‘We make S$5000/month!' — Singaporean couple turns their S$1M condo into a passive income machine with 10 side hustle recommendations, working from home

Independent Singapore

a day ago

SINGAPORE: What if your condo could make you money while you bake sourdough, play with dogs, or teach a workshop — all without stepping out of your front door?
Meet Darien, a former tech sales professional from Singapore who quit the 9-to-5 life to travel full-time, live on his own terms, and help others do the same. Alongside his partner Joanna, Darien has transformed their home into a multi-stream income engine, generating over S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month through practical, proven side hustles that are perfect for 2025.
In a video that has been making waves among aspiring entrepreneurs, Darien breaks down 10 legitimate side hustles that Singaporeans can start right now. Some require skills, others need hustle, but all are achievable. Here's the breakdown, ranked by the time you need to put in and how tough it is to earn your first S$100. Home-based hustles: No office, no dress code, no problem 1. Home Café — Your oven could be a goldmine
Before he was jetting off on full-time adventures, Darien and his partner Joanna were stirring up profits right at home. Their first taste of profit came from the smell of freshly baked goods.
'We started baking from home and expanded into two physical retail outlets, doing baking workshops even while we were still students,' Darien recalls. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
Thanks to platforms like Acuppa , anyone can start a home-based food business with zero licensing hassles. TikTok and GoBusiness tools help build your brand fast, without the high overhead of a retail space.
Home-based cafés are booming in Singapore. Acuppa even lists neighbourhood food entrepreneurs, and the good news is that you don't even need a licence to get started. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
Time investment: 3/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5
Get your first few customers, prove your product works, and you might just rise like your best sourdough loaf. 2. Workshops — Teach what you love (and multiply your income)
Why bake for people when you can bake with them — and get paid more for it?
It takes you four hours to bake a cake. But if you host a workshop and get four participants to bake with you, each paying S$80, you just quadrupled your earnings, Darien explains. That's S$320 for the same four hours.
'This is also why we pivoted our business from selling cakes to doing workshops,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only)
Baking, pottery, floral arranging — whatever your craft, workshops let you earn more while sharing what you love.
Workshops are one-time efforts that become repeatable events. Once you've built the curriculum, it's wash, rinse, repeat — just like those dishes after class.
Time investment: 3/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5
You can also conduct other workshops, from pottery to flower arrangements, to make your weekend hobby earn you enough to pay your rent. 3. Carousell — The marketplace that keeps surprising!
Darien's dive into sourdough baking led to an unexpected epiphany: there's real demand for sourdough starters.
He listed an extra sourdough starter one night and got his first sale within hours. 'You can't buy it from the store. So I managed to get it from a friend, multiplied it, and listed it on Carousell . That night, someone bought it.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
You can list anything valuable — vintage clothes, books, old tech… even your workshops. And add four items lying around worth S$30 on the list, that's your first S$100!
So you see, you don't need a warehouse full of products — just a few things people want. Even your fermented flour can work. Carousell is still king!
Time investment: 1/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5
Four listings at S$30 each, and you're already there. Skill-based hustles: Hands-on, heart-in, high reward 4. Pet-sitting — Paws, play, and paydays!
If you love dogs or any animals, for that matter, you might already qualify. Your spare room could turn into a pet daycare.
Darien knows someone who became one of the top pet sitters on Pawshake , hosting up to 10 dogs a day at S$40 each. That's S$400 a day! — No barking mad math there. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only).
'It hardly feels like work,' Darien says, 'especially if you love animals.'
Time investment: 3/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5
One weekend of furry fun and wagging tails could already hit your target. 5. Tuition — Because Singaporeans will pay for A's
Singaporeans don't mess around with education. That's why tuition — especially in core subjects — remains another goldmine.
If you're strong academically, tuition's a no-brainer. Even better, you don't have to go solo either because home-based centres let you franchise their curriculum. 'There are home-based tuition centres that let you franchise their materials, so you don't have to start from scratch,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only).
Time investment: 2/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5
One or two quick sessions, and you're already in the green for triple digits. 6. Commission-based tech sales — No salary, just straight hustle
If you're not into kids or calculus, but you've got the gift of persuasion, then commission-based tech sales might be your playground.
Early-stage tech startups are always looking for people who can sell and close deals. You're not paid for your time, though — you're paid for your results, Darien notes. But the upside is massive!
Master cold outreach on LinkedIn , learn the tools, and your S$100 becomes a foot in the door for bigger deals. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
This one isn't easy, but it pays dividends in income and network.
Time investment: 4/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 4/5
Again, master cold calls and outreach, and it might just become your full-time gig. 7. Community sales rep: Sell what you believe in through WhatsApp, not stores
If you prefer something more human and less hustle culture, community-based sales are perfect for introverts with a cause. No cold calls, just warm referrals.
Many niche brands prefer reps to retail. Think wellness, skincare, or household products sold via personal networks and weekend pop-ups. 'Pick brands you truly believe in — most are always recruiting,' Darien advises. Photo: Freepik
Some brands really don't want retail space — they want people who can sell through WhatsApp, social media direct messaging, or word of mouth.
From essential oils to ergonomic chairs, just pick what you love and start talking.
Time investment: 3/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5
Your inner circle could become your first customer base. 8. Coaching — Share the knowledge; your story could become someone else's solution
Whether it's life coaching, career coaching, content coaching, or mindset mentoring, if you've done something impressive, chances are, someone wants to learn from you.
When Darien left his job, he became a career coach in Bali. 'In the first two months of leaving my job, I went to Bali, and because I had a proven track record in tech sales, I became a coach for people who wanted to switch into (tech sales),' Darien shares. 'Each cohort lasted eight weeks with weekly Zoom sessions.' Photo: pikisuperstar
Start with one-on-one sessions and scale to groups. If you've done something others want to achieve, this is your lane. And then go on to live your Bali dream.
Time investment: 3/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5
The transformation you've made could be someone else's breakthrough. 9. Start a micro-agency: Sell solutions, not hours
If you know how to run ads, have skills in design, create social content, marketing, or build websites, consider packaging those skills into a service business. Skip freelancing — start an agency.
Darien launched livestream services during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping small businesses stay visible. 'During COVID… I reached out to top livestreamers in Singapore, partnered with them, and started offering livestreaming services to small businesses. We (even) sold durian… during National Day,' he shared. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
Focus on results, not the hours. Clients care more about conversions or outcomes than your calendar or time sheets. Done-for-you packages are key.
Time investment: 5/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5
Takes time, but once it clicks, it scales—serious payoff if you really stick with it. Creative and content-based hustles: Create. Publish. Repeat. 10. Content Creation — From TikTok to passive profits; build once, earn forever (hopefully)
Just like any other hustler we've heard from before, Darien also doesn't sugarcoat it. Content creation is slow, hard, and often thankless — at first. 'This one takes a lot of time, but it has an insane upside,' he says.
So, whether you're on YouTube, TikTok, or doing UGC (User Generated Content) for brands, content is also king, and getting crowned does take time.
But the goal is simple: create content people care about. If you're shy, then just go faceless. If you're outgoing, then build a personal brand.
'It takes a long, long time to build your audience… The first S$100 could take months. But the next S$1,000 could be passive.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna
Time investment: 5/5
Difficulty to make first S$100: 5/5
Go faceless with storytelling, or build a personal brand. It's not quick, but it's powerful. Darien's parting advice
'The best side hustle is the one that you can stick with for at least 6 to 12 months to really see it pay off.'
Whether you're making muffins, managing mutts, or mentoring future tech bros, consistency is the real money-maker.
Darien and Joanna didn't get rich overnight — but their decision to design life on their own terms is paying off in spades (and sourdough).
And when it comes to surviving the Lion City, where hustle often meets burnout, Darien's message is a refreshing shift: design life around what matters. Earning more and working less isn't just a dream — it's a strategy.
So then, which one will you start with first?
To learn more about Darien's full breakdown and personal journey, watch his inspiring video below. You'll get even in-depth details, real-life examples, and tips to kick off your 2025 with a smarter hustle.
Read related: 5 genius ways Singaporean Gen Zs can turn side hustles into six-figure careers with just $5 or less and a smartphone