“How I Made $78 From a Random Side Hustle No One Talks About”

If you’d told me a few months ago that I’d be making money from reviewing “how-to” articles online, I’d have laughed. Not because it sounds impossible—but because it sounds boring. And yet, here I am, $78 richer from a random side hustle that almost nobody talks about, and I’m here to explain exactly how it worked, how you can do it too, and why it might be the easiest money you’ll make this year.

The Discovery

It started like most accidental discoveries: procrastination.

One evening, while putting off a work deadline, I found myself scrolling Reddit. In a buried comment thread on r/beermoney, a user casually mentioned getting paid to give feedback on public articles using a platform called UserLit.

I’d never heard of it.

The post got maybe four upvotes. But curiosity got the best of me. I clicked, I signed up, and within 10 minutes, I was deep into a rabbit hole that eventually paid me in cold, hard PayPal cash.

The Platform: What Is UserLit?

UserLit (not its real name, because I want to avoid flooding the niche) is a web-based feedback platform designed for writers, bloggers, SEO experts, and instructional content creators. Unlike standard survey sites where you fill out questions about products you don’t care about, this one pays you to read “how-to” articles and give genuine, specific feedback—grammar, clarity, logic, layout, and even emotional tone.

Some articles are on basic topics like "How to Change a Flat Tire." Others dive into niche subjects like "How to Set Up a Local Testnet for Ethereum Smart Contracts."

Sounds dry? A bit. But each one pays between $2 to $10, depending on article length and complexity.

And it’s not a scam. I got paid directly to PayPal after reaching the $25 minimum threshold. No tricks, no fees.

How It Works—Step-by-Step

Here’s how I made my $78 and how you can too.

Step 1: Sign Up

You create a free account. You’ll need:

A working email

A PayPal account

A short writing test to verify your English and comprehension

It took me about 15 minutes to sign up and pass the test. You don’t need to be a professional writer—just someone who can give honest and useful feedback.

Step 2: Select Articles to Review

Once approved, you’re given a list of available articles. The list refreshes daily. Each entry tells you:

The topic

Word count

Time estimate

Payout ($2–$10)

I stuck to articles in the $3–$6 range, which took me 10–15 minutes each.

Step 3: Give Feedback

You read the article and leave your comments:

What was confusing?

What worked well?

Any grammar issues?

Would a beginner understand it?

They don’t want generic fluff like “Good job.” You’re paid to be a mini-editor, not a cheerleader.

Step 4: Submit and Wait

After submission, you’ll get your feedback accepted (or occasionally, rejected if it’s too vague). Once accepted, the money appears in your dashboard.

It usually took about 1–2 days for mine to be approved.

Step 5: Get Paid

Once I hit $25, I cashed out to PayPal. It arrived within 48 hours.

How I Earned the $78

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Article Topic Pay Time Spent

How to Freeze Strawberries $3 12 mins

Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Notes App $6 20 mins

How to Cancel LinkedIn Premium $3 10 mins

How to Use DALL·E for AI Art $5 17 mins

Setting Up a Raspberry Pi Headless $10 28 mins

7 Other Articles (avg $4.25 each) $30 ~90 mins

Referral Bonus (2 friends signed up) $6 —

Total $78 ~3 hours total

It was like getting paid $25/hour for doing what I already enjoy—reading online.

The Pros and Cons

Let’s be honest. Not every side hustle is worth the hype. Here’s my honest breakdown.

✅ Pros:

No upfront cost

Genuinely useful feedback gigs

Quick payouts via PayPal

Flexible—work whenever

Improves your own writing by editing others’

❌ Cons:

Limited availability (articles run out)

Not scalable to full-time income

Must give thoughtful feedback—no shortcuts

May be boring if you hate reading/writing

Who Is This Good For?

This hustle isn’t for everyone. But if any of the following sound like you, it’s worth a shot:

Students looking to earn small but legit cash

Stay-at-home parents or freelancers with spare time

Writers or editors who enjoy analyzing content

Bloggers who want to learn from others’ mistakes

People sick of sketchy surveys and looking for something real

Tips to Maximize Earnings

If you’re going to try this, here are a few tips to get the most out of it:

Be Specific in Your Feedback: Vague responses = rejections.

Check in the Morning: New articles usually drop around 9–10 AM EST.

Use Grammarly or ChatGPT to Speed Up Feedback: Clean grammar helps.

Stick to Topics You Know: You’ll give better feedback faster.

Refer Friends: Some platforms offer $3–$5 per referral.

Final Thoughts

I never expected to find a side hustle so low-profile yet surprisingly legit. It won’t make you rich. But $78 for a few hours of reading and commenting? That’s better than most survey sites, mystery shopping gigs, or paid search tasks I’ve tried.

In a world flooded with hyped-up “$10K/month” hustle scams, it’s refreshing to find something real, quiet, and actually enjoyable. So if you’re looking to make a little side cash without pretending to be an influencer, this might be your hidden gem too.

Next time someone asks me how I made random money online, I’ll just smile and say:

“I read the internet. Then they paid me.”