37 Easy Ways to Start Making Money at Home

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw unemployment rates reach highs that we haven’t seen since the 1930s. By October 2021, unemployment reached a high of 4.9%, causing many to look for creative ways to earn an income. 

Job security is rarely guaranteed, which is why learning how to make money online is a great way to ensure you’re able to take care of yourself and your family when times are tough. 

In this post, we’re going to tell you about 37 different ways you can make money online from the comfort of your own home. From full-time to part-time to side hustling on top of your regular nine-to-five, we list out different ways to supplement your income as well as include what you need to get started and who these jobs fit best.

How to make money online from home 

There’s an endless amount of ways to make money online from home by capitalizing on the skills you either currently have or can easily learn.

For years, many have been leveraging the “gig economy” to make money online, which is a virtual market where short-term contracts and freelance work are prevalent.

Although these jobs don’t offer the stability or benefits of full-time work, these “gigs” can help supplement your income and frequently lead to steady work.

Read on to learn about 37 ways to make money online by leveraging the gig economy.

1. Sell used items

Money-making category: Selling or renting physical items

You no longer need to have a garage sale in order to sell your old items. Online, you can use platforms like Poshmark to sell used clothing, or you can sell them locally on sites like Craigslist, OfferUp and the Facebook Marketplace. 

One of the primary advantages is that you’re no longer limited to your neighborhood and can reach a larger pool of potential buyers. This isn’t just limited to clothes, either. You can sell old furniture, electronics and more.

Best for: Those with old items they no longer need

What you need to get started: Supplies to ship orders or transportation to deliver locally

2. Flip novelty items

Money-making category: Selling or renting physical items

This sounds similar to selling used items, but the difference is that you’re purposefully buying old items to make a profit. eBay is an auction website, and many people are looking for hard-to-find novelty items. You can also flip items on similar sites like Craigslist and Poshmark. At thrift stores, garage sales and old toy stores, you can find hidden gems for a low price that you can sell for a significant profit.

Best for: People who like treasure hunting

What you need to get started: Supplies to ship orders or transportation to deliver locally

3. Sell arts and crafts

Money-making category: Selling or renting physical items

If you love making arts and crafts, your own clothing or anything similar, you can make money from home on sites like Etsy. No matter what you enjoy making, there’s a market for it on Etsy. 

Best for: Creatives and artists

What you need to get started: Materials to create items

4. Rent out your stuff

Money-making category: Selling or renting physical items

Do you have things that you don’t mind renting out? Well, websites like FriendWithA connect you with people who are looking to rent various items. Some of the main items people rent include cameras and film equipment, tools, generators, bikes and other items people may only need for a day or two.

Best for: People with items they aren’t regularly using

What you need to get started: Items in good condition to rent

5. Rent out a room

Money-making category: Selling or renting physical items

More and more people are using websites like Airbnb to make money from home by renting out a room, guest house or home. Services like this are especially profitable if you live in a destination city that people travel to for events. Visitors select dates similar to a hotel, and AirBnB takes a small portion of the profit.

Best for: People with an extra room or home

What you need to get started: A well-maintained room or home

6. Sell stock videos and photos

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

For those who love photography and videography, there are a variety of websites that will buy your photos and videos. Websites like SmugMug Pro, 500px, Getty Images, and many others will pay you for the rights to your photos and videos.

Best for: Photographers and videographers

What you need to get started: A camera

7. Sell royalty-free music

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Similar to photography and videography, many websites will pay you for your music. This type of music goes in the background of YouTube videos, advertisements and anywhere else people may need some background music. Websites like Epidemic Sound and Pond5 are good places to start when it comes to selling your tunes.

Best for: Musicians

What you need to get started: Instruments and recording equipment. Royalty and licensing information is available on the websites.

8. Self-publish books

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

If you’re a writer, you no longer need to go through a publisher to make money selling books. Today, there are many different websites that allow you to self-publish and sell your books. 

The most popular site is Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), but you can also sell your books on websites like Apple, Google Play books, Kobo and more. If you have a microphone, you can turn your books into audiobooks as a way to make even more money from your writing.

Best for: Writers

What you need to get started: Writing software

9. Create online courses

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Is there something you know quite a bit about that you can teach to others? If so, you can create and sell online courses. From work-related topics to yoga to parenting strategies, offering classes for something you are a subject matter expert in can help you make money while doing something you love! Some of the best websites to sell your courses include Udemy, Skillshare, and Teachable.

Best for: Those who love to teach

What you need to get started: Expertise in the subject matter you want to teach

10. Sell graphic design services

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

There’s no shortage of graphic design jobs, and you can find these jobs through freelance websites or directly with businesses. Many businesses of all sizes need people who can design advertisements, logos, and more. If you’re a graphic designer, it may be a good idea to create a website that hosts a portfolio of your work where people can contact you directly as well.

Best for: Graphic designers

What you need to get started: Graphic design software

11. Create websites

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Similar to other services we’ve discussed, like digital marketing, businesses also need websites. You may already have experience building websites, or you might be willing to learn. 

You can find local businesses or businesses posting ads online and looking for someone to build a website. Services like Squarespace make it easy to create and maintain websites with an assortment of templates, which makes web design something anyone can learn to do. 

Best for: Creative people

What you need to get started: A computer or laptop

12. Create an e-commerce website

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

As discussed, there are many websites where you can sell your products and services, but you can also create your own e-commerce website. The benefit of doing this is that the other websites take a larger cut of your sales. 

When you create your own website, you’ll hold onto most of the profits. One of the most popular ways to sell is with Shopify, which easily plugs into your website.

Best for: People with something to sell and want a larger portion of the profits

What you need to get started: The ability to create a website

13. Utilize affiliate links

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Affiliate links are something that you can use as a way to generate additional income with many of the other ways to make money online. An affiliate link is a special link that you use for a product or service from a company, and each time someone uses your link, you get a commission. 

Amazon is one of the most common affiliate programs. With Amazon, any time you mention a product, you can link to it on Amazon, and if they buy it, you’ll receive a commission.

In an interview with Business Insider, creative entrepreneur and YouTuber Roberto Blake explained how he started making $5,000 a month from affiliate marketing. “I fell into affiliate marketing from the Amazon affiliate program, but then I realized a lot of subscriptions and software I was using had programs, too,” said Blake while discussing additional ways to do affiliate marketing.

Best for: Those who also make money from creating a platform like a blog, YouTube channel or podcast

What you need to get started: Discussing other products and services that you can link to

14. Put Google Ads on your website

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Google Ads are something you can easily include on your website for additional income. Many people wonder how a free service like Google makes money, and it’s from advertising. Companies pay for their business to pop up when people search certain keywords. With Google Ads, you simply add some code to your website, and you’ll make money when people view or click the ads.

Best for: Those who have a website 

What you need to get started: A website that you can add code to

15. Sell direct ad space on your website

Money-making category: Selling virtual items or goods

Regardless of what type of website you create if you’re generating traffic, you can sell ad space. Much like a billboard in a popular part of town, companies will want to advertise where there are eyes that will see the ad. If you have a niche website, you may be able to generate more ad revenue than Google Ads by selling ad space directly to businesses that are related to your website.

Best for: Those with a website

What you need to get started: Enough traffic to entice a company to advertise

16. Get paid for your perspective

Money-making category: Doing a task

Focus groups have been a major aspect of marketing for years, and in the digital age, people pay to have their website reviewed. Sites like UserTesting pay you to share your opinions about different products from a variety of different brands. There are also sites like Userbrain that have you test different websites, applications and software.

Best for: Individuals who like sharing their opinions

What you need to get started: A computer or laptop

17. Take online surveys

Money-making category: Doing a task

Many companies out there want to get opinions from specific demographics and will pay you for taking these surveys. While these don’t pay as much as many of the other options on the list, they also don’t take that long to do. You can sign up to take these consumer behavior surveys at websites like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks.

Best for: People looking to make a little extra money in their free time

What you need to get started: A computer or laptop

18. Sign up for Mechanical Turk

Money-making category: Doing a task

Mechanical Turk is ideal for people who have limited time to make money online. Mechanical Turk is a service through Amazon, and the tasks are often pretty quick. The tasks can be anything from taking a survey to transcribing or tagging images. Typically, it’s small, tedious tasks, and you may only make a few dollars, but they’re often simple tasks.

Best for: Individuals who have limited time and don’t mind tedious tasks

What you need to get started: A computer or laptop

19. Perform data entry

Money-making category: Doing a task

Data entry is simply taking data from different sources and inputting it into a program. Businesses are often looking for people to do these tasks because they don’t take much experience. This is similar to a virtual assistant gig, but it can also come with regular work if you find a person or business looking for someone long-term. Data entry gigs can be found at websites like TechSpeed, Capital Typing, and Oworkers.

Best for: Well-organized individuals

What you need to get started: Some proficiency with spreadsheet software like Excel

20. Become a digital marketing or social media consultant

Money-making category: Offering a service

If you have worked in marketing or have developed skills by becoming an online influencer, you can become a digital marketing consultant. There are many businesses that want an online presence via social media, but they don’t know how, and that’s where you can come in. And with what you’ve learned here, you can show clients where to hire freelancers that can create graphics and edit audio and video.

Best for: Individuals with experience in online marketing

What you need to get started: Prospective clients often want to know you have experience and can prove you have grown a following on social media or brought in significant website traffic

21. Become an online customer service representative

Money-making category: Offering a service

There are many businesses that are looking for customer service representatives who work from home. Believe it or not, some of the big companies you use regularly outsource their customer service to companies that hire people who work from home. 

With these jobs, they’ll sometimes even send you a computer and equipment to do your job. And unlike some other jobs from this list, there’s a potential for full time with benefits. You can find jobs like this at job websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter.

Best for: Individuals who are good at helping people

What you need to get started: Internet connection and a work environment with limited distractions

22. Become an online tutor

Money-making category: Offering a service

Speaking of teaching others, you can also become an online tutor. Unlike creating online courses, the websites that pay you to tutor are specifically for students who are in school. This means you’ll cover topics like English, math and other school subjects. You can sign up to tutor at websites like TutorMe, Skooli, and Preply.

Best for: Those who love to teach

What you need to get started: Experience teaching and expertise in the subject matter

23. Do voice-over work

Money-making category: Offering a service

We mentioned how you can record your own audiobooks if you’re a writer, but you can also get paid for doing voice-over work for others. This can include reading audiobooks, doing voice-overs for presentation videos, audio guides and more. Websites like Upwork often have postings for voice-over artists, or you can go through ACX for audiobook narration gigs.

Best for: People with a great voice

What you need to get started: A microphone

24. Become a freelance writer

Money-making category: Offering a service

Although many news outlets and websites have dedicated journalists, there are also a lot of work out there for freelance writing. Some of the biggest websites out there, from the Washington Post to the New York Times, take submissions from freelance writers. 

One of the best ways to find freelance writing work is by following editors on Twitter. They’ll often tweet asking for people who can write on a specific topic. Sometimes, these gigs will pay hundreds of dollars for a single article. 

If there’s a specific website you’d like to write for, just check and see if they have a page that tells you how to submit pitches for articles.

Best for: Writers

What you need to get started: Writing software

25. Edit audio or video

Money-making category: Offering a service

If you have experience editing audio or video, there’s a lot of work out there to make money online. Not only are companies looking for people to edit their audio and video, but there are also many online influencers who hire people as well. 

Many of the people you see on YouTube, TikTok and even podcasters hire people to edit their audio and video. Sometimes, you’ll see these influencers post that they’re looking for editors, but you can also go to websites like Upwork or Fiverr to find work.

Best for: People who enjoy editing audio and video

What you need to get started: Software to edit audio and video

26. Edit copy

Money-making category: Offering a service

People are always looking for editors. Whether it’s an author looking for someone to edit their next book or a company that needs an editor for something they’re publishing for the public, people need their words to look excellent. Previously mentioned websites like Upwork and Fiverr regularly have jobs for editors, but you can also find work at Reedsy and Wordvice.

Best for: Those who love language

What you need to get started: Familiarity with the English language and various types of grammar rules like A.P. style

27. Become a virtual assistant

Money-making category: Offering a service

Many businesses of all sizes need additional help, so they hire virtual assistants. Virtual assistant tasks can vary depending on the gig. Some of these opportunities may be for one day of work, but others may need help for longer stretches of time. These may pay you per job or per hour, and you can find these gigs on any freelance website.

Best for: People with a wide range of skills

What you need to get started: Skills will vary depending on the specific job

28. Do miscellaneous freelance jobs

Money-making category: Offering a service

We’ve gone over a variety of specific freelance gigs, but maybe we didn’t cover one that would be perfect for you. It’s likely that you have skills that people will pay for, and that’s why it’s a great idea to regularly check websites like Upwork and Fiverr. Every day, people and companies are posting jobs that you may be perfect for.

Best for: People with a wide range of skills

What you need to get started: Skills will vary depending on the specific job

29. Start a blog

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Some people believe that blogging isn’t as big as it used to be, but you can still make quite a bit of money with a blog. You can start a blog reviewing movies, TV shows or books, or you can start a travel or lifestyle blog. 

Once your blog starts driving traffic, you can make money online by selling ad space or using affiliate links. You could even use your blog as a way to drive traffic to your online course or e-commerce store. 

Best for: Those who like to write

What you need to get started: Writing well about a topic

30. Become a YouTuber

Money-making category: Creating a platform

YouTube is the second-largest search engine behind Google, which means there’s an endless amount of opportunity for viewers to find you. You can start a YouTube channel about anything from teaching people how to do something, telling stories, reviewing products, and more. YouTube pays creators to pay ads before, during and after their videos. 

Depending on the ads that run on your channel, the pay can vary. There are millions of people who do YouTube full-time, so there’s the possibility of making a decent amount of money.

Best for: Those who aren’t shy on camera

What you need to get started: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. You’ll also need a camera to record video.

31. Become an Instagram influencer

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Instagram is primarily for pictures rather than video, but you can create video content on Instagram as well. Instagram is sort of like a mini blog where you can write along with posting your images or videos. There are people making quite a bit of money on Instagram, and they often do this by partnering with brands. 

For example, if you’re a fashion influencer, clothing brands may send you clothes and will pay you to post pictures and advertise to your followers.

Best for: People who like taking pictures 

What you need to get started: A camera

32. Become a TikToker

Money-making category: Creating a platform

TikTok is a video platform that’s often said to be geared towards Gen Z, but people of all ages are on the platform. TikTok differs from YouTube by having much shorter videos that are typically 15 to 60 seconds. 

Like YouTube, you can create any content that people will enjoy. On TikTok, you can make money by partnering with brands and promoting them to your followers, and TikTok also has a feature where your followers can pay you directly.

Best for: People who can make short, entertaining videos

What you need to get started: A camera

33. Become a video game streamer

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Years ago, video games were for a niche group of people, but today, more people not only love playing video games, but they love watching them as well. Twitch is the largest video game streaming platform, but YouTube recently started promoting its game streaming service as well. On both platforms, people can subscribe to your channel and donate to you directly. This is also a great way to make money as a kid.

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is a multi-millionaire who found his start on Twitch. Andy Robinson from Video Games Chronicle reported that Blevins signed a $50 million deal with Microsoft’s gaming platform Mixer before returning to Twitch a year later. While Blevins is the highest-paid streamer, he’s not the only one making a lot of money from the comfort of his home. 

Best for: Gamers

What you need to get started: A video game console to hook up to your computer for streaming, or you can stream computer games directly

34. Become a podcaster

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Podcasts are extremely popular, and it doesn’t take much to start one. If there’s something you’re interested in, you can start a podcast and find an audience that will listen. Some podcasts tell stories each episode and others interview people about different topics. You could even start a podcast simply discussing your opinions. 

Once you gain an audience, you can partner with companies and direct your audience to affiliate links, or you can sell ad space that plays during your episodes.

Best for: People who enjoy talking

What you need to get started: A microphone and audio-editing software

35. Create a newsletter

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Newsletters were some of the first ways for people to make money online. Services like Mailchimp and others allow you to create an email list and send a newsletter out to your subscribers. 

The newsletter can be as frequent as you’d like, and it can be similar to a blog where you discuss different topics, and you can put it behind a paywall on your website. You can also use a newsletter as a way to promote your online business and alert your customers of new products or discounts.

Anne Janzer is a self-published author and discusses how she uses her newsletter to sell more books. “When I have something new going on, I can go and ask those folks, ‘Hey, can you share the word about this?’ and they’re the first ones to go out and post about my new book,” Janzer said in an interview about how her newsletter leads to more sales.

Best for: Writers and people with an online business

What you need to get started: Ability to write

36. Combine a newsletter with a blog or podcast

Money-making category: Creating a platform

Substack is one of the newest ways for people to make money from home. This website combines newsletters with other ways to create content online like blogging or podcasting. When people subscribe to your Substack, they receive an email every time you make a post. 

Not only can you write, but you can also upload audio for a podcast. Substack allows you to enable paid subscriptions, and you can choose which posts are free and which ones are for paid subscribers.

Best for: Writers and podcasters

What you need to get started: Writing skills or a microphone for recording audio

37. Trade stocks

Money-making category: Miscellaneous

This path of making money from home is on the riskier side, but it can also come with high rewards. The difference between day trading stocks and investing in stocks is that investments are long-term, whereas trading is buying and selling stocks on a daily basis. 

In order to make money trading stocks, you’ll need to keep up-to-date with all of the latest stock news and learn when to buy and sell properly. There’s a learning curve to trading stocks, but some people make full-time income trading stocks through brokerages like Charles Schwab, Vanguard, or Robinhood.

Best for: People with a high risk tolerance

What you need to get started: Before trading, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about various stocks and how to read the market in order to minimize losses. Then, you need a computer to trade, or you can trade on apps like Robinhood.

FAQ

Making money online is something that anyone can do, but there are some additional details to help you better set your expectations when it comes to online work.

How long does it take to get paid when making money online?

Getting paid varies based on the website. For example, eBay pays within a few business days of a sale, but being a YouTuber pays once a month. If you’re running your own business, you get to decide when customers need to pay for services.

How can I make $100 a day online?

You can do this by finding steady freelance work on websites like Fiverr and Upwork. You can do this with other methods like selling goods online. It often takes some time to work up to making this much money per day as you grow.

How do beginners make money online?

Selling used items is one of the best ways for beginners to make money online. You can also take a look at your skills or what you can learn and begin researching who will pay for those skills.

How making money online can help pay off debt

Not only is making money online a way to make money should you become unemployed, but it’s also a great way to generate extra income while you’re working to pay off debt. Many Americans struggle with debt, which hurts their credit score and can turn into even more debt due to high interest rates.

If you’re looking to improve your financial situation, the best place to start is by checking your credit score. Credit.com offers a free credit report card, which ranks your score on a variety of factors and shows you on the areas you need to improve. You can also sign up for our ExtraCredit service for credit monitoring, which includes features to allow you to report certain payments to the major credit bureaus.

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