Reddit's Best Side Hustles: From YouTube Tutorials to Pet Baptisms

We’ve got $10,000 a month writing on Medium, $1000 a day washing windows, $50 an hour assembling furniture, and more!

In this episode, we’re running through some of the most favorite and most unique side hustles discovered on Reddit.

To help break these down is longtime listener and side hustle expert Whitney Bonds.

Whitney joins us fresh off her own viral success, building a thriving YouTube channel and turning online content into real income.

Tune in to Episode 698 of the Side Hustle Show to learn:

How real people are making money with 14 trending Reddit side hustles.
Tools, platforms, and strategies to start and grow each side hustle.
Creative marketing tips to turn small gigs into recurring income.

Table of Contents show

1. YouTube Tutorials

Tutorial-style YouTube content that answers specific “how to” questions can generate income for years after you publish.

Whitney experienced this firsthand with her How to Set Up an LLC video. After seeing a competitor’s 2022 video get 700,000 views, she created an updated version for 2025.

Her video now has over 200,000 views and has generated more than $30,000 in ad revenue plus over $100,000 in affiliate commissions.

To get started, look for successful videos in your area of expertise that are 1-2 years old. Create updated versions with your own perspective and better information.

2. Flipping Apples: $140 in 4 Hours

A Reddit user shared their candy apple business where they bought a bag of apples for $5 and made $140 in four hours sitting outside a Ross store.

There are other material costs like caramel and apple dip, but this shows the potential for simple value-add businesses. The concept works well at neighborhood events, vendor fairs, or anywhere people are walking by.

We’ve seen kids in the neighborhood selling shaved ice outside the pool and cotton candy over the summer. One mom mentioned her kids made $100 in a day working toward their Nintendo Switch 2 goal. People support young entrepreneurs, and if you have kids helping, you often do even better than adults would.

3. Pressure Washing: $100k Working 6 Months

One Reddit user built a house washing business called Semper Fi Power Washing that grosses over $100,000 working only six months per year. They invested $30,000 in equipment, but you can start much smaller.

Basic pressure washers for driveways and houses cost $300-400. You can level up your equipment as you break even on your first jobs.

The appeal of pressure washing is the clear before-and-after results. It’s satisfying work where you can see exactly what you accomplished. Plus there’s built-in viral marketing — when neighbors see you working, they often ask for quotes too.

4. Writing on Medium

One writer shared making $10,000 in one month writing on Medium. However, they admit this was unusual — “it will never happen again” — after five years of writing on the platform.

Whitney notes that writing platforms can be inconsistent income sources due to algorithm changes and increased competition from AI.

Medium has become particularly challenging as a reliable income stream.

5. Proposal Pop-Up Services: Instagram-Worthy Moments

One creative entrepreneur offers proposal setup services complete with neon lights, carpets, flowers, and candles. They charge $400-800 for a 2-3 hour setup.

Whitney loves this idea because men often struggle with planning romantic events. This gives them a way to create something special without having to figure out all the details themselves.

The challenge is avoiding repetition in your portfolio. If you post the same setups repeatedly, future clients (and their partners) might recognize what’s coming. You need multiple package options and creative variations.

To get your name out there, you can partner up with jewelry stores. Many people buying engagement rings need help planning the actual proposal. It’s the perfect timing — they’re already investing thousands in a ring, so a few hundred for the setup isn’t a big additional expense.

6. Window Cleaning: $1,000 Per Day

A Reddit poster shared about making $1,000 a day washing windows after going back to college for the year.

Jack Leimback from Episode 630 shared that his ads started with: “Hey Auburn, did you know there’s an epidemic of dirty windows going around? Luckily I have the antidote.” The ad showed him with a squeegee to grab attention.

And while working, one job was to knock on doors within a half-mile radius. The pitch: “I’m doing Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s windows over here. We got room in the schedule this afternoon. If you give me 10 seconds, I’ll give you an estimate.”

The key is not giving people a chance to say no and capitalizing on the social proof of already working in the neighborhood.

7. Candle Making: Custom Affirmation Candles

One entrepreneur makes custom affirmation candles to differentiate from the saturated candle market. Whitney likes the unique angle since basic candles are available everywhere.

Print-on-demand candle services now exist through platforms like Printify, allowing for endless design variations with Bible verses, affirmations, or custom sayings without holding inventory.

The challenge is pricing. Custom candles might cost $12 to produce, requiring retail prices of $18-20 to be profitable. Gift-giving occasions provide better margins since buyers are less price-sensitive. You also can’t smell online candles before buying, which affects purchasing decisions.

8. Pinterest Traffic Without Conversions

One Reddit user got 10 million Pinterest impressions but made no money from Amazon affiliate links. This highlights common challenges with Pinterest monetization.

Whitney also used to get 100,000 page views per month from Pinterest driving traffic to her site, but saw everything collapse after algorithm changes in 2019. Even hiring a $500/month Pinterest expert didn’t help.

It didn’t help that users often browse for ideas and gathering inspiration rather than immediate purchasing. They might click affiliate links and add items to their cart but not buy within Amazon’s 24-hour commission window, causing affiliate marketers to miss out on commissions.

Whitney considers Pinterest “dead” for driving meaningful traffic and conversions compared to its golden era for bloggers.

9. Youth Referee: $45-50 Per Game

Referees and umpires for youth sports earn $25-50 per game, with games typically lasting 1-2 hours. The work provides good exercise and keeps you connected to sports you enjoy.

Most leagues provide training and certification, though you’ll need to handle criticism from competitive parents. The earnings can add up quickly during sports seasons, and experienced officials often work multiple leagues.

Building a reputation for fair, consistent officiating leads to more game assignments and potential advancement to higher-level competitions with better pay rates.

10. Plant Propagation: Money That Literally Grows

A succulent business owner shared how they make money through plant propagation. This appeals to people who like the idea of money that literally grows from the ground.

The Reddit poster lives in Southern California with plenty of sun, giving them a natural advantage.

While individual plants sell for $5-20, startup costs are minimal if you already have gardening as a hobby. There seems to be quite a market on Facebook Marketplace for certain kinds of plants, especially hostas that continue growing year after year.

Even mushroom growing can work — we met someone at FinCon making $400-500 per week selling mushrooms at farmer’s markets with deals to local restaurants.

11. Pet Sitting: $100 Per Day in Luxury Homes

A Reddit user shared how they make $100 per day pet sitting, specializing in “rich people who travel often.”

Whitney loves this angle — who can afford $100 per day for pet care? The service involves staying overnight in clients’ homes to keep pets comfortable in their familiar environment.

The key is building trust with a small number of regular clients. People treat dogs like family, so once families trust you with their pets, they become repeat customers for multiple trips per year.

Many people also use Rover, which has the largest network of pet sitters.

12. Pet Baptisms

This made the Reddit list without context for earnings, but Whitney was shocked people actually pay for this service. A search shows limited competition in most areas.

If you’re ordained, this could be an opportunity in religious communities. Whitney joked about the shock factor alone making this great social media content.

13. Furniture Assembly: Adult Legos for Profit

TaskRabbit got bought by IKEA because furniture assembly was one of the most common requests. One Reddit user makes $50 per hour building furniture and sometimes gets $100 tips.

The best jobs are recliners — $50 for 10 minutes of work. You don’t need advanced home improvement skills since you’re mostly following instructions and tightening screws. It’s like adult Legos.

Services available: TaskRabbit, Angi, and furniture retailers now offer assembly services. You have to work to build up reviews and reputation, but once established, it can provide steady income.

Some people love assembling furniture while others refuse to touch it. If you’re in the first group, this could be perfect side income.

14. Trash Can Cleaning: $10 Per Month, 50 Clients Per Week

This might sound like a job for kids, but one Reddit user built a real business around cleaning garbage cans. The poster says they do 50 clients per week at $10 per month.

Whitney suggests people in neighborhoods where garbage cans are stored in garages really want this service because smelly cans affect their garage environment.

You can put sticky notes on garbage cans right after pickup day with a message like “Smelly? I can clean it for only $10,” plus your phone number.

You can start with basic handheld equipment rather than investing in a $50,000 truck setup. Test the market demand first, then upgrade equipment as the business grows.

Whitney’s Current Focus: Voice AI for Local Businesses

Whitney is most excited about AI voice assistants for local businesses. The service prevents missed calls by having AI answer phones 24/7, book appointments, and handle basic customer questions.

Her research shows a simple sales approach: find a friend or family member in the target business type and ask them to help you understand the market. Ask how many calls they miss daily, what each missed opportunity costs, then present the AI service as preventing those losses.

Instead of directly selling, you’re asking questions that lead them to request the service themselves. “So this type of business would be interested in preventing $2,000 in daily missed opportunities? Do you know any businesses I could reach out to?” Often they’ll say “Well, I would want to try it.”

Your Next Steps

Pick one side hustle that matches your skills, interests, and local market. Start small, test the concept, and scale what works.

Remember: Most successful side hustlers didn’t hit it big immediately. They tested ideas, refined their approach, and built systems over time.

The Reddit community proves that creative, hardworking people can build income streams around almost anything — even pet baptisms.

Want to build yourself a personalized side hustle show playlist? Go to hustle.show and answer a few questions to get a custom curated playlist of episodes based on your goals and interests.

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