertainment, there’s a good chance they end up on YouTube.
And if you’re looking for a side hustle with a low startup cost, then you don’t need to look any further. If you have a smartphone, and a well lit room, you can start a YouTube channel.
Now, like any business, if you choose to pursue YouTube as a way to supplement your income, it will take a lot of work. In fact, you shouldn’t expect to make any money from it for awhile. However, if you hang tough and stay consistent with your videos until your channel gets monetized, you could make some serious cash!
Seriously, there are tons of YouTubers that make six-figures, or more through their channel. And that can be you. You just need to start, learn as you go, and stick to it.
10. Start A Blog
Starting a blog is the final idea on my list of side hustles with low startup costs.
Why?
Simple. It’s last because no matter what kind of side hustle you decide to start, I strongly recommend you create a blog to work in conjunction with it.
This is especially beneficial if you decide to start any kind of virtual, or digital side hustle. Whether you’re developing WordPress websites, managing social media for local businesses, or working on a YouTube channel, having a website with an informative blog gives your side hustle instant credibility.
Beyond that, you will have a platform through which customers can find you, and therefore, fuel your side business’ growth.
Additionally, blogging in and of itself can generate quite a bit of income. What’s more, it doesn’t involve a whole ton of customer service.
So, if none of the other side hustles on this list sparked your interest, then you might consider this as an option. (That’s what my wife and I did with this blog, and it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.)
If you’d like to start a blog (or a website of any kind), I recommend you set up a WordPress website through Bluehost. They have a really simple guide to help you set up your website, and it only takes a few minutes to get up and running.
To top it all off, through Bluehost, you can get up and running for as low as $2.95 per month. Oh, and they’ll even throw in a free year of domain name registration (i.e. the name of your website), which usually costs around $12 per year.
If you’d like to learn more about blogging, or the resources we’ve used to grow this blog into a profitable business, be sure to check out the blogging section of our resources page. Also, feel free to read a few of the following posts:
- How Much Does It Cost To Start (And Run) A Blog?
- How Do Blogs Make Money (10 Proven Ways)
- Blog On A Budget: 10 Low-Cost Essentials For New Bloggers
- 5 Blogging Secrets Every Beginner Needs To Know
Final Thoughts
Starting a side business doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.
In fact, you can start some pretty awesome side hustles for less than $100. You just need to know where to look, and how to get started.
So, what side hustle are you going to start? Leave a comment below.
Oh, and if you haven’t subscribed to Be The Budget, be sure to do so. We’re focused on helping our readers save more money, make more money, and improve their financial life as a whole. If that sounds good to you, we’d love to have you along for the ride!
