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In 2009, I decided that I wanted to find a way to make money from home.
Sure, I still planned to have a job and build a career, but I wanted to earn a little more to pay off my student loans and hopefully save some money along the way.
When I started learning how to make money from home, I found some websites where I could write paid articles. It wasn’t much, but it was the starting point of what would eventually become my desire to start a blog.
Fast forward to the summer of 2014: Chase the Write Dream was born.
As I’m sure you’ve experienced yourself, a lot can change in the span of five years, but I never lost my desire to generate more income. I think we all have this desire to be debt free, to have “fun” money, and to give back to those who helped us along the way.
The problem is that many of us have a huge financial wall in front of us, practically mocking that we will never break it.
For me, it’s my student loan debt.
If you’ve been on my blog before, you’ve probably heard me talk about my student loans before. I hate them, I want them gone, and I feel like they’re holding me back.
And that’s what drives me to keep looking for opportunities to earn money from home (in addition to my regular job).
How to get money from home
I would be lying if I said that the process has been easy. In fact, there are many days where I feel completely unmotivated to put in the extra effort.
There’s always an excuse NOT to do it…but of course I know I can’t expect to reap the rewards unless I put in the effort.
Since you are here, I can imagine that you are in a similar place. You want that financial freedom and/or you want to be able to work from the comfort of your home because you hate your current job or just feel stuck.
Before entering my list of recommendations for make money from homeI want to make some points:
- Find what you are good at and use it to propel yourself
- Research everything (there are tons of scams out there!)
- Don’t give up if you don’t see the money flowing right away; these things can take time.
Some of the options I include allow you to earn extra money right away, while others can take longer, just something to keep in mind as you work your way up the list.
Alright, let’s get to it!
start a blog
I started Chase the Write Dream because it was a dream I had for a long time, but it opened me up to a whole new world of learning how to make money online because of it!
Starting a blog is definitely not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, it might be the hardest thing on this list because it requires skills like setting up a website (some basic knowledge of HTML/CSS is helpful), social media management, social media marketing, advertising, communication, writing,… getting the picture.
Although I say that it is the hardest, I have to say that it has been the most rewarding for me. Without him, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get a job at an influencer marketing agency, which I was very excited about.
For those looking to get more serious about their blogging journey, I highly recommend getting your own domain. I’ve listed how to do just that, as well as other simple tips to get you started, in my post: Easy Steps to Start a Blog.
Become an affiliate for the products you love
Amazon Associates – who does not love Amazon? By becoming an Amazon affiliate, you can link to literally any product on the site and if you lead someone to make a purchase through that link within 24 hours, you get a small percentage of that sale. This is at no cost to the customer and can really add up. I would recommend sharing these links on your social sites and/or blog, but make sure you disclose them properly so you don’t get in trouble with the FTC (using #ad on your social posts will suffice). The current payment threshold is $10.
Share a sale – There are several affiliate platforms out there, but I really like ShareASale because of its variety and long list of merchants. You can find companies for ALL kinds of products there, which means the opportunities to make sales are endless. Just like Amazon – you get a small percentage of each sale!
Start writing as a freelancer
hubpages – Anyone can join HubPages and you can literally write about anything you want. HubPages pays you based on the ad revenue your posts generate, so the more traffic they receive, the higher your revenue. The payment threshold is $50, but this can easily be achieved every month or two if you have a few good posts that drive traffic.
I love to know – This website is a bit stricter about the writing process, which means you have to apply and go through a trial period where a senior editor will review your work. Also, you have to choose from the available titles and do a lot more research. The good news is that you can earn anywhere from $25 to $60 per item!
do homework work
Chore jobs are usually the easiest ways to make money from home today. I can log into one of these sites, complete multiple tasks in one go, and have over $10 ready to cash out that night. Some tasks are super simple, like taking a survey or finding something through a Google search, while others can go a bit more in-depth (write a post, etc.). You can also take qualifying tests to unlock the number of tasks you are eligible for!
Two sites I recommend for this type of work are:
Other ways to earn money from home
ebates- Most people know Ebates as the site that gives you cash back for eligible purchases made through their site or app, but did you know that you can also get paid for referring people to the site?
That’s right. In most quarters, you can actually earn $75 for referring just three people. That’s quite a chunk of change if you ask me! With no referral limits, your earning potential is endless!swagbucks – This is another great site to earn a few quick bucks and have it in your account within a week or two. Take surveys, watch videos, shop online, participate in surveys and more to earn swagbucksthat can be redeemed for PayPal gift cards, merchandise, and even cash.
five – Do you have a skill you want to earn some money with? Start a Fiverr profile! You can literally set up a service for anything: logos, photos, writing, research, resumes… it’s all open territory.
upwork – Upwork is another freelance site where you can apply for the jobs that are listed. Again, jobs cover a variety of things like graphic design, writing, web design, and more. I’ve heard it can be a bit difficult to get started, but there are several freelancers making a great income here. It’s worth a shot!
Open a bank account – While this method is not super traditional. could be a great fit if you qualify and can meet the offer guidelines (which is typically to open an account, have a set amount of direct deposit into that account, and then leave it open for 90 days, or whatever the bank requires ). Rewards can range from $150 to $500!
Take surveys – The Penny Hoarder covers this topic better than ever, so check out her post here: The best survey sites to earn extra money
While this post presents some initial ideas on how to make money from home, there are many other opportunities out there! Once you get your feet wet and start to familiarize yourself with working online, you’ll find that you can discover even more opportunities.
If you try any of the above, I’d love to hear how you did in the comments below!
