- Steph Thompson is doubling down on side hustles after they helped her earn money while studying.
- She has completed surveys, checked out stores as a mystery shopper, and sold digital products.
- She discussed with Business Insider her favorite gigs she has tried.
Many people are stuck in rigid 9-to-5 jobs. Others crave a more flexible schedule and move on to freelance work. Steph Thompson, 31, prefers having a mix of side hustles.
Thompson, who lives in Australia, said side gigs allowed her to support herself while working on a one-year academic program.
“When I had a more free week I could devote more time to it and when I didn’t have spare time it didn’t matter, the side hustles would always be there waiting for me,” she said.
She made more than $5,000 between January 2024 and this past January from different side hustles, such as completing surveys, participating in user-generated content, referrals, and selling digital products. Thompson completed her program in November, and now she’s doubling down on side hustles. Many people work a side gig while holding down a full-time job, and some side hustlers are stay-at-home parents looking to make some money. Some have quit their jobs to focus on side-hustle earnings.
Thompson encourages people to find a side gig that matches their interests and schedule.
“There is going to be something out there for most people,” she said. “You may have to hunt for it a little bit, but you will find something out there that suits your personality, suits your brain, suits your time.”
Below are a few of the gigs Thompson has tried and why they might be enjoyable for others.
Testing and reviewing products and services
UserTesting, a platform that says people can make money in their spare time by testing and providing feedback on products and services, is one of Thompson’s favorite side hustles. She made over $400 in the past year on the platform.
Some assignments may involve giving feedback on camera or through a microphone, while others are surveys where that’s not necessary.
Karan Mavai, vice president of product management at UserTesting, said “think-aloud tests” are the most popular on the platform. “Contributors speak their thoughts out loud while navigating a digital experience, prototype, or application,” Mavai said, adding that the customer seeking feedback then gets a recorded session of screen interactions and verbal feedback.
“I like being on video, and I like chatting with people, so it really suits my personality,” Thompson said about UserTesting and market research side hustles.
She also likes User Interviews, another platform where you can provide your thoughts. There are various ways to earn through the platform, including online surveys, focus groups, and multiday studies. Some studies require having a webcam to participate, while others may involve talking on the phone.
“If you like giving your opinion on things, it’s the side hustle for you,” Thompson said.
She said the pay can be lucrative; the platform says the average pay is more than $50 and paid through gift cards. Thompson has made some money from referrals to User Interviews and participating in studies. Her earnings ranged from $10 for a 15-minute study to $50 for a longer study. She has found that opportunities may happen during business hours, so she said it might be a good gig for someone who can fit in participation during the day.
Mystery shopping
Thompson said mystery shopping is an easy side gig to try because you could find opportunities through an app and then quickly start an assignment. She has made 6 Australian dollars, or about $4, for one mission and AUD$8 for another. The missions involved taking photos of the chocolate and sweets areas of two different stores to capture how they were displayed.
Thompson thinks this side gig is ideal if you often go grocery shopping. “They’re a great little add-on to your day where it doesn’t really have to take you too far out of your way to earn a couple extra dollars,” she said.
Digital products
Thompson has also earned money from selling a meal planning template and a budget spreadsheet, both of which are digital products. Over seven months, she earned about AUD$1,418 from all her digital products.
“It’s stuff that I made for myself and ended up going, ‘Oh, actually, other people might want this too,'” she said.
Ebooks, budget trackers, printable planners, and art can be sold as digital products. Thompson thinks you don’t need a large audience to get started with selling digital products.
“If you go with where your interests are, you’ll tend to make better products, I think, because it’s actually come from genuine interest,” she said.
Surveys
Thompson said that while surveys can be a good side hustle option, she finds them boring. While surveys aren’t her favorite side gig, she does like two platforms in particular: Prolific and Australian platform Octopus Group.
“If you keep an eye out for the ones that pay better, that tends to be an OK use of your time,” Thompson said about survey platforms in general.
Prolific’s site says the minimum payment is at least $8 an hour per task, but Prolific told BI many pay more than that. Prolific said studies usually are between five minutes to half an hour.
Thompson thinks survey sites would be ideal for someone hoping to make a bit of extra money or doesn’t have a ton of time to set aside.
“It’s definitely not the most lucrative side hustle, but at the same time, if you are the type of person that can sit and watch TV and scroll on your phone at the same time, you’ll be fine,” she said.
Delivery
While some people may enjoy making some extra cash from delivery jobs, it can also mean investing some of your money back into it. Thompson said with a delivery side gig you’re likely accruing more costs than other side-hustle options because you will need to factor in gas prices, car maintenance, and other costs.
Food delivery is one option, such as Uber Eats. Thompson thinks Uber Eats can be a fun option if you enjoy driving. She said it can be a side hustle that can be easy to get started with if you pass the background check, but she doesn’t think it’s as good an option as it used to be.
“I haven’t done it a lot in the last year or two because the pay rate has definitely started to not make it as worth the time and the effort when there are other options available,” she said.