It’s a bit of a vicious circle: the more convenience the internet offers, the more time we spend on it, the more opportunities we want to get from it. We’re already used to communicating, shopping, banking, learning, getting our news and meeting new people on various websites and apps – but did you know you can also use them to earn money?
We have all seen a dozen or two of online scams that promise you’re going to earn thousands every week by doing nothing or merely clicking the left button on your mouse. However, while you should always remain careful online, you should also know there are legit ways of making money online. The earnings are somewhat modest with the majority of them – and yet, they’re pretty effortless too.
Here are X tried and tested ways you can earn some extra money on the side.
Content Summary
Table of Contents
Invest in stocks / cryptocurrencies
Complete polls / questionnaires
Watching ads / videos
Share internet bandwidth
Get cashback as you shop
Invest in stocks / cryptocurrencies
The influential American businessman Warren Buffet has once famously said: “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” Most people understand this quote to be about investing – and with all the mobile apps we have these days (e.g., Robinhood), it’s more accessible than ever. You can check how your portfolio is doing, buy or sell anytime: everything you need is in your pocket! Just remember that whether you choose to invest in the stock market or cryptocurrencies, there’s always a risk – so make sure you don’t put in more money than you could afford to lose.
Complete polls / questionnaires
This way of making money with online apps and websites is arguably one of the best-known, as it’s been popularized by market research companies in various countries. Collecting people’s opinions via surveys is a lot quicker and more effective than, say, launching focus groups, so a lot of firms are willing to pay a small fee for every poll or questionnaire you fill out. This way, they can invest a little and get to know their target audiences a lot better, which will give them excellent returns!
The availability of surveys depends on your location, though: a lot more businesses want to target countries with higher spending power, such as the US. Hence, it might not be the perfect option for people in, let’s say, Easter Europe.
Watching ads / videos
You might have seen those offers to earn money by watching ads or clicking on them. It’s a pretty popular way to earn money online, and while it can get repetitive and you won’t make a ton of money, it’s also very easy – in most cases, you don’t even have to pay attention to the videos, as long as they’re getting that extra view.
Some apps and websites also offer a chance to earn by watching movie trailers or other short videos, so it doesn’t necessarily need to be ads! If you’re looking to help market research companies with providing feedback, you can also look into platforms like UserTesting that ask you to review various ads or even websites.
Compared to completing surveys or watching ads, this way of making money online is relatively little known – however, it has already attracted millions of people worldwide. While the profits, again, are pretty modest, this earning opportunity is very attractive because of how effortless it is: in most cases, all you need to do is leave a special app running in the background on your computer or smartphone. Having been active in the industry for almost three years now, Honeygain is also one of the best-known ones, and it’s available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices.
Get cashback as you shop
You know what they say – a penny saved is a penny earned, right? That’s why we decided to add getting cashback among other popular earning opportunities. Yes, you need to spend money so you could get some back – but since there are now cashback options available in a lot of everyday retailers like Walmart or Target, there’s no need for you to get out of the way to do your regular shopping. You’d be spending that money anyway!
Moreover, you can get cashback when shopping both online (by using a special app or browser extension) and in physical stores (by uploading an image of your receipt). There are also specialized apps that offer cashback specifically for restaurants or other smaller segments, such as Seated – why not pamper yourself for less if you can?
The more money you have in your pocket, the more freedom you have to treat yourself when you need it, and the more income sources you have, the more financial stability you can enjoy. Why worry about getting that extra computer game or paying that hosting bill when you can cover the price effortlessly?
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified IT Technical Support Architect with over 15 years of experience in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting complex IT systems and networks. He has worked for leading IT companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco, providing technical support and solutions to clients across various industries and sectors. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and a master’s degree in information security from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also the author of several best-selling books on IT technical support, such as The IT Technical Support Handbook and Troubleshooting IT Systems and Networks. Alex lives in Bandar, Johore, Malaysia with his wife and two chilrdren. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
