50+ Legit Ways to Make Money Online (A Beginner’s Guide for 2025)

I get it, because I’ve been there.

And if you’re feeling this way, you are definitely not alone.

The latest survey from the U.S. Federal Reserve for 2025 confirms that nearly one in five adults now rely on some kind of side work just to make extra money.

I was and still am one of those people. I tried hundreds of different sites, apps, and side hustles. Some were great.

Many were scams.

A lot were just a waste of time!

This guide is the result of over a decade of real-world experience.

I’ve filtered out the junk and organized the best, most legitimate opportunities into clear categories so you can find what actually works for you.

Whether you need $50 by this weekend or you’re ready to start building a real online income stream, you’re in the right spot.

First Step: Choose Your Goal

The world of online money-making can feel overwhelming. To make it simple, I’ve broken this guide into four main paths.

Generally, the options you have for making money on the internet fall into 4 main paths:

1. I Need Quick, Easy Money: For earning small amounts of cash or gift cards with minimal effort, often from your phone. Perfect for beginners.
2. I Want a Real Flexible Side Income: For using skills you already have to earn a more significant, part-time income online.
3. I’m Ready to Build a Real Business: For those who are serious about creating a long-term, scalable online asset.
4. I Just Want to Sell My Stuff: For turning your clutter, from clothes to old books, into fast cash.

Path 1: I Need Quick & Easy Money

If you’re brand new to trying to make money online or just need some quick cash to help with your bills, this is where you want to start.

I don’t think I need to even say this but as a reminder, these methods won’t make you rich, overnight or otherwise!

But you can absolutely and legitimately earn extra money for groceries, gas, or fun.

And the best part?

You can do this stuff while binge-watching Netflix or during those random 10-minute breaks in your day.

Think of it like this, you’re basically turning your downtime into actual cash!

Use “Get-Paid-To” & Rewards Sites

Whenever somebody finds out that I make a living online, they always ask me what’s the best way to earn extra money online as a beginner.

My answer never changes. For anyone getting started with making money online, rewards and “Get-Paid-To” sites (or GPT sites for short) are the way to go.

These are sites and apps that literally pay you points for doing simple stuff, most of which you already do anyway.

Once you have enough points in your account, you get to cash them out for real PayPal money or gift cards to places like Amazon and Walmart.

So, why would they pay you?

Simple. These sites partner with big brands and advertisers who need user engagement. They get paid for your attention, and they share a piece of that money with you.

It’s basically a form of advertising for those brands.

The tasks are usually things you do anyway:

• Searching the web
• Watching movie trailers
• Answering a daily poll
• Playing a quick game
• Trying out a new app

Swagbucks

Even if you are totally new to making money on the internet, I’m sure you’ve heard of Swagbucks.

It has been (and is) one of the biggest rewards sites out there.

You can get paid for taking surveys, searching the web, watching videos, and playing games.

It’s like the Swiss Army knife of making extra cash, and honestly the perfect place to start if you’re new to this whole thing.

It’s the most versatile platform. (They usually offer a $5 sign-up bonus).

By the way, if you join Swagbucks now, you’ll get a $5 sign up bonus.

• Minimum Payout: As low as $1 to $3 for many popular gift cards like Amazon, with PayPal cashouts starting at $5.
• Payout Options: PayPal cash, and a massive variety of gift cards (Walmart, Amazon, Target, etc.).

To see how it works and my personal tips for earning more, you can read my full Swagbucks review here.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a lot like Swagbucks, just with a slightly different vibe.

It also pay you for everything Swagbucks rewards you for.

But it offers something unique too.

It pays you to read emails (yeah, they literally pay you to read promotional emails!). It’s usually a few cents per email, but it’s easy and quick.

For a full list of all the ways to earn and my personal tips for earning more money, you can read my complete InboxDollars review.

What I really like about InboxDollars is that they also have a good flow of videos you can watch for cash.

The catch?

The catch is that these videos have ads!

Advertisers pay InboxDollars to put ads in the videos and that’s how ID is able to pay people for watching these videos.

I’m sure you see ads when you watch videos on YouTube, but you don’t get paid, but here you do.

It’s another great option for making money online without any special skills.

Sign up here to get your $5 bonus.

• Minimum Payout: $15 for your first cash out, but it drops to $10 after.
• Payout Options: PayPal, prepaid Visa cards, and gift cards

QuickRewards

QuickRewards is one of the earliest rewards sites I have ever made money with. It’s been around for so long. I remember the owner used to send payments manually in those days. Now obviously they use automated systems.

I love this site for one simple reason: they pay out incredibly fast.

What really makes QuickRewards stand out is that there’s no minimum requirement for cashing out.

You can get paid through PayPal even if you only have a few cents in your account. If you want quick, guaranteed cash, this is a fantastic option.

• Minimum Payout: $0.01 (no real minimum).
• Payout Options: PayPal and dozens of gift card options.

Share Your Opinion: Paid Online Surveys

Ever wonder who decides what the next flavor of Oreo will be?

People like you and me!

Market research is a multi-billion dollar industry, and big brands are desperate to know what you think before they spend millions launching a new product.

They pay survey companies for that vital consumer feedback, and in order to entice you to take their surveys, survey companies use some of that money to pay you for your time and opinion.

Now, you’re not going to qualify for every single survey out there.

They are often looking for specific demographics (like moms with young children or people who own a certain type of car), but if you sign up for a few trusted survey panels and keep at it, you’ll qualify for enough surveys to make a little extra cash.

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is the one everyone wants to get into, and for good reason. They can be harder to join because they’re usually invitation-only, but it’s worth it. I say “usually” because sometime they do open registration to everyone.

They used to pay a flat $3 for every single survey, but they kind of changed that in the past few years where they also have surveys that pay $1 or $1.50.

This new thing is especially true for member outside of U.S. (yes, they do accept members from a few western countries like Canada and the U.K.).

What I really like about Pinecone is that you almost never get screened out after answering a bunch of questions. They really respect your time. If you are going to be disqualified, you’ll know within the first few questions. It’s not like some other survey sites where you fill out 20 pages of surveys, then all of a sudden you are told you don’t qualify for this survey. I hate that!

• Minimum Payout: $3 (which is equal to the points earned from a single survey).
• Payout Options: PayPal, direct bank transfer (a great feature!), and a variety of physical or virtual gift cards.

Survey Savvy

SurveySavvy is one of the oldest survey panels, and personally, it was one of the first legit survey sites where I ever earned money.

It’s owned and operated by Luth Research, LLC, which is one of the biggest names in the market research industry. So you know it’s as legit as it can get.

And I think I have made the most survey money overall, with SurveySavvy.

Oh, they also have a cool app called SurveyConnect (which acts as sort of a separate survey panel), which pays you just for keeping the app installed on your devices.

By the way, they have a very generous referral program where you get paid for every survey your referrals complete. You also get paid for every survey completed by the referrals of the people you referred.

I’ve attached a screenshot of my earnings as proof. I’ve been a member since 2007, I believe. I did earn a lot from surveys, but most of my earnings now come from referrals.

For an in-depth look at how to get the most out of SurveySavvy and SavvyConnect, check out my full Survey Savvy review here.

• Minimum Payout: Just $1 in your account.
• Payout Options: Physical check mailed to your address.

Go Deeper with Online Focus Groups

This is a major step up from standard surveys. Instead of just answering questions, you join a small group of people online to have a real-time discussion about a product or service.

Because it’s more involved, you get paid much more than what you get for an average online survey.

You can expect to earn $50 to $200 per hour or even more depending on the subject and time it takes.

Here are some of the best online focus group panels to join:

• Respondent.io: One of the best platforms for high-paying remote research studies, with an average payout of over $100 per hour.
• FocusGroup.com (FocusPointe Global): A huge panel with a constant stream of new studies for both online and in-person focus groups.
• User Interviews: They conduct studies for top companies like Pinterest, AT&T, and Pandora.
• 2020Research: This is the site that connects you to the higher-paying online focus groups.

By the way, these sites are run by major market research firms. So some of them may even have local focus groups (like in an actual building near you). Those pay much more. So keep an eye on announcement or notifications when you join them.

• Minimum Payout: No minimum; you are paid for each individual study you complete.
• Payout Options: Typically PayPal, virtual Visa cards, or Amazon e-gift cards.

Help Google be Better

Like Google and its products?

Wanna tell them what you think of their products and features?

Become a participant in Google’s User Experience Research Studies.

And yes, you earn rewards like gift cards and donations to your favorite charity.

There are a few different kinds of studies you can participate in:

• Usability study at a Google office: Usually, you’ll meet up with a Google researcher and answer a few questions about a Google product. Needless to say, for this to work, you have to live close to one of Google’s offices.
• Remote usability study: You can do this one from anywhere in the world. This is done through a screen-sharing session with a researcher. They’ll ask you to visit a site (Google-owned properties like YouTube, Google+, etc.) and try different things while browsing.
• Experiential sampling study: You’ll be using a product and asked to take notes or answer questions. This usually takes over several days
• Field study: Google researchers will schedule an appointment with you to come to your house or office and conduct the study in person.
• Surveys: Just like any online survey, you’ll be able to fill out the survey anytime and from anywhere.

To get started, visit https://userresearch.google.com/ and sign up for free.

Get Paid from Your Phone (Beyond Surveys)

Your phone is more than just a way to check emails and post on social media. You can easily make money with it!

While you can also use your phone to take surveys with survey apps, there are also other ways to use your phone to earn.

Here’s how…

Scan Any Grocery Receipt

Don’t throw away that receipt from the grocery store. It’s worth money.

Brands are desperate to understand what people are buying, and they pay research companies for that anonymous data. You get a piece of the action just by sharing a picture of what you bought.

And Fetch is one of the best receipt scanning apps that pay you.

After you shop, you just open the app and snap a picture of your receipt. That’s it. You get points for every single receipt, from any store.

You’ll get bonus points for buying specific brands, but you don’t have to.

If you want to see my tips for earning points faster and proof that it works, you can check out my full Fetch review.

• Minimum Payout: As low as $3 (3,000 points) for many rewards.
• Payout Options: A huge selection of gift cards (Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.) and prepaid Visa cards.

Scan Your Purchases

This program, now primarily known as the National Consumer Panel (NCP), is one of the oldest market research companies out there.

It’s the same company behind the famous Nielsen TV Rating.

It’s a bit more involved than Fetch.

Basically they send you a special handheld scanner or you can use their app to scan the barcodes on the products you buy before you put them away.

For consistently scanning your weekly purchases, you earn points and get entered into their regular sweepstakes.

• Minimum Payout: No set minimum.
• Payout Options: You redeem your points for a wide variety of merchandise from their gift catalog (electronics, home goods, toys, etc.).

Do Quick Local Tasks (Gig Apps)

There are apps that act as a mobile workforce, paying you to do simple tasks in your local area.

You might check a price at a grocery store, take a picture of a product display, or verify an address.

It’s like a real-world scavenger hunt for cash.

• Field Agent: One of the most popular apps for finding quick local “gigs” that pay $3-$12 each.
• Gigwalk: Another massive marketplace for finding short-term tasks in your city.
• EasyShift: Similar to the others, this app pays you for quick “shifts” completing small tasks at local stores.

By the way, you can pair these apps with others so you can use your time to make even more money.

• Minimum Payout: Usually no minimum to withdraw earnings.
• Payout Options: Direct Deposit or PayPal, depending on the app.

Sell Your Pictures

You don’t need to be a professional photographer to make money from your pictures.

These days, with how advanced phone cameras are, everybody can take decent pictures.

That great photo you took of your dog at the park or a beautiful sunset could be exactly what a small business, blogger, or social media manager needs for their website.

With Foap, you upload your phone pictures to a marketplace where people can buy them. You add a few tags describing the photo, and then it just sits there, ready to be sold over and over again.

You get paid every time someone buys your photo. It’s a fun way to earn some passive income from something you’re already doing.

• Minimum Payout: $5 to cash out.
• Payout Options: PayPal.

Earn Passively by Sharing Data Anonymously

This is probably the easiest money on this entire list.

Nielsen (the same company that has been doing TV ratings for decades) has a similar program for internet. Basically, they want to know how people use the internet.

They will pay you to anonymously share that data.

You simply install the safe and secure Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel app on your phone or computer. It works in the background and collects anonymous data about your browsing habits (things like “people are visiting more sports sites this month”).

You don’t have to do anything else. You just keep the app installed and go about your business. For doing nothing, you earn points that add up to real rewards.

On top of your normal rewards, you also get a $50 gift card for keeping the app installed for a year.

• Minimum Payout: Around $5 for most gift cards.
• Payout Options: Points can be redeemed for gift cards to major retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, and more.

Get Paid to Review Music

Yes, you can actually get paid for listening to new music before it’s released.

A site like SliceThePie pays you to write short reviews on new songs, fashion items, and commercials.

Your feedback helps artists and brands, and you get paid for every review you write.

• Minimum Payout: $10.
• Payout Options: PayPal.

Path 2: I Want a Real Flexible Side Income

This is for when you’re ready to move beyond small tasks and into more substantial “job-like” work.

This isn’t just about earning a few extra bucks for fun; it’s about leveraging a skill you already have to earn a much higher hourly rate and build a real, reliable income stream from home.

Freelancing: Sell Your Skills Online

This is one of the biggest categories of online work. “Freelancing” just means getting paid for a project or task instead of being a full-time, salaried employee.

If you are looking for a flexible way to make money that lets you work whenever you want or can, freelancing is the way to go.

Businesses of all sizes, from startups to giant corporations like Microsoft, hire freelancers to get things done.

Become a Freelancer on a Marketplace

If you have a skill (writing, graphic design, social media) you can sell it online.

The easiest way to start is on a huge, public marketplace where clients are already looking for help.

Think of Upwork as the Amazon of freelance work. It’s a huge, public marketplace where clients post jobs for everything imaginable, and you (as a freelancer) can apply for the gig to get hired.

It’s an great place to build a portfolio and find your first clients, no matter your skill level.

• Minimum Payout: $10 to withdraw your earnings.
• Payout Options: Very flexible. Includes Direct Deposit to your bank, PayPal, and Wire Transfer.

Pro Tip: Find Freelance Clients on Reddit

While big marketplaces are great, they can also be very competitive. A fantastic, less-known place to find clients is on Reddit. A lot of businesses and entrepreneurs use subreddits like r/forhire, r/hiring, and r/freelance_forhire to post “help wanted” ads. All you need to do is join those subs for free and reply whenever you see a gig that fits your skills.

Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)

This is one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand online jobs right now.

You’re basically the remote right-hand person for busy professionals, entrepreneurs, or small businesses.

You’ll be doing anything from answering emails and scheduling appointments to managing social media accounts.

We have a complete guide that shows you exactly how to become a virtual assistant, but a great place to find your first clients is on a dedicated service like Assistant Match.

A great place to look for VA jobs is on a dedicated service like Assistant Match, which connects qualified VAs with clients who need them.

• Minimum Payout: You set your own rates and invoice your clients.
• Payout Options: PayPal or direct bank deposit.

Become a Digital Janitor!

Pretty much every YouTuber, podcaster, and online creator has a community, usually on Discord or Slack.

But here’s the thing…

They’re too busy to actually manage it (I know that because not only because I am in the same boat as those guys and gals but I also know a lot of them that are in the same situation).

They need somebody to keep things organized, friendly, and spam-free.

That’s where you come in, as the behind-the-scenes “digital janitor.”

This is a newer type of virtual assistant job that’s flying under the radar, and barely anyone’s talking about it.

How it Works:

You charge a monthly fee to handle the everyday stuff in a Discord server. You don’t have to be a diehard fan, just dependable and good at keeping things neat.

Your Tasks:

Greet new members, answer basic questions, clean up spam, organize channels, and maybe set up a couple of simple bots (there are plenty of YouTube tutorials for that).

How to Find Gigs:

Search for “Discord Manager” or “Community Moderator” roles on Upwork.

Even better, DM some mid-size creators you already follow. Most of them need help and just haven’t thought to hire anyone yet.

• Minimum Payout: You set your monthly rate (most beginners start around $200–$500/month per client).
• Payout Options: Usually PayPal or direct deposit straight from the client.

Do Data Entry & Transcription Gigs

If you’re organized, detail-oriented, and can type accurately, this is a perfect entry point into online work.

Data entry is basically entering data! They give some information, your job is to enter it all into a spreadsheet.

Transcription involves listening to audio files and typing out what’s said.

You can find these kinds of jobs on dedicated “micro-task” platforms. Clickworker and TranscribeMe are two of the most popular and trusted places to find this type of work.

• Minimum Payout: Clickworker is around $10, and TranscribeMe is $20.
• Payout Options: Both use PayPal

Become a Mock Juror

This one is cool!

I know most of hate it when were called for jury duty, but this is fun jury duty that you can do online and get paid for.

So before lawyers take a major case to trial, they usually do a “test-drive” in front of a fake jury to see what works.

As an online mock juror on a site like eJury, you get paid to be one of those fake jurors.

You’ll review facts of a real case (like witness summaries or photos) and answer questions about your reaction.

You get paid between $5 and $10 for a 10, 20 minutes sessions.

• Minimum Payout: No minimum.
• Payout Options: PayPal.

Get Paid to Tutor Online

If you can help students with their homework, they can help you with your bank account!

You’re not a full-time teacher; you’re just logging on to a platform like Tutor.com when you have free time to answer homework questions or help someone study for a test.

Students post their questions, and experts (you) earn a certain amount of cash for helping them with answers.

• Minimum Payout: There is no “minimum payout” in the traditional sense. You are paid for the hours you work during their monthly payment cycle.
• Payout Options: Direct Deposit to your bank account.

Get Paid to Test Websites

This is one of the most genuinely fun ways to earn a great hourly rate from home.

The design of websites and apps plays a huge role in the success or failure of said apps and websites.

Companies need real people to test their websites and apps to make sure everything works.

On UserTesting, they give you a website or app to check out. You have to follow certain instruction, record your screen, and simply speak your thoughts out loud as you browse. It’s that simple.

You get paid around $10 per test.

• Minimum Payout: No minimum.
• Payout Options: PayPal.

Make Custom AI Art for Gamers, Authors & Pet Lovers

You don’t need to be an artist to sell awesome artwork online anymore.

Thanks to new AI tools, you can make high-quality digital images just by typing what you want in plain English.

And there’s a big, untapped group of people out there who need custom images but can’t afford to hire a real artist.

I know what you’re probably thinking, “Why wouldn’t they just use the AI themselves?”

The thing is, while anyone can use AI, most people have no clue how to write the right prompts to get pro-level results.

Spend some time and use the many free resources and tutorials available online to learn how to make the perfect prompt to get amazing results, even using free tools like ChatGPT.

How it Works:

Use an AI art tool like Midjourney (my favorite) or DALL-E 3.

You just write a short description (something like “A person flying over the moon wearing a astronaut helmet and carrying a brief case full of cash!“).

Within seconds the AI creates it for you. Obviously the first version is usually crap. But that’s where your new found knowledge of AI prompt engineering comes in handy. You adjust your prompt each time to finally get the version yo want.

Once you’re happy with the results, you can then sell your custom designs on sites like Fiverr or Etsy.

Where the Real Money Is:

• Dungeons & Dragons players: They’re always looking for custom character art.
• Self-published authors:  They need one-of-a-kind cover art for their eBooks.
• Pet owners: People love seeing their pets turned into royalty or sci-fi heroes.

This is still super new, and the real skill isn’t in drawing, it’s being creative and understanding what the customer wants.

• Minimum Payout: You set your prices (most charge $10–$30 per custom image).
• Payout Options: Depends on the platform, usually PayPal or direct deposit.

Help Local “Mom-and-Pop” Shops Fix Their Online Listings

This is an awesome way to earn a reliable local income without leaving your house.

You know how when sometimes you Google a restaurant near you and their hours are wrong or the menu is way outdated?

Yeah, I know! I too have wasted time and gas driving to a local restaurant only arrive a find out they are closed on Tuesdays, lol.

The good news for us is that we can turn that into a source of income!

I hate saying this but most small business owners are not tech savvy. So even a simple updating of business hours, menu and location on Google is too much for them.

There are also small business owners who may know their way around the internet but they’re way too busy to deal with this stuff. So they’d rather pay somebody to do this stuff for them.

That’s where you come in…

You can be their go-to, budget-friendly tech guy!

How it Works:

You’re not pitching complicated SEO services here. You’re offering a super simple, low-cost “digital cleanup” service.

The Pitch:  You contact local businesses (restaurants, plumbers, hair salons) with a simple offer: Tell them, “for $50 a month, I will make sure your Google Business Profile is always accurate and up to date.”

Once you get a gig, all you have to do is spend about 15 minutes per client each week updating their hours, uploading new pics they send (like daily lunch specials), responding to reviews, and posting quick updates. Basically, anything that shows people the business is alive and running—and that what they see on Google is actually up to date.

This is honestly a great side hustle. With just a few clients, you can build a nice, steady monthly income.

And once you establish trust with them and they’re happy with what you’re doing, you can upsell other services.

For example, if you know how to build or upgrade websites, you can offer to build them a new site or improve their current one.

The best part?

If you do a good job, small business owners talk. So once you deliver solid results, you’ll likely start getting referral clients without even trying.

• Minimum Payout: You set your own monthly rate and invoice clients directly.
• Payout Options: However works for both of you, PayPal, check, Venmo, whatever works.

Take Your Skills Offline: Local Service Gigs

Not all side hustles happen on a computer screen. Some of the most profitable and reliable ways to make extra money involve using your skills and assets in your local community.

Use Driving & Delivery Gigs

These days we all know at least a person round us who is doing Uber on the side to make extra cash.

And for good reasons. If you have a reliable car, you can turn it into a source of income on your own schedule.

• Uber & Lyft: The two giants of ridesharing. Turn on the app whenever you have free time and earn money giving people rides around your city.
• Uber Eats & DoorDash: If you prefer delivering food instead of people, these apps let you make money picking up and dropping off restaurant orders.
• Shipt: Get paid up to $25 an hour to be a personal grocery shopper and deliver groceries to local members.

These gigs have become one of the most popular side hustles for a reason: the flexibility is unbeatable.

• Minimum Payout: Varies by platform; you can often cash out instantly for a small fee or receive weekly direct deposits.
• Payout Options: Direct deposit to your bank account.

Pet Care Gigs

If you’re an animal lover, this is the perfect side hustle.

With so many sites that connect pet owners with walkers and sitters, it’s easier than ever to get started.

Here are two of the best:

• Rover: The biggest marketplace for finding pet sitting, dog walking, and house sitting gigs.
• Fetch Petcare: Another major platform for finding local dog walking clients.

You can also find local clients for tasks like “dog waste scooping”. Now that’s a service a lot of dog owners are happy to pay for!

• Minimum Payout: You set your own rates and get paid per gig.
• Payout Options: Usually direct deposit through the platform a few days after you complete a service.

Use Your Practical Skills (Handyman, Etc.)

If you’re good at fixing things, assembling furniture, painting, or cleaning, you can sell those services.

A platform like Amazon Home Services connects you with Amazon customers in your area who need help with these kinds of tasks. It’s a great way to find vetted, high-quality local jobs.

Path 3: I’m Ready to Build a Real Business

Okay, this is the path that gets me most excited.

Now, I’ll be upfront with you. Just like building a business offline takes a lot of time, effort and patience, building a money making business online requires a lot of that too.

I know because it’s online, a lot of people have this misunderstanding that it’s easy. But from someone who has done it and is doing it, trust me, it’s not easy. But if you stick to it, you will be happy with the results.

This isn’t just about earning side cash; it’s about building your own asset, something that has real value and can earn money for you even when you’re not actively working.

This is the path of entrepreneurship. It takes more work and patience, but the income potential is unlimited.

Here’s how to start…

Start a Blog or Niche Website

This is the exact path I took to build MoneyPantry.

Basically, you pick a topic (preferably something you are passionate about and or have a lot of knowledge and expertise on), build a site and publish content around that topic.

Create genuinely helpful content to attract an audience of people who trust you.

From there, you can make a very good living through advertising, recommending products you believe in (affiliate marketing), or eventually making and selling your own digital products.

It is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes a ton of discipline and hard work. But the reward is building a brand and an asset that is 100% yours and can provide you with income for years to come.

And unlike a physical business, the startup costs are incredibly low. All you really need is a domain name (your blog’s address, like moneypantry.com) which usually costs about $10-$15 a year, and web hosting (where your blog “lives” on the internet).

You can get started with a good, reliable hosting plan for just a few dollars a month.

The best part?

You make money even while you are sleeping!

That’s what I love about having a website as a business. Sure, you do have to work hard, but once you get there, your site keeps making money even when you are sleeping or not working, unlike a 9-5 where you only get paid for the hours you are actually working.

I have a full guide on how to start a blog and make money here.

Power-Up Your Blog with Affiliate Marketing

A major way bloggers earn money is by recommending products they use and trust.

You get a special link, and when a reader clicks it and makes a purchase, you earn a commission at no extra cost to them.

To find these products, you can join major affiliate networks like:

• Amazon Associates: Lets you earn from almost anything sold on Amazon.
• CJ (Commission Junction): A massive network with thousands of well-known brands.
• ClickBank: A great place to find digital products like courses and eBooks to promote.

These are just a few. There are many other affiliate marketing and CPA networks you can join.

Earn Passively with Display Advertising

You know those ads you see on most websites you visit, including MoneyPantry?

That’s another major way you can earn a passive income as a blogger or website owner.

Basically you sign up for a service like Google AdSense, and they will automatically place relevant ads on your site. Every time a visitor sees or clicks one of those ads, you get paid a small amount of money.

While you won’t earn much in the beginning, once your blog’s traffic starts to grow, this can become a very significant and reliable, hands-off income stream every single month.

For me personally, it is the biggest source of income on this site.

Self-Publish eBooks on Amazon KDP

Amazon’s Kindle publishing platform has made it extremely easy to create and sell your own eBooks without the hassles of traditional publishing.

Not to mention, in most cases, it won’t cost you a dime to create the book.

You don’t need to write a 500-page novel, either. A lot of bestsellers are short, helpful non-fiction guides on topics like cooking, gardening, or fixing things.

You write the book once, upload it, and it can sell for years, creating a fantastic passive income stream.

I actually have a few books on Kindle as well. I go in and update the book every once in a while. I get direct deposit to my bank account almost every month even though I published the books years ago.

I recently took a screenshot of just one of the 44 payment report pages for one of my first eBooks published back in 2015. As you can see, it still brings in money every single month.

• Minimum Payout: $10 for Direct Deposit and most electronic payments; $100 for a check.
• Payout Options: Direct Deposit, wire transfer, or a physical check

Sell Crafts & Designs on Etsy

If you are creative, crafty, or have a good eye for design, Etsy is your storefront.

It’s the #1 marketplace for people to buy handmade goods, vintage items, and unique digital designs (like party invitations or printable art).

Millions of people have built full-time businesses on Etsy (and similar sites) by turning their hobby into a real source of income.

• Minimum Payout: There is a daily minimum deposit amount that varies by country (for the US, it is $25). You can set your deposit schedule to be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
• Payout Options: Etsy deposits your earnings directly into your linked bank account.

Sell Custom T-Shirts (with Zero Inventory)

This business model is called “Print-on-Demand,” and it’s really awesome.

Using a site like Spring (formerly known as TeeSpring), you can design and sell custom t-shirts, hoodies, and mugs without ever touching a single product or spending a dime upfront.

All you have to do is upload a cool design, set your price, and promote your item.

When someone buys it, Spring handles all the printing, shipping, and customer service and sends you the profits.

• Minimum Payout: There is no minimum payout threshold.
• Payout Options: Payoneer or PayPal. You can request a payout anytime you have a balance.

Create and Sell an Online Course

We are all experts in something. You can turn your expertise into a scalable business by creating an online course.

Platforms like Udemy and SkillShare allow you to upload your video lessons and put them in front of millions of students who are looking to learn new skills.

You do the work once to create the course, and it can sell for years.

• Minimum Payout: Varies by platform, but typically around $10 – $100.
• Payout Options: PayPal or Payoneer.

Sell Your Photos as Stock Photography

If you’re good at taking pictures, you can build a business by selling them on stock photo sites.

Blogs and businesses are always in need of images.

You can upload your photos to multiple sites, and every time someone downloads one, you get paid a royalty.

Over time, a large portfolio can generate significant passive income.

A few sites that pay for pictures are:

• Shutterstock: One of the largest and most popular stock photo marketplaces.
• Getty Images (and iStock): A more premium marketplace known for high-quality, professional photos.
• Adobe Stock (formerly Fotolia): Integrates directly with Adobe’s creative apps, making it a popular choice for designers.

You are not limited to only these sites though. There are many other sites that pay you for your photos. So make sure to join them as well to increase your earnings.

• Minimum Payout: Varies, but usually between $25 – $100.
• Payout Options: PayPal, Payoneer, or a physical check.

Build an E-commerce Business (Without Touching Products)

Want to sell physical products without having a garage full of inventory?

You can do it in two ways:

Dropshipping

With this model, you list products for sale on your own website, but you don’t actually own any inventory. When a customer buys something, you then purchase the item from a third-party supplier (often at a wholesale price), who ships it directly to the customer.

A service like Doba can connect you with millions of products from verified suppliers.

Amazon FBA (“Fulfillment by Amazon”)

This is how many of the top sellers on Amazon operate.

You buy products in bulk and ship them to Amazon’s warehouses.

When an item sells on Amazon, their team handles all the packing, shipping, and customer service.

You never have to deal with boxes or trips to the post office.

Path 4: Sell Your Stuff (From Clutter to Cash)

That little pile of “I’ll deal with it later” in your closet?

That’s not clutter…

That’s cash!

And out of all the ways to make money quickly and easily, selling things you already have is the best way to go.

You don’t need to sign up for a service or learn a new skill.

You just need to look around your own home and find things you don’t use or need anymore. Whether it’s new or used.

Sell Your Everyday Clutter (The Fast Way)

We all have stuff lying around that we haven’t used in years.

I know I’m guilty of that myself.

One of my basement closets is literally full of old computers, screens, keyboards, those early language translation gadgets, specialty calculators, and even those old flip phones (remember those phones that you could only text and call with!? I know, we’re old, lol!)

And I know I’m not alone in that. Most of us have a lot of “junk” that can actually be sold for some quick cash.

Now, to sell your random used stuff, you have two options:

Sell locally for fast cash: To sell stuff locally, Facebook Marketplace is the king. You just snap a few pictures with your phone, write a quick description, and post it. Since most buyers are local, you can often get paid cash-in-hand the very same day without dealing with shipping.

Sell to a national audience: eBay is still the giant for a reason. If you have collectibles, vintage items, or anything a bit more niche, eBay lets you reach millions of potential buyers who are specifically searching for what you have.

• Payment Options: Facebook Marketplace is usually cash on pickup. For eBay, you’ll typically be paid via PayPal as soon as the buyer completes the purchase.

Sell Your Old Electronics

That old iPhone sitting in your desk drawer is depreciating every single day. The same goes for old laptops, tablets, and smartwatches. Instead of letting them become worthless, you can trade them in for guaranteed cash right now.

Dedicated buy-back sites make this incredibly simple. You won’t have to deal with picky buyers or lowball offers.

How it Works: You go to a site like Gazelle or USell, enter the model and condition of your device, and they’ll give you an instant cash offer. If you accept, they send you a prepaid shipping label. Just box up your old gadget, send it off, and they’ll pay you once they receive it.

• How You Get Paid: Typically PayPal, a physical check, or an Amazon gift card.

Sell Your Used Books

Years ago, I used to buy used books from our local secondhand stores like Salvation Army, clean them up, and sell them back on eBay. This was my used book flipping side hustle.

The problem?

I had to check how much a used book was potentially worth. And that meant I had to manually enter each book’s ISBN into a site or search on eBay to find out.

But you don’t have to do that!

You can use a site like BookScouter, a price comparison engine.

You just open the site or app and scan the barcode (ISBN number) on the back of your book. It will instantly search over 30 buyback sites and show you which company is offering the most money for it at that moment. It takes all the guesswork out of it.

• Payout Options: BookScouter will show you the options for each vendor, but most pay via PayPal or a mailed check.

Using BookScouter makes it incredibly easy and quick to sell your used books for cash. And if you run out of your own used books, do what I used to do. That could be a great little side hustle!

Sell Your Used Clothes

I’ll be honest with you, my closet is basically a graveyard of clothes I bought with the best intentions but never actually wear.

Sound familiar?

Well, you can do something about it just like I did!

Here’s the thing…

If you’ve got brand-name clothes just sitting there collecting dust, especially stuff that’s still in decent shape, you can easily sell them.

You have two options:

• Use Local Consignment Stores
• Online Consignment Apps

Rent Your Assets for Passive Income

Sometimes, the most valuable things are the ones you use, but not all the time.

Renting out your assets is one of the most powerful ways to generate a passive income stream.

Rent Your Spare Space (Room, Driveway, Backyard)

Do you have a spare room, an unused parking spot, or a nice backyard? You can rent it out.

• HomeStay: Great for renting out a spare room to travelers.
• Peerspace: Allows you to rent out your backyard or other interesting spaces for events and parties.
• JustPark: Lets you rent out your unused driveway or garage space for parking.

Rent Your Car

If your car sits parked for long periods, you can turn it into an income source.

Listing your car on a platform like Turo allows people to rent it out by the hour or day.

Turo deals with the insurance and all the security stuff so you don’t really have to do anything.

Sell Unconventional Items

Here are a few other things you can sell for some quick cash, that you may have not thought about.

Sell Your Hair

Sell Your Blood Plasma

If you don’t mind needles, you can get paid to donate blood plasma.

It’s an easy and consistent way to make some extra cash while helping people.

Reputable centers like BioLife Plasma Services pay donors for their time.

Sell Scrap Metal

Selling scrap metal is one of the oldest side hustles for a reason.

You are literally turning trash into cash.

You can collect everything from aluminum cans to old copper pipes and take them to a local scrapyard for payment based on weight.

How to Avoid the Scams

We all know, there are a ton of scams in “make money online” niche.

I’ve almost fallen for a few myself, so here’s how to protect yourself.

Red Flag #1: They Want You to Pay Them First

If someone (website, company or app) wants you to pay money upfront to “get the job,” run. I don’t care if they call it a “startup fee” or “training materials.” Real companies never ask you to pay them, they pay you. That’s literally how jobs work.

Red Flag #2: They Promise You’ll Get Rich Quick

“Make $500 a day working just two hours!” Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is. Real income takes real work, just like any other job. Anyone promising instant wealth is lying or trying to sell you something.

Red Flag #3: The Job Description Is Super Vague

“Make money from home doing smart work!” tells you absolutely nothing. Legitimate opportunities will say exactly what you’ll be doing, like writing product descriptions or handling customer service chat. If they can’t tell you what the actual work is, there probably isn’t any real work.

Bottom line is that if something feels off, trust your gut. It’s way better to miss out on a “good opportunity” than to get scammed.

So Which Path is Right for You?

Hopefully, by now you have a general idea of how people make money online in different ways. And as I said earlier, most options can fall into these 4 categories, more or les.

So, now it’s time for you to decide which option is the best for you right now. This comparison chart will make it a bit easier for you to decide.

Path	Best for	Effort / Skills	Earnings Potential	Payment Speed
1. Quick & Easy Money	Beginners, needing fast pocket cash, those with spare downtime.	Low effort, no special skills. Just clicks & basic info.	$50 – $300/month	Fast (daily – 1-2 weeks for first cashout)
2. Flexible Side Income	Ready for more serious income, using existing skills, flexible hours.	Medium effort, requires some basic skill (e.g., typing, driving, writing).	$500 – $2,000+/month	Medium (weekly – monthly)
3. Build a Real Business	Ambitious, seeking financial independence, willing to put in consistent work upfront.	High effort, requires learning, building assets.	Unlimited (passive long-term)	Slow (6-12 months for first profits, then regular)
4. Sell Your Stuff	Needing immediate cash from clutter, not looking for ongoing work.	Low-to-medium effort, inventory already owned.	$50 – $1,000+ (Depends on what you have)	Fast (same day – 1-2 weeks)

FAQ About Making Money Online

Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about how to make money online.

Making Money Online: The Bottom Line

I truly hope you find this post useful.

I know that was a lot to take in.

And yeah, it can feel overwhelming.

But here’s the real secret…

You don’t need to do it all!

Look at the four routes I mentioned in the beginning.

Which one feels doable? Or even kinda exciting?

Pick that one and get started.

Read the guides, choose one single site or idea, and take the first small step today. That’s how this really works. That’s how you start.

Remember, the online world may be a virtual one, but there is nothing virtual about making money online. It’s real!