How to Make Money from Hobbies (Get Paid to Have Fun!)

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While there is no shortage of ways to make money, it’s no secret that not all of them are the most enjoyable. So in this post, I want to talk about how to make money from hobbies.

I’m sure that for most of us, there can be a dilemma when deciding whether to do something we enjoy or something that makes good money.

This begs the question: are there any decent ways to make money without selling your soul?

To that end, any one of these could also be considered a side hustle. What makes it a hobby comes down to whether you really enjoy doing it or not.

That’s what we’ll attempt to answer in this post. Not everyone enjoys the same things though, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if any of these sound appealing.

But before we go into some ideas, let’s break down why so many of us have that dilemma!

Providing Value

When it comes to making money, you are paid to create value.

That value can take many forms–it can be monetary or sentimental. Perhaps you help companies increase their profits or maybe you are a family photographer.

You might be fixing broken things, installing new ones, or packaging goods/services in a way that makes things easier for the consumer.

Another thing people are willing to pay for? Convenience. This mostly applies to consumers, though it can apply to businesses, too.

And if you are able to provide goods/services to consumers that they are unwilling or unable to do themselves, you are adding value.

But the thing about hobbies is you sometimes have to get creative. People aren’t willing to pay you to play video games–unless you win prize money in an eSports tournament or something.

Value can take many forms. But at the end of the day, if someone pay s you for it, it is indeed valuable.

So, What Are these Money Making Hobbies?

Right, let’s go ahead and jump into some hobby ideas. Needless to say, these hobbies are just some ideas.

Everyone has different hobbies, and if you can get creative enough to make your hobby create value for someone, by all means, do that!

1. Photography

You didn’t think I was going to mention photography above and not down here, did you? While photography can be an expensive hobby, it can be a money making hobby, too.

Many people need photos – from the aforementioned family to weddings and many other occasions. Becoming a freelance photographer can be a great way to earn money.

2. Review Your Favorite Products

I’ll admit that this has always been something of a dream of mine. If you have a knack for partnering up with brands and can get them to send their products to you, you can get paid for stuff you love using.

Sure, the job part of this is still a ton of work, but refer back to the section about adding value. Still, of the ways to get paid, I would rank this one quite high, personally.

3. Play Online Games

If you find other lists like this one, chances are, none of them mention Entropia Universe. But I thought I would mention because I actually play it myself.

I should say that for a long time, EU was marketed as a game where you could make real money. That’s because it has a real-cash economy, where you can both deposit and withdraw money.

That said, most people who try to make money don’t make much. And it’s tougher than it used to be. Some people still make money though, from providing services, trading, and investing.

It’s definitely not easy to make money if I haven’t made that clear enough, but it can be done. So if you enjoy the game, it could be a great hobby.

4. Become a Streamer

Related to the above is become a game streamer on a site like Twitch. Twitch is one of the largest game streaming sites in the world and is now owned by Amazon.

One of the main ways people make money this way is by becoming what’s known as an affiliate. There are specific requirements for being a Twitch affiliate:

If you can meet all of the requirements, you’ll get to split subscriptions to your channel with Twitch, 50/50.

5. Thrift Store Flipping

This is something I’ve been wanting to get into myself for a while, though I’ll admit, it does take some patience. And some knowledge, too.

Still, people bring in all kinds of stuff to thrift stores–from items made in the past year to items made a century ago.

And if you know what the real treasures are, it can be like finding, well, actual treasure.

6. Furniture Flipping

Technically, this one can overlap with thrift store flipping. That’s because you can often find furniture at thrift stores.

However, people who flip thrift store items usually buy them and sell them right away. On the other hand, those who flip furniture will often restore it to some extent–either by painting it, staining, or some kind of repair.

7. Dog Walking

If you’re new around here, you probably don’t know that I’m a dog walker on Rover. I tell people I mostly do it for fun because it doesn’t pay a whole lot.

But, also, I really love dogs. Seriously. And I couldn’t get a dog where I live currently (part of my lease agreement), so that means it’s out.

Regardless, this is a great hobby that does pay a bit, so it’s worth a try if you love dogs as much as I do.

8. Become a Food Tour Guide

I don’t actually know how common this is, but Jen from Budget Epicurean does it and it does sound like a lot of fun.

So what’s a food tour? Basically, it’s a tour of the city, but it’s entirely on foot. Tour guides tell guests about the city, its architecture, and the like.

But what makes it different is you’ll also be taking people to local restaurants and introducing them to local cuisine.

9. Start a Blog

Making money from blogging is no easy endeavor, but as long as you have realistic expectations, it can be worthwhile.

In fact, many of the most successful bloggers started a blog as a hobby. While the monetization aspect does require having a plan in action, it can be a great money making hobby for those who enjoy it.

10. Create Premium Content for Websites

There is a huge market for creating premium content for websites. This might mean blogs, but nearly every business should have a website of some kind.

And there are lots of things you can create: themes, plugins, marketing tools, and so on. If you can help businesses make their brands more effective in some way, you’ve got a product you can sell to them.

11. Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is something many bloggers do as a way to make money as more of a job. That’s particularly true if their blog isn’t monetized yet.

In fact, I have dabbled in freelance writing myself. As I said, you can treat it as a job–or you can treat it as a hobby. Perhaps it’s something you only do part-time.

When I started getting into freelance writing, decided to purchases Holly Johnson’s Earn More Writing course because I know she is one of the best in the business.

If you didn’t know, Holly often earns over $30,000 per month just from freelancing, so I had to learn everything I could from her. The course goes in-depth with 8 actionable videos, all of which are 15 minutes or longer, plus several freebies and other material.

This course is incredibly valuable and helped me land several freelance clients.

Whatever your approach, if you really enjoy writing, this is a good money making hobby.

12. Become a DJ

I know people who used to DJ at certain points in their lives. Although one can require a lot of cash to start (audio equipment is expensive), it’s not as expensive as it used to be.

If you love music and love keeping people entertained, this money making hobby could be right for you.

13. Investing

While I generally recommend investing in index funds, some people do like to invest as a hobby. Oftentimes they’ll invest small amounts of “play” money–say $50 or so.

You might invest that money in a newer company you’re excited about, buy cryptocurrency, or some other type asset. Or you can use M1 Finance to buy shares in individual companies.

The point here is that while this type of investment isn’t necessarily a reliable one, it can be fun. Needless to say, that’s especially true if it skyrockets in value.

14. Sell Crafts on Etsy

I am certainly not the craftiest person myself, but if you enjoy making things, this could be a great money making hobby.

People sell all kinds of things on Etsy–from jewelry to printables to clothing and a whole lot more. If that sounds like your kind of thing, check it out for sure.

15. Raise Chickens

Realistically, it will probably be tough to turn a significant profit with this one. As you probably know, chicken eggs are cheap. That makes turning a profit difficult.

Still, at the very least, you can probably save some money on eggs you would normally buy for yourself. If you have a large family, it’s all the more beneficial.

I have actually chicken-sat for a friend who was out of town before. They are quite low maintenance and, personally, I think they’re hilarious.

What’s Your Favorite Money Making Hobby?

For now, I have just listed a few money making hobbies to start. I do intent to add to this list over time.

That being said, do you have any favorite hobbies to make money that I didn’t mention? Do you have a favorite? If so, let us know in the comments.