What are some really frugal hobbies you are already doing during your free time? If you are looking to start a low-cost side hustle or two to make money from home, your hobby is the best place to start!

Apart from giving you a mental break, your hobbies usually show you what your passions are. So why not use them to help you and your family out financially? Your hobby might even go from being a side hustle to a full-blown business.

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How To Find Fun And Frugal Hobbies That Pay

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If there is anything this current global pandemic has taught us, it is the importance of pivoting when it comes to making money.

From joining high-paying focus groups online to decluttering for cash, diversifying your income stream is crucial during these uncertain times.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been spending more time at home and picking up new hobbies as we speak. From making mini LEGO-like figurines, dabbling in the occasional crossword puzzle to doing origami, these are some fun hobbies that I do on the side when I am not busy working on my businesses.

So, where do you start? For starters, finding a hobby that suits your personality and lifestyle is the best way to go. As an introvert, I enjoy doing quiet, offline activities that help me wind down after a long day staring in front of my computer. Most of my hobbies are artistic and creative, but that does not mean yours have to be the same!

The bottom line is to keep experimenting and trying new things. You can start by remembering what you used to enjoy doing when you were young. Take baby steps and gradually incorporate these hobbies into your life, then consider how you can transform your hobby into a side hustle.

11 frugal hobbies that actually make you money

Looking to get started with fun and frugal hobbies to make some real cash from home? Consider these 12 great ideas that almost anyone can easily do, some without even leaving the house!

Creative & hands on hobbies that make you money

1. Baking

Love baking all kinds of sweet treats during your spare time? Baking is one of the frugal hobbies that can make you serious money if done right. Whether it is making holiday-themed treats for kids, to baking gorgeous looking birthday cakes, the sky is literally the limit.

Pssst…if you love baking AND pets, starting a dog treat bakery business from home might be the perfect little niche for you!

How To Start A Profitable Dog Treat Bakery Business From Home

Here are a few ideas you can consider:

Sell your baked goods at food markets
Serve a niche market(think baby shower, birthday parties, wedding anniversary celebrations etc.)
Advertise your baking services online for home deliveries
Join food delivery apps that accept independent vendors like you
Create a website and hire out the delivery
Dog treat bakery business(either from home or starting a physical shop)
Serve your local community and only sell to your area
Find cafes and restaurants to partner with and sell some of your baked goods
Join food festivals and events to sell your baked goods
Cater kids' parties( you can make cupcakes or Disney-themed birthday cakes)

2. Sewing

In the early months of lock down, I myself went on Etsy to find independent vendors who make fabric face masks. If you love sewing and are passionate about making anything from aprons to face masks, consider making money from this frugal hobby of yours!

You will only need very basic sewing skills to make products similar to face masks. Some ideas include lipstick holders, denim upcycled bags and makeup and accessory holders. Things you would need to start this hobby include a reliable sewing machine, a table, fabric and sewing materials.

3. Thrift Shopping and Flea Market Hopping

Do you love visiting thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets during the weekend or your spare time?

If you have a knack for flipping furnitures, old household items, shoes and even designer sneakers, you should consider doing flea market flipping. This frugal hobby now makes this mom of six more than $3900 a month, so why not you! These are some of her results from flea market flipping:

Apart from spending some money getting help with sourcing goods to flip, this frugal hobby might eventually help you make cash on the side. You could even be starting a full-time flea market flipping business given that you understand how to sell your items on eBay for profit.

No clue about selling on eBay? Check out this really cool Beginner's Guide To Selling on eBay before you take the plunge.

If you're serious about becoming a flea market flipper, be sure to save yourself a seat to this free webinar by Flipper University. Flipper University is an online course created by my friends Rob and Melissa who are stay-at-home parents making a full-time income as flea market flippers, so they definitely teach from real life experience.

4. Crocheting or Knitting

Do you spend hours crocheting or knitting whenever you have free time? You can make money selling your crochet products, blogging about it, and even teaching others how to crochet or knit. Although this hobby is relatively cheap to start, completing a crocheting or knitting does take time. However, with the proper channels and planning, you can absolutely make good money with this frugal hobby.

If you're interested, here are 9 ways to make money crocheting and work from home.

frugal hobbies that require some travelling

While the hobbies mentioned above does not require you to leave your home, the next few hobbies do require some travelling and footwork. From photography to pet walking services, there are plenty of opportunities and frugal hobbies that will help you make money, pay off debt and save up for your big financial goals.

5. Photography

If you love taking photos, your photography hobby might be something you should consider to make extra money. Whether it is a great way to pay off your credit card debt, or to improve your financial situation, this frugal hobby of yours does not even require you to leave your home.

You can easily set up your very own photography studio at home and have paying clients come over for photo shoots. From newborn baby sessions to mini couple sessions for engaged couples, there are so many opportunities for you to make money from your photography hobby.

Alternatively, there are also plenty of mobile apps that pay you for your unique photos:

6. Dog walking or dog sitting

Do you love walking your dog and spending time with dogs? You might be surprised to learn that this frugal hobby of yours can actually make you good money. That's because busy dog owners as well as pet owners who go on holidays need a little extra help walking their dogs and will pay you to do so!

To help you get started with your dog walking gig straightaway, here are some of the best websites to sign up as a dog walker:

MadPaws

MadPaws operates in Australia and mainly provides pet sitting and dog boarding services for dog owners. As a pet sitter, you will need to go through a vetting process by signing up to become a pet sitter. Creating a profile is free, however, having a good quality profile photo and testimonials from past clients will improve your trustworthiness and chances of getting clients.

Learn more about how you can become a pet sitter with MadPaws here.

Petbacker

Petbacker is a website that connects pet sitters, groomers or walkers with pet owners. They operate in more than 50 countries which makes it all the more convenient for pet owners around the world to get pet services. Listings on Petbacker is free, which leaves more of your earnings for you!

Pet sitting for Petbacker is a fun and flexible way to make money while you get to spend time with lovely pups or pets all day long. Additionally, you get to choose your own schedule, prices and requirements for your pet sitting, boarding or walking services. Once your listing is live, not only will you be able to start accepting jobs, you can also message pet parents and answer questions before starting any work via the Petbacker app.

Check out the list of pet sitter jobs in your area to get started.

DogWalker

This is a great website that has plenty of tips on how to become a great dog walker. It also connects dog walkers to prospective clients, so if you love dogs and want to get started as a dog walker, this is the best website for you.

To promote yourself as a dog walker, you can pay DogWalker to display your services and rates for clients or dog owners to find you and connect with you. With just $1 membership/week, DogWalker effectively promotes your dog walking services to clients that are the right fit for you.

Check out DogWalker right here.

Frugal hobbies you can do without leaving your home

7. Reading books

Love reading AND giving your opinion about books by writing reviews? If reading is your go-to hobby, why not make it count by raking in cash by writing book reviews. Apart from being a super cheap and enjoyable hobby, you can actually make good money from being a bookworm and spending your spare time reading!

Right now, Kirkus Media is looking for experienced book reviewers of English and Spanish-language titles to review for Kirkus Indie, the book review magazine’s section dedicated to self-published authors.

Your job as a book reviewer is a 350-words review with a two weeks deadline.

Get started writing book reviews for Kirkus Reviews here.

8. Watching movies

Are you a serious movie buff who has lots to say about the movies you watched? Why not get paid to review movies online! This relatively frugal hobby of yours has the potential of making you serious money each month.

As an amateur and beginner movie critic, you can start by joining these websites that pay you to review films. According to this guide on making money writing movie reviews, you can go a few routes:

Become a freelance movie review writer
Wrote reviews for royalty
Start a YouTube channel

If you would like to dip your toe in the water and give writing movie reviews a try, I suggest you start by checking out the websites below:

a) Animation Arena

This website pays $15 for 550 words movie review. Animation Arena also pays for video games and comic book reviews. According to their website, all movie reviews must be a minimum of 550 words.

Considering 550 words is not really all that long, as long as you are writing original content, you can make good money from this hobby of yours!

Ready to get started? Get paid to write movie reviews for Animation Arena here.

b) Screenrant

If you are a serious movie critic who takes your hobby seriously, joining ScreenRant might be a better option for you.

You can write about movies, TV shows, Reality TV and video games. For steady work, ScreenRant is great as they require you to commit to a certain amount of reviews each month. They are looking for writers who can provide original and in-depth content.

So, if you think that you have what it takes to be a contributor for ScreenRant, go here to apply now.

You might want to read:

9. Writing

Writing is a great hobby that literally costs little to nothing, as can become a lucrative side hustle that pays you good money! From writing romance novels, self-publishing on Kindle to making money as a freelance writer, there are many possibilities when it comes to making money writing from home.

In order to succeed as a freelance writer, it pays to be in a specialized niche such as:

Copywriting: Copy is anything that is written to sell. As a copywriter, you can help bloggers and entrepreneurs write their sales page, emails and any kind of digital asset that requires selling! Think ebooks, printables, online courses and products
Blogging: Whether it is a passion for sewing, gardening, or just about any topic under the sun, blogging is another great way to make an income online. If you're serious about making money blogging, learn from Alex & Lauren of Create and Go who make north of $20,000 each month with their 2 blogs. Alex and Lauren teach all about how to make money blogging the tried and true way in the Launch Your Blog Biz course.

I myself make about $200 to $1000 extra each year writing blog posts as well as articles for clients. The potential earning when it comes to freelance writing ranges from $2000 a month to $5000 per month! My friend Michael who is a full-time copywriter and founder of Inspire Your Success consistently makes $5000 a month writing, so writing is definitely a frugal hobby that pays well.

If you're interested, Michael teaches the exact formula to make $5000 months as a freelance writer in 90 days in his comprehensive Freelance To $5K course right here.

10. Gardening

Have the green thumb and love gardening during your spare time? This hobby has the potential to help you rake in some extra money! You can cultivate edible plants or herbs to sell right from your home. Growing your own fruit and veges is now experiencing a comeback, as more people are interested in being self-sufficient.

From fruit plants to succulents, you can use your gardening skills to help you literally turn plants into cash. Depending on the type of clientele you are targeting, this frugal hobby of yours could prove useful in terms of making money from home.

11. Craft or jewelry making

Another great hobby that pays is craft or jewelry making. Nowadays, handmade accessories, crafts and jewelry are making a comeback as people appreciate artisan items that are much more unique and have personalization. If you are great at making gorgeous handmade earrings, hair accessories and crafts, you can definitely consider selling these ideas of selling:

Sell your handcrafted jewelry at handmade or artisan markets
Start an Etsy store to sell your craft and jewelry
Advertise on Facebook or sell on Facebook Marketplace
Start a Shopify store, launch your own brand and website

Conclusion

There are definitely plenty of hobbies that are fun to do, super cheap to get started and have the potential to actually make you money! With a little hustle and heart, hopefully you will find some frugal hobbies that also make you money on the side.

For more side hustle or side business ideas to start making money from home right now, you might want to read:

11 Frugal Hobbies That Make You Money & Pay Well