In our last blog, we looked at easy money. Is there such a thing?
As we established, there is nothing as easy as money. You have to put some effort into getting cash in your pocket.
Okay, let’s dive straight in. Some of you may be using some of these ideas, and others might not have considered any.
If you’re looking to make some extra money without too much effort or a significant upfront investment, here are some options that might fit the bill:
Online Surveys and Microtasks
- Surveys: Sites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, pay you to answer surveys and watch videos.
- Microtasks: Platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Clickworker let you do small online tasks like data entry, transcription, or categorization for small payouts that add up over time.
Cashback and Rewards Apps
- Apps give cashback on online or in-store purchases. This isn’t “free” money but passive savings if you’re shopping anyway.
- You can link to your credit or debit cards to earn automatic cashback on purchases at partner stores. But again, you have to spend money at these stores that operate this type of cash-back system.
Selling Unused Items
- Go through your home and find items you no longer need. Sell them for cash on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or OfferUp.
- Digital resale apps like Poshmark or Depop work well for clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Freelance Gig Websites
- If you have graphic design, writing, or data entry skills, you can take on small jobs on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. These gigs often don’t require a significant time commitment and can pay relatively quickly.
- Writing articles or simple proofreading on platforms like Textbroker and ClearVoice can also be done with minimal experience.
Testing Websites and Apps
Virtual Assistant Work
- If you’re organized, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA) to help someone with scheduling or social media management tasks. Some VA roles don’t require specialized skills and can be found on sites like Fancy Hands or TaskRabbit.
Referral Programs
- Some companies pay you to refer friends to their services.
- Look for apps or services with no-cost sign-ups so that you can make a bit without an initial outlay.
Each of these methods requires little or no initial investment. A good strategy is to start with the options that best fit your routine and lifestyle, so you’re not adding too much extra work.
One popular way to make tax-free money is to start dog walking. Doing this in your spare time will cost you nothing and keep you fit. Check out the local area and do your research. See who has dogs, find out if they are working full-time, and if one of the householders stays at home all day looking after children, they might not have time to take the dog for a walk. This is an ideal opportunity to start your dog walking business.
If you have a printer, make some A5 flyers (if you don’t have one and know someone who does, see if you can use it for a short while). Say that you will supply the paper and help with the ink costs ( which will not be much).
You can also see how much it will cost to make some professional flyers. But before you print flyers, see how many take you up on your dog-walking services. Put any money you make to one side; remember, you are trying to build your empire, and that will not happen if you spend it as soon as you make it.
In summary, you will see that there is no such thing as easy money. You are going to have to put in the effort to make money. That’s a fact of life, sorry.
More blogs are coming on how to set up a small business without too much cash outlay.
Keep checking back.
