Vending machines: An emerging side hustle

We don’t think much about vending machines — except when we’re really hungry — but maybe we should. Some owners of the automated contraptions filled with sweets and snacks have turned them into a viable side hustle, making hundreds of dollars a month.

“Many people were enthusiastic about vending machines as a way of making money, and it’s going great for them,” said Joe Pinsker, a personal finance reporter at The Wall Street Journal who wrote about it. “But there are plenty of other people who have really struggled with this.” 

Those challenges include finding a good location for a dispenser, moving the 800-pound machine and turning a profit after upkeep and stocking it with snacks, Pinsker said.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talked with Pinsker about the emerging side hustle.

Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.