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Gen Z and Millennials have revealing chat about how differently they've experienced the 2000s

"Millennials had dial up internet. And a life before that internet was created."

gen z, generation z, millennial, millennials, millennial generation
Images via Canva

Gen Z discusses the biggest cultural differences between them and Millennials.

Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) only have a handful of years between them. But if you ask them, they were raised worlds apart.

In an online forum discussing generational differences, a member named @No_Title_615 posed the question: "Why are Gen Z so much different to Millennials?" They went on to share, "So I grew up during the 2000’s and 2010’s and as a society I felt like we were honestly in a really good place culturally. However as we entered the 2020’s I felt a big shift in society."

The shift? A noticed change in overall optimism to pessimism. "Suddenly there was so much more doomerism. The optimism of the 2010’s pretty much went away," they wrote.

The post prompted many Gen Zers and Millennials to add their thoughts and opinions about their differences growing up--and they did not hold back. From societal norms to technology and more, here are the most interesting responses from Gen Z and Millennials.

"Millennials grew up and learned the internet and technology as it was happening whereas GenZ will utter phrases like “wtf do you mean, no internet?” at some point in their lives." —@Quiet-Donut2192

"I feel like the optimism of the 2010s was more an Obama 2nd term thing than an all of the 2010s thing." —@Someperson727

"Millennials had dial up internet. And a life before that internet was created." —@grom513

dial up, dial up internet, internet, aol, internet memeDial Up The Struggle GIFGiphy

"The way that I see it, is that the 2010’s were right after the housing crash, and ppl became more optimistic, going to clubs more and such. However, post-COVID, I feel after that crisis, music I particular seems to be getting better. After a social crisis, the music seems to reflect the feelings that everyone is feeling. Then afterwards, a couple of years or so, the music becomes more uplifting and even reflective. This is the period that we’re in, imo. Hope this makes sense." —@Maxi-Lux

"9/11 and COVID were large reasons that separate Gen Z and Millennials. Millennials had an understanding of what life was like before 9/11, not Gen Z. Millennials had a taste of the workforce before COVID, not Gen Z. Gen Z grew up and faced adulthood in the midst of crisises, Millennials had the taste of the normal life before it got taken away." —@XConejoMaloX

scrolling, smart phone, iphone, scrolling mindlessly, scrolling gifAdd Hasan Minhaj GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Smartphones changed everything. My upbringing was largely the same as millenials, but when smartphones started getting popular, everyone I knew got busy, cold, and distant. I'd try having conversations with people and they'd just stare at their phones the whole time. I think constant internet access has left people fragmented, with our heads in the clouds. You could live right next to each other but have nothing in common, because everything is online now." —@OnTheRadio3

"I say this all the time and frequently get a lot of flack for it but the doomerism is a byproduct of inexperience. People who spend most of their time online or in videogames or otherwise rotting away alone at home aren’t gaining much in the way of life experience but they don’t want to come off to others (or themselves) as naive, sheltered, etc. so they adopt this kind of idiotic cynicism to stand in for the wisdom of experience. Others see this and basically copy it because if you don’t know better then it sounds very worldly and jaded. Gen Z exhibits this due to the isolation and terminally online nature of their upbringing." —@Woodit

party rock, millennials, party rock dance, dancing, shufflingdance party everyday im shufflin GIFGiphy

"Gen Z refused to Party Rock." —@One_Huckleberry_

"Millennials had access to the world’s information without it being algorithmically weaponized against them during their formative years." —@Messiah_Thomas

"We know what it’s like to not have the internet or phones on us 24/7. Also we know what it’s like to play outside and be bored to our core." —User Unknown

play outside, outside, outdoors, playing, boredPlay Go GIFGiphy

"I mean bruh, 2020 literally started off with a pandemic, it’s not the best reference point to go off of plus we are only halfway through our current decade. I think nostalgia for happier/youthful times is playing a part in warping your perspective. There’s a lot of factors though, Gen Z as a whole has been disenfranchised by a feeling of lack of purpose and bad financial prospects. It’s not something I’d arbitrarily chalk down to our generation as a whole, but rather the material conditions of our modern day environment and things happening beyond our control. For most of us, we were hit by the Covid lockdowns right after or during high school so key years of our youth got utterly fucked and what came after was bitter sweet. Things got a hell of a lot more expensive in the last few years and wages aren’t sufficiently rising to keep up with inflation. so that plays a huge part. More youth are realizing the contradictions and flaws within our economic system and yearn for change. Tough times can create a lot of animosity and frustration in people." —@Triscuitsandbiscuits

"I wonder if the fact that there was a global pandemic had anything to do with decreasing levels of optimism." —@AdMurky3039

tiktok, tiktok dance, tik tok choreo, tiktok dancing, dance tiktokJimmy Fallon Dancing GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy

"Internet, YouTube, Tik Tok. Constantly exposed to what we would have considered bad influences before." —@Electrical-Lead-3792

"We had an incredible upbringing. Music was great, the state of the world was great (besides 9/11). Pop culture was great. Everything was just getting better and better. Movies, games, phones, internet, cars getting cooler and cooler, buildings getting cooler and cooler. People getting cooler. And we learned almost everything through experiences, socializing, mentorships, taking advice, listening to our elders, asking questions, experimenting, arguing, challenging ourselves, breaking ourselves down, lifting ourselves up, and figuring what this world means to us. While the new generation, the minute they’re unsure about something they run to ChatGPT. They don’t take risks. They don’t argue anything, the right opinion is the most popular or upvoted. They’re not insightful. They don’t value perspective. And everything is as good as it gets for them. Different times. We were like the roaring twenties before 1929 happened." —@SasukesFriend321


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85-year-old woman in senior home brings down the house with Fleetwood Mac 'Landslide' cover

There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Cecily Knobler

A woman sings "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac at karaoke.

On a hot Sunday in July, Carole Wade took the mic at a Dallas senior living facility where my mom lives. I happened to be visiting for the karaoke event, and the list of residents who couldn't wait to put their stamps on their favorite tunes was so long, the event had to be extended. ABBA's "Mamma Mia," David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo"—you name it, they sang it.

When it was Wade's turn, the microphone was brought to her table. She took it in her hands as though it was an extension of her fingers as the music cued up. Then, as she began to effortlessly sing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, the room got still. Frozen. All eyes were on her, and most of those eyes were wet. The lyrics, so beautifully fitting:

"Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you.
But time makes you bolder,
Even children get older,
I'm getting old too."

A man sitting at our table took notice of how emotional I had become. He leaned over to say, "Never stop feeling the music."

I had the honor of chatting with Wade, who at 85, has been singing nearly her whole life. She got started in the business as a backup singer in Elvis impersonator groups in Dallas and surrounding areas. In and out of bands, playing Deep Ellum clubs and local hotels, she shares, "I've been singing since I was a small child. I've loved music all my life."

As luck would have it, she was at a jam session when she started harmonizing with other musicians. They would soon form her most recent band, Psychedelic Oatmeal. They officially stopped playing gigs when she was in her 70s, but they remain close. (She notes her bandmates were all much younger.)

 bands, carole wade, music, old friends, singer Carole and her band mates.Carole Wade

They covered classic rock tunes from Stevie Nicks, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, and Led Zeppelin. Songs like "Me and Bobby McGee," "Seven Bridges Road," and "Whole Lotta Love." She laughs that most of the men in the band couldn't hit those Zeppelin high notes made famous by Robert Plant, so she took on the challenge—with great success.

They even branded themselves at gigs, making little Ziploc bags of oatmeal and glitter, which they would throw to the audience at shows. That is, until a club owner asked them to stop, as the oatmeal was mixing with spilled drinks, "creating goo."

Rare footage of Psychedelics Oatmeal.

  The band Psychedelic Oatmeal plays in Dallas.  www.youtube.com  

Wade makes clear that music is her therapy. "If you're down on a certain day, it will bring you up." She has lived a full life, with two grown sons who are both excelling in life. But music, and the friends with whom she makes it, brings her that extra piece of joy and purpose.

Michael Hatcher, the Resident Services Director at The Reserve at North Dallas (the senior facility in which this event was held), has seen firsthand how music soothes seniors. It reconnects them to their purest selves, no matter how hazy their memories might become. Hatcher shares, "They remember the music, and the time. It's a vessel for anyone of age. It can be used to bring someone out of the deepest sun-downing and back to life."

A man sings "Just a Gigolo" at The Reserve karaoke day.

@cdk213

Senior living karaoke! Fabulous! #seniorlivingcommunity #justagigalo #dallas

There is much research to support this. Bannerhealth.com quotes music therapy coordinator Tammy Reiver for Banner Hospice in Phoenix: "Music holds the power to increase dopamine levels (happy hormones), decrease symptoms of depression and pain, and improve a person’s quality of life. Pleasing music plays an important role at every age, but for aging adults, the benefits are even greater.”

As for Wade? She jokes that she and a few other musicians at the senior home have plans to start their own band. She certainly has the chops for it—and the fans.

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Psychology reveals surprising personality traits of people who still write grocery lists by hand

Could this really be relevant? Yes.

Photo credit: Canva

Phone or handwritten? The great debate ensues.

Are you the type of person who always writes grocery lists by hand? Perhaps on the back of a receipt, in a special notebook, or on an index card? Do you insist on this method, even though you’re the only one in the store unfurling paper like an ancient scroll while everyone has their heads down, tapping away at their phones?

Lists are undoubtedly important. In a recent poll, research revealed that the average British adult writes an average of three to-do lists a week—which, in some cases, can add up to 9,766 lists in a lifetime. “Evidently, we all rely on lists for one aspect of life or another,” commented Shahbaz Khan from STABILO, a high-quality pen and pencil company.

But when it comes to the actual list-making, does the method in which you create it really matter? Apparently, yes. And your choice, handwritten or digital, can say a lot about your personality.


 grocery list, grocery, lists, handwritten, handwriting People who write their lists by hand might be able to remember them better.Photo credit: Canva

 

If you prefer handwriting, you’re likely…

 

To have a mind that operates like a filing cabinet.

In 2024, two professors at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr. Audrey L.H. Van der Meer and F.R. (Ruud) Van der Weel, found that handwriting activates more elaborate and widespread brain connectivity patterns compared to typing. They suggest that the physical act of moving your hand while writing creates spatial and temporal patterns in the brain that promote learning.

In a similar study, Japanese researchers found that participants who wrote calendar events by hand on paper showed increased brain activity—particularly in memory regions—compared to those who recorded the same information on smartphones. The hand writers also recalled the information 25% faster than those who typed. Writing by hand triggers extra neural activity in regions tied to learning and memory. So, no matter how messy your handwriting might be, that grocery list might also be giving your memory a little work-out.

via GIPHY

To be naturally conscientious and understand the secret to success.

Conscientiousness isn't the same as self-control or self-restraint—rather, it refers to a person's tendency to be organized, reliable, goal-directed, and self-disciplined. It's no surprise, then, that those who score highly in conscientiousness tend to be successful: they aim for high-profile outcomes and have the ability to develop well-thought-out plans to accomplish their goals.

Comfortable getting tactile.

Nothing quite compares to writing with your perfect pen. (By the way, what's yours? A Pilot G2-2? Uni-ball Vision Elite? Or perhaps something fancy, like the Squire Classic Pen from Baronfig?) It's a complete sensory experience as your pen glides across paper. This physical connection helps create a deeper engagement with the task at hand.

 woman, child, grocery, shopping, list Writing your list by hand could curb impulse shopping. Photo credit: Canva

To not buy on impulse.

Yanliu Huang and Zhen Yang from the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University examined how handwritten shopping lists differ from digital ones. Their research showed that people who write lists on paper tend to make more planned purchases and fewer impulse buys.

However, there are a few downsides to a handwritten grocery list…

Let's face it: sometimes you can't read your own handwriting. When rushing, you might scribble illegibly, forget items, or leave the paper at home entirely. (Pro tip for forgetful hand-writers: snap a photo of your list before heading out, just in case.)

Paper lists are also cumbersome to update on the go. Picture this—you've just remembered you need onions while backing out of the driveway, but now you're scrambling for a pen. Don't do this. Plus, paper lists make it difficult to coordinate shopping with other people.


via GIPHY

If you’re #DigitalForever, you’re likely…

 

In a poll of 2,000 people in the United Kingdom, researchers found that when it comes to list-making, only 40% use their phones, while 63% write on notepads and 24% use sticky notes. So congrats—you're right in the middle!

Extremely efficient and organized.

Your phone is a miracle list-maker: people who use digital lists value practicality over sentimentality—they appreciate the power of automatic sorting, expense tracking, and integrated coupon features. These lists can be updated instantly and accessed from almost any device, making them the most efficient, streamlined option.

Someone who uses data to make decisions.

Beyond expense tracking, many apps provide nutritional data, meal planning suggestions, and inventory management—helping you make smarter, healthier food choices. You're not just shopping anymore; you're strategically planning your nutrition.

 groceries, grocery shopping, produce, lists, shopping, nutrition Digital lists are perfect for collaborations. Photo credit: Canva

Collaborating with someone in the kitchen.

The beauty of a digital list is that it can be shared with others in real time, allowing multiple people to add items seamlessly. This eliminates miscommunications and duplicate purchases while reducing paper waste and promoting environmentally friendly habits.

The digital life has its downsides, too…

Taking a break from your phone can be refreshing, but keeping your grocery list there means more screen time—potentially leading to digital fatigue or distractions from notifications and other apps. There's also the practical concern: what if your phone dies, you lose Internet connection, or your service drops out while shopping?

Grocery shopping can be such a treat. Whether you use digital lists, handwritten scribbles, or memory tricks to track what you need, there's no wrong approach. The “best” way to write a grocery list depends on you: your personal preferences, your lifestyle, and what works for your routine. Ask yourself, “What will make me feel the most organized and calm?” Then let your grocery list lead the way.

This article originally appeared in June.


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I showed my Gen Z kids 'Dead Poets Society' and their angry reactions to it floored me

"Inspiring" apparently means different things to Gen X and Gen Z.

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTube

Robin Williams played inspiring English teacher John Keating in "Dead Poets Society."

As a Gen X parent of Gen Z teens and young adults, I'm used to cringing at things from 80s and 90s movies that haven't aged well. However, a beloved film from my youth that I thought they'd love, "Dead Poets Society," sparked some unexpectedly negative responses in my kids, shining a spotlight on generational differences I didn't even know existed.

I probably watched "Dead Poets Society" a dozen or more times as a teen and young adult, always finding it aesthetically beautiful, tragically sad, and profoundly inspiring. That film was one of the reasons I decided to become an English teacher, inspired as I was by Robin Williams' portrayal of the passionately unconventional English teacher, John Keating.

 

The way Mr. Keating shared his love of beauty and poetry with a class of high school boys at a stuffy prep school, encouraging them to "seize the day" and "suck all the marrow out of life," hit me right in my idealistic youthful heart. And when those boys stood up on their desks for him at the end of the film, defying the headmaster who held their futures in his hands? What a moving moment of triumph and support.

My Gen Z kids, however, saw the ending differently. They did love the feel of the film, which I expected with its warm, cozy, comforting vibe (at least up until the last 20 minutes or so). They loved Mr. Keating, because how can you not? But when the movie ended, I was taken aback hearing "That was terrible!" and "Why would you traumatize me like that?" before they also admitted, "But it was so gooood!"

  - YouTube  youtu.be  

 

The traumatize part I actually get—I'd forgotten just how incredibly heavy the film gets all of a sudden. (A caveat I feel the need to add here: Gen Z uses the word "traumatize" not in a clinical sense but as an exaggerative term for being hit unexpectedly by something sad or disturbing. They know they weren't literally traumatized by the movie.)

But in discussing it further, I discovered three main generational differences that impacted my kids' "Dead Poets Society" viewing experience and what they took away from it.

1) Gen Z sees inspiring change through a systemic lens, not an individual one

The first thing my 20-year-old said when the credits rolled was, "What? That's terrible! Nothing changed! He got fired and the school is still run by a bunch of stodgy old white men forcing everyone to conform!" My immediate response was, "Yeah, but he changed those boys' individual lives, didn't he? He helped broaden their minds and see the world differently."

  o captain my captain, dead poets society Individual impact isn't as inspiring to Gen Z as it was to Gen X.   Giphy  

I realized that Gen X youth valued individuals going against the old, outdated system and doing their own thing, whereas Gen Z values the dismantling of the system itself. For Gen X, Mr. Keating and the boys taking a stand was inspiring, but the fact that it didn't actually change anything outside of their own individual experiences stuck like a needle in my Gen Z kids' craw.

2) Gen Z isn't accustomed to being blindsided by tragic storylines with no warning

To be fair, I did tell them there was "a sad part" before the movie started. But I'd forgotten how deeply devastating the last part of the movie was, so my daughter's "Why would you do that to me?!" was somewhat warranted. "I thought maybe a dog would die or something!" she said. No one really expected one of the main characters to die by suicide and the beloved teacher protagonist to be blamed for his death, but I'd somehow minimized the tragedy of it all in my memory so my "sad part" warning was a little insufficient.

 

But also to be fair, Gen X youth never got any such warnings—we were just blindsided by tragic plot twists all the time. As kids, we cheered on Atreyu trying to save his horse from the swamp in "The Neverending Story" only to watch him drown. Adults showed us "Watership Down" thinking it would be a cute little animated film about bunnies. We were slapped in the face by the tragic child death in "My Girl," which was marketed as a sweet coming of age movie.

Gen Z was raised in the era of trigger warnings and trauma-informed practices, while Gen X kids watched a teacher die on live TV in our classrooms with zero follow-up on how we were processing it. Those differences became apparent real quick at the end of this movie.

The Never Ending Story Atreyu GIFfrom The Never Ending Story GIFs
 


3) Gen Z fixates on boundary-crossing behavior that Gen X either overlooked or saw as more nuanced

The other reaction I wasn't expecting was the utter disdain my girls showed for Knox Overstreet, the sweet-but-over-eager character who fell for the football player's cheerleader girlfriend. His boundary-crossing attempts to woo her were always cringe, but for Gen X, cringe behavior in the name of love was generally either overlooked, tolerated, or sometimes even celebrated. (Standing on a girl's lawn in the middle of the night holding a full-volume stereo over your head was peak romance for Gen X, remember.) For Gen Z, the only thing worse than cringe is predatory behavior, which Knox's obsessiveness and pushiness could arguably be seen as. My own young Gen X lens saw Knox and said, "That's a bit much, dude. Take it down a notch or three." My Gen Z daughters' lens said, "That guy's a total creepo. She needs to run far the other way."

 run, red flag behavior Gen Z is much more black and white about behaviors than previous generations.  Giphy Red Flag Run GIF by BuzzFeed 

On one hand, I was proud of them for recognizing red flag behaviors and calling them out. On the other hand, I saw how little room there is for nuance in their perceptions, which was…interesting.

To be clear, I don't think my Gen Z kids' reactions to "Dead Poets Society" are wrong; they're just different than mine were at their age. We're usually on the same page when it comes to these kinds of analyses, so seeing them have a drastically different reaction to something I loved at their age was really something. Now I'm wondering what other favorite movies from my youth I should show them to see if they view those differently as well—hopefully without "traumatizing" them too much with the experience.

This article originally appeared in January.

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Someone called the police on a 'homeless man with a baby.' Turns out he's just a very tired dad.

The father of four is using it as a teachable moment.

Photo credit: Canva

Police called after dad is mistaken for a homeless man.

When you're in the throes of parenting a newborn, there's not much room for glamour. You spend your days exhausted and looking like a haphazardly thrown together preschool art project because your nights are filled with feedings and diaper changes. Being able to take a shower feels like a spa day, especially if you have other small children who need your attention. A California dad of four knows this dance of exhaustion all too well, but he never expected that looking like a tired parent would result in having the police called on him.

That's right, someone called the police on him for looking as if he rolled out of bed and grabbed the closet clothes he could find. Chapman Hamborg was taking his newborn for a walk when one of his neighbors called the police on him reporting that he was a homeless man that had stolen a baby. The dad recorded the unbelievable interaction with the police who thought they had a kidnapping situation on their hands only to find out it was all a misunderstanding.

Hamborg uploaded the video to his social media platform where it has been viewed over 50 million times. In the video, you see the exhausted dad trying to laugh off the situation as he explains to his wife, "Someone called the cops on me thinking that I was homeless with a baby, so the cop needs to see my ID." His wife, who can be heard in the background, is in disbelief.

The caption of the video explains what happened in greater detail, reading, "I take our newborn daughter for walks around our neighborhood while wearing her in the baby carrier multiple times a day. I am surprised all of my neighbors haven’t seen me and recognize me by now. Well this lady thought I was homeless and had a (stollen?!) baby and she was concerned enough to call the police, and get in her car and follow me home. Apparently I need to work on my appearance—I guess being an artist or a tired dad isn’t a valid excuse."

Since it was clearly a mistake, the police seem to apologize and leave Hamborg to continue caring for his newborn. People who viewed his video could relate to his exhausted look while others were confused on how the woman followed him to his home but still thought he was homeless.

"Honestly we all look homeless with a newborn, it’s called exhaustion." one person writes.

"She clearly doesn’t understand homelessness if she followed you home," another says.

"Since when is being homeless with a baby a crime? Homeless people have children," someone else points out.

 homelessness; homeless; dad; homeless dad; neighbor calls police; parenting; new parents Home Equality GIF by INTO ACTION  Giphy  

Instead of getting upset or letting the incident go as an innocent mistake, the artist is using it as a teachable moment for others. The art studio owner already had a picture he painted of him wearing one of his other children when they were an infant. That sparked the idea to use the painting titled Unseen Path to help the homeless.

Hamborg contacted the United Way of Orange County and is working with them to sell prints of his painting with 20 percent of the proceeds going to helping the homeless. They both hope to address the misconception of who experiences homelessness. The United Way pointed out to NBCLA that 371 families contacted them due to either already experiencing homelessness or being imminently at risk of being homeless. The dad wants to teach his children how to be compassionate towards homeless people and one day hopes to meet the neighbor who called the police to thank her for being vigilant.

This article originally appeared in June.

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24 brilliantly attainable ideas for side jobs that can make you an extra $2,000 a month

It’s a huge factor in creating real financial freedom.

Photo credit: Canva

Nearly all of us could use some extra cash.

So many of us, even those with full-time jobs, are looking for ways to make a little extra money. It’s vital not only for these challenging economic times, but it’s also a huge factor in creating real financial freedom. This is certainly something most millionaires have figured out.

But it can be hard to figure out what that side hustle could be. It's even harder still to know whether or not the effort we put in will pay off in dividends. Many of us have a distorted concept of “passive income,” thinking that the side hustle we choose will require zero effort at some point. Unfortunately, other than investing, that’s not entirely true.

However, there are definitely ways to drum up side hustles that make sense with your lifestyle, that draw on your own interests, skills, and values, and truly add to your life, whether they be through acts of service, reselling items online, or creating new items (be they artistic or practical).

You can see this reflected in the answers given when someone on Reddit recently asked, “What’s something you do on the side that makes real extra money?” This OP added that they were hoping to raise an extra $2000 a month, and people were quick to be candid about how doable that really is. As someone pointed out, "$2K/mo is really more like a second job than a side gig" in terms of how much time and effort is needed.

Still, there are some pretty unique and time efficient ideas below, like private baseball coaching and being an elderly companion, that could get someone close to $500 a week.


Here are some of our favorite responses:


1. "I sell rare house plants on the side. "

"If I want some money for a spa or date night, I’ll just chop and propagate some plants for an easy $300-$500…Rare alocasias, monsteras, and anthuriums. There are a ton of people who collect, trade, etc. It’s my hobby, which has made it so easy to turn into a side hustle. Best part is it’s all cash."

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs A woman selling plants.Photo credit: Canva

2. "Election work."

"Literally in 14 days this year, I'll gross $6,900. Long days, easy peasy work."

3. "I host bar trivia."

"It's usually three hours a night, and it makes me about $150 a night (plus tips). I'm actually trying to make this my full-time job; I enjoy it so much. It's not hard to buy trivia games or hook up with an existing company. I am independent and write my own games that I try to sell on the side."

4. "I have a kettle corn pop-up."

"I do fairs, festivals, pumpkin patches, and can turn $300 of product and space rent into $6k+ sales in a day. Some states require [a food or vendor license] but in my popcorn is exempt from licensing because of its very low risk for foodborne illness."

5. "Landscaping."

"Cash under the table, you dictate how many jobs you want to take on, and you can focus on one specific neighborhood to limit gas mileage. A mower, trimmer, blower, and small trailer will all pay themselves off in three weeks. It’ll beat you up a little, but it’s rewarding work. It’s also extremely straightforward. As long as you do what you’re supposed to do, the customer will be happy. Don't target people with complex yards. Drive through the neighborhood and find someone who's obviously over a month behind on mowing their lawn. Knock and offer to do it for $40. Tell them you'll come back every two weeks if that works for them. Get to a point where you've got 10 or so yards on rotation and you can knock them out in a day. $400 for a day's work every two weeks, under the table. Do more or less depending on how much or little you want to make."

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs A man trimming bushesPhoto credit: Canva

6. "I used to flip furniture on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

"I did have to invest in a small trailer and a good cleaner. But I would get free or cheap furniture. Clean it and spruce it up. Sell it for a couple hundred bucks. Mostly couches."

7. "I make cosplay props for people."

I use my personal social media, and I have a commissions page on Ko-Fi. People will see what I usually make and ask me if I am able to make a certain prop. I will then make an agreement with the customer before starting the work."

8. "I put up and take down Christmas lights on weekends and evenings from October to January."

"$24k a season is very doable, but you gotta be able to haul and carry ladders, confidently and safely climb up and down ladders, and be OK with working in the wind and rain in the coldest part of the year. It isn’t glamorous, but it can be a nice chunk of extra money."

9. “If you're even a little handy, you can make good money as a handyman in elderly neighborhoods."

"My dad started out just helping neighbors with hanging curtains, painting bathrooms, etc... after about a year he was busy enough to quit his full time job and just work for himself. You don't need a lot of tools or an expensive truck, but if you can operate a drill, swing a brush, and are good with old people - there's good paying work out there for you.”

10. "I work as an ad model."

"All kinds of ads. Internet, TV, print. Work is sporadic and irregular, which means you'd better have solid income from a main source. But a little $500-$800 check from time to time sure comes in handy. "Generally, one can set up an account for a small annual fee on places like castingnetworks.com or actorsaccess.com. Specifically, it would be better if you would connect with a local talent/modeling agency. They will also ask you to sign up for a talent website, and you’re going to need professional photos. Spend money on THAT, for sure. Good photos are critical!"

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs Two models posing.Photo credit: Canva

11. "I did Rover for three years, boarding dogs in my home."

"I made $11k a year consistently. Month to month could vary widely, $0-$2k, but I always finished the year the same. But you really should have some experience and be an actual responsible person, because dogs are living beings and deserve proper care. You also need to account for things like Rover fees (20%), taxes, insurance, supplies, and licensing laws. You will end up working all holidays because that's the busiest season for dog sitting, and you'll need to commit your schedule months in advance."

12. “Over ten years ago I started my own hummus business."

"Took a bit to get started but once I was accepted to different farmer’s markets, I made pretty good dough. But omg setting up a tent and tables at 5:30am on weekends was not fun after a couple of years. It was called Bean There, Done That and I had tons of creative flavors (and punny names).”

13. "I started a YouTube channel a few years ago, and now it’s actually pulling in between $1,500 and $3,000 a month!"

"It’s nuts!!! It was just a hobby. I talk about tech stuff. I review computers, network-attached storage systems, and occasionally a tech company I follow pretty closely. My channel name is the same as my Reddit name. It did take several years before money started flowing, but now it's a pretty great side hustle because it's something I would do for free anyway."

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs A Youtuber creating contentPhoto credit: Canva

14. "I participate in focus groups and research studies."

They're a pretty cool way to spend a couple of hours, and they usually pay $150-$250 a pop. I do this with several research companies in my area because most of them only let you participate once every few months. So, if you keep filling out questionnaires and screeners with various research companies, you can rotate through them and get picked more often. Using this method, I participate in one or two studies per month. I've actually been grinding hard on applying for research studies for the last few months to pay off my credit card debt. Been making some pretty good progress!"

15. "Deliver pizza for a local place under the table."

"You can do pretty good Friday night through Sunday."

16. "My very first month of donating plasma, I made $900."

"Paid for my three-and-a-half week road trip last summer to Canada. I only do it once a week now because the center closest to me changed their hours, so I get $40 a week instead of my usual $100, but that’s still an extra $160 a month I put back into savings that doesn’t have to come out of my normal paychecks, it’s just extra. So that’s nice. I do miss the $400 months, though."

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs A handy man coming in for repairsPhoto credit: Canva

17. "None of these enterprises have made me two thousand a month individually, but all of them combined have equaled that over many months of production."

"Edible mushrooms. Microgreens. Composting worms. Compost. Vegetable plant starts. Cloned fruit trees. I've been doing these for years, and I sell directly to consumers, no restaurants or middlemen."

18. "I make about $120/hr coaching baseball lessons."

"I’ll spend a weekend with 10 lessons coaching middle school to college athletes. I also charge $75/month to program throwing/pitching training. This can be 10-30 pitchers a session, ranging from high school to professional. It’s about 5-15 extra hours a week."

19. "I used to sell my artwork online, it was a good $15,000 to $20,000 a year."

20. "I work freelance in the arts."

"I’ve done a decent job advertising my own business and have developed a side hustle doing social media marketing for other small businesses. Writing posts, finding imagery, and scheduling the posts in advance. The amount of actual work varies from month to month, but the retainer fee does not, and it’s made my life much easier and more predictable."

21. "I started a cleaning business."

"It was very easy, and I did it on Saturday afternoons. I just posted my contact info, services, and prices to local online communities. I worked for a young, wealthy couple cleaning a condo two to three times a month. I got around $600 extra per month for just a general cleaning. I also now include move-out cleans, which can get me $400-$600 per job. It's not huge cash, but it helped me kick a car note down from $24k to $16k. And that was with one client."

 side hustles, side gigs, side hustle ideas, side gig ideas, high paying side gigs, best side gigs A cleaning teamPhoto credit: Canva

22. "During the winter, I sell 3D-printed ornaments and make between $100 and $300 a week for the first two to three weeks of December."

"I specifically target the last-minute crowd and get most of my work through word of mouth. Production cost per ornament is $1.04. It takes me under an hour to make/edit the model, and then it takes 5-8 hours to print, but that can be done while I'm sleeping. I charge between $15 and $25 for an ornament. Last year, I also started selling name ornaments for $5 a pop, but they take under two hours to edit and print, so they're easy to make in large batches. These customers also tend to message me throughout the year, so I make around $600 during the Christmas season and $20-$100 other months. So kinda $20 here and there with a big yearly payout."

23. "Real estate Photography."

"It's usually $150 per house, $300 if it's a large property, and I need to use a drone. It takes about an hour to shoot and less than an hour to edit. I usually do two to three houses throughout the week. I'll stop on my way home from work, then on Saturday, I can group appointments by location. My busiest Saturday was seven houses. It's really easy. You just need a camera capable of HDR and a lens with a wide angle. I use a Nikon 16-24mm and a tripod."

24. “I do side work car repairs."

"And by repairs I mean mostly just brakes. To get 4 brakes and rotors done at a shop today is typically around $1000 or more, because they up-charge parts and labor. I am able to do it for people for around $600. I charge $300-400 in labor (for 2 hours of work), and the parts just cost what they cost. So I save people a few hundred dollars and I make a few hundred myself. Sometimes I do one of these a month. Sometimes I do a few of them. I would like to get one a week, cause then I could legit get an extra $300 a week.”

This article originally appeared in June

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