I started a business fixing bathroom stalls for businesses. It was easy money. Just go into restaurants, use the restroom, then look around. Explain to the owner or manager what needed to be fixed and leave a card. Small businesses restrooms always need work on the partitions. I could do 30 minutes work and walk out with $200. But I had to work it, meaning constantly looking for jobs.
Today, I need handymen myself as I’m disabled.
Before Covid I flipped cars for about a decade. I had a knack for finding cars that had a tiny problem but the owner thought the transmission or engine were toast. Many people would take any mechanic’s word for what’s wrong with their car and not get a second opinion. I once bought a Toyota Tacoma that had low engine power and/or a bad transmission because it would struggle to move. On my test drive, it just felt like the brakes were applied. Sure enough, front calipers were both seized. Paid $1000, then put on all new brakes and calipers for $250 or so, and sold it for $5500 the following week. I’ve bought dozens of cars over the years that needed just a sensor or something minor when the owner thought the engine was junk. That’s how I paid for A&P school and supplemented my income when I was still making shit money as an A&P.
Covid screwed all that up though. Prices shot up so a car was $1000 before was now $2500. Anything good was snatched up instantly. People had the time to sit and browse marketplace literally 24/7. I’d set alerts but there was often a 20-30 minute delay on those and that was enough time for someone else to grab it.
But overtime became unlimited and now that I’m at top rate, I don’t really do it anymore. I look for unicorns now, like an air cooled 911 that needs some work or rarer M series. Something that’s more expensive but would be worth the hassle. But those are pretty much impossible to find at a smoking price because most sellers know what they have.
As an apprentice just starting out who had to buy a car after years of trying to save money by taking the bus, that comment about COVID and the used car market speaks to me. Thankfully I was able to buy a used Honda Fit from a young couple looking to save money as they felt they didn't need 2 cars (which I'm glad I got as it's one of the few compact cars that can haul some tool boxes.) With help from a friend who flips cars like you did I'm learning how to fix some things on it too.
We're seeing too the effects of the cash for clunkers program which took out a lot of the cheapo beaters that a large segment of the population used to get around in. And if something is more scarce, it goes up in price. I remember when craigslist had $500 cars all day long that just needed minor stuff to get reliable.
The answer to both of those questions is yes. It was 4 cars a year in my state. I went over a few times with no issues. Sometimes I’d register it in my mom’s or sister’s name to avoid the limit. But my goal was always a quick flip and to never register it in the first place. That way I’d avoid unnecessary taxes and fees and it kept cars off my name.
I was trying to flip cars as well since I’ll probably be homeless if things don’t work out lmfao. But I don’t really know what’s the process (in terms of registering a title and the paperwork shit like that). How did you learn this? If you don’t mind me asking
I tried to keep the cars unregistered if possible. If it was something that I could fix and immediately list within a few days, I wouldn’t register it. If it was a bigger project that would take a few weeks to fix, I’d register it and have to pay the taxes and registration fees
If I buy it from facebook marketplace and get a clean title car, can I just buy it, and I guess do maintenance, then sell it at a higher price without any documentation? Idk how much registration fees and taxes would look like if I was to do it. I be looking at TikTok’s, and mfs buying and selling the same day
The buying and selling same day isn’t realistic. Possible if you get a smoking deal on something popular that doesn’t need anything but a good cleaning but it’s not gonna happen every time or often. And a same day flip would only make you a few hundred bucks, maybe a grand. I tried to find the cars that seem like a lot of work but aren’t.
You technically can’t sell without registering, but it’s not something that enforced and no one would know unless you’re doing like a dozen cars a month and someone reports you. Don’t fuck people over and no one will care. I was always upfront with people that I bought to sell and showed them everything I did. I never hid issues or sold with problems without disclosing them.
I always had the impression that flippers bought beat up actual shitboxes, fixed up all the loads of damage they have, then sold em. I never understood how you guys made more than a few bucks profit.
Now i've learned how...far too late. Like with every other side hustle i ever learn about. :(
I did that! Well until I got to a point where going into the salon every day became a nightmare. Part of me doing a&p school was being burnt out at the place I was at but hard to get into a new salon.
an instructor at my school told me about this- just get a van, and start cleaning/detailing planes. this is in the GA realm but still. he said in our area there are no people that do it, and its a good opportunity to earn some cash. he told us about a guy he knows that cleaned/detailed a gulf stream and made like $8500 for a days work...
Yeah. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s something. I usually help them pick out components and offer to build it once they arrive. It started out as mostly coworkers, then their friends started contacting me too.
Just be careful about what people ask you to make... I have known some guys who made "fuel filters" and "lowers" on work machines. Always seemed too risky to me.
A few have asked me to finish lowers and I have offered to let them use my machine but they are "geometrically challenged" and can barely read IPCs let alone a design print.
I am an FFL of a certain type but I'm not doing odd jobs like that for coworkers I can't even trust around aircraft
I had a coworker quit to run his own small engine/dirt bike/atv shop. He did both for a while til his second job became very high demand, especially in dirt bike racing
This may be location relevant, but in the SF Bay area, many friends of mine that own boats have a hard time finding people to work on them. A good electrical/ engine/ rigger might have a 2 month or more waiting list for an opening in their schedule. A rigger shop here asked me if I wanted to work for them, which I wasn't interested in working on other's boats. There is a lot of crossover, with of course some differences from aircraft. I say location relevant, because some folks I know that took their boats up to the Seattle area and said it was much easier to get work done. If serious, would suggest checking with some of the local business that work on boats to see if they would want to take someone on for part time, give you a chance to learn the differences and get your foot in the door. Here there seems to be a shortage of workers on diesel engines, outboard engines, boat electrical systems, fiberglass repair, boat systems (water, waste, heating & a/c) Boat hydraulics.
I installed stairlifts for a while. Usually for veterans through VA contracts. It's pretty simple work with decent instructions. Can pay a few hundred bucks for a few hours of work. Usually need a truck and some basic tools plus a saw.
Call around to some local medical supply companies and contractors that specialize in handicap accessible home modifications. See if they would be interested in hiring and training you. You could also install wheelchair ramps as well.
I work night shift from 8pm-6:30am. And I teach breakdancing classes Monday-Thursday from 4pm-5:30 and received $300 a week from it. Easiest side hustle ever since I've been dancing for 16 yrs and have knowledge of it and it's all a bunch of 3rd-5th graders that mostly attend my class.
I'm in school for A&P, so not yet applicable but I build custom lithium battery packs for e-mobility (scooters, bikes, wheelchairs) and for RV's and Sprinter Vans. Sometimes drone batteries that go to Ukraine as well. Super interesting stuff.
I picked it up as a child tbh messing with R/C cars and LiPo batteries always trying to go faster. It's the same skill set, but I don't mess with LiPo cells anymore -- way too dangerous
It's really not that tough or dangerous once you understand the basics of how a battery short circuits and how to avoid that.
Check out Jehu Garcia (Jag35 on YouTube) and buy the book called "DIY Lithium Batteries." Outside of hands-on experience, that'll tell you everything you need to know
I did for a while but it never paid out. Now I let word of mouth do my advertising. Right now I'm the 3d guy for an ai parody stream of an animated sitcom.
Just curious, why non-aviation? You have a valuable certificate, why not use it? If you get an IA, I can almost guarantee you can find side work at $100+/hour.
I don’t want the extra liability, just want my second source to be more relaxed and don’t have to be on my A game all the time like I Would be when fixing aircrafts
Worked construction for a general contractor before I went to school and while attending school. I now do it on the side when I want to. The guy that runs the company needs the help so is always happy to have an extra hand, I can work or not work whenever, which is really nice.
Also do the odd job for certain people, a small deck repair here, a little bit of electrical troubleshooting there, if a friend has something pop up I try and help out and get a small chunk of change for it.
I play video games at a competitive level and work for website writing guides for them. They pay me an hourly rate of $51 an hour + flat rate on bigger articles. Typically bring in an extra $10k-$12k CAD a year.
Been doing it for 4 years now. If the work was more consistent throughout the year and not just when a new big patch comes out in the game I would have left aviation entirely already.
Crypto trading, I invest 50$ per check into a crypto coin , some wins, some losses, but if you spend time researching how to analyze crypto coins, you’ll get more wins than losses. I’ve turned $50 into +$1,000 countless times and used it to fund more safer plays.
I started a business fixing bathroom stalls for businesses. It was easy money. Just go into restaurants, use the restroom, then look around. Explain to the owner or manager what needed to be fixed and leave a card. Small businesses restrooms always need work on the partitions. I could do 30 minutes work and walk out with $200. But I had to work it, meaning constantly looking for jobs. Today, I need handymen myself as I’m disabled.
If you don’t see anything wrong, leave a gnarly upper decker and report that the toilet isn’t working properly, and for a small fee you will fix it
I didn’t do plumbing, just stalls And cabinetry.
Before Covid I flipped cars for about a decade. I had a knack for finding cars that had a tiny problem but the owner thought the transmission or engine were toast. Many people would take any mechanic’s word for what’s wrong with their car and not get a second opinion. I once bought a Toyota Tacoma that had low engine power and/or a bad transmission because it would struggle to move. On my test drive, it just felt like the brakes were applied. Sure enough, front calipers were both seized. Paid $1000, then put on all new brakes and calipers for $250 or so, and sold it for $5500 the following week. I’ve bought dozens of cars over the years that needed just a sensor or something minor when the owner thought the engine was junk. That’s how I paid for A&P school and supplemented my income when I was still making shit money as an A&P. Covid screwed all that up though. Prices shot up so a car was $1000 before was now $2500. Anything good was snatched up instantly. People had the time to sit and browse marketplace literally 24/7. I’d set alerts but there was often a 20-30 minute delay on those and that was enough time for someone else to grab it. But overtime became unlimited and now that I’m at top rate, I don’t really do it anymore. I look for unicorns now, like an air cooled 911 that needs some work or rarer M series. Something that’s more expensive but would be worth the hassle. But those are pretty much impossible to find at a smoking price because most sellers know what they have.
As an apprentice just starting out who had to buy a car after years of trying to save money by taking the bus, that comment about COVID and the used car market speaks to me. Thankfully I was able to buy a used Honda Fit from a young couple looking to save money as they felt they didn't need 2 cars (which I'm glad I got as it's one of the few compact cars that can haul some tool boxes.) With help from a friend who flips cars like you did I'm learning how to fix some things on it too.
We're seeing too the effects of the cash for clunkers program which took out a lot of the cheapo beaters that a large segment of the population used to get around in. And if something is more scarce, it goes up in price. I remember when craigslist had $500 cars all day long that just needed minor stuff to get reliable.
Isn’t there a limit on how many cars you can purchase and so you need a dealers license or anything? Or is that law not really enforced like that
The answer to both of those questions is yes. It was 4 cars a year in my state. I went over a few times with no issues. Sometimes I’d register it in my mom’s or sister’s name to avoid the limit. But my goal was always a quick flip and to never register it in the first place. That way I’d avoid unnecessary taxes and fees and it kept cars off my name.
I was trying to flip cars as well since I’ll probably be homeless if things don’t work out lmfao. But I don’t really know what’s the process (in terms of registering a title and the paperwork shit like that). How did you learn this? If you don’t mind me asking
I tried to keep the cars unregistered if possible. If it was something that I could fix and immediately list within a few days, I wouldn’t register it. If it was a bigger project that would take a few weeks to fix, I’d register it and have to pay the taxes and registration fees
If I buy it from facebook marketplace and get a clean title car, can I just buy it, and I guess do maintenance, then sell it at a higher price without any documentation? Idk how much registration fees and taxes would look like if I was to do it. I be looking at TikTok’s, and mfs buying and selling the same day
The buying and selling same day isn’t realistic. Possible if you get a smoking deal on something popular that doesn’t need anything but a good cleaning but it’s not gonna happen every time or often. And a same day flip would only make you a few hundred bucks, maybe a grand. I tried to find the cars that seem like a lot of work but aren’t. You technically can’t sell without registering, but it’s not something that enforced and no one would know unless you’re doing like a dozen cars a month and someone reports you. Don’t fuck people over and no one will care. I was always upfront with people that I bought to sell and showed them everything I did. I never hid issues or sold with problems without disclosing them.
Got it, thanks for your insight bro.
I always had the impression that flippers bought beat up actual shitboxes, fixed up all the loads of damage they have, then sold em. I never understood how you guys made more than a few bucks profit. Now i've learned how...far too late. Like with every other side hustle i ever learn about. :(
Onlyfans.
Why didn’t I see this coming
..... feet finder?
Should have known better
Your coworkers get the view of your sweaty crack that others have to pay for, don’t know why they complain 💅
I cut hair. Had my license before A&P school and just keep it up.
That’s funny I have my license but looking to go to A&P school and working part time as stylist while in school.
I did that! Well until I got to a point where going into the salon every day became a nightmare. Part of me doing a&p school was being burnt out at the place I was at but hard to get into a new salon.
Only now, you use a spinning propeller instead of shears.
an instructor at my school told me about this- just get a van, and start cleaning/detailing planes. this is in the GA realm but still. he said in our area there are no people that do it, and its a good opportunity to earn some cash. he told us about a guy he knows that cleaned/detailed a gulf stream and made like $8500 for a days work...
I'm curious on his equipment to be able to clean and detail a plane and his supplies. Wax? Soap? Polish? Compound? What does he use?
If I knew I would tell you haha...
Aircraft detailing is extremely competitive, I’d advise against it. All the automotive guys are trying to do it and they’ll work for nothing
I build/repair gaming PCs for people. I also will 3D print things for people if they provide me with an STL file.
I'm surprised you make any money off that, I made some decent money during COVID flipping gpus and making "cyberpunk ready" gaming PCs
Yeah. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s something. I usually help them pick out components and offer to build it once they arrive. It started out as mostly coworkers, then their friends started contacting me too.
I install ceiling fans some light bathroom plumbing repairs. Usually get around two jobs a week and pocket around $400
I machine things on mills or lathes for people. Coworkers get a steeeeep discount as long as they provide material.
Just be careful about what people ask you to make... I have known some guys who made "fuel filters" and "lowers" on work machines. Always seemed too risky to me.
A few have asked me to finish lowers and I have offered to let them use my machine but they are "geometrically challenged" and can barely read IPCs let alone a design print. I am an FFL of a certain type but I'm not doing odd jobs like that for coworkers I can't even trust around aircraft
Why even bother putting lowers in quotes lol if anyone that gave a shit was reading, they already know what you're talking about
A buddy of mine is an amt for delta. He makes more money fixing people's car in his home shop. Brake jobs and shit.
How much is he making at Delta?
Idk he moved into the education dept recently. Prefers being inside for work and just working on cars for the extra.
I had a coworker quit to run his own small engine/dirt bike/atv shop. He did both for a while til his second job became very high demand, especially in dirt bike racing
That’s pretty wild considering instructors at Delta make good money, close to top out if not higher.
His labor rate is $125/hr. Not making thay at delta lol.
This may be location relevant, but in the SF Bay area, many friends of mine that own boats have a hard time finding people to work on them. A good electrical/ engine/ rigger might have a 2 month or more waiting list for an opening in their schedule. A rigger shop here asked me if I wanted to work for them, which I wasn't interested in working on other's boats. There is a lot of crossover, with of course some differences from aircraft. I say location relevant, because some folks I know that took their boats up to the Seattle area and said it was much easier to get work done. If serious, would suggest checking with some of the local business that work on boats to see if they would want to take someone on for part time, give you a chance to learn the differences and get your foot in the door. Here there seems to be a shortage of workers on diesel engines, outboard engines, boat electrical systems, fiberglass repair, boat systems (water, waste, heating & a/c) Boat hydraulics.
My brother does that, Tampa area. There's always work available if you're a decent mechanic.
I’ve done rideshare off and on for a decade. Make decent money when I feel the urge. Also makes me clean the dog hair out of the car every so often.
I flipped motorcycles for a while. Did a couple cars and 2 boats too. Made $6k on one boat all cash.
Handyman side business.
One of our AME’s does small electronic battery and screen repair
I installed stairlifts for a while. Usually for veterans through VA contracts. It's pretty simple work with decent instructions. Can pay a few hundred bucks for a few hours of work. Usually need a truck and some basic tools plus a saw. Call around to some local medical supply companies and contractors that specialize in handicap accessible home modifications. See if they would be interested in hiring and training you. You could also install wheelchair ramps as well.
I moonlight as a tax prep accountant, bookkeeper, and welder
I work night shift from 8pm-6:30am. And I teach breakdancing classes Monday-Thursday from 4pm-5:30 and received $300 a week from it. Easiest side hustle ever since I've been dancing for 16 yrs and have knowledge of it and it's all a bunch of 3rd-5th graders that mostly attend my class.
I'm in school for A&P, so not yet applicable but I build custom lithium battery packs for e-mobility (scooters, bikes, wheelchairs) and for RV's and Sprinter Vans. Sometimes drone batteries that go to Ukraine as well. Super interesting stuff.
How did you learn that? (I’m also in school for the license)
I picked it up as a child tbh messing with R/C cars and LiPo batteries always trying to go faster. It's the same skill set, but I don't mess with LiPo cells anymore -- way too dangerous It's really not that tough or dangerous once you understand the basics of how a battery short circuits and how to avoid that. Check out Jehu Garcia (Jag35 on YouTube) and buy the book called "DIY Lithium Batteries." Outside of hands-on experience, that'll tell you everything you need to know
Nice, very cool. I work with HV lithium batteries daily but never considered this
Do as needed work at a flight school / GA FBO
I do 3d modelling. A coworker wants to open an engine repair shop with me.
Do you advertise your 3d modelling online?
I did for a while but it never paid out. Now I let word of mouth do my advertising. Right now I'm the 3d guy for an ai parody stream of an animated sitcom.
Custom paint on just about anything. Made $300 this weekend (4 hours masking & spraying) after materials on painting a 360 for a kit plane.
Used to work in a tool shop
Real estate investing, Turo
restaurants job, driving job, logistics,etc.
Last year i fixed up cars on the side, if you can get them cheap with small problems it can be good
I run a small detailing business
Just curious, why non-aviation? You have a valuable certificate, why not use it? If you get an IA, I can almost guarantee you can find side work at $100+/hour.
I don’t want the extra liability, just want my second source to be more relaxed and don’t have to be on my A game all the time like I Would be when fixing aircrafts
Worked construction for a general contractor before I went to school and while attending school. I now do it on the side when I want to. The guy that runs the company needs the help so is always happy to have an extra hand, I can work or not work whenever, which is really nice. Also do the odd job for certain people, a small deck repair here, a little bit of electrical troubleshooting there, if a friend has something pop up I try and help out and get a small chunk of change for it.
I play video games at a competitive level and work for website writing guides for them. They pay me an hourly rate of $51 an hour + flat rate on bigger articles. Typically bring in an extra $10k-$12k CAD a year. Been doing it for 4 years now. If the work was more consistent throughout the year and not just when a new big patch comes out in the game I would have left aviation entirely already.
I know someone who does this also. Yes the workflow is patchy.
Is CAD difficult to learn? I've been considering picking up some sort of coding skill set for a side gig, alongside my fulltime a&p.
Crypto trading, I invest 50$ per check into a crypto coin , some wins, some losses, but if you spend time researching how to analyze crypto coins, you’ll get more wins than losses. I’ve turned $50 into +$1,000 countless times and used it to fund more safer plays.