What is up to you, however, is the opportunities you seek to at the very least keep up with the rising costs of living, and if you succeed, even surpass it.
This is why your aunt, mom, uncle, or sibling might all of a sudden be looking for ways to monetize themselves on TikTok or YouTube.
More Americans are now using the available social media platforms as a side hustle gig.
According to a 2025 LendingTree report, nearly 44% of Americans now have a side hustle.
Side hustles have exploded since the 2020 pandemic when Americans were forced to enclose themselves from being outdoors.
We saw the rise of DoorDash, TikTok challenges and trends (still relevant today), influencers, and traditional businesses mobilize as physical locations closed down.
Innovation sparked a new wave of making money on the side. Today, increasing your take-home income is the best way to beat the rising costs of living in America.
How Are People Doing It?
The first thing you need to know is that anyone can create a side hustle venture to bring in some extra cash home.
It won’t be easy, but once you identify what will get you paid and how you can get paid, you build a muscle for it.
I’m 30 years-old and have created brands since the age of 19. I’ve created small side gigs in the past from selling branded merchandise to drop shipping online, to selling online review placements to independent artists, and monetizing a YouTube channel.
As of today, I’ve had an incredibly successful blogging career.
You don’t need to spend too much time thinking what it is you want to do ‘forever’. You just need to start.
Because when you start, it’s going to allow you to identify what works and what doesn’t work.
And when it doesn’t work, find something else to create — keyword create. Have ownership in something. Build an asset that will pay you, even if its cents at first and dollars later. You can check more headlines and highlights in the newsletter.
If you’re not into the online business, online brand thing, start a traditional business on the side. I had a client in my early days who sold incredibly tasty Filipino delicacies straight from their home.
You don’t need a shop at first, you don’t need a business loan, you just need to market yourself and simply start.
