Learning how to make money from home means you can make extra money in your own time, and from the comfort of your own home. It’s super flexible, to say the least, and that makes it a great option for people working 9-5 jobs, stay-at-home parents, and anyone else who wants to increase their income.
And really, money is an essential part of getting some of our basic needs.
Sometimes that’s not as easy as it sounds. While lots of us can go get a job and start bringing in the dough to keep the lights on, sometimes it’s just not enough for our circumstances. So if that’s you (no judgment!), you understand the need for a side hustle.
But, not all hustles are created equal.
Some of the ways to make money from home that you see online will only net you a few bucks here and there. Some side hustles, unfortunately, are set up to scam hardworking folks out of their time and money. That’s not cool, at all.
However, there are ways to make money from home that are legit and pay well. Heck, some of them may one day replace your day job or help you retire early.
To help you sort through the not-so-awesome ideas, today’s post has 20+ ways to make money from home. They are sorted into two sections to make it easy:
- Our top 5 favorite ways to make money from home (higher payout for the work done, and potential to turn these side hustles into a full-time job)
- 20 more ideas to make money from home
So, if you want to make more money to pay for the essentials, to pad your emergency fund, to invest, to save for retirement, to take a sweet vacation, etc., you will find at least one option for you.
Keep in mind that all of these things take some willpower and time — get-rich-quick schemes are just that… schemes.
The 5 best, most lucrative, and most interesting ways to make money from home
1. Become a Facebook ad expert
Overview: Because of the changing media landscape, Facebook has become one of the best places for small business owners to bring in new customers and clients. But most business owners lack the time and skill it takes to run an effective ad campaign. So, Facebook ad experts are responsible for creating, running, and managing ad campaigns for small business owners.
What you need: This side hustle requires very little equipment (this is a perk of many work-from-home options), but you will need a computer. You don’t need a degree in marketing. However, training is a must — our Facebook Side Hustle Course is incredibly comprehensive, and you get a free month in our support and coaching community.
Income potential: $1,000 – $5,000+ a month. Your skills are worth $1,000/month per client, and we have a number of students in our course that have scaled up their side hustle so they’re making $5,000/month or more.
The reason this is #1 isn’t just because we have a course on the topic. See, we created the course because there was so much potential — small business owners need to be able to compete with the big brands and companies that have nearly unlimited ad budgets.
Facebook gives small business owners that option, but only with a good ad strategy, which takes time. If you’ve ever met a small business owner, you know how valuable a commodity time is. If you can save business owners time AND bring in new leads, you’ve become a valuable asset.
The fact of the matter is that there will almost certainly be a demand for Facebook ad experts. As Facebook advertisements change and shift and your potential clients get more and more frustrated at a lack of results, you’ll be there to pick up the pieces. No matter what happens, businesses will need leads. Businesses will need guidance and businesses will need to learn how to adapt to an ever-changing environment. You can help! And make some serious money while you’re doing it.
Learn more about the Facebook Side Hustle Course today!
2. Become a Virtual Assistant
Overview: Virtual assistants (or VAs) complete tasks for business owners that don’t have to be done by the business owner. This means bookkeeping, managing social media accounts, scheduling, data entry, and much more.
What you need: A computer and possibly training on necessary skills and how to find clients.
Income potential: $500 – $3000 a month
Becoming a virtual assistant can mean a lot of different things, which means you get to kind of define what it means to you and run with it. You can niche down with something like Pinterest. You can also be a general VA (and do light editing, scheduling of content, client outreach, that sort of thing). You can be someone who just does essential tasks that business owners just don’t get done because they’re busy. The one thing that’s true about any of these is that you can make money from home as a virtual assistant.
The only thing we recommend is taking a good virtual assistant course. Here are two great options:
- Become A Pinterest VA Today! Here’s a review on the course so you can learn more before buying: Learn How to Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant in 2020.
- 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success– This is a general virtual assistant course.
You can do pretty much anything for anyone with a little bit of training. But if you’re wanting to bring some skills to the table, a good overview of what is expected most commonly of VAs will do you a ton of good… and build your confidence, which is something people looking for VAs like to see!
Once you have a skillset built, you can check out Upwork or Remote.co for some job opportunities. There are tons of them available — even Indeed.com has employers looking for specifically, virtual assistants.
Read more at 7 of the Best Side Hustles for Stay At Home Moms.
3. Work as a content writer
Overview: Content writing is a broad field because it includes writing blog posts, online articles, sales copy, landing pages, emails, and much more. You can also write for nearly any niche imaginable.
What you need: A computer, a knack for writing (or the willingness to learn).
Income potential: $500 – $6000 a month
Content is the queen in the digital world. And, a simple blog article can make a company hundreds or even thousands of dollars… yep, one piece of content. This is why bloggers, websites, and online business owners are willing to pay writers.
And let’s talk about that huge range in income potential… It’s all about experience and getting into a good gig. There are many, many freelance writers who started small and now make a full-time income writing online. You have to reach out to potential clients, grow your skills, and find a niche.
While this is a MUCH harder task than it sounds like, the money follows when you hustle hard. Whether you focus on articles, ebooks, blogs or blurbs, everyone is always looking for something to be written. It’s a HUGE time-saver when someone who doesn’t like writing or doesn’t know “how” to write can just outsource it to someone who can.
Not everyone is a writer, and it’s not everyone’s strength, which means there’s a ton of money in it for you if you can just… wedge yourself into that world. If you’re interested in learning more, take a quick look at Ramit Sethi’s blog for an idea of how lucrative it can be to be a content writer, and HubSpot for some expectations of content writers.
Read more at 15 of the Best Side Hustles From Home.
4. Sell your expertise
Overview: This sounds vague, but that’s because there are many ways you can leverage your knowledge to make money from home. You can create courses, ebooks, pdfs, do online tutoring or coaching, and so much more.
What you need: An expertise and a platform on which to sell your “goods” (more on this in a second).
Income potential: $500-$10,000 a month
Take a moment and really think about this one… What are you good at? What makes you stand out? The answer might totally surprise you, too.
People find value in all sorts of good information. From how to sew a teddy bear to how to paint happy trees, all the way to how to create a blog or how to budget, there is probably something you know that others would love to learn.
This is where selling your expertise comes in. There are LOTS of ways to do this. Here are a few ways to make money from home with your expertise:
- Create an online course about something you’re good at — Teachable is the platform we used for the Facebook Side Hustle Course, and it’s great for video or text-based courses. This is also the most lucrative way to make money with your expertise, and you can learn how to start at Learn How to Create an Online Course in Just 9 Steps.
- Tutor students in your native language — VIPKid is a platform for connecting students and tutors, and it pays $14-$22/hour.
- Tutor people in what you’re good at, all the way from stocks to math or piano — Use social media or your inner circle to find people who need your knowledge.
- Answer questions at a professional level if you have a degree — Check out JustAnswer.
- Do the research FOR someone and present it to them, even if they’re just kinda curious — Wonder is a great way to connect.
Read more at 13 of the Best Side Hustles for Teachers.
5. Sell stuff online
Overview: Selling stuff online can be as simple as selling stuff around your house to going out and finding things to resell for more money.
What you need: Things to sell, a camera, a selling platform, a computer, and shipping materials.
Income potential: $500+/month
The internet has made it much easier to sell things from the comfort of your home, whether that’s cleaning out your closet and selling your stuff on Facebook Marketplace or selling collectibles on eBay. This also means there is a wide range of income possibilities.
Here’s what you need to successfully sell stuff online:
- High-quality images: Your photos shouldn’t be blurry or cluttered, and smartphones are great for taking high-quality images.
- Honesty: Be honest about any flaws or issues with what you’re selling. If there is a scratch, tear, or discoloration, make sure to mention that in your listing and also show it in photos.
- Fair prices: Just because you think your old shoes are worth $100 doesn’t mean others will agree. Research similar listings to land at the right price.
- Well-written listings: In the title of your listings, be clear and direct about what you’re selling. You can get a little more creative with the description if you want, but people mostly want facts.
- The right platform for selling: For casual sellers, Facebook Marketplace, LetGo, and OfferUp are awesome places to sell your stuff. eBay is better for serious sellers.
Related: Best Side Hustles for College Students
20 more ways to make money from home
In case nothing in the list above tickled your fancy, we have 20 more legit ways to make money from home. These puppies are down here because they’re not as lucrative, not as stable, or not as quick to produce delicious money-fruit, but they’re still excellent (and might really work out for the right people).
- Take online surveys – Some popular survey sites are Swagbucks and Pinecone Research. You may only make $1-$5/hour, but it’s low-stress easy money.
- Test websites – Similar to taking online surveys in pay. Check out UserTesting if you’re interested.
- Data entry – This is fairly mindless at-home work, and you can find opportunities on Upwork and Craigslist.
- Amazon Mechanical Turk – This is completing tasks for Amazon that have to be done by humans.
- Examine search engine results – Some popular platforms are Leapforce and Appen.
- Pet sitting – This is an awesome way to make money if you love animals, and Rover and Wag are highly rated platforms.
- Transcription – Check out TranscribeMe if you’re interested.
- Follow Rat Race Rebellion
- Sell baked goods and/or pre-cooked meals locally
- Rent your car – Turo is a newer company that’s making waves.
- Rent your parking space – Yes, people do this!
- Scan your grocery receipts – Learn more at Nielsen Consumer Panel and Ibotta.
- Sell your junk mail to SBKC – Seriously, check it out.
- Start a blog – This one can be a big moneymaker, but it takes time. You can learn more at Launch That Blog.
- Online focus groups – Opinion Outpost is a good place to start.
- Buy stuff at certain companies/from certain brands – This is making money on things you’re already buying, and Qmee and Honey are popular platforms.
- Game testing – Global Beta Test Network is one place to look.
- Sell your crafts – If you’re a maker, you can make money on Etsy or Zibbet.
- Medical Transcription – Upwork and Rat Race Rebellion are good places to find work.
- P2P Lending – This requires some cash upfront, and it’s a non-traditional way to fulfill loans. Lending Tree is one well-known platform.
A final note on how to make money from home
If it smells like a fish, swims like a fish, and tastes good when you fry it up, it’s probably a scam. Wait, what?
Ahem… what we mean is that if it seems too good to be true then you should avoid it. Don’t fall for quick money-making schemes that tell you that you’ll make thousands overnight.
The truth of it is that making money takes work, whether it’s from home or at a job, and you should expect to put some sweat equity into the deal.
But, making money from home is not an impossibility. In fact, these days, there are more and more opportunities. It’s now more about sorting through and finding the best ones, which was the point of today’s post.
Now that you have the ideas, which one will you try? It’s time to get to work!
Leave a Reply