chicо
Iron
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2025
- Posts
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With how much inflation is going up, about everyone I know if trying to find ways to make some extra money. I found what I think are the seven best ways to make money online along with the basics of how to get started. The best part is that most of these don't require any (or very little) with regards to startup costs.
If you prefer video instead, I also put together this video that covers the same subjects.
Take surveys for money ($8/hr)
How it works:
Sign up on a website (don't think I can promo any lol) , fill out surveys which take on average 10 minutes to complete and get paid $0.50-$1.00 per survey. You’ll typically get paid in gift cards, but cash equivalents like prepaid Visa and Mastercard’s are available.
Pros
- No startup costs, no skills required, can start today
- Get paid
Cons
- Time intensive
- Requires you to disclose a lot of personal information
- Not scalable and pays very little
Become a Virtual Assistant ($15/hr)
How it works
The details of what you’re required to do as a virtual assistant will vary job to job, but you could be responsible for: answering emails/phone calls/organizing meetings, performing data entry, working community outreach, social media marketing, and developing client connections. It works like any other job you’ve held although you may be paid as a 1099 contractor instead of a W-2 employee
Pros
- Flexible hours
- Lack of skills not necessarily a disqualifier
- Can work for multiple different businesses at the same time
Cons
Trading time for money which limits the potential upside in earnings
Not very high paying compared to other online job opportunities
Freelance Work ($20+/hr)
How it works
If you have something you’re good at doing, you can probably make money doing it for someone else. Using a website like Fiverr/Upwork/Freelancer.com you advertise what sorts of jobs you’re willing to take and your experience level, (it could be: Graphic design, social media marketing, editing videos, copywriting if you can think of it, someone probably needs help getting it done)
When you first start out you’ll probably need to advertise a lower rate to get your initial customers. Over time as you build a catalog of your work (and hopefully 5-star reviews), you’ll start raising your rates.
Pros
- Almost unlimited earning potential as you develop a brand and business
- Completely flexible hours, you set your own deadlines to adhere t
Cons
- Initial earnings will be quite low
= Highly competitive field to break into
Drop shipping ($1,000-$2,000/mo with much higher potentially)
How it works
I’m sure you’ve seen advertisements on YouTube talking about how you can make six-figures a month by starting a drop shipping business. I’m not going to tell you that there is some secret to make you wildly successful, but if you learn the best business practices and put in the work, earning an extra couple thousand dollars a month is well within reach.
Using a website like Shopify or Amazon, you become a middleman finding popular products people want to buy, list them for sale, and once someone makes a purchase through you, you buy that product from someone else for less and pocket the profit.
Pros
- No upfront cost and no inventory required
- Huge demand for products
- Ability to scale to a sizeable source of income
Cons
- Heavily competitive
- Profit margins are slim as sellers undercut the price of others
- Heavy time requirements
Become an Author ($0 to whatever you can scale)
How it works
If you’re good at writing, then become a self-published author and making money from your works can be quite profitable if you do it right.
You can potentially start with no money upfront. Write everything on the computer you already own, find a friend or two to proofread, and design your own cover. Once you have the product you can use Amazon’s KDP program to publish your book in an eBook, paperback, and hardback version all for free. It’s works with a print on demand system, so you don’t have to carry any inventory. Whenever a customer buys a copy of your book, Amazon takes a cut of the sales price to cover their expenses plus padding for profit and you pocket the rest.
Pros
- You’re able to start up with no upfront cost, granted that won’t set you up on the best path to success, but you have the option to do so
- Unlimited earning potential, some authors earn 7 figures a month and no they aren’t Stephen King, they’re authors you’ve never even heard of
- Huge networks of authors that help each other out to succeed like the Facebook group 20Booksto50k, which helps self-published authors earn a full-time jobs worth of income through book publishing
Cons
- Although print on demand services significantly cut cost, there are other expenses that cut into your profit such as: finding a good proofreader and or copywriter along with a graphic designer to design an appealing book cover people will want to pick up.
- Not easy to start at all, there are many authors that publish their books and no one ever buys them. You need to learn a whole lot about search engine optimization, Amazon ads, and networking to get the best education to make sure your books get in front of your future customers. But with the right strategy and work, you can become one of many authors making a full time living from home. Heck, some even manage to bring in seven figure revenues a month and they’re not Stephen King, they’re authors you’ve never even heard of.
Set up an Etsy shop ($0 to whatever you can scale)
How it works
If you have a creative bone and like to knit, carve wood, or even mess around with metallurgy. There is almost certainly some sort of good you can create that people will want to buy. Heck in my personal experience, Etsy has been great for finding a creative gift for my wife that I never would’ve found at Walmart or on Amazon.
Selling your goods on Etsy can be a lucrative way to turn your hobby into a legitimate business. But you’re going to want to do an analysis of your wares and see how much time it takes to make along with what you can sell them for. Divide the profit per item by the time to make it and get an idea of what kind of hourly wage you’d set yourself up with. If you’re happy with that number, then great! If not, see what you could maybe change in the production process or if you’re undervaluing your craft. If you’re still not coming up with a number you like, then consider pivoting to a different product.
Pros
- Etsy is a huge marketplace
- Since you’re creating custom pieces, they command a premium price
Cons
- Your products might not be cost effective to produce or you’re making something no one really wants
- Limited by the time you have available to make the products
If you’re making a product that already exists in big box stores, you’re not going to be able to compete with their labor they’ve outsourced to other countries (most likely)
Join the Creator Economy ($0 to whatever you can scale)i.e. Blogging / YouTube / Twitch / Podcasting
If you’ve got a subject you like to talk about whether its educational or entertaining, you can start creating right now with the phone you’re probably watching this video on!
I’m not going to reinvent the wheel with how to get started on any of the aforementioned sites, since there are a ton of channels that do an excellent job of that already like Think Media or VidIQ. But I do want to say that it’s definitely not easy. Your first videos that you make will almost certainly be crappy and you’re probably going to take at least a year to become monetized. So it’s not a get rich quick play. But if you do your research on how to grow your following and put in the work, pivoting where you need to, then you can almost certainly make a real source of income through the creator economy. BUT the key is that you have to stick with it and be continually learning.
If you prefer video instead, I also put together this video that covers the same subjects.
Take surveys for money ($8/hr)
How it works:
Sign up on a website (don't think I can promo any lol) , fill out surveys which take on average 10 minutes to complete and get paid $0.50-$1.00 per survey. You’ll typically get paid in gift cards, but cash equivalents like prepaid Visa and Mastercard’s are available.
Pros
- No startup costs, no skills required, can start today
- Get paid
Cons
- Time intensive
- Requires you to disclose a lot of personal information
- Not scalable and pays very little
Become a Virtual Assistant ($15/hr)
How it works
The details of what you’re required to do as a virtual assistant will vary job to job, but you could be responsible for: answering emails/phone calls/organizing meetings, performing data entry, working community outreach, social media marketing, and developing client connections. It works like any other job you’ve held although you may be paid as a 1099 contractor instead of a W-2 employee
Pros
- Flexible hours
- Lack of skills not necessarily a disqualifier
- Can work for multiple different businesses at the same time
Cons
Trading time for money which limits the potential upside in earnings
Not very high paying compared to other online job opportunities
Freelance Work ($20+/hr)
How it works
If you have something you’re good at doing, you can probably make money doing it for someone else. Using a website like Fiverr/Upwork/Freelancer.com you advertise what sorts of jobs you’re willing to take and your experience level, (it could be: Graphic design, social media marketing, editing videos, copywriting if you can think of it, someone probably needs help getting it done)
When you first start out you’ll probably need to advertise a lower rate to get your initial customers. Over time as you build a catalog of your work (and hopefully 5-star reviews), you’ll start raising your rates.
Pros
- Almost unlimited earning potential as you develop a brand and business
- Completely flexible hours, you set your own deadlines to adhere t
Cons
- Initial earnings will be quite low
= Highly competitive field to break into
Drop shipping ($1,000-$2,000/mo with much higher potentially)
How it works
I’m sure you’ve seen advertisements on YouTube talking about how you can make six-figures a month by starting a drop shipping business. I’m not going to tell you that there is some secret to make you wildly successful, but if you learn the best business practices and put in the work, earning an extra couple thousand dollars a month is well within reach.
Using a website like Shopify or Amazon, you become a middleman finding popular products people want to buy, list them for sale, and once someone makes a purchase through you, you buy that product from someone else for less and pocket the profit.
Pros
- No upfront cost and no inventory required
- Huge demand for products
- Ability to scale to a sizeable source of income
Cons
- Heavily competitive
- Profit margins are slim as sellers undercut the price of others
- Heavy time requirements
Become an Author ($0 to whatever you can scale)
How it works
If you’re good at writing, then become a self-published author and making money from your works can be quite profitable if you do it right.
You can potentially start with no money upfront. Write everything on the computer you already own, find a friend or two to proofread, and design your own cover. Once you have the product you can use Amazon’s KDP program to publish your book in an eBook, paperback, and hardback version all for free. It’s works with a print on demand system, so you don’t have to carry any inventory. Whenever a customer buys a copy of your book, Amazon takes a cut of the sales price to cover their expenses plus padding for profit and you pocket the rest.
Pros
- You’re able to start up with no upfront cost, granted that won’t set you up on the best path to success, but you have the option to do so
- Unlimited earning potential, some authors earn 7 figures a month and no they aren’t Stephen King, they’re authors you’ve never even heard of
- Huge networks of authors that help each other out to succeed like the Facebook group 20Booksto50k, which helps self-published authors earn a full-time jobs worth of income through book publishing
Cons
- Although print on demand services significantly cut cost, there are other expenses that cut into your profit such as: finding a good proofreader and or copywriter along with a graphic designer to design an appealing book cover people will want to pick up.
- Not easy to start at all, there are many authors that publish their books and no one ever buys them. You need to learn a whole lot about search engine optimization, Amazon ads, and networking to get the best education to make sure your books get in front of your future customers. But with the right strategy and work, you can become one of many authors making a full time living from home. Heck, some even manage to bring in seven figure revenues a month and they’re not Stephen King, they’re authors you’ve never even heard of.
Set up an Etsy shop ($0 to whatever you can scale)
How it works
If you have a creative bone and like to knit, carve wood, or even mess around with metallurgy. There is almost certainly some sort of good you can create that people will want to buy. Heck in my personal experience, Etsy has been great for finding a creative gift for my wife that I never would’ve found at Walmart or on Amazon.
Selling your goods on Etsy can be a lucrative way to turn your hobby into a legitimate business. But you’re going to want to do an analysis of your wares and see how much time it takes to make along with what you can sell them for. Divide the profit per item by the time to make it and get an idea of what kind of hourly wage you’d set yourself up with. If you’re happy with that number, then great! If not, see what you could maybe change in the production process or if you’re undervaluing your craft. If you’re still not coming up with a number you like, then consider pivoting to a different product.
Pros
- Etsy is a huge marketplace
- Since you’re creating custom pieces, they command a premium price
Cons
- Your products might not be cost effective to produce or you’re making something no one really wants
- Limited by the time you have available to make the products
If you’re making a product that already exists in big box stores, you’re not going to be able to compete with their labor they’ve outsourced to other countries (most likely)
Join the Creator Economy ($0 to whatever you can scale)i.e. Blogging / YouTube / Twitch / Podcasting
If you’ve got a subject you like to talk about whether its educational or entertaining, you can start creating right now with the phone you’re probably watching this video on!
I’m not going to reinvent the wheel with how to get started on any of the aforementioned sites, since there are a ton of channels that do an excellent job of that already like Think Media or VidIQ. But I do want to say that it’s definitely not easy. Your first videos that you make will almost certainly be crappy and you’re probably going to take at least a year to become monetized. So it’s not a get rich quick play. But if you do your research on how to grow your following and put in the work, pivoting where you need to, then you can almost certainly make a real source of income through the creator economy. BUT the key is that you have to stick with it and be continually learning.
