I Tried 5 Beginner Side Hustles — Here’s What Actually Worked (And What Didn’t)
A year ago, I was juggling a day job, motherhood life and the growing feeling that I was capable of more.
So I made a deal with myself: I’d test 5 simple side hustles—nothing fancy, nothing expensive—and I’d report back honestly.
If you’re just starting out and want a no-fluff take on what’s actually worth your time, this is for you.
🧩 1. Freelance Writing
What I Did:
Signed up for Fiverr and Vocal.Media. Wrote articles for small business owners and started publishing my own content.
What Worked:
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Clients loved quick delivery and clear writing
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Vocal.Media gave me tips & cash bonuses
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Writing built my confidence
What Didn’t:
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Competition is tough at first
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Needed good samples to stand out
My Tip:
Start with one niche (e.g. finance, productivity) and publish 2–3 solid samples on Medium or a blog.
🧵 2. Print-on-Demand (POD) Merch
What I Did:
Uploaded 10 t-shirt designs to Teespring using Canva templates.
What Worked:
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Completely passive
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Got my first sale in Week 2
What Didn’t:
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Requires trending design research
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Profits are small without volume
My Tip:
Focus on one niche (funny teacher shirts, minimalist quotes, etc.) and use free tools like Creative Fabrica or Vexels.
📚 3. Selling Digital Products
What I Did:
Created a Budget and Productivity planner templates and sold them on Gumroad.
What Worked:
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Fast to set up
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No shipping or stock
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Sold 5 products my first month!
What Didn’t:
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Needed to market it (TikTok helped)
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Takes time to build traffic
My Tip:
Look at Etsy bestsellers and build a simple version of something people already love.
📹 4. TikTok Affiliate Marketing
What I Did:
Posted short, faceless videos reviewing local products I already owned. Added affiliate links in bio.
What Worked:
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Got views with minimal editing
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Earned small commissions even with low traffic
What Didn’t:
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TikTok is hit or miss
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Some products flopped
My Tip:
Keep videos under 30 seconds and focus on products that solve a problem.
👩🏫 5. Online Tutoring (No Teaching Degree)
What I Did:
Signed up on Preply to teach conversational English and essay writing.
What Worked:
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Paid $15–$25/hour
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Flexible schedule
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Easy if you're fluent in English
What Didn’t:
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First few clients took time to find
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Needed to stay consistent
My Tip:
Start with a super niche class (“IELTS writing tips” or “English for beginners”) to stand out.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Every side hustle taught me something—but only writing and digital products gave me long-term income and creative freedom.
If I were starting over, I’d do this:
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Publish 2–3 Medium articles per week
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Create 1 digital product and promote it in my posts
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Use TikTok or Pinterest to drive free traffic
You don’t need to do it all. Just start with one and let momentum build.
If this helped you, consider hitting the ❤️ and FOLLOW ME for more practical income guides and digital hustle breakdowns
And if you’ve tried any of these—drop a comment. I’d love to hear what worked (or didn’t) for you.
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