Side hustles that could make you an extra ~$1000 from home

Real ways to make extra money from home

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By
Katie Overmonds
-
January 13, 2021

Are you a college student looking to make some extra money? A part-time worker with a bit of spare time? Stay at home parent? Or maybe you’re a blogger looking for the perfect side hustle that could make you an extra $1000 from home. You’ve come to the right place!

A recent survey from experian shows that 50% percent of millennials are pursuing some kind of side-hustle. The good news is that the practice of such a side hustle is good for more than just their bank balance, but their mental health too. So what are you waiting for?

Real ways to make extra money from home

Finding legitimate ways to make money from home can be difficult and frustrating. The web is littered with spam ads promising to pay you for your time – but so many turn out to be not worth the time spent.

To help you sort avoid the spammers and focus on tried-and-true ways to make money from home, we’ve compiled a list of proven tactics.

1. Start a profitable blog or online store

Do you have a niche skill set that you think the world might want to know about? For example, a friend of mine makes homemade kombucha. Every time someone comes to her apartment, they ask her about the jars on her counter and she shares the story of DIY fermentation and usually sends the person home with a hand-written post-it note about how they can do it too. This unique, sought-after content is blog-worthy!

To feature your unique skill-set or interest, you’ll want to create an online platform to market any services you’re offering (kombucha brewing, photography, jewelry making, turning sketches into greeting cards, wedding planning services, etc.). Anyone can set up a shop on Etsy or Shopify with just a flew clicks.

Don’t have anything to ‘sell’? Try affiliate blogging!

Affiliate Marketing is when you promote other people’s products for a commission. Come up with at least 10 solid “ever green” blog posts about your topic and include affiliate links where appropriate. A few affiliate marketing programs to check out include:

2. Get paid to turn off the lights with an energy cashback program

If you are a California resident, you could earn $500/year and more (depending on your energy savings) by syncing your utility account to an energy-sharing program called OhmConnect and agreeing to help reduce energy usage by one hour per week.

blue button to sign up to OhmConnect

Here’s how it works:

  1. Sign up for a free OhmConnect account and sync it with your online utility account.
  2. You must have an online account with one of these three utility companies to participate: PG&E, SDG&E or SoCal Edison.
  3. OhmConnect will send you weekly payments for reducing your electricity for about one hour per week. They do this because you’re helping to not contribute to the high demand that prompts unclean power sources to turn on. You will receive points for your energy savings that you can easily cash out via PayPal or amazon gift cards, plus you’re helping save the planet!

In addition, with OhmConnect’s referral program, you can get paid $20 to help a friend save money and energy.

OhmConnect earnings screenshot of a phone

 3. Become a freelancer and work from home

Do you have a knack for writing or editing, but don’t have time to start a blog of your own? You can start writing or editing for other bloggers and get paid for it. People and companies are often looking for original content. Some bloggers are also always looking for virtual assistants to help out with managing social media content and other small tasks. You can find VA and Freelancing writing jobs on Upwork and on Fiverr.

4. Rent your room out to earn extra cash – AirBnB or HomeAway

Few side hustles will make you an extra $1000 and renting a room in your house is one of them. If you have an empty room or even a fully furnished basement, why not rent them out to make some quick cash? AirBnB or HomeAway will let you list your home in just a few minutes. You will be saving on a mortgage (rent) and making money at the same time!  

5. Fill out surveys

Got time on evenings and weekends? Consider filling out surveys! Lots of companies are looking for input on their products and services and are willing to pay you for your time and opinion. Ready to complete a few online surveys? Here are a few to get you started:

6. Make money with your car and drive for Uber or Lyft

Driving with Uber or Lyft are easy ways to earn extra money anytime. And with more riders and trips than ever before, there’s more money around every corner. Where a traditional job might limit your hours and pay substantially, driving for Uber or Lyft makes it possible to work when you want.

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