These days, a few extra bills in the bank account would be nice. But who has time when there are extra hours to put in at the office to remind employers of our usefulness? Well, my financially hungry friends, I know of a place that’s full of money-making opportunities you can take advantage of at any hour or any day from the comfort of your own home. That magical place is the Internet.
Those precious hours spent in front of the television watching people get rich flipping houses can be spent making a little dough of your own. These outlets can yield anywhere from $5 to $500 depending on how much time and energy you want to put into your new online employment.
Market Research Studies
Earning Potential: $5 per month—unlimited
You’ve got opinions. And, believe it or not, people will pay money for them. If you have time on your hands, online market research can be quite lucrative. I tested Zoomerang, which was a legitimate, easy service to use. After signing up, they send you links to surveys and questionnaires to complete. They also let you know beforehand how much you will make on a particular survey so you can decide if it’s worth your time. Be aware though that their rewards are not monetary; they’re good and services. At 1,000 points, you can earn a magazine subscription or books. At 10,000 points, you can get an iPod or a Bose home theater system. You could turn around and sell the goods and make actual dollars, though. Also, there are plenty of research studies that will actually pay out. Try: SurveySavvy.com and Surveyhead.com.
Online Surveys
Earning Potential: $25 a day to $1000 per month (dependent on how many surveys are completed)
There are thousands of online survey companies that claim to put you on the road to making money in your pajamas. “Just answer these ten simple questions and you’ll have $50 in no time.” Well, like most things that sound too good to be true, this claim follows suit. It takes a long time—more time than I had—to get to the money-making part of this option. Once you sign up for a particular survey company and answer their ten questions, there are ten more questions from subsequent companies, and then more, and on it goes. I tested Survey Monster, a site that gives you access to online surveys with descriptions and even lists the payouts. However, once you get into each individual site, you still have to continue down the path of questions and answers. Don’t let this stop you, though. If you have the time and patience, by all means, give it a try. A simple Google search for “online surveys” yields plenty to start with.
Online Writing and Naming
Earning Potential: $50 to $200 per month (dependent on how much you submit)
Your random, useless knowledge is finally going to pay off. First, there’s EngiName. Not a very good name (ironically), but a rather good moneymaking service. After sign-up, you’re given a list of companies that have submitted requests for their product or service to be named. It’s your job to submit as many potential names as you’d like. If your name is selected, you’ll receive $50 (payment through a PayPal account), and of course, the fame of having named a good or service. Once your names are selected with frequency, you’ll move up to $75 per name. And, who knows? Those silly names you think of for products—the super thingamagig or whatsihoosit—might actually turn out to make you some cold, hard cash.
Second, there’s eHow. This site is full of articles on how to do or make anything. All those simple things you know how to do—sew a button, caulk a tub, make tomato sauce —can earn you money. Sign up with eHow’s Writer Compensation Program, start writing articles, and get paid based on how many times your article is viewed. eHow provides a list of the most requested topics as well as tips and guidelines on how to attract the highest number of readers. I’ve started doing this myself, and I can testify that it’s easy and, actually, fun!
