I once heard, “It is not how much you make, but how much you save that will make you rich”. Although I see the wisdom and truth in this proverb, I also think there are some other things that you can do to help plump up your savings. Whether it be to prepare for a short term goal such as a vacation or a daily coffee stop, or for a long term goal such as retirement or college savings, there are a few things you can easily do online to make some extra cash.
Take Paid Surveys on Survey Junkie
Taking paid surveys is one of the popular ways to make money online on the side. Why? First off, you can complete them from your couch. Second, you can do them on your own time. And third, they can actually be pretty fun.
Here’s how they work. Today’s biggest brands need to research their target demographics in order to know what their consumers want. When they’re making new products or they’re updating existing ones, the voice of their customer is the essential make or break piece. If you’ve ever found yourself shocked by a really bad branding decision, you understand how important these opinions are.
Because they’re so valuable, you’ll get paid to share them. Survey Junkie is the highest rated panel on Trust Pilot and one of the most legitimate paid survey sites out there. Members enjoy the option to cash out via PayPal, which is a huge perk for people who are looking to earn real cash online. But you can also cash out with e-Gift cards to popular retailers like Groupon, iTunes, Amazon, Sephora, Target, Walmart and Starbucks.
It’s super easy to use the site and once you get to 1,000 points ($10), you can cash out.
Book Selling
Another way to make money online is to take advantage of the numerous publishing opportunities that the internet provides. Back in the day, the publishing industry used to revolve around the world of print. But now, you can go through the process of writing, publishing, and marketing an entire book online.
There are special websites that will allow you to upload your book, or you can try to sell it on Amazon. If you think you’ve got something to say that people will read, this could be a great way to go.
Affiliate Marketing
Any search for making money online inevitably includes a section on affiliate marketing as well, and for good reason. If you know what you’re doing, this could be a really good way to make a side income. There are tons of resources online for people who want to create their own affiliate business. Basically, expert bloggers can put ‘affiliate links’ in their blog posts that link to products they recommend for their readers. When someone buys that product through your link, you’ll get a small payment.
You can forge relationships are your own, or you can join an Affiliate network to get connected to the right people. Amazon Associate is a super popular and easy way to get started with affiliate marketing as well.
Freelance Writing
If you’re a writer, finding freelance writing opportunities online can be a great way to make some extra cash.
If you’ve got the skills and the creative ability, then you really can make a good amount of money by writing content online. In fact, if you work hard enough and develop a strong reputation, you can make a viable living doing it.
In addition, you can also proofread articles for some additional income. If you’ve created a successful blog, you can combine your writing skills with affiliate marketing, and get people to put sponsored posts on your blog. Or you can write guest posts on other sites, for which you’ll also get paid. The opportunities are virtually limitless!
Start an e-Commerce Store
Another super popular way to make money online is to open up an e-commerce store. No matter what product or service you are selling, you can find a way to do so online, and effectively too. Etsy is a great site for people with crafts they want to sell, whether it’s homemade jewelry, home décor products, or clothing. Shopify is another super popular way to build an online storefront.
Become a Social Influencer.
Have you ever looked on the ‘Search’ page of Instagram and found lots of new people and content that interests you but you are not connect to in anyway? Well, these are people and brands that are served to you because you very likely to enjoy the content they serve based on other friends and pages you already like. It actually is much more complicated than that but starting a page actually is not. Find something you are a passionate about, post content about it, invite others to like your page by liking theirs and be consistent. Interact with your followers and the rest is history.
The Bottom Line
There’s a ton of different ways you can make money online, if you know where to look. Some of these take more time than others to build. For example, a prolific and lucrative writing career and being a top social influencer will not bloom overnight. But if you’re committed to finding a way to earn money your computer, then they’re definitely worth researching.
If you want to start earning your way to extra cash today, then taking paid surveys on Survey Junkie is probably a good option for you. You only have to earn $10 before you can cash out, which is a super low payout threshold compared to other sites. You can read this guide to find out more about the process, or just sign up for the site here.
