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Want to make money without working a 9-5 job? Regardless of your reasons for wanting to work outside of traditional employment, there are tons of opportunities available that allow you to work flexible jobs, with no long-term commitment necessary. Luckily, for most of these tasks, all you need is a smartphone and a bit of time to earn cash quickly. Here are 45 ways to make money without a job.
Help a Neighbor Out
Care.com
Care.com is a website that connects families with providers. People can advertise their services like babysitting, home daycare, pet care, errands, and odd jobs, housekeeping, tutoring, and more.
To get started, you create a service profile and fill out your experience and what type of jobs you are interested in. If you are interested in providing more than one type of service, you can create additional profiles in each category.
Once your profile is created, you can start to apply to jobs right away. You use the free version or upgrade to a premium version, which gives you better visibility to families hiring.
Handy
Handy is a marketplace for home services. Handy is not an employer but instead connects independent cleaners and handymen with customers. Cleaners make up to $22 an hour, and handymen make up to $45/hour.
If hired as a professional, you can pick a flexible schedule, working as many or as few hours as you want. To get hired, you must have paid experience in cleaning or handyman services, be authorized to work in the country you are applying in, and have excellent customer service skills.
Make Money When You Buy Stuff
Ibotta
Ibotta is a mobile app that helps users to earn cash back on in-store and mobile purchases. Before you shop, find offers on great products by doing simple tasks. Shop like you normally would at any of their supported retailers such as Walmart, Food Lion, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, and 200 more. Take a photo of the receipt to redeem the offers and get cash back within 48 hours.
Get up to $20 in welcome bonuses for a limited time
ReceiptPal
ReceiptPal is another way to turn receipts into rewards. You simply take a picture of your receipt, connect your email or Amazon account to turn your receipts into points. The points can then be redeemed for gift cards to popular retailers. Just for being a member, you are entered into weekly sweepstakes to win cash prizes.
Rakuten/Ebates
Rakuten bought Ebates in 2014 but didn’t change the way this website works. Rakuten gives you up to 40% cash back at over 2,500 stores. There are no points, fees, or forms that you have to sign.
To get the benefits, start shopping through Rakuten.com or use the app to locate a store or deal that you want to capitalize on. Every quarter, you get your payment via check or PayPal.
Get a $10 welcome bonus when you sign up through my referral link.
Paribus
Paribus is an app that helps you to track price changes. Once you sign up, it will sync with your account to scan for receipts. If any price drops at a participating merchant shortly after purchase, the company will negotiate for you to help you get the better deal. They track purchases from more than 25 major retailers, including Kohl’s, Target, Nordstrom, and Walmart.
Shopkick
Shopkick is an app that gives users rewards for various activities, like walking into stores, scanning items, making an in-app or in-store purchase, and submitting receipts. Shopkickers can earn reward points and then redeem them for various gift cards from major retailers like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, and Groupon.
Play the Long Game
Acorns
Acorns is a financial app that allows users to invest their spare change into different portfolios that made up of ETFs. This investment app will monitor your bank account and automatically round up and invest the change from your daily purchases.
For example, if you spend $.90, Acorns will round up and invest the $.10. There is no minimum to set up an account, but you must have at least $5 to start investing. (Get your first $5 to invest with this referral link.) Acorns has a small monthly fee between one to three dollars a month.
Stockpile
You don’t need a ton of money to start investing with Stockpile. The app allows you to start investing for just $5. You can buy fractional shares of more than 1,000 + stocks and ETFs. There are no fees to sign up, you just have to pay $.99 per trade.
There are never any fees or minimums, and you can get fractional shares at a price you can afford. Some of the shares Stockpile offers include Google, Twitter, Tesla, Apple, Facebook, and more.
Sell Stuff
Poshmark
Poshmark is one of the top social commerce marketplaces that allow people to sell new or used clothing, shoes, and accessories. Poshmark makes it easy to sell items on the site.
All you have to do is tap a picture of the item you want to sell, fill in a description, set a price, and then hope to sell it! When you make a sale on Postmark, the company provides you with a pre-addressed, pre-paid label that you can drop off at USPS or have it picked up from your house.
I have created quite the side business selling on Poshmark!
eBay
eBay makes it easy to get started and sell unwanted items you have laying around your house. Sign up, enter your personal details, and then take pictures of the item you want to sell. Write a description and estimate your shipping charges. If it sells, you box it up and then ship it off to get your money!
Learn more about making a living on eBay here
Amazon FBA
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is one of the most advanced fulfillment networks. Using FBA, you can store your products at the centers, and Amazon will pick, pack, ship it. It’s perfect if you want to scale a business and reach more customers with the help of Amazon.
When you sell products through FBA, your customers get free two-day shipping, and Amazon handles all customer service and returns. In return, you are charged for storage space and fulfilled orders.
Learn more about Amazon FBA here.
Gazelle
If you have used electronics like cell phones, tablets, and computers laying around, Gazelle helps you to sell these. Even if your electronics are broken or used, the company will send you money for the devices. To sell your device, start by answering a few questions about it and then Gazelle will tell you how much it is worth. Once you accept their offer, they pay for shipping, and you get paid!
Craigslist
No matter what you want to sell, you can make it happen on Craigslist. It is free to post on Craigslist. To get started, post a picture of the item you want to sell, write a description, click submit, and your ad will be published within 15 minutes. Most listings are good only for local sales, which is ideal for someone who doesn’t want to deal with shipping goods to others.
Facebook Marketplace
For those who have Facebook, you can buy or sell local goods. Use your Facebook account to post pictures of items that you don’t want any more in your house, and then wait for people to contact you. The Marketplace is free to use, and you can sell anything you want, including home and garden items, clothing, accessories, electronics, and more.
Rent Your Stuff
Airbnb
Do you have an extra room or even an entire home that is going unused? You might want to consider becoming an Airbnb host and have people stay in your living space, for a fee.
You can choose your schedule, rates, and select your booking requirements. It is free to create a listing, but Airbnb does take a percentage of the booking fee.
Airbnb offers host protection insurance and host guarantee up to $1,000,000 to help protect your home, in the event that something goes wrong with your home. As soon as the guest checks out, you get paid!
Outdoorsy
When you aren’t using your RV, there are sites available that allow you to list your RV to make a little extra cash. Outdoorsy offers a $1 million insurance that covers both the renter and owner, so you never have to worry about your stuff getting destroyed. Within 24 hours after your RV has been rented, you get paid! All renters have to be verified first, and it is free to list on Outdoorsy.
Turo/RelayRides
Turo, formerly RelayRides, allows private car owners to rent out their vehicles through an online platform. You can rent out your car when you aren’t using either by the hour or by the day.
Once you sign up for Turo, you will have to install a Getaround Connect device that allows your car to be equipped with keyless entry and increases its security. Once you set the availability of your car, all you have to do is wait for the bookings and money to come rolling in automatically.
BabyQuip
As your children grow, you might be looking for a side gig to make extra money. BabyQuip might be the right fit for you if you have baby gear that is going unused. You can be hired on as a Quality Provider who helps families who are traveling to rent baby gear. There is a $100 fee to start, which covers admin expenses, insurance set up, and your first-month insurance coverage. Once you receive an order, you get paid within two business days.
Make Stuff to Sell
Spreadshirt
If you are creative, you might want to check out Spreadshirt. You can sell your designs on more than 200 apparel and accessory items. For every $20 shirt you sell, you make $12. You can even choose to sell on the marketplace or create a t-shirt store. Spreadshirt gives you control over what your shop looks like and what products you sell.
Etsy
Starting an online store through Etsy is easy and free. Before you open a shop, make sure that the items that you want to sell fit within their requirements. The marketplace allows you to sell craft supply, vintage, or handmade goods. Each listing costs $.20 to post. If you are crafty, it might be the right way for you to make money without having to get a job.
Teespring
For those who love to create T-shirts, then consider checking out Teespring. It is a platform that allows you to create and sell custom T-shirts easier. All you have to do is design the product, pick the price, and start to sell.
Learn more about selling t-shirts
Merch by Amazon
Merch by Amazon is a platform that lets you create and list t-shirt designs on Amazon for free. It requires you to put no money up-front, and you get paid per shirt. All you have to do is pick a design, choose the right color for your design, and then set the price. Amazon handles everything else for you.
Sell Your Photos
Foap
For aspiring photographers who have a decent camera, Foap is a great way for you to sell your photos online. For each picture you sell, you get a $5 commission. There are no fees, and it is easy to get started.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is another free platform for aspiring photographers and artists to sell royalty-free images, footage, vectors, and illustrators. It’s free to sign up, easy to submit your photos, and get paid! The price you earn per picture varies from $.25 to much more.
Monetize Your Health
HealthyWage
For those who are trying to lose weight, but need a little extra incentive, join HealthyWage. You can customize a challenge to help you drop the pounds and win money if you are successful. To join a challenge, you will have to pay a fee, which you get back (and more!) if you complete the challenge. If you aren’t successful, you lose your fee.
Learn more:
StepBet
StepBet is a fitness game that helps you build an active lifestyle. You generally pay a $40 fee to join the six-week games and have to meet your personalized step goals during every week of the game. If you don’t meet the goals, you are disqualified and lose the fee. However, if you are successful, you win your fee back and split the pot with the other winners.
I have participated in several StepBets over the past year. Learn more:
Get Paid to Drive & Deliver
Lyft
Love to drive and need cash fast? Lyft allows you to get paid instantly, anytime. To become a Lyft driver, you must be at least 21 years old, pass a DMV and background checks, and have a smartphone. Your car must have at least four doors, with five to eight seats. You must also have had your US driver’s license for at least one year, have proof of insurance, and submit a photo of yourself.
DoorDash
If you love to drive, but don’t want to drive people around in your car, then DoorDash might be a good fit for you. As a Dasher, you must be 18 years old, have an Android or iPhone smartphone, and volunteer your social security number.
Even if you don’t have a car, you might be able to use a motorcycle, scooter, bike, scooter, or even walk in some markets. Dashers will deliver food and other items from local merchants to customers.
Postmates
Postmates brings together couriers to deliver goods locally. It currently operates in more than 2,940 cities. There are no fees to join, and you take home 100% of what you earn.
It’s a flexible way to make money. Once you sign up, you get sent a free delivery bag and pre-paid card so you can deliver any sorts of goods like food, drinks, retail, and more.
Amazon Flex
Love Amazon, and want to work for them? Amazon Flex is your chance. Get paid $18-25 an hour delivering packages for Amazon on your time. Opportunities are available seven days a week.
You might be delivering Prime Now or AmazonFresh orders, and you might even have to pick up orders from a local store. The only vehicle requirements are that it must have enough space to accommodate all the packages on the way to your deliveries.
JustAnswer
JustAnswer brings together experts in a variety of industries like animal behavior, engineering, finance, and wellness. Even if you just have general knowledge, there is a place for you at JustAnswer. You can work when you want, for as long as you want. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. According to the website, the top experts make thousands each month.
YourMechanic
If you are handy with cars, then consider filling out an application to be a mechanic with YourMechanic. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and then you will have to do a phone interview with a service advisor.
Once you are hired, you can work a flexible schedule and get paid between $40-$60 an hour. You will travel to your client’s houses and do basic repair and maintenance work. You won’t ever have to do engine overhauls or major transmission work.
HelloTech
For those who are good with technology, you can get paid up to $90/hour to provide on-demand tech support. However, the application is a little intensive. You first must fill out an online application, pass a video interview, complete two assessment quizzes, do a phone screen, and lastly pass a background check. After you have completed everything, you can then choose your hours and get paid to help people.
Small Tasks & Surveys
Amazon mTurk
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing platform where you can sign up to do microtasks. There are thousands of available tasks available, so even if you only have a few minutes, you can still make money doing a wide variety of things. Work available on mTurk includes image/video processing, data verification, and clean-up, information gathering, and data processing.
Fancy Hands
For those who love to help people and don’t mind phone work, Fancy Hands can be an excellent way to make some extra cash. You might be required to complete small tasks for others, including scheduling appointments, booking hotels or car services, or even data entry. To do the job properly, you should have a computer, reliable internet, and an audio headset with a microphone.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an easy way to make Swagbucks, or SB, for doing surveys. You earn SB by shopping online, watching videos, searching the internet, answering surveys, and more. Once you have earned enough SB, you redeem them for gift cards to major retailers like Amazon or Walmart, or you can get cash through PayPal.
I have long been a Swagbucks user and frequently save up my SB to help with my holiday shopping. Learn more here.
PineCone Research
PineCone is another way to earn money for completing surveys. Once you earn a certain amount of points, you cash it in for merchandise or money. While you are doing the surveys, you can learn about the products before they even hit the market, and influence what products reach the stores. At the time of writing this post, panelists earned $3 per completed survey.
InboxDollars
To make money online, you could join InboxDollars. Once you sign up, you make money for completing surveys, watching videos or TV, redeeming food and grocery coupons, and shopping, reading emails or playing games.
Right now, you get a free $5 bonus for signing up.
Gigwalk
Want to make a little extra money or a whole lot, then Gigwalk might be a good option for you. Download the app, register your account, link up your PayPal, and you are ready to find gigs in your area that you want to complete. Gigwalk offers a flexible work schedule, with each job taking anywhere from five minutes to a few hours, and you can earn between $3 to $100 or more per gig.
Field Agent
To get started as a Field Agent, all you have to do is download the app. Agents use their phones to collect information, photos, and video from stores and other locations to help improve the businesses. Once you’ve chosen a job, you have less than two hours to complete the job, so make sure you plan accordingly. Each task typically pays between $1 and $12 each.
Start a Blog
For those who love to write and have a unique idea, you might want to consider creating a blog. To get started, you will want to choose a niche or topic that you want to write about, instead of just a general theme. You will want to make the content as useful as possible by adding value to your reader’s lives. Therefore, they will continue to be interested and come back to read your blog.
Blogging takes a lot of work and the money doesn’t come overnight. You will likely be putting in a lot of legwork before you start seeing any return.
While this might be a lot of work, it will be worth it if you want to make money through the blog. There are many different ways to make money, including sponsored posts, site-wide sponsorships, competitions and giveaways, and affiliate links. You could even consider selling virtual or physical products, such as eBooks, courses, software, reports, apps, or teaching material.
Learn more:
Become a YouTube Star
If you have knowledge to share but don’t like to write or are overwhelmed by the thought of starting a blog, consider YouTube. YouTube is free to start using and posting videos, and it isn’t just for amateur filmmakers or people filming in their basement.
To make money on Youtube, you must build up an engaged audience first. You can then join the YouTube Partner Program, which allows you to monetize eligible content. You can choose what types of ads you want to run on your videos. However, to be eligible, you must have at least 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers.
Learn more:
I hope we have given you a few ideas to make money without a job. Now, get out there and get to work!