Making money doesn’t always mean you have to take on traditional methods. In fact, you can make extra money from the comfort of your home, using completely legitimate and flexible methods that fit into your schedule. Plus, the Coronavirus pandemic has only made it more essential to find new ways to generate income.

While some options will make you enough to buy your favorite cup of coffee, others can earn you a little more cash. It all depends on the method you choose and the amount of time you invest.

We do want to provide a disclaimer, however, that you probably won’t make the same amount of money from home as you would with a full-time job. Still, it can be a fun side gig, part-time job, or source of passive income!

In this article, we’ve outlined the top 35 legitimate ways to make money from home, as well as scams you should look out for. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Get Rebates From Your Groceries
2. Take Online Surveys
3. Be an Online Juror
4. Watch Movie Previews
5. Join an Online Focus Group
6. Manage Fan Pages
7. Start a Baking Business
8. Create an At-Home Daycare
9. Download Browser Plugins
10. Be a Transcriptionist
11. Start Blogging
12. Be an Online Travel Agent
13. Become a Marketer
14. Fix Mistakes for Google
15. Write Invitations
16. Rent Your Studio Space
17. Download Apps
18. Rent Out Your Sports Gear
19. Change Your Default Search Engine
20. Get Refunds
21. Sell Your Junk Mail
22. Get Free Gift Cards
23. Start a Health Journey
24. Sell Old Stock Pictures
25. Write Reviews
26. Analyze Search Engines
27. Do Data Entry
28. Rent Your Clothes
29. Flip a Flea Market Find
30. Sell Your Antiques
31. Get a New Credit Card
32. Trade Cryptocurrency
33. Sell Stuff
34. Open a New Bank Account
35. Be a Virtual Accountant

1. Get Rebates From Your Groceries

Did you know you can make money off the groceries you purchase? All you have to do is download a grocery rebate app like Ibotta or Paribus, purchase the items listed on the app in the grocery store, and upload a picture of your receipt. Apps like these also typically provide coupons to different items, helping you save even more. Next time you’re at the grocery store, look out for the deals you might find on these apps!

2. Take Online Surveys

You have the power to influence change in the brands and products you use on a daily basis, which is why Survey Junkie rewards you for your valuable insights and time.

Big brands turn to Survey Junkie every day to better understand their consumers, improve their products, and reach customers in a more effective way. They’re in search of your opinions, because it helps guide their strategies. Complete surveys on your own time and get rewarded for sharing your opinion.

Survey Junkie members can cash out via PayPal or via e-gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Walmart, Sephora, and Groupon. Survey Junkie also has the lowest payout threshold among survey sites, which means you can cash out after earning just $5. Learn more here.

3. Be an Online Juror

Do you love watching crime shows? Have you ever wanted to be on a jury in real life? eJury is where attorneys come to “pre-try” a case before it goes to trial in front of an actual jury in a courthouse. As an eJuror, you’ll have the opportunity to read documents and facts related to a case and submit your verdict, completely from the comfort of your home on your spare time. You can make between $5-$10 depending on the length of the case.

4. Watch Movie Previews

If you’re a fan of movies, you can make money from home doing what you love most — watching previews and videos! Look into freelancing online for smaller production companies or filmmakers who may be seeking critics for the videos they create. Since the industry is so competitive, starting small is a great way to get your foot in the door and gain experience as a movie critic.

5. Join an Online Focus Group

Focus groups are an excellent way to shape the products that you use every day. In fact, if you want to go beyond traditional survey-taking, focus groups offer a more interactive way to communicate your opinions with brands. At Survey Junkie, you can opt into online focus groups, where you can speak directly with big brands and influence their strategy. What’s the best part? You can do it all from your home.

6. Manage Fan Pages

If you’re an expert at social media, you should consider managing fan pages online. Sites like Fiverr can connect you to people or companies in search of someone to manage their social media accounts. This high-demand job can earn you quite a bit of of money, depending on the length and scope of the job. If you have the extra time, it might not be a bad idea to start a social media management business, where you can manage profiles for several clients at once.

7. Start a Baking Business

Do you love baking? Do you have an amazing recipe you’d like others to taste? Start a baking business from your kitchen and start selling your delicious creations. What’s great about this is you can start small, serving the surrounding community and using social media for marketing. As your business grows, you can create a full website and ship to others across the country. This method will require state and local licenses and permits, since you will be handling food and making sales, however, it can earn you big bucks. Consider customized packaging, a catchy name, and a logo to build your brand.

8. Create an At-Home Daycare

Taking care of children isn’t easy, but if you have a lot of experience under your belt and a couple kiddos at home, consider starting an at-home daycare business. Some parents may actually prefer smaller daycares that provide more personal attention to their kids, rather than larger corporate daycare centers, which may be difficult or expensive to deal with. Be sure to check state and local laws and gather the licenses or certifications you may need. Reach out to friends, colleagues, and neighbors to spread the word!

9. Download Browser Plugins

This method is a super simple way to save money when you’re shopping online. Browser plugins like Honey are free to download and can provide price tracking over time, notifying you when an item you’re shopping for drops in price. During the checkout process, Honey will also browse the internet to find coupons for the site you’re on, then test each one, and select the coupon that gives you the lowest price. 

10. Be a Transcriptionist 

If you’re detail-oriented and precise, consider transcribing files for businesses. You don’t need to have expert writing skills to transcribe audio or video files, plus, you can do it any time of the day. All you need is your laptop and a stable internet connection to upload your work once you’re finished! Check out sites like TranscribeMe or Fiverr.

11. Start Blogging

If you have a passion for an industry, like fashion or food, you can make money on your own blog. Showcase your creations, recipes, art, or knowledge — whatever you choose to focus on, be sure it’s offering something new and unique to your audience. While becoming a well-known blogger or freelance writer may take some time, if you invest your full efforts in it, you can start earning partnerships and sponsorships, where you’ll start getting paid to feature or review products on your own website. Allow ads on your blog and you can monetize through those as well! Get started on WordPress or Squarespace today.

12. Be an Online Travel Agent

Are you an expert at finding travel deals? You should become an online travel agent, offering your services on commission. Determine your specialty and clientele, to narrow your scope. Research typical prices that travel agents charge in your area, to get a better understanding of what to charge. Start by marketing your services through social media or reach out to family, friends, and neighbors.

13. Become a Marketer

Do you have knowledge of marketing? Consider becoming a marketer for a small business in your local area. Chances are, many of them might need help determining strategy or building on top of the one they already have. You can get all the work done from the comfort of your home, hosting meetings online, conducting research, and getting a solid strategy in place.

14. Fix Mistakes for Google

Did you know search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing, pay people to fix their search results? While this may require some technical knowledge, it’s not a bad work-from-home option. Check out LionBridge to get started.

15. Write Invitations

Do you get praise over your handwriting? Make money by writing custom invitations, wedding cards, and other stationery. While you’’ll need to get the actual stationary to work with, the rest is quite simple. Take pictures of your samples and advertise your offerings on Etsy.

16. Rent Your Studio Space

Not everyone has one, but if you have a state-of-the-art studio space in your home, you can make extra cash by renting it out by the hour or day. Sites like Peerspace are made to connect those listing with those searching for spaces like studios, coworking spaces, event venues, and more. Listing your space is absolutely free, but you will get charged a 15% service fee after booking. Other options for listing include Airbnb and Vrbo.

17. Download Apps

Did you know you can get paid to install certain apps on your smartphone? Some will even pay you monthly if you keep the app installed. They may not pay you much, but it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for a few extra bucks. Some of these apps include ShopTracker and MobileXpression.

18. Rent Out Your Sports Gear

If you have sports gear that you’re not using regularly — and willing to share — you can make extra money by renting it out. Sites like Spinlister make it easy for you to rent out your bike, surfboard, snowboard, and more! They provide the platform to connect owners with active people looking to rent or borrow around the world.

19. Change Your Default Search Engine

When you’re home, you’re probably searching for different things online all the time. If you’re using Google or Yahoo for search, consider switching to Bing as your default search engine. As you conduct your regular searches, you can earn credits that can be redeemed for gift cards. Just be sure to stay signed in every time you conduct a search to make sure it gets counted properly.

20. Get Refunds

Want to get money back for items you already purchased? Rakuten is a site where you can shop and get cash back at all your favorite stores, including Macy’s, Nike, Target, Petsmart, Walmart, Lowe’s, Old Navy, and more! It also helps you find coupons and compares prices online, so you make sure you always get the best deals! Plus, Rakuten can be used in-store.

21. Sell Your Junk Mail

Nobody likes getting junk mail, but everyone gets it. Next time your mailman stops by, save all the junk mail you receive and submit it to the Small Business Knowledge Center, where they’ll send you a prepaid Visa card in return.

22. Get Free Gift Cards

Mistplay is an app you can play your favorite games on, and earn rewards just for playing! As you play, you’ll earn points that you can redeem for gift cards later. Check out games like Words with Friends 2 and Clash Royale, which you might already be playing! There’s also special in-game bonuses you can earn, up to $20!

23. Start a Health Journey

Thinking about starting an exercise routine? How about eating healthier? AchieveMint credits you points for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by completing activities like walking, tracking your food, or taking surveys about your health. These points can then be redeemed for cash or gift cards. What’s the best part? AchieveMint connects to fitness apps like Fitbit, RunKeeper, Healthkit, and MyFitnessPal.

24. Sell Old Stock Pictures

You don’t have to be a photographer to make money off the pictures you take. In fact, if you have some old pictures, you can make money selling them on stock photo sites like Shutterstock. Companies are always looking for pictures for different marketing materials, and they turn to sites like Shutterstock to purchase them. What’s the best part? Pictures can be super simple, just be sure they’re high quality.

25. Write Reviews

You can make money from home writing reviews on all types of products. On ReviewStream, you can do exactly that — and also earn bonuses when users vote for your content! More thoughtful and detailed reviews will pay higher, so be sure to spend some time looking at the guidelines before starting. Once you’re done, you can cash out via PayPal.

26. Analyze Search Engines

You can make money from home by analyzing search engine results. Join Appen, where you can conduct searches on predefined queries, analyze them, and provide feedback. Your feedback will then be used to improve the relevancy of search results.

27. Do Data Entry

Data entry is an easy way to make money from home. It usually involves taking hard-copy documents and turning them digital, whether that means inputting them into a program or scanning them. You don’t need any special education or experience to do data entry, which makes it easy and accessible. Look up data entry jobs on FlexJobs or Microworkers to get started!

28. Rent Your Clothes

If you’re not quite ready to sell your clothes, you can rent them out. This is especially useful if you have pieces that you only wear for special occasions, like formal gowns or suits. Style Lend is an option if you’re looking to make some extra money renting out your clothes. All you need to do is list your items, get a rental, and get paid. You get to keep 80% of the price charged, transferred to you via Venmo or PayPal.

29. Flip a Flea Market Find

While this method will require you to get out of the house for some flea market shopping, the flipping can be done from home. If you have an eye for turning old into new, you can make some decent money restoring different products. Think furniture or take unlikely items and create new art with it. The possibilities are virtually endless!

30. Sell Your Antiques

Do you have extra antiques at home that you no longer care for? How about collectible items you kept from your childhood? Consider getting an appraisal and selling your rare items online. What you can get depends on what you have and how much it’s worth, but sometimes a single item can end up being more valuable than multiple items combined. Search your garage and see what treasures you can find!

31. Get a New Credit Card

Practicing responsible spending is a must for saving. If you’re on the hunt for a new credit card, check out the promotions that are offered for different companies and banks. Be careful, it’s easy to get sucked in with flashy limited time offers. But, you can use some to your advantage and make a lump sum bonus just by signing up!

32. Trade Cryptocurrency

With any investment comes a risk. However, with research into how the market works, you can make decent money — even by trading cryptocurrency. Kraken breaks down the resources and information you need to start trading. Whether you’re an experienced exchanger or completely new, this site provides helpful links you can use to understand how the process works and whether it’s worth it for you.

33. Sell Stuff

If you’re cleaning out your closet or organizing your garage, you’re probably ending up with bags of items you don’t need. Make a Craigslist or eBay account and start listing your items for sale. Be sure to research prices for similar products so you can set competitive pricing and stand out from the crowd.

34. Open a New Bank Account

This method goes hand-in-hand with opening a new credit card account. During certain times of year, banks will offer sign on bonuses and other incentives for opening a new bank account. Be sure to read the fine print, because you may need to maintain a minimum amount of money in your account to keep it valid, but it’s worth checking out if you’re on the hunt for some extra cash.

35. Be a Virtual Accountant

Some people say accounting is its own language. If this is a language you can speak, you can make very good money as a virtual accountant. Starting an accounting business from home requires proper education, licenses, and permits, but the payoff can be worthwhile. Establish yourself with different clients and they’ll utilize you on a regular basis for bookkeeping, auditing, taxes, and more!

Watch Out for Scams

While you can make money from home, it can take a lot of time and effort, especially if you’re starting a business from scratch. Chances are you’ll earn more and have a steadier income with a full-time job, but these methods can be helpful in gaining some extra side money from the comfort of your home. Some of our tips for avoiding online money-making scams include:

• Don’t fall for get-rich-quick schemes. — Any company that tells you to quit your day job and start earning thousands of dollars instantly is most likely a scam. Be sure to do proper research before engaging with a company or site and read up on other user reviews.
• Don’t release sensitive information. — No company should ask for sensitive information like your passwords, social security number, or credit card details. If they do, it’s a sure sign that they’re not a legitimate organization.

What’s Next?

These are just some of the many options to start making money from home. Browse through these methods and choose the ones that work for you and your schedule. It might be helpful to test them out and even take on multiple methods to maximize your rewards. Check out our other article for more ideas to make money online. Good luck and happy earning!