In this article, I am going to be sharing with you side hustles that you can do with limited time, and that have a big return on time investment. No fluff, no BS, or anything that I wouldn't recommend. I am not going to be recommending side hustles that make you less then $100.00 an hour. Each side hustle here has the potential of making you $100.00 an hour or more. I've been doing side hustles since I was in college....so the majority of these side hustles, I have done myself or have seen other people close to me do. It's a-lot to be juggling going to college, balancing family/friends, staying healthy, etc. I'm a firm believer that time is money. College can take up a-lot of time, so the goal is to make the MOST amount of money in the shortest amount of time.
Side Hustle Idea #1: Working at a high end restaurant 1-2 times a week.
This is my favorite one because I worked at fine dining restaurants during my time in college, and made an insane amount of cash via tips. The trick here is to apply at high end restaurants. The reason behind this is because high end restaurants have pricier menus and guests tip off the check amount. For example, let's say a bill from a table is $500.00, and on the low end, guests tip "10%". You could be making 10% off $500.00. If I had to recommend any side hustle from my list, it would be this one. I really enjoyed being able to walk out with cash at the end of the night. The way to snag this side hustle is by applying during the busy seasons in your area. For most it could be during the summer!
Side Hustle Idea #2: Babysitting during the holiday season or summer
When I was 18, I started babysitting for a busy mom who needed someone to help her with her adorable toddler during the busy holiday season. She was paying me above traditional market rate for babysitting because her hours were sporadic due to the holiday season. The first time I babysat for her, it was for two hours, and she paid me $175.00 AND gave me an additional tip for helping her with some light household duties. Of course, this isn't the case for every babysitting gig, but some parents are willing to pay top dollar for reliable, babysitting services. If you do a great job, those parents WILL refer you to other parents they know!
Side Hustle Idea #3: Flipping Furniture
This side hustle in MY opinion, takes up a bit more time, but can have a VERY BIG ROI. I did this with a piece of furniture, and gave it a fresh set of black paint to make it look modern and rustic, and then flipped it. I feel like this one takes a bit more time because you have to acquire materials, but you can literally turn side hustle to become EXTREMELY profitable.
Find trendy furniture pieces at your local thrift store and buy them. You can even find some for free that people may be giving away on FB marketplace.
Buy them and clean them up. Maybe give them fresh paint, try to get rid of any stains, etc.
List it on FB marketplace for a higher price. Take into account the time it took you to fix it up, and any other costs associated with it.
FLIP IT!
Side Hustle Idea #4: Tutoring Online
This is one that I personally didn't do, but had alot of friends in college do them. All you need is a laptop/computer, reliable to the internet, and skilled in one subject. There are so many platforms that you can choose to tutor from but from the research I have done, you can make more money by finding your own clients to tutor. Posting on local Facebook groups or and asking if anyone needs a tutor can be super helpful to get visibility.
Biggest TakeAways:
You can have profitable side hustle during your college years, but you do have to put in the work and put yourself out there a bit. I was able to earn very good money even being young because I was willing to test the waters and see what worked. Starting a side hustle as a college students teaches you great skills that you can apply as soon as you graduate from college.