Hobbies are the things that we do to unwind when we’re not working. They’re the little tasks that we set for ourselves for our own entertainment. We do them because we enjoy them, and we look forward to the time we put aside for doing them. After a long or hard day at work, spending some time indulging in your favorite hobby is like a reward that you give to yourself for getting through it all.
For most people, hobbies are just hobbies. The work that we do during the day is what makes us our money, and we might even spend our money on those hobbies. What if we went a step further with them, though? What if our hobbies could also make us money, and top up the income we receive from our day jobs? What if our hobbies could even be a gateway to a whole new career?
Obviously, not every hobby is a potential money maker. There are some casual pursuits that are only suited to passing the time or providing us with entertainment, and that’s fine. Some hobbies, however, might hold the keys to a whole new way of living. Check out the five hobbies we’ve highlighted below, and see if you might be able to put the casual skills you’ve acquired to better use! If you want to check 5 ways to earn money during the Coronavirus, check Zenruption.
1. Photography
Everybody is a photographer these days. The quality of the cameras that come with our mobile phones has improved to the point that for most people, there’s no reason to buy a standalone digital camera. All of us have become accustomed to taking pictures of everything we see, from the meals we eat to the things we walk past on our daily travels. Some of us have a better eye for a photograph than others, though. Those of us that do might want to consider monetizing that ability.
There are various ways someone with a flair for photography can make a little cash on the side. People who are trying to put together a wedding on a budget need photographers. Arts groups and musicians are always looking for people to take pictures of their events. Even stock photography websites are always in need of new stock! You’ll want to learn how to use lighting effectively, and getting to know your way around Photoshop would be a big plus, but if you can do that, you’ll find that your photography hobby might give you plenty of spending money. In the UK, the average daily rate for a freelance photographer is around $100. If you could book yourself out for two or three days a month, that’s a serious pay rise you’ll have given yourself!
2. Dog Walking
If you’re a dog owner, you already have to walk your dog every day, and you probably enjoy doing it. Spending some time in the park or roaming around your home town with your pet in tow is a good way to get some time away from everything and recharge your batteries. Most dog owners would love to spend more time with their pets if they could, but not everyone has the luxury of time. Busy, professional people are always on the lookout for dog walkers, and if you can handle walking one dog, you can handle walking several.
We’ve seen some suggestions that dog walkers and pet sitters can earn up to $75,000 per year. That’s probably only true in major cities, but it gives you an idea of the money-making potential that’s out there. Specialist apps like WagWalker can help you get set up as a pet sitter or dog walker, and from there, the amount you make is governed only by the amount of time you can afford to spend doing it.
3. Gambling
We know there’s already such a thing as a professional gambler, but professionals spend their whole time gambling. There’s still some space to make money as an amateur so long as you know what you’re doing, and you’re sensible enough not to spend money you can’t afford to lose. Gambling is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world thanks to the creation of online slots websites and casinos, and the trend doesn’t appear likely to slow down any time soon.
Not all gambling hobbies can or should be viewed as reliable ways of making cash. You can teach yourself everything there is to know about online slots from the return to player rates to payline numbers, but success in that gambling format is still mostly down to luck. The players are happy when they win on online websites like Rose Slots, but they can’t rely on it happening. People who are skilled with cards, though, have a little more control over the situation. You can learn to be good at poker and blackjack, and that talent will make it easier to pick up extra cash from people less skilled at the format than you.
4. Baking
The worldwide success of the television show “The Great British Bake Off” tells us that baking is very much ‘in’ at the moment. You might also have seen the recent social media meme trend of ‘everything is cake.’ There’s a market for hyper-realistic looking cakes based on real-world objects at the moment, but you don’t have to join in with that. If you’re a good baker, people will always want your cakes and treats – and you’re living in the right age to find an audience.
Thanks to Instagram and the hashtags that are used on it, it’s easy to pick up an audience on social media by posting pictures of your bakery creations. Some of the people who appreciate your skill will also want to buy from you, and before you know it, you’ll be set up as a home baker. It might be a little slow to start off with, but once word of mouth starts to spread, you should find that orders start coming in rapidly.
5. Video Gaming
We don’t know what it says about the world that people can now earn huge amounts of money from filming themselves playing video games and letting other people watch. We do, however, know that there are teenagers who have become millionaires through their Twitch streams and their streams on other dedicated streaming websites. For millions of aspiring gamers all over the planet, this is the ultimate job.
The best thing about this is that you don’t even have to be especially good at playing video games – you just need to be charismatic and personable as a streamer. Streamers are effectively television presenters with their own gaming channels, and their audiences come to look on them as friends. The more they buy into you, the more they’ll spend to watch. Will this bubble last forever? Probably not, but why not take advantage of it while it’s there?
