What if I told you that there were legitimate and creative ways to make money at home? Just imagine being able to conquer the world (or at least your bills) from the comfort of your own couch. Sounds pretty glorious, right? It's difficult enough to make ends meet, but when you add a mundane office position or even a stressful second job into the equation, you may end up spending what hard earned cash you do make on little treats to escape your reality.
These treats could be a delicious dinner with a friend where you can freely discuss your super mean boss, a pair of gorgeous new shoes because you need a quick pick-me-up, or a little after work drink to take the edge off a hectic day. However, these treats may end up dwindling the money you are making from that job you really don't like. It's a nasty cycle that can sometimes seem endless.
So do yourself a favor and make money the easy way: Work from home. Now I'm not saying you should go hand your notice in right away, but it might be a good idea to experiment with a few of these suggestions and if you enjoy them, who knows where they might lead? The Internet is your oyster. Here are five of the best ways to make easy cash at home.
1. Utilize eBay
Do you see yourself and Rebecca Bloomwood of Confessions of a Shopaholic as kindred spirits? Do you have things hanging in your wardrobe with the tags still on that you're saving for a special occasion? Do you have piles of old college books you've never read or a whizzy kitchen appliance you've never used? You may be shopping a little too much. So put down the plastic and get ready to sell some stuff; after all, you don't want to end up on one of those TV shows about secret hoarders.
Some people are even creating successful businesses on eBay, so who knows where you'll end up? If you like shopping, you can go to thrift stores and markets to pick up some bargains and then sell your wares on eBay — you're basically getting paid to do what you do best. Start small and use eBay as a decluttering tool. If you catch the selling bug, you may wish to try making a living out of eBay.
2. Get Cash Back When You Shop
If you buy a lot of things online, you could earn cash back from your purchases. There are tons of sites out there such as Ebates and Main Street Shares that help their users to earn cash back. This is especially useful if you are looking at making a big purchase such as a TV or other hefty item, as I discovered that sometimes the bigger bucks you spend, the higher the cash back reward. If you're a fan of coupon-ing, you'll love claiming your online cash back. As with sale shopping, don't get hooked into buying things you don't want or need just because there's a good deal on them.
3. Get Paid To Write
Depending on your experience and/or qualifications, you could get paid to write. Sound like a dream job? Elance offers writers a chance to find work and clients a chance to find writers. Jobs are posted by clients and cover an array of positions including ghost writing, editing, and proofreading plus many more. You may have a specific skill that can benefit a client such as being able to speak and write in a different language, experience in viral marketing, or social network management skills. There are many different areas to Elance and once you've gotten your profile created (think LinkedIn style), you can get "hired."
4. Become A Home Tutor
Remember when you were a kid and you're parents forced you to take French class and you actually ended up being really good at it? Or how about your natural talent at playing the violin? A lot of people have talents or skills that they have forgotten about which they can tutor people in for money. Whether your talents lie in sign language, art, or music, you can use this skill to help others and hopefully make a pretty penny from it too. Who said your job can't be fun and rewarding?
5. Get Crafty
Instead of just giving your crafts away as gifts for your loved ones, you can make money out of your hard work. Perhaps you're great at cross-stitch or water-colors? Whatever your crafty niche, you can create your own online store on a website which allows you to sell handmade wares (such as the very popular Etsy), and get crafting. Do a bit of research into what makes a successful seller on Etsy and you'll be good to go.
If you're anything like me, you probably spend a lot of time at home watching Netflix. What if you just spent a percentage of that time doing one of the above activities? It might make your budget a lot more flexible, and your life a lot less stressful — plus, it might be kind of fun. Not a bad deal, right?
Images: Giphy (6); William Iven/Unsplash
