15 guides
Side income guides
Honest guides to earning extra money on the side. General education, not tax or legal advice, and no promises about what you'll earn. No gig app or platform pays us.
Choosing a side gig
Realistic expectations, gig apps, freelancing and selling.
- Side income basics: realistic expectations
What a side gig can do for your budget, and what it can't.
- Gig apps explained: delivery, rides and tasks
Flexible, quick to start, and you cover the costs.
- Freelancing with a skill you already have
Writing, design, bookkeeping, tutoring, repairs and more.
- Selling things you own (and flipping)
Quick cash from clutter, and when reselling becomes a business.
Earning more per hour
Real hourly pay, rates, clients and avoiding burnout.
- Work out your true hourly pay
Count all your hours and all your costs.
- How to set your freelance rates
Cover costs, taxes and unpaid time, then check the market.
- Finding your first clients
Start with people who already know you.
- Protect your time and avoid burnout
A side gig should help your life, not take it over.
Taxes and paperwork
Self-employment tax, quarterly payments, forms and records.
- Taxes on side income: the basics
Self-employment tax, income tax and what you can deduct.
- Quarterly estimated taxes, explained
Pay as you go, and avoid underpayment penalties.
- 1099 forms: what you might get
1099-NEC, 1099-K, and what to do if you don't get one.
- Track mileage and expenses from day one
Good records lower your tax bill and show what's worth it.
Staying safe
Scams, insurance and your day job.
- Side-gig scams to watch for
If you have to pay to work, it's not a job.
- Insurance for side gigs
Your personal policies may not cover business use.
- Side gigs and your day job
Check the rules before you start.