Make Quick Money Online

Do you need some extra cash? You can make some money right from your computer. Don't expect to get rich fast, but with some patience, you can make some nice pocket change.

Steps

Selling Your Possessions and Skills

  1. Sell your things on online marketplaces. Instead of having a yard sale, sell things on Craigslist. Craigslist is more convenient than a yard sale, and more people will see your items. Over 40 million people use the website every month. Look in your closet and garage for old bicycles, artwork, furniture, housewares - anything you want to sell.[1]
    • Each larger city has their own Craigslist section. Scroll through to see how other people set up their ads.
    • Craigslist allows you to place items for sale free of charge. Unlike other websites, they do not take part in the transaction. Most of it is done in person, so you do not have to give them a fee. However, there is no buyer and seller protection, so be careful when you sell on the website.
    • If you have DVDs, CDs, or old textbooks, try selling them on Amazon. Amazon will take a small percentage of your profit with each sale. You are responsible for the shipment and condition of each item on Amazon. The site uses a feedback system so you can build a reputation as a seller.
    • Try selling clothes through online consignment shops. Sites like Thredup, Threadflip, Twice, and The Real Real send you prepaid shipping bags. You send them your clothes, they go through a quality check, and if they are accepted, they put them online. They take a small percentage of your sale. Poshmark allows you to sell your clothes and ship them yourself.[2]
  2. Put stuff up for online auctions. eBay is a great place to sell your unwanted items. On eBay, you can sell anything from clothes to action figures to cars. Choose between an auction or a flat rate buy it now price. eBay takes a small percentage of your earnings each time you sell something.[3]
    • eBay works on a feedback system, so you can build a reputation as a good, trustworthy seller, which will help you sell more.
  3. Sell homemade items. If you are a crafty person, try selling your creations on Etsy, an online shop for homemade items. On Etsy, you can sell everything from homemade soaps and candles to hand knitted scarves. All transactions occur through Etsy, either through PayPal or with a credit card.[4]
    • Examples of things you can sell include art prints and postcards; homemade jewelry; crocheted small animals; essential oils; and bird houses.
    • Think about charging something reasonable so people will be interested, but that reflects the amount of time and effort spent creating the item.
    • Each listing on Etsy costs a small amount, and they take a small fee from your earnings when you sell an item.[5]
  4. Publish an eBook. If you have written a novel, self-publish it through Amazon, set a price, and sell it. You can sell the eBook for as little or as much as you want. After you publish it, make sure to advertise it to your friends and family. Advertise it on social media so people will know about it and buy it.
    • Think about writing a non-fiction book on a topic you are an expert in.
  5. Provide services online. Freelancing your services is a good way to make some extra cash. Provide services such as editing, proofreading, writing short articles, tutoring, horoscope readings, or any other service you are qualified to provide.
    • Try Elance. They list technical, data entry, accounting, and other freelance jobs. You submit bids to jobs. Be prepared for a few rejections at first.[6]
    • Fiverr is a site where you can sell your professional and unique talents for $5. Anything from fixing Ikea furniture to selling cartoon voice overs can be found on the site.[7]
    • It may take some time to build a reputation, but once you start gaining a reputation, it can be a great way to share your abilities.

Making Money Through Websites

  1. Sign up for Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Mechanical Turk is an Amazon service where you complete simple Human Intelligent Tasks in exchange for a small fee. Some of the tasks ask you to look at a picture and describe it for $0.08. Others might ask you to complete a survey for $2. You can transfer money into your account when you have made $10.[8]
    • To make money through Mechanical Turk, you have to do multiple tasks. In an hour, you might only make $6. However, if you are persistent and keep at it, the money may start to add up.[9]
    • Try doing Mechanical Turk during your down time. When you have five free minutes, log on and complete a few.
    • Don't bother with the extremely low paying tasks. They probably aren't worth your time.
  2. Take online surveys. Research companies use online surveys to get consumer feedback. In the last few years, these surveys have become more legitimate and reliable. Most of them are connected to PayPal accounts and will dispense money into your account after completing surveys. This is not a way to get rich quick, but you might be able to earn $50 here and there for a few hours of your time.
    • Make sure you don't fall for scam surveys. These surveys will lure you into inputting your credit card information, or try to get you to buy their credit card or materials.[10]
    • Sign up for multiple survey sites to maximize your survey opportunities. Some sites will only send out 1-2 surveys a month.[11]
    • Try Pinecone Research, My Survey, iPoll, or Toluna to start.[12]
  3. Get paid for surfing the internet. Some sites pay you for using their search engine. You accumulate points by clicking on ads, playing games, taking surveys, and simply browsing.[13] Some of these sites pay you in gift cards instead of money, so if that is not what you are looking for, this might not be the site for you.
    • Try Swagbucks and Gift Hulk. Both sites offer search engines that allow you to accumulate points while surfing the internet, and also provide places for you to complete surveys and do other tasks.
    • Be careful not to get addicted to these sites. You can waste away a lot of time completing surveys and clicking on the next ad. Use it for everyday searches, or when you are bored and want to kill some time.[14]
  4. Be realistic. Most quick money-making schemes are suspect and few will deliver what they promise. Most of these options will yield pocket money, and nothing more. Know how to spot the frauds:
    • Don't send off your own money to make money. If the site is legitimate, they'll pay you for your services, not the other way round.
    • Do your homework and background research before joining any "get- ich quick" scheme online. The same scams are online that have already thrived offline.
    • Beware pyramid selling schemes and MLM (multi-level marketing). Most of these are ways to take your money, not make you money.

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Sources and Citations