The top side hustles people are using to make ends meet

Are you financially comfortable or considering a side hustle to make ends meet?

Take this quiz to find out if you should be considering a second job – or donating a bit of your spare cash to others.

It comes as research of 2,000 adults found 55 per cent feel they need another job in order to feel comfortable with their funds.

The second-job culture seems to be on the rise due to the current economic climate, with 51 per cent admitting they are considering finding additional work to make ends meet.

Although 46 per cent already have some sort of side hustle, with 20 per cent doing so to cash in on a hobby or skill.

A spokesperson for research agency www.OnePoll.com, which commissioned the study and quiz, said: “Everyone could do with having a bit more money in their pocket.

“If you already have a talent you can parlay into something which will make money, that’s great – but many people struggle to find what that might be.

“On the other hand, it’s not unusual to stumble into a lucrative side hustle, you may walk someone’s dog as a favour one day then end up turning it into a small business.”

The study also found 36 per cent of those who have started a side hustle did so because they were worried about rising energy prices.

But 26 per cent like to have extra cash they can put aside as ‘fun money’, separate from their usual salary.

Another 13 per cent are feeling a lack of security in their current day job and want to have a backup in case the worst happens.

While 44 per cent also believe if they didn’t have this extra income on a regular basis, they would have issues paying their bills.

Side hustlers’ top gigs include selling old clothes on sites like Vinted (34 per cent), making money through ‘influencing’ on social media (22 per cent) – and drawing pictures of people’s pets (14 per cent).

More than one in 10 (12 per cent) have put their handy skills to use doing DIY for other people, and the same amount are even being paid for putting together flat pack furniture.

It also emerged four in 10 respondents with a side hustle think their little earner could one day turn into their full-time occupation.

But at present, the average take-home from a side hustle each month comes to just £289, although four per cent claim to earn more than £1,000.

This comes from, on average, 10 hours and 39 minutes spent on these endeavours each month – just over two-and-a-half hours a week.

And the financial tipping point a side hustle needs to reach, to realistically become a full-time monthly wage, was deemed to be £1,955.

Online survey agency www.OnePoll.com’s spokesperson added: “Sadly, for many it seems a side hustle isn’t just something they do on the side anymore.

“It’s something they need to keep up, in order to stay the pace of rapidly increasing costs of living, from energy to food costs.

“When something becomes a job you need to do, rather than something you love, is when the magic can disappear – but if it’s what you have to do to keep a roof over your head, that’s what will happen.”

Top 30 UK side hustles: