Side Hustles

I never thought I'd be one for side hustles. Generally, whenever I have been looking at alternate sources of income, it has been all about trying to find something I can make a full-time income out of, not an additional one. If you go back to the early parts of this blog, or my previous one (not worth it), I spent a fair bit of time trying to come up with a horseracing tipping system that could provide reliable results. Whilst it was enjoyable, it was also bloody hard, and I never really got anywhere. Poor discipline didn't help, but overall, I don't think it is a viable solution, at least not in terms of being the main breadwinner, replacing my current occupation. One day I might try again, more so for fun, and see what happens.

So the actual side hustles I have been gaining some income from in recent times, are as follows;

1) Octopus Group

I put the link here in the hopes that some of you readers will go check it out. I have tried numerous survey mobs over the years, that promise income, but none of them actually ever gave me anything. This one did very quickly, and so far, in a few months, I have received over $100 in cash. Yeah it's not much, but it is cash, and didn't take a whole lot of time, so it is something I will continue to use. 

2) AlphaSights

This mob do in-depth surveys and calls for clients looking for professional advice. I usually make $70 per survey with these guys and have done about four of them so far, over a year. So again, not something to live on, but a nice little supplement here and there. 

I have also done some similar short-term consulting for another group some time ago, so long ago in fact, that I can't remember who they were! I think I only ever got a paying gig with them once, so AlphaSights are definitely a better option here.

3) eBay

eBay is something many people should look at. I use FB Marketplace sometimes, but these days I seem to get more scam attention than anything else, so tend to avoid it. eBay takes time to manage, and can be a killer if you get the postage costs wrong, plus their fees are not small. But overall, I have used it to my advantage, selling my coins, old Lego and a few other things. With the kids losing interest in Lego, I have a lot of sets to put together for sale, so I see this continuing for a while. Again, not huge dollars here, but every little bit helps.

4) Recycling Cans

This is a fairly new one, although I have been doing it for a year or more now. We have a can recycling centre in Echuca, and at 10c per can, it makes me about $35 every couple of months. Nothing to write home about, but it comes in cash, which is always nice to have. I am certainly happy to put the effort into keeping this going.

5) Ma

The last one, a little oddly, is Ma. She feels bad that I am not getting any return on her house, even though I have assured her I am happy with the current arrangement. It costs me nothing, other than a little insurance, and I am happily seeing its value increase over time. But Ma, bless her heart, give me a bit of money here and there, which, like the others, is not huge, but every little bit helps.

So there it is. Certainly not enough to live on, and yes, I would love to have an alternate income source that would allow me to make a permanent change. I can't see that happening though, so I'll continue just picking up a bit here and there, which certainly helps a little with the bills and to have a little extra cash.