I’ve been a “side hustler” since I was eight. I grew up watching a TV show called Biz Kids, can you blame me? I had lemonade stands, sold dog treats, and knitted scarves. Naturally, that energy followed me as an adult. Last year I graduated college, got married, and bought a new (used) car. So, I pursued side hustles to help me afford all of these life changes.
For the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on what I earned in 2025.
Side Hustle #1: Etsy Digital Downloads – $3
I loved the idea of this. Make digital downloads on Etsy (creative, but not too complicated) and they’ll earn forever. Keep making downloads, keep making cash.
Unfortunately, this didn’t work the way I thought.
I made several listings, and none of them picked up. People say that you need to make dozens of listings to make sales, but listings take a lot of time and effort to do properly. I had a feeling that I was entering a saturated market. Everyone’s on the Etsy digital download train, and I don’t think I have the design skill to stand out.
Would I do this again? Yes – if I had something worth selling. But the spam-listings method just doesn’t work in 2026.
Side Hustle Number #2: Doordash – $50
Doordash is one of those classic side hustles. All it requires is time and a car. I lived in a busy area, so I was able to get plenty of orders. The app was easy to use, and I had a good experience with the company overall.
However, the pay per order was extremely low compared to the milage it was putting on my car. I was making about $10 an hour, which doesn’t include taxes and the damage to your car.
Would I do this again? No – if I had to do delivery again, I would try to find a higher paying app. However, I would prefer not to put that wear and tear on my car.
Side Hustle #3: Babysitting – $500
I babysat all through college. This was probably my favorite side hustle, because I genuinely enjoy watching kids. I did this full-time during the summers, so I’m just going to count times where I did this for date nights, weekends, and overnights. Night-time babysitting was a real game changer. Often, all I had to do was put the kids to sleep, and as long as they were okay, I could enjoy the night to myself.
I also at times would drive kids to school. This, I wouldn’t do again for the same reasons I wouldn’t do delivery driving.
Would I do this again – Yes, and I have. However, I would limit it because it’s trading time for money.
Side Hustle #4: Shipt – $700
This is the side hustle where I made the most money (aside from full-time babysitting). I had a very mixed experience with Shipt. If you’re unfamiliar, Shipt is the delivery driving platform for Target and a few other stores.
The good: It pays extremely well for delivery driving, often at least $20 an hour. The Target employees are friendly, and I basically got paid to go shopping. It required some driving, but most of the work was physically doing the shopping.
The bad: Customer service will often side against you. I had mainly 5-star ratings, but a single 1-star rating brought that down and they wouldn’t listen to my appeal. I had a few similar situations happen, and found that Shipt gives very little grace to its drivers.
Would I do this again? Maybe – if I had to go back to delivery driving, I would pick Shipt over food delivery.
Considerations for Choosing a Side Hustle
If I were to go back in time, I would tell myself a few things:
One: Choose something you enjoy.
If you have a miserable experience every day, you’ll burn out and it’ll take a toll on your mental health.
Two: Use your experience as content.
Film videos, write blog posts (like I’m doing now!). Everything you do as a side hustle can double as content for a second side hustle.
Three: Consider the hidden costs.
Any form of rideshare or delivery driving will take a toll on your costs. Make sure you keep track of this.
Four: Pay quarterly taxes.
I had to pay a small fine because I didn’t know this. Self-employed individuals (including side hustlers) don’t set aside taxes the same way W-2 employees do. Therefore, they’re required to pay estimated taxes every quarter.
What’s your favorite and least favorite side hustle experience?
I’d love to hear your honest stories; this is a safe space.