If You Want to Make Money Fast, You Might Consider / Getty Images
Inflation is currently at a 40-year high, sending prices up on almost everything. While cutting corners and a meticulous budget may help for some Americans, it may not be enough.
If you’re in this boat—or you just want to ease some of the financial stress, you might consider creating a second, passive income stream. Fortunately, the Internet makes it easier than you might think. There are dozens of ways to make money online — without any special training.
Do you want to create a passive income stream? Here are seven ways to make some extra cash.
1. Start a Blog
Blogs are not just for fun these days. They can be quite money-earners if they do the right thing. The key is to choose your niche, build your audience, and then monetize the blog. You can do this through affiliate marketing, which pays you a commission when someone clicks on a monetized link or buys a product promoted on your blog. You can also try selling and displaying ads on your site. You can use a tool like Google Adsense to get started with the latter.
2. Take Online Surveys
Voicing your opinion and participating in market research can also be an easy way to earn money online. Some of the more popular survey sites include Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, OneOpinion, Opinion Outpost and Ipsos Eye. Keep in mind: They will not make big money. Swagbucks says that its members earn around $1 to $5 a day. That’s why it’s important to do your research before you start or participate in any online survey.
3. Start an Online Store
If you’re the creative type, you can start an Etsy shop. Etsy sellers offer everything from jewelry and clothing to artwork, invitations, yard signs and more. If that’s not your style, you can start a drop-shipping store. With this strategy, you essentially operate a storefront. When a customer places an order, you order that product from a third party (usually a manufacturer, seller, or a wholesaler) and ship it directly to the customer. Shopify has a complete dropshipping walkthrough you can use to get started (and you can even use their platform to build your store).
4. Sign Up for a Gig-Working Platform
There are many platforms designed for online gig work. For example, Amazon Mechanical Turk is a place where you can do small tasks for businesses around the world. They may include moderating content, conducting surveys or transcribing audio. Clickworker is another similar platform, or if you have a specific skill – like copywriting, editing or graphic design – you can use freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Freelancer.com and Upwork to connect with potential clients.
5. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube creators can make a lot of money – and it doesn’t require a lot of expertise. You can create how-to or explanatory videos on virtually any topic or get more personal and put yourself in the video. You can interview subject matter experts, provide tips and tricks, or even show yourself playing various videos, mobile or board games.
The important thing is to find a niche and build a following. You can then integrate Google Ads, become a YouTube partner, and even make money from subscriptions, live chats, and subscriptions.
6. Be a Transcriptionist
If you’re a fast typer, you might consider doing some online transcription for cash. All you have to do is listen to the audio files and then type what you hear. You get paid per piece, so the faster you can type, the better – at least, financially speaking. Rev.com, GoTranscript and TranscriptMe are just a few of the sites where you can find online transcription work.
7. Test Websites and Apps
Prefer yourself the tech-savvy type? If so, you can pay to test out new websites and mobile apps and hunt down any glitches. For example, on UserTesting.com, you get to test new sites and products from brands like GoDaddy, Hello Fresh, HP, Subway and Canva. All you need is a reliable WiFi connection, a microphone, a computer or mobile device and you can get to work. BetaTesting.com, UserZoom and Userlytics are other similar platforms.
More ways to earn quick cash
If none of the above seems to fit, you can also become a virtual assistant, sell your photos on stock photography websites or become a social media influencer if you can drum up enough followers. There’s a side gig for everyone. You just need to find your right fit.
