10 Fun Things to Do That Actually Earn Money

Looking for ways to mix fun with earning some extra cash? Here are 10 enjoyable activities that can put money in your pocket.

1. Making Homemade Videos

I’ve personally seen success in this area, having licensed several videos and earning over $6,000 in royalties so far. Really, all you need for a hit YouTube video is a camera and a novel idea. Forget about elaborate props or a scripted plot. It’s about capturing something genuine and engaging, whether that’s with just your camera and a bit of imagination.

Think about the range of content that’s out there and popular. Videos of cute cats, a person dressed as Batman doing mundane tasks, cleverly staged hidden camera scenarios, or even simple water balloon pranks have all found their audience. These ideas were simple but struck a chord with viewers.

At the end of the day, it’s about having a fun idea and a basic plan to bring it to life on video. Record it, upload it to YouTube, and share it with friends. It might not become an overnight sensation, but it also just might.

2. Raising a Garden

Cultivating a plot of land and watching your planted seeds grow into fruitful plants is a special experience. It’s not just about gardening, it can also help you save and earn money. When you choose heirloom varieties, you can save the seeds for next season, cutting down costs.

Gardening can reduce your grocery bills as you eat what you grow. You can also sell excess produce. This could be through social media, a local farmers’ market, or a simple stand in front of your house. Btw, there are ways to get free seeds and free compost in many communities, which helps lower the starting costs.

3. Baking or cooking

If you have a talent or gift for it, can be more than just a hobby. It can be a pathway to earning extra income and potentially into a small business. Whether it’s baking cakes, cookies, bread, or preparing gourmet meals, there’s a market for homemade, high-quality food.

You can start by selling to friends, family, or local community events. Social media is a powerful tool to showcase your creations and attract a wider audience. Farmers’ markets and local fairs are also excellent places to sell your baked goods or meals.

Interested? Check out these 7 Easy Foods to Sell to Make Money.

4. Renting Out a Room

By listing it on Airbnb, you can turn an unused space into a profitable one. It’s not only about the money, you also get to meet people from different places, which can be pretty exciting.

5. Mystery Shopping

As a mystery shopper, you’re hired by companies to visit their stores, restaurants, or other businesses and act like a regular customer. The catch is, you’re actually evaluating the business based on customer service, cleanliness, product quality, and overall experience.

After your visit, you’ll usually fill out a detailed report or survey about your experience. This feedback is valuable to businesses looking to improve their customer service or check on how their employees are performing.

The best part about mystery shopping is that you often get to keep the products you buy, on top of getting paid for the assignment. It’s a great way to get free meals, products, or services while earning money.

6. Playing Video Games

There are a lot of free or affordable computer games, like League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, that are not only fun to play but also offer deep gameplay experiences. These games have a large online audience who enjoy watching live streams of gameplay on Twitch.

If you’re into video games, consider streaming your play sessions. Setting up a stream is easy, whether you’re using an Xbox Series X, a PS6, or a PC. Consoles have built-in streaming capabilities, and for PC, you can use free software like OBS. Adding commentary to your gameplay can really enhance your stream, especially if you have a microphone. From my experience, engaging and entertaining commentary is a key way to attract and build an audience.

A great tactic is to play through classic niche games and add humor to your commentary, much like you would if you were playing with friends.

7. Crafting and Selling

If you have a crafting skill you’re passionate about, why not turn it into a small business? Whether it’s creating custom sketches from photographs, being a talented fantasy artist, making handmade metal signs, keychain fobs, or knitting scarves, there’s a market for your craft.

Selling your creations on Etsy is a straightforward way to start. Setting up a shop on Etsy is relatively simple. You sign up, list your items with photos, and set reasonable prices. A good description of your items can help attract buyers who are looking for unique pieces or gifts.

But don’t stop at Etsy. You can also promote your items on social media platforms like Facebook, sharing them with friends and family.

8. Playing Music

Do you enjoy sitting around and playing songs on your guitar or piano? You have fun, but you’re not quite good enough to play professionally?

That shouldn’t stop you from recording it and selling it. There are a lot of things you can do to make some money off your music.

You can simply play a song (ideally, one you’ve written yourself to avoid copyright issues) and list that song on online music stores. You can also make a video for that song and post it on YouTube (with ads enabled, of course). That way, you can make at least a bit of money from your recording.

You can give lessons, teaching others how to play. You can advertise on places like Craigslist for music lessons face-to-face, but you can also do things like record videos of your lessons and post them online.

If you live in a city or a town with a compact downtown, you can try busking — performing in the street or a subway station. (Subways or narrow streets work best if you don’t have an amplifier.) Tourists and commuters alike may appreciate the ambiance, and tips of a dollar or quarter at a time can add up quickly. At the worst, you’ll get some valuable practice performing in public; but you can make some decent money, too.

9. Pool Cleaning Service

When you’re cleaning pools, especially in fancy neighborhoods, you often get to check out some incredible mansions. It’s like a sneak peek into how the other half lives. Each day is different. You might be at a huge house one day and a cozy family home the next.

10. Start a Blog

Pick a topic you’re passionate about, whether it’s cooking, travel, technology, or anything else. Setting up a blog is pretty straightforward, and sharing your knowledge or experiences can attract readers who share your interests.

Over time, you can even monetize your blog through ads, affiliate marketing, or sponsored content.

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