18 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money in New Zealand [2023]

Looking for a side hustle to make extra money that actually works in New Zealand?

I get it. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good you are at budgeting; if there isn’t enough to go around, you can find yourself scrambling to pay the bills.

Beautiful Aotearoa is a great place to live, but that lifestyle comes with a price. Lots of us have to work multiple jobs and side hustles to keep our heads above water – or just to save for a rainy day.

18 Side Hustles That Work for New Zealanders

This list of extra income ideas includes some quick money-making ideas for when you need cash now, as well as more long-term extra cash opportunities – things that have the potential to turn into a lucrative side hustle.

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18 Side Hustles That Work for New Zealanders

1. Take surveys and play games with Toluna

Toluna is a fun way to earn some extra cash for Kiwis. You can take polls and battles with other members on their platform.

Toluna also offers traditional online surveys (they are one of the best survey sites in New Zealand) as well as games.

They offer cash rewards via PayPal, or there are loads of vouchers you can choose from.

Click here to join Toluna>>

Other Survey Sites We Recommend
Pureprofile get paid for completing offers and surveys.
Opinion World frequent offers, fast paying survey site.
Octopus Surveys top paying survey site in Australia now launching in New Zealand.

2. Become a Mystery Shopper

Love shopping? Well, have I got the perfect extra income idea for you.

Mystery shoppers are paid to attend shops and restaurants and report back on their experience. You are usually paid for your time and given vouchers to spend or reimbursed for any expenses you incur.

Right now, iShop for Ipsos is recruiting New Zealanders for various tasks.

By signing up as a mystery shopper with iShop for Ipsos, you can get paid to shop.

The assignments cover a wide range of industries including retail, restaurants, telecommunication, petrol stations, banking and finance, healthcare etc.

Most projects are run monthly, so shoppers can be sure they will always have some jobs waiting for them.

Incentives are project-based and paid “by survey”. Online and phone call tasks are NZD5-15 per task, and physical visits start from NZD10 and can be up to NZD50.

Shoppers are paid for their successful surveys every 14 days, and payments are processed directly to your bank accounts.

Click here to join iShop for Ipsos>>.

3. Register for market research/focus groups

Another lucrative way to make extra money NZ-wide is by participating in focus groups and market research panels.

These are often held in person and I’ve attended sessions in the CBD and all over the place.

My best-ever gig was testing chocolate for Lindt (seriously!), and that was actually held in my home.

Check out this guide to market research companies and focus groups in New Zealand.

4. Casual catering or waitstaff work

If you’re in a big city or a regional area that hosts lots of events, you might be able to find casual jobs for catering assistants and waiters.

This kind of work is usually at weekends and evenings, which makes it the perfect side hustle NZ-wide.

It helps if you can pour a pint or hold three plates, but those skills are definitely learnable.

Agencies like Bravo Hospitality (Auckland) and Function Staff (Nationwide) are good places to start.

5. Juice those Limes

Are Lime scooters in your city yet? They are super popular here in Christchurch, and there’s a way for you to capitalise on that popularity.

Electric scooters need electricity (duh!), and Lime will pay you to charge (or ‘juice’ as they like to call it) their scooters and return them to a designated area ready for use.

There’s a bit involved, and like any money-making opportunity, you need to weigh up whether the effort is worth your time. This article is a great read if you’re interested.

6. Become a virtual assistant

Working from home as a virtual assistant is a great side hustle for administrators, personal assistants and executive assistants.

All you need is your existing skill base, a computer and an internet connection.

I actually worked in this manner after my son was born, and the gig continued after we left New Zealand to go travelling.

I was earning Australian dollars (the job was with my former Australian employer) and spending Mexican pesos, which gave me a taste of geographic arbitrage – which basically meant that my family and I could live like kings on the 20 hours a week of remote work I was putting in.

If you’re interested in becoming a VA, check out this post on becoming a Virtual Assistant.

7. Mow your neighbour’s lawns

If you’ve got a lawnmower and some time on your hands, you could make extra money mowing lawns.

Print up some flyers and do a letterbox drop in your neighbourhood.

Unless you have a ute/large car, it’s best to stick to places you can walk your mower to.

Most residents will be happy for you to leave the grass clippings in their green waste bin, but check this with them as disposing of grass clippings will require you to have transport and get it to the dump.

8. Share your browsing history [Earn $120/yr]

Did you know you can earn around $10 a month doing absolutely nothing?

Yes, that’s right. Nielsen Digital Voice will pay you to install a small, non-intrusive piece of software on your computer which tracks your browsing history.

Learn more about Nielsen Digital Voice here

9. Start a blog

When we moved back to New Zealand, and I was looking for ways to make extra money from home, side hustle opportunities were few and far between.

I already had a blog that I’d started in Australia, but it was far from making money, so I invested in courses to learn how to make money blogging.

I now make between $11,000 and $17,000 NZD monthly from my blogs ( I have multiple sites).

Blogging is a long-game extra income idea, but it’s one I highly recommend. Here is a guide I wrote about how to make money blogging for beginners.

10. Data entry

Data entry work consists of repetitive typing and requires extreme accuracy. It’s also frequently available at night and at weekends.

Data entry jobs can be found in many industries. You’ll find loads of opportunities on Seek.

11. Work retail in the weekends

Retail work is the ideal way to make extra money and a perfect side job.

I worked at a huge retailer every weekend and a couple of late nights after my corporate gig was finished for the day when I was hustling hard to save cash and pay back my credit card.

It was hard, sure, but the extra money was sweet and working my butt off meant I wasn’t out partying or shopping.

Weekend retail jobs are also a great way to meet fellow side hustlers. I made loads of new friends who were also working full-time day jobs and using their side income to pay for things like travel or getting out of debt.

12. Teach English online

Teaching English online is a relatively new field for Kiwis.

That’s because many countries prefer American English speakers, but a company called Dada are open to hiring Kiwis with the right experience and qualifications.

You can earn up to $21USD per 40-minute lesson and work as much as suits you.

During the week, lessons are mainly at night, so you’ll need to be a night owl for this side hustle.

On the weekend, lessons run all day long, so you can really make a lot of extra cash on top of your Monday-Friday gig if you hustle hard.

You’ll need to be a native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree in any field and some teaching experience.

Read Nicola’s post on how she makes money teaching online, including her best options for Kiwis.

13. Share your opinions and get free gift cards

Valued Opinions are one of my favourite Kiwi survey sites. They only pay in gift cards but they are reliable and the surveys are regular.

I can easily earn a $20 voucher each month without much effort and could definitely make more if I put more time into it.

Click here to join Valued Opinions

14. Rent our your car space

If you have a spare driveway/garage/carport or similar parking space, you can rent it out on Parkable to earn extra money.

This Auckland-based company are helping Kiwis make money from their unused parking spots and it can be pretty lucrative.

Check out this post on how to make money from your carspace with Parkable>>

15. Become a Trademe seller

Selling things on Trademe or Facebook Marketplace can be a legit source of extra income and a great way to earn money from home. Start with the things you have around the house.

Check what similar items sell for, take decent photographs (blurry pics steal from your bottom line, don’t publish them), write an enticing but accurate description and get selling.

For tips from an expert seller, check out this article David wrote for Mumsmoney on his best tips for selling on Trademe.

As time goes by and your experience grows, you’ll get to know what sells best and which items you like working with.

16. Write articles for blogs and businesses

Information is the currency of the future. This blog right here makes money from articles just like the one you’re reading now.

If you can write and have some expertise or personal experience in a topic, working as a freelance writer is a great way to earn extra cash from home (or anywhere else you’d rather be than the office).

Writing articles for businesses was my second online side hustle (after working as a virtual assistant). I signed up as a freelancer on Upwork, and applied for writing gigs in my wheelhouse – mainly frugality, saving money and real estate investing.

At one point, I was writing for a real estate agent in New Jersey, a huge website in Australia and a coupon site in the USA – all from the comfort of my Christchurch kitchen table – you’ve got to love the internet!

Earnings varied but with this blog as a portfolio, I charged a minimum of $40USD (currently $59NZD) for 500 words and often earnt much more than this.

We have an in-depth guide to becoming a freelance writer here.

17. Sell pictures of your feet

You might be surprised to learn there is a huge demand for pictures of feet out there in the online world. And not just pretty feet.

Even twisted and gnarled feet pics can command some income, although a nice clean-looking foot would be your best bet if you were looking to make ongoing income.

Not all the opportunities to sell pictures of your feet are legitimate, so we dug in and did some research to find out how to get started selling feet pics.

You can read our article: How to Sell Feet Pics Online For Extra Income (Seriously!!)

18. Rent out your car

If you’re anything like me, your car sits unused in your driveway for long periods of time (now more so as I bike to school with the kids and work from home).

If you can part with your car for some time, you can earn extra money by renting it out.

With Yourdrive you are paid 60% of the total rental fee when you rent out your car. A quick play on their calculator shows that a car with a value of $5,000, rented for 20 days a month, can make around $225 a month.

That’s not huge money, but if you need extra cash, it’s certainly better than a car sitting in a driveway all day. Insurance and all other related costs are covered by Yourdrive. Check them out here

I hope this list will help you find the best way to add some extra money to your budget.

What are your favourite ways to boost your budget? Share in the comments.

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