Pocket a little cash without getting scammed.
Avoid the get-rich-quick schemes by sticking to these sites.
It doesn’t take much time to run across someone
pitching a “get-rich-quick” scheme online. We’ve all seen them – people
who promise to show you how to make thousands at home in your spare
time.
Guess what? Like any get-rich-quick scheme, it’s only going to make money for the person running the scheme.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t reputable ways to earn a little bit of money online during your spare time. There are many easy and legal ways to earn a few bucks on the Internet.
Here are nine to try:
- Mechanical Turk is a program run by Amazon where anyone can sign up and complete simple tasks – like choosing which of two pictures depicts a bridge – to earn a few cents per task. With some practice, you can earn a few dollars an hour while just sitting on your couch watching television. And with enough focus, you can earn an amount roughly equal to minimum wage.
- YouTube allows anyone to post nonexplicit videos on pretty much any topic they desire. Recording a video can be as simple as turning on the camera on your computer and hitting the record button. If you enable advertisements on your videos, you can earn money at a rate of about $1 to $3 per 1,000 video views. The more videos the have, the more views you can accrue, so this option really pays off if you record a lot of videos and build a viewership.
- eLance allows people in almost any profession to find freelance work at home in their spare time. While the projects on eLance aren’t going to earn you a ton of money, they do provide a great way to build an independent portfolio to show off your skills while also building a network of clients.
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allows anyone who has written a book on their own to upload it to Amazon to be sold on Amazon Kindle devices. Let’s say you write a novel and want to sell it. If you upload it here and then promote it online through social media or blogs, you can sell copies of your book and earn as much as a 70 percent return on each sale.
- Fotolia allows you to sell photos you’ve taken for stock photography usage. For example, if a publisher is looking for a picture of a beach and you uploaded such a picture, the publisher can use Fotolia to purchase the rights to use that picture in its publication and you receive a cut of that money. For a photography hobbyist, this is a great way to earn a few dollars for some of your best photos.
- Swagbucks is perhaps the most popular – and most legitimate – of the online survey sites. Swagbucks pays you a small amount for participating in a consumer survey, which companies then use to figure out what kinds of products to make and sell. You can participate in several surveys a day, and Swagbucks earnings can be redeemed for gift cards from Amazon, Target, iTunes and more.
- Fiverr is a website where you can make $5 doing almost anything. On the site, people upload jobs that they’re willing to do for $5, like writing Facebook posts for companies. Many of the jobs require creative skills such as graphic design or audio editing, but tasks are things you can easily do on the couch in your spare time.
- Skillshare is a website where you can teach an online class and get paid for it. You record series of videos on a topic that you know about – popular subjects include crafts, film, fashion and cooking – and then participate on the Skillshare forums related to your class. In exchange, you receive a cut of the money from the people who take your class. No teaching degree is necessary to get started, and the site says teachers can earn an average of $3,500 a year.
- Zirtual is perhaps the most time-consuming, but most rewarding, option. With Zirtual, you sign up to be a Zirtual Assistant to a busy person. The person will send you things to do such as write emails, research a topic and summarize the findings, or personal tasks such as order flowers, manage a personal calendar or write handwritten notes. The starting base pay is $11 an hour, and Zirtual Assistants work weekdays full time.
All
of these websites offer great opportunities for anyone to earn some
extra money online. It all depends on what you want to bring to the
table in terms of time, money and effort.
Similar
to making money from online surveys, GPT sites reward you in cash and
vouchers for completing various offers or activities online.
If you’ve ever seen the film The Social Network then you’ve most likely had your brain spinning as to what website you can start-up to make you billions.
The
key to success with eBooks is to create value, and write non-fiction.
Simply bundling information you have researched and complied on a common
problem (eg. ‘secrets’ to finding a job) and then presenting it in an
easy to digest format (an eBook) justifies someone spending a few quid
on it.
A
part-time job is the obvious first choice, opted for by most students
looking to supplement their student loan. It provides a pretty steady
flow of income and can enable you to gain valuable work experience.
There
are a variety of tasks (known as HITS), but most commonly they involve
mindless data entry or form filling. You are rewarded in cash (though
$USD) for the work you do, and you can choose for what and when you
work. Give it a go [Update: Currently US signups only, try ClickWorker].
A
domain name is just a website address (eg. ‘savethestudent.org’ or
‘mysite.co.uk’) and there are lots of extensions (.com, .net, .co.uk
etc).
Today becoming a mystery shopper is easier than you think and you can get rewarded handsomely.
If
you are looking to make a very quick buck, then selling your old bits
and bobs that are cluttering up your room is a good idea.
You
may feel as if you aren’t qualified to be a tutor, but seeing as you
are at university you will most likely have the qualifications to tutor
for GCSE or even A-Level. Some parents may feel that their child will
react better to a younger tutor, and it can be great experience, so why
not give it a go?
Some student accommodation
comes with a drive or garage. If you aren’t using your parking space
and you live in a busy area then you might be in luck. There are plenty
of people that may work in the city centre and are fed up of paying
through the roof for daily parking.
Advertise
your services locally. It’s a classic money-maker, and for good reason.
You get paid (well) to watch TV and not very much else!
Directors for TV and film are always on the hunt for houses to film in. For instance, a scene for Coronation Street was recently filmed in the student house one of the Save the Student editors used to live in!
Ok,
ok – this isn’t what you think. “Renting out your body” can go as far
as you want it to go. For example we reported on a story a while back
about students who are turning to lap dancing to make a quick buck.
If
you can sing or dance then this is your time to shine baby! Did you
know that Justin Bieber started off busking? That’s right, with a little
work you can be as annoying as him.
According to recent stats we now watch more videos on YouTube than searches on Google. And with the recently introduced YouTube Partner Program
you can now profit from making and uploading videos. You will receive a
percentage of the advertising revenue collected per 1,000 views.
We
all know how much money there is in property, but on the surface (with
house prices as high as they are) you might be thinking this market is
off-limits.
What can you do well where others struggle? Fix bikes, computers, write articles, create websites, make cupcakes or fresh lemonade?!
