Jul 5, 2026
Plenty of workers dream about escaping the 9-to-5. Greg Keogh actually did it — with a lint roller.
His way out started with a chance conversation with a dog owner who was excited about a larger-than-usual lint roller. Keogh, a mechanical engineer by training, designed his own oversized version and began selling it on Amazon, where sales quickly gained momentum.
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Today, the business takes him just a couple of hours a month to maintain and generates roughly $50,000 to $115,000 a year in personal income.
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But for Keogh, who lives in Austin, Texas, the biggest payoff isn't just the income — it's the freedom. With the business largely running itself, he can decide how to spend his time without constantly worrying about how much money each hour needs to earn.
“That is the ultimate power,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
Why more Americans are looking for extra income
For many Americans, a paycheck just doesn't stretch as far as it used to. Bank of America Institute estimates nearly one in four U.S. households is now living paycheck to paycheck.
While inflation isn't climbing as rapidly as it was a few years ago, it's still outpacing after-tax wage growth for many middle- and lower-income workers. That means even people getting raises may not feel any better off, as higher costs continue to eat away at their earnings.
It's one reason more Americans are looking beyond their day jobs for ways to bring in extra income. According to The Penny Hoarder's 2026 Side Hustle Survey, Americans with side hustles earn a median of $1,275 a month in additional income.
For some, that extra income can grow into something much bigger.
Take Michael Strahl, a 41-year-old senior construction technician. In his spare time, Strahl reviews products through Amazon's Influencer Program, posting videos to Amazon and social media. He told Business Insider the side hustle now brings in about $10,000 a month, despite taking him fewer than 20 hours a month to manage.
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"If you're looking for a side hustle you can do while the kids are napping or in your spare time, this is easy to fit in," he told Business Insider.
But stories like Strahl's aren't the norm. Research from the University of Melbourne, which surveyed nearly 1,500 side hustlers between the ages of 18 and 34, found median earnings of about $200 a week. Respondents spent an average of 11 hours a week on their side hustle, and most still relied on income from their full-time job to keep it running.
The hidden risks of chasing a side hustle
Not every side hustle is as hands-off — or as profitable — as Keogh's or Strahl's. While success stories like theirs often dominate social media feeds, building a reliable second income usually takes time, consistency and, in many cases, upfront investment.
That demand has also created an opportunity for scammers. In a 2022 complaint, the FTC alleged an Amazon automation company lured consumers with promises of "passive income on autopilot," claiming they could earn substantial returns with little day-to-day work. Instead, the agency said many customers lost money, despite paying anywhere from thousands to as much as $100,000 for the programs.
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The FTC also alleged the company collected at least $52 million from customers between 2017 and 2021 while using misleading earnings claims, discouraging negative reviews and relying on falsified positive testimonials.
Even legitimate opportunities can come with a learning curve. Ana Lohrmann, a former Spanish teacher who can no longer work a traditional schedule because of her battle with cancer, has spent thousands of dollars on courses promising to teach profitable side hustles. She tried everything from beekeeping and soap-making to publishing email newsletters, but says none delivered the financial success they advertised.
“I don’t know of anybody who made as much as they were hoping to make or as much as the teachers of these courses say you’ll make,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
What to know before getting started
If you've been tempted by videos promising thousands of dollars a month in "passive income," it's worth remembering that most successful side hustles didn't become passive overnight. Many entrepreneurs rely on the stability of a full-time paycheck—or even financial help from family—to get their businesses off the ground before they see meaningful returns.
But that doesn't mean starting one isn't worthwhile. Keogh's business didn't become low-maintenance overnight, but today it gives him something many workers are chasing: an income stream that isn't tied to every hour he works.
If you're thinking about taking the leap, treat it like a marathon, not a lottery ticket. Build your side hustle alongside your full-time job until you know there's consistent demand, and be wary of anyone selling a shortcut to financial freedom.
The lesson isn't to chase the next viral trend, it's to solve a real problem. Trends fade, but businesses that make everyday life a little easier have a much better chance of lasting.
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based staff reporter at Moneywise covering personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and New York University, and her work has appeared on platforms including Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and Apple News.
