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Without formal work, there are alternatives to earn money. Some people make money through freelance employment, flexible side gigs, or by making money off of their interests.
We have more ways to earn money without a job, so you’re covered whether you’re a student, an entrepreneur, or unemployed.
Nerdy takeaways: Earning money outside of the typical 9–5 job requires time, effort, and occasionally equipment purchases.
It’s possible that you already have skills that you can sell.
Examine your living expenditures to determine where you may make cuts or look for ways to reduce your bills in addition to looking at ways to make money.
- Take part in paid market research.
Companies like Usertesting.com, for instance, can pay people to share their thoughts about commonplace products, services, brands, apps, and websites through paid market research. Participating in focus groups, completing surveys for pay, and engaging in medical research—where one is compensated to provide feedback on or assist in testing medications or treatments—are a few examples.
Pay varies depending on the opportunity; some offer gift cards, an hourly wage, or a point system to participants.
- Work as a virtual helper
Administrative help is frequently required by individuals, organizations, and corporations. From a distance, a virtual assistant assists companies with routine duties including social networking, bookkeeping, and email management.
According to Indeed.com, an employment portal, virtual assistants in the US will make, on average, $24 per hour in 2023.
- Convert audio and video to text.
Audio and video recordings are turned into textual documentation by transcriptionists. A good, low-cost laptop will help, and there are typically typing tests and suggested typing speeds. Additionally, bear in mind that certain tasks, such as medical or legal transcription, may need considerable training.
According to Indeed.com, a transcriptionist typically makes $20 per hour.
- Online sales
Choosing what to sell is the first step. Do you have any old clothing, electronics, or furniture that isn’t in use? Finding the ideal website to sell on is the next step. Examine websites such as Etsy, eBay, and Amazon. - Housesit
Taking care of pets, watering plants, bringing in mail and gifts, and maintaining a tidy and orderly home are all examples of housekeeping.
Benefits include choosing your own clientele, setting your own prices, and having flexible hours. House sitting can be done in your city, neighborhood, or anywhere else in the world, sometimes with free lodging.
Take a look at websites such as housesitter.com and housesittersamerica.com, but note that it may cost money to utilize their job-finding systems. Additionally, some house-sitting websites prioritize free lodging in destinations you wish to visit over paid jobs.
Get up to $250 in cash prizes annually.
You may easily earn incentives for the wise choices you already make, such as checking your credit score, if you have a NerdWallet+ subscription.
- Write reviews on the internet
A lot of businesses that provide goods or services may compensate customers for ratings or comments. Some websites use cash or a checkup ahead to cover the cost of reviews and surveys. On some websites, customers earn points for completing surveys, which they may then exchange for cash, checks, gift cards, or other rewards. - Launch a blog
Once you start producing high-quality material, you may make money from your blog by using affiliate marketing, advertising, e-books, courses, and more. You probably won’t be able to earn money from blogging until you have a sizable following. - Play a game on Twitch
Although success and revenues vary, gamers can earn money by playing video games on Twitch, the most popular livestreaming platform in the world. To find out how to earn money on Twitch, read this post. - Make photography sales
Sell your photos to freelance markets and stock photography websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Upwork, and Fiverr to turn your passion or skill for photography into money. Without using third-party websites, you can also leverage your portfolio to attract clients.
Consider utilizing your phone and purchasing editing software like Adobe Photoshop if you don’t have access to a camera.
- Sit with your pet
For college students or anybody else seeking flexible hours and rates, pet sitting may be a lucrative side gig. Join a pet-sitting service like Rover or Fetch to get started! Pet care. Alternately, you may start pet sitting in your community and build a clientele. According to Indeed.com, a pet caretaker typically makes $15 per hour. - Engage in freelancing work
You can work as a freelancer if you have a talent or interest, like writing, graphic design, or coding. Additionally, you might learn how to use generative artificial intelligence tools, which can enable you to generate money by teaching others how to use AI tools or by producing or editing AI material.
Online markets for freelance services, such as Fiverr and Upwork, allow freelancers to market their services via social media, email, and word-of-mouth, as well as to advertise or build a personal website.
According to Indeed.com, a freelancer typically makes around $23 per hour. However, bear in mind that freelancer pay varies based on a number of factors, including the industry, customers, schedule, and state of the economy.
- Produce a podcast
Making money by starting a podcast can be enjoyable. According to an Edison Research survey conducted in January 2023, 42% of Americans aged 12 and older reported listening to a podcast in the previous month, up from 38% in 2022. Learn how to monetize a podcast as you launch your show and develop an audience. - Work as a delivery or ridesharing driver
Consider registering with a ridesharing firm if you enjoy talking with others and have the time in your schedule. Learn more about how to work as a driver for Uber or Lyft. Investigate smaller ridesharing services like Via as well. As a driver for DoorDash or Uber Eats, you can earn money delivering meals.
Driver compensation varies by region, and costs will reduce profits. (Check out Tommy Tindall, a writer for NerdWallet who tested DoorDash’s salary.) Additionally, go to Indeed.com to compare the pay of rideshare drivers by region.
- Instructor
Tutoring can be an excellent source of income if you have subject-matter expertise.
You can discover how to launch a tutoring business and investigate the various strategies. You can teach in your home or through a school or franchise. In the United States, tutors typically make around $24 per hour, according to Indeed.
- Items for rent
Clothes, vehicles, residences, extra bedrooms, furniture, instruments, storage, tech equipment, and other things are available for hire. Certain websites tend to focus on a particular kind of rental. For those that rent out camera equipment, a website like KitSplit would be ideal, and for those who rent out their homes, Vrbo could be the best option. Additionally, look into generic websites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. - Make use of cash-back applications
Who can refuse the opportunity to receive cash back for their purchases? By linking your bank account, Venmo, Paypal, or debit card, you may use a number of coupon and cashback apps to get a percentage of your purchases back at specific stores. You can occasionally accrue points that can be exchanged for money or gift cards.
