How I Launched a 4-Figure Side Hustle in 3 Days With $0

Hi! I’m Kate, the face behind KateFi.com—a blog all about making life easier and more affordable.

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I didn’t buy a course. I didn’t pay for ads. I didn’t even own a laptop — just a phone, Wi-Fi, and a little caffeine-fueled determination.

Three days later, I had a fully launched side hustle that made over $1,200 in its first week.

Here’s exactly how I did it — step-by-step, with zero dollars upfront.

Day 1: Picked a Hustle That Doesn’t Require Inventory (or Tech Skills)

I chose Pinterest affiliate marketing because:

• No products to create
• No customer service
• No face on camera
• Long-term traffic potential

I grabbed affiliate links from platforms like Temu and ClickBank — and focused on trending, affordable products.

👉 This is the exact strategy I used

Day 1 (Evening): Set Up a Free Canva Account and Made 10 Pins

I used Pinterest to search for pin designs that were already going viral. Then I copied the vibe using Canva’s free templates.

Each pin linked to:

• An affiliate product (via a redirect link)
• Or a quick blog post with a lead form

I scheduled them using Pinterest’s free built-in scheduler.

Day 2: Built a Simple Blog With Free Tools

I used WordPress.com (free plan) and published 3 blog posts:

• “Best $10 Temu Finds This Week”
• “My Secret Side Hustle That Pays Weekly”
• “How I Made $500 Pinning Affiliate Links”

Each post included:

• Affiliate links
• A lead magnet or opt-in form
• Call-to-action buttons

👉 Here’s one of the exact blog structures I used

Day 2 (Evening): Shared My Story on Instagram & Reddit

No audience? No problem. I posted to niche subreddits like r/sidehustle and r/frugal.

I shared how I was testing a Pinterest + affiliate system and included a link to my blog.

On Instagram, I created a story series called “$0 to $1K Challenge” and added a free quiz opt-in in my bio.

👉 See how I turned my Instagram into $1K/month

Day 3: Emails + More Pins

I set up a free MailerLite account and started a 3-day autoresponder series with tips, affiliate links, and story-based content.

Then I made 10 more pins and promoted:

• Freebies
• High-converting products
• Blog content

By the end of the third day, I had:

• 22 pins scheduled
• 3 blog posts live
• 1 lead funnel running
• 47 email subscribers
• $122 in affiliate commissions

End of Week 1: $1,267 in Commissions

Thanks to a couple viral pins and email follow-ups, I crossed four figures in affiliate commissions.

No tech team. No ad spend. No fluff. Just consistent execution, free tools, and smart product promotion.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t need capital. You just need a proven system, a free set of tools, and a willingness to show up for 3 days straight.

If I can launch a 4-figure hustle from my phone, so can you.

Want to copy my system? Start here:

• The Secret Chat Job That Pays Weekly
• My Pinterest Affiliate Strategy That Made $500 in 7 Days
• How I Turned My Instagram Into a $1K/Month Side Hustle