It’s 20 degrees outside, and I’m freezing my butt off. What are some winter side hustle ideas I can explore? You may be like me. I’m not a winter fan. I try to figure out ways to keep occupied during winter. Here are some side hustle ideas to think about.
1. Sell items on Ebay or Craigslist
More people look at their computer screens in the winter than in the summer. Try to monetize those eyeballs by selling things on online platforms. The cool thing about eBay is that you can sell almost anything on that platform. I sold many items there, and business picked up in the winter every year I sold on eBay.
2. Testing websites
Chances are you won’t be outside. It would be best if you did something profitable with all your free time. Testing websites will keep your mind off how cold it is outside. You’re also providing a great service. Not everyone is great at testing their work. If this is your thing and you like it, it is a very valuable skill.
3. Writing an ebook
Trying to write an e-book in the summer with all the sun and beaches is probably a non-starter on your part. As it gets cold, having a topic to focus on will help you get through those winter months. Writing is a process that takes time. You never know how popular it will be until you do it.
4. Run background apps on your phone
Do you have any old smartphones lying around? I have tons. Are you getting in use out of those phones other than being a backup incase you drop your phone?
There are many ways to earn money online. Did you know that you can install an app on your phone, share your internet bandwidth, and get paid for this? Yes, I was pretty shocked that this is real. Check out this how-to guide if you would like to give Peer2Profit a try.
5. Selling your books
Most of us spend a lot more time indoors during winter. I tend to read more books in winter because of this. You can go to your local thrift shop and find books. Sell what you see on eBay or Amazon. I’ve done this in the past. It doesn’t take a lot of knowledge and effort to do.
6. Selling your NFTs
Yes, some people think selling NFTs will burn the planet. However, many people aren’t educated that all NFTs aren’t created equal. If you would like to learn more about NFTs, check out our blockchain posts.
7. House sit
This can be a gold mine. Many people flock to warm locations during the winter. It’s very common for people to spend a month in a warm location in winter. When a person goes for an extended winter recess, they need someone to water the plants and ensure the pipes don’t explode during a frost that rolls into the area. You can be their house sitter and deal with any problems.
Can you make money sitting in houses? The short answer is yes. If you’re going on vacation, you want peace of mind. I’ve discussed getting paid to house sit in detail.
8. Removing snow
I cleared my parent’s sidewalk and driveway as a kid. I thought, wait, will people pay me to do this? Guess what they did. I live in a big city. Whenever it snows, people don’t know how to deal with it. We have laws where I live to make sure the sidewalks are clear so people can walk on them even when it’s snowing outside. Many people elect to use a service to remove the snow. It’s very easy to undercut the high price options in your area. Yes, this is event-dependent, but it’s lucrative.
9. Become a personal shopper
It’s cold and people want an easy button. Going out to shop for people can be an option. I think about people that are older. Providing personal shopping services for them can be very valuable for them. Cold and rainy weather can cause a lot of older people problems. No need to go down that path, shop for them.
10. Tutoring
The school year starts in fall. By the time we get to winter, the school year is in full swing. There are tens of thousands of students studying many subjects in winter. So there’s a pretty significant market for tutoring services. Why? Because people learn differently. Some people need additional help and tutoring is a great option.
11. Drive other people around
Uber and Lyft for the win. The cool thing about these platforms is that they’re everywhere. More people are ditching cars and trying ride sharing platforms. While driving for Uber and Lyft, you can prospect for customers. Your potential customers are sitting in your car.
12. Sell last season’s clothes
Most people can tell the difference between this and last season’s clothes. You can use this to your advantage. Older clothes are cheaper and can be a gold mine for you.
13. Start a blog
This is another activity to get your mind off the cold weather if you’re not a winter person. Blogging can be therapeutic and lucrative. It’s not that hard to get started. I like how blogging can take you anywhere you want to go. You could be in your house in the middle of a blizzard, but you’re writing about how much you love the mai tais in San Pedro.
14. Be an Arborist
Trees need attention. During the winter is when you want to do some activities with trees. Have you heard of winter burn? Trees can die from this, making them a fall hazard. If you’re an arborist, you can help people avoid this problem.
15. Be a Wilderness Instructor
Teaching wildness survival in the winter to me is great proof that you mean business. You out in the cold teaching. How badass is that? I think your students will listen more attentively due to it being cold. You put people in a forest. It’s cold and light snowing. No one wants to be cold. You have tips for being there and not being cold. You are providing a wonderful service to your students.
16. Make holiday cards
Many people still send Christmas cards every year. This is a tradition that people faithful follow. You can plug into this tradition but provide customized cards to your customers. If you’re artistic, you may want to give this serious thought.
17. Proofreading
It’s very hard to proofread your work. At least, that is the case for me. You wrote the work, and it’s easy to miss errors. Use this fact to your advantage. Find errors in other people’s work. This is a very valuable service to offer. Platforms like Fiverr have a lot of gigs that focus on providing this service. If you want to learn more about Fiverr, check out my Fiverr Forum series.
18. Leaf removal
Leaves are very valuable. When you see leaves, think compost. For compost, you need green and brown material. People generate green material every day. You eat a banana, which is green. You eat an apple, which is green. Most of the things you eat are greens. Here’s some information on composting if you need a refresher on how it works.
19. Become a Treasure Hunter
Think about how many people camp in the summer. People are having such a great time that they always leave valuable items by mistake. There are a lot of public campsites that go dormant in the winter. These are great targets to hunt for treasure. You can find anything from jewelry to fishing gear. People are having so much fun during the summer that they constantly lose things.
The best thing you can do to be a successful treasure hunter is to use the right tools. One tool that sets you up for success is a metal detector. I recommend the ACE 200 Metal Detector as a good starter metal detector. Here’s my review of this tool.
20. Selling Trading Cards
With little to no investment, you can start selling Pokémon or Magic the Gathering cards on a platform like TCGPlayer.