The Best Side Hustles for People Over 50 Who Are Too Tired for a Second Job
The best side hustles for people over 50 who are too tired for a second job are those that generate income without the need for having a set schedule. These side hustles include affiliate marketing, licensing, stock content, and rental income from assets you already own.
The idea of taking on a second job can feel like punishment when you’re in your 50s. It’s not that you’re lazy, you’re probably tired. There is a big difference in that. You’ve already worked for decades and taking on a second job is not always the best option.
Instead, you would probably prefer a second income that fits around your energy, is low-effort, and flexible around your schedule. A side hustle doesn’t mean it has to be a grind. The options listed below can be done from home and at your own pace.
If I were starting over today, exhausted and short on time, I’d go straight to the option I share on my homepage. It’s the one that took the least energy to get going and has paid the most consistently.
Why “low effort” doesn’t mean low income
The energy vs. hours trap
Hearing the term side hustle usually brings up thoughts of being constantly on the grind, unlimited energy, and for the younger crowd. Having a side hustle doesn’t mean you have to work harder. You can actually work smarter with asset-based income versus time-for-money income.
What to look for in a low-energy hustle
Low-energy side hustles for people over 50 are ideal options. These low-energy hustles don’t require a set schedule or clocking in. Your work can compound over time instead of starting new each week and you can pause without losing what you’ve built.
Related: How to Build Online Income With a Full-Time Job in Your 40s and 50s
Affiliate marketing
What it is
This is one of my favorite low-energy side hustles for people over 50. Affiliate marketing is the recommendation of another person’s or company’s products in exchange for a commission when a sale is made. A common strategy is to create content and refer people to the product using your affiliate links.
Content can be created for blog posts, social media posts, video reels, and YouTube. The content you create should answer questions and address the issues of your target audience. That makes it easier to refer people and earn commissions when anyone clicks your affiliate links and buy.
Why it’s low energy
Content marketing works 24/7 while you sleep, play, or do nothing at all. You don’t deal with clients so there are no deadlines or deliverables. Writing one article for a blog post can earn affiliate commissions for years.
Earning potential: $500–$5,000+/mo
This is the exact model I highlight on my homepage. If you’re tired and want income that doesn’t require you to show up every day to earn it, I’d start here. There’s a free training that walks through the whole thing
Earn From Home in Your 50s | 7 Legitimate Ways to Earn From Home in Your 50s
Selling stock photos, videos, or audio
What it is
Do you like photography and/or videography? You can make a side income by uploading your photos, videos, or audio to platforms such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Pond5. People and businesses need stock photos, videos, and audio file for blogs, content pages, long and short-form videos, and more. You earn royalties every time someone licenses your content. It makes for a nice semi-passive income source.
Why it’s low energy
Selling stock photos is one of the most low-energy side hustles for people over 50. You don’t need any fancy camera setups, your smartphone is enough. No editing skills are required for most photos. You upload your files once and they can be sold hundreds of times with no extra effort from you.
Getting started
You can get started today with your smartphone. Choose evergreen subjects such as nature, food, home, lifestyle, and business settings. Over time, you can build a library of files. The more files you upload, the more passive income you can create. Consider the following platforms to upload to:
- Shutterstock
- Adobe Stock
- Getty Images
- Pond5 (audio/video)
Earning potential: $100–$1,500+/mo
Renting out assets you already own
What it is
You may have assets that you can rent out. I did this once with our RV. We were not using it most of the year, so we signed up with a company to rent it out for us. It made a nice side income each month. It is possible to do the same if you have a car you’re not using, a spare room or guest space, a storage space, a parking spot, or equipment you own.
Why it’s low energy
You don’t have to do much after you have set up your asset on a platform that handles payments and listings. You have control over the availability of your asset and you can rent when it is convenient for you.
Earning potential: $200–$2,000+/mo
What assets can I rent out to make money?
If you already have assets like a car, RV, a spare room, a parking spot, or equipment you own, you are closer to making a passive income than you think. Renting out assets that you own is one of the most overlooked side hustles for people over 50. It’s an easy way to earn income with hardly any learning curve involved.
A spare bedroom or guest space can be listed on platforms like Airbnb or Furnished Finder. These are great for renting to short-term guests or traveling workers. You have full control over your availability and how often you want to rent out your space.
Your car or RV is another asset most people don’t think about making side income with. You can rent out your car by the day with a service like Turo or you can find an RV rental company that will handle the listing, marketing, and rental of your RV.
Other assets you can consider renting out include a parking spot in a high-traffic area, camera gear, tools, or recreational equipment (use Hygglo or local Facebook groups for this.) Neighbor.com is ideal for renting out parking spots and storage space.
Also read: Earning an Extra Few Hundred Dollars a Month Online in Your 50s
Low-content publishing (KDP)
What it is
This particular side hustle is trending quite a bit right now. Low-content publishing on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform involves creating and selling simple notebooks, journals, planners, or activity books. These items don’t require any writing. You create the interior templates and covers using a platform like Canva. Amazon prints and ships orders automatically and you earn a share of the sale.
Why it’s low energy
This side hustle doesn’t require much energy at all. You design your templates once using Cavan and upload to KDP. Amazon takes care of the inventory, shipping, and customer interaction. Upload a catalog of 20-50 books and you can generate a consistent passive income.
Getting started
Research what is already selling well on Amazon such as gratitude journals, pet planners, fitness trackers, and budget notebooks. Utilize Canva templates for creating interior templates. Use Book Bolt for keyword and product research. After creating your item, list it on KDP which is free to publish and earn 35-60% royalties.
Earning potential: $200–$2,000+/mo
I love low-content publishing for people who are tired of trading time for money, but if I had to pick just one path, I’d still point you to the free training on my homepage first. It covers the bigger picture of building sustainable income online
Micro task and research panels
What it is
Micro-tasks and research panels are low-energy side hustles for people over 50. Do not expect a steady income from these options. What it entails is completing short paid surveys, research studies, or user testing sessions from home. You can find these tasks on platforms like:
Why it’s low energy
You can work on as many or as few micro-tasks as you want. There are no quotas to meet and no learning curves. Your opinions and experience are all that is needed. These tasks are good for filling in the gaps between working your longer-term hustle.
Honest note
Don’t expect micro-tasks and surveys to replace a full-time income. These tasks are low-effort and tend to bring in only a few hundred per month with consistent effort.
Check out: Side Hustles for People in Their 50s | 7 Side Hustles for Middle-Aged Beginners
Licensing your knowledge as a digital course
What it is
Creating your own digital course is an excellent low-energy side hustle for people over 50. You can package your knowledge, a life skill, or hobby into a short video course. Upload your course to platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Gumroad. Market your course on social media or YouTube to make sales.
Why it’s low energy
You only need to do the work once upfront by recording your videos. The platform you choose to sell on handles payments, delivery, and access. Your earning potential is unlimited and you’ll be creating semi-passive income.
How do I create an online course with no tech experience?
Creating an online course is simpler than you think. You can record videos with your smartphone with little to no editing. If you do need editing, it is easy to outsource to someone on Fiverr. Create an outline for your course and record videos for each section.
Speak as though you’re teaching what you know to a good friend or family member. Your videos may not be professionally edited but people prefer authenticity over fancy editing. For example, one of my mentors teaches his courses by screen recording a Word doc or slide show presentation.
No special tech skills are required. Most screen recording software like Loom is easy to use.
Read more: Middle-Aged People Earning Extra Income Online | 5 Realistic Side Hustles for Middle-Aged Women
Questions people over 50 ask about side hustles
What is the easiest side hustle for someone over 50 with low energy?
Affiliate marketing and renting out assets are two of the easiest side hustles for people over 50. Both are low-effort and generate income without a set schedule or having to deliver anything.
Can you make real money from a side hustle without working extra hours?
Yes. Both asset based and content-based side hustles earn income without ongoing hourly input. You do the work upfront and in the lont-term the income generates without trading time for money.
What side hustles work well for people who are introverted or don’t want to deal with people?
Affiliate marketing, stock photos, and low-content publishing on KDP are great side hustles for introverts. They require zero client interaction. You can work solo and stay behind the scenes.
How long before a low-effort side hustle starts paying?
It will vary by the side hustle you choose. Asset rentals can generate income within days. Affiliate marketing and course sales can take several months to build momentum. Micro-tasks pay quicker but don’t generate as much income as other models.
You’ve already done the hard part
These 6 side hustles for people over 50 are a great starting point. At our age, we are not lazy or unmotivated. We’re just tired of grinding for someone else’s schedule. All of these side hustles put you in control of how often and how much you want to work.
The best side hustle isn’t the one that pays out the most. It is the one that you will stick to and that works around your life and energy levels. Choose the method that resonates with you. Start small, go at your pace, and build something for the long-term.
If I could point you to just one place to start, it would be my homepage. I share the exact method I recommend for people over 50 who want real income without another job, and there’s free training to go with it. No pressure, no pitch, just a clear next step.
