If you’ve been hearing a lot about side hustles lately, you’re not alone. The term has slipped into our common consciousness in recent years—so much so that Merriam-Webster added it to its dictionary in 2022. “Side-hustle is a word on the move,” the entry says. “Although the precise definition of this term is still in a bit of flux, it appears to be centering on ‘work performed for income supplementary to one’s primary job.'” “In a bit of flux” is right. Having a side hustle means many things to many people. Some rely on the extra cash to pay their bills, others want a fun hobby that makes a little money, and still others want to build an entirely new business or career.
A 2023 Bankrate survey found that nearly 2 in 5 of all American adults now have side hustles, and more than half of all Gen Zers and millennials. Among these younger side-hustlers, 1 in 5 Gen Zers and 1 in 4 millennials hope to one day make their side gig their full-time job. Factors like the normalization of remote work and a general sense of economic instability have surely fueled this trend, but one thing is clear: It’s not slowing down. As one side-hustler, Justin Cambra, told us: “In today’s world, stability is from multiple sources of income. I’m trying to generate as many revenue streams as possible.” Hopefully, the following ideas will help you do just that.
