Welcome to my article Side Hustle Experiment: I Tried 5 Money-Making Methods—Here’s What Worked. Let’s be honest—most of us have, at some point, Googled “how to make extra money online” while sipping cold coffee and wondering if selling our old high school yearbooks on eBay counts as entrepreneurship. With inflation doing the cha-cha on our bank accounts and 9-to-5s feeling more like 9-to-eternity, side hustles have gone from “cute idea” to “financial survival strategy.” But with so many money-making methods floating around the internet—each claiming to be “low effort, high reward”—how do you know what actually works and what’s just digital snake oil?

In this blog, I’ll break down what I tried, how much I made (spoiler: I didn’t get rich, but I did make rent), and which side hustles are actually worth your time in 2025. Whether you’re looking to build a little financial cushion, pay off debt, or fund your iced latte addiction—there’s something here for you. Ready to peek behind the side hustle curtain? Let’s go.

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Method #1: Selling Digital Products (eBooks, Printables, Templates)

Let’s kick things off with a side hustle that promises to make money while you sleep. And who doesn’t want to wake up richer than they were at 2 a.m.? Enter: digital products—the modern hustle for creatives, educators, and people who have a Canva addiction and aren’t afraid to use it.

For this experiment, I tried selling a few different things:

• A budget planner printable (because nothing screams “fun” like Excel-inspired graphics)
  
  
• A mini eBook on how to stay productive while working from home
  
  
• A set of Instagram templates for small business owners
  
  

I listed these on platforms like Etsy and Gumroad, both of which make it super easy to upload your files and start selling. I also promoted them (lightly, because I’m not a TikTok influencer—yet) on social media and in a few niche Facebook groups.

The setup time? Surprisingly long. Between designing, writing descriptions, and figuring out Etsy SEO (a rabbit hole I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy), it took about 10–15 hours total to launch. But once everything was live, it was pretty hands-off.
 The results? I made about $75 in the first two weeks, mostly from the budget planner. Not life-changing, but hey, I wasn’t actively doing anything after uploading it. That’s the beauty of digital products—they can keep earning long after the work is done.

Verdict:

✔️ Pros: Low overhead, creative freedom, truly passive (after launch)
 ❌ Cons: Competitive, time-consuming upfront, dependent on marketing
 💡 Would I do it again? Absolutely—with better SEO and maybe a caffeine-fueled product launch plan.

Method #2: Freelancing on Platforms (Upwork, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour)

Freelancing—the digital age’s answer to “Hey, can I borrow your skills for money?” If you’ve got a marketable skill (writing, graphic design, voiceovers, tech wizardry, or even something oddly specific like “write a breakup letter in Shakespearean English”—yes, that’s real), platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour are ready to help you monetize it.

For this hustle, I dusted off my keyboard and offered freelance writing services. I created profiles on all three platforms, polished them like a Tinder bio (minus the emojis), and started applying to gigs. Fiverr was faster to get started—just set up a gig and wait—but Upwork required cover letters, patience, and perhaps an offering to the algorithm gods.

Time invested upfront: Around 8 hours total to create profiles, write pitches, and apply to jobs.
 Time to first gig:

• Fiverr: 3 days (small blog post, $25)
  
  
• Upwork: 10 days (longer article, $80)
  
  
• PeoplePerHour: Let’s just say… it’s still quiet there 🦗
  
  

Total earnings after two weeks? Just under $200 for a handful of gigs. Not bad, especially since I was doing this part-time and still figuring things out. The biggest hurdle? Standing out in a sea of freelancers offering the same services, often for way less (looking at you, $5 logo people).

Verdict:

✔️ Pros: Quick-ish cash, legit clients, potential for repeat work
 ❌ Cons: Competitive, feast-or-famine workflow, algorithm mysteries
 💡 Would I do it again? Yep—but with better boundaries and more niche services (and maybe a pitch that doesn’t sound like a LinkedIn status update).

Method #3: Print-on-Demand Store (Redbubble, Teespring, or Printful + Shopify)

Print-on-demand (POD) is basically the unicorn of side hustles: low upfront costs, no inventory, no shipping hassles, and infinite room for creative expression. It’s like running a merch store without needing to sleep in a warehouse surrounded by hoodies.

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For this hustle, I created a few designs (with mild help from Canva and a heavy reliance on sarcasm), and uploaded them to Redbubble and Teespring. My themes?

• Retro gamer quotes
  
  
• “Introvert Olympics” merch
  
  
• The aforementioned weird cat puns (don’t judge)
  
  

Redbubble made it easy—upload the design once, and it magically appears on 47 different products (most of which no one ever buys, but hey, variety). Teespring had a similar setup, but slightly more steps for customization. I skipped the Printful + Shopify route for now—mostly because I didn’t want to manage a full store while also pretending I had a social life.

Time invested: Around 6–8 hours, including designing, uploading, and convincing myself I was a fashion mogul.
 Marketing effort: Uh… light. Okay, fine, barely any. I posted once on Instagram and told my mom (she didn’t buy anything).
 Total earnings after two weeks? A cool $32.74, all from Redbubble—mostly stickers and mugs. No, I will not be quitting my day job to become a mug magnate just yet.

Verdict:

✔️ Pros: Totally passive after setup, creative, zero shipping nightmares
 ❌ Cons: Extremely saturated market, relies heavily on marketing, slow trickle of income
 💡 Would I do it again? Yes, but I’d niche down more and actually promote it (sigh, marketing).

Method #4: Online Tutoring or Course Creation

Teaching online might sound like something reserved for professors or people with five degrees and a chalkboard fetish—but surprise! If you’ve ever explained how to use Excel to your confused aunt or taught a friend how to draw anime eyes, congrats—you’ve got marketable knowledge.

For this experiment, I tried two approaches:

1. Online tutoring on Preply (English conversation sessions)
   
   
2. Creating a mini-course on Teachable about “How to Start a Side Hustle (Without Losing Your Mind)”
   
   

Tutoring was straightforward. I signed up, passed a quick profile check, and within a few days, I had my first student—a college kid who wanted to practice business English but also really wanted to talk about Breaking Bad. We vibed. I vibed. It paid $15 per 45-minute session and felt like a paid chat with a smart friend.

Creating the course, however… was a project. I spent around 10 hours outlining, recording, editing, and uploading lessons. Teachable’s platform made it easy to set up, but I quickly realized that making the course is only 50% of the job—the other half is getting people to buy it. (Cue me shouting “Only $19.99!” into the digital void.)

Total earnings after two weeks?

• Tutoring: $90 from 6 sessions
  
  
• Course: $38 from 2 impulse buyers (bless them)
  
  

Verdict:

✔️ Pros: Great hourly rate, fulfilling work, scalable if done right
 ❌ Cons: Takes time to set up and promote, unpredictable schedule (tutoring)
 💡 Would I do it again? Definitely. It’s rewarding, and with better marketing, it could snowball.

Method #5: Investing in Resale—Flipping Thrift Finds or Used Tech

Flipping—the noble art of spotting treasure in someone else’s donation pile and reselling it for profit. It’s part scavenger hunt, part gamble, and part excuse to spend an unreasonable amount of time in thrift stores saying things like, “This vintage lamp is DEFINITELY worth $80 on eBay.”

For this method, I tried two different flipping angles:

1. Thrift store flipping – I hit up a couple Goodwills and local secondhand shops and picked up some vintage mugs, graphic tees, and a board game from 1997 that looked like it hadn’t seen daylight since dial-up internet.
   
   
2. Used tech flipping – I found an older but working tablet on Facebook Marketplace for $30, cleaned it up, took some snazzy photos, and listed it for $65.
   
   

Platforms used? eBay and Facebook Marketplace, aka the digital flea markets of our time. Listing was straightforward, but answering questions like “Will this mug survive the dishwasher apocalypse?” was… a journey.

Time invested: About 6–7 hours, including sourcing, cleaning, photographing, listing, and fielding questions like I was running a customer support center.
 Total earnings after two weeks?

• Sold 2 mugs and 1 graphic tee: $42 profit
  
  
• Flipped the tablet: $25 profit
  
  

Grand total? $67, plus a newfound appreciation for bubble wrap.

Verdict:

✔️ Pros: Fun if you like treasure hunting, good margins on the right items
 ❌ Cons: Takes time, shipping is a pain, you might end up hoarding “inventory”
 💡 Would I do it again? Yes—but only if I can write off my thrift shopping habit as “business expenses.”

Final Verdict: What Worked, What Was Meh, and What I’d Actually Do Again

After two chaotic, coffee-fueled weeks of side hustling across the digital universe, I can confidently say: making extra money online is possible—but it’s not always pretty. Or passive. Or profitable right away. But hey, no one said becoming a part-time entrepreneur would be all unicorns and instant PayPal notifications.

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Here’s the rundown:

🤑 Most Profitable (in the short term):
 Freelancing on Upwork & Fiverr – If you’ve got a skill and can market yourself without sounding like a robot, this one’s your golden goose. The money starts flowing relatively fast, especially if you price smart and deliver quality. Downside? You’re still trading time for money, and algorithms can be fickle little gremlins.

🛍️ Most Fun:
 Flipping Thrift Finds – Is it weird to say I genuinely enjoyed digging through shelves of dusty mugs and imagining their resale potential? Probably. But turning $2 finds into $20 sales is oddly satisfying. It’s like being on a budget version of Antiques Roadshow—with the occasional broken item and buyer who ghosts.

📚 Most Potential for Passive Income:
 Digital Products – This one felt like planting tiny money seeds that might grow into trees… if you remember to water them (read: market them properly). With better SEO and a more defined niche, this could easily become a steady side stream.

🎓 Most Rewarding:
 Online Tutoring/Courses – It felt good helping someone learn, and the hourly pay wasn’t bad either. Plus, I got to talk to cool people from around the world and pretend I was a very chill professor.

👕 Most “Meh, but has promise”:
 Print-on-Demand – Fun to set up, but you really need niche targeting, trend awareness, and a pinch of marketing sorcery. It’s not a get-rich-quick method—but it can become passive gold if done right.

Would I do it all again?

Yes—but with more focus, less hopping, and maybe a spreadsheet or two (ugh, adulthood). If you’re looking to make some extra cash, my advice? Start with what you enjoy, test small, and be okay with some trial-and-error. Worst-case scenario, you walk away with a cool online store, a few extra bucks, and some wild stories for your next group chat.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have mugs to ship and a Fiverr client who wants “a blog post but make it sound like Shakespeare wrote it.” Wish me luck.

Thanks a lot for reading my article on “Side Hustle Experiment: I Tried 5 Money-Making Methods—Here’s What Worked” till the end. Hope you’ve helped. See you with another article.