Best UK side hustles 2023: an expert's take on how people make money from home - how easy is it to start?

Googling side hustles leads to a bountiful amount of blogs offering ideas on how to earn extra cash. These range anywhere from delivering food and/or groceries to tutoring, taking surveys and even becoming a personal chef. 

But as the UK's cost of living crisis deepens - the question remains - how can we make extra money? Which side hustles are popular in the UK and how do you begin to venture into what seems to be a completely open market when you want to make more cash?

What are UK's popular side hustles?

If we're doing a side hustle - we want it to be easy, right? Trawling through the results we have a few top favourites - including starting a blog, taking surveys and working for Uber. But what is actually popular? Sarah Wilson, author of Want an idea for a Side Hustle?, says Airbnb is a trending side hustle, with a person who contributed to the book making quite a bit of money from it. 

Wilson explained: "There was no real initial investment - it's just your time to clean up the place. But she was able to rent out her flat for a weekend and then use the money to go away and visit people - so she was having a holiday at the same time.

“It's quite a minimal investment and she was making money from it. Other people that I have spoken to - and they sometimes just stay with a friend for a night or two down the road - so they're not even going anywhere. They literally just rent out because they might have something people want - like living close to a sports stadium”, she adds. 

Wilson believes it’s an “ideal scenario” if people have spare rooms or even storage space that can be leveraged, as you are able to create some additional income where you don't have to “really work”. She says there is no one best side hustle to have - it's all about what works for you and what you're passionate about. But, if you’re planning to make money, be wary of distinguishing between a hobby and a side hustle. 

"What do you want out of a side hustle?" Wilson questions, adding: "If you're doing something and it's taking hours and hours of your time, but you're not actually making any money from it - it's a hobby. If you want it to make money you need to change what it's doing."

The most popular genre of side hustle people opt for is to start a podcast and/or write blogs - but this too can pose a problem. "It's hard to monetise it, but it's really popular because they don't require a huge amount of initial investment" Wilson explains. The financial wellness advocate recalled one person contacting her wanting to start a travel blog. But to do this, Wilson says: "You really need to find your market, you really need to hone your skills - you are not meant to be just writing the thoughts that pop into your head at that point. Then you also have to get this huge following in order for people to pay you for it." 

Other popular side hustles Wilson mentions include cooking and website design. These are easy ways to incorporate the skills you already have and to turn them into a small profit with low initial investment. Crucially, they are also flexible and can fit around your lifestyle. But if you’re wanting to keep your hobby as just a hobby - there are a few alternatives not initially considered when first googled.  

Buying and selling items of clothing or even small collectable items as investments - to later sell at a small profit - seems to be a growing trend. It's an easy way to make cash completely on your own terms - from when you buy, advertise and then sell on - it can all be done in your spare time. This method of side hustling is proving popular with the younger generation, who can turn to sites like Depop to sell their things.

The idea is to find something that works for you in the time you have, for example, working as an independent travel agent. Wilson explains that this particular hustle is "really flexible" and works for some people: "[Someone I know] fits this role neatly alongside her day job. She just advises people about travel and gets quite a big commission package and discounts for her own holiday. It's the sort of thing she said she would do during her travel to work".

Why are side hustles proving to be popular? 

Side hustles provide another stream of income which could help make ends meet when encountering any job losses or terminations. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the unemployment rate of people aged 16 or over between November 2022 to January 2023 was 3.7% - and the number of unemployed people increased slightly in the latest three-month period. 

Between a digital shift accelerated due to the pandemic and the increase in the cost of living, side hustles also offer flexibility which adds to their allure. Wilson describes that people had more time during lockdown to try new things alongside their day jobs, which was then exacerbated by the current economic crisis. "[People] are looking for alternative ways to make more money because your current income might not go as far as it used to."