18 Ways To Make Money On The Side With A Full-Time Job

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Looking for ways to make money on the side, even with a full-time job? Increasing income is one of the most powerful tools to help you catch up retirement savings after a late start. However, what if you’re already working full-time and do not plan to change jobs? You can still boost your income by making extra money on the side!

Why You Need To Make Money On The Side, Even With A Full-Time Job

For those of us who are behind in saving for retirement, we must find extra money to boost our retirement accounts as much as possible. Are you wondering how to do that?

Yes, you can cut back on expenses to save money for retirement. Getting out of debt is also important if you’re ever going to be able to catch up retirement savings after a late start. Unless you increase your income, though, you won’t be able to make much headway.

That’s why I’m excited to share this guest post from Max, one of the writers from the site Wealth of Geeks. As a certified credit counselor, Max has coached over 250 people to help take the stress out of money. After coaching, his clients remain stress-free about money and have a simple plan they can follow to accomplish their financial goals.

Max understands the power of increasing income to reach financial goals. Sometimes making more money can only be achieved by taking on an extra side job or a side hustle. No worries! Here are the top 18 side hustle picks Max recommends for baby boomers.

18 Ways To Make Money On The Side With A Full-Time Job

If you are over 50, have a full-time job, and are looking for a way to make some extra income, you’re in luck. There are several great side hustles that you can do to bring in some extra cash. Here are 18 of the best side hustles for older, more experienced people who are already working a full-time job. 

Life Coaching

One of the best side hustles for people over 50 is life coaching. One benefit of growing older is the experience and wisdom that is gained over time.

As a life coach, you will help your clients make positive changes in their lives. You will assist them in setting goals and achieving those goals. Life coaching is a great way to earn extra income if you have a passion for helping others.

Related: You Can Get Paid To Get Healthy

One Way To Make Money On The Side With A Full-Time Job Is Blogging

If you enjoy writing, why not start a blog? There are many ways to monetize your blog to earn money from it. You can sell advertising space, become an affiliate for other products, or even sell your own products through your blog. One of the easiest ways to do this is by writing gift guides and publishing them on your site.

Related: Creating Gift Guides As A Way To Earn Money

Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is an excellent option if you have some proficiency in a subject. You can help students worldwide learn about your topic of expertise. Tutoring students to prepare for college entrance exams is another way to make consistent income on the side.

Tutoring is a great way to share your knowledge and make extra money simultaneously.

Pet Sitting

If you love animals, you may want to consider pet sitting or dog walking as another way to make extra money. Pet sitting can be done for pay, or done in exchange for a free place to stay.

Trusted Housesitters is a well respected site that helps home/pet owners find caretakers for their pets while the owners are away. No cash is exchanged, but pet sitters get a free place to stay, including gorgeous vacation spots! Other online sites like Rover will connect dog walkers with dog owners who will pay good money for walking their dogs.

You can earn money by taking care of people’s pets while their owners are away. Private pay pet sitting or dog walking are both great ways to make extra money if you have a flexible schedule and live near a busy area.

Selling Crafts Online

If you are crafty, why not sell your creations online? You can make a decent income by selling your handmade items online through sites like Etsy, the Handmade Artist’s Shop, eBay, and iCraft.

These sites have a variety of fees and commission structures, so make sure you understand the costs. Some can be quite expensive. In fact, Etsy sellers went on strike in April 2022 after fees increased by 30%.

However, selling your crafts can still be a great way to monetize your hobby and earn extra money.

Related: 10 Fun Hobbies To Make Money For Retirement

Travel Agent

If you enjoy traveling and learning about new places, consider becoming a travel agent. In addition to having great customer service skills, you will need to be good at sales. As a travel agent, you will help people plan their vacations. 

Since older people are more likely to have traveled at some point in life, boomers have firsthand experience about many travel destinations. Working as a travel agent is a great way to share your knowledge of traveling and make some extra money at the same time.

Teach Music Lessons

If you love music, then teaching music lessons might be the perfect side hustle. Teaching music lessons is a great way to share your love of music and make some extra money simultaneously. You can teach students how to play an instrument or to sing.

Rent Out Rooms in Your House on Airbnb

Do you have extra rooms in your house that you’re not using? If so, you can rent them out on Airbnb. Renting out rooms is a great way to make extra money in almost any real estate market. 

Local Tour Guide

You can become a local tour guide if you know a lot about your city. You can give tours to visitors and show them around your city. Working as a tour guide is a great way to earn extra money and share your knowledge of your town.

Retail Arbitrage

If you enjoy shopping, retail arbitrage might be an excellent option for you. Retail arbitrage is a great way to make some extra money and get a bargain on your favorite items. With this side hustle, you purchase items from one store and sell them at a higher price elsewhere, such as on Facebook Marketplace or eBay.

Alteration Services

Although most baby boomers had classes in sewing and home economics as part of their formal education, these subjects are no longer taught in the majority of schools today.

If you have a talent for sewing, alteration services might be the perfect side hustle. You can alter clothes to fit your clients’ needs. Providing alteration services is a great way to make extra money and help people look their best.

Freelance Writing Can Be A Fast Way To Make Money On The Side

Look into freelance writing or “ghostwriting” as a side hustle if you love writing. As a freelance writer, you can write articles for magazines, websites, or even businesses. Freelancing is a great way to share your thoughts and earn extra money.

House Cleaning

Cleaning other people’s homes might not sound like the most enjoyable thing, but this service is always in demand. House cleaning is perfect if you have a full-time job because people only usually need their houses cleaned once every couple of weeks. You can offer your services to busy families who need help keeping their homes clean.

Personal Chef

If you love to cook, you could become a personal chef. Working as a personal chef is a potentially high-paying side hustle, especially if you’re cooking for fancy dinner parties or a large crowd. Being a personal chef is a great way to share your culinary skills and make some extra money simultaneously.

Invest in any specialized classes that will help to set you apart as a highly sought after personal chef, such as Raw Vegan Chef Certification and other online courses from Pure Joy Planet.

Another way to make money on the side with a full-time job is to start a personal chef service. Photo shows screen shots from the Raw Vegan Chef Certification Course by Pure Joy Planet, with pictures of a chef in blue, a fancy cake, and two smiling women in front of beautiful raw food dishes.
Sign up here for Pure Joy Planet’s Raw Vegan Chef Certification.

Event Planning

Event planning is excellent for creative people who love to help others make their visions come true. You might plan birthday parties, weddings, or other special events. You’ll meet great people and help your clients plan an event they will hopefully remember for years to come.

Write Greeting Cards

If you have a talent for hand lettering and art, you may be able to make good money creating unique greeting cards. You can create anything from birthday cards to anniversary messages, even sympathy cards. Open a shop on Etsy or another online site like Zazzle to sell your designs and reach a wider audience.

Fewer and fewer students are being taught to write in cursive. If you have beautiful handwriting or calligraphy skills, you could make a nice side income addressing wedding invitations!

Translator

Are you bilingual? Do you know American Sign Language? If so, then you might consider becoming a translator. Many companies and government agencies are always looking for translators. You’ll make great money while meeting new people and honing a highly coveted skill.

Rideshare Driver

Being a rideshare driver is an excellent option if you want a flexible side hustle. It’s easy money and isn’t super time-consuming if you only drive within a set radius. All you have to do to get started with a rideshare service like Lyft or Uber is to download the app and begin to accept rides. You create your schedule. 

Bonus: Apps To Make Money On The Side

Many of the money-making ideas shared in this post can be started quickly if you have a smart phone. Simply download an app and you’re ready to start making money on the side!

Yellow and blue Rakuten advertising image highlighting $30 referral sign-up bonus. Using cash back apps are a way to make money on the side with a full-time job.

Cash back shopping apps like Rakuten are great for this. Not only can you save money with coupons and sweet deals from Rakuten, you also get cash back on purchases you would be making anyway. Plus, when you refer a friend, you can both qualify to get a cash bonus.

Yes, you really can make money on the side, even with a full-time job!

Summary: There Are Many Ways To Make Money On The Side

There are many great side hustles for people over 50 with full-time jobs. Just because you’re working full-time doesn’t mean you can’t make some extra money on the side!

Whether you want to start your own business, create an extra income opportunity around your current work schedule, or just pick up a few extra hours making money from home, there is something for everyone here. 

You’re sure to find one that’s perfect for you. Why not make extra income on the side?

Final Thoughts On Making Money On The Side With A Full-Time Job

Thank you, Max, for these great money-making ideas that baby boomers can easily do, even with a full-time job. We really appreciate the perspective Max shares as a certified credit counselor.

When Max is not coaching clients or writing for Wealth of Geeks, he enjoys indoor cycling, treasure hunting in local pawn shops for Swiss-made watches, and reading financial books. No wonder Max has such great ideas for making money on the side!

These 18 Ways To Make More Money On The Side Are Just The Beginning

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48 Replies to “18 Ways To Make Money On The Side With A Full-Time Job”

    1. Thank you, Claire! I really enjoy getting to stay somewhere free when we travel, by using Trusted Housesitters. It’s nice to know we’re helping home & pet owners have peace of mind while they are away, too. And what could be better than pet snuggles?!

  1. Great post! I have been considering doing freelance writing and proofreading as my side gigs. Thanks for this post, I’m more determined to do so.

  2. Although I love blogging, it’s not a great side hustle if you want to make a lot of extra money. Obviously, that might depend on your niche, but bare in mind that it can take up to a year just to establish your blog so you can make money

    1. Blogging is definitely not passive income, Unwanted Life! It does take a lot of work, including consistent posting and marketing for at least a year to start to see a return. A lot of people do it for fun, but it can be a real money maker if you’re committed.

  3. This is a great list of ways you can earn more on the side. I blog, but these are some other great ideas for me to look into. Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren x

  4. Some fab ideas here! Writing, blogging, freelancing, teaching online are all such wonderful and accessible ideas and if you have the knowledge and expertise then there will be people out there in need of that help.

  5. Fab suggestions! This was a great reminder that I still need to monetize my blog, and I’d love to give freelance writing a go this summer, I think it’s something I’d really love to try! Thank you so much for sharing x

  6. this was such an interesting read! i’m trying to learn ways to make money on the side especially with my blog. and freelance / ghost writing would be something i would love. or even editing gigs!
    will def be looking into these avenues. thanks for sharing!

    1. Hey, Holly, thank you for reading and commenting! Blogging can be a great way to make extra money. However, it does take a lot of work. It’s important to be consistent (something I need to improve on) and it may take a year before you start to make money. It can be done, though!

  7. This is something that my husband and I discuss a lot. We’re on a great path to a better financial state, but we’ve always struggled with an income problem. Having additional money coming in from side hustles is a great option!

    1. It’s so great that you and your husband are focused on this, Stephanie. I’m sure your retirement years will be much more comfortable because of it! Increasing income really helps free up more money for saving and investing for retirement. Glad you enjoyed the post.

  8. There are some great suggestions here. I love that you’ve included options that will offer money right away (like renting a room in the house) as well as options that, while they can be lucrative, are going to take time to build up as a business on the side like blogging. With the rise of the internet, in particular, the options are endless!

    1. Yes, there are so many ways to make extra money these days, Britt. Good point about being able to see the options for making money right away vs. the long game. In fact, if someone were to start out a blog, it would be smart to have multiple income streams going so they didn’t give up on the blog after six months!

  9. Blogging and freelancing are awesome ways to build up a little extra income.

    I also enjoy taking on little catering jobs here and there, as time and opportunity permits, and house cleaning is a passion of mine I am happy to be paid for, as I quite enjoy whipping an untidy place into shape. 🙂

    1. Oh, my gosh! If you lived close to me I’d definitely hire you to clean my house, Jaya! I can’t say I have the same passion for house cleaning, haha. I do love to cook, though. It is great to hear that you are able to make money on the side with catering, too.

  10. I definitely couldn’t have thought of all these ideas of making some extra money. I am still in the process of building my blog in order to start getting some money in return. I will look into the rest of the ideas deeper. Thank you!

  11. These are all amazing tips! Freelance writing and translating have been on my radar, so need to check them out and work on them! It’s never too early to start saving for retirement!

  12. Very nice and useful post that actually is not only good for those who are 50, but also 40 and 30 and even 20. It’s such a wonderful thing when the person decides to earn on the side and with that help also others! Already some time I am thinking about some side work, but my dog takes all my energy out 😀

  13. Great tips! Right now blogging is more like a “hobby” to me, but I agree that you can make some extra money from it. Dog walking is a great side hustle. Though I admit I’m a little biased because I love dogs and this is going to be a fun way to earn money.

  14. Such fab ideas! I love blogging. It’s brought me so much more than just money and I’m so glad I randomly started up my little website all those years ago. Not that I knew what I was doing back then. These are great ideas though. I haven’t heard the term retail armitage before, but I’d imagine this would be a really enjoyable way to make money too.

  15. This is a comprehensive list of possible side jobs to do including some that I haven’t thought about before. I’m all for monetizing my blog and making a little bit of extra money.

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