The Embarrassing Side Hustle That Can Make You Lots Of Money

Occasionally, even those who work full- or part-time jobs need a little extra cash. The internet and social media have opened up a lot of opportunities to make money. Those range from gig economy work found on sites like Upwork, to more unusual pursuits, like picking up dog poop as a side gig for a company called — appropriately enough — Doody Calls. And as The Pennyhoarder notes, the full list of strange and unusual money-making opportunities on the internet only goes on from there.

Speaking of excrement, TikToker Isafidelino, with 30,000 followers on the platform, found a way to make money online, and she decided to share what she learned on her platform. And once you find out how much you could potentially earn doing what Isafidelino recommends — we're talking six-figures, or $500 a day — you just might quit your day job, as The U.S. Sun explains. Best of all, all that's required to be successful is to simply take care of one of life's true necessities.

As Isafidelino explains in her post, a company called Human Microbes is looking for human excitement — that's right: solid waste, doo-doo, poop, call it what you will — and they're willing to pay you for it to the tune of $500 per sample. That could add up to $180,000 a year. All that's required is to do your business at home, defecate, put it in a plastic bag, and then ship it back to the company, preserved in dry ice. And best of all, it's for a good cause.

Human Microbes will use your gut biome, gathered through the sample, to help solve certain chronic diseases and other health issues. To get started with Human Microbes, fill out a questionnaire on the company's website, and if you're selected, participate in an interview. (Your donations remain anonymous, and all shipping and packaging costs are covered.) Like any job opportunity, though, there is a job description, and not every applicant qualifies.

Also according to Human Microbes, the reason they'll pay what they're willing to pay for your poop is that not just any stool sample will suffice. According to the company, only 0.1% of all people produce stool samples to their standards. The company screened 26,000 potential applicants, in fact, and still struck out, so they upped the financial incentive (via The U.S. Sun). To qualify, you'll ideally be younger than 30 years old, with minimal antibiotic use in your lifetime. 

If matched, your stool sample could be used in FMT — Fecal Microbiota Transplant, which is used to treat certain chronic bacterial infections like Clostridium difficile — C. diff. (via Hopkins Medicine). One sample alone could potentially supply enough for five transplants. Samples from Canada and the U.S. are preferred, but applicants from all over the world are welcome. You must otherwise be in good physical and mental health — well, good enough mental health, at least, to mail a box of your poop for money.