Make Money

9 Low-Stress Side Hustles For Introverts That Pay Surprisingly Well

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If you’re an introvert looking for ways to make extra money, you’ve come to the right place.

This short guide has now been shared over 100,000 times on social media.

The best part? All of these ideas are working GREAT right now.

1. Earn Up to $140/Month Simply by Voicing Your Thoughts

Savvy introverts are discovering a secret. Top-tier brands like Amazon, Apple, and Google offer introverts an easy way to earn simply by sharing thoughts.

Branded Surveys is a free website and highly-rated app that pays users to answer simple surveys for big brands. There are no lengthy sign-ups and no need to share your address or phone.

You can get paid up to $5 per survey. That’s up to $140 monthly if you take three quick surveys daily.

Create a free account in less than a minute. You can then start cashing in on your opinions immediately. 

Surveys range from five to fifteen minutes; you’re always informed about their duration upfront.

And the best part? 

You can cash out when your earnings reach just $5. Choose between PayPal, bank transfer, Amazon, or a gift card, and get paid within 48 hours.

Since 2012, Branded Surveys has rewarded users over $40 million, and their most active members earn a few hundred dollars monthly. Trustpilot’s “excellent” rating is a testament to its reputation. 

Joining the Branded Surveys community through The Ways To Wealth comes with an added benefit — a free 100-point welcome bonus.

Start turning your thoughts into cash today. Sign up with Branded Surveys now.

2. Become A Real Estate Investor Without The Hassle

Imagine waking each month to passive income earned from your real estate investments without debt, tenant disputes, or maintenance headaches — just steady financial growth.

Sounds impossible? Not anymore.

Arrived, backed by Jeff Bezos, allows you to invest in real estate without becoming a landlord, with a minimum investment of just $100.

This platform enables you to co-own rental properties, including vacation rentals like Airbnbs, making it easy for first-time real estate investors to get started in this hot market.

To get started, simply enter your email address to browse potential investments. No complicated forms, no waiting.

For introverts, Arrived is a perfect fit, as it eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions with tenants, property maintenance, and other hassles associated with traditional real estate investments.

Tap into real estate, the proven path to passive income, and let your money start working for you. 

Don’t wait – join over 353,000 smart investors at Arrived today.

Arrived
Arrived

Generate Passive Income with Real Estate

Arrived, backed by Jeff Bezos, offers a hassle-free way to invest in real estate. With a minimum investment of just $100, you can co-own rental properties and earn income from rental payments and potential appreciation. No need for face-to-face interactions or property upkeep. See available homes with just your email address.

3. Step into America’s Most Profitable Business

How would you like to make your schedule, working where and when you want?

Those are the potential benefits of starting your own bookkeeping business, according to Ben Robinson, an accountant and business owner who has helped over 3,000 people do just that.

And no, you don’t need to be a CPA or have prior accounting experience. All you need are a few basic computer skills and a love for numbers. 

What’s also great about becoming a part-time bookkeeper is that the business has:

  • Low start-up costs
  • High profit margins
  • Consistent demand

That’s why Entrepreneur magazine recently listed bookkeeping as America’s most profitable business.

If you’re interested, check out Ben’s free three-class series: How to Own a Virtual Bookkeeping Service, Earn Good Money and Be Your Own Boss.

4. The side job for people who love to read

Love to read? Love spotting errors? Love to work independently? If so, you probably have the makings of a successful proofreader.

Proofreading doesn’t require certification, and the explosion of web content in recent years has skyrocketed demand for reliable freelancers in the field.

In fact, with 69% of businesses having increased their content marketing budgets in 2023, the opportunities for proofreaders are more abundant than ever.

If you’re interested, Caitlin Pyle, the creator of Proofread Anywhere, has a free daily workshop: Learning the Skills You Need to Start Your Freelance Proofreading Hustle.

Caitlin earned a full-time income while working only part-time, so her free workshops are worth checking out.

See when the next class is to turn your love for fixing others’ mistakes into a profitable business.

5. Get Paid to Test Products Without Leaving Your Home

Imagine turning your opinions on new products into extra income without leaving home. With i-Say by Ipsos, it’s not just possible – it’s a reality for many, every day.

Ipsos, one of the world’s largest market research companies, primarily offers paid surveys. But for its most active members, they unlock the exclusive world of product testing. That’s right, you get a sneak peek into the future of your favorite brands and get to help shape them while earning extra cash.

Creating an account on i-Say takes less than 30 seconds, and you won’t even have to provide an address. Once you sign up, a daily email lands in your inbox with potential opportunities tailored just for you.

Your feedback doesn’t just help shape products – it translates into tangible rewards. Each product you test and survey you complete contributes to your earnings. The more active you are, the more opportunities you unlock.

With a solid 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot with over 46,000 reviews, i-Say has proven to be a reliable platform where your views truly make a difference. Once you’ve earned enough points, cashing out is a breeze with PayPal.

Ready to turn product testing into your profitable hobby? Join the 7 million members of i-Say today who are already living this insider experience.

Click here to get started.

6. Get Paid To Play Solitaire

Playing solitaire might sound almost too stereotypical for introverts, but we stumbled upon the app Solitaire Smash, which allows you to earn cash prizes playing solitaire.

We’re late to the party, too, as the app boasts an impressive 4.8 rating from over 21,500 users on iOS.

(Solitaire Smash is currently unavailable on Android, but there’s a great alternative. Check out Mistplay, the popular gaming app that rewards you for playing and testing new games. Join a community that has already earned over $60 million in rewards, with more than 10 million downloads to date.)

Solitaire Smash elevates the classic solitaire game by introducing a competitive twist. You’re not just playing against the deck but competing against other players at your skill level.

With the convenience of cashing out via PayPal and Apple Pay, coupled with an ad-free gaming experience, it’s clear why over one million users on Google Play and iOS are already captivated by the game.

Ready to join the excitement? Download Solitaire Smash today and start earning real rewards.

Please note: Cash tournaments in Solitaire Smash are unavailable in AZ, AR, IA, LA, MD, SC, SD, and VT.

7. Earn cash watching cooking videos

Not everyone is looking to dive head-first into a new career or project. They just need an easy way to make a quick dollar without much hassle.

A good option for this route is watching videos online on Swagbucks, which pays you to watch short clips.

Most of the time, you’ll choose a video to watch, such as cooking or celebrity gossip, and then answer a few questions about it.

Swagbucks has now paid out over $800 million in rewards, has an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau, and an “Excellent” rating from Trustpilot. 

In addition to watching videos, you can earn money in several other ways, including playing games and searching the web.

Signing up only takes 30 seconds, and you’ll get a $10 bonus.

Try Swagbucks today.

8. Take your Skills To Upwork

Proofreading and bookkeeping are excellent examples of skills that are easy to learn and therefore allow you to go from a beginner to making money fast in a way that’s impossible with more technically-demanding fields like web programming.

But before jumping into a new field, it’s beneficial to examine your existing skillset, specifically thinking about whether your past work history transfers well to a side job.

This way, you’re not starting from scratch but building on the existing career capital you’ve acquired over the years. 

One way to find out whether you can leverage your previous work experience is by quickly searching some of the popular freelance marketplaces, like Upwork and Fiverr.

Jobs on these sites range from part-time customer service work to one-off graphic design projects to full-time roles in almost every niche and field you can think of. 

Here’s the thing: These marketplaces are crowded. You’re competing with individuals from all over the world.

But even with that high level of competition, thousands of freelancers make a very good living on these platforms. So the trick is analyzing what the top earners do differently and then applying those same principles to your own work. 

Fortunately, we’ve done this hard work for you.

See our in-depth guide, How To Start Freelancing, for a step-by-step process for landing your first high-paying client.

Then, read our comprehensive guides on succeeding on both Upwork and Fiverr:

9. Freelance Writing

Freelance writing was my first real success making money outside of a traditional job. I earned a whopping $50 for what was close to 10 hours of work, writing a brochure for a small business. 

But soon after that — with a few happy clients under my belt — I was billing at much higher rates. And within a year, I was doing very well writing and designing web pages.

As an introvert myself, I loved the work.

Every new assignment meant getting paid to learn and write about an interesting new topic. And while I wasn’t earning a lot of money at first, I came to realize quickly just how much opportunity is available in freelance writing.

Similar to proofreading, freelance writing remains a fast growing field thanks to companies investing more and more resources into content. If you’re interested in earning money from writing, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you get started writing online.

Bonus: Turn Your Shopping Habits into Extra Income

Wouldn’t it be great to get a check every few months for 10% of everything you bought online, including expensive online purchases like hotel rooms, TVs, and other high-priced tech?

A free website called Rakuten allows you to do just that.

You can get up to 40% cash-back every time you buy something. In fact, one team member on The Ways To Wealth, a long-time Rakuten user, has earned a total of $747.98 since 2020 (without changing any of his shopping habits). 

Creating a Rakuten account to start earning cash-back takes less than a minute. All you need is an email address. Then, for the best results, install the browser extension and download the app so you don’t miss out on any cash-back. 

Make a qualifying purchase at one of your favorite stores within the first 90 days of signing up and you’ll also get a $30 welcome bonus. 

The cash you earn is deposited directly into your PayPal account or bank account every three months (Rakuten can also mail you a paper check). If you’re an American Express Cardholder, you can convert your Rakuten cash into American Express Membership Rewards and redeem them for travel. Get Rakuten.

What’s Next?

I can’t speak for all introverts, but if you’re anything like me, there’s nothing better than finding work that makes it easy to get out of bed in the morning. 

That’s why I included things like proofreading and bookkeeping on this list: they can be side hustles you do in your spare time to make extra money right now, but they also have the potential to become much more than that — lucrative gigs that allow you to earn a great living on your own terms.

Looking for easy ways to earn? Take quick surveys with Branded Surveys or set up an account with Arrived to start earning passive income through real estate.

Sources:

R.J. Weiss
R.J. Weiss, founder of The Ways To Wealth, has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ since 2010. Holding a B.A. in finance and having completed the CFP® certification curriculum at The American College, R.J. combines formal education with a deep commitment to providing unbiased financial insights. Recognized as a trusted authority in the financial realm, his expertise is highlighted in major publications like Business Insider, New York Times, and Forbes.

    36 Comments

    1. I am very interested in most of the online jobs listed above. I was glad to see that there were free classes offered to show how to begin. I am very excited to give some of these a try because since I retired two years ago my income has slowed down drastically.

    2. Thanks for this list.

      1. You’re welcome!

        1. Is there anything for illustrations? I am speaking on behalf of my son, who is an introvert himself and just graduated from college this past May 2023 with a degree in Illustration at a very competitive school in Michigan. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated. Thank you. All the great ideas you put out there. I’m going to try a couple of them from your list. I don’t get paid enough as a teacher’s assistant.

        2. I’d look into print on demand through Etsy.

          Fulfillment is all handled for you, and platform brings good customers.

          https://www.thewaystowealth.com/make-money/etsy/

    3. Thanks for posting this. I am very interested in a few of these careers and would like to look further into them.

    4. I am a retired dental hygienist and am thinking about earning some money from home. These are great ideas.

    5. While these sound fairly interesting. I have found I enjoy data entry. Any suggestions for a side job on that front?

    6. Hi, this information is great especially the blogging idea because it’s one I’ve been wanting to do. What platform do you use to blog and is it free?

      1. Hi Eva,

        I use WordPress. The software itself is free. What you do have to pay for if you want your own domain is hosting. This is a few dollars a month.

    7. How do you put bookkeepers part of leds stressful job when there are many deadlines involve. Many businesses ownerswho don’t know what’s the different between customers and vendors are? And a bookkeepers have to deal with them. And many other things is involved

      1. Hi Neda,

        I welcome others to chime in here as well, as I’ve personally never been a bookkeeper myself. As with many jobs, a lot comes down to who you’re working for, either as an employer or freelancer.

        Overall, bookkeeping, in general, is seen as one of the less stressful jobs with a high degree of work-life balance, such as here with U.S. — News. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/bookeeping-accounting-and-audit-clerk

        Of course, it’s not for everyone. If you have experience here, love to hear more.

        1. Freelance bookkeeping can be less stressful if you don’t do full charge. You may want to just do accounts payable / receivables and maybe payroll. More like a data entry position. Then you don’t need to worry so much about deadlines, taxes, etc.

        2. Great insight!

        3. Bookkeeping is definitely very stressful even with AP/AR and payroll. I have experienced both sides and many of the time it’s probably not stressful if you know the system but if you do not know the processes and procedures to accounting, it becomes a big problem.

          I have been in accounting for years. I opened a business with my son and working full time as a dealership office manager all the positions are deadline and money driven and there are long days and late nights at times. However, since I have gotten more into my personal business with my son and things are coded all over and no one asked questions. Just posted anywhere it’s a disaster.

          We have had Quickbooks do it and an accounting service with same issues. I found this when reviewing the books myself sending emails to correct. And sometimes had to send again or go in person to get them to understand. They even paid an ex-employee that had been gone for 6 month over $700. Then I asked them to call me but they never would because it was tax time. Well give me 5 minutes of your time not 50 text messages of wasted time and submitted payroll 3 times that day without my permission because they did it wrong. So just because you know the system doesn’t mean you know where it belongs or what it is.

          Suggestion get to know the businesses and their transactions that your working for so you know where they belong. Send a report. People that don’t do their own books don’t know where everything should go so they don’t know it’s wrong until it’s too late. Have a conversation with ur clients about transactions so u know where it should go. Don’t assume!! Thanks for letting me note my input. It’s important for people to know their job so life is less stressful for both sides. I know all of the above was stressful for me when it was happening and I wasn’t doing it. Good luck and hopefully more jobs become easier at home for that lifestyle as it can be helpful in the long run for many with kids, traveling lives, ect.. Thanks and have a wonderful week!!

    8. I looked into taking surveys and testing products, a few years ago. I could only connect with companies who had you save up thousands of points to maybe get paid $1. Are these companies different now? I am interested in earning money through taking surveys and/ or testing products, but I would like an option which is true and substantial. What is your advice?
      Thanks

      1. Hi Geri! If you’re interested in testing products, we have a full list of legit product testing companies here: https://www.thewaystowealth.com/make-money/product-testing-sites/. For Surveys, we think Survey Junkie is a good-paying option when you’re looking for quick surveys you can take in your spare time/on-the-go. But the best-paying market research company we’ve ever tested is User Interviews, which paid our reviewer $55 per hour on average. The big downside is that the site offers mostly in-depth 1-on-1 video calls and focus groups, which take between 30-60 minutes and need to be scheduled in advance. So, it’s quite a bit less flexible than Survey Junkie. You can learn more about it here: https://www.thewaystowealth.com/make-money/user-interviews-review/

    9. Where do I find out about the freelance writing. I didn’t see it in the article.

    10. I currently use Swagbucks and they keep updating was to earn Swagbucks.

    11. Mr. Weiss – Thank you so much for this information! I will be retiring in about a year & a half & have been getting worried about, first finances as SS will not be enough for me to maintain my home & expenses. I also won’t have nearly enough in a 401k to make a difference & help support a stress-free lifestyle. I have already worked over 50 yrs & am not sure I’d be able to “not” work in retirement. These are all great ideas to do a side-hustle & earn some money to supplement SS & not have to have a full time or even part time job. I will definitely look into some of these. Thank you again for helping put my mind at ease on my upcoming road to retirement.

    12. Do you have more information about proofreading? Like a website to get started with.

      1. Hi Karen. Please check out the video series from Caitlin Pyle, who runs Proofread Anywhere.

    13. Wow… I was thinking about a side hustle that as an introvert would be able to do that doesn’t involve to much interactions with people just weeks ago! Then today I came across this. These are some GREAT ideas for me and many of them I already love to do! Finally someone gets us introverts! 😊 THANK YOU so much for this!

    14. Mr. Weiss,

      Thank you so much for the wonderful ideas! I know I need to re-enter the work force, but I’m not really wanting to go back to an office setting. These put me at ease and are things that are actually doable.

      Thanks again,

      Elaine

    15. I have another gig to add to your list. Being an introvert myself, I created my own job (business) cleaning up litter outside commercial properties for property management companies. The service is performed on-foot using a unique hand tool. It’s almost as easy to do as going for a walk! I love the solitude and peacefulness of working in the early morning hours before businesses open.

      1. Brian, I found your comment interesting; any info you can share? Thanks.

    16. Hello! I checked out the Proofreading lead that you shared, and I signed up for a short-term course with Caitlin that is thorough and enjoyable since I’ve always been an avid reader. I also administrate a High School Alumni page on Facebook so it will be put to good use there. She lowered the price to where I could afford it since I’m retired. I may launch a pt business but I have other project ideas in mind, as well, and this course will help tremendously. I’d rather work from home; miss me with a cubicle!! This was a wonderful suggestion for me. Thanks so much!

    17. Any translation job out there? I speak Portuguese and Spanish. Thank you!’

    18. Thank you for this! I’ve been thinking about retirement, financially I’ve been nervous about it. There are several suggestions here that interest me and should ease that worry.

    19. Uber Eats is another good job for introverts. 90% of my deliveries are “leave it at the door”, knock and leave.

      1. There’s a lot of wear & tear on your vehicle as well as the cost of gas though..💁🏻‍♀️ I did DoorDash…it’s ok if you can afford the car expenses it creates 👍🏼

    20. Thank you for this information. I’m starting to look into some type of a side hustle. I’ll be retiring soon, after 30 years as an educator, 15 of those as an administrator. I don’t think I’m necessarily an introvert, but I am definitely done with this job that has required me to be highly extroverted!

    21. I am definitely an introvert and find it hard to stay with a job. My experience is in the medical field, but I love doing office work, AP/AR, quickbooks, invoicing, emails, and I can proofread anything. I look forward to looking into some of these jobs and if you have anything else or other ideas, please let me know.

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