Side Hustles for Women Over 40: 7 Low-Stress Ideas to Earn $500+/M

Looking for side hustles for women over 40 that fit your busy life and leverage your hard-earned skills? You’re not alone. Millions of midlife women are turning to flexible, low-stress gigs to earn extra income—without sacrificing their wellbeing.

Whether you want to pay off debt, save for a dream vacation, or simply regain financial confidence, these 7 proven side hustles let you work on your schedule, with startup costs under $100. Best of all, your life experience is your greatest asset—clients and customers value your wisdom and professionalism.

Ready to find the perfect fit? Let’s dive in!

Love this? See my step-by-step guide to reinventing your career after 40.

Why This Works for Midlife Women

A 2023 McKinsey study found that 58% of women over 40 prioritize flexibility over salary. These hustles leverage your existing skills while accommodating your life stage:

✅ Low startup costs (most under $100)
✅ Time-efficient (5-10 hrs/week). Work on your schedule
✅ Age is an asset (clients value your experience)
✅ No corporate politics
✅ Boost income without burnout

“I earned $3,200 in my first 3 months selling Canva templates—while caring for my aging parents.” – Janet, 52

Related Read: How to Reinvent Your Career After 40

7 Best Side Hustles for Women 40+

1. Freelance Writing ($50–200/article)

Why It’s Perfect: Capitalizes on your communication skills and life experience.
Skills Needed: Basic writing, research

Step-by-Step Launch:

1. Choose Your Niche:
   • Midlife-focused: “Health Over 40”, “Career Change After 50”
   • Leverage experience: Former teacher? Write for education sites.
2. Set Up Your Portfolio:
   • Free samples: Rewrite 2 blog posts from AARP as samples
   • Platform: Contently or JournoPortfolio
   • Upwork (general writing)
     Careful Cents (niche finance writing)
3. Land Clients:
   • Cold pitch template:
     “Hi [Name], I noticed [publication] covers [topic]. As a [your background], I’d love to write about [specific idea]. Here’s a sample: [link]. Would you consider a trial piece?”

Tools:

• Grammarly (free)
• Hemingway App (tone checker)

Pro Tip: Use my LinkedIn Makeover Guide (included in the Thrive In Change eBook) to attract clients.

2. Printable Business on Etsy ($300–5k/month)

Real Example: “Budget Tracker for Women 40+” sells 50+ units/month at $8 each.

Launch Checklist:

1. Design in Canva:
   • Use my Minimalist Budget Template (included in the eBook) as inspiration
   • Font pairing: Playfair Display + Open Sans
2. Optimize Listings:
   • Title: “2024 Undated Budget Planner | Midlife Women | PDF Instant Download”
   • Tags: “printable budget tracker”, “financial planning over 40”
   • Etsy Listing Optimizer: Marmalead
3. Promote:
   • Pinterest: Create pins with lifestyle photos of women using planners

Time Investment: 3 hrs to create, then passive income

3. Virtual Assistant ($20–80/hr)

Specialize for Higher Pay:

• Executive VA: $50-80/hr (managing calendars for CEOs)
• Real Estate VA: $30-50/hr (listing coordination)

Getting Started:

1. Skills Audit:
   • Microsoft Office? Market as “Systems VA”
   • Social media savvy? Offer “Content VA” services
2. Where to Find Clients:
   • Upwork (general)
   • Belay (higher-end clients)
   • Facebook groups (e.g., Virtual Assistants for Entrepreneurs)

Affirmation Card #7: “My organizational skills are valuable and in demand.”

4. Online Coaching ($60–200/session)

Pre-Sell Your Program:

1. Offer free 15-min “Breakthrough Calls” to build trust
2. Use Zoom + Calendly for scheduling

Niches with Demand:

• “Midlife Career Pivot Coach”
• “Empty Nest Life Coach”

Resource: ICF Certification Guide

5. Affiliate Marketing ($500–10k/month)

Strategy for Beginners:

1. Choose 3-5 Products:
   • Hosting + Website: I recommend Hostinger (starts at $1.99/month)—it’s beginner-friendly with 1-click WordPress installs. (Disclosure: This is an affiliate link that supports my free resources.)
   • Courses: LinkedIn Learning
   • Books: Amazon (e.g., “Designing Your Life After 40”, “(“Side Hustles For Women Over 40”)
2. Promotion Methods:
   • Pinterest pins with “Why I Love [Product]” stories
   • YouTube shorts showing tools in action
3. Low-Competition Platforms:
   • ShareASale
   • PartnerStack

6. Selling Digital Planners ($15–50 each)

Design Tips:

• Color Psychology: Use teal (#00A8B5) for trust
• Add Interactive Elements: Hyperlinked tabs in PDFs

Bundle Strategy:

• Sell “Midlife Wellness Bundle” (planner + habit tracker) for $29

Use These Templates:

• Meal planners
• Goal trackers (like *30-Day Thrive Plan*)

Tools Needed:

• Canva (free)
• Gumroad (to sell)

7. Podcast Editing ($40–150/episode)

Equipment-Free Start:

1. Use Descript (free version) for basic editing
2. Offer “Light Editing” package ($40/episode):
   • Remove filler words
   • Add intro/outro music

Find Clients:

• X (former Twitter: Search “looking for podcast editor”

Skills to Highlight:

• Attention to detail
• Basic audio editing (learn on YouTube)

Where to Pitch:

• Emerging female-hosted podcasts

Your 4-Week Launch Plan

1. Week 1: Pick 1 hustle + research (use my Side Hustle Planner)
2. Week 2: Set up profiles (LinkedIn/Etsy)
3. Week 3: Land first client (even at a discount)
4. Week 4: Scale (raise rates/get repeat work)

Start today: Download the Side Hustle Planner

Ready to Start? Get the complete Side Hustle Toolkit in my Thrive in Change eBook, including:

• 10+ side hustle ideas (with step-by-step guide for launch to first sale)
• Client pitch templates
• Pricing guides
• BONUS: 100+ Affirmation cards for confidence boosts!

Get the eBook Now