5Awesome Side Hustles To Make Money Online
My Story of Making Money Online
About 5 years ago, my mother and I were talking about finances, life, and planning for our family.
We wanted my wife to have the option of staying at home with our family, at least while they were young. But the thought of going down to a single income was my father.
So we decided to make a plan to start building easy (and not so easy) ways to make extra money. My mother didn’t want to quit work entirely, but it had to be something extremely flexible that she could do during nap time or after the family went to bed. And it needed to make enough money to make it worth her time and effort.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve learned how to consistently build a solid extra income and make money from home, some of it strictly online – with a 2 and 4-year-old in tow. (I’ll tell you more about the path we chose later.)
It’s not always glamorous, but there are easy ways to make money online if you’re willing to put in the effort to find them, and then TAKE ACTION (the step that so many seem to miss).
We wanted my wife to have the option of staying at home with our family, at least while they were young. But the thought of going down to a single income was my father.
So we decided to make a plan to start building easy (and not so easy) ways to make extra money. My mother didn’t want to quit work entirely, but it had to be something extremely flexible that she could do during nap time or after the family went to bed. And it needed to make enough money to make it worth her time and effort.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve learned how to consistently build a solid extra income and make money from home, some of it strictly online – with a 2 and 4-year-old in tow. (I’ll tell you more about the path we chose later.)
It’s not always glamorous, but there are easy ways to make money online if you’re willing to put in the effort to find them, and then TAKE ACTION (the step that so many seem to miss).
Easy, Enjoyable, or Profitable
You may have heard of the “unattainable triangle” in project management of cost, quality, and speed. Or maybe from your snarky local restaurant or small business in the form of “We offer 3 kinds of service: good, cheap,
and fast. Pick any two.”
If the service is good and cheap, it’s not fast. If it’s good and fast, it’s expensive. And if it’s fast and cheap, it’s low quality.
There’s a lot of truth to this statement, and I think a similar paradigm can be applied to making money online.
You can find side hustle ideas to make money online that are:
- Easy
- Enjoyable, and
- Profitable
If it’s easy and enjoyable, it probably won’t make a ton of money (not that that’s a bad thing). If it’s easy and profitable, it’s probably not very enjoyable (otherwise everyone would be doing it). And if it’s enjoyable and profitable, there’s a barrier to entry that requires some hard work to overcome.
But the beauty of making money online is that you get to choose.
and fast. Pick any two.”
If the service is good and cheap, it’s not fast. If it’s good and fast, it’s expensive. And if it’s fast and cheap, it’s low quality.
There’s a lot of truth to this statement, and I think a similar paradigm can be applied to making money online.
You can find side hustle ideas to make money online that are:
But the beauty of making money online is that you get to choose.
1. Earn Extra Money from Cash Back Apps ($20 – 50 per month)
There are a few easy ways to make money from home that I recommend EVERYONE does, just because they take literally no effort at all.
Signing up for cash back apps is one of those categories. I have a personal goal to make $500 per year from cash back apps, which works out to a little over $40 per month. I document my progress and track the best cashback apps that I’m currently using.
For the most part, all you have to do is download an app, link your credit card, and then forget about it. You’ll earn points for doing your normal everyday shopping (kind of like credit card rewards).
Signing up for cash back apps is one of those categories. I have a personal goal to make $500 per year from cash back apps, which works out to a little over $40 per month. I document my progress and track the best cashback apps that I’m currently using.
For the most part, all you have to do is download an app, link your credit card, and then forget about it. You’ll earn points for doing your normal everyday shopping (kind of like credit card rewards).
2. Make Easy Money with Online Surveys ($50 – $100 per month)
Did you know you can make $1,000 a month taking online surveys in 5 minutes a day?!
Just kidding. I hate all the websites that promote surveys like they will make you a millionaire. When you see this kind of marketing, just know that they are making more in affiliate commissions from you signing up for that
survey site then you will ever make actually taking surveys.
There are a lot of spammy (and scammy) survey sites out there, but also a lot of legitimate ones.
Did you know you can make $1,000 a month taking online surveys in 5 minutes a day?!
Just kidding. I hate all the websites that promote surveys like they will make you a millionaire. When you see this kind of marketing, just know that they are making more in affiliate commissions from you signing up for that
survey site then you will ever make actually taking surveys.
There are a lot of spammy (and scammy) survey sites out there, but also a lot of legitimate ones.
Just kidding. I hate all the websites that promote surveys like they will make you a millionaire. When you see this kind of marketing, just know that they are making more in affiliate commissions from you signing up for that
survey site then you will ever make actually taking surveys.
There are a lot of spammy (and scammy) survey sites out there, but also a lot of legitimate ones.
Make Money Online Through Freelancing
If you’re looking to make more than a couple hundred dollars a month, freelancing is a great way to do it. You will basically work as a contractor and sell your time and skills for money. This is a great way to make $200 a day or more.
It’s easy to find freelance work online. And trust me, you definitely have one or more marketable skills that people will pay good money for, even if you don’t know what that is yet.
If you’re looking to make more than a couple hundred dollars a month, freelancing is a great way to do it. You will basically work as a contractor and sell your time and skills for money. This is a great way to make $200 a day or more.
It’s easy to find freelance work online. And trust me, you definitely have one or more marketable skills that people will pay good money for, even if you don’t know what that is yet.
It’s easy to find freelance work online. And trust me, you definitely have one or more marketable skills that people will pay good money for, even if you don’t know what that is yet.
3. Become a Virtual Assistant ($15-50+ per hour)
The virtual assistant is kind of a catch-all term for almost any administrative task you can think of.
Owners of successful businesses (online or otherwise) are extremely busy and need help with day-to-day tasks as simple as responding to emails or organizing their calendars.
As a virtual assistant, you can be the one to take those tasks off their plate and make money doing it. As long as you have some basic administrative and office software skills, you can get started quickly through sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, or even Craigslist. This will allow you to try many different tasks and see what you enjoy doing and what you don’t.
Once you’ve built up some experience and credibility, I’d recommend going out on your own as an independent contractor. You will generally boost your income this way, and make a name for yourself in your niche. If you specialize in a certain skill set, you can find clients through referrals, Facebook groups, or by creating your own website marketing your services.
The virtual assistant is kind of a catch-all term for almost any administrative task you can think of.
Owners of successful businesses (online or otherwise) are extremely busy and need help with day-to-day tasks as simple as responding to emails or organizing their calendars.
As a virtual assistant, you can be the one to take those tasks off their plate and make money doing it. As long as you have some basic administrative and office software skills, you can get started quickly through sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, or even Craigslist. This will allow you to try many different tasks and see what you enjoy doing and what you don’t.
Once you’ve built up some experience and credibility, I’d recommend going out on your own as an independent contractor. You will generally boost your income this way, and make a name for yourself in your niche. If you specialize in a certain skill set, you can find clients through referrals, Facebook groups, or by creating your own website marketing your services.
Owners of successful businesses (online or otherwise) are extremely busy and need help with day-to-day tasks as simple as responding to emails or organizing their calendars.
As a virtual assistant, you can be the one to take those tasks off their plate and make money doing it. As long as you have some basic administrative and office software skills, you can get started quickly through sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, or even Craigslist. This will allow you to try many different tasks and see what you enjoy doing and what you don’t.
Once you’ve built up some experience and credibility, I’d recommend going out on your own as an independent contractor. You will generally boost your income this way, and make a name for yourself in your niche. If you specialize in a certain skill set, you can find clients through referrals, Facebook groups, or by creating your own website marketing your services.
4. Freelance Writing ($100-500+ per article)
As a freelance writer, you can make money online from the comfort of your couch by writing articles for blogs or news publications. As a side hustle, you are trading your time for money. But if you enjoy writing (and researching) it may not even feel like a job!
Similar to becoming a virtual assistant, you can initially find work through sites like Upwork. But in order to get regular playing gigs, setting up your own business and focusing on a certain subject that you are interested in can allow you to make more money in the long run. For example, if you like writing about traveling, or living in an RV full-time, you can target blogs in that niche and build a relationship
As a freelance writer, you can make money online from the comfort of your couch by writing articles for blogs or news publications. As a side hustle, you are trading your time for money. But if you enjoy writing (and researching) it may not even feel like a job!
Similar to becoming a virtual assistant, you can initially find work through sites like Upwork. But in order to get regular playing gigs, setting up your own business and focusing on a certain subject that you are interested in can allow you to make more money in the long run. For example, if you like writing about traveling, or living in an RV full-time, you can target blogs in that niche and build a relationship
Similar to becoming a virtual assistant, you can initially find work through sites like Upwork. But in order to get regular playing gigs, setting up your own business and focusing on a certain subject that you are interested in can allow you to make more money in the long run. For example, if you like writing about traveling, or living in an RV full-time, you can target blogs in that niche and build a relationship
5. Start a Virtual Bookkeeping Business ($60-100 per hour)
If writing isn’t your thing, maybe you’re a numbers guy or gal like me. Many business owners are great when it comes to producing, marketing, and selling their products, but their finances are a disaster.
I’ve always loved tracking and dissecting my own finances (nerd alert), and there are a lot of small business owners out there that need your help.
The great think about bookkeeping is it is something you can start with no degree, no prior experience, and almost no startup costs.
I’ve always loved tracking and dissecting my own finances (nerd alert), and there are a lot of small business owners out there that need your help.
The great think about bookkeeping is it is something you can start with no degree, no prior experience, and almost no startup costs.
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