46 Real Ways You Can Make Extra Money From Home

The gig economy is a quickly expanding opportunity for a wide group of workers across the country. Not only does it support millions of people full-time, but also acts as an integral outlet for stay-at-home parents and busy professionals to supplement their income. The Bureau of Labor Statistic released a report in June that reported an impressive 16.5 million people across the US are working in contract, on-call, and contingent positions, signaling that more and more employees are taking control of their finances in new ways.

Working from home goes beyond flexibility and convenience. For some — such as those with limited mobility, chronic illness, teenagers, and busy parents — making extra money from home is the door to balancing a fruitful career.

Freelancing also allows contract workers to pursue their strength and interests, building a workforce of passionate workers independently driving the direction of their own careers. Forbes reported that 63 percent of freelancers chose to make the career switch by choice instead of need. For this reason, it’s important to explore all the ways to make money from home and find the one that best speaks to your strengths and circumstances.

Explore our list of 46 ways to make extra money from home or to even build a long-term career within the gig economy.

46 Ways to Make Extra Money from Home

1. Freelance Your Skills

You may have specific skills or hobbies that are quite lucrative in the freelance world. Depending on your background, expertise, or training in a craft, explore websites like Freelancer.com or UpWork for personalized opportunities. Be sure to explore online communities of people already freelancing in your area for help setting your freelance rates, writing up contracts, and balancing a schedule.

2. Become an Affiliate Blogger

Whether you’re looking to launch a blog or already have one as a  personal hobby, affiliate blogging can help you simultaneously make money from home. Brands connect with popular bloggers to request posts devoted to trying out their product or including an advertisement on the sidebar of their page.

3. Babysit Out of Your House

Ideal for those with children of their own or ones with access to kid-friendly neighborhoods, some parents prefer sitters who host children in their own home. During the interview process, invite your potential parents and their children into your house to show them your daily routine.

4. Take Surveys

Established online programs like Survey Club and Harris Poll Online reward survey takers with cash or gift cards to places like Starbucks, Amazon, and iTunes. Fill out a profile to determine the best surveys, focus groups, and interviews for your demographic.

5. Become a Transcriptionist

Professional transcription services are best for those with advanced typing skills and patience for listening to audio recordings. Businesses across industries often hire transcriptionists to type recorded interviews, meetings, podcasts, and speeches. Companies often pay by the recorded hour, so be sure to check out the common rates to ensure it is worth your time and effort.

6. Direct Sales

Direct sales companies have been around for decades, introducing home-based workers to selling products within their personal network. Choose items or businesses that you feel passionate about — whether it be makeup, kitchen supplies, or health food. In the long run, direct sales jobs can be a freelance launching point for honing your business skills.

7. Let Google Monitor Your Activity

Google occasionally recruits panel research volunteers and tracks their search history and Google App use. Rewards are sent to participants as they answer questions and more while going about  their usual activities. Users have the option to pause the program for privacy whenever they wish.

8. User Test Websites

UserTesting allows you to explore new websites that seek feedback on usability. Similar to survey work, applicants are paired with websites in their niche and demographic. You’ll need a microphone, internet connection, and time to write up a short description of your experience for each job.

9. Tutor

No matter the student’s age, tutors are always a commodity in your local neighborhood. If you’re enthusiastic about working with children and making a certain subject sound exciting, check in with your local school to advertise your services as a tutor.

10. Talk With Foreign Language Students

Practicing common conversation is one of the most important steps to learning a new language. Speak with your local school or community center to see if they need assistance leading causal discussions with their ESL students.

11. Enter Data

If you’re particularly detail oriented, remote data entry jobs are lucrative ways to work from home throughout a range of industries. Many companies hire temps or freelancers to cover lengthy yet necessary data entry projects. Check websites like UpWork for data entry positions from your home computer.

12. Be an Online Juror

Programs like Online Verdict provide complex and interesting work as an online juror from home. After completing an application, read the details of current legal cases and provide feedback to assist the attorneys taking on the case. Public opinion on specific types of cases can help attorneys build cases from unique points of view.

13. Rent Out an Extra Room

If you have an extra space in your home, especially if it has a separate entrance, sites like AirBNB provide the option to open your home to travelers. Be sure you meet the requirements both within your city and for the rental website’s requirements to ensure the process goes smoothly. Explore online communities of AirBNB professional for tips to get started and along the way.

14. Become a Contributing Writer

People turn to online experts every day for a range of topics, from crafting to sailing. If your passion is unique and you have a knack for writing, submit proposals and posts to sites that pay experts for articles on your particular nice.

15. Sell Stock Photos

Shutterstock and other popular stock photo websites welcome a large community of amatuer contributors looking to sell their images. Especially if you live in a popular city or unique area, stock photography is a great way to both build your portfolio and make extra money from home.

16. Subscribe to Free Gift Card Programs

Similar to paid surveys, companies like Swagbucks seek consumer feedback to market and see a range of products across industries. By creating a profile and completing surveys and online tasks, Swagbucks rewards its users with gift cards to many of your favorite locations.

17. Be a Professional Reviewer

If you have a passion for reviewing online products, programs such as Amazon Vine need writers like you to guide their potential buyers. These programs send pre-released or new items to approved reviewers in exchange for honest and comprehensive reviews online.

18. Build Lesson Plans

For passionate former or current educators, Teachers Pay Teachers hosts lesson plans and curriculum resources uploaded and purchased within the education world. Homeschooling parents and teachers also search for creative curriculum.

19. Teach with a Virtual School

Students learning to speak English all over the globe use virtual programs to connect with online teachers. With the use of a camera, microphone, and enthusiasm for guiding young minds, you can teach ESL classes from afar right in your living room on a part-time schedule.

20. Write Your Own E-Book

Special interest e-books are a great way to develop your writing voice and spread expertise specific to your background and field. Amazon has a self-drafting outlet, or sell the ebook on your website for a small fee.

21. Proofread Essays

Students, professionals, and writers constantly seek quality proofreaders to look over their essays or manuscripts. For those particularly passionate about grammar and punctuation, professional proofreading services are lucrative ways to build a side career.

22. Participate in an Online Focus Group

Focus groups help companies and marketing agencies gather first-hand accounts on their new products. With the use of a laptop, camera, and microphone, join online groups to assist brands with navigating their design and marketing decisions.

23. Catch Google Errors

Google rewards those who find bugs or errors in their security system. Though this requires a complex tech background, it is ideal for the computer-savvy expert looking to make extra money from home.

24. Become a Virtual Assistant

Busy professionals, parents, and artists often employ virtual assistants to cover their administrative work from afar. Book travel itinerary, transcribe meetings, or even help with financial organization. This allows flexibility while maintaining a more traditional administrative role.

25. Open an Etsy Shop

Etsy is one of the largest e-commerce websites that host crafters and DIY-savvy home businesses. Most importantly, cater your Etsy shop to your specific skills. Paint unique greeting cards, paint giftable mugs, or even sew baby bonnets.

26. Resell Clothing Online

Shopify allows you to display and sell the best pieces of your closet. With 24/7 support and a large customer base, many use this system as a revolving way to purchase and sell new and vintage clothing.

27. Pet Sit from Home

When neighbors head out for a long vacation, offer your home to their dog, cat, or bird. Having the pet right in your own space means that you can offer 24-hour care to keep their pet from feeling lonely at night. Advertise your services on local community forums or at your local vet.

28. Rent out Your Home for Studio Space

If you have a spare room arranged for music, photography, or art studio space, offer your room to the local artistic community. Websites like Locations Hub even allow you to rent your home or room for film locations in your area.

29. Record Audiobooks

Are you a trained actor passionate about audiobooks? Audible uses an online program known as ACX to host virtual book narrators and drafters. Home recording requires a sound-proof studio, professional microphone, and recording software but can be quite lucrative once you have a portfolio.

30. Edit Audiobooks

Also on the ACX platform, those with audio editing software and experience may make excellent audiobook editors. Offer your services to drafters or narrators as they complete their audio projects.

31. Sell Unused Items

From Magic Cards to kitchen equipment, you no longer need to host a yard sale to sell your gently used items. Before giving anything away or tossing it in the trash, consider if it may be someone else’s treasure by posting it on eBay.

32. Rent Out Gear and Equipment

Perfect for the avid traveler, athlete, or musician, consider renting out your luggage, ski, and hiking equipment or instruments to those looking for short-term use. Be sure to create a clear contract before renting out any items in the event of damage or loss.

33. Sell Your Books

Create your own online bookstore with the help of reselling text and non-textbook websites like BookScouter. Particularly helpful if you recently graduated or have a large library you’re looking to pare down, some highly sought-after textbooks could go for a hefty price.

34. Open a New Bank Account

If you’re looking to open a new checking account, many banks now offer signing rewards of several hundred dollars for your new business. Ensure that you’ll want to stick with the bank for a long period of time, as you’ll most likely need to keep a minimum in the account to keep it open.

35. Cook and Bake for Local Gatherings

If you’re looking to expand your new or lifelong passion for baking, consider offering your services to small events in your local community. Baby and bridal showers, art gallery openings, or downtown festivals may be looking for local, cost-effective bakers to cater their next celebration. Offer to cater a few friends’ events for free to promote your skills and build your network.

36. Download a Rebate App

Grocery shopping apps assist shoppers find the best deals and give rewards for sharing their receipts with brands and marketing agencies. Wrack up enough points to cut down on your grocery bill and simultaneously receive gift cards for restaurants, clothing brands, and online shopping websites.

37. Complete Tasks and Errands

Sites such as TaskRabbit hire local freelancers for small tasks and errands. Though many of the activities take place outside your home, they often require minimal time away and focus on specialized skills like cooking or handyman services.

38. Create a YouTube Channel

YouTube has an entire section of their site devoted to those looking to become paid contributors. Tape your workout classes, teach a class, or start a vlog with ongoing content. Once you have dedicated followers and a certain level of views, YouTube targets your advertiser-friendly content for hosting commercials.

39. Learn UX Design

User experience is a popular freelance skill that is often highly paid through full-time and online outlets. Help brands and small companies build user-friendly and visually appealing websites with your balance of artistic and code-based knowledge.

40. Support a Medical Office

Doctor’s offices require a good deal of ongoing data entry and administrative upkeep that is often difficult for receptionists and other medical assistants. Online data entry services need at-home workers to spend precious time on intricately entering information into their system and ensuring it’s correct with an extra eye.

41. Become an Online Translator

Similar to transcription and proofreading jobs, translation positions can be found on freelancing sites like UpWork and Freelancer. Be sure to peruse average rates for translators throughout the industry so you know how much to begin charging for your services.

42. Try Online Customer Service

When small businesses need more manpower to answer customer questions, they may outsource their customer service team. By answering questions by phone or throughout their website’s chat portal, provide customer care from home while supporting a business you care about.

43. Sell Fresh Eggs and Produce

Ideal for the avid gardeners and farmers, set up a small farmstand in front of your house or at a nearby farmer’s market if you find yourself with an abundance of eggs and produce each season. The growing popularity of finding organic and locally grown produce means that travelers are more likely to stop in.

44. Teach Music Lessons

Spread your love of music throughout the community by coaching voice, piano, or other instrument lessons. Advertise at your local school, parent group, or library.

45. Offer SAT and ACT Prep

Those with a knack and understanding of standardized tests are highly sought-after tutors. As early as the fall, advertise your services to high school parents throughout the area by noting your approach to coaching for the upcoming SATs and ACTs.

46. Help Plan a Wedding

Brides and grooms seeking a budget-friendly way of wedding planning may hire a virtual planner to assist in designing their wedding, speaking with vendors, and ordering supplies. Offer your event-savvy services from the comfort of your home for those who don’t seek day-of coordination.

The key to making money from home is choosing an activity you love. Adding work on to an already busy week is only sustainable in the long run if the side job is partially fulfilling and rewarding. This may take some trial and error at first, but the beauty of freelancing is balancing a schedule that works for you.

Once you’ve found this balance, additional income — even in small increments — can significantly shift your annual budget. Having a buffer in your spending can bridge the gap to your next paycheck, help you build an emergency fund, or allow you to pay off larger amounts of debt before your due date. In the end, making extra cash from home is a vital tool for confidently managing your financial health.