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Here at Goal Girl we value the hustle. Whether that’s putting in the extra work to get ahead in your job, or finding creative ways to get your vacation on. Unfortunately, not all side hustles were created equal. Here are five side hustles that might leave you feeling hustled.

Paid Online Surveys

The promise of easy coin for filling out surveys from the comfort of your couch is tempting. Websites like Swagbucks and MyPoints are legitimate market research sites that offer you cash rewards ranging from less than $1 to rarer surveys up to $5, or points that you can convert into gift cards. Yeah, if you do a couple of surveys a day, you might earn a trip to McDonalds, but it’s not getting you to the Maldives.

Medical Billing & Records

While there are people who make their living freelancing this type of work, they are generally people with years of experience who are able to take an in-office job to the comfort of their home. Promises of easy cash and no experience necessary turn into requests for cash for up front for training, software and supplies, often with little or no paying work to follow.

Professional Billboard

Sure, the glamour of spinning a sign for Discount Mattress World seems alluring, but the industry average for these jobs is south of $10 per hour. And while some jobs offer the comfort of a monkey mask to keep your secret identify intact, your dignity is probably worth more than that.

Even worse than “Not Worth It” are actual scams designed to fleece you of your hard-earned cash. Before you sign up for a gig that requires you to pay something up front, do your research and make sure it’s going to come back to you. You’re doing this to get cash flowing into… not out of your pocket. 

Side Hustles where you “prove your worth”

If the gig is real they will pay you for the value you bring. If it seems too good to be true… well, you know that it probably is.

Side Hustles That Kill Your Prime Hustle

Make sure that your side hustle doesn’t kill your prime hustle. Focusing too much on your side hustle can have a negative impact on your career. A recent Intuit study found that 41% of side hustling Americans have part- or full-time jobs. Make sure that you focus on keeping your main income stream intact. Your boss probably doesn’t mind if you check Instagram, but she might if you spend hours at work writing your blog articles, or missing key deadlines because you’re too tired from delivering DoorDash to get projects completed.

Side Hustles are here to stay, whether you are trying to pay down debt, save for the next fantastic vacation or just save for a rainy day. Keep your wits and make sure you find the side hustle that is best for you!