50 Real Ways to Make Money from Home

Money-making ideas are themselves a great idea for an online business. That’s right. You can write a blog or create your own online course on making money online. There are so many ways to get extra money it can be hard to choose the one that is right for you.

If you are not comfortable as a freelance writer, there are other ways to make serious money. Here are 50 real ways to make money from home with everything from survey sites to online teaching, and even ways to make passive income so that you are earning while you sleep.

1| Get Your Hustle on with a Survey and Rewards App

If you have a reliable internet connection or a smartphone, you can make more money in just a few hours per week with survey sites like Swagbucks and InboxDollars. You will take surveys and other tasks to earn free gift cards or Paypal cash.

If you are a fan of shopping online, these sites will also help you save money with discounts on merchandise and shipping fees.

2 | Help Neighbors with Home Chores

If you have ever needed a simple repair but just could not find a person to do it, you know how frustrating it can be. Your neighbors are all having the same issues so they turn to sites like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack to find services from phone repair to remodeling, outdoor upkeep, DJing at a wedding, and thousands more.

Create your profile, set your terms, and paying customers will find you.

3 |Data Entry

Data entry jobs can be found through ZipRecruiter.com or Indeed with salaries that vary based on the company, the tasks, and the location. Most of the advertised jobs on these sites are now 100% remote work.

4 | Virtual Assistant Work

A virtual assistant can be hired to set appointments, answer emails, and phone calls, set up events in person, or set up virtual conferences. Apply for this type of job at Upwork.com.

5 | Sell Stuff Online

There are several ways to sell stuff online whether it is your own products or someone else’s. When you sell online you can use an established marketplace to reach a wider group of customers or you can try to sell locally.

To sell well and have all the tools to help your business grow stick with sites like Shopify, eBay, or Square Space Online store.

6 | Freelance Writing

If you have something to say or the ability to take information and put it together in an informative and interesting way, you can become a writer. Look for jobs like content creator, blogger, or even novelist on Fiverr, Textbroker, or Upwork.

7 | Create Online courses and How-To Videos

You do not have to be a teacher to teach. The online community is filled with people who are bringing their unique skills and voice to thousands with online courses in everything from woodworking to casual English. Create a course for your own website or on platforms like Teachable.com and Learnworlds.

8 | Start a Blog

You can make money from home by starting a blog. As long as you can bring in the views, you can make money writing your thoughts. Start by building your blog with Wix, Blogger.com, or Squarespace.

9 | Start a Podcast

In the not-so-distant future, podcasting will have grown to an over $94 billion dollar industry. Currently, there are over 2 million podcasts around the world with 700,000 and growing available on iTunes. Get your piece of the podcasting pie by getting started on Spreaker.com.

10 | Test Websites

Website testers review different aspects of websites such as loading times, ease of navigation, or ordering. You can be paid up to $10 per assignment which takes around 20 minutes each. Apply at Usertesting.com.

11 | Test Apps

Testing apps is very similar to testing websites. In fact, you can apply for both jobs at many of the same websites.

12 | Offer Proofreading Services

If you have decent grammar skills and an eye for detail, you can proofread papers, manuscripts, and other documents. You can do this through your own website or by finding jobs through Upwork, Fiverr, or Proofreadingservices.com.

13 | Transcription Work

Transcriptionists may be asked to invest in special equipment for some jobs but could potentially make more money by doing so. Jobs can be found on freelance sites as well as Transcribe Me, Quicktate, and Rev.com.

14 | Walk Dogs

Dog lovers can help out other dog lovers and pet owners by walking, feeding, or even housesitting dogs, cats, and other pets on their own schedule. Use sites like Rover.com and Wag to find jobs.

15 | Sell Crafts Online

Grapevine wreaths, handmade sweaters, and recycled ornaments are all great craft ideas that can help you earn cash. Sell your crafts from your own online store or through Etsy, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.

16 | Set up a Dropshipping Business

Dropshipping lets you start selling from your home without handling the shipping and storage aspects. You can have a dropship storefront through Shopify, eBay, or Amazon, or run a custom print-on-demand business through Printify.com.

17 | Review Music

If you are a music lover, why not earn free money by listening to music from new and established artists? Sites like Slice the Pie and Hit Predictor will pay you to listen to and review music.

18 | Sell Your Class Notes

There are many reasons that not everyone can take notes in class. You can make decent money plus help out your classmates by selling class notes. Use your own social media accounts to sell notes, offer to tutor, mentor, and more.

19 | Get Paid to Exercise

Would it help you to lace up those sneakers if you were going to get paid to jog, run, sashay or shimmy? Install Healthy Wage, Sweat Coin, or Lifecoin and free money is a hop, skip, or a jump away.

20 | Fix Google’s Search Engine Mistakes

Search engine mistakes are more common than you might think and can cost businesses money. You can fix those mistakes by applying with Qmee or Scour.com.

21 | Medical Coding and Billing

For most medical coding and billing jobs you will need specialized training and a certificate or license. Postings for these jobs can be found on Indeed.com, Zip Recruiter, and Glassdoor.

22 | Voiceover Work

Voiceover performers can be hired for everything from movies, animated TV shows, commercials, and political ads. Find work through Fiverr and Backstage.com.

22 | Rent Gear You’re Not Using

If you have sports gear, camping stuff, or other items that you want to keep but are not currently using, you can rent them out. Use Share Grid (to rent cameras and equipment), Turo (to rent your car), or StyleLend.com to rent clothes.

23 | Sell Your Smartphone Pics

Those great shots of nature’s beauty can be worth up to$5 each when you sell them on Foap. Sign up and sell Smartphone pics on the site’s marketplace.

24 | Pet-sitting

You can create your own business for pet sitting in your home or the dog owner’s or you can work through Rover.com.

25 | Tutoring

You can make a full-time income from your own home by providing tutoring. Become an online tutor in any subject through BookNook or Take Lessons.

26 | Scan Your Receipts

Earn money back on purchases by scanning your receipts with Tada, Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and Receipt Hog. Amounts vary by item and e-receipts are accepted as well.

27 | Play Games Online

What if you could get money just for playing games that you are already playing? You can with Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and Mistplay.

28 | Sell Lesson Plans

If you are a teacher and want to buy or sell lesson plans, visit Classful Marketplace for Teachers or Teachers Pay Teachers to get started.

29 | Translation Services

Do you speak more than one language? You can provide translation services in countless settings with jobs through Indeed.com, Upwork, or Gengo.com.

30 | Rent or Sublet a Bedroom in Your Home

Thousands of empty nesters are left with rooms that are empty. Make use of that space by letting someone rent it for the night, the week, or for a longer term. Advertise your space on Airbnb, Booking.com, or Roomster.

31 | Cash in on Unused Gift Cards

Thousands of dollars in gift cards go unused because people just do not know what to do with them. You can sell them on eBay, Card Cash, Raise, or Card Sell.

32 | Sell Text Books for Cash

You can sell your books back to the college bookstore but you may get more for them if you sell them yourself. Options include eBay, BookScounter.com, and BookFinder.com.

33 | Rent Your Driveway or Parking Spot

In some areas, parking is such a struggle that smart people are making big money renting out their parking spots or even just a space on their driveway. Advertise your own space with the local college or through online sites like Spacer and Spot Hero.

34 | Babysitting

Whether you are available as a backup babysitter or want to work as a full-time nanny, you can find the perfect job for you on Care.com.

35 | Music Lessons

If you play an instrument and want to share your love of music with others, you can teach the basics on TakeLessons.com or Doozzoo.

36 | Social Media Manager Work

If you have the skills to manage social media accounts, you can find great paying jobs with Upwork, Zip Recruiter, and Indeed.

37 | Design and Sell T-Shirts Online

Inspiration can strike anyone, at any time. Sell your zany thoughts in t-shirt form with Printify, Shopify, or Bonfire.com.

38 | Create a YouTube Channel

Creating a YouTube Channel is only the first step. To get it to pay, you have to meet the YouTube Partner requirements for views and follower counts.

39 | Rent Out Your Shed or Storage Crawl Space (storing things for other people in your home)

If you have space to rent out, someone has the stuff to put there. Advertise your space, big or small on Neighbor, Rent the Backyard, or Stow It.

40 | Prepare Meals for Busy Families

Families are busier than ever these days but they still need to eat. Help busy families get healthy meals with cooking or meal prep jobs through SimplyHired or Care.com.

41 | Invest in Real Estate

You do not need to be a millionaire to invest in real estate. More and more apps are available that let you make a very small investment for a fairly big return. Sites to check out include Here.co and Groundfloor.us.

42 | Buy and Sell Domain Names

Imagine you have a business idea but the problem is the name of the business is not available as a domain name. It happens a lot so plenty of people buy up particular names and then sell them either directly or through online auctions at Reseller Club or Sedo.com.

43 | Online Focus Groups

Online focus groups discuss products, politics, movies, and more. You can get paid to give your opinion with Survey Junkie or User Interviews.

44 | Test Products at Home

Have you ever wanted to get paid to try new products plus get to keep those items when you are done? You can do just that with testing jobs from Toluna, BzzAgent, or Homescan by Nielson.

45 | Bookkeeping Work

Have you thought about starting your own virtual bookkeeping business? Find clients with Bark or find bookkeeping jobs with FlexJobs and Intuit.

46 | Claim Cash Back on All Your Online Purchases

Every time that you shop online is a chance to make money online. Make sure that you are shopping with cash-back browser extensions from Swagbucks, InboxDollars, Tada, Honey, Rakuten, or Retail Me Not.

47 | Trade in Old Electronics for Cash and Gift Cards

From old phones to old game systems, your electronics can be worth cash, store credit, or gift cards. Sell your old phone at kiosks found in some malls or use them as a trade-in when you upgrade. Games and consoles can be sold or traded in for credit at GameStop. Other electronics can be sold through Amazon or BestBuy’s buy-back programs.

48 | Sell Your Junk Mail

Snail mail and email can go from pain in the neck to boost in the wallet when you sell it to the Small Business Knowledge Center. They will even send a prepaid envelope for your items. You will earn points for every qualified piece of mail that you send in.

49 | Rent Out Your Yard Space

A pretty backyard can be the site of a stranger’s wedding. Rent out your space with Rent the Backyard.

50 | Freelance Your Skills

Whatever your special talent is, you are selling it and your boss may not be paying your true worth. Working as a freelancer lets you make money online in your own time. Fancy a nap? Take a short break and recharge your creative batteries. You can’t do that with a regular job, now can you?

Freelance jobs of all kinds can be found with Fiverr, Upwork, and Textbroker.

Final Thoughts on Real Ways to Make Money Online

As you can see, there are plenty of options to earn money online. You can do one, two, or several of these things to pay bills, add to a retirement account or fund a killer vacation. How much time and effort you want to spend will dictate which of these ideas is right for you.

Don’t get discouraged if you find that the choices you made are not paying very quickly. Some, like online surveys, are not going to make you a ton of money. Others, like online tutoring jobs, may allow you to “fire your boss” and still make good money.

They say if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life and if you can do that, that’s wonderful. If not, find something that lets you make money from home without making you tear your hair out and that will be okay too.