143: Side Hustles That Actually Work

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0:44Bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Rich Habits Podcast, a top 10 business podcast on Spotify, brought to you by public.com. In this episode, we're sharing realistic, low-friction side hustles that could add$500,$1 ,000, maybe even$2 ,000 or more to your monthly income, helping you change your financial trajectory.

1:20My name is Austin Hankwitz, and I'm joined by my co-host Robert Croak. Robert is a seasoned entrepreneur with lifetime revenues of over $300 million. I'm a multimillionaire in my late 20s with a background in finance and economics. And as the show name might suggest, every single episode, we talk about rich habits as they relate to business, finance, and mindset. So, Robert, what are we specifically talking about in today's episode? In this episode of the Rich Habits Podcast, we're breaking down the gig economy and sharing proven side hustles that actually work. We're talking about realistic, low-friction ways to earn extra cash without burning out.

1:58These are opportunities you can start this week that fit around your existing life and leverage skills and resources you already have today. No capital required. No get-rich-quick schemes, just practical strategies that work for the average person. I think it's important that we set the table as to what we're really talking about here. The number of gig workers in America is rising, and the proportion of U.S. workers holding multiple jobs recently reached almost 5.5%, the highest number since 2019. Additionally, according to LendingTree, 39 % of Americans work a full-time job and have a side hustle of some sort, right?

2:36So we're talking to those 40 % of Americans right now who are trying to figure out how to make more than just their 9-to-5 job. There's always sort of a floor to how low you can cut your expenses, but your income has no ceiling. So, like, really think about what I just said. You can cut your grocery bill, you can cancel your subscriptions, you can negotiate your insurance, Maybe you can even drive a cheaper car. You can do all of these things to lower your monthly expenses, but you're going to hit a wall eventually. On the flip side, your income can go up exponentially, right? Your income is your greatest wealth building tool.

3:10And the beautiful thing about increasing your income is that even small amounts compound over time when you save and invest that money. The average American that has a side hustle right now brings in about$700 a month. Only about 12 % of side hustlers are earning$1 ,000 or more a month. Over half of these people spend less than five hours a week on that side hustle, which means even at the lower end, you're talking about earning an extra$200 to$400 a month for maybe 20 hours of work total. I think it's also important for us to talk about what it means to have a low-friction side hustle, right?

3:45Because it's one thing like, oh my gosh, yeah, I'm driving Uber, I'm doing the DoorDash. Like, you're doing these crazy things and you're working 12 hours a day trying to make some extra money. You're not sleeping, but that's not sustainable. These are side hustles that are sustainable, that you're not gonna get burnt out from, that follow the low friction framework. This framework has three core principles. Principle number one is you use what you already have. The best side hustles leverage your existing skills, connections, and resources, right? So if you're a teacher, tutoring is low friction.

4:17If you have a pickup truck, helping people move is low friction, right? So if you're good with numbers, bookkeeping, So when it comes to using what you already have, you won't be starting from zero. You won't be learning a new skill. You already have a little bit of background and knowledge. Principle number two is minimal startup cost. So we're not talking about buying inventory, getting some certifications or building complicated systems. The side hustles that work the best are the ones that you start this week with no money. The ones that you can start with less than$100 if you need to. You're not going out and raising capital or emptying out your savings or going into credit card debt.

4:49So minimal cost. And the third principle that really emphasizes this low friction framework is having those flexible hours that fit your lifestyle. So if your side hustle is making you miserable or it's destroying your relationships, whatever, it is not worth it. I don't care how much money you're earning. You're looking for opportunities that you can do on your own schedule that don't require you to be somewhere at a specific time. You can batch all these services into a convenient block of time, right? You are flexible and it fits into your existing day to day. All right, Robert, we've laid out the low friction framework.

5:21Let's now talk about the specific side hustle ideas, as well as one, share how much these listeners can earn at each side hustle. And then two, the pros and cons that come with each side hustle. So Robert, kick us off with side hustle number one. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, well, I don't have time for a side hustle. I have kids. I have a full-time job. I have all these other things. Guess what? You do, because if you want to get out of this trap, this nine to five living paycheck to paycheck, whatever it is, you have to make time. because so many people that I see say they don't have time, yet they're watching sports all week, every week, whether it's football, baseball, or whatever, or they've got all these fantasy teams.

6:02They're just always so busy with things that aren't helping the future of their life. And that's why I think this episode and these breakdowns are gonna be very, very enlightening for everyone following along. So side hustle number one, tutoring and test prep. This is one of the most accessible and high-paying side hustles for anyone with expertise in a subject area. You don't need a teaching degree. You just need to know your subject and be able to explain it clearly. Private tutors typically charge anywhere from$25 to$75 an hour, depending on the subject and the location. SAT and ACT prep tutors charge$50 to$100 an hour or more, which is crazy if you just tutor five hours a week at$40 an hour.

6:47That's$800 a month. And if you're a teacher of any kind, this sounds like a no-brainer to me. So here's how to start. Begin with friends and family. Post in local Facebook groups. List yourself on wiseant or tutor.com. And once you have a few clients and some testimonials, you can raise your rates and get more referrals. This is legitimately a low-friction side hustle, assuming you have something to teach others. You set your own hours, work from home or a coffee shop, and get paid to help others learn. The downside is that it can be seasonal, with demand peaking during the school year and around standardized testing periods.

7:23But don't just think teaching in normal school terms. This could be something where you're teaching fishing, carpentry, so many other subjects that are out there basket weaving. I don't care what it is. If you have expertise in it, you can have a blast doing it and teaching others and make a lot of extra money. I like this one a lot, Robert. I'm a big believer in it. And I had a tutor growing up and I, well, my parents paid for it, right? I was not that great in school. So long story short, I believe in this one. And there's definitely a demand for it depending on your expertise. Side hustle number two, local freelance services.

8:00I know it's a very broad category, but it's where a lot of people are quietly making some serious income. For example, there's a guy named Connor inside the Rich Habits Network who does graphic design and different AI automation for small business owners in his area. He has made$80 ,000 just this year in 2025 with his web design, graphic design, AI automation business, while also working a nine to five job, right? Like it's insane how much can be made in this sort of freelance services segment if you know what you're doing and how to scale. So don't just think web design or AI automation, think like graphic design, writing, social media management, bookkeeping, virtual assistants, anything that is freelance services that you have some sort of experience in, right?

8:47So depending on your skill set, you can begin to charge$25 up to$100 an hour. A small business might pay you$500 or$1 ,000,$2 ,000 a month for ongoing social media management, or even a few thousand for a one-time project, for a website, right? A simple website design could be$1 ,000,$3 ,000,$5 ,000, depending on who the customer is and how intricate they need it. Bookkeeping, a few small businesses a month, you know, you could get$1 ,000,$1 ,500 rocking and rolling that way. Don't start, here's the key, right? Don't start by going to Fiverr or Upwork. Big mistake people make off the rip because you're now competing globally on price, right?

9:27They're getting people that are all over the world trying to make a little bit of money. Instead, target at your local businesses in your areas, specifically ones that your customers of. Maybe it's a Facebook group you can join, right? Maybe there's a dog grooming business. I did the dog grooming website sales when I was right out of college trying to make some extra money, right? Go to the dog grooming businesses and sell them on some website redesigns. Go to networking events, reach out to small business owners, offer your services to nonprofits to start building a little bit of a portfolio.

9:57Here's the thing. You have to be someone that's fun and easy to work with, right? Because as a small business owner myself, whenever I'm paying someone thousands of dollars, like we recently did to design our website, if we're paying you all this money, I'm thinking, okay, I can either pay this person a lot of money and get that one-on-one relationship, some nice, like good vibes, or I can go pay some freelancer that I'll never meet, never see, never talk to on Fiverr, a cheaper price. So if I'm paying more, right, want to make sure that I've got that good in-person relationship, I can give that feedback, I can ask questions.

10:33So be that type of person for your services so you can command a higher price. Now this does take more of a hustle up front to land your first few clients, but once you do, the work often becomes recurring, especially after you are, you know, maybe doing these longer month-to-month contracts or maybe you start getting those consistent referrals. One of my favorite side hustles here, I've done this one myself. It definitely works if you're able to figure out how to put the pieces together. Yeah, I think the biggest takeaway from that point is that you start to build these localized relationships.

11:04You get three, four clients, that turns into 10 clients, and all of a sudden you're hiring people, and you can really build this into a great business. And that takes us into side hustle number three, which is task-based gigs. I'm talking about TaskRabbit, Handy.com, or even just handing out flyers locally to promote helping people move, do yard work, furniture assembly, or even handyman services. Because if you're willing to do physical work and you have basic skills, there's huge demand. Let me be clear. If you have a good attitude, show up on time, and you're willing to work, there will always be a job for you.

11:43You can go to any corner in any city and walk along a bunch of businesses and everyone needs help. TaskRabbit workers often make$30 to$60 an hour and helping someone move might pay you$100 to$300 for a few hours work that day. So think furniture assembly, yard cleanup, painting, minor home repairs. It could be landscaping, mulch cleanup, whatever it is, but they all command really good rates. So start by signing up for TaskRabbit or post in local community groups. You'd be shocked at how many people need help with simple tasks and they're willing to pay. You don't need to be a licensed contractor for most of this work.

12:23You just need to have the hustle, the work ethic, and have a good personality. This is all very flexible and can be highly lucrative, especially on the weekends. The downside is this is physical work and you're trading time directly for money, But if you're looking to make quick cash without a lot of setup, this is one of the fastest paths and one of my favorite paths because I own small businesses all around the country and there is always work we need done. So just get out there, ask around because I swear every local business needs help. Also, make sure your church knows that you're offering these types of services.

13:00I had to move a couch. I think it was last. It was a lot of things. It was not just a couch, but I had to move a lot of things last year. And my neighbor is plugged into a really good church. And I was telling him about it. And he's like, oh, our church, like we have like this bulletin board where people that like, you know, whatever. And so he found me two kids in college. They were super nice, really strong, right? I just need, I just need them to help me move a couple of things around this house and paid them a reasonable, I forget how much I paid them, but like, it was totally reasonable. And the kids only got the job because the church knew about their services.

13:32So if you're plugged into a good church, we don't really talk too much about politics and religion here, but it could be a good avenue for you to advertise your services. Oh, yeah, I'm really good at hanging up TVs or, you know, I've got that pickup truck. I can help with the yard work. I'm always looking for the stuff to do on the weekends, right? So advertise that not just in the community groups and things like that, but also let your church know. I think that's a really good way to help get the word out as well. Now, side hustle number four includes pet services for our pet lovers out there.

14:01Think dog walking, pet sitting, house sitting, things of that nature. These are underrated money makers, especially in the suburban and urban areas where people travel frequently or work those long hours. Think about it like this. Dog walkers earn between$15 and$40 per walk, depending on how long and, you know, where you are, I guess. Pet sitters can make$25 to$75 a day for those drop-in visits,$50 to$100 per night for those overnight stays. If you're walking multiple dogs a day, multiple dogs a week, we're talking about hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a month. Here's where to start. Rover and Wag.

14:40They make it really easy. Ireland actually is on both of them because she loves dogs and loves doing this stuff with dogs. Build up some reviews. Start asking your clients directly then after you kind of rock and roll a couple times. Say, hey, platform takes their fees. Would love to work with you directly here. You save money. I make more money. Everybody's happy. Word of mouth in the neighborhood is also really important. If you like animals and you enjoy walking outside and getting your heart rate up and being around these furry friends, this is a great, great side hustle. The income can be steady, especially, again, if you build those recurring relationships.

15:14The challenge, though, is you need to be reliable and available. And the big one, right? A lot of people travel for the holidays, which means if you are someone who's taking dogs in or, you know, helping people watch over their dogs for overnight for a long period of time, You've got to be available on those holiday times. That's when you can charge the most money. I've paid hundreds, maybe even north of$1 ,000 for a week for my late dog when we'd take her places. I mean, I just couldn't take her to Mexico. So we'd find people on WAG or Rover, whatever it was, and they would hang out with her for five, six, seven days.

15:46And I'd end up paying$1 ,200 or something. I mean, this is real. And it's cool. You get to hang out with dogs. It's like, it's so fun. So I think pet services is a major, major one and something I've paid for in the past myself. Yeah, there's a woman in my building, very, very lovely woman, and she's always walking dogs. I don't care what time of day or the evening, she's always walking dogs. And I said, tell me more about this. How did it start? Whatever, whatever. And she just does three buildings all right here on my block. And she's going to make over$80 ,000 this year walking dogs. And she's in incredible shape because she probably puts 20 ,000 steps in a day, more than me even.

16:24And so it's a great, great, probably my favorite side hustle if you're a dog lover and an animal lover. Now, before we get to our final side hustle, Robert, we have to make sure everyone understands that when you earn this money, it's not just about like trading time for money, get some extra cash and then like, cool, I'm going to go spend it. You have to take this money and invest it into a little bit of a nest egg that's growing for you over time so you can finally retire. And the easiest way anyone can begin investing towards their future is on public.com. They make it incredibly simple to build a multi-asset portfolio, including ETFs, stocks, bonds, crypto options, and more.

17:03They also offer access to industry-leading yields of up to 3.8 % APY for that emergency fund. And for a limited time, you can earn a 1 % match on all IRA deposits, IRA transfers, and 401k rollovers. It's$1 ,000 free money for every$100 ,000 you roll over into their platform from your old stinky broker from a 401k job you had 20 years ago. Roll it over into public and get your free match. And fund your account in five minutes or less by heading to public.com front slash rich habits to claim your 1 % match today. Paid for by public investing. Full disclosures in the podcast description. All right, Robert, let's wrap up this episode with side hustle number five.

17:45That's right. Renting out assets you already own. This is one that I don't think a lot of people talk about, but it's just so easy to do. And it's an incredibly low friction side hustle because you're literally making money from things you already have. We're talking renting out your parking space, your storage space, your garage, your tools, your spare room, or even your backyard for events. Get creative here. I know a girl that's in the Rich Habits Network that spent$30 ,000 renovating her backyard for photo shoots and events. She lives in LA, and she's brought in over$80 ,000 this year alone just by renting out her backyard for brands and influencers on Peer Space.

18:28So let's think about this. A parking space in a city can rent for$100 to$500 a month. A spare room on Airbnb might generate$500 to$2 ,000 a month depending on your location. Your car on Turo, again, could bring in$300 to$1 ,000 a month. And even renting out equipment like your power washer you barely ever use, ladders, those canoes that are sitting out back, and kayaks that you never use, those can add up to$50,$200,$300 a month for things you already own that are just sitting. because you have things people want and want to use. And if you identify those things and rent them out to people, they don't have to buy them.

19:09So list your spot on SpotHero or Neighbor.com. List your car on Turo. I love Turo. I use it all the time. And post about your things on Facebook Marketplace as well. You can put your spare room up on Airbnb. It literally takes an hour to set this stuff up. And then the income is largely passive. This requires the least amount of active work, which is beautiful. We're talking about frictionless things. And the downside here is there are a little bit of risks involved with letting strangers use your property. So just make sure you read the bylaws, understand the insurance implications and the platform protections if there are any.

19:48I think that is a great explanation and sort of way to wrap that up. I mean, listen, I pressure wash my things once a year. I don't own a pressure washer. I'm the guy that's over here. hey man, can I borrow the pressure washer? I would totally rent one if someone's like, yo, rent it for you. 50 bucks, you got it today, right? It's a no brainer. Everyone has these things in their garage, somewhere in the house. There's stuff you have that people want to rent and borrow. And as long as you understand the risk that could come with that, you're going to be just fine. Now, Robert, let's wrap this up.

20:17So when it comes to side hustles, these low friction side hustles that we've shared, pick one. Don't pick three. Don't pick all five. Pick one. Pick one side hustle that fits your life and your skills. Start small, commit to it for three, four, five, six months even, track your actual earnings, and then decide if you want to scale it and if you want to add in another or maybe pivot to something completely different. The average American is one or two good side hustles away from complete financial breathing room. Maybe that's paying off their debt faster, building that emergency fund for the first time, actually investing toward their future, getting rid of their student loans or their credit card debt.

20:58You don't need to become a millionaire entrepreneur to do the right things financially. You might just need an extra 250, 500, or 1 ,000 a month more than what you're making already, and your life can completely change for the better, and that's what this episode is all about, identifying how to generate that extra 250, 500, 700, $1 ,000 a month doing these low-friction side hustles. Remember, you can always earn more. That's the opportunity. That's the hope. And that's what we want today's gig economy episode to make possible for people that are willing to put in those five, 10 extra hours a week of work.

21:35So the main takeaway for this episode is if you're living paycheck to paycheck or you feel like you're not getting ahead, you're not getting rid of those pesky credit card bills. This is the way to fix it immediately. Low friction side hustles that work. Get yourself ahead. We're not saying do it for life, but do it for a year or two to get ahead and get financially free and investing for your future. I had a blast talking through these, Robert. I hope our audience enjoys them as well. As always, we've got our Q &A section of our episodes where you guys ask us questions, whatever you want. Robert and I answer them off the dome.

22:10You can ask us questions inside of the Rich Habits Network. You can email us questions at richhabitspodcast at gmail.com or DM us questions on Instagram at richhabitspodcast. But before we answer our first question, got to give a shout out to Fundrise. That's right. You've all heard us talk about the importance of diversifying your investments for a while now and there could be a major opportunity today in private market real estate, especially with the market timing right now. We all know it's a hassle to be a landlord and could require a ton of upfront cash. We're instead focused on finding an option everyone can have access to.

22:47And that option is the Fundrise Flagship Fund. You can become a real estate investor, whether you have $50 or$5 ,000, and you'll have an entire team looking for opportunities to add to your portfolio. again on the Fundrise Flagship Fund. You'll gain access to the potential returns of real estate without the headaches of property management or maintenance. Check out the link in our show notes below to become a real estate investor today. As always, carefully consider the Fundrise Flagship Fund's investment material before investing, including objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. This and other information can be found in the Flagship Fund's prospectus at Fundrise.com slash flagship.

23:24I've been an investor on Fundrise Now since 2018. it's almost the end of 2025. Every month I deposit my, I think it's like$150 or$250 a month into the platform. It goes straight into this fund that we're talking about. I consistently do that. It's a great way to diversify my portfolio into other asset classes outside of just this AI hype that a lot of people claim we're in. So Robert, let's now jump to our first question from Ryan A. Ryan A says, Hey guys, I hope you end up seeing this email. I found your podcast a little over a year ago and at the time I was trying to become financially literate and understand how to best use my money to make a better life for myself and my future family.

24:03Last week I made it to my first hundred thousand dollars invested. My girlfriend and I are both in our mid-twenties. We both love listening each week and admire how you present information to such a diverse listening audience. Thanks for all you do and helping us and so many others to be set up for success. My question is, how do we move forward from here? We've got 100 ,000 invested. We max out our Roth every year. What do we consider to do next? Robert, you want to kick this one off? I love it. Ryan, great question. Congrats on being so young and crushing it and getting your base built. It makes me very, very happy that people are listening because down the road, it's going to be great for everyone involved if they just kind of follow along and take notes and take action.