One of the drawbacks of working a side gig is spending less time with your significant other. But what if you could find a way to make some extra money with your partner!? This is where side hustles for couples come into play…
With your strengths combined, there’s an unlimited number of opportunities and earning potential. It’s just a matter of finding something you both enjoy. In this post we’ll run through some of the best side hustles for couples, as well as some tips to successfully work together without going nuts 😉
Working With Your Better Half (without killing each other)
You might be thinking… “working so close together might strain our relationship!” And while that’s a legitimate thought, let’s focus on the positive possibilities!
Think about the extra money you can make. Think about the fun things you can experience together. Some of these side gigs will allow you to travel, meet all sorts of interesting people, and learn valuable life skills. Who better to do all that with than your life partner?
There’s no harm in trying. You’re probably more capable than you think you are. And I can tell you from experience, working side by side with your partner can make you appreciate and love them even more.
Not all of these side hustles will work for every couple. And relationships should be prioritized over money. So if working together starts ruining your home life, definitely take a step back.
Side Hustles for Couples:
It’s important to pick gigs that play to your strengths, together and individually. You’ll also want work that aligns with your schedule and things that you both enjoy. If it’s not sustainable, you aren’t likely to stick with it.
1. Host An Airbnb Experience
If you live in an area where people come to travel, consider hosting an Airbnb Experience.
Some easy ideas could be creating a walking tour of your city, teaching a cooking class, or hosting a virtual event. You can get as creative or whacky as you want!
The reason travelers choose Airbnb experiences is to save time, and get exposed to one-of-a-kind activities. You have a lot to offer as a local. Also hosting as a couple allows you to tackle larger gatherings, split chores, and cater to a wider group of potential clients.
2. Pet Sitting & House Sitting
If you and your loved one are looking for a change of scenery, pet sitting could be perfect for you. You get to make some new furry friends, while staying in other people’s homes. Sometimes, you can even use pet sitting to travel for free.
Also, pet sitting at your own house is possible too. If you or your partner work from home you can cater to a large number of high paying pet owners that want humans to be with their pets 24/7.
Rover is a great gig app to get new clients. You can get certified and set up a profile fairly quickly. The highest paid sitters have some type of specialty or niche. Also be aware that apps can take a cut of your earnings, so a great long term goal would be to build up regular, private clientele.
3. Offer Childcare Services
Did you know babysitters can make $20-$30 an hour these days!? That’s much higher than minimum wage! If you’re good with kids, live close to a school, or can offer teaching lessons, this could be a great fit.
Many parents are just looking for a few hours of coverage, so they can run errands, finish up work, or take some well deserved time off. If you live near a school, picking up kids and taking them to the park for a few hours is extremely helpful to parents. Good babysitters are always in high demand. Also if you are highly likeable, word of mouth referrals will spread like wildfire in the neighborhood.
4. Photography or Videography
If you have a knack for capturing the world on film, starting a photography or video company together could be perfect for you. You could sell artistic photos or footage, or sell services like wedding photography and/or family photo shoots.
This is one of those side hustles for couples that can lead to random fun events and experiences. It might take a while for the money to start rolling in as you build up experience and seek to find clients, but following your passion is usually time well spent.
Pro tip: Are you a nerd with a drone? Ever thought about sticking a camera on top and taking aerial footage/photos that might be valuable to others? This could be fun and lucrative.
5. Start House Hacking
If you have a spare bedroom in your home, or even an income apartment, consider renting it out to turn that extra space into extra cash!
House hacking is a great way to lower your living costs. But, managing tenants involves a range of skills. That’s why it’s perfect to tackle this task with your partner. Because you both bring unique personality traits to the table.
Matt and Joel have ample experience renting out homes and investing in real estate. If this seems like something you want to get into, check out this podcast episode: Managing rental properties effectively.
Also check out Neighbor.com, which is kind of like Airbnb but for home storage space. If you don’t have enough room to rent to people – you can still make money from your spare space. Oh, and if you have your own pool, you can rent that out Airbnb-style on Swimply!
Real estate investing truly is one of the best side hustles for couples. You can grow a huge amount of wealth over time if you enjoy rolling up your sleeves and learning the ropes.
Related: You can also start traveling using credit card rewards to lower your vacation costs!
6. Gardening or Landscaping
This is for the couples with a green thumb. If you’re planning on planting a beautiful garden this summer, consider letting your neighbors know that you’re available to help them with theirs.
Outside of your immediate neighbors, you could spread the word on NextDoor, FB Marketplace and also Craigslist. Keep in mind, the more specific your niche or expertise, the more you can typically charge. You certainly could become a certified master gardener. But you also don’t need a college degree to do this professionaly, just great examples of the work you’ve done.
7. Flipping Furniture
Do you ever come across furniture at a yard sale or at goodwill and think, “with a little cleaning, this could be worth something?” If so, flipping furniture could be a great side hustle to bring you together.
Even just flipping 2-3 small pieces of furniture per month could bring in hundreds (or maybe even thousands!) of extra dollars. Cleaning, sanding, painting… These are really easy activities to learn. Also these restoration projects are great for tag teaming. If you’ve got some spare garage space and basic tools, give it a try!
8. Start A YouTube Channel or Podcast
Have a specific topic that you guys could talk about for hours? Why not start a podcast or YouTube channel? It’s a great way to share your knowledge with the world and also help or entertain others.
“But what about the 10,000 other podcasts that already exist? Why would anyone listen to us?” Well, that’s what EVERYONE thinks before they start a new venture. And that’s why most people give up at the first sign of struggle. More than ¼ of podcasts only release one episode.
To start a money making podcast or YouTube channel, persistence is key. If you have a solid enough “why”, and you enjoy the topics you’re covering, you’ll eventually be successful if you keep at it long enough.
While it can definitely take a long time to see meaningful income, you’ll be surprised at how many people’s lives you can positively influence by sharing your stories. That’s probably the most gratifying part and why this is one of the best side hustles for couples. Developing a virtual community and putting out something helpful into the world is an excellent reason to start a side hustle with your boo.
9. Start An Etsy Shop
If you and/or your partner are particularly crafty, you could create and sell your crafts on Etsy!
Some friends of mine started an Etsy shop a few years back. It began during Covid when they were binge watching a lot of TV and wanted to turn their “couch time” into a money making activity. They ended up buying some basic jewelry making kits (like small gemstones and gold plated wire) and opened an Etsy shop to sell their work. They still watch a lot of TV, but as they watch they twist necklaces and bracelets together. Now they make $2-3k per month from it!!
Rock painting, wedding decor, printables, t-shirt designs, etc. There’s no shortage of things that can allow you to make money with Etsy. It’s all about what you enjoy making with your partner, and also how much time you can dedicate to it!
10. Event/Party Planning
If your last birthday party looked like the Met Gala, it might be time to get together with your partner and start a party planning business.
People are always looking for ways to spice up their gatherings. And once you’ve got a good system in place, it’s mostly rinse and repeat!
As you grow your contact list, this could lead to other income opportunities. Referrals for food and drink vendors, rental gear, or other party services. Collecting small commissions can really add up if your business starts rocking!
11. Create An Online Course
Ever heard of “leveraged income”? It’s when you put in a lot of work upfront, and then reap the rewards of a long revenue stream over time. That’s what online courses can provide… As long as you’re creating evergreen content that is fairly timeless, you have huge earning potential.
You can work as a team from home to create an online course for an industry or skill you’re knowledgeable about. Websites like Teachable and Skillshare can help you to deliver your courses to an audience that’s looking for the kind of content you can provide.
12. Write A Book Together (or several short e-books)
For the couples with boundless imagination or expertise, writing a book is a great way to get creative and earn some extra income. Plus, now-a-days it’s super easy to self publish if you don’t want to go through the trouble of trying to get a book deal.
Even if you struggle with writing long form, there are a ton of new AI tools that can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Chat GPT and Google BARD are amazing. They can generate chapter outlines, create character profiles, and deliver hours of research to you in mere minutes. Just make sure you edit everything with your own tone before publishing. Readers will always prefer the human element over robots writing stuff!
13. Become a Virtual Assistant Duo
It’s hard to find virtual assistants that can handle a really wide range of activities. That’s why it’s one of the best side hustles for couples! Because your skills combined can offer an extensive range of expertise.
FancyHands is a great place to find VA work. This is all US based, and pays decently! Wing is another option to check out.
Also, here are some of the most popular services VAs can offer. Are you proficient in more than a few of these areas? If so, this is definitely worth considering.
14. Become TV or Film Extras
If you feel like you were made for the limelight, try becoming a TV or film extra. You get paid anywhere from $100-200 per day (each), and you’ll probably have a blast doing it.
Some friends of mine used to live in Hawaii, and they once landed a gig as film extras in The Descendants, a George Clooney movie! They got the role as a couple, were paid $500, and used that money to fly to Kauai where the set was. It was like a paid vacation!
CentralCasting and ExtrasAccess are great sites to learn about opportunities. But before you get too excited, read up on what it’s like to be a TV extra so you know exactly what you’re getting into. Some gigs are not as glamorous as they are painted out to be!
15. Sell Your Old Stuff
Personally, I’ve always found cleaning with other people to be much more enjoyable than flying solo. Every month or so, you and your partner could go through your closets and sell anything you don’t use anymore. It’s a great way to get a lump sum of cash to put towards your goals.
Also, you could help your friends by offering to clean stuff out for them too. Got any friends or neighbors that want to declutter but can’t mentally part with their stuff? Maybe they don’t have the energy or technical skills to sell things online?
Well, you could offer to sell all their items and take a portion of the profits. Most people are happy to give up like 50% of whatever money they make, because it’s cash they weren’t ever going to see anyway!
The Bottom Line:
You don’t need to miss out on quality time spent with your loved ones to make a little extra money! The best side hustles for couples allow you to spend quality time together, combine your unique skills and interests, and help you both make progress towards your financial goals simultaneously.
We hope you’ve found something in this list that tickles your fancy. Try one, a few, or maybe even all of them if trying new things is your jam!
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