7 Easy Side Gigs You Can Cash in on at Home

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Last Updated:Aug 24, 2023

7 Easy Side Gigs You Can Cash in on at Home

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If you have been recently laid off or have taken a break from your full-time job, there's a way you can make the most of this free time.

It could be spent earning some additional money from home.

Here are some jobs that can be done at home where you can set your own hours and then drop them off if you find full-time work.

Related: Best Work-from-Home Jobs

In this article

1. Answer questions at JustAnswer

The website JustAnswer pays skilled professionals to answer questions. Lawyers, mechanics, doctors, plumbers, computer technicians, and other experts field questions in their areas.

Site users pay $45 to $125 a month to answer questions that they might not trust the answers to in a Google search or YouTube tutorial.

The site needs experts with at least five years of experience in DIY appliance repair, home improvement, sewing machines, veterinary medicine, mental health, boat and car mechanics, technology, and appraising personal effects.

Applicants must pass a stringent vetting process and background check and can be working within two weeks of applying. According to the company, its experts earn from $2,000 to $60,000 per month.

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2. Freelance boards

Instead of looking for specific companies that match your skills, you can leave the matching work to sites that specialize in helping you find work.

WFH Pad has plenty of gig and long-term jobs listed. Click on the job you want to apply for, and you could work within days.

The site recently had job openings for customer care support, live chat agent, data entry clerk, transcription specialist, social media assistant, game tester, and adult chat operator.

Other sites that match your skills with employers include Upwork and PeoplePerHour. They handle everything from your profile setup to ensuring you’re paid.

If you want to work from your smartphone, Clickworker seeks people who can create or correct texts, participate in surveys, or search and categorize data.

3. Caption or transcribe

Fast typists can earn money at Rev transcribing recorded conversations, adding captions to videos, or translating videos with foreign subtitles.

Transcriptionists earn 30 cents to $1.10 per minute. They listen to audio and video, accurately type what is being said, and label speakers.

Captioners earn 54 cents to $1.10 per minute. They watch a video, accurately type what’s being said, creatively convey sounds, and sync typed audio with video.

Translating a video from a foreign language pays $1.50 to $3 per minute.

The website Scribe pays transcribers $5 to $20 per hour for audio work from home.

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4. Sell your old stuff

Old phones, computers, DVDs, video games, and other gadgets can be sold to sites such as Decluttr, Gazelle, Amazon, Best Buy, and Apple.

Old items worth a lot of money include old pianos, costume jewelry, rare books, antique dolls, artwork, and coins. Search online for comparable prices or take them to an appraiser.

Antique stores may buy them, or you may have better luck on eBay or Craigslist. Try websites such as Ruby Lane, Replacements, Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers, or AuctionZip to sell valuable collectibles.

5. Take online surveys

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, you could earn a little extra money by taking paid online surveys and doing other short tasks on your phone through InboxDollars. The site has a $5 signup bonus for new members.

Members are paid in cash, not points. You must earn $30 to cash out.

The site is a survey aggregator, so clicking on a survey will likely redirect you to a third-party site. You may be asked questions to see if you’re in the demographic the company is looking for in the survey. Surveys can take three to 25 minutes to complete and pay 50 cents to $5 each.

Here are other ways to make money online at InboxDollars:

Watch videos
Play online games
Earn cash back while shopping online
Read emails
Coupons you can redeem for discounts at stores

Read a full review on InboxDollars.

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6. Make money playing solitaire

Want to earn cash while having fun? Check out Solitaire Cube, an app that lets you play Solitaire – but for real money.

Play people at your own skill level for fair games, and you could rake in serious cash like Kate Ngyuen, who took in $380,980.

Even Jennifer, a mother of two, takes home thousands when she takes a break.

If you have what it takes to play Solitaire and earn cash, download the Solitaire Cube app here.

7. Sell on Etsy

If nothing else, stay-at-home orders during the pandemic have given people time to learn new skills. If you’ve taken up an arts and craft hobby, you might be able to make something worth selling on Etsy.

Take a look around the site to see what other hobbyists are selling. Be creative. Someone is selling Harry Styles Polaroid prints, for example. A washable paper bag is $32 and is in low supply, so maybe you can figure out how to make those.

A denim tote to hold herbs costs $42, so people have money to spend. Start making something, and go get that money!

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