It’s always good to have a hobby. Helping to keep your brain active and agile, this can not only give you something to feel passionate and excited about but, if you’re really lucky, it could even earn you a little additional income on the side.
Sound too good to be true? Then have a quick glance through this article. Sharing six fun and engrossing hobbies that can also prove lucrative for a fortunate few, it has lots of ideas to explore the next time you find yourself at a loose end.
Needle felting
If you’re not in touch with your artistic side, it’s possible that you won’t have heard of needle felting, but as pastimes go, it’s actually pretty popular. Having entered the mainstream in recent years, there are Instagram accounts and blogs that are dedicated solely to the art, which consists of making realistic models of plants, animals, and even people out of felting wool.
If you’re thinking that this sounds interesting but wondering how it can make you money, head over to a site like Etsy, which specializes in handmade items. There, you’ll see that lots of felting artists sell their wares for arguably attractive sums, whether by marketing them as Christmas decorations or taking commissions. If you fancy giving it a go, you might want to try doing the same.
Gardening
Gardening has always been a popular pastime, especially among an older demographic, but it’s also becoming increasingly cool among younger people too. This shouldn’t really be surprising, given just how many different ways there are to do it and the insane variety of plants that are out there.
So how can it prove profitable? The answer lies in taking cuttings from and propagating the plants you own and then selling these online. While only the rarest specimens are likely to go for vast sums, it’s possible to grow dozens of smaller offshoots from one parent plant, meaning you can certainly earn a small amount of money on the side, provided that you pay close attention to any existing patents on the parent plants.
Trading
If you’d like a more mentally stimulating hobby, trading is one that requires a range of different skills and knowledge areas. It can be thrilling, and there are lots of people who love the challenge of trying to stay one step ahead of the financial markets. If you’re already knowledgeable about a certain sector, for example, you might find you fit in well in the world of trading.
Money isn’t guaranteed, but many who know what they’re doing manage to make a profit. So how can you educate yourself and see whether or not it’s for you? One place to start might be a review site of providers. For example, if it’s currency you’re thinking about trading, there are sites that collate various forex brokers bonus deals from a selection of platforms, as well as helping you to weigh up the other pros and cons such as the customer service available. The bonuses might help you test the waters before going all in, while the other review criteria can reassure you that you’re choosing an appropriate broker.
Writing
Do you have a penchant for the written word? Then exercise your literary skills by trying your hand at writing. The great thing is that you can do this any way you like, whether by penning a blog or having a go at creating a book.
So how you do go about making some additional money from it? Well, there are lots of ways. If you have enough of a talent to engage your audience, it’s possible to make a blog pay over time, while writing a novel could lead you down the path of self-publishing. Both can earn you a tidy sum if that’s what you’d like to aim for.
Drawing
Are you an artist whose talents have gone too long unexercised? Then this is another opportunity to make some additional cash. The ‘how’ is very simple: you have a skill set that most other people don’t, so start advertising the fact that you accept commissions.
While the amount you can earn will very much be dependent upon your skill set and experience, it’s possible to charge upwards of $100 for a 16” x 12” painting with a single subject. Do enough of these, and your earnings will quickly start to add up.
Remote Control Car Maintenance
People love to buy and play with RC vehicles. If you get the right skills, you can learn to help with maintenance of others cars such as remote control car painting and more.
Music
Alternatively, those who are musically gifted might want to put their skills to good use by offering lessons and tuition. While this requires you to have some degree of proficiency yourself, it can nonetheless be a good way to earn additional funds, especially if you’re coming up a little short each month.
If you really want to increase your earnings, it can be worthwhile to get hold of some cheap instruments yourself and rent these out to your students for a set fee.
Tell us, would any of these potentially profitable hobbies be a good fit for you?