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I Tried 5 Popular Online Side Hustles for a Month. Here’s Exactly How Much I Made.
We’ve all seen the videos. The TikToker who pays their rent by selling digital planners on Etsy. The YouTuber who makes thousands from a faceless channel. The promise of making real money online, from the comfort of your couch, is more alluring than ever.
But is it actually realistic for the average person?
Tired of seeing the hype without the reality, I decided to put it to the test. For 30 days, I dove headfirst into five of the most talked-about online side hustles. I wasn’t aiming to get rich; I just wanted to see what was possible with a few extra hours each week.
Here’s the unvarnished truth about what I did, how much time it took, and—most importantly—how much cash I actually pocketed.
Side Hustle #1: Freelance Writing on Upwork
The Promise: Use your writing skills to earn a great hourly rate. Companies are always looking for blog posts, website copy, and emails. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr connect you with them.
My Experience: I have a background in marketing, so I felt this was a natural fit. I created an Upwork profile, uploaded a few writing samples, and set my starting rate at a modest $30/hour to attract my first clients. The first week was crickets. I spent about 4 hours just sending proposals and tweaking my profile.
Finally, I landed a small gig: writing a 500-word blog post for a local real estate agent for a flat fee of $40. It took me about an hour and a half, including research. Later in the month, I secured a slightly larger project: writing three product descriptions for an e-commerce store for $100.
The Verdict:
- Pros: The potential to earn a decent hourly rate is real. You’re building a tangible skill and a portfolio.
- Cons: It’s highly competitive. Getting that first job is the hardest part, and you have to spend unpaid time searching for work. Platform fees also take a cut (Upwork took 10%).
Time Invested: Approximately 12 hours (including searching for jobs).
Total Earned: $126.00 (after Upwork fees).
Side Hustle #2: Website User Testing
The Promise: Get paid to give your opinion. Companies pay you to navigate their websites and apps while speaking your thoughts aloud. It’s usually around $10 for a 15-20 minute test.
My Experience: This was by far the easiest hustle to get started with. I signed up for UserTesting.com and IntelliZoom. After a quick practice test to get approved, I started seeing available tests in my dashboard.
The key here is speed. Tests are first-come, first-served. I kept the dashboard open while doing other work. Whenever a test popped up, I’d try to grab it. I managed to complete 8 tests over the month. They were genuinely interesting—I tested everything from a new banking app to an online mattress store.
The Verdict:
- Pros: Extremely easy. No special skills required, and the pay-to-time ratio is excellent when you can get a test.
- Cons: The work is incredibly inconsistent. Some days I’d see five tests I qualified for; other days, there was nothing for a week straight. You can’t rely on this for steady income.
Time Invested: Approximately 3 hours.
Total Earned: $80.00
Side Hustle #3: Selling Digital Products on Etsy
The Promise: The holy grail of “passive income.” Create a digital product once (like a printable planner, a resume template, or a social media graphic) and sell it over and over again.
My Experience: I decided to create a set of minimalist resume templates using Canva (which has a free version). I spent a solid weekend—probably 8 hours—designing five different templates, creating attractive listing photos, and writing keyword-rich descriptions for my new Etsy shop.
Then, I waited. For two weeks, nothing happened. I made my first sale in week three: a $7.99 template. The Etsy and transaction fees took about $1.20. In the final week of the month, I made two more sales.
The Verdict:
- Pros: It’s genuinely passive after the initial setup. Waking up to a sales notification is a great feeling.
- Cons: It is a ton of upfront work with no guarantee of a payoff. The market is saturated, so you need good design and marketing skills to stand out.
Time Invested: 9 hours (mostly upfront).
Total Earned: $20.37 (after fees).
Side Hustle #4: Taking Online Surveys
The Promise: Earn money and gift cards from your couch just by answering a few questions. Platforms like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are famous for this.
My Experience: I have to be honest: this was a soul-crushing experience. I signed up for two popular survey sites. I’d spend 10 minutes filling out pre-qualification questions only to be told, “Sorry, you don’t qualify for this survey.”
When I did qualify, the pay was abysmal. A 25-minute survey might pay 75 cents. I spent hours clicking boxes, giving my data away for what felt like digital pennies. I eventually cashed out for a $10 Amazon gift card, which felt like a victory only because I was finally done.
The Verdict:
- Pros: The barrier to entry is zero. You can do it while watching TV.
- Cons: The pay is astronomically low. You’re likely earning less than a dollar an hour. It’s tedious and repetitive.
Time Invested: Approximately 6 hours.
Total Earned: $10.00 (in a gift card).
Side Hustle #5: Social Media Management for a Local Business
The Promise: Many small businesses know they need social media but don’t have the time. Offer to manage their accounts for a monthly fee.
My Experience: Instead of a big platform, I went local. I noticed my favorite neighborhood coffee shop had an Instagram account but only posted once every few weeks. I went in, bought a latte, and struck up a conversation with the owner. I offered to create and schedule three posts a week for them for one month, for a simple flat fee. She agreed!
I spent about two hours a week taking photos, writing captions, and engaging with their followers. It was fun because I already loved the business.
The Verdict:
- Pros: Can lead to a steady, recurring monthly income. You can build a real relationship with a client and see a direct impact.
- Cons: It requires stepping out of your comfort zone to find clients (online or in-person). You have to be organized and deliver results.
Time Invested: 8 hours.
Total Earned: $200.00
The Final Tally
Here’s the breakdown of my 30-day experiment:
| Side Hustle | Time Invested (Approx.) | Total Earned | Approx. Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Management | 8 Hours | $200.00 | $25.00/hr |
| Freelance Writing | 12 Hours | $126.00 | $10.50/hr |
| User Testing | 3 Hours | $80.00 | $26.67/hr |
| Etsy Digital Products | 9 Hours | $20.37 | $2.26/hr |
| Online Surveys | 6 Hours | $10.00 | $1.67/hr |
| TOTAL | 38 Hours | $436.37 | $11.48/hr (Avg) |
My Biggest Takeaways
- “Get Rich Quick” Is a Lie. My most profitable hustles required a real skill (writing, social media) or a bit of luck and speed (user testing). The “easy” money (surveys) paid almost nothing.
- Your Best Hourly Rate Comes From Skills. User testing had a great hourly rate, but the work was capped. The hustles with the highest potential were freelance writing and social media management, where I could eventually raise my rates and take on more clients.
- Passive Income is a Long Game. My Etsy shop earned a measly $2.26/hour for my time this month. But that work is done. If it continues to sell over the next year, that hourly rate will climb without any more effort from me. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
- Don’t Underestimate Local Connections. My biggest win came not from a massive global platform, but from talking to a business owner down the street.
So, can you make money online? Absolutely. An extra $436.37 in a month is nothing to sneeze at. It can cover a car payment, groceries, or a fun weekend away. But it’s not magic. It takes time, effort, and a healthy dose of realism.
My advice? Skip the surveys, pick a skill you enjoy, and start small. Your bank account will thank you.
