Creative Ways to Make Money: Think Differently to Earn Cash

In today’s uncertain economic market, most of us are looking for ways to make more cash. Whether through side hustles or quirky earners, there are plenty of opportunities if you think creatively.

Smart earners are moving away from traditional side hustles, particularly those digital fields that are heavily saturated and which require a fair degree of luck to monetize (sorry, eSports millionaire wannabes).

Instead, they’re looking at unique ways to make money, where competition is less fierce and opportunities are stackable for easier earnings.

In this guide, we’re going to cover some of the best weird ways to make money and show you where to focus your search for bonus cash!

Who Might Want to Find Unusual Ways to Make Money in 2025?

In today’s challenging economy, all kinds of people are searching for creative ways to make money, to maximise flexibility, extra earning potential, and new opportunities, including:

• Stay-at-home parents, balancing childcare with the need for extra income
• Students looking to access fast and flexible income.
• People between jobs
• Anyone looking for new opportunities that offer interesting, quirky ways of earning income.
• People who prioritize flexibility and autonomy in their earnings and want multiple income streams.

The 25 Best Creative Ways To Make Money in 2025

Think outside the box to discover unusual ways to make money online and in your local community. Some are fast and easy earners, while others require more time and investment.

Some odd earners offer true business potential, so keep an open mind!

Monetize Your Unique Skills and Talents to Earn Easy Cash

In a world where everything’s the same, promote your uniqueness to earn cash. These ideas should offer plenty of inspo to start your income-boosting journey.

1. Do voiceover work

Earn $50-$500 by doing voiceover work for commercial clients. Look at platforms such as Voices.com, Fiverr, or Upwork. You’ll need a basic mic and some quiet space to get started.

2. Do hand model work

Got beautiful hands? Earn $100–$500 per session as a hand model. Sign up at BMA Hands, Parts Models, or Carmen's Hand Models.

3. Offer handwritten services

Earn $2–$10 per card by offering handwriting services. Got a talent for beautiful calligraphy? Use it to sell personalized handwritten wedding invites, thank-you notes, and scripted signs.

Sell them bespoke to order on Etsy or Handwrytten and build your brand on Instagram.

Earn From The Sofa with These Creative Ways to Earn Cash

Tired after a long day? Low on energy? Then chill on the sofa and try these odd ways to make money.

4. Play games for cash

Earn an easy $5 a day playing games, watching ads, and doing fun tasks on Scrambly, Toluna, InboxDollars, or Swagbucks. Download the apps to your phone, store them in a folder, and check daily for new offers. Cash out on Scrambly at just $1!

5. Sell your hair

Earn $100-$1000 by selling your hair to wig-making services. Got a lovely long mane? Keen to feel the cool breeze of summer on your neck? Look at sites such as Hairselloff or BuyandSellHair. Simply enter details of your hair and get an instant price.

6. Sell feet photos

Sell photos of your feet online at FeetFinder and earn up to $20 per picture. If you’ve got a nice pair of feet, why not anonymously monetize them!

7. Tell your life story

Earn up to $750 by telling your life story to a journalist for a magazine, newspaper, or documentary. Look at news agencies like TalkToThePress and PR groups on Facebook.

Check them regularly, as journalists post regular requests for specific themes and article topics.

Offer Home-Focused Services For Odd Ways To Earn Money

Love being close to home? Monetize it with these creative ways to make money.

8. Rent out household items

Rent your household items to support the circular economy and earn $5- $50 a day per item. On Yoodlize or Fat Llama, rent out power tools, cameras, camping equipment, or sports gear.

You’ll earn money and free up space. Read the site's Ts and Cs carefully, particularly regarding insurance.

9. Pet sit or board

Earn $15-$100 by offering pet sitting or boarding services. Wag and Rover are good platforms to use, along with local advertising. Stack your earnings by doing other home-based work while watching the pets!

10. Work as a house sitter

Earn the cost of travel, or up to $25–$100 a day as a housesitter. Sign up at HouseSitter.com or TrustedHousesitters and advertise your services within your network. The opportunities are usually best in vacation hotspots and high-demand cities.

11. Rent out your driveway

Earn $50–$300 a month by renting your driveway on SpotHero or Neighbor. The best rates are found if you live near a city center, stadium, or airport. This is a great earner if you don’t have a car yourself.

12. Lend your property

Rent your home or garden to earn $500–$5,000 per project. Got a beautiful outdoor space? An interesting home? Offer it for events, filming, or even for pet playdates. Sign up at Sniffspot for dogs, Giggster for filming, or Peerspace for events.

13. Produce honey

Earn $15 for 12 oz. of honey by developing a bee colony in your yard. Even better, you get free honey for your time. Beekeeping is a fantastic hobby. You must invest in your equipment and skills to learn everything necessary.

This creative way to make money also offers additional income potential through monetizable creator content, digital course creation, and print-on-demand products with your micro honey brand.

Head Online for Creative Ways to Earn Money

If you have a creative side, look for unusual ways to earn money that leverage your artistry. For example:

14. Sell art

Create art to earn $10 to $2,000 per sale, or use Canva, Midjourney, or DALL·E to make AI art. Sell it on Etsy or Creative Gumroad. Alternatively, use your designs to earn via a print-on-demand model at TeeSpring.

15. Create digital resources

Earn $10-$500 by selling your designs as digital downloads. Use Canva to design great budget spreadsheets, wedding planners, motivational posters, calendars, and wall planners to sell on Etsy.

16. Build a subscriber-only newsletter

Earn $0-$1,000 with a paid subscriber newsletter on platforms like Patreon or Substack. If you’ve got a talent for writing and a passion for niche, in-demand subjects (anything from obscure sports and fish tanks to longevity and conspiracy theories), begin a newsletter.

This is a slow-burner, but it’s also a great way to monetize your passion over time. Even better, once you build a community of fans, it’s possible to extend into video creation on YouTube and monetize a second platform.

Weird Ways to Make Money That Are Fun

Who said work had to be boring? Check out these entertaining ways to earn some extra cash.

17. Work as a film or TV extra

Earn $100–$250 daily as a background actor, or film extra, in crowd scenes. You don’t need any acting experience, and the work is flexible and pays well. It’s also a lot of fun! Register at Casting Networks or Central Casting for opportunities.

18. Do Odd Gigs

Earn $20–$200 per task doing odd gigs as a line sitter, human billboard, flash-mobber, or costume model. You’ll find these kinds of performance-piece gigs via PR agencies, on Craigslist gigs, or TaskRabbit. They’re great if you’re an extrovert!

19. Offer a cuddle

Earn up to $40-$100 an hour by cuddling a stranger. Hey, we did say “weird ways to make money”, and this is up there! However, if you’re game, you’ll find opportunities at

Cuddlist and Cuddle Comfort.

20. Be a friend for rent

Earn up to $50 an hour as a “friend for rent” at platforms such as Rentafriend. The idea is that people hire friends for a platonic experience, such as when travelling, attending an event, or to learn a new skill or hobby.

So if you’re outgoing and great with people, this could be a fun way to earn some bonus cash.

Earn Money As a Guinea Pig or Spy

Looking for creative ways to make money that require little effort for a quick cash payment? These are fun options.

21. Join a paid clinical trial

Earn up to $5,000 per study by joining a paid clinical trial. Trials are available for healthy volunteers and people with certain conditions. You may be selected to trial the tested development drug, or fall into the placebo or control group.

The world of paid clinical trials is vast, and although some do have low-level risks, they are a popular route for flexible earnings. Find out more at ClinicalTrials and local agencies in your nearest city.

22. Sell plasma

Sell plasma and earn $20 to $100 per donation. In the USA, selling plasma is legal, and most cities have collection points. It’s also easy and rewarding, as the plasma helps patients with medical needs. Search your city to find local agencies and collection points.

23. Become a mystery shopper

Earn $10-$100 as a mystery shopper and evaluate retail stores, fast food chains, and hotels. You’ll be paid for your time and reimbursed for outgoings related to the test. Register at Market Force, IntelliShop, or BestMark to see available opportunities.

Teach and Share Skills

Some of the best creative ways to make money involve sharing your passions and hobbies. Try these ideas:

24. Host workshops or events

Earn $50-$5,000 per event hosting craft workshops in your home or a local community centre, or host online via Zoom.

Choose topics as varied as candle-making, wreath-making, fermenting, local history, or storytelling. Use Eventbrite or Meetup to organise your events and charge per head for attendance, plus any materials costs.

25. Create niche courses

Earn $100–$10,000 by creating focused courses for niche audiences. Digital courses are highly competitive… unless you are tightly niched. Choose a tiny topic and create targeted micro-courses.

Look at Exploding Topics for ideas and see which subjects are gaining traction. For example, ‘beef tallow beauty’ is massive right now, so consider creating a guide to making your own natural beef tallow creams, sourcing the right tallow, identifying quality tallow, etc.

How to Successfully Make Money Using Creative Methods

To successfully leverage the most creative ways to make money, be structured and follow a plan.

• Begin with one or two approaches and test them for 90 days to see which ones have legs. Start with smaller earners that require no investment and then build up from there.
• Consider reinvesting initial earnings in training and equipment you might need for bigger hustles.
• Stay safe online with smart internet practices. Don’t share personal details with unknown sources, follow platform policies carefully, don’t click on email links from unknown senders, ensure your software is up to date, have 2FA enabled, and use strong passwords.
• Look at opportunities with the scope to scale over time, especially as you grow your skills and experience.

Concluding Thoughts on Unusual Ways to Make Money

Once you start thinking creatively about the different ways to make cash, you’ll be amazed at the sheer breadth of opportunities available.

Whether you’re looking to earn a few bucks from your sofa playing games on a fun cash app like Scrambly, or build a business using your phone, the world’s your oyster for monetizing your ideas and skills.

Start small and see where your money-making plans take you! Which odd ways to make money will you try first?