Fastest Strategies to Make Extra Cash

After a few of our posts went viral online, we realized there’s a lot of curiosity around effective side hustles. So, we’re sharing the real methods we’ve used to build side income. In this article, we’ll break down the top side hustles we’ve tried, highlighting the ones that consistently pay and a few that weren’t worth the effort.

Important Tips Before Starting

• Don’t Email for Extra Tips – With so many questions coming in, it’s easier for everyone if questions are posted in the comments. We’ll answer what we can there.
• Focus on a Stable Income First – Side hustles are best for supplementing income from a main job, not replacing it. These work best for extra cash toward savings, hobbies, or short-term goals. If you don’t have a main job, getting one can be a better long-term strategy than diving into side hustles alone.

Side Hustles to Avoid: Low ROI or “Shit Tier”

You’ve probably come across side hustles that sound too good to be true. Here’s what we’ve found about these low-value gigs:

• Drop-shipping from AliExpress – Common but tough to succeed in without major time and resources.
• AI Art Print-on-Demand – Over-saturated, and returns are low for most people.
• Selling Wooden Pallets or Flipping Used Mattresses – Popularized by influencers, but it’s the content creators making the money, not the hustlers.

Unless you have specific expertise, these aren’t typically profitable and often require extensive experience or networking.

Low-Yield Side Hustles – “Low Tier” (Worth Trying for Beginners)

While these are low-yield, they’re decent for getting started if funds or side income are limited.

• Online Surveys – They can generate some income, though rarely much. We made about $30 in a month with Attapoll but moved on to better options.
• Crypto Apps for Small Earnings – Apps like CoinApp pay small amounts in crypto for activities like driving. It added about $50 in a month but is very situational.
• Dumpster Diving for Scrap Metal – Collecting scrap from legal construction sites and selling it can bring in $30 per load, with copper and aluminum fetching the best prices. Be sure to check local laws.

Mid-Yield Side Hustles That Pay Consistently – “Mid Tier”

These side hustles have yielded good results with moderate effort, so we’d recommend them if you’re looking for decent returns.

• Focus Groups – By far the best low-barrier option we’ve found. Companies pay for consumer feedback, and websites like User Interviews and Hivemind help match you to studies. We’ve earned about $3,000 over two years, averaging $100 per month.
• Get-Paid-To Sites – Apps like Swagbucks and Freecash pay users to download apps, play games, or interact with brands. We’ve made around $5,000 over three years, mostly from finance app downloads that pay $100+ per sign-up.
• Flipping Free Items – Using Discord, we get free products from Amazon merchants, some requiring a review. While we’ve only made around $30 flipping items, we’ve saved on essentials by keeping what we’d otherwise need to buy.
• Brokerage Account Churning – Brokerages often offer bonuses for new accounts, like Webull ($60 in shares) and Schwab’s Starter Kit ($101 for a $50 deposit). Over the past year, we’ve earned about $1,000 this way.

Top-Yield Side Hustles – “Top Tier” (Best ROI)

These high-ROI methods consistently bring strong returns and are worth the time for building side income.

• Bank Account Churning – Some banks pay new customers for direct deposits. This year, we earned about $800 doing this. Websites like Doctor of Credit help track deals to rotate banks and collect bonuses.
• Credit Card Churning – Similar to bank churning, credit card bonuses reward spending within a timeframe. We made about $1,100 this year from rewards, meeting spending requirements on things we’d buy anyway.
• Selling Blood Plasma – Plasma donation centers pay $60-$80 per visit, twice weekly. This brought in about $400 monthly, totaling thousands over a few years.
• Social Casino Counter-Gambling – Social casinos offer free login bonuses. We claim the free money and withdraw after meeting minimum playthroughs, often playing low-risk games like baccarat or blackjack. This method has netted us over $10,000 in two years.

Final Thoughts: Our Side Hustle Strategy to Save for Real Estate

With these methods, we’ve made substantial progress toward our goal of exploring the top side hustles We’re continuing with these side hustles, hoping to reach the funds needed to start our fixer-upper project by the end of the year.