Want to make extra money on the side?
How do you earn more money while working full time?
Want to start a side-hustle and make extra money while working your 9-5? It's not as hard as you think. Click here for step-by-step guide to getting started by @simply__amanda #entrepreneur #millennial #success Click To TweetAre you working a 9-5 but struggling to make ends meet? Maybe you work in a toxic work environment and dream of escaping?
Is your paycheck just not cutting it? Well, the good news is that there’s a way to make extra money than just what you earn from your full-time job.
It’s called a side hustle! Side hustling is great because it’s a way to earn more cash on the side without having to find a second job or trying to make extra money within a rigid time frame.
Table of Contents:
Why You Should Invest Your Time and Energy To Make Extra Money
You can make money with side hustles on your own time and in the way that you want to. You’re in control.
Side hustles are really popular right now not just for the monetary aspect, but because they allow us to tap into our passions and be who we’ve always wanted to be before all those pesky bills came piling in.
But that’s the thing with 9-5’s – we not only have countless bills, loans, and expenses to take care of… but we also want to save up for that dream vacation we’ve always wanted or buy ourselves a little something nice every once in a while.
Sometimes things like that are just not feasible without a side hustle. You can’t improve your life and get ahead without making extra money on the side.
Why You Should Invest Your Time and Energy To Make Extra Money
There are plenty of reasons why you should start a side hustle. In fact, it could even be your best investment yet. It’s the perfect way to give yourself that raise that you might not be seeing at your full-time job.
It’s also a great way to put money away for a rainy day. Things happen — you never know what could come up in life and if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it’s hard to even think about having a little something extra set aside.
That’s why it’s so important to invest your time and energy into creating a profitable side hustle. Side hustles aren’t for everyone but if you learn to focus your time and be patient, you can definitely grow a budding little hustle.
You can still make extra money on the side without having to pick up another job.
But you might be wondering “how can I possibly start a side hustle while working full-time?!”
What’s the secret to building a side hustle when you’re pressed for time? It’s actually not as hard as you think. With the right strategies in place and a well thought out action plan, you could easily be making bank on the side.
So let’s dive into these 7 steps to making extra money on the side, while you’re on that 9-5 grind.
7 Steps to Make Extra Money While Working Full-Time
#1. Identify Your Skills and Strengths
This might be a no-brainer, but the first thing you need to do when you’re thinking of starting a side hustle is identifying your skills and strengths. Your side hustle will not thrive and succeed if you are doing something you are not very skilled at.
If it’s not your strong suit, it will be a bit more difficult to make extra money from your side hustle because you will need to spend more time learning and practicing so that you have the skill set needed.
Think about it:
What are you good at?
What are your strengths?
Are there any skills from your 9-5 that you could apply to your side hustle?
When you choose a side hustle that requires skills that you already excel at, it makes it much easier for you to be able to monetize and convert those skills into a money-flowing hustle.
#2. Discover Your Passion
The #1 mistake people make far too often is choosing something they are not passionate about for their side hustle. Your hustle is something you will be doing in your spare time when you’re not working. It’s not just about the money.
Those hours you could be doing something else, you’re hustling instead to create a better future for yourself. That’s why you need to love what you do or you will run the risk of burning out quickly.
When you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it shows through and people often pick up on that. In fact, it could even turn away potential customers from making purchases or hiring you and that’s the last thing you want, right?
Maybe you have a hobby that you’re absolutely passionate about.
Profit from Your Hobby
The good news is that hobbies have the biggest potential of turning into side hustles. If you’re a creative person and love hand-making things, that’s something you are passionate about and can make extra money from!
And if you’re multi-passionate, no worries! An excellent way to narrow down a passion that would make a great side hustle is by hopping on the web and seeing which one is most successful.
Ask yourself: “Which one is most popular? Which one has the most people looking to buy that product or use that service?”
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How To Start A Profitable Business That You Love
Then it should be clear what your side hustle should be. If you’re still unsure of what you could do with your particular skill set or passions, don’t worry! There are countless side hustle ideas for you to choose from based on what you like to do and what your personality is like.
If you an introverted creative, you might want to start a side hustle that isn’t so front a center with people or customer service. If you’re extroverted, you might want to interact with others more through your side hustle. Whatever the case may be, there is something out there for everyone.
#3. Define Clear, Actionable Goals
Making the time to actually work on the side hustle is something you really need to do if you want your side hustle to work, especially while you’ve got a 9-5. The best way to start is by defining clear, actionable goals for yourself.
What do you want to achieve with your side hustle?
Think about the end goal for the reason you’re starting a side hustle in the first place and then brainstorm what steps you need to take to make that happen.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with huge, unattainable goals. Start off one main goal and then create some mini goals to go along with it. Your mini goals can be short-term weekly or quarterly goals.
When setting your goals, make sure to be mindful of what your priorities are and create an action plan for how you will be achieving these goals. That way, you have a clear path to what you need to do to accomplish your goals for your side hustle.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: Intro to SMART Goal Setting for Your Passion Project
#4. Create a Schedule
The key to being able to put in time and effort into a successful side hustle that will help you make extra money is by creating a schedule.
You’re busy. Your full-time job takes a chunk of your time every single day. So the best way to make things happen for your side hustle is getting organized. Think about your work day and see what time slots work best for you.
Maybe you want to work on your side hustle every day after work. Or maybe you want to only work on it on the weekends or 2-3 days a week. It’s completely up to you and what you feel most comfortable doing. You do not want to overwork yourself.
Plan out a weekly schedule on paper or create a digital one. My favorite tool for planning out my week and sticking to a schedule is Google Calendar.
A full-time job can be a handful. Calendars and schedules simplify the process of adding a side hustle on top of it.
You’ll be able to set reminders, block your time by task, and reach your goals of a profitable side hustle even faster.
#5. Spread the Word
Building the side hustle itself is just half the battle.
You need to get your side hustle out into the world and in front of the right eyes. People need to know about it in order for it to become successful.
Tell your friends, family, and peers about it so that it can spread through word of mouth. You never know who might need your product or service and it’s great to expand your circle so you can get more clients.
You can also use social media to get your side hustle to spread like wildfire! There are so many people on social media nowadays and you’ll definitely be able to reach your target audience on there.
Who is your ideal customer or client? Think about the type of person who would benefit from your side hustle and think about where they would hang out. Facebook groups? Instagram? Pinterest?
Identify where the best place would be to reach them and go there!
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other side hustlers, creators, or influencers who have a similar target audience. An amazing way to get the word out about your side hustle is by collaborating with others. Collaboration is key to building a successful, profitable business and both collaborates will be able to benefit from working together.
Collaboration also helps you learn and grow which will seriously help in the long run towards your goals. You’ll also be able to get things done at a faster and more effective rate. It’s a win-win situation!
#6. Overcome the Impostor Syndrome
When trying to build a side hustle, things can get tough. Don’t let your fears get the best of you and don’t let negativity creep up on you.
Don’t give up. Sometimes we fall victim to the oh-so-popular Impostor Syndrome. The Impostor Syndrome is when you start to doubt yourself and your accomplishments because you don’t think you’re good enough.
You get this internalized fear that you’re somehow a “fraud” which is really not the case. You know what you’re doing. It’s easy to get frustrated and think the worst when you’re in the beginning stages of your side hustle.
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You want to make extra money, but sometimes it doesn’t happen as quickly as we’d like it to. And with Impostor Syndrome, any accomplishments that do happen, you tend to tell yourself it was pure luck.
So along with the hard work of building your side hustle apart from your full-time job, it’s important to remember to stay patient, confident and beat that Impostor Syndrome. Don’t let setbacks deter you from making that extra side cash.
Don’t forget that you are unique. You don’t need to be perfect because perfect doesn’t exist.
You got this!
#7. Find Your Community
A community is everything. Find other side hustlers you can relate to and make some new friends. It’ll help keep you motivated to put in the time and invest your energy to make extra money outside of your full-time job.
There are tons of other hustlers out there who are on that 9-5 grind too. Connecting, sharing and growing with other people in the same situation as you will help you get ahead with your side hustle.
Reach out to people in your community who are already doing what you want to be doing. Connect with those you find inspirational. They have been in your shoes before and can give you the guidance you need when you’re unsure of something.
When you connect with people on the same journey as you, you’ll be able to keep each other in check and be accountable.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 8 Reasons Why an Entourage Can Help You
Get your Side Hustle Finance Spreadsheet
Need help managing the money from your side-hustle or side-job? Get the Side Hustler Financial Tracker for your expenses and income.
Working hard and staying organized while you’re working full-time will help you make extra money and grow the successful and profitable side hustle you’ve always dreamed of.
Having the time and energy to create a side hustle from the ground up starts with you implementing these strategies to make it happen:
- Identifying your skills and strengths
- Discovering your true passion
- Defining clear, actionable goals that will help you accomplish things
- Creating an organized schedule
- Spreading the word about your side hustle
- Connect with people who are making extra money
- Overcoming the dreaded Impostor Syndrome
- Finding your community of full-timers who are building side hustles just like you
Stay confident and keep trying no matter what and you will reap the amazing benefits of making extra money on the side all while working your 9-5.
How will you make extra money on the side?

More About Guest Contributor
Amanda Montero is the creator of Simply Amanda, a lifestyle blog for millennial women interested in pursuing digital entrepreneurship and location independence. She is passionate about teaching women how to build a life you don’t need a vacation from. Amanda is also a Pinterest Manager, enjoys freelance writing in her spare time, and loves promoting financial freedom.
Last Updated on November 3, 2020
Patricia G. says
Your post immediately grabbed my attention–because I’m full time, and yet I still don’t make a living wage. I am strongly considering a side hustle. I have a question though, what kinds of side hustles are there? I would like to write (for money and passion) for someone or even review a few products I am already passionate about and love. Where would I go about this?
Amanda says
Side hustles are such a great way to supplement your income when you’re working full-time. There are SO many side hustle ideas out there for every skillset. You can definitely consider becoming a freelance writer and write articles for blogs through Upwork!
Charlie | The Barefoot Angel says
There are some great suggestions on here! I love the look of the financial tracker, feel like it would be really useful for me! 🙂
Amanda says
So glad you liked the suggestions, Charlie! The financial tracker is a real game changer!
Ayana Nell says
Such a fantastic list!! Finding a community is VERY important!! It’s so great to have people to ask questions to or discuss things that may be working or not working for you.
Amanda says
Totally agree with this! Side hustling can get hard if you don’t surround yourself with others who have done it before and have a similar mindset. That way, you’ll always be able to reach out to the people you look up to when you have any doubts or questions 🙂
Beatrice says
Awesome post!! Although I don’t work a 9-5 I do go to school so I could totally relate to a lot of this, with trying to balance school, extracurriculars, blogging, and a photography business I just started! My favorite tip is probably to spread the word – I tend to be shy about my blog but I’m definitely trying to be more open about it. It’s something I’m truly proud of, so it’s getting easier to let people check it out!
Beatrice | The Bliss Bean
Amanda says
Side hustling is a perfect way to make extra money for anyone, not just full-timers! It definitely helped me out through college. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there and sharing your blog proudly — it can turn into a really successful side hustle that way!
Sotiris Bassakaropoulos says
Some great suggestions and a well structured post, thanks for the information Amanda.
Amanda says
So glad you liked the post, Sotiris!
Liss says
This post is so motivating! I have a kind of side hustle, but I haven’t really been putting the effort in as I was feeling a bit… deflated, but this has perked me right up and I will be back at it in full swing now!
Amanda says
You got this, Liss! It’s so important to stay motivated and confident with your side hustle so you can reap the benefits later. Wishing you lots of luck!
Kimberly says
Super helpful and informative! This inspires to get more organized and serious about my blog.
Amanda says
Blogging is one of my favorite ways of side hustling. Keep at it, Kimberly!
Tami says
My plan has been haphazard. I see a few steps here that I need to add in. The imposter syndrome is one I battle despite all the compliments I receive on my work.
Amanda says
Imposter Syndrome is so real! Once you get past that initial negativity and you realize you have so much to offer the world, the motivation, inspiration, and success will follow 🙂
karen says
love these tips! i started blogging to make money on the side and i love it!
Amanda says
Isn’t it awesome?! Blogging is a great side hustle and definitely a great creative outlet too.
Bianca Dottin says
I’m all for making extra money on the side. Schedules are a great way to stay on track with everything.
Amanda says
Yes, they are! Just staying organized and keeping a schedule to stay on track makes a world of a difference!
Szebastian says
Handy Tips. I always say you need more than 2 income sources if you want to achieve your goals.
Amanda says
Definitely agree with this. It’s always a great idea to diversify your income!
Kristi McAllister says
I’ve considered a side hustle, but I really don’t know what’s out there. There are so many virtual assistants out there these days that it’s hard to stand out, so I agree with the Imposter Syndrome! I really love doing things like Pinterest cover boards. Maybe I’ll advertise that! Great post!
Amanda says
You can definitely do something with Pinterest board covers, Kristi! Perhaps you could do freelance Pinterest designs on the side 🙂
Marjie Mare says
Thanks for sharing those tips, I love the fact that we can make our passion profitable.
Amanda says
I agree! No matter what your passion is, there is always a way to monetize it and make it profitable enough to supplement your full-time job.
Natalie says
Loving your posts and how actionable they are!
Amanda says
Thanks so much for reading, Natalie!
Ronnie says
I’ve been doing side jobs for the past 5 years and it’s fully worth it! It can be hard at times and exhausting because I need a break from working as well, but the upside is that I’ve managed to save money and feel financially stable. It’s all due to making the extra money on the side. 🙂 Thanks for the wonderful tips! I hope you inspire more people to follow suit.
Amanda says
Side hustling isn’t always easy but the best part about it is just how flexible you can be with it. It definitely helps to increase your income and if it’s something you’re really passionate about, it can turn into a really great profitable hobby or business!
Tasheena says
These are really helpful tips. It’s so important to figure out what you’re good at to really make your side Hustle blossom.
Amanda says
Yes! It’s so important to find what your skills are and what you’re really good at to help build an amazing side hustle.
Fashion and Style Police says
I love the tips here. We all need to get rid of the imposter syndrome and work on our hustle.
Amanda says
Imposter syndrome is one of the biggest ways people get held back from making a profitable side hustle! With confidence and a positive mindset, you can definitely build a side hustle you LOVE 🙂
Beola Lawal says
Amazing tips here, it is important to start and grow your side hustle. Working 9-5 alone might not get you to where you want to be and those extra money do help a lot too.
Amanda says
So true. Depending on your goals, a 9-5 just might not be enough so it’s always nice to have that side money to cover bills, save up for vacation, or simply just for a rainy day!
Ola says
Side hustling is no easy feat. Especially if you already work full-time. In addition to what you’ve mentioned, simplifying one’s life is equally important. You have to take an honest look at your spending habits and cut, cut, cut. Then a side-hustle becomes profitable right from the start.
Amanda says
It can be hard but it’s definitely worth it if it’s something you’re very passionate about! Great tip on cutting your expenses so that your side hustle is profitable from the get-go. Love that!
Tif says
I love a good side hustle!! Finding blogging has done just that for me and I love it!
Amanda says
Blogging is such a great side hustle! So glad you’re loving it, Tif!
Monique says
Love these tips! I started my business as a side hustle while working 40+ hours a week at a full-time job!
Amanda says
That is awesome! It’s totally doable with the right strategy and being organized.
Aine Mulloy says
Great tips! So many people have other passions that are a great way to unlock creativity and some extra funds
Amanda says
Definitely! Why not use your creative outlet to make extra money?! It helps out a lot and can really help you save money for a rainy day.
Ascencia says
Wow, this is a really detailed post and super helpful!
Thank you for sharing :)))
Amanda says
So happy it helped out, Ascencia!
Giorgia says
Great tips! I totally agree with finding a community of like-minded people. Doing your own thing is amazing and so rewarding but it can get lonely.
Amanda says
It really can get lonely if you’re constantly hustling and not taking out some time to engage and connect with others around you doing the same thing. It helps you stay positive and confident in your side hustle!
Bryce | Sane Cents says
I really enjoyed your article! SO many articles focus on “Oh, start a dog walking business” or “Do photography for your friends and neighbors.” It was a pleasant and refreshing surprise to see you talk about the grit and grind behind the action of making money, rather than the actual businesses you can start. The biggest hurdle with making money (and just about everything else in mind) is the mindset, and you really nail that. Thank you!
Amanda says
Yes! Mindset is sooo important. You can look online all the different ways to make money but you really need to focus on the one you choose, do your research, and dedicate yourself.