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Learning how to make extra money from home doesn’t have to be exhausting. We all know about the scams and get-rich-quick schemes, but there are so many legitimate opportunities. You just have to know where to look!
This comprehensive guide will show you exactly what to look out for in your search for making extra money from home.
Whether you’re looking to pay off debt, save for your first home purchase, or to pad the retirement account, I’ll share several ways to make extra money on the side with the skills you already have!
But First – How to Identify Work from Home Scams
The first thing you need to know is that not everyone on the internet is truthful and internet vultures are preying on people and stealing their money and/or their identity.
According to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker, 44,133 work from home scams have been reported since August of 2018. The BBB scam tracker tool lists everything from phishing to debt collections, identity theft, and more.
So how can you protect yourself when you’re trying to figure out how to make extra money from home?
Gmail or Hotmail = Work from Home Scams
The first thing I look for when vetting a work from home job opportunity is the format of the email address. Scammers commonly use Gmail because they can set up a fake email account in a matter of 2-3 minutes.
Is the Interview Through Email or Chat?
If your work from home job interview is conducted through email or chat, it’s probably not legitimate. There are some companies who want to see a face and will conduct a Skype or Zoom Chat interview which could be legit. During the interview, pay attention to their surroundings. Does it look professional? If not, move on.
If it Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
Read the job description thoroughly. If it is a commission-only job but states that top earners make an astronomical amount of money, I’d steer clear of this company. They’re banking on getting a high volume of applicants and probably have a massive turnover rate.
Beware of the Bait and Switch
Companies in the insurance and financial services industry are notorious for this. They post a remote job opportunity for a management or trainer position to which you apply.
During the interview, things shift to a commission-only position with a very low base salary. The security of a management/trainer position is what entices people to apply, but they’re really just trying to hire a lot of financial advisors or agents.
This isn’t necessarily classified as a scam, but it should be. If a company is deceptive or tricks you with their job description, it doesn’t deserve all that you have to offer.
Research the Company
If you’re looking for a remote job with a company, be sure to check Glassdoor for reviews and salaries. This is my favorite go-to source of information on a business (aside from the BBB, of course). You can learn a lot about a company from its current and past employees.
Don’t Give out Personal Information
If you are asked immediately for your address, social security number, mother’s maiden name, etc, right off the bat, walk away. I understand you may be desperate to quit your 9-5, but don’t let that blind you to these red flags.
Related Articles on How to Make Extra Money from Home:
- 76 Ways to Make Extra Money on the Side This Year
- 23 Best Work From Home Jobs to Make Extra Money
- 10 of the Best Work From Home Jobs Hiring Right Now
- Resume Tips and Tricks from ESI Money
- Unfulfilled in your Current Career? Take Action!
How to Make Money From Home Using the Skills You Already Have
Now that you know how to protect yourself from work at home predators, it’s time to look for some legitimate work-from-home job opportunities.
Determine your Skillset
Which skills are you well-known for? Are you the gal everyone calls for IT support? Do you tend to have all of the answers when it comes to customer service? Are you well-versed in the financial services industry, but you don’t have a finance degree, and it’s holding you back from advancing?
Find out what you’re good at and look for jobs in that arena.
What are you Passionate About?
If you’re going to work extra hours around your full-time job, it’s important that you’re passionate about it. Or you should at least be passionate about your “why”.
Examples of “Why’s”
- Paying off debt – If you’re drowning in credit card debt or your car payments are weighing you down, this is a HUGE “why”! Good for you for recognizing you have a problem and for wanting to clean up the mess!
- Living paycheck to paycheck – Maybe you’re so tired of being broke. You haven’t been budgeting, or you don’t know where to start. If this is you, many of us have been in this position. Just hang in there and remember that this is only temporary.
- You’re FIREd up for early retirement – Many people today are really on a mission to gain financial independence and retire early. If you’re seeking to achieve FIRE, make sure you add a passive income strategy to your plan. Retirement is just that…retiring so that you can relax and reap what you’ve sown.
1. Remote Work from Home Jobs
Some of these positions can be worked around your existing schedule, although many are set hours.
- Power to Fly – Companies such as Deloit LLP, Cloudflare, WeWork, and VRBO are currently hiring on Power to Fly.
- SolidGigs– “Trade your worst clients for some of the best companies in the world with ourfreelance job list,freelance community&freelance course library.”
- Working Nomads –Currently hiring in the following fields:
- Jobspresso
- Jobscribe
- Outsourcely
- Flexjobs
- Idealist
- Indeed– Beware of the “fake” jobs on Indeed. They do exist. Be sure to use the tips above to search for red flags.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield and other insurance companies
2. Start a Blog or YouTube Channel
Obviously, I’m a huge fan of blogging and sharing stories on WordPress and YouTube. But fun fact: you don’t have to be an extrovert to start a blog or a YouTube channel.
I’ve written a comprehensive tutorial on how to start a blog for less than $20, and you should definitely check it out.
The sooner you start, the sooner you can begin making extra money from home. I make money every single day from this online business, and my only regret is that I didn’t start sooner.
How to Start a Blog
If you’re an introvert, don’t discount your ability to start a blog or YouTube channel. Remember that you can blog anonymously, and your YouTube is just you and a camera.
Blogging Income Reports
- Blog Income Reports (with Traffic Stats) Perfection Hangover
- March 2019 Blog Income and Traffic Report
- February Income Report: How I Earned $5,365 Working From Home
As for YouTube, it’s as simple as pulling out your smartphone and starting to talk. Find something you want to talk or write about and just start already!
Starting a YouTube channel is a little quicker and slightly less expensive than starting a blog, but I use both interchangeably. Every time I record a video, I create a blog post that complements with it (kind-of like podcast show notes).
This is far from perfect, but it’s a vast improvement from my very first video. Since I started monetizing my YouTube channel, I’ve earned $2,026.81. And I have less than 3,000 subscribers! Insane, right? You don’t have to have a million subscribers to make extra money on YouTube. You just need something valuable to share with an engaged audience.
Requirements Before Monetization:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 hours of watch time
This is far easier than it sounds, especially if you’re publishing quality content every single week.
3. Start a Coaching Business
Using the skills you’ve acquired throughout your career, consider starting a consulting or coaching business. My friend Melody Johnson at Her Designed Life has an interesting story. In 2018 she paid off over $65k in student loan debt. Reaching financial freedom and breaking the chains of debt catapulted her into an online business, coaching others on finances and business.
When I worked in the banking industry, I saw trainers and sales coaches teaching tellers and bankers how to sell financial products and services. Those trainers could leave their $70k corporate learning and development gig to start their own sales coaching business (and could easily double their income).
With the experience learned in your career, you likely have some opinions on training techniques that work as well as what is a waste of time. As a coach, you have the freedom to create your business on your terms.
A Warning: if you are not FINRA-licensed or a CFP or CFA, steer clear of offering specific (or blanket) investment advice or tax advice. And this goes without saying, but if you’re not a lawyer, be sure not to offer legal advice. Stick to your expertise.
4. Start a Social Media Management Company
Another way to make extra money from home is by utilizing your killer social media marketing skills. If you excel at writing amazing ad copy and managing Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram business accounts, you should offer your services to businesses.
You can keep your services local, working strictly with local service providers such as builders, realtors, flooring companies, furniture companies, etc. Or you can branch out and offer services to local bloggers and online entrepreneurs.
My friend Robert got started as a social media manager after taking an online course. He managed to turn Facebook ads into a very lucrative side hustle!
Other Ways to Make Extra Money at Home
Donate Blood Plasma for Extra Money
Did you know that you can actually donate plasma for up to $400 per month? ($800 per month per couple) Donating blood plasma is a great way to save lives and give back to the community, and you’re compensated for your time.
More info on blood plasma donation for extra money
Get your Real Estate License
In order to get your real estate license, you must:
- Be at least 18 or 19 years old depending on the state.
- Be a legal US resident.
- Complete your required pre-license education
- Pass yourstate real estate licenseexamination.
- Pass the national exam.
- Obtain sponsorship from a real estate brokerage.
I earned over $50,000 my first year as a real estate agent in a new state with absolutely no sphere of influence. This can be a great source of income, but it is commission-only, and while hours are flexible, know that you will likely receive calls in the middle of dinner, while helping kids with homework, etc. It is not an “easy” job!
As a Realtor, you do have the ability to work from home, and you can escape the corporate cubicle!
Here’s another article from my friend Peter at Dollar Sanity with 33 different ideas of how to make money fast.
A Warning About Multi-Level Marketing
Very few people are successful in multi-level marketing. Take it from a lady who took out an unsecured loan at 18% interest for inventory when she was 19 years old to sell Mary Kay products. Or take it from the lady who signed up to be a Beachbody coach and ended up breaking even ($0 income) after a year at Diamond level. Both of these are my own personal stories.
You can read more about why I quit Beachbody coaching here and why I don’t recommend multi-level marketing as a sustainable, healthy business.
If that’s not enough, I’ve also compiled 17 stories of women who quit coaching and you can read their stories here.
Wrap It Up
As I typed that header, my entrepreneur-led brain thought, “Ooh! Someone could start a gift shopping and wrapping service!”
These are just a few ways to make extra money from home.
I hope you’re inspired to take action and at least start brainstorming your skills and interests. Then you can decide which work-from-home job or business is best for you. Be sure to check out my article loaded with 76 work from home side hustle ideas.
