Most digital side hustles have a realistic income ceiling and expected time commitment. Choose the ones that best align with your lifestyle needs.
1. Participate in market research
Online surveys won’t net you a hefty income, but you can earn a few dollars here and there. Many survey sites pay in gift cards, but some, like Branded Surveys, allow you to cash out your earnings via PayPal or direct deposit. By consistently taking surveys and earning points, you’ll become a Branded Elite member and qualify for additional bonus points and rewards.
We’ve ranked dozens of paid survey sites, many of which are scams purporting to represent legitimate entities, so be careful when handing out personal information to a brand you haven’t heard much about.
2. Sell old phones or technology
I used to have a habit of holding on to all my old laptops and cell phones, even after I upgraded to a newer model. That changed when I discovered Decluttr and sites like it where you can sell your old electronics.
I recently got $24 for trading in an old Samsung Galaxy S7 that I had previously bought from the company. Decluttr gives you an instant quote and offers a highest-price guarantee. If you find a better deal on another site, send in your quote and they’ll match it, no questions asked.
3. Complete affiliate offers
It’s no secret that companies will often pay big bucks to acquire new customers. Usually, they’ll pay it to a third party who then advertises on behalf of the target company. Now, you can intercept a portion of that kickback because these third parties will actually give you a portion of their affiliate earnings as a reward.
One such “get paid to” site is Freecash.com. The site offers 4,000+ ways users can earn kickbacks by completing a variety of tasks. Testing apps, playing games, signing up for free (or paid) offers, or taking quizzes are but a few of the many ways you can earn money online using their site.
According to their website:0h 17m 16s was the average time until a user made their first cashout.
$24.72 was the average figure earned by users yesterday.
$54,906,593 is the total figure they’ve paid out to date.
To boot, they have a daily bonus ladder, a daily leaderboard in which they give away $500 to top earners, a robust friend referral system, and a $1 bonus for signing up and creating an
4. Start investing
If you struggle with saving but are great at spending, there are a few cool ways to help you invest that leverage your inability to keep your wallet closed.
Apps like Acorns have a “Round-Up” feature that operates just like it sounds: it rounds up [to the nearest whole dollar] each purchase you make at the store, and sweeps it into an investment account.
For example, if you spend $56.34 on gas, they’ll round it up to $57.00 and place $0.64 into your investment account. It’s an easy, affordable way to start saving for retirement that just makes sense. You can read more about Acorns in our in-depth review.
5. Earn cashback and rewards online
Cashback apps and browser extensions help you save money on everything from groceries to books. You won’t earn a fortune, but if you do a good bit of online shopping, the savings can really add up.
For example, I’m able to automatically claw back an easy $10 to $20 each month with the free DollarSprout Rewards browser extension. It gets me cash back at my favorite stores like Overstock, Walgreens, and Walmart, and it also scours the web for promo codes and coupons for additional savings at checkout.
Once you have the browser extension installed, DollarSprout Rewards lets you know if there’s a deal available for any one of 15,000+ different retailer websites. One simple click activates the cash back offer and there’s no “catch” for using it. If your earnings balance exceeds $5 at any point during a particular month, you’ll automatically receive a cash payout to PayPal the following month.
Just simple, completely free cash back in your pocket.
6. Sell your unused internet connection
It sounds weird, but hear me out: companies like Honeygain will literally buy your bits of unused data and internet resources so they can power their Content Delivery services for the partner Fortune 500 companies they work with. Your computer becomes part of a larger “hive” of computers and internet connections that help power the network.
By installing the app on two devices and sharing about 5 GB per day, Honeygain estimates the average user will earn $45 per month in passive income.
If you have an unlimited data mobile plan, cable, fiber, or DSL, odds are you’ll have some extra bandwidth to donate. Better yet, new users also get a free $3 gift when they register online. Check out their website to learn more.
7. Start a blog
Making money by starting a blog is more realistic than you may think. Bloggers make money by advertising for companies they’re affiliated with. When users click an affiliate link and make a purchase, the website owner earns a commission. There are other ways to make money blogging such as by displaying advertising, selling your own products, or writing sponsored content.
Blogging platforms such as HostGator provide a simple, affordable way to start your own digital business from home for less than the cost of a cup of coffee each month. (It’s the same way we built DollarSprout into a seven-figure brand.)
8. Invest in real estate
In the past, the only way to get exposure to the real estate market was to plunk thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars into direct buy deals.
Then REITs came around and the burden was lightening, allowing more affluent Americans the opportunity to invest with just a few thousand dollars in today’s economic environment.
But with the advancement of technology and a little innovation, for as little as $10, the average Joe can now get started with real estate investing. This is because companies like Fundrise allow everyday investors the opportunity to buy fractional shares in large real estate projects.
If your appetite for risk doesn’t include buying and selling stocks, or you’d like to diversify your holdings further, a modest position in the real estate market may be up your alley.
9. Monetize your location data
Ever received one of those push notifications from Starbucks asking if you want a drink if you’re within a stone’s throw of a physical location? Recall apps on your phone asking for permission if they can use your location data?
Odds are you have over a dozen apps on your phone currently tracking every step you’ve ever made. Now it’s time to monetize it.
With Tapestri, users can earn up to $25 per month simply by turning on their location sharing.
Tapestri then partners with massive brands to help them gain insight into consumer behavior and shopping patterns. The location data is completely anonymous, and as we mentioned earlier, you’re already sharing it with a number of other apps — at least with Tapestri, you’ll get paid for it.
10. Become a proofreader
Proofreaders help authors, bloggers, and even court reporters ensure that their content is grammatically correct and error-free. A proofreader’s role is to be an extra set of eyes after the author and editor have finished their job. They scour content for any errors that may have previously been missed. With a modest list of clients, a freelance proofreader can reasonably expect to earn several hundred to even several thousand dollars per month working in their spare time.
Tori Gellino, a DollarSprout reader and avid side hustler, earns an average of $1,200 per month moonlighting as a virtual proofreader. She recently shared her best tips for finding a stable of 5 to 10 reliable clients and the training she completed before bringing them on board.
Ready to start? Caitlin Pyle offers a free webinar and training course — Proofread Anywhere — for people interested in starting a freelance proofreading business from home.
11. Start a dropshipping business
Dropshipping businesses have become an extremely popular way to make money online over the last decade. Dropshippers source products from manufacturers, then sell the product through their online store. When a customer places an order, the item is shipped from the manufacturer directly to the customer’s home. You never have to store inventory or manage orders. Shopify, one of the most well-known eCommerce platforms online, offers a free 45-minute workshop on how to start and launch a dropshipping business.
12. Manage Facebook Ads for businesses
One of the ways Facebook makes money is by allowing companies to advertise its products and services in users’ news feeds. Most small business owners don’t realize the value of running Facebook ads for their business. By learning to communicate the value of ads in reaching new clientele and building brand awareness, you can earn $1,000 to $2,000 per month for each client you book.
Start by reaching out to small business owners in your area or by taking an online course that teaches you how to manage ads on Facebook and start booking clients.
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