How to Make Money from Home

When times get tight, people look for new ways of making money. They may opt for a second job but did you know that a second job can actually cost more than it brings in when you factor in the cost of extra child care, transportation, and other expenses? You also have to give up a lot in terms of your work/life balance and the added stress and strain could increase your risk of everything from a common cold to more serious health risks including heart attacks or strokes.

There are plenty of ways to make money from home. Usually, you will only need to have internet access and a few minutes of spare time. For some jobs, you may have to do something simple that involves leaving your home. Some ideas can help you make some extra cash and are not even technically a “job” at all.

How do I make quick cash?

Making money online and other suggestions are out there just waiting to be discovered. You may find that you are great at doing something and that it is really enjoyable to the point that you would like to make it your main career. You may find a way to make extra money as rather mundane so you only do it for a brief period. Both of these are fine. Right now, the goal is to make quick cash.

Here are some of the suggestions and money-making ideas to get you started.

Paid Surveys on Swagbucks

Online surveys are a quick and easy way to make money online. Not all of these survey sites are equal and a few are outright scams. Swagbucks is free to join and offers more ways to make money than just taking surveys. The more tasks you complete the more money you could potentially make at home or from anywhere if you use the mobile app.

Babysitting Gigs on Sitter City or Care.com

Babysitting can be a part time side gig or a full time job, depending on the city and your own availability. Pay varies by location, services provided and the hours work with some babysitters getting around $40,00 per year on Sitter City or just over $20 per hour with Care.com.

Private Tutoring Gigs for Friends and Neighbors

If you are friends are already asking for your help understanding things like tax forms or help with their children’s homework, turn them into paying customers. There are plenty of ways to tutor people online and the job can be rewarding both in terms of the satisfaction of helping someone “get” the information and financially. If you feel bad, you can provide this help at a discounted price.

You can find online tutoring jobs in a variety of places or you can set up your own website and offer tutoring on your own terms.

Taskrabbit

Create an account with Taskrabbit, choose the jobs that you might be a match for, and find out how much you can make for that task in your area. Tasks range from yard care to moving, to simple furniture assembly.

Real-life examples from Columbus, Ohio:

Personal assistant: $23 per hour
IKEA Assembly: $15 per hour
Moving help: $40 per hour

Plasma Donation

Imagine you are watching your favorite medical drama. The doctors and nurses are hanging various medicines and other things on IV poles. If you listen closely, they may mention plasma. Did you know that 10,000 units of plasma or more are used in the US alone, every year?

Because plasma is so important to people who have been in terrible traumas, have had severe burns, have cancer, or are dealing with liver and clotting factor diseases, it can truly be called the gift of life for you to donate. It is relatively pain-free, takes only a few minutes of your time, and can help you earn money or other rewards as well.

Plasma donors may be paid via a reloadable, prepaid debit card after meeting certain criteria. There is also a program called iGive Rewards that allows the donors to earn points that can be used for gift cards.

Clean out your closet

During your child’s lifetime, they will go through several growth spurts. The most rapid of these is during infancy when a child’s size can change in just a week. Once they start school, the average child will change sizes roughly twice a year. Some families have children to whom they can hand down items, others do not. What do you do with all of these barely-worn clothing items? You sell them!

There are many ways of selling clothes online including trying to sell them yourself through eBay or putting them on Facebook, but that is time-consuming and may mean boxing and shipping items. Do you want to sell Little Susie’s dresses without all the hassle? Try a consignment shop instead.

Here’s how it works:

Bring your infant/toddler clothes to Once Upon a Child or your older child/teen clothes to Plato’s Closet.
Be sure that everything is clean and in good condition.
Someone will review the items, determine their worth, and will make you an offer.
You accept the offer and get paid cash on the spot. The offer will be based on how much the store believes they can sell the items for.

Not all items will be accepted and some items will be in higher demand than others. In most cases, items that are in perfect to near perfect condition, name brands, and current trends will be given top priority.

You can sell your own clothing in the same way. It is estimated that the average person has nearly $300 or more worth of clothing that they never wear in their closet. Name-brand, adult clothing can be sold to Poshmark.

How can I make money daily?

Although most jobs pay weekly or bi-weekly and many side hustles make you wait until you reach a set minimum before you can get paid, some let you cash out once a day or more often, depending on how much you are making at a time or how many hours you are working.

Deliver Dinner for DoorDash or Uber Eats

Policies change based on safety and security needs, customer feedback, and other factors. Drivers will always be notified of these changes as they are made. These are the current pay and safety policies.

DoorDash

Can request an instant payout once per day for a fee of $1.99.
Can be paid weekly with direct deposit.
Dasher Direct is a payment made directly to a prepaid Visa card. The benefits of this card are no fees for payouts, cashback on gas, and no waiting for a requested payout to be fulfilled.
DoorDash limits the mileage based on the standards set by each restaurant. This limit can vary from 5 miles to up to 30 miles.
DoorDash offers PeakPay and Challenges during busy times which means higher pay or the chance to earn more in tips.

Uber Eats

Instant Pay requests can be made up to 5 times per day at a fee of $.50 per request.
Pay can be made to your own debit card with a small fee.
Payment to the Uber debit card does not have a fee.
You are limited to 12 hours of deliveries per day.

Drive for Uber or Lyft

You can deliver for Uber Eats while also providing rides with Uber. Uber uses the same restrictions and payment options for both services.

Lyft

Lyft offers Rewards. This is a chance to earn points during busy times.
You can also opt to do Lyft Delivery while providing rides to earn more money and to make more of every trip.
Payment can be made weekly or by Lyft Direct. Lyft Direct pays after every ride to a debit card. The card allows you to earn cash back on gas, groceries, and at certain restaurants.
Lyft drivers must take a 6-hour break for every 12 hours of driving.

Drop off Groceries for Your Neighbor

Grocery delivery services help busy people, parents with new babies, aging people, and people with disabilities get the food and other items they need without the struggle of going to the store themselves.

Shipt

Shipt pays every Friday by direct deposit.
Shipt also offers special perks like discounts on auto insurance and phone plans.

Instacart

Instacart offers 2 options: a full-service provider and an in-store shopper.
The full-service provider does the shopping and delivers the items. The in-store shopper picks orders at a single store and does not provide delivery.
Full-service providers are their own bosses and can work as much or as little as they choose.
In-store employees are salaried employees and are scheduled to work shifts up to 29 hours per week.
Both options pay once per week. The rate of pay varies for the full-service providers by how much they work, distance, and tips. The rate of pay varies for in-store shoppers by the city they are working in.

Offer Backup Childcare

Snow days, personal days, and unplanned emergencies can be a nightmare for parents without willing and available friends and family nearby. If you have the disposition, space, and time, you can provide backup childcare on days when schools are closed, or daycare space is not available.

You can make money by providing this enormously needed service to desperate parents. Whether you have a few kids for a few hours or a lot of kids for the whole day, it can be a perfect solution for both you and the families you are helping.

Advertise your rates and hours on the Facebook marketplace, social media sites for mom groups, neighborhood information sites, or on bulletin boards at the school. Keep in mind that in some states there are restrictions on how many kids you can watch in your own home without a license. In other states, there are no such restrictions.

Play with Dogs

You can set your own schedule as well as the types of services that you are willing to provide plus play with furry friends with Wag or Rover.

Both services allow you to choose from dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, and other services.
Both use Stripe, a third-party payment provider for their payment system.
Both payout on Fridays for services provided in the previous week.
Both do offer an instant payment option to get paid even faster. With Rover, you can have your payment 2 days after the service has been provided. Note: 2 days reflects the time period it takes for the payment to be cleared by Stripe. The actual deposit may not be cleared in your bank account for up to 5 business days.

Vrbo or Airbnb

You can rent out your home or even just a room in your home with Vrbo or Airbnb. Follow the steps for creating an account on either site, provide tax and identification as requested, take photos of your space, and set your rates. You can add additional fees for parking, cleaning, and other services to your base rate if you choose.

Vrbo

Payouts are made 1 day before the guest is set to arrive.
Money will be deposited to your bank account and should be available within 7 days.

Airbnb

Payouts are made before the guest is to arrive.
Payments can be made via bank transfer, Paypal, Payoneer prepaid debit card, or Western Union.
Payment may take up to 10 business days to arrive, depending on the payment method selected.

Remember, both sites must follow local zoning laws and regulations regarding short-term rentals. These can include the number of guests, parking restrictions, and noise ordinances.

How can I get money without a job?

You don’t have to have a job to get money. Making passive income from home with an online business allows you to have extra spending money without having to give up hobbies.

Do Paid Market Research

Have you ever watched an influencer open a box full of products and think how great you would be at doing that same thing? Imagine making money from home while also getting to try out and keep the latest clothes, makeup, or tech gadgets. Pretty cool, right?

Paid market research is a tw0-way street. The company benefits because they get honest feedback on the product. You benefit because you get to try new things before anyone else and you get to keep them. (Usually.)

Note, in the case of higher-end products, payment may be in the form of the product itself.

Sell Thrift Store Finds Online

One of the hottest concepts right now is thrift store flipping. Videos from flippers are all over TikTok and YouTube as they show you their incredible finds and show you how much they make when they resell the item. It is by no means a new practice but the trend is super hot right now.

Here’s how to get started. Go to your favorite thrift store, yard sale, or Facebook group and buy an item that looks promising. Relist it for higher than you paid for it, and profit. There are many things that will sell but the most promising are:

Anything that still has an original tag on it. You can possibly double your profit if it has a tag and is also a name brand or designer label.
Books, especially older books.
Sports gear.
Gaming equipment.

Don’t skip over ugly or broken furniture. You can upcycle pieces and make something entirely new.

Freelance

When you hear “freelance” you probably think of writers, but there is more to it than that. Freelance writers, graphic designers, voice-over artists, and more use freelance sites to get work. You do not need a degree to become a freelance writer or to do data entry.

There are several ways to get jobs in the freelance world including Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancers.com, and Indeed. Create an account, fill out your profile and then bid on jobs that you have an interest in. For most sites, you will have a short interview and then when you get the job, the full details will be given to you.

Rate of pay, timing, method of payment, and other details will vary by the site and often by the client. For example, with Upwork, clients can choose to pay by the project, meaning you get paid when the entire job is finished or by the milestone. Milestones could be “each chapter” or per a set number of words for longer projects.

Regular Wage Part-Time Job

Sometimes, it just cannot be helped. You have to take on the dreaded part-time job. It could be a seasonal, temporary job, or a longer-term way of filling in the gap between real-world needs and your current salary. Remember, if you are spending more on travel and childcare to work a second job, it is not worth it.

Estimates for an entry-level job are hard to make because there are so many factors. The same job in California could pay hundreds more per week than in Ohio. A new nurse is not going to make the same amount as a seasoned factory worker in most parts of the country. Research the jobs and salaries for your area before you start applying so you have an idea of what to expect.

Transcribe Video and Audio Content

Sometimes an author will “speak” the book and then pay someone to transcribe the audio into something resembling a manuscript. Transcribers may also be asked to produce written documents of court testimonies, videos, and other recordings.

Pay rates can vary wildly based on the type and length of the transcription, how quickly it needs to be completed, and other factors. The type of equipment you need will vary by the client or company with some providing the basic tools and others requiring that you pay for and provide your own. On average, the starting pay is around $15 per hour.

Basic equipment can be a headset and foot pedal, a computer with reliable internet service. More complex tools benefit from better equipment. You can find jobs on websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Rev, Transcribe Me, and others.

How can I make money from home with no money?

Most work-from-home jobs can be done without an investment. Others, like setting up an eCommerce store or a dropshipping business may require buying a website, products, and other expenses.

Rent Out Your Driveway or Parking Spot

In some areas, especially around college campuses, parking can be a super high-in-demand commodity. Rent out extra space on sites like Neighbor, Spacer, or Spot Hero. Rates vary by location and your space can be rented by the day, week, or semester.

Rent Your Yard / Garden Space

People may want to rent your backyard because it is lovely. They may want the space to park an RV. Maybe they would like a spot to plant a garden. You can rent that space on sites like Nookzy, Rent the Backyard, or Stow it.

Split the Lights Bill

When it comes time to pay the bills, sometimes it is nice to have someone to share the load. When you have exhausted all options, sometimes getting a roommate is the best solution.

Find and vet a roommate with Roomster.com or Roomies.com.

Virtual Assistant Work

Can you set appointments, answer emails, field phone calls, and do other tasks without someone standing over you? Providing virtual assistant services may be the right job for you. Find work with Fiverr, Upwork, or Indeed. Pay will vary by the client, the hours your work, and the actual services that you provide.

Teach English Online

Even if you are not a certified teacher, you may be able to make up to $22 per hour teaching English online. Find jobs with BookNook, VIPKID, and Preply.

Game on Twitch

Gamers can make money by streaming on Twitch. You will need at least 500 subscribers to begin making money. Smaller streams can see up to $1500 per month while the big-time streamers can make up to $5000 per month.

Rent out items you’re not using

Everyone has something they want to keep but are not currently using. Renting out baby furniture, ladders, yard care equipment, or sporting gear can give you some extra money but still allows you to retain ownership of the item.

Rent your item through sites rather than your own for added security and protection. Check out Fat Lama, Baby Quip, or KitSplit.

Start a Blog

Blogging is a great business idea and you only need an idea that you can discuss with passion. Because so many people are trying to find a way to make money from home, blogging about your side hustles is a great place to start.

The amount you can make will depend on how many people you can get to read and comment on your blog so don’t be afraid to toot your own horn loudly and often.

Start a podcast

Did you know that a podcaster can make almost $1000 per episode once they get enough followers? From affiliate marketing to Patreon support, the more people that download your cast, the more cash you can make. Start discussing how you make money and move on from there if you would like.

Create online courses

If you think it, there is likely a Google search related to it. If you can explain how to do anything from typing a corset to gutting a fish, there is going to be someone who will want to listen to you.

Create your own online course on sites like Teachable, Kajabi, Skillshare, or Udemy, and help someone learn while you are making cash.

Medical Billing and Coding

Medical Billing and Coding does require training and certification. Training depends on the type of certificate you are pursuing. Certification will need to be redone every 2 years with a requirement of continuing education credits as well. Pay is highest for people with a specialty and can range from a low starting pay of $16 per hour to twice that.

Remote Customer Service Agent

A remote customer service agent provides troubleshooting, takes orders, answers questions or complaints, or gives advice depending on the company’s needs. Agents may work set schedules or their own hours. Pay varies by the company, time worked, and the service provided.

Conclusion

Whether you want to make money to pay bills or just to have extra to spend on hobbies, there are plenty of ways to make it. You can take a second job, work a side hustle, or create more passive income with your own online store.

With many of the ideas listed here, you can work several side gigs and eventually never have to go to your full-time job again. Wouldn’t that be great? You can fire your boss, work a few hours when you want, and still get all of your bills paid on time.