This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
I haven’t posted a yearly side hustle income post for the last few years, even though I have continued earning money on the side. I am rather proud of my total for 2022 though, despite the busy, busy year it was, so I thought it really did deserve a post here on The Thrifty Life.
While the amounts may be small in some areas, it all adds up! In our quest to semi-retire (Flamingo FIRE) once our kids all finish their schooling, having the ability to earn extra money through multiple income streams to reach this goal is so important to me. This side hustle money is in addition to our regular salaries, and any blog income from advertising/affiliates.
Here’s the rundown on how all the little ways I earned over $7,000 in side hustle income during 2022.
Online Surveys & Market Research – $4,047.98
At the start of each year, I set myself a goal of earning $3,000 from online surveys and market research, and I often end up reaching that goal by Christmas! You can find my posts on online surveys here and market research here.
Sign-Up & Referral Bonuses – $580.51
I made more of an effort to find and share sign-up and referral bonuses during the year, which netted me a nice amount. Click here to find out how to get free money, bonuses and sign-up offers in Australia.
Apps – $145.51
I did not spend much time on using apps on my phone during 2022, but those that did just tick away in the background without much effort on my part brought in $145.51. Click here for a list of all the phone apps I use to make money.
Cashbacks – $1,105.10
I love using Cashrewards and ShopBack to receive a small percentage back on my online purchases. Due to things such as sickness, pandemics and generally being time-poor, I conducted the majority of household shopping online during 2022, which added up to a significant amount of cashback! You can find my post on using cashback sites to save money here.
Free Products – $368.67
Thanks to product sampling sites such as the Woolworths Bunch program, I received a quite a few free samples and products to try. You can find more information in these posts on product testing, free baby samples, free stuff for kids, birthday freebies for Aussies, and where to get free samples in Australia.
Mystery Shopping – $46.30
Unfortunately living in a rural town means I don’t get many mystery shopping jobs available in my area, however I used to make hundreds of dollars when I lived in the city! You can find my post on Mystery Shopping here.
Selling – $5.00
After moving interstate to our home in 2021, we had a huge declutter and clear-out as we packed, so there was not much to sell during 2022. The few low-cost items I did list on FB Marketplace attracted so many time-wasters, no-shows, and scammers, that apart from the towel rack that did sell for $5, I ended up donating the rest of the stuff. I am due to have another big tidy-up of the house and shed, so hopefully I have more luck with selling items this year! Check out some suggestions for selling unwanted items here.
Competition Winnings – $1,162.79
I love entering competitions but my efforts at entering comps over the last few years have been a bit sporadic. I committed to entering comps on a more regular basis during 2022, which resulted in quite a few smallish wins (mainly books, which we love as a family). You can find my post on entering competitions here.
Check out the Making Money section for more side hustle ideas!
