6 side hustles you can do from home

Side gigs provide not only a necessary cash flow and a bit of padding in your budget, but some peace of mind in case things change at your 9-to-5 job.

If you’re overworked and can't stomach the idea of picking up another lousy job, then let's define what a side hustle actually is. A side hustle does not necessarily mean picking up a second job at the local grocery store on the weekend or tending bar once or twice a week. These days, many profitable side hustles don't even require you to leave your home.

Not sure where to start? Not too worry — we've compiled a list of some unique and profitable side hustles that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

1. Sell your stuff

With an abundance of apps out there to assist in connecting those looking to buy used, and those looking to sell their gently used items, selling your old books, clothes, appliances and video games has never been easier. Empty out your closet a bit or organize your bookshelf and make some cash on the side. It's all going digital anyway.

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2. Write ebooks

If you like the idea of writing your own content but are unsure of your ability to manage a niche blog, then you might want to give some thought to writing ebooks on the topic(s) of your choice. Generally, ebooks are longer versions of articles. These books tend to span thousands of words and have illustrated examples and practical tips on how to accomplish everything from everyday tasks like studying to difficult skills like plumbing. This can be a source of passive income as you can charge a few dollars per download and make a recurring profit.

3. Put your extra space to work

A bit of spare time and a spare room. That’s all you need to get started earning extra income as a host on a vacation rental site such as Airbnb or Vrbo. Some people manage multiple properties and make a primary income out of that, and others with full-time jobs rent out a house or apartment they own to make some extra cash in your free time. You get to choose when and how often you host. You can share a spare room in your apartment, host your whole home the next time you’re out of town, or create a listing for a vacation house, if you have one.

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4. Make and take calls

Yes, we live in an age that primarily focuses on texts, social media and email. However, many people still prefer phone calls when they need customer service, and some companies use phone surveys to ask customers for feedback. This means businesses need people to make and take those calls, and many of them hire on a rolling basis.

5. Do surveys

Numerous companies are willing to pay people for their thoughts and opinions. This is often in the form of surveys. The amount of money you can make taking part in these varies greatly from site to site depending on what is expected of you.

For some people this can be a somewhat enjoyable side hustle, but it can also be difficult to make a decent income off just completing surveys in a timely manner.

6. Freelance doing what you love (or what you know best)

When you're self-employed for your side job, you can take on as many or as few clients as you can handle in your off hours.

Examples to work to earn money from home with freelancing include graphic design, accounting, data entry, writing, customer service, consulting, tutoring, auditing or any other services that businesses need extra help with.

You can also freelance in the physical world if you work as a dog walker, truck driver, makeup artist, photographer, event manager or in a variety of other jobs.

While side gigs are not always the most glamorous jobs, they do offer the benefit of making some extra cash from your own home and often on a fairly flexible schedule. Some people are even able to transition their side hustles into full-time jobs, picking up extra work as needed and often doing something that they truly enjoy.