6 unconventional side hustles for fun and profit

Tired of the same old side hustle suggestions? It’s time to think outside the box. There’s a world of unique opportunities that go beyond traditional part-time gigs. And these unconventional side hustles offer fun and profitable ways to work.

Here are six creative ways to hustle your way to extra cash.

Manage games

If you’re a lover of tabletop role-playing games and have an aptitude for storytelling, StartPlaying is a worthy try. Here, you can become a Game Master and play games at your own pace and on your own terms.

StartPlaying allows you to design your own campaigns, decide how many players can join, what to charge players, and whether your games are combat-heavy, lighthearted, or open to player input. Success hinges on creating a compelling profile. Highlight your game style, mission focus and any unique twists you bring to the table. This helps attract the right players who are likely to become repeat customers and leave glowing reviews.

The platform takes a 10% commission from GM earnings. Payments are processed quickly — usually within 24 hours of completing a session. StartPlaying also offers resources to boost your chances of success, like tips for describing your games and enhancing your profile.

Offer friendship

If you’re a people person and like making new friends, RentAFriend might be the ideal unconventional side hustle for you. It lets you become a paid, friendly partner for people who want to share activities, events or simple trips with someone else.

You choose your own hourly rate and what you’re willing to do. You get paid in person, whether you’re at a show, getting coffee, or walking around the city. The site puts you in touch with people who might be new to the area and need a guide or someone to accompany them to events.

RentAFriend suggests that friends meet up in public places, set rules, and put safety and comfort first. This way, you can enjoy the rewards of having a friend without having to worry about what they expect from you.

Review products

ProductTube is a great way to make extra money without putting in a lot of work. The site enlists people to make smartphone video clips reviewing products. Gigs typically pay between $5 and $35 for reviews that are between two and four minutes long. In some cases, you record from home; in others, you’re asked to visit a specific store.

All you need is a smartphone that works with Google Play or Apple technology to download the ProductTube app. You’ll then need to provide some basic information about you and your interests. The site will notify you when an appropriate gig opens up in your area. You choose what you want to do.

Most jobs pay between $5 and $35 in Amazon gift cards. More difficult jobs, like those that require you to go to more than one place, can pay up to $100. The jobs themselves are generally easy and don’t require much time or skill. For example, you might be asked to film yourself making a shopping choice or showing how you use a specific product.

Participate in clinical trials

If you’re open to helping with medical research, participating in clinical trials can be a lucrative side hustle. Companies such asParexel, Fortrea and Altasciences offer paid opportunities for individuals to take part in medical research studies that often involve overnight stays and health monitoring.

Each company has a slightly different process. However, they’ll all require you to register and submit to a physical exam. If you qualify for a study, you’ll be given details about what they’re trying to research, any known side effects of the drug you’re testing, how long the research lasts and what’s required, as well as how much you’ll earn. Generally, studies pay in increments while the study goes on. You’ll be given a payment schedule that spells out the details.

The incremental payments are to ensure that you know you can leave a medical research study at any time. You’ll be paid for your participation to that point. That’s important because your health is more important than the pay. If you feel unsafe at any point, you can pull out of the research.

Notably, these different companies operate in different areas and have varied reputations about how well they treat their test subjects. For more detailed information about each and links to sign up, you can read our reviews by clicking the links above.

However, when it comes to unconventional side hustles, this one is notable for the exceptionally high pay. Clinical trials that require overnight stays often pay $500 to $1,000 a day, and most of the time, you can read, watch TV or work remotely. You just need to be available for tests and observation.

Test Websites

Do you have opinions about what makes a good web experience? User experience testing allows you to work from home and gives you the chance to help improve the usability of websites and apps. Userfeel, UserPeek, UserTesting, Userlytics and PingPong are just a few of the platforms where freelancers may earn money by sharing their views.

All five of these sites enlist freelancers to test usability issues on websites. Typically, you’ll be asked to complete a specific task while being filmed talking about what you’re doing and any problems you might be having with navigating the site. Tests typically last between five and 60 minutes and pay about $30 per hour.

Play a Role

If you’re a bit of a ham, consider character acting. Whether reenacting the Boston Tea Party or playing the part of a Disney princess or Darth Vader at a children’s party, character acting offers both fun work and good pay. Some positions are year-round and can be full-time. Others — like playing a zombie at a Halloween Haunt or Santa Claus at a shopping mall — are seasonal.

A site called BeeBizy helps connect parents with character actors of all types in five states — California, New York, Illinois, Florida and Texas. You can also list your availability to provide this kind of a service on big national sites, such as Taskrabbit and Fiverr.

Kristof is the editor of SideHusl.com, an independent site that reviews hundreds of money-making opportunities in the gig economy. This story is adapted from the blog.