About the Author
Glen Meade
Founder, SideQuestHustle
Side hustling for 20+ years · Publishing SideQuestHustle since 2025
Hi, I'm Glen Meade. I have been side hustling for over 20 years, including food delivery and rideshare driving. I started SideQuestHustle because most "make money online" articles skip the part that matters: what a side hustle actually pays after fees, gas, taxes and the hours nobody counts.
Every guide here is researched, not a personal diary. Pay ranges come from the platforms' own pay pages and terms, public data such as the IRS and BLS, and figures that workers report publicly. Where the numbers vary a lot by city or season, we show a range instead of a single hopeful number.
The calculators let you plug in your own numbers before you commit time or money. No fluff, no "earn $5000 in your first week" nonsense, just honest info about what each option really involves. This is research, not professional financial or tax advice.
Expertise Areas:
- ✓ Gig Economy Platforms
- ✓ Freelancing & Remote Work
- ✓ Passive Income Strategies
- ✓ Financial Planning
- ✓ Entrepreneurship
- ✓ Market Research
Four things that pay for themselves
Every hustle on this page has a bottleneck, and it is usually equipment rather than effort. These four remove the most common ones, and each is cheap next to what it unlocks.
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Under $150
The gap between phone audio and this is the gap between a channel nobody finishes and one people subscribe to. Pays for itself on the first sponsored read.
Check price on Amazon →
UBeesize Ring Light with 62 in Tripod
Under $50
Good light is the cheapest thing that makes content look professional. Works for video, product photos and client calls.
Check price on Amazon →
KNAON Thermal Shipping Label Printer
Under $50
If you are reselling, this ends the ink-and-tape routine entirely. Most people who buy one say it is the purchase that made shipping tolerable.
Check price on Amazon →
MNN 15.6 in Portable Monitor
Under $50
A second screen anywhere. The single biggest speed-up for anything involving copying between two windows, which is most freelance work.
Check price on Amazon →
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