I’ve never been the kind of person to enjoy working a traditional 9–5 job. As someone who has the attention span of a toddler, when I left university earlier this year, I could not fathom the prospect of getting a ‘regular’ job. Instead, I chose to embark on a series of ‘side quests’ and attempt to make a full-time income from multiple hustles. Here’s my experience.

1 . Dog sitting with Rover

~ £2000 a month

Let me start this one by saying — yes, you are getting paid to hang out with cute dogs all day. Yes, it is a great way to make money if you’re an animal lover like me.

However, if you were mistaken into thinking this is an easy hustle, you should try watching a homesick German Pointer who won’t let you sleep for a week and then come back to me. This is an incredibly rewarding hustle, but it is not one you can start and immediately begin making that kind of money.

Thankfully, having been sitting for nearly a year now, I have built up a fantastic client base of customers and their dogs who I know are a pleasure to sit. But in the early days, you will most likely come across your fair share of dogs that are untrained or have separation anxiety — both of which can impact the ease of this hustle.

I do a combination of sitting (both at my own home and staying with the dogs at their owner’s), walking dogs and feeding the odd feline when their owners are away on holiday. Stacking your days between these elements offered on the platform and sitting for households with multiple furry friends (at my current rates, extra dogs are charged at £20 a dog, per day) is how I’m currently reaching around £2000 a month sitting for an average of 4 days a week work.

If you feel like giving this side hustle a go, feel free to use my referral link to sign up as a sitter:

(We both receive £15 / $20 when you complete your first sit)

2. Virtual Assistant / Freelancing

~ £2000 a month

My main source of income is the work I do as an online freelancer. Companies outsource a variety of tasks to me to be completed — working from home and whatever hours work for me, as long they are completed within the given deadlines.

This is by far my favourite hustle on this list. Compared to a traditional office-based role, I’ve found the pay per hour to be significantly higher — and you don’t even have to leave your bed (as long as you have a laptop of course!)

I’ve learnt it is best to niche in areas that are of personal interest to you, as the hours go a lot faster when you are working on something you are passionate about.

The best way to get started is to sign up to platforms like Upwork. Often you’ll have to set your rates below what you’d like to be making to build up reviews and reputation. Once you can get past that initial stage, the earnings can be lucrative.

At this point networking is your biggest ally — after pursuing this for a while now, most of my clients come to me via word of mouth. I don’t have a website or any dedicated social media for this gig, yet I find myself booked out consistently. It is amazing how far going above and beyond for people will get you.

My longest-standing client I initially met when I was sitting her dog!

Currently, I am doing 2–3 days a week online freelancing and I am hoping to scale that up to 5 days a week in the coming months as I streamline other less successful hustles.

3. Staffing Agency Shifts

~ £500 — £1500 a month

A slightly less talked about hustle — everyone likes to talk about the next big thing, but sometimes going back to the classic side hustles is the best way to use your time.

Picking up agency shifts is usually a straightforward process. Pick a platform operating in your area, fill out a few forms on yourself and your experience and following a successful interview, you are ready to start.

The beauty of working agency is the flexibility that you simply don’t get working in a ‘normal’ role. There are options to work as office temps, warehouse staff or in hospitality, so this is a great option for some extra cash for people with a variety of skills.

In my experience, most agencies now have apps. You can open it up and book yourself onto a shift of your choosing. There are often shifts available even at short notice, so if you find yourself at a loose end one day/night why not use your time to be making some money?

My experience with this hustle has been a real mix depending on the company. I’ve had some shifts where agency staff were treated awfully by existing staff members (spoken to rudely, made to do all the work while regular staff watch on doing nothing) and on the other end of the spectrum, some lovely shifts at places I have worked at on and off for months and loved every second.

My earnings for this hustle vary a lot, as it really is a ‘when I have the time’ job. Earnings will differ depending on location, but as a general rule in the North of England you can expect to be paid £10-£15ph. Nothing massive, but as a filler for time I would otherwise be wasting, it’s a great help to my finances.

So, that's my list of side hustles that are currently occupying my time. Have you tried anything recently you’d recommend I give a shot? Let me know in the comments!