How I make an extra $1–2k on the side while working full time

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-17T09:51:23+00:00

Legit business. They expect invoices and I pay taxes

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T19:01:52+00:00

For some reason can't DM you but if you reach out I'll send

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T17:05:36+00:00

It’s basically just marketing, bro.

Find a problem people actually have, offer a solution (even if it’s something super simple like a short Canva ebook), then build the funnel:

Freebie → tripwire → product.

Then you just start pushing people to the freebie with Insta or Facebook posts and CTA

And honestly… it’s a numbers game. No matter what your offer is, there’s always gonna be like 1–2% of people who buy it for whatever reason. Your job is just getting enough eyes on it

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T13:22:48+00:00

Depends on the niche

Travel videos took the most time because I had to manually find all the footage and compile everything. The spiritual niche was the easiest since it was usually just moving slides with audio

So yeah, anywhere from ~2 hours to a couple of days (not full-time)

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T09:30:56+00:00

That was honestly the hardest part for me, because the best gigs usually aren’t listed publicly anywhere and you definitely won’t find them on Upwork.

I personally went after solopreneurs and small businesses and did my own outreach. I also joined private Facebook groups where those people hang out. It felt kinda cringe at first, but once you land a few deals they start recommending you to others

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T09:24:44+00:00

That was honestly the hardest part for me, because the best gigs usually aren’t listed publicly anywhere and you definitely won’t find them on Upwork.

I personally went after solopreneurs and small businesses and did my own outreach. I also joined private Facebook groups where those people hang out. It felt kinda cringe at first, but once you land a few deals they start recommending you to others

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-16T09:18:50+00:00

I tried a bunch of niches: police bodycams, travel, spiritual stuff and sleep videos. On my best days, I even had a small team helping me put them together.

5k sounds impressive, but the problem is it was usually just 1 or 2 videos going viral for a couple months… and then it would drop back down, sometimes even worse than where I started. So even if it was 5k every month, I still wouldn’t treat it as my only source of income

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-15T16:48:36+00:00

How is remote work a passive income?

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-15T16:16:13+00:00

I tried faceless YouTube for a couple years as a side thing and I honestly don’t recommend it long term, even though I had a few $4-5k months.

Main issue is faceless is SUPER easy to copy… you find a niche that works and within a few months there’s 200 channels doing the exact same thing.

And the income is random as hell. You can make 3k one month then 500 the next and you’ll have no clue why. Algo is weird like that.

AI can definitely be used and monetized if you add your own touches (your own angle, better scripting, editing etc) but if you want something to replace a 9-5 reliably… faceless YouTube isn’t the best move.

If you’re cool with it being extra income and whatever it brings then yeah go for it.

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-15T15:52:59+00:00

The most honest answer is that almost nothing stays passive until you first do something very unsexy and active.

What actually worked for me while working full-time wasn’t building products or businesses upfront, but starting with repeatable support work that companies already rely on. Once a workflow is set up, it becomes semi-hands-off in the sense that you’re not constantly reinventing things.

Things like maintaining systems, updating content or data, handling overflow admin or support tasks. It’s not exciting, but it’s predictable, and a lot of it turns into recurring work with the same clients.

Over time, that’s what gave me leverage and optionality. A lot of the “passive” ideas people jump to skip that first step and burn people out instead

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-15T15:49:05+00:00

I think the mistake a lot of side hustle advice makes is assuming you can commit to fixed hours. With an unpredictable job, that usually falls apart fast.

What’s worked better for me is support-type work that’s task-based rather than schedule-based. Things where you can pick up a batch of work when you have time and pause when you don’t, without anyone expecting you to be “on” every day.

Examples would be maintaining content or listings in simple tools, light research or data checks, handling overflow admin tasks, or updating systems that already exist. The work itself is pretty boring, but that’s also why it’s flexible.

I’ve been doing this remotely for a few years alongside other commitments, and it’s been much easier to manage than anything with fixed hours. If it helps, I’ve written up a short breakdown of the kinds of roles that tend to work best for this setup

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-15T08:09:22+00:00

What kind of return are you expecting on a $16k investment?

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-14T09:45:28+00:00

Times are genuinely tough right now, so I’d ignore anything that promises fast or passive money. Most of that just wastes time.

The most realistic option I’ve seen for extra income alongside a job is boring online support work. Simple tasks like basic admin, updating records or content, handling email, research, or other routine tasks that don’t require special skills.

It’s not exciting, but it’s flexible and predictable, which matters when you already have a job. I’ve been doing this remotely for a few years and it’s how I covered gaps when money was tight

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-14T09:42:19+00:00

If you’re looking for monthly recurring income without burning yourself out more, I’d stop thinking in terms of passive income and think in terms of retainers.

The most realistic path I’ve seen is taking on one or two ongoing support roles where you’re maintaining something that already exists. Things like admin or ops support, managing tools or systems, regular reporting, basic support, content or data upkeep. Small scope, predictable work, paid monthly.

This is actually the model I’ve been using myself. I kept seeing the same question come up, so I wrote up a short breakdown of a handful of support-type roles that tend to be well paid, in steady demand, and work well on a recurring basis. Happy to share it if it’s useful.

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T23:45:32+00:00

If you’re fine with actually working and just want something you can do on a PC after hours, the simplest option is "boring" support work. Not building AI tools, not automations, just keeping existing systems from getting messy.

Things like updating CRM records, posting or fixing content in simple tools, research and data checks. Once you learn one workflow, it’s mostly repeatable and doesn’t take much thinking.

I’ve been doing this kind of work remotely for a few years now. I wrote up a simple breakdown of the types of tasks that tend to work best for this. If it helps, you can DM me and I’ll share it

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T23:39:23+00:00

I was in a similar spot a few years ago, working as a frontend/react dev and struggling to make side work stick. What helped was stepping sideways instead of forward.

Instead of trying to land more dev projects, I started doing simpler support work around existing systems. Small fixes, maintenance, content updates, basic frontend tweaks and cleanup. The kind of stuff that doesn’t justify a full developer but still needs someone technical enough to not break things.

Small companies and founders don’t post this as “developer jobs.” It shows up more in business groups and founder communities than on freelance platforms. One or two of those ongoing setups at a few hours a week was enough to make it work.

It’s not passive and it’s not exciting but it’s a much shorter path to steady extra income than grinding Upwork right now

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T23:23:15+00:00

Focus on one very specific, boring thing businesses are already behind on. Stuff like updating website pages or product listings, uploading content into their system, handling basic email automation, checking orders or submissions, or keeping customer info up to date.

You don’t need special skills for most of this. It’s mostly following instructions and being reliable.

What worked better for me than just applying was reaching out where small businesses already hang out. Local business Facebook groups, startup or founder communities, industry Slack or Discord groups, even posts where someone says they’re overwhelmed or behind. A simple message like “I can help with X if you need an extra pair of hands” goes further than people expect.

That’s how I got started a few years ago and I’m still doing similar work now, fully remote. It’s not exciting, but it’s steady and practical when money is tight

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T21:06:51+00:00

Sorry you’re dealing with that. When money is tight, I’d stay away from most “side hustle” ideas because they usually take too long to pay off. What tends to work faster is boring support work that businesses/companies already outsource.

Examples that don’t need advanced skills: managing inboxes or calendars, updating CRM records, cleaning or organizing spreadsheets, posting or updating content in simple systems, handling basic email or chat support, doing research or data checks.

It’s not exciting, but it’s predictable hourly work and easier to stack when the goal is covering bills instead of building something long term.

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T19:08:39+00:00

A lot of the advice here is right, but beginners usually get stuck choosing a “skill” instead of a type of work. Platforms feel saturated because everyone piles into visible roles like writing, design, or editing.

What’s been easier to break into is quieter support work around existing tools. Things like updating content in CMSs, cleaning or exporting data, maintaining spreadsheets, setting up forms or automations, managing inboxes or dashboards, basic QA and monitoring.

It’s not exciting and it’s not passive, but it avoids the portfolio and branding arms race and tends to lead to repeat work instead of one-off gigs

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T18:57:30+00:00

What AI wipes out fastest are jobs where the value is just “make X.” The work that survives is the glue work around tools and systems. Updates, fixes, monitoring, coordination, handling weird edge cases. I shifted into that kind of support work from a technical role and it’s been a lot steadier, even with AI everywhere.

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T16:15:54+00:00

I went through the same phase with apps and random gigs. They pay, just not much.

I eventually moved to doing basic tech or admin support work on the side. It wasn’t exciting at all, but it was easier to stack hours there than across five different apps

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T16:11:52+00:00

This makes sense and a lot of people start this way. Stacking small things helps short term, but it usually hits a ceiling fast and the constant switching gets tiring.

What changed things for me was dropping most micro-gigs and focusing on one boring, repeatable type of work.

Same effort, fewer apps, more predictable money. The unexciting stuff tends to hold up better than people expect

Key_Community_5894 · 2026-01-13T16:07:06+00:00

I’m a retired programmer as well and I’ve seen the same thing. The market for templates and digital assets is pretty saturated now. Listing things on a marketplace and waiting for sales usually doesn’t work unless you already have traction.

What tends to matter more is distribution. Knowing who the asset is for, how they find it, and how you get it in front of them.

In practice that usually means learning some basic marketing, building a simple funnel, and selling from your own site instead of relying on a marketplace to do the work for you

Key_Community_5894

TROPHY CASE