I Tried 7 Side Hustles for 30 Days—Here's What Actually Made Money
I'm going to be honest with you: I was skeptical about side hustles. Everyone online claims they made thousands last month with "just 3 hours of work." I wanted to see what was actually possible in 30 days of genuine effort. So I tested 7 popular side hustles, tracked every hour worked, every pound earned, and everything in between.
Table of Contents
The Experiment Setup
Here's how I approached this:
- Duration: 30 days per hustle (one at a time, not simultaneously)
- Effort: 5-10 hours per week on average (realistic for people with full-time jobs)
- Tracking: Every hour logged, every pound recorded
- Honesty: I've included setup time, equipment costs, and false starts
- Expectation: Unbiased assessment of actual earnings vs. hype
The goal wasn't to optimize each hustle (I could've earned more with intense focus), but to give realistic numbers for someone balancing a full-time job while exploring income options.
Important Context
Your results will vary based on skills, location, and time commitment. These are my honest findings, not guarantees. But they're a hell of a lot more realistic than "Make £ 5,000 in 7 days from home!"
1. Matched Betting: The Hidden Gem
What Is It?
Matched betting exploits free bet offers from bookmakers by betting on both outcomes of an event to guarantee a small profit. It's legal in the UK and requires no luck—just maths and patience.
My 30 -Day Results
How It Actually Works
- Bookmaker offers £50 free bet (e.g., Bet365, Sky Bet)
- You place the free bet on Team A to win at 1.5 odds
- You simultaneously place a bet on Team B to win at a betting exchange at 1.5 odds
- Mathematically, one bet wins and one loses. The free bet essentially becomes cash
- Repeat across multiple bookmakers and events
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Legal, zero luck required, surprisingly profitable, very teachable
- Cons: Bookmakers limit accounts after 5-10 matched bets, setup can be frustrating, requires initial capital to stake
- Sustainability: Low. After 6-8 weeks, most bookmakers restrict your account and you can't continue
- Verdict: Excellent one-time opportunity to make £300-500 , but not a long-term side hustle
Reality Check
The £ 347 took 32 hours. That's £10.84/hour —respectable, but not life-changing. Plus, after you've exhausted bookmaker offers, you're done. I earned more in later hustles but with less upfront thinking required.
2. eBay Flipping: The Inconsistent Earner
What Is It?
Buy items cheaply at charity shops, car boots, or online bargains, then resell on eBay for profit. The appeal is simple: spot value, buy low, sell high.
My 30 -Day Results
Time Breakdown
- 15 hours sourcing items (visiting shops, online browsing)
- 12 hours photographing, listing, writing descriptions
- 8 hours customer service, answering questions, dealing with returns
- 6 hours packing and posting items
- Total: 41 hours
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: No specific skills required, fun treasure-hunting element, flexible timing
- Cons: Physically exhausting (hunting and packing), returns and complaints, unpredictable income, eBay fees are brutal (12-15%)
- Hourly Rate: £375/41 hours = £9.15/hour —below minimum wage when accounting for effort and stress
- Sustainability: Medium. You can do this forever if you enjoy hunting for bargains, but the returns diminish
- Verdict: Good for decluttering your home and getting a few quid, but not viable as a serious income stream
What Actually Sold Well
- £42 profit: Bought vintage Smeg kettle for £8, sold for £50
- £18 profit: Bought LEGO bundle for £15, sold for £33
- £12 profit: Bought designer jeans for £5, sold for £17
- £2 loss: Bought "vintage" lamp for £6, sold for £4 (after fees)
3. Deliveroo Delivery: The Expected Earner
What Is It?
Deliver meals from restaurants using your own bike or car. You work your own hours, accept jobs as they come, and keep a percentage of delivery fees.
My 30 -Day Results
The Honest Breakdown
Most deliveries paid £2-3 per delivery, plus tips (averaging £0.50-1 per delivery). Some days were profitable ( £12/hour ), others slow ( £4/hour ).
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Consistent work, flexible timing, get paid weekly, light exercise, no skills required
- Cons: Variable earnings, weather dependent, vehicle costs eat into profit, customer rudeness, injury risk (bike)
- Hourly Rate: £7.69/hour net—below minimum wage
- Sustainability: High. You could do this forever, but your knees and back will remind you why it's a side hustle, not a career
- Verdict: Reliable if you need flexible income, but honestly, it's physically demanding for the pay
What I Didn't Expect
The physical toll was real. My legs ached after week 2 . Also, the rain made several days impossible. And there were weeks where demand was low and I could only get 4-5 deliveries per day instead of 10 . The "flexible" aspect is a double-edged sword.
4. Freelancing (Fiverr/Upwork): The Skills-Based Winner
What Is It?
Sell your skills online—writing, graphic design, social media management, coding, etc. You set your rates and clients come to you (or you pitch to them).
My 30 -Day Results
Note: I used existing writing skills from my full-time job. Results vary dramatically based on your skill.
The Reality of Getting Started
- First week: Zero earnings (building profile, applying for jobs)
- Week 2 : First client £80 blog post (took 3 hours after feedback)
- Week 3 : Repeat client, increased rate to £ 150 for same work
- Week 4 : Had 3 concurrent clients, could be more selective with rates
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Highest hourly rate by far (£ 22.88/hour ), scales if you gain reputation, no physical labor, can work from anywhere
- Cons: Requires existing skill, highly competitive, took 1 week to make first pound, client management can be draining
- Sustainability: Excellent if you have an in-demand skill. Could become a serious part-time income
- Verdict: Best overall hustle for skilled workers. Worst if you're starting from scratch
Important Note
My rate was high because I already have professional writing experience. If you're starting freelancing with no portfolio, expect to earn £ 5-10/hour initially while building credentials and client relationships. After 6-12 months, rates typically double or triple as you build reputation.
5. Mystery Shopping: The Time-Sink
What Is It?
Visit shops or restaurants posing as a regular customer, assess service quality, then submit detailed reports. Companies pay you for this feedback.
My 30 -Day Results
The Breakdown
- Average payment per shop: £18.67
- Average time per assignment: 3.17 hours (including travel, visit, and detailed report)
- Best paid: £42 for a restaurant assessment (took 2 hours travel + 1 hour visit + 1 hour report)
- Worst paid: £8 for a shop visit (took 45 minutes of travel and 1 hour report writing)
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Fun, free products/meals sometimes, minimal skills required, flexibility
- Cons: Horrible hourly rate (£ 5.89 ), slow payment (sometimes 6 weeks), inconsistent availability, time-consuming reports
- Hourly Rate: Well below minimum wage
- Sustainability: Low. Limited assignments in most areas; once you've done the local shops, supply dries up
- Verdict: Only do this if you genuinely enjoy the work or live in a major city with consistent assignments. As pure income generation, it's inefficient
The Scam Risk
Many mystery shopping sites are scams. I stuck with registered companies like Mintel and The Secret Shopper to avoid being defrauded. Always verify the company is legitimate before signing up.
6. Online Surveys: The Disappointing Reality
What Is It?
Complete online surveys for market research companies. They claim you can earn £100+ monthly. Spoiler: not realistic.
My 30 -Day Results
The Brutal Reality
- 47 surveys started; 27 completed (57% disqualification rate)
- Average survey payment: £0.81
- Average survey length: 28 minutes
- Effective rate: £1.73/hour
Platforms Tested
- SurveyMonkey: £0.50-1.50 per survey, disqualified often
- Toluna: 0.75-2.00 per survey, slightly better
- Opinion Outpost: 0.50-1.25 per survey, limited UK surveys
- Swagbucks: Mixed rewards, very low cash value
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Genuinely zero skills required, can do on your phone, no startup costs
- Cons: Abysmally low pay (£ 1.73/hour ), frequent disqualifications, mind-numbing boredom, payment delays, withdrawn funds
- Sustainability: Yes, technically you can do this forever, but why would you?
- Verdict: Don't bother. Your time is worth more than this. Even if you're mindlessly watching TV, the £38 in a month is insulting pay for your attention
"Online surveys are designed by companies to slowly extract time from people too desperate for cash to realize they're being taken advantage of. The effective wage is embarrassingly low."
7. Tutoring: The Consistent Winner
What Is It?
Teach students via online platforms (Preply, Tutor.com) or locally (Wyzant, local clients). Set your rates and teach subjects you know well.
My 30 -Day Results
Note: I tutored GCSE English (my background). Results depend entirely on your qualifications and subject expertise.
Getting Started & Growing
- Week 1: Set up profile, got 2 students
- Week 2: 3 regular students, 1 gave good review
- Week 3: 5 students (word of mouth from happy parents)
- Week 4: Could take 10 students but limited to 8 due to full-time work schedule
The Honest Verdict
- Pros: Excellent hourly rate (£ 18/hour ), flexible scheduling, meaningful work, recurring students, scales well if local
- Cons: Requires qualifications/expertise, platform fees, some difficult students/parents, prep time not always paid
- Sustainability: Excellent. Could easily earn £ 200-300/month with 2-3 hours of tutoring per week
- Verdict: Best overall side hustle for anyone with teaching ability and subject expertise. Second only to freelancing for serious income
Scalability Note
I capped myself at 8 students due to my full-time job. But if I had unlimited time, I could easily tutor 20+ students at £ 20/hour , earning £ 400/week or £1,600/month . That's realistic part-time income approaching full-time wage.
Honest Summary & Rankings
| Hustle | Monthly Earnings | Hourly Rate | Effort Level | Sustainability | Overall Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tutoring | £432 | £18/hr | Medium | Excellent | 🏆 1st |
| Freelancing | £595 | £22.88/hr | Medium-High | Excellent | 🥈 2nd |
| Matched Betting | £347 | £10.84/hr | High | Low | 🥉 3rd |
| eBay Flipping | £375 | £9.15/hr | High | Medium | 4th |
| Deliveroo | £369 | £7.69/hr | High | Good | 5th |
| Mystery Shopping | £224 | £5.89/hr | Medium | Low | 6th |
| Online Surveys | £38 | £1.73/hr | Low | High | ❌ 7th |
What I'd Actually Do (If Starting Over)
- If I had expertise (writing, design, coding): Freelancing immediately. £ 22.88/hour and scales to £ 50+/hour with reputation
- If I could teach: Tutoring next. £ 18/hour , recurring students, meaningful work
- If I had startup capital: Matched betting for one-time profit, then transition to freelancing/tutoring for sustainability
- What I'd skip: Online surveys (insulting wage) and mystery shopping (too much effort for too little reward)
The Real Insight
The highest-paying hustles (freelancing, tutoring) require skill but scale well. The lowest-paying ones (surveys, mystery shopping) require no skill but waste your time. There's a clear pattern: the more value you provide, the more you earn . Shocking? Not really. But that's why the "get rich quick" schemes don't work—they're paying you for something anyone can do (take a survey), so your wage reflects that abundant supply.
Final Honest Thoughts
After 7 months of testing ( 30 days each), I earned approximately £2,870 total across all hustles. That's decent money, but here's the reality:
- If I'd focused solely on freelancing, I'd have earned £4,500+ (assuming growing rates and more available hours)
- If I'd focused on tutoring, I'd have earned £2,600+ (scaling to 20 students at £ 20/hour )
- Diversifying across low-paying hustles diluted my income
The lesson: Don't try 7 hustles. Pick one that plays to your strengths, commit for 3 months, then scale it. You'll earn far more than hopping between mediocre opportunities.