(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)
Let’s face it – most teachers just can’t thrive financially on their teaching salary alone.
Throughout my teaching career, I have always experimented with side hustles with varying levels of success. Truth be told, I have tried lots of different side jobs, and I am nowhere close to reaching the sweet spot where I am earning enough supplementary income to make all my dreams come true. But if you are looking for ideas from another teacher out there in the real world trying to make ends meet, here’s a roundup of my current side hustles…and how they are treating me!
Amazon KDP
To be fair, this is just a brand new little itty baby project and I don’t have much experience to report. I recently came across a couple of YouTube videos by folks who are making money by publishing books, planners, and journals through Amazon KDP, and since I love designing things with Canva, I figured I’d give it a go.
As of this moment when I am publishing this post, I have designed several simple lined journals and a home-school communication book, and so far have made…zero sales.
Do I have 1,000 other ideas of products I’d like to make and publish through Amazon KDP? YES!
Do I wonder if I can really justify putting the time in, not knowing if I’ll ever make a sale? Sadly, yes.
That said, designing with Canva is something I enjoy anyway, and there are many hobbies out there that I could get into that have 0% chance of ever generating income. So, I plan to keep trying with this idea, although I think for the most part it will be a “when-I-have-time-while-watching-TV-with-the-fam” kind of side gig. The YouTubers who are making good money on KDP did warn that the market is saturated for simple products like journals, so I wasn’t really expecting much right out of the gate when making basic products, especially since I’m starting in 2025. (Further updates to come if things get better! And, if you just so happen to be in the market for a cute journal as you start the upcoming school year…please check mine out!)
Affiliate Marketing
YouTube is also teeming with videos about all the money you can make with affiliate marketing…and maybe that’s true for some people! I’m here to admit to you…I’m not one of those people.
If you are not familiar with affiliate marketing, it is when someone (like me!) makes links available to someone else (like you!) through a blog or social media. When that someone else clicks one of these links and makes a purchase, the original someone gets a small commission.
I am an Amazon affiliate, and I have also signed up though CJ.com to partner with several other companies such as KiwiCo, FatBrain Toys, Michaels Stores, Unbeatablesale.com, Trinity Road Websites, Ignatius Press, and Discount School Supply.
What kinds of things do I do to promote my affiliate marketing links? There are tons of strategies out there, but as for me, I basically stick to four things. First, I’ve got a few little affiliate banners here and there around my blog – in my sidebars and occasionally in the middle or end of my posts. Second, from time to time, I put a link up to in my Instagram stories to something cool from one of the companies I advertise for. Next, I make and post some cute Pinterest pins for products I love. And, finally, I write a blog post now and again that has a few affiliate links, especially when I’m sharing my favorite books (like this post and this post, for instance).
Would I say this side hustle is difficult and time-consuming? Not really. Each of the different affiliate marketing strategies I use is pretty simple, and I don’t spend a ton of time on them.
Would I say this side hustle is lucrative? Also, not really. As a matter of fact, if you take into consideration what I pay for blog hosting, I’m in the red. What I make in total affiliate marketing revenue is definitely less than what I pay to keep this blog going, and the blog is necessary for two of the ways I engage in affiliate marketing.
Will I continue to pursue affiliate marketing? Sure, why not?!
Similar to my experience with designing for Amazon KDP, I do kind of enjoy spending time on affiliate marketing, and it’s the type of thing I can do while I am multitasking. Those of you who have a greater social media following, a YouTube channel, or more time to devote to a blog may even find yourselves hitting a home run with it. But as a once-in-a-while side hustle for a busy teacher mom, I wouldn’t expect this to bring you a windfall, especially if you would be setting up and paying for a blog just for this purpose.
(Look! Here comes some affiliate marketing!)
Boom™ Learning
I have been making and selling Boom Cards for several years now, and I have to admit that I’m hooked. There is something very satisfying about designing and publishing a deck of Boom Cards, and the best part is that if you are a teacher, you can probably use many of your creations as valuable teaching tools for your own students.
Is this side-hustle a good money maker? TBH, not really. For me, the income I make on a regular basis is minimal, especially given that at the time of publishing this post, it costs $69.99 USD/year for a publisher’s subscription. I’m usually shy about sharing earnings reports, but just this once, I’ll be brave and share a few stats. Last year in 2024, I made $152.71 USD through Boom Card sales on the Boom platform, so taking the subscription cost into account, I netted $82.72 USD for the whole year (plus whatever I made on Boom Cards through my TpT store…because I do sell a few Boom Cards on TpT as well…but that usually isn’t much.)
Will I continue to sell on Boom Learning? Absolutely! Since I use the Boom Cards I make for my own students, it is definitely worth it to make some income on the side, even if it’s just a little. The way I look at it, how many things do you spend money on for your students every year that bring you back no income? So I’ll take the $82 bucks that I get back from my subscription to Boom. I also love how listing your cards on Boom Learning does not require many extra steps after you have already designed the cards, so there’s really no reason not to put your cards out there and see if they can help other teachers and students while bringing in a little passive income.
If you have never tried Boom Learning and would like to give it a go, feel free to use my referral link here for a discount on that yearly subscription I mentioned (Disclosure: I may earn a referral prize if you use my discount).
TpT
Of my “online” side hustles, TpT is definitely the one that has brought me the most financial success.
But…
I’ve been posting resources to my TpT store for eight years now, and my income from it is STILL very unreliable. Especially lately.
But…
Like Boom Learning, TpT is really a sort of a two-for-one deal because most of the things I make to sell on TpT can be used with my own students as well. I have made countless activities that have doubled as part of my next lesson plan and a source of a little teeny bit of income. I just have to be realistic and look at the long game, because OVER TIME, it does add up.
For example, (…taking a deep breath as I’m about to disclose more personal information to the internet community…) the combined lifetime income I have earned for the first three paid products I ever listed in my TpT store all those years ago is $1,711.41, at the time of this blog post. And each of those resources initially came about because I wanted to make something to use as part of a lesson with my own students. It’s not millions – but it’s not nothing.
Is this side hustle lucrative? I’m going to say yes on this one, as long as you are patient and realistic. My example above shows that even a small seller like me can make money that could positively impact your finances – at least a little.
Tutoring
The last side gig that I want to talk about today is actually the one that has brought me the most money…and the most joy. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to tutor students for the last three years or so, and it has been wonderful.
And do I make money from this side hustle? I am happy to report, yes! What I love about tutoring from a financial perspective is that you get paid for the hours you work with a quick turn around time. You have an agreed-upon rate, you do the work, and you receive the payment. You get to decide how much and when you want to work, just like the other side hustles I mentioned, but you aren’t waiting years to see that income trickle in.
I also really just love it.
It’s everything I like about teaching, but ONE student at a time. You get to build a rapport with that student and help with his or her unique needs WITHOUT all the distractions that can get in the way in the classroom. For me, every tutoring session goes by REALLY fast – because time flies when you are having fun!
Teacher Side Hustle Takeaways
Of the my five current sources of income in addition to my salary, tutoring is by far the one that I recommend if you are looking to earn some extra income right away.
But if you are a teacher and you are already making lessons for your students, TpT and Boom Learning can also be worthwhile marketplaces that help you piggyback on what you are already doing and make some passive income that can continue to serve you year after year.
Do you have another side hustle that has proven effective for you? Let me know in the comments…as you can see, I love trying out new ways to supplement my teacher income!