The fun hobbies we dedicate part of our free time to help us relax our nerves and cultivate our passions. Beyond that, some of these hobbies can also be taken more seriously and turned into a real source of income.
Depending on the type of hobby – you can start by getting free stuff from people in return for doing what you love or making extra money instead.
While other people are spending money on their hobbies, with the right knowledge, you can make more money with your hobby. Making extra income while doing what you love is a win-win thing for you, especially in this situation of economic downturn.
What's in this guide?
10 Common hobbies that can make you money
If you want to know how to start making additional cash with your hobby, here is a list of 10 common fun hobbies you can potentially profit from:
1. Photography
Most photographers started out in the business as a hobby, although there are now many standard photo studios and thousands of online courses to learn photography professionally.
If photography is your hobby, you can turn it into a business. And you can make a lot of money in the lucrative niche. Wedding photographers or product photographers are in high demand. Also, more and more couples or families hire sessions with photographers to get quality and more professional photos.
So, if you already own or have access to a good camera, you can start right away whether on a full-time or part-time basis. You can take a good picture of your willing friends and families at first to build your work portfolio. And then, work on online and offline marketing so that many people will get to see your photos and hire you if they love them.
Another way you can make money with your photography hobby is to sell your photos as NFT arts or as stock photos on platforms like Shutterstock or Etsy.
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2. Writing
Writing is also a lucrative hobby! Are you good with words? Then writing can be a great side income! For example, you can start a blog and earn money from advertising or affiliate marketing. Or write articles as a freelancer for companies, online magazines, or websites.
You can also write eBooks and sell them on platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Or publish a physical book yourself and sell it via your own website.
And finally, you can also write poems, (motivation) letters, or other custom texts for people!
3. Baking or Cooking
Do you like to spend your free time in the kitchen? That hobby can make you money in many different ways! For example, you can sell your food online or offline via a (food) blog or website, or at markets.
You can also cater for events or make food to order. It is also possible to teach others how to become better cooks or bakers. You can also make ready-made baking mixes and sell them online or offline.
Also, you can apply to work in a restaurant or eatery kitchen, especially in busy places. That would even be a good way to start and gain experience.
If you can afford the money, you can set up your personally-owned bar or restaurant or set up a food kiosk or food truck of your specialty.
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4. Music
There are several ways to make money making music or playing an instrument, especially if you are really good at it! For example, you can perform in bars, restaurants, and parties.
You can also sell your own songs online or have them streamed for a fee, for example via iTunes, Spotify, or Soundcloud. If you make beats, you can sell them to (aspiring) rappers and singers so that they can use them for their songs.
There are also opportunities to get your music featured in movies, video games, and commercials. Finally, you can also give music lessons to teach others how to play your favorite instruments!
5. Makeup
Do you love to make yourself up and working on make-up is your favorite hobby? There are many opportunities to earn money with it – even if you’re a male!
For example, you can review new makeup products on social media such as Instagram and post affiliate links. Another option is to get hired to do the makeup for friends or family on special occasions. Or paint children at birthday parties! It can also be great fun to organize makeup workshops for a fee where you teach others how to make up for themselves.
Also read: How to start a makeup business in Nigeria
6. Drawing or Painting
The idea that artists are always poor is outdated because if you like to paint or draw in your spare time, you can also earn money from it! For instance, you can sell your paintings or drawings on Etsy. And a lot of people are gradually appreciating artworks to decorate their homes and offices.
You can also have your artwork printed on all kinds of products such as t-shirts and sell those products instead of your artwork itself. You can also make paintings or drawings on commission.
Teaching others to make art is also an option! If you mainly make art online, selling your artwork as NFT can also be very lucrative. You can even set that you will receive a small commission with every sale so that it could also be a passive source of income if your artwork regularly changes hands.
7. Gaming
Many people love to game, but not everyone knows that it can bring money! For example, you can create and post video game walkthroughs or reviews on YouTube and earn money from advertising revenue.
You can also live-stream your gameplay on platforms like Twitch, where viewers can donate money to you while you’re playing. If you are very good at a certain game, you can also participate in (online) competitions where you can win prize money! You can also test video games for game developers and get paid for it. You can also create or invent and sell new games yourself!
8. Memes, comedy, and jokes
Do you love to make people laugh, and do you do that effortlessly? Perhaps this hobby would have been the first on this list if it were to be in order. Because a lot of young people are rising out of poverty because they are funny.
If you are also creative and have a good sense of humor, you can make money with memes, comedy, or jokes!
For example, you can start a meme collection page on Instagram and earn money from ads. Or become a stand-up comedian and perform in front of an audience at shows. You can also anchor events.
Or do it the way most popular comedians started – start sharing your skits on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. People like humor, so if you can make them laugh, you can sell it, and also bag endorsements from big companies.
Also Read: 10 Reliable ways to grow your small business
9. Health and Fitness
Are you a fan of health and fitness activities like sports, exercise, and Yoga? Well, there are many ways to turn this hobby into a business.
If you want to get the proper certification, you can become a personal trainer and find clients at your local gym. Fitness enthusiasts who have a following on social media can also make money selling classes and other fitness-related products.
10. Languages
Do you like studying foreign languages? Are you fluent in more than one language? If so, you can turn your hobby into an opportunity to earn money by teaching others to speak another language.
You can become an online tutor and teach people the languages you know fluently. You can also offer your own private lessons on-site.
Another way to earn money with your language hobby is to register as a freelance translator on top freelance websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
Conclusion
Making money with fun hobbies in your free time is not nearly as difficult as you might have thought! You don’t have to turn your hobby into your full-time job right away, but you can start by earning money with it as a side-hustle. If you’re already making money with your hobby, you can share it with us in the comment section.
