In the era of the side gig, a new one has emerged: writing letters for $5 a piece. TikTok user Sarah Yates (@sarahjoyyates) plans to put this new side hustle to the test.
“The new side hustle that’s about to viral—I’m gonna try it so you don’t have to,” she tells her 226,000 followers in a video. “Yes, I’m putting my money into it to see if it’s legit for you guys.”
What led the content creator to test it out was two things: curiosity and the desire to earn more money. “It’s handwriting letters for companies and getting paid $5 per handwritten letter,” she shares. “You buy the stamps, the envelopes.” But, she says, you make your money back and then some.
Furthermore, the gig gives you all the information, the topic to write about, and
She says there’s an “endless amount” of companies to write letters for and the topics are given to you.
There’s also no cap on how many letters you can write? “As much letters as you wanna write, basically,” Yates says before touting that it’s remote work.
There is a catch. “A lot people aren’t liking is that you have to pay $200 for the course, which is gonna teach you exactly how to do all of this,” she explains.
Yates says you’ll earn all the money back and more within a couple of days. Yates says it sounds worth it. Nevertheless, Yates still plans to try it out to test its legitimacy and vows to keep her followers updated.
@sarahjoyyates Lets see if this side hustle works 👀 #sidehustles #sidehustle #handwrittenletters #workfromhomejobs #tryingsidehustles #extraincome #makeextraincome ♬ original sound – Sarah Joy
The Daily Dot reached out to Yates via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. Her video racked up over 400,000 views. Viewers who have done this gig shared how its worked out for them..
“I’m doing this! it’s been amazing!” one viewer said.
“I wrote hand written letters for a real estate company years ago! So interesting that a company is doing this!” a second shared.
“Best side hustle right now!” a third lauded.
Viewers were taken aback by having to pay $200 for a course as that equals 40 letters you’d have to write to get your money back (not counting the money you have to fork over for supplies).
“Wait what? Why do you have to put money on it? Legit companies give you the supplies and you write. There’s no course involved,” one user said.
“You get paid in coins to gamble and not cash right?” another asked.
Yates eventually gave viewers an update in a follow-up. Before signing up, “I spent hours, and I mean, hours, between last night and this morning, just digging deep and trying to see what this was all about,” she says. According to Yates, someone she spoke to claimed they work 40 hours a week and earned $78,000 last year from it. “However much time you put into is how much you get back,” Yates said.
After she signed up, the content creator says she understands why the $200 course is mandatory. “It’s not just like writing a letter,” Yates says. “There’s a certain way and format to do everything, and you do need the training to do it.”
Yates says the payment is in the form of currencies each company uses, and they provide steps on how to turn the credits cash. “Just like if you have Cryptocurrency, or if you are on TikTok Live, and people give you coins and you turn them into cash,” Yates elaborates.
Yates encourages her followers to reach out to her for any questions.
@sarahjoyyates Replying to @Danielle the update yall have been waiting for! #makemoneyfromhome #update #letterwriting ♬ original sound – Sarah Joy