Ranked: 5 Popular Side Hustles I've Actually Tried

"Start a side hustle" is a money-making tip that gets thrown around all the time. It's become typical personal finance advice. When you read it, you may wonder if the author ever actually tried any of the side hustles they recommend.

Often, the answer is no. But because I had no idea what to do professionally as a young adult, I tried several popular side hustles. Here's what they were like, if I'd recommend them, and the highlights and lowlights.

1. Freelance writing

This one became my career, so it's at the top. You can make great money as a freelancer, especially with a strong work ethic. Writing is one of many options. You could be a freelance graphic designer, web designer, or any other field you specialize in or are willing to learn.

It takes time and effort to find good clients. When I started out, I worked at every writer's worst nightmare: Content mills. These are sites that pump out low-quality, generic content. They pay writers very little, and you don't get a byline -- not that you'd want one for this type of work.

Highlight: The fact that it's now my career is the biggest highlight. To make this interesting, I'll pick one of the few fun content mill jobs I had: Writing about the most ridiculous music videos of the 1980s. "Torture" by The Jacksons was my favorite (Michael Jackson didn't show, so they replaced him with a wax statue).

Lowlight: I got a three-star review from a content mill client about a piece for their ice fishing blog. "Well written, but it's obvious the writer doesn't have ice fishing experience." Buddy, you're paying less than $0.02 a word here, it's time to lower your expectations.

2. Driving for ride-hailing services

I spent six months driving for Uber and Lyft in Los Angeles. I mainly drove at night, though not by choice -- I worked with a company that let multiple drivers use a Prius (in shifts) for a cut of the drivers' profits. While I didn't make as much money, I wasn't putting wear and tear on my own car.

This is a common side hustle recommendation. To be honest, I really liked it! It's easy to start. If you have a driver's license and an eligible car, you can probably do this. You make your own schedule, so you could drive as a side hustle or full time.

But the pay isn't great, and there's no room for advancement. I'd only recommend this to earn extra cash for your savings account or make ends meet while job hunting.

Highlight: One night at 3 a.m, I picked up a very energetic guy who started singing along to "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol. I drove him to a house a few blocks away. He spent 10 minutes inside, came back, and had me drive him home. Pretty shady, but an exciting ride overall.

Lowlight: Driving around with that awful Lyft mustache on the car. Lyft eventually got rid of its signature pink mustaches, and not a moment too soon.

3. Deliveries

I did deliveries for Postmates in 2013. It's focused on food deliveries now, but at the time, it let you custom order basically anything.

Delivery driving is similar to ride-hailing driving, in terms of pros and cons. Most people with a car and a license can do it. You set your schedule. The pay is nothing special.

The better option is personal preference. Deliveries require more legwork. Driving for a ride-hailing company is just taking people from point A to point B, but you're toting around strangers in your car. Personally, I found this easier and more enjoyable.

Highlight: Since Postmates was new, it did a "Free beer" promotion for publicity. Customers were the happiest I'd ever seen them.

Lowlight: I found myself wishing I was one of the people at home getting free beer instead of driving around Los Angeles delivering it.

4. Flipping products

After reading how people were making a living as resellers, I decided to try it. I went to thrift stores and browsed Craigslist for books, clothes, and anything else I could buy cheap and sell at a profit.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you love thrifting and have a good eye for what you can resell. Otherwise, it's tough to succeed. And unlike other side hustles, you need to commit money upfront. You get paid when items sell, which isn't ideal if you're looking for fast cash.

Highlight: I learned I'm not the type of person who likes thrifting.

Lowlight: I thought I found the deal of the century on Craigslist. Boxes of books for a few dollars per box. I drove 30 minutes and was loading boxes into my car when I realized the price was per book, not per box. The only thing worse than my embarrassment was then having to unload everything.

5. Surveys and other online tasks

I always loved the idea of working remotely and making money online. In hopes of doing that, I tried Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) program, a task marketplace. Complete a survey for $1, make a test call to a company for $3, things like that.

If you're considering it, or other online tasks like taking surveys, let me save you some time. It's mind-numbing work, and the pay is terrible. A 2016 study by Pew Research found that half of MTurk workers made less than $5 an hour.

Highlight: Absolutely nothing.

Lowlight: My mom's shocked reaction after hearing I was doing online surveys for $1.

I found that most side hustles don't pay much. Some of them are fine for making cash on the side. But there are also side hustles that pay extremely little, or are lots of work for little reward.

The one exception is freelancing. This has a greater barrier to entry because you need a skill to offer. For that reason, it's the rare side hustle that can also grow into a well-paying, full-time job.