Online work is an incredibly popular way to earn extra cash, whether you’re looking for some side income or a full-time career. But there are many scams and get-rich-quick schemes out there that don’t actually work.
Thankfully, there are also real ways to make money from home immediately. From flipping furniture to working with a coupon-sharing site, here are 20 ways to get the ball rolling.
Sell Your Clothes
Cleaning out your closet and turning those clothes you no longer wear into cash can be an easy way to make some money. You can take your clothes to a local consignment shop or sell them on online platforms like Poshmark, Depop, or eBay. However, it’s important to remember that you may have to spend a bit of time taking quality pictures and researching similar items to ensure your clothes will sell.
If you’re looking for a more hands-on approach, try a local app like VarageSale or Vinted. Both apps offer the opportunity to meet up with buyers and exchange your clothes in person. In addition, VarageSale and other resell apps also check both buyer and seller identities, so you can feel safe selling your clothes.
If you have a few designer bags lying around, you can also try selling them on LePrix or The Real Real. They’ll provide white-glove service when picking up your bags and pay you immediately via PayPal or bank transfer.
Invest in the Stock Market
Stock market investing is one of the most lucrative ways to build wealth over the long term. It can help you reach major personal finance goals such as buying a home, starting a business or securing your retirement. However, it requires a significant investment and long hours of research. And it’s no secret that stocks are a volatile investment; they often experience frequent slumps and peaks.
The key is to focus on your own goals and understand how much risk you’re comfortable taking. The best way to do that is by creating a budget that includes your after-tax income, monthly expenses, debt and time horizon. Then, consider opening a self-directed account with an online brokerage that offers commission-free trades. Popular options include TD Direct Investing and TD Easy Trade. There are also fintech apps like Acorns that make it simple to put your savings on autopilot by automatically rounding up purchases and depositing the extra change into an investment fund of your choice.
Trade in Your Old Cell Phone
Many people don’t realize that they can earn a quick influx of cash by trading in their old cell phones. Instead of heading to a local kiosk or phone buying machine, check out sites like SellCell. This site allows you to compare prices from different phone buyers and usually offers a much better deal than the carriers’ trade-in programs.
Before handing over your old phone to a buyer, make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for wiping it clean of personal data. Some buyers will refuse to accept devices that haven’t been properly factory reset.
If you’re comfortable with the risk of dealing with a private individual, online marketplaces such as eBay and Craigslist can be good options for selling your old gadgets. In addition, a charity such as Cell Phones for Soldiers will buy used phones from individuals and recycle them in an environmentally friendly manner. Alternatively, you can donate your old phones to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a form of performance marketing wherein you get paid when another person sells your product. For example, you might create a course on Kajabi or any other digital education platform and offer an affiliate program to partners that will help you sell it. This type of partnership is a great way to make money online and avoid spending advertising dollars on things like Google AdWords before getting your first customer.
To earn affiliate money, you’ll need a blog or readership, a good understanding of your audience’s needs and wants and a product that solves them. The best approach is to review products that you actually use and love, so your audience can trust the recommendation. Then, add a direct link in your review that will give you a commission on the sale. It may take a while before you earn any money but, once you do, it can grow quickly. You might even consider joining an affiliate network to streamline the relationship-building process with merchants.
