There Are Other Side Hustles, Then There’s The Ultimate Side Hustle

Are you looking for side hustles that could make you a little extra money each month? Are you struggling to find something perfect? Something that doesn’t cause you extra stress and anxiety? Something that you can fit into your already busy schedule?

Here, we’ve got a list of some of the most common side hustles including what we consider to be the ultimate side hustle. Keep reading to find out which side hustle you can turn into a fully-fledged business that works—even when you don’t!

Other Side Hustles

There are so many things people are doing to earn extra cash, build savings, or create a legitimate small business. And it’s not surprising. In the United States, about 340 million people and 77% of households are in some kind of debt. About 40% of adults struggle to make ends meet each month (a 5.6% increase from 2022). Furthermore, 60% of adults live paycheck to paycheck. Finally, 6.3 million Americans are classified as “working poor”, people who actively work or spend time looking for work but whose incomes still fall below the official poverty level.

It’s unfortunate that so many Americans feel the need for side hustles to supplement their regular employment. But the internet and the rise of work-from-home opportunities make it easier than ever to make a little extra cash.

Driving/Delivery Side Hustles

Many people make driving and delivery service their full-time job. But there’s no reason why you can’t do a little on the side when you have some spare time. Most Uber drivers make between $15 and $25 an hour. But if you don’t like the small-talk aspect of rideshare service, don’t have a comfortable vehicle, or just don’t feel comfortable letting strangers in your car, you can consider food or grocery delivery.

Doordashers can also expect to make around $15 and $25 an hour. And you can make $200-$1,000 a week as a personal shopper with Instacart. Amazon Flex is a package delivery service that allows drivers to make $18-$25 an hour. However, you still need a reliable vehicle to make these side hustles work, not to mention the wear it will cost. And your income potential will depend on where you live, the busiest times of the day, and the size of the orders. 

Online Side Hustles

If you don’t have your own, reliable vehicle, there are a number of ways you can make money online from home. If you are a quick typer, you can look for online transcription jobs that pay by the project. You just listen to audio files and type scripts of them. However, these jobs typically require training and certification.

Websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and 99Designs allow you to market your writing, editing, photography, graphic design skills, etc. Create a profile with your experience, qualifications, and portfolio, set your price, and users can find you and your services. 

Or, you can create your own website or blog and sell ad space or become an Amazon affiliate. If you are crafty, Etsy is a very popular site for people to sell their handmade goods and personalized products. 

While you don’t necessarily need any special training or certification for these other online side hustles, you do need to have a marketable skill. If you don’t, you can still make money online by taking surveys, joining focus groups, or testing products.

In-Home Side Hustles

Maybe you have a more practical skill or just don’t want to bother with the internet. There are many in-home side hustles you can do from your home or a client’s home. All you have to do is get the word out that you are available for a price!

You can babysit, petsit, dog walk—we’ve even heard of plant sitters! You can clean homes, do hair and makeup, and even meal prep. People pay for services like HelloFresh, so if you like to cook, create a menu and start taking orders!

Labor Side Hustles

If you are strong and healthy, good with tools, or just enjoy working outdoors, you can make extra money doing yard work, washing and detailing vehicles, or moving furniture. Websites like TaskRabbit and Handy are great for Jacks- and Jills-of-all-trades to pick up jobs that other people can’t or don’t want to do themselves.

Teaching/Tutoring Side Hustles

Teaching and tutoring can be done in person or online. It just depends on what platforms or channels you use to get clients. You can offer in-home tutoring to students in your community. Or, you can apply with a website like Tutor.com to tutor online. Depending on the website, you might not even need a degree. Sometimes you just have to pass a content test to prove that you are proficient in a certain subject.

You especially don’t need a degree to teach English language online. Websites like VIPKid and Preply will accept almost any native English speaker to teach the English language to people all over the world.

You can even teach music or art in-home or online. It just depends on your preference and the preference of your clients.

The Ultimate Side Hustle: ATMs

Flexibility is the nature of any side hustle. All of the examples above can be done day or night on your own schedule. With a side hustle, you need to be able to pick and choose your own hours because you’ve got to make it work with your regular job. 

But do you really want to work when you aren’t working? Do you want to turn your hobby into work and risk compromising its enjoyment? If you have a regular job and a side hustle, do you have time for anything else? With the ultimate side hustle, you don’t have to sacrifice more of your time to make that extra cash.

How an ATM Business Works

Not all ATM machines are owned and operated by banks. If you’ve ever seen or used an ATM at a gas station, grocery store, pop-up market, cannabis dispensary, etc., someone owns it and makes money from it. Sometimes the store itself owns the machine. But other times, independent ATM deployers (IADs) own the machine in exchange for the store’s customers benefiting from the convenience.

So if there are places in your community where you see that people need access to cash and there is no ATM nearby, inquire with the business owners if they would be interested in having an ATM onsite. Alternatively, if you see ATMs that are in bad shape or that are often out of order, find out if the location owner wants you to take over! Maybe they own the machine and can’t keep up with the maintenance, or maybe they are unhappy with their current IAD. These are all great opportunities for you.

Once you get some good leads, work with the location owner to figure out a deal that works for you both. Maybe you share the surcharge revenue, maybe you share the responsibilities. Either way, you get paid a surcharge fee every time someone uses the machine. You can even negotiate how much time you spend on the business.

The only work you really have to do once the machine is up and running is make sure it stays stocked with cash and keep it maintained and functioning. You can use remote online monitoring to view all ATM activity on your phone from the comfort of your own home—and make money while you sleep!

What Makes an ATM Business the Ultimate Side Hustle

Passive income is the name of the game. With an ATM business, you make money without spending a ton of time and effort. Your ATM machine can make money while you sleep, spend time with your family, go on vacation…. 

In terms of starting a business, the upfront costs are minimal compared to other side hustles like buying and flipping or renting property, reselling thrifted items, operating a food truck, or buying or renting a storefront for a brick-and-mortar business. Plus, you are your own boss! 

Finally, it’s a completely customizable business. Depending on how much money you want or need to make, you can pick and choose which aspects of the business you want to handle and which you want to outsource or partner up for. You can operate one ATM machine for a little extra cash each month, or you can replace your full-time income with passive income from a fleet of ATM machines.

How to Start an ATM Business

You can start an ATM business in just a few steps. All you need to do is pass a background check, open an ATM business bank account, purchase an ATM machine, find a store or location willing to share its space with you, and install and program your machine. Then, you can start making money on each transaction made on your ATM!

Get Started!

There are a ton of resources available to new IADs. You can download a free guide about how to profit from an ATM business, purchase a more detailed book (the best selling ATM business book on Amazon…), join ATMDepot’s Members Area, and/or join our Facebook group. 

We won’t say that owning and operating an ATM business is easy. It will require some work up front. But after that, you can relax! Other side hustles are basically second jobs, and that can take away from your friends, family, and free time.

An ATM business is, however, simple. There are only a few steps to get started, and you don’t need any special business license, entrepreneurial experience, or certification. You also don’t have to spend a lot of time working with clients or customers, working on a computer all day, or worry about your job security. As an ATM owner and operator, you are your own boss! What could be better than that?

Let us help you master the ultimate side hustle today!