The past couple of years have been hard on Canadians. Interest rates and inflation are at multi-year highs as the world braces for a potential global recession. In 2023, more than ever, Canadians are turning to side hustles to earn extra income during these challenging financial times.
What exactly is a side hustle? Typically, side hustles are part-time jobs that a person can do on their own time. Rather than working another eight-hour shift, a side hustle is considered to be much more flexible when it comes to your time. You can work by your own schedule and utilize skills that you might not use during your 9 to 5 job.Â
One thing that many side hustlers are finding is that what started as a source of additional income can quickly turn into a new career. This is the primary difference between a side hustle and a second part-time job. The side hustle can absolutely grow into something much more than what it started as. It just takes a couple of great connections to change your life forever.Â
So if you are ready to take the leap and try out a side hustle, you have come to the right place. Here are the 53 best side hustles in Canada for 2023!
1. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Opinionated Canadians: Answer Paid Surveys
Did you know that some of the largest brands and companies are seeking your opinion as a consumer? Even better, your opinion is so important to these companies that they are willing to pay you for them. Paid survey sites like Branded Survey, Survey Junkie or Swagbucks offer Canadians the ability to take new surveys every day and make real money from them.Â
You might be wondering what the catch is. There is no catch for answering paid surveys in Canada. The only thing you should know is that nobody makes a career out of this side hustle. The payouts can be fairly low so don’t quit your day job. But, the surveys are easy and you can take a few minutes every day to earn a couple of dollars. Usually, these surveys are about things like consumer habits so it is nothing too personal.
2. Best Side Hustle in Canada: Become a Freelancer
One of the best side hustles in Canada, or anywhere, is to put your skills to work as a freelancer. Today, freelancing can include a wide range of skills and talents. The internet has truly opened the doors for anyone to be able to transform a skill they have into a second career. Freelancers can sign up for sites like Fiverr or Upwork and connect with millions of buyers and companies around the world.Â
Freelancing can be anything from writing content to designing websites to writing code for actual software. If you have a skill or talent, there is a market and a demand for it somewhere in the world. With platforms like Fiverr, you can build lasting relationships with clients, and the more you sell the more your gigs will be advertised to other buyers. One thing about freelancing is it is often a slow build. Everyone dreams about quitting their day jobs and becoming a full-time freelancer. To reach this level of self-driven employment, it takes a lot of time, patience, and hours of hard work. If you are successful as a freelancer, the sky’s the limit.Â
3. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Fans of Driving: Start an Uber Rideshare
For anyone who has lived in a city like Toronto or Vancouver, driving in the city isn’t usually one of our favourite things to do. But if you like driving and want to work on your own schedule, consider being a rideshare driver with a company like Uber or Lyft. You get to drive your own car, earn tips, and meet some interesting people along the way.Â
Do you want to be an Uber driver in Canada but don’t have your own car? No sweat! You can rent a vehicle to use at a discounted rate from rental companies like Avis or Hertz. If you don’t think you have a worthwhile skill to provide as a freelancer, it is easy enough to be a chauffeur for a few hours around town. Being an Uber rideshare driver likely won’t turn into a full-time career, but if you need some help paying the bills each month, it could be just the option you are looking for.
4. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Animal Lovers: Sign Up for Rover
Attention animal lovers: you can get paid to take care of other people’s pets and even just take them for walks. Enter Rover, the platform that allows you to make a side hustle out of making new furry friends. This app is a great way for pet owners to find a caretaker with a home environment rather than leaving their pets at an expensive kennel.Â
It also allows you to earn money while dog-sitting, cat-sitting, or even hamster-sitting. Not into hosting a pet in your house? Rover also pays you to go walk people’s dogs while they are out of town or while they are at work. You can earn up to $20 per 30-minute walk on average, making this a legitimate side hustle for ambitious Canadians.
5. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Creative Canadians: Sell Products on Etsy
Social media has been a game changer for content creators. While digital products are growing in popularity, there is still something to be said for selling actual, physical goods. Platforms like Etsy allow creative Canadians to show off their work and establish an actual brand for themselves. Some of the best Etsy side hustles involve selling anything from jewelry to dog treats that can be shipped around the world.Â
As of the start of 2023, Etsy had over 94 million buyers with well over 7 million active sellers. How does an Etsy side hustle work? It is absolutely free to open a shop on Etsy, so once you have figured out what you want to sell, establishing a presence on Etsy is a piece of cake. You will need to calculate things like shipping costs, which should also factor into what you want to sell. Bigger products mean higher shipping fees. Etsy also takes a 6.5% cut of each sale so calculate all of that into your prices before posting your items on your Etsy shop. If you are starting an Etsy business or any type of business, make sure to get your budget and finances in order. You will be thankful come tax season!
6. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Food Delivery: Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes
Ever since the pandemic, food delivery has surged in popularity among Canadians. Apps like Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, and Fantuan has made it easy for Canadians to order food from thousands of restaurants to almost any location in the country. As the demand for food delivery continues to rise, so too does the need for delivery drivers. Over the past few years, being a food delivery driver has become a legitimate side hustle in Canada.Â
Why do Canadians like delivering food as a side hustle? You can pick your own hours and get paid a wage as well as keeping the tips. Pizza delivery jobs used to be reserved for high school kids but now, people of all ages and walks of life are getting into the industry. If you don’t mind driving and have a few hours to spare, delivering food around town is a great way to make an extra few bucks on the evenings or weekends.
One side hustle in Canada that is growing in popularity is becoming someone’s personal shopper. Through platforms like Instacart, you can supplement your income by taking a couple of trips to the grocery store every week. As with most of these delivery services, you can pick your own schedule and work as much or as little as you want.Â
How does Instacart work? You can sign up to be a personal shopper and prepare orders in-store or you can take things one step further and actually deliver orders directly to customers at their homes. This side hustle does require you to have a car for deliveries as well as pass a background check through its mobile app. Most of us make weekly trips to the grocery store anyways. Now, you can help pay off your own groceries by delivering someone else’s!
8. Best Side Hustle for Writers: Start Your Own Blog
Blogging is one of the most popular side hustles in the world today. Millions of people write their own blogs online and earn passive income in a number of different ways. You can sign up for digital advertising to be placed on your blog from sites like Google Ads. You can also monetize your blog with paid sponsorships, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing. The larger your blog gets, the more opportunity there is to earn income from it!Â
Before you start blogging, you should know that this side hustle requires a long-term commitment to actively providing fresh content. Generally speaking, the more content you can produce, the more your blog can earn. At first, it might feel like you are churning out content with no results. Stay committed to it and over time, your results will improve. Another benefit of starting a blog is that the startup costs are relatively low. These days, web hosting can cost as little as a few bucks every month. If you can stick with it, a successful blog can earn thousands of dollars per month and become a wonderful long-term source of steady income. Remember, once your blog gets some traction, you can turn it into a business and manage any revenues you earn with an accounting software such as Wave or QuickBooks.
9. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Car Owners: Become a Turo Host
Have a vehicle that isn’t in use all the time? Consider signing up as a host on Turo and earn money on that vehicle when you aren’t driving it. Turo allows you to rent out your car or truck to people who are in need of a vehicle for a short period of time. It is popular among tourists who do not want to go through a traditional car rental company, as well as people who need a specific type of vehicle like a pickup truck for a weekend moving job.Â
How does Turo work? You list your vehicle on the platform for free and choose your own rates. Your vehicle needs to be relatively new and in good working order. Turo offers up to $2 million in liability insurance as well as physical damage protection. All you have to work out with your customer is how you want to hand them the keys. Who says a vehicle needs to be a depreciating asset? Put it to work and earn an income off of it with this Canadian side hustle.Â
10. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Photographers: Selling Stock Photos
Are you an avid photographer who wants to monetize your hobby? Photography can be a fun yet expensive activity to get into. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could earn some extra income off of the photos you take? Luckily, you can! Sites like Shutterstock and Getty Images will pay you for high-quality stock photos and even pay you royalties for content that is accepted.Â
Now, before you go and dump your entire camera roll into your submission, they can be pretty particular about the photos they accept. Stock photography should not have too many elements like brand logos or any other identifiers. The good thing is that you don’t need an expensive professional camera to take stock photos. Sites like Getty allow you to upload photos right from your smartphone. If you enjoy taking scenic photos in your day-to-day life, you might be close to having your own side hustle without even knowing it!Â
11. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Outgoing Creators: Start a YouTube Channel
For those of you who do not mind the spotlight, starting a YouTube channel can be one of the most lucrative side hustles you can find. You can think of a YouTube channel as a sort of digital blog: you will constantly want to provide fresh content to continuously grow your audience. You can easily monetize your YouTube channel in the same way as a blog: paid sponsorships, sponsored videos, and YouTube’s ad revenue.Â
Making new videos can be time-consuming and a lot of work, especially if you want to compete with polished and high-quality channels. You might have to invest in some new equipment like microphones and a 4K camera. Unless you already know how to, you might also want to invest in a good video editor that you can form a long-term partnership with. Of course, all of this can be done yourself if you have the time to learn it. With YouTube, you have one of the largest audiences in the world. It is estimated that over 1 billion hours of videos are watched every day around the world, with over 5 billion videos being watched. All you need is 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watched hours to start monetizing your YouTube channel!
12. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Teachers: Become an Online Tutor
With immigration in Canada ramping up, the demand for English tutors and instructors will be higher than ever. Luckily, there are plenty of online sites that will hire you to teach English or many other subjects to students directly. For most sites, you will never even have to meet the student face-to-face, all teaching is done online through your computer.Â
If you find you have a knack for teaching, then there are sites like Thinkific where you can even develop online courses and lesson plans and sell them to others. This is one side hustle in Canada that can actually progress to become a career or a business. You can also expand your services internationally as there are hundreds of sites that welcome teachers from around the world. If you do go international, make sure to get a finance app that can manage foreign currency payments like Wise, which can accept more than 50 different currencies.
13. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Resourceful Canadians: Flip Products Online
This side hustle takes a bit of work but there is the potential for a 100% profit margin if you play your cards right. Sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and eBay list thousands of items each day from sellers. Some of them are even free if you are willing to go pick the item up yourself. If you are savvy enough, you can flip these free products for a 100% profit.
There are some things to know about flipping things online. First, depending on the product it can end up being a lot of work for minimal payoff. It helps to have a truck that can handle hauling away larger items like furniture. You also need to be on the ball because good product deals are in high demand and can be claimed within minutes of being posted. Some popular products to flip include baby or kids products, furniture, and small appliances.
14. Best Side Hustle in Canada for the Handyman or Handywoman: Do Odd Jobs on TaskRabbit
Side hustles are not just for jobs you can do on the computer. There are plenty of opportunities for people who prefer to work with their hands and tools. TaskRabbit is a great platform that allows you to connect with customers who require a more manual type of labour.Â
On TaskRabbit, you can find thousands of different types of manual labour. There is everything from mounting a TV to yardwork to assembling Ikea furniture. You don’t even need to know a specific trade like electrical or plumbing. It is easy to earn a few extra bucks on the weekend by helping someone with a move or hauling away some heavy furniture.
15. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Property Owners: Rent Out Your Property
Real estate is always a hot topic in Canada, especially in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. For property owners who are looking for a little help with paying off their mortgage, renting out their properties on Airbnb or Vrbo is a great way to do so. It can be a room in your house, a laneway home, a basement suite, or an investment property.Â
What are the benefits of renting out your property on a site like Airbnb? First, don’t worry about guests causing damage to your property because Airbnb provides insurance that covers up to $1 million in damages. But you can also set different rates depending on the popularity of your place or the season you are in. Raising your rates during high seasons for vacations can really help bring in extra income.
16. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People with Good Credit: Credit Card Churning
Credit card churning is a side hustle that is not as popular as other gigs on this list. Why? It takes a lot of time and effort and if you do it incorrectly, it can lead to lowering your own credit score and even falling into debt. So what is credit card churning? This is the act of signing up for multiple different credit cards that you can select using Hardbacon’s credit cards comparison tool to take advantage of sign-up bonuses and collecting rewards.Â
The downside to credit card churning is that there are regulations in place to try to deter it. There are often minimum spending requirements to unlock bonuses. If you violate the terms or regulations you can be denied the card and even black-listed from that bank in the future. Finally, if you forget to close an account you could incur annual fees if that specific card has them. Before trying credit card churning as a side hustle, make sure you know exactly what to do and how to do it.
17. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Tech-Savvy Canadians: Test out Software and Websites
If you are a tech-savvy hustler that likes to play around with websites or apps, consider signing up with a site like UserTesting.com. This platform offers you the chance to test out new products and apps before they hit the market. You can earn anywhere from $10 to $60 per test and get paid directly through PayPal.Â
What’s the catch with UserTesting.com? There is an application process where you have to record a reaction to a practice test. They will then review this to ensure that it is appropriate for you to test out real products. The pay isn’t substantial but neither is the time you need to dedicate to each review. If you can handle a couple of tests each week, you can probably make enough to knock out a monthly bill!
18. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Steady Income: Start a Dropshipping Company
As global delivery times get faster, the ability to set up an online store and sell products all over the world has become an easy side hustle to start. Dropshipping, as it’s known, allows you to set up an online store and connect directly with a manufacturer or distributor. In this setup, you as the merchant never hold any inventory. Instead, when an order is processed through your store, the order is then placed with the manufacturer who ships it directly to your customer.Â
This might seem like a pretty easy side hustle to start. It requires little startup capital and you never need to store any inventory. Most people use platforms like Amazon or Shopify and source products through a wholesaler like AliExpress. Everything can be carried out online and you get to act as the middleman in the transaction, taking a small cut of each sale. To be a successful drop shipper, you try to identify a product with high demand and potential sales volume. Dropshipping usually sees fairly low margins so the road to success depends on how much volume you can drum up.
19. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People Who Like to Talk: Start a Podcast
Is there a more popular way to digest information these days than podcasts? There are millions of different podcasts on sites like Spotify or Apple Podcasts that you can download for free to listen to. Name any subject and there’s a podcast on it. Many of these were started by people that were simply looking for an outlet for their thoughts. Not everyone is able to write their thoughts down on a blog so for those who like to talk, podcasts are an excellent medium to use.
So what goes into starting a podcast? Not a lot, to be honest. You will probably need to buy some recording equipment and a good microphone. It also helps to have some audio editing skills to make your podcast seem as smooth as possible. Starting a podcast is like a blog: it takes some time to get exposure and an audience. Once you do, you can earn revenues through advertising, paid partnerships, and other promotions.
20. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Investors: Use Automated Investing Apps
For a lot of people, investing money is an intimidating concept. It can also seem time-consuming, even though these days there are plenty of apps that can automate the process for you. Using automated investing apps like Moka.ai allows you to automatically take small amounts of money and invest it into low-cost ETFs without having to lift a finger.
You can also look into robo-advisor services. These are managed investment services that take your money and allocate it to a balanced portfolio of assets. The fees are a bit higher than if you invested yourself, but for many people, it is a great way to set up an investment portfolio without needing to do any research. Almost every brokerage has a robo-advisory service including the commission-free brokerage Wealthsimple which has its Wealthsimple Invest service.
21. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Athletes: Reffing Minor League or Beer League Sports
Are you someone who loves to get in a workout? Well, what if you could get your exercise and get paid while doing it? Minor league and adult sporting leagues are alive and well again now that the pandemic has passed us by. Guess what every game needs no matter what the sport is? A referee! Sports like hockey can even have two referees so there is plenty of opportunity for work if you are willing.
The only stipulation is that you will need to have a certification which is usually just a paid course you need to take. It helps to be able to skate well and have some first-aid training as well. If you do get the job, you will need to buy the uniform and have a helmet and skates handy. Other sports like soccer or basketball require even less equipment! The pay ranges across the country but the standard rate is about $20-$30 per game.
22. Play sports
Not a fan of reffing? Play instead! Sport is good for health. Several platforms offer to pay you for the number of steps you take. Although these apps will not make you a millionaire, they provide encouragement to walk and, very often, to find shops. Startups such as SweatCoins, Runtopia and Lifecoin awards you with points after each physical effort made via the platform. These points can then be exchanged for exclusive discounts offered by companies. to name only the best known, also provide similar services.
23. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Performers: Start a TikTok Account
There are plenty of social media platforms out there where you can make money as an influencer. Few of them have come close to reaching the levels of popularity of the short-form video streaming site, Tik Tok. The app has gained over 1 billion users since its launch in 2016. While there has certainly been some controversy surrounding the app and even some bans in certain markets, Tik Tok is still alive and well in Canada.Â
So how do you make money on Tik Tok? First, you need to find a niche and build your channel. The more content you produce the more change your channel can go viral. From there, you’ll want to utilize the creator marketplace as well as find sponsors for paid ads, affiliates, and promotions. Finally, you can even count on your followers for tips through your channel. All it takes is a bit of courage, creativity, and a bit of luck, but monetizing a Tik Tok channel is easier than you might think!
24. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Penny Pinchers: Start a High-Interest Savings Account
Given the volatility in assets like stocks over the past couple of years, high-interest savings accounts have grown in popularity. What are high-interest savings accounts? When you think about a normal savings or chequing account, the interest rate they offer you is usually quite low. In fact, it is almost always less than 1%. With a high-interest savings account, you can earn much higher returns on your deposits.Â
Every bank in Canada offers a high-interest savings account now, although some come with stipulations. EQ Bank offers one of the highest interest rates at 2.50% with no monthly fees.
25. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Influencers: Affiliate Marketing
While many people think of ad revenues or promotional posts as the best way to monetize your content, a lot of influencers make the most money through affiliate marketing. This is when you promote a specific product through a review or blog post and provide a link to earn commissions from sales to your readers.Â
You can monetize affiliate marketing through blogs or even through social media sites like Pinterest or Instagram. If you really want to open up your blog to advertising, Amazon offers direct links to products on its marketplace for your readers to buy. If they do, you earn a commission on every sale through your website. Once you can set up a blog with high traffic, affiliate marketing can be the ultimate form of passive income.
26. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Helpful Canadians: Be a Virtual Assistant
While you might scoff at offering to be someone’s assistant, this is becoming a legitimate side hustle in Canada and around the world. Virtual assistants are the glue that holds the gig economy together. This isn’t just ordering someone a coffee or making photocopies. Since you are completely virtual, most of your tasks are digital and online. In fact, a lot of virtual assistant duties are similar to what freelancers do. These include things like transcription, writing and editing, and managing a website or WordPress site.Â
Technically, you can be a virtual assistant for multiple different businesses if you can manage your time well. The one drawback with the virtual assistant market is that there are many countries where people are willing to do the job for a much lower wage than you would ask for in Canada. If you can score a virtual assistant job, the potential for earnings has one of the highest ceilings in the side hustle industry.Â
27. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Speedy Typists: Be a Transcriptionist
Even though it seems like AI tools are taking over many of these industries, there is still a high demand for human transcriptionists. Things like court hearings, discoveries, phone calls, and negotiations all still require humans to transcribe proceedings. If you can type fast and accurately, transcription might be an easy side hustle for you to pick up in your spare time.Â
Where can you sign up to be a transcriptionist? Popular sites like Rev or TranscribeMe will pay you to transcribe audio files of their clients. The catch is you need to pass a small assignment that will test your ability to transcribe things accurately and at a reasonable speed. If you like typing and can multi-task, transcription is an excellent way to earn a few bucks in Canada.
28. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Authors: Write and Publish an eBook
Do you enjoy writing but are intimidated by the world of editors and publishers? There are plenty of ways to get your work published these days that do not include you selling away the rights to your work. Self-publishing an eBook is a very affordable way for authors to get their work out into the world.Â
One of the more popular sites is, of course, Amazon. Not only is it completely free to publish on Amazon, but they also take care of distribution and customer service as well. In exchange, they take a portion of each sale. It’s not a bad deal for most new and casual authors and for most, it will be the easiest way to publish their work. Once you’ve written an eBook that sells, you can continue to earn revenue on it forever!
29. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People with Storage: Rent Out Your Stuff
So far, we have talked about renting out vehicles and property. There is also a large market for renting out everyday things to people who only need them for a day or two. What products are people looking to rent? Some popular examples include wedding supplies, kids’ toys, and bouncy castles. If you have the space to house some of these things, you can make a tidy profit every weekend!
How can you advertise your services? Word of mouth is a great way to gain more customers. Otherwise, you can utilize sites like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace to advertise your services. Make sure to get a damage deposit on products that have a higher chance to be damaged! People tend to be careless with things that do not belong to them.
30. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People with Digital Storage: Rent Out Your Hardrive & Bandwidth
My computer crashed the other day, and a part of me died inside. Until I realized I had backed up all my precious data. But I’m running low on digital storage, so now what? Luckily, there is a market for everything, including the need for cloud storage. If you have extra hard drive space, you can side hustle that too.
Sites like Storj and Sia allow you to connect your hard drive to a cloud network. The earning potential depends on how much space you are able to provide, and you need to keep your device on all the time. Earnings can range anywhere from $4 a month to $92 a month. But here’s the thing; they don’t pay you in traditional money, they pay you in cryptocurrency.
Pawns.pp and Honeygain.com are platforms that pay you to share your unused internet bandwidth to help individuals and businesses run web content and services more efficiently. It doesn’t interfere with your usage nor can anyone access the storage on your device. It’s a super easy way to earn truly passive income that can be received as cold hard cash or paid out in cryptocurrency and gift cards.
31. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Grammar Police: Be a Proofreader
Believe it or not, there are side hustle opportunities for those who love spotting mistakes in people’s writing. You can be paid to check for errors as a professional proofreader with sites like Proofreading Services or you can offer your services on sites like Fiverr.
How does proofreading pay? Better than you might think! If you can get steady work, the usual rates start at about $20 per hour. Some sites might prefer to do work by piece meal which means you would get paid per job. Still, getting paid to read content and checking for grammatical errors or spelling mistakes isn’t a bad way to spend a few hours each week!
32. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Skilled Techies: Become an SEO Specialist
Every business in the world has some sort of presence on the Internet. If your business or website does not come up when someone enters a Google search, you are missing out on a massive online audience. Enter skilled internet workers that can make sure it is on the first page of the relevant Google searches.Â
They say the fastest way for your website to disappear is to be listed on the second page of a Google search. If somebody types in a relevant search, you want your site to appear at the top of the results. Learning SEO or search engine optimization isn’t rocket science. But you would be surprised at how many people are willing to hire someone else to do this work for them. If you can learn the secrets to SEO and web design, you can set up a real career let alone a side hustle.Â
33. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Tree Huggers: Sell Reclaimed Wood
This is definitely knot your average side hustle. Thanks to HGTV and our inexplicable need for everything to be Pinterest-perfect, you can actually make money selling reclaimed wood! Bonus points for saving the rainforest. Start by sourcing wood from old barns, factories, demolition sites, dumps, or even discarded pallets at local grocery stores. Just make sure you get permission from property owners to collect the wood, and take care to remove any nails, screws, or hazardous materials.
Then market your reclaimed lumber to potential buyers such as builders, artisans, architects, interior designers, and DIY enthusiasts. Create a website or use social media platforms to showcase your inventory, highlighting the unique history and character of each piece. Shiplap lovers will practically throw money at you.Â
34. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Extroverts: Become a Friend for Hire
If you have that je ne sais quoi, put it to work! Some of us are terrible at making friends, or we need a wingman for a social event but everyone’s busy. Capitalize on your charisma and help an introvert out with RentAFriend.com. It’s a platform that connects people seeking platonic friendships with people who have time and enthusiasm to spare.Â
From attending events to exploring new hobbies, you can help break the ice and bring the fun without the pressure of romantic involvement. To become a “friend for hire,” simply create a profile, outline your interests and availability, and set an hourly rate for your companionship services. You can negotiate rates and establish boundaries for each booking. If people like hanging out with you, you can grow your clientele, increase sales, and develop a super unique and fulfilling side gig. Not bad for a super weird way to make extra money!
35. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Patient People: Get Paid to Wait in Line
Nobody likes waiting in line, except for savvy cash crusaders like you! If you have spare time on your hands and the patience of a saint, turn that virtue into a side hustle. There are tons of people out there who will happily pay you to stand in line for them so they don’t have to. Sites like Taskrabbit and Craigslist are great places to post your gig.Â
Alternatively, you can advertise your services through social media, local community boards, and word of mouth. Set an hourly rate or flat fee based on factors like length of wait, weather conditions, or the popularity of the event. When you book a job, take paid surveys while you chill out in line and double-dip that dough, baby!
36. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Musicians: Rent Out Your Instruments
So you had a band and you tried real hard, but Jimmy quit and Jody got married. Sorry, Bryan Adams wannabe, now your guitar sits in the corner of the living room collecting dust. Turn that six-string into passive income. It might not be royalty cheques but you can say that you make money as a musician.
With Fretish.com you can rent out your musical instruments and other music gear online. Just create a listing, set your price, and respond to renter requests. It’s literally that easy. When a reservation is made, Fretish.com will either require a damage deposit or proof of comprehensive insurance coverage from the renter. Easy money is music to my ears.
Note: due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fretish has paused operations. To find out when they’ll resume services, contact them at support@fretish.com.
37. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Parents with Small Children: Rent Out Your Baby Toys & Equipment
Parents everywhere know their kids outgrow everything from cribs to carriers in a hot minute. But don’t be so quick to re-sell or donate your used baby stuff. You can actually turn your used kid clutter into a decent side hustle.Â
Babyquip allows you to rent out your baby toys and equipment to travellers with small children. I discovered this gem when planning a trip to Disney a few years ago. I just didn’t have the room to pack bulky baby essentials that I desperately needed. Thanks to Google, I basically found the Airbnb of all-things-baby.
38. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Want to Lose Weight: Get Paid to Get in Shape
There are few things in life harder than losing weight. If you’re like me, then you know how difficult it is to stay motivated, especially when progress is slow. Cash is the ultimate incentive. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could make extra money just by getting on the treadmill? Â
With HealthyWage, you can do just that. You decide on the amount of weight you want to lose, the time frame, and how much you’re willing to bet. If you meet your goal, you win real money. If you don’t meet your goal, you lose your cash. The average payout is about $1,400. HealthyWage either pays you by cheque or Paypal, your choice. You can join challenges and even get the office onboard for a corporate wellness program.
39. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People with Recreational Vehicles: Rent Your RV & Camper Trailers
In this post-pandemic weirdness, there’s been an unprecedented boom for all-things-camping. The demand for recreational equipment has sent both the commercial and peer-to-peer RV markets into a frenzy. So, if you have an RV or a trailer, congrats! You have a money-making side hustle sitting in your driveway right now. Â
Websites like Rvezy can help you make up to $1,400 a week! You can create a listing, set your price, accept a booking and welcome your guests. You can offer additional services to make more money, like personally delivering the RV to your guests. Rvezy prescreens renters, offers $1 million liability insurance, and even offers your renters 24-hour-7 days-a-week roadside assistance.
40. Best Side Hustle in Canada for People Who Hate the CRA: Review Past Tax Returns
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) allows you to review and adjust the tax returns you’ve filed within the last 10 years. It’s actually the law. I don’t know about you, but I was not a tax filing genius in my younger days. Who knows what deductions I missed out on in my early 20s.Â
Family Tax Recovery is a Toronto-based accounting firm that has helped over 10,000 Canadians find over $20 million dollars of missed refunds. Sounds a little sketchy right? They have an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau website. And The Globe and Mail featured the company’s founder, Stan Samole, in a 2019 issue. They only charge you for their services if you actually get a tax refund. They’ll take 33% off the top of whatever missed refunds they find. That’s still 66% of the money you didn’t have before.
41. The Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Always Upgrade Your Tech: Recycle Your Gadgets
They sure don’t make em’ like they used to. Cell phones and other gadgets aren’t built to last and with all the new models promising fancy upgrades, you’ll have a defunct device on your hands in no time. Luckily, Ink Canada has your back.
They’ll pay you up to $300 for your old cell phone. So, if you can’t sell it on Facebook, recycle it for some cold hard cash. Other sites like Crackerz.ca and gizmogrind.com will (pay top dollar for your gently used devices. What a great way to line your pockets and help the planet!
42. The Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Want to Improve Healthcare: Test Medications
Nobody wants to play with their health. This is why clinical trials are often very badly perceived. But look at the bright side – it’s about helping science move forward and getting paid for it. In addition, your compensation is tax-free and you can choose the type of clinical study that suits you.
It doesn’t involve participating in risky and dangerous health tests. In Quebec, Altasciences is the industry leader with more than 20 years of experience. Another is Novartis. For example, you can find studies paying $20 for former Covid patients all the way up to some that pay $2,610 for more specific cases.
43. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Have a Washer & Dryer: Do Laundry For People
Networks are emerging abroad enabling owners of washers and dryers to wash their neighbours laundry if they are not fortunate enough to own one. This helps some people to pay off the debts on their machines, and helps others avoid using public laundromats. By renting your machine twice a week at a reasonable price of $2, you could accumulate $192 per year! You could post an ad on Kijiji, Facebook, or simply place a flyer in your neighbours’ mailboxes.
44. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Do a Lot of City Driving: Advertise on Your Car
Get paid to drive your own car, why not? The concept is simple. You rent advertising space on your vehicle and receive compensation in return, which varies depending on the duration of the campaign. Deltapub, Carvertise, Wrapify, and Market Your Car offer you up to $800 per month to display advertising on your car. The first step is to register with the various companies mentioned above. If the expectations of a company looking for advertising match your profile, then you have a chance of being selected.
45. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Techies: Repair Phones & Tablets
If you are quite comfortable with new technologies and a handyman at heart, why not start repairing phones or tablets from your home? With time and motivation, you can easily train on your own, even if you have never done such repairs. For example, the SOSav website offers free repair guides and there are descriptive videos on YouTube. Start by providing your services to your loved ones, then expand your clientele using Kijiji and Facebook. Nowadays, who doesn’t need to have an electronic device repaired?
46. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Love the Outdoors: Pick Fruit
Picking fruit is a great way to make money in the summer, and with the coronavirus pandemic, pickers are more in demand than ever. If a little physical work doesn’t scare you, it’s a great way to stay in shape while earning money, being outside and enjoying the sun. You will also make new friends by getting to know your fruit-picking colleagues. Getting started couldn’t be easier, you will find a lot of offers on Indeed and Wowjobs. Pickers are generally paid by the hour or by yield. For example, for cherries, some farms pay $2.20 per bucket.
47. Best Side Hustle in Canada For People With Long Hair: Sell Your Hair
Anything can be sold, even your hair! And It turns out that this is a very juicy business! Even though it has become common to donate one’s hair to charity, the hair trade continues. In most cases, once sold, your hair will be used to make hair extensions or to make wigs. Beware of scams, however, and you can sell it directly on Facebook and Kijiji. There are also more secure sites like buyandsellhair, but which collect transaction fees. On average you can earn $500 for natural hair 60cm long, and up to $2000 for very long natural blonde hair at least 150cm.
48. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You Love Scavenger Hunts: Complete Instore Missions
BeMyEye is an application that enables you to earn money by completing missions in stores around you. Don’t confuse it with the Be My Eyes app, which is intended to help people with vision deficiencies, because you will not earn money from that. For example, Be My Eye may ask you to go to a local supermarket and check if they have a certain brand of water. In general, missions pay between $5 and $10. However, don’t forget to factor in travel costs. By choosing only the most practical missions and if you live in the city centre, you can generate between $50 and $100 per month.
49. Best Side Hustle in Canada for Commuters: Start a Carpool
It’s one of the fastest ways to make money with your car. In fact, carpooling is a good way to make your car profitable. Many Quebec households own a car without using it to its maximum capacity. Why not offer one or two seats for passengers? Or let yourself be driven to your destination? You have nothing to lose unless you are unsocial. Six platforms provide this service in Quebec. They are Netlift, Poparide and AmigoExpress.
50. Best Side Hustle in Canada if You’re Very Observant: Become a Mystery Shopper
We often hear about mystery shopping, but did you know that you can become a mystery shopper quite easily? By completing this form on the Lanla website or by signing up with MSP Canada, you may be lucky enough to get cash rewards or discounts at the businesses you evaluate. It is a good way to earn money while helping the companies with which you do business to offer you a service that meets your expectations!
51. Best Side Hustle in Canada For People Who Love to Cook: Teach Cooking Classes From HomeÂ
The EatWith mobile application lets you invite travellers to dinner at your home or offer them cooking classes. In fact, you could give them memorable culinary experiences by helping them discover your region’s specialties. Airbnb also offers this kind of experience, in person and online! If you’re a pretty good cook, try the adventure… As for cooking lessons, you can post ads on Kijiji, Craigslist, and on Facebook groups with your course offerings.
52. Best Side Hustle in Canada For People Who Love Kids: Babysit
Babysitting is one of the best-known ways to earn some extra money, and it’s not just teens who can do it. Many parents prefer to entrust their child to an adult. Nowadays, several sites specialize in bringing together babysitters and parents. The most popular are Topnanny, CanadianNanny.ca and NannyServices. If you want to babysit to make ends meet, just register on one of these sites.
53. Best Side Hustle in Canada For People With a Spare Bedroom: Rent a Room to a Student
If you have spacious accommodations or unoccupied rooms, you can easily generate a regular or one-time source of income by renting them out. For example, you can sublet a room for students looking for accommodation. In addition to enriching your wallet, you also get the opportunity to enrich your social relationships by meeting several different people. The best way to find future occupants is to advertise on Kijiji or on Facebook in dedicated groups.
FAQs about best side hustles in Canada
What is a side hustle?
A side hustle can be anything you do outside of a 9 to 5 job to earn extra income. In some cases, side hustles in Canada can even replace your 9 to 5 job and become a career. For most people, they are a source of supplemental income that can be earned in their free time.
How to start a side hustle in Canada?
Starting a side hustle in Canada can be as easy as applying to a company or starting something yourself on social media. Side hustles shouldn’t be seen as a get-rich-quick scheme. All of the side hustles in this article require hard work over an extended period of time. The more work you put into your side hustle, the more rewarding it can be.Â
Is copywriting a good side hustle?
Yes! Freelance writing is one of the most lucrative side hustles in Canada. Copywriting is a specific type of work where you write the marketing and publicity materials for a company or website. It requires a bit of a learning curve, but there is an opportunity to earn a lot of income if you latch on to the right partners!
When does a side hustle become a business?
If you find your side hustle is really taking off, it might make sense to register it as a business. In Canada, once you earn at least $30,000 from your side hustle, you will need to start charging GST-HST to Canadian clients. At this point, you will need to register as a business and obtain a GST-HST number and claim your earnings.
Do I need to register to start a side hustle in Canada?
For most side hustles you will not need to register it as a business. If you work for a company like Uber or Instacart, they will provide you with income tax slips for your earned income. You do not need to register as a business but any income does need to be reported on your income taxes no matter how little it may be.
