Whether you have full time employment, or you just want to escape the doldrums of working for an employer, or paying off credit card debt, working from home is an attractive alternative. There are many creative opportunities to help you make money right from the comfort of your own home, though the amount of money you will make from these different venues will depend on how much you’re willing to invest in them. In most cases, your only investment will be time, but there are others that will require you to make some form of financial investment. Here are four creative opportunities to give you an idea of what the wonderful world of working from home can offer.
Start Watching Other People’s Kids
If you thought that baby-sitting was just for bored teens, think again. According to Daily Finance, the average babysitter makes more than $15 an hour. If you go find a part-time job at a restaurant, you cannot hope to make this kind of money. Thankfully, tired and distraught parents are more than happy to spend good money for a few hours of kid-free time outside the house. All you have to do is be willing to spend a few hours of your time with the kids and maybe make them dinner or put them to bed depending on what the parent’s request. The more you’re willing to do when you’re watching the kids, the more money you can potentially make. When looking at this opportunity for how to make money at home, remember, parents are looking for someone they can trust. If you’re looking to work outside of the neighborhood you live in, you should sign up with review services and ask your clients to offer you favorable reviews. Services that also provide evidence you have passed a background check can help you bring in more clients.
Make Five Dollars a Job
If you’re willing to try out various small jobs, you can easily make $5 through a service like Fiverr. This unusual platform, allows people to post requests for tasks like recording a few sentences in an Irish accent or taking someone’s picture. The tasks requested can range from extremely easy, to ones that require some expertise in a certain field. The trick is to get on the site often and respond to all the jobs that interest you. If you’re willing to try something different when answering the job postings, you can actually have a lot of fun all while making $5 and learning something new. You’re not likely to get rich from answering job posts on Fiverr, but you can easily make an extra $50 a day by answering 10 of these job posts. Remember, this service works both ways, so if you’ve been tasked with completing a job for $10 and you ask someone to complete the task on Fiverr, you make your money without having to do the work yourself. It is also like giving yourself an Instant Pay raise
Start Being a Secret Shopper
If you like going out to eat, shopping, and the like, you might have what it takes to be a secret shopper. This job requires an investment on your part, as you will have to pay for your food, make a small purchase or something similar. The amount of your purchase, as well as additional financial compensation is provided upon the completion of the shop. This method of how to make money at home is less known, but it is a fun way to make some extra cash. According to CNN, all you really need is a good memory and an eye for detail. You will need to answer some questions after you’re done in the store or restaurant, and within a month, you’ll be paid. It is common to make anywhere between $100 to $2,000 a month depending on the service you work for and how many assignments you’re willing to do. Make sure you never sign up with a service that requires a financial investment to be a member. The only money you should ever spend is at the establishments you’re completing a secret shop for.
Buy and Sell Collectibles
There are so many collectibles out there, and collectors willing to buy them, it creates a great business opportunity for anyone willing to put in the time. Sites like eBay make it easier to reach your target audience, but success can be limited. Instead, you should get to know your market and the collectibles you’re working with. You can get companies like Shopify to help you set up a site of your own and turn it into an online store. You can then post all of your collectibles on your site and sell them to hungry collectors throughout the world; though you can still post items on eBay with links to your site as a marketing technique. The biggest advantage of setting up your own store is you never lose money on a sale to eBay or sites like it.