I don’t believe you should go into a hobby simply with the desire to make money. However, if you have a hobby that you really enjoy, why not get paid for doing what you love? These are just 12 hobbies that can produce income, but there are certainly many more that would also do the same....
All work and no play leads to a very boring life. Hobbies are an excellent way to relax, unwind, and lose yourself doing something that you love.
However, many people have taken their hobbies a step further and begun to make money from them. That’s right; hobbies don’t have to just cost money—they can actually make you money. What’s better than getting paid to do something that you were already doing and that you love?
Here are some of the most popular hobbies that can make you some money:
Gardening
Many people garden because they enjoy getting their hands into the dirt and knowing where their food comes from and how it was grown. As you become more adept at gardening, you can make money from this hobby by selling your excess produce. You can do this by simply setting up a little garden stand at the end of your driveway, or you can sell the produce at a farmer’s market. Many people love to buy from a stand at the end of the driveway because they can get homegrown, local food at a reasonable price.
Photography
If you have a knack for taking photos, there are a variety of ways to make money with this hobby. You could sell your photos to stock photo companies, but that likely won’t make you much money.
One person I know loves taking scenic photos, so each Christmas, he turns 12 of his scenic photos into a calendar and sells them to family and friends for $12. He has hundreds of sales every year because his pictures are that good.
If you can handle the pressure and you’re good at working with people, you could make a tidy sum as a wedding photographer or a family photographer.
Writing
There are many ways to make money if you enjoy writing.
Freelance Writing
You could work online as a freelance writer, which is what I do. Bloggers look for writers to help produce content for their blogs, and many businesses have an online presence and are looking for writers to write for their sites.
Blogging
You could start your own blog if you’re so inclined, though it seems to be getting tougher to make money from blogs these days. However, a blog can be a good platform to showcase your writing skills.
Crafting
There are so many crafts that you may enjoy and make money from. Some include sewing, rug hooking, jewelry making, etc. With hobbies that are time-consuming, like rug hooking or sewing doll clothes or a quilt, you may not make a lot per hour. However, if you’re already sewing or rug hooking and you enjoy doing so, why not make money? One blogger I follow has been making primitive hooked rugs for 22 years. She has an Etsy store, and her rugs sell for anywhere between $49 and $449. If she’s already hooking rugs, why not make money from the hobby?
Working on Cars
My dad would only drive El Camino trucks. He would scour the countryside to find one, the more beat up the better. He’d pay a very low price for these cars, and then he’d spend hours refurbishing them. He loved doing this; it was a hobby that kept him occupied for hours every week. Because he did the work himself, the expense to refurbish the car was fairly low. When he had the El Camino in beautifully restored condition, he’d sell the car at a hefty profit and start the cycle over again.
If you like working on cars, this type of car flipping would make you money, or you could repair other people’s cars.
Fitness Instructor
If you love to exercise, you can make money working as a fitness instructor. Fitness instructors can generally choose their hours, and they may be paid hourly or by the class, making approximately $22 to $30 an hour. In addition, you may get extra perks such as a free gym membership and free childcare at the gym when you teach your class. The perks vary based on the company for which you work.
If you love to exercise and are great with people, you can be assured you will always get your workout in by teaching others in a fitness class.
Baking
If you enjoy baking, you may be able to make a nice side income. My mom always made Pumpkin Rolls and Ho Ho Cake for Christmas celebrations, and people raved about both desserts. After she retired, she started making these to sell to family and friends around the holidays. She made several hundred dollars doing this, which was enough to cover the Christmas presents she wanted to buy.
You could also do this. Be advised that if you want to sell your baked goods in a more formal setting like at a farmer’s market, you may need to get a license to sell products that you’ve baked in your home, or you may need to bake at a certified kitchen.
Social Media Virtual Assistant
Do you spend too much time on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media venues? Do your posts get lots of likes and comments? If so, you may be able to garner your social media savvy into a side gig. Many businesses are looking to grow their social media presence, but they don’t know how to go about doing it. They are looking for freelancers who can help them. Chances are, once you get your first client, you’ll likely get more through word-of-mouth referrals.
Web Design
If you’ve got a knack for web design, you’ll likely have no trouble making money. Many small businesses want to develop a web presence, but they don’t know how to create a web page. Hiring web designers is difficult because there aren’t many available who want to work for small businesses with a limited budget. These are your ideal first clients.
Refereeing
If you love going to local high school or extracurricular sports games, and you used to play the sport yourself, why not consider being a referee? You may need to get certified, and you have to have a thick skin to handle fans who disagree with your calls. However, you’ll likely make $30 to $50 per game. Ref a few games a week, and you have a nice little income stream.
YouTube Vlogging
While you’re taking part in all of these hobbies, why not film what you’re doing and share it on YouTube? I’m sure that if you refurbished cars, for example, you would likely find an eager audience to learn how to do what you’re doing every step of the way.
If you can teach people how to do something that most of the general population doesn’t know how to do, you’ll likely earn a growing following (and income) on YouTube.
Conclusions
I don’t believe you should go into a hobby simply with the desire to make money. However, if you have a hobby that you really enjoy, why not get paid for doing what you love? These are just 12 hobbies that can produce income, but there are certainly many more that would also do the same.
