You don’t always have to spend money to make money. Whether you’re looking to start a side gig to earn a regular part-time income or you’re just looking for some quick extra cash, there are websites that can help you do just that. how to earn money online
Of course, it depends on your definition of “quick cash”. Sometimes making quick money means putting in a decent amount of time. That’s why our resource list of ways to make money online ranges from long-term investments to short-term investments. Because time, after all, is money.
Depending on whether you’re looking to earn extra cash quickly or build a long-term income stream, each of the websites below offers unique advantages (and sometimes disadvantages) tailored to different needs and interests. Read on for more information on each site.
Consider these top resources on how to make money online
Fiverr.com
How it works: This is a popular website that is helpful for freelancers. Know something about digital animation? You can work for someone who doesn’t have these skills and pick up some extra cash. Even better, you can get someone to compile the web research.
Highlights: You can make good money off the site, says Dan Bocchicchio, a web designer and digital strategist in Albany, New York, who runs a two-person company called Bocane Designs. He says his firm earns $3,000 to $5,000 a month from Fiverr. “To stay ahead of the competition, I make sure my Fiverr profile and gig descriptions are well written and communicate the value of the services I offer. When someone reaches out to me, I make sure to reply as quickly as I can. And follow up the inquiry by asking good questions. A quick but carefully written reply will get you serious. increases the likelihood of being hired,” Bochicchio says.
Drawbacks: Bochichio’s success aside, Fiverr’s name came from the fact that many people were working for $5 a task. You can (and arguably should) ask for more, but your prospective clients expect lower rates.
Time Investment: Possibly substantial. If you’re asked to create a digitally animated short film, for example, it’s not something you whip up in 20 minutes. Plus, it can take up to 14 days for your money to reach your bank account after your work is approved, though if you’re a regular on Fiverr, you can get it in seven days.
Upwork.com
How it works: Upwork is essentially a meeting place where businesses and freelancers from around the world can connect and collaborate on certain projects. Businesses hire freelancers for a variety of services, including writing, web design, and any work that can be done on a computer.
Highlights: Upwork takes 5% to 20% commission, but the more money you make, the less commission you pay.
Drawbacks: Upwork is popular, so there’s a lot of competition on the website, and that’s a real drawback for newcomers to Upwork, says Sacha Darosa, owner of The Shirtless Web Guy, a digital marketing agency in Toronto.
“Before I started my business in web design, I created profiles on websites like Upwork. In the beginning it was a struggle to get any attention from buyers on those platforms because there was so much competition. And most of the competition was overseas. It made it impossible for me to compete with others on price,” he says.
So Darosa lowered his prices and for a while, he worked for nothing. But the positive response made his profile look good and Darosa started charging more.
“While platforms like Upwork are helpful in building a portfolio and initial client base, I’m happy to be on them and on my own,” says Darosa.
Time Investment: Like Fiverr, you can work for days or even a week. If you are tasked with creating someone’s website, it may take some time. Once your job is approved, it can take up to 10 days to get paid. If you work regularly for someone, you can get paid weekly.
Etsy.com
How it works: If you’re an artistic person who makes custom jewelry or refrigerator magnets, Etsy is the place to sell your products.
Highlights: The site is easy to navigate and set up shop.
Drawbacks: There is a lot of competition on Etsy. On the one hand, many people know about Etsy. But once you put your stuff on the likes of Upwork and Fiverr, you’re among the many people selling things on Etsy. This may seem a bit overwhelming.
Time investment: How fast would it take you to make custom jewelry or refrigerator magnets? You work at your own pace, so depending on what you’re making or selling, it could take a week or a couple of hours. Usually, you will get your money three days after your point of sale. After three months on Etsy, you’ll start getting paid the next business day.
Read more:- 7 best money-making apps
TaskRabbit.com
How it works: Are you ready to get your hands dirty? People come to this site to find someone willing to do a variety of tasks, such as stocking bookshelves, cleaning out the garage, or running errands. Do as many tasks as you want, and it can be a part-time (or full-time) job.
Highlights: You can apply for jobs, but you can also create a profile that explains what you specialize in so people can find you for work.
Drawbacks: A lot of the tasks you’ll find in TaskRabbit, as noted, are physical – like setting up furniture. Of course, if that’s your jam, that’s a plus.
Time Investment: Several hours of planning. Generally, these tasks are not big-time investments. Payments are usually approved within 24 hours of task completion and you can expect funds to arrive in your bank account three to five days later.
Business by Amazon
How it works: John Frigo, affiliate manager of the website MySupplementStore.com, says he sometimes earns money by creating designs for T-shirts. They sell on Merch through Amazon and on other platforms like Redbubble.com.
Highlights: Frigo says you can simply upload your designs and get paid. “Graphic designers can upload T-shirt designs and it’s pretty much completely passive at that point, and you get paid royalties for each of your designs that sell — but you don’t have to handle returns, do any customer service, or ship anything,” Frigo says.
Drawbacks: You probably won’t get rich. For example, Merch by Amazon offers examples of royalty prices, and a T-shirt selling for $15.99 would have a royalty of $2.21. However, once the hard work – designing the piece – is done, it’s easy money. If someone buys your t-shirt, that is.
Time Investment: Let’s assume at least a few hours. Maybe you’re an artist who knocks out designs in a hurry. Maybe you can take weeks. But for most people, logic dictates that you set aside a few hours. When you see your money, assuming you are doing a smart business selling your products, you can pay once a month.
Neighbor.com
How it works: Do you have storage space at home? Or maybe an empty garage or storage shed? You can rent these spaces on Neighbor.com, which is like Airbnb for the self-storage industry. You set your own prices and the person renting your space pays Neighbor.com a service fee.
Highlights: You get paid by direct deposit or you can get a debit card at the end of the month. A small fee is deducted from your payment for using Neighbor.com (a processing fee of 4.9% of the total reservation and 30 cents per payment).
Cons: Not many. But if you suddenly need to use your storage space, you must give your tenant 30 days’ advance notice to pick up their stuff. If you don’t give them enough notice, you’ll pay a $60 termination fee.
Time Investment: Plan for at least a couple of hours to prepare to collect someone’s stuff, which includes cleaning. You will be paid approximately 30 days after collection is provided.
Offer up
How it works: If you don’t have the energy to hold a yard sale, an offerup is the next best thing. After you picture what you have and the price, someone nearby sees it online, likes it, sends you a note, and you meet up — in a public place, OfferUp’s website recommends — and you can get your money. OfferUp also offers buyers ways to mail items.
Highlights: OfferUp is often compared to Craigslist, but some users claim it’s an easy site to post to, maybe if you download the app, you can send instant messages to buyers and sellers, and members have profiles so you can get a better feel for your buyers. If someone has earned badges on OfferUp, it’s a good sign that they’re considered a trusted, reputable seller on the site.
Drawbacks: As noted, if you meet a buyer to exchange an item, meet in a public place. On its website, OfferUp says, “Remember that buying or selling to someone online does not guarantee your safety: You are responsible for your own safety, so when you arrange a meeting, take sensible precautions. In case of emergency or any danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.”
Time Investment: Maybe an hour or two of work, or the process could span days depending on how long it takes to sell your item. You can take some pictures, set a price, negotiate with the buyer and schedule a meetup to exchange the item for cash. If you ship the item to the buyer, it usually takes four to five days for the funds to show up in your bank account.
Read more:- Best cash back apps
Offerup.com
How it works: If you don’t have the energy to hold a yard sale, an offerup is the next best thing. After you picture what you have and the price, someone nearby sees it online, likes it, sends you a note, and you meet up — in a public place, OfferUp’s website recommends — and you can get your money. OfferUp also offers buyers ways to mail items.
Highlights: OfferUp is often compared to Craigslist, but some users claim it’s an easy site to post to, maybe if you download the app, you can send instant messages to buyers and sellers, and members have profiles so you can get a better feel for your buyers. If someone has earned badges on OfferUp, it’s a good sign that they’re considered a trusted, reputable seller on the site.
Drawbacks: As noted, if you meet a buyer to exchange an item, meet in a public place. On its website, OfferUp says, “Remember that buying or selling to someone online does not guarantee your safety: You are responsible for your own safety, so when you arrange a meeting, take sensible precautions. In case of emergency or any danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.”
Time Investment: Maybe an hour or two of work, or the process could span days depending on how long it takes to sell your item. You can take some pictures, set a price, negotiate with the buyer and schedule a meetup to exchange the item for cash. If you ship the item to the buyer, it usually takes four to five days for the funds to show up in your bank account.
Wonder.com
How it works: On Wonder, you can earn money for conducting research. Wonder doesn’t hire just anyone. According to the website, the application process takes about five minutes. And if Wonder thinks you have the skills to do research, you get access to its dashboard. Then you can demonstrate your skills and get paid to answer the question, perhaps from a business executive or an author writing a book.
Highlights: Researchers report earning an average of $8 to $16 per detailed answer, and job sites indicate researchers can earn around $20 an hour on average. In short, Wonder offers an ideal gig for someone who truly enjoys learning and explaining.
Drawbacks: As noted, the pay is not high, especially if you spend a lot of time answering questions.
Time Investment: About an hour for a detailed answer. You will be paid every two weeks via PayPal.
Thredup.com
How it works: With the tagline “Secondhand Dress, Firsthand Fun”, this e-commerce company appeals to thrifters and sells their clutter for cash and cash. An online thrift store that sells women’s and children’s clothing. You send clothes in a ThredUp bag with a prepaid mailing label, and ThredUp determines the value, favoring popular brands and clothes in good condition. You’ll pay a fee if your items aren’t accepted, so hold a yard sale if your items have seen better days. But if you have quality garments, ThreadUp allows you to sell these unwanted items and pay you enough so that you can buy new threads.
Highlights: The process is simple. ThredUp will send you a prepaid bag to put your clothes in, or a shipping label if you prefer.
Drawbacks: You don’t get paid until ThredUp receives your clothes. And if your items aren’t received, you pay a fee to have them sent back to you – or to recycle them.
Time Investment: Minutes, or as long as it takes to look through your closet and navigate ThredUp’s website.
swap.com
How it works: Like ThreadUp, Swap is an online consignment store. After you send in your used clothes and toys and games, Swap will sell them for you. As for how much you can earn, the website explains that if anything costs $8 or less, you’ll get 15% cash back and 20% store credit. If your item sells for more than $8, you get 70% cash back, minus a $4.95 processing fee and 20% store credit.
Highlights: It’s easier than selling on Facebook Marketplace, where you usually have to meet the buyer to hand over the item. Other than collecting the items at your home and placing them in a prepaid box, the process is easy.
Disadvantages: Like ThredUp, your clothes can be rejected, meaning you either don’t get them back or you pay a fee to return them.
Time Investment: Minutes, or as long as it takes to hunt down a few clothes and familiarize yourself with the swap’s website. Even if you sell something quickly, it may take some time to pay off. You will be paid at the end of the month for the previous month’s sales.
Gazelle.com
How it works: If you have an old cellphone or another device like an iPad or computer, you can sell your electronics here. The website offers cash for your device. If you agree, you will receive the packaging material. Gazelle pays the shipping costs and you wait for a check in the mail, gift card or cash transfer to your PayPal account. You might not make a fortune, but selling an unused device is better than letting it gather dust on a shelf — and better for the environment than tossing it in the trash.
Highlights: It’s a pretty seamless process from start to finish.
Disadvantages: If you send in a phone, and the phone doesn’t meet Gazelle’s expectations, the offer it pays may drop significantly. Gazelle, on the other hand, ships your phone for free. So you won’t be too dangerous except for the time.
Time Investment: Minutes. This is probably the fastest process to ThredUp and Swap, since you may not have a whole closet of cellphones to look through. If all goes well, once Gazelle has your phone, you’ll verify it and get paid in about three to five business days.
Cardsell.com
How it works: This is a popular site for selling gift cards. If you have unused gift cards, Cardsell will give you an offer and you can exchange them for cash or another gift card.
Highlights: There is no charge to mail your gift cards to Cardcell and the process is very easy.
Drawbacks: You never get the full value of your gift card.
Time Investment: Minutes. Within 48 hours, you should see the money in your PayPal account.
