Freelancing is a phenomenal way to laser-focus on your craft, but sometimes we all need extra work, whether in between projects, while building our business, or simply because extra money is nice! Here are some of our favorite unusual and interesting freelance jobs.
Finding that side work is tough, however, because there are a lot of gigs out there that either require investment (yuck) or are too demanding of your time (which is already in short demand). You are smart, so you already know there are dumb apps where you can answer 800 survey questions for a dollar, or you could start driving for a ridesharing or delivery company (which is hard if you don’t have a late-model car or the physical capacity to perform that task).
Instead, we put together a list of ideas that are legitimate ways to make money as an actual skilled human adult. Some you’ve heard of; others might spark a new path for your extra income endeavors.
Online dating ghostwriter
Have you ever heard of such a ridiculous thing!? It’s where someone gets paid to write someone else’s dating profiles. Swipe right if you have a clever bone in your body because this could be a fun side gig that you would probably do for free, but can actually get paid for.
Wedding officiant
Since we’re already on the topic of romance, you could always consider being a wedding officiant, especially if you don’t work weekends. It can be hard to find an officiant that has some sort of niche specialty, for example, Pagan handfasting clergy, or circus wedding officiants. Think outside of the box for this interesting freelance job, dig into what you already know, and get licensed in your state(s) to get rolling!
Be a tour guide
If you’re already the one in your area people go to for advice on what to do, this could be an easy way to make some extra cash. Some guides become affiliated with a tour guide association, others list their services online and work for tips, but you can find your own path to helping locals and visitors see your area through your eyes without having to commit too much time to this freelance job.
Sell unexpected stuff
You’ve been online for more than 30 seconds, so you already know you can rent out unused space on Airbnb, sell your clothes on Poshmark, or flip furniture on eBay, but there are some super random items you can start selling on the side that don’t require you to sacrifice your belongings.
Folks have long sold their plasma, but did you know you can sell your hair? Or that if you are currently producing breast milk, that can be sold too? It’s wild out there! Read to the end of this article if you want to sell unmentionable items (if that’s your thing, no judgment).
Sell your time
If you don’t have items you want to part with, or you live a remote lifestyle, you might have more time than tangible goods on hand. Sell that time!
You can sign up to get paid to be someone’s friend (we’re not joking), or make money waiting in line for people. Make some cash posing for art classes at the nearest art college, or try your hand at being a referee for kiddos playing your favorite sports (just Google “referee + your city”).
Think about all the things you’ve needed while traveling and fill those gaps – pet sitting, pet walking, house sitting, and so forth. Rover is a common tool folks use, so it’s a great place to start.
Teach English
It is extremely common for folks to tutor for cash, and especially common to teach English on the side, either on weekends or super early in the morning when people on the other side of the globe are awake. It pays pretty well and doesn’t require a teaching degree, in fact, if you have understood this entire article so far, you already have the skills necessary.
Put your typing fingers to work
Companies always need to know how their product is working for customers, so firms like UserTesting hire folks like you to walk through websites, apps, and products and answer questions about them. Many firms overwork you, pay poorly, or are a straight-up scam, but this company has a positive reputation in the tech industry.
If you are a fast typer, online transcription is in extremely high demand right now. As AI tools come out to auto-transcribe, people are realizing how terrible the transcription is, so they end up using human services like Rev to listen and transcribe, and they are always hiring folks to do transcriptions, captions, and subtitles.
Be a mock juror
Did you know that attorneys hire people to be mock jurors so they can get a feel for how they’ll do at trial? The pay is pretty terrible, but if you’re already watching ID Channel when you go to bed, it could be more interesting than anything!
Rent out your stuff
If you’re traveling or not using your full space, obviously list it on Airbnb, you know that. But did you know that you can also rent out your car on Turro? Or rent out your tech toys on Grover? Basically, anything you have sitting around collecting dust, do an internet search for “how to rent out [item]” and you never know, there might be a site just for that very item.
Use your current expertise creatively
Most advice on side gigs or making money proclaim that you should just start a YouTube channel and become a millionaire, but that’s ridiculous because it takes a lot of effort to make that work – it’s certainly no passive income stream. But you can be utilizing your current skills more creatively.
Consider this – your full-time job or hobby might be embroidery. Did you know you can sell PDFs on Etsy? Perhaps a 10-page file with all of your embroidery secrets to sell to people that want to learn? Or you can use Sellfy on your own website to immediately sell PDFs. You don’t have to start an internet cult to make a few extra bucks bundling your knowledge and selling it.
Here’s the NOT SAFE FOR WORK section, proceed with caution
Let’s be honest, there’s a secret hotbed of side gigs that involve things we would never talk about at our day jobs that require us to judge each other just a little less.
A hairstylist recently confided in us that she’s now making more money with her OnlyFans account than doing hair, and she doesn’t even take her clothes off – she whispers kind compliments to her subscribers in a sexy voice. No joke.
You don’t have to get nude or do anything uncomfortable, maybe you have two feet and are willing to sell pictures of them. There’s an entire site for that. If someone gets their jollies looking at your feet and you don’t care, why not make a few extra bucks, your face isn’t even in the shot, champ!
If we haven’t lost you yet, then we should mention that you can sell your underpants pretty easily online for a pretty penny. Okay, moving on…
Lastly, if you didn’t think donating plasma was icky, perhaps being a fecal donor is another way to make money (you were going to do it anyway, might as well get paid for it in a medical setting).
Final thoughts on interesting freelance jobs
Making extra money doing odd freelance jobs doesn’t mean you have to go back to college for another degree, it just means that you have to think creatively and use what you already have at your fingertips. It’s a wild world out there and someone wants what you’ve got, it’s just a matter of making that exact match – good luck out there!
