Making money online is a dream that a lot of people have. Unfortunately, many people believe that you have to pay money to make money. This simply isn’t true! In this article, we will discuss how to make money online without paying anything. There are a number of different ways to do this, and we will cover the most popular methods. So, whether you are looking for a way to make some extra cash or want to start a full-blown online business, read on for some great tips!
1. Make Money Taking Online Surveys
There are multiple ways to make money by taking online surveys. Most people have heard of Swagbucks.com, but there are many more companies that offer paid online surveys. A simple Google search will bring up dozens of companies looking for panelists just like you to share their opinions with them. How much can you earn? It depends on how many survey invites you respond to, but most are around $1-$3 per survey completed whereas others may pay more if you qualify for specific demographics for some of the company’s clients. If you had five minutes a day and made an average of one dollar every time you took a survey, it would be worth over twenty-five thousand dollars a year!
Now let’s discuss what might be your favorite option. How about getting paid to do something you probably already do on a daily basis? How would you like to get paid to take online surveys while watching TV or listening to the radio?
There are a number of companies that offer participants cash just for listening to music, commercials, and being part of an online focus group. How much could you earn from this type of work just by giving your opinion? A lot more than what most people think is possible! In fact, some of these companies will pay up to two hundred dollars just for one fifteen-minute survey! How’s that for money being all around you? The best thing about these types of opportunities is there are no fees involved. And if you have ever spent time reading Craigslist ads, I’m sure you’ve seen ads in the “earn extra cash” section looking for people to participate in focus groups. How much do they pay? How about $50 an hour!
Best Survey Sites to Make Money in 2022
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the most popular survey websites. I’ve been filling out Swagbucks surveys for years to earn free gift cards, and haven’t paid them a dime. But it does take work, you’ll be amazed at how long the survey takes to complete.
If you’ve never filled out surveys before I suggest signing up for all of these companies so you can compare your earnings with each company’s different earning method. You will not make much money completing surveys, but if you are patient you will start making some spare cash in no time!
I recommend using Swagbucks as your main online survey account since they have the highest number of surveys available daily, which means more opportunities for you to earn extra income! If Swagbucks isn’t paying out enough or too often for your liking then try Survey Junkie. Swagbucks is open worldwide to residents of age 13 or older.
Survey Junkie
This is a reliable survey site that I’ve been using for years to make money online. It’s not as high paying as Swagbucks but the surveys are more frequently available so you have a better chance at making some extra cash in your free time.
Survey Junkie is open worldwide to residents of age 16 or older.
Inbox Dollars
InboxDollars is another great survey site, they’re my 2nd favorite research firm after Swagbucks! They payout pretty well and very often if you qualify for enough surveys through their system, which can be hard sometimes. When I first joined inbox dollars I was only qualified for 1 survey every 2 weeks, so it took about 5 months to finally reach payout.
InboxDollars is open to U.S residents of age 18 or older.
Toluna Influencers
Toluna is a great survey site to get your feet wet with. They pay pretty well and send out surveys constantly so you’ll quickly build up points by giving your opinion on the web.
Survey Scout
Survey Scout is another new survey website that I’ve been using to make money online . The surveys available are few and far between but if you’re lucky you can earn some good money from them! They also offer a referral program which gives you an opportunity to earn even more for promoting their service!
They are hundreds of survey websites on the internet take time to research and find the best paying ones.
2. Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are always in high demand. You don’t need any background or prior experience to become a virtual assistant. It will be necessary to have a computer with internet access, though. These are some of the tasks you can do as a virtual assistant:
- Running errands for different people
- Organizing photo albums
- Tracking expenses and maintaining records
- Preparing presentations and reports
- Transcribing notes into documents
You can find many jobs that hire virtual assistants on Fiverr. Read our review of Fiverr There are also companies that hire virtual assistants, but they generally require at least one year of previous experience in the same field. Even if your resume includes no previous work experience, there may still be opportunities to find work. You can check job boards such as Simply Hired and Indeed.
Virtual assistants who work for larger companies tend to earn more than those who work independently.
3. Become a Freelance Writer
Become a freelance writer and make money online. This is actually easier than you might think, and it can even be a full-time income if you do it right. How does this work? Well basically, when hundreds of thousands of people search Google for information on any particular topic related to their own businesses and interests, naturally they will need someone to turn to who can help them solve their problems and answer their questions in a thorough and well-researched manner.
How much can you earn? How about $50 per article written! Many freelance writers charge $20 or $30 per hour when working from home, but these same articles pay out an average of $50 when working as a freelance writer online for iWriter – one of the most reputable of the many content mill sites. For a 300-word piece, ‘Standard’ writers are paid $1.62; for a 500-word post, they are paid $2.43; and for a 700-word article, they are paid $4.05 on iWriters.
This seems low in comparison to other pay rates of $20 or more per hour, but they are paying you for quality writing and research, not just your time. How does this compare? How about an article with 400 words that takes about 30 minutes to write will only earn the writer $8 bucks on average working online as a freelance writer for these content mills. It would take approximately 100 articles written at that rate to equal the amount one single article at WriterAccess would net you!
It might seem like nothing at first but when you think about it realistically, what else do you have to do with those 100 articles? The hard work is already done upfront. The research has been done, the article is written, all you have to do is submit it. So how much could you make if you wrote 100 articles? How about $8,000? What of $20,000! How does this sound for a REAL job where no one can fire you and there are absolutely NO limitations on what you can earn!!
Read our article 8 Tips For New Online Freelancers for more information on how to become a freelancer.
4. Join an Affiliate Program
Affiliate programs are easy to get into and can provide you with an income source within a short amount of time.
By maintaining affiliate partnerships, you will increase your business presence on the Internet while simultaneously generating additional profits for any business venture.
Find affiliate programs that match your desired niche market. If you have product-based websites or blogs, match up with companies that produce products that are in your niche.
Contact the company about starting an affiliate program partnership. Some companies require prospective affiliates to submit applications before they are considered.
Others allow prospective affiliates to apply after they have been accepted.
Companies usually provide their affiliate program guidelines, including what percentage of sales will be paid as commissions and what methods of payment are acceptable. Discuss these guidelines with the company before signing any agreements.
Determine your strategy from there.
Once you have been accepted into an affiliate marketing program, review how the company wants its affiliates to generate traffic for them on the Internet. Consider your strengths; if you know a lot about social media or blogging, focus on using those skills to increase the number of visits you send to the company’s website or blog each day.
Use all available resources to market your affiliate business. Utilize Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other various types of social media to spread the word about your affiliate business.
Use free blogging platforms like Blogger or WordPress to create a blog that features reviews of products you are promoting or anything related to your niche market.
Post affiliate links on your blog and provide quality content so readers stay interested in what you have to say. Utilize graphics, videos, logos, and other images throughout posts whenever possible while staying within the rules set out by the company for its affiliates.
Write articles available through article directories or post them on your own site with a link back to the company’s website so visitors can learn more about what they offer. Include keywords and phrases in your articles so search engines direct clients visiting those sites directly to where they want to go.
Keep accurate records of any affiliate program activity so you know how much income you are generating from various sources every month. Once you have become established as an affiliate marketer, use online payment services like PayPal and Google Checkout to receive your payments directly to your account.
If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing read our article The Ultimate Affiliate Marketing Guide for Beginners
5. Start a YouTube Channel
One of the easiest ways to make money without paying anything is to create a YouTube channel. You don’t need any special equipment or skills. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, and you’re ready to go. How much can you expect to make? There’s no guarantee, but if your videos gain you hundreds of subscribers and people watch five minutes of your content each day, then it looks like about $3 – $4 per thousand views would be reasonable. That works out to about $300 to $400 per month for an active channel – not bad, but it’s best to start small and then work your way up.
YouTube pays you through Google AdSense. You won’t see ads on your videos at first, but after you get enough views, the option will appear for you to monetize your videos.
Making money on YouTube is as simple as following these four guidelines:
- At a minimum, your YouTube channel must have 1,000 followers.
- Over the past year, your videos have received 4,000 Watch Time hours.
- It is clear that you are adhering to all of YouTube’s rules and regulations.
- You’ve got an AdSense account up and running now.
How much money do these ads generate? The average value of a single view is $0.10 to $0.30 per view (although this figure varies depending on several factors). For simplicity’s sake, let’s say that every time someone watches 5 minutes of your content you earn $3.00. If 100 people watched all 20 minutes of one of your videos, then that would be $300. Your content would have to be pretty bad for no one to watch it all the way through, but let’s say that only 50 people watched all of your videos. That’s still $150 for a few hours of work.
YouTube pays through AdSense, so you have to apply to become a partner before you can get paid. To sign up, go here: AdSense Signup. There is no cut-off date or deadline for applying, and they review applications weekly.
6. Become a Transcriptionist
Transcription is one of the easiest ways to make money without paying anything. All you need is a computer and an ear for detail. If you can transcribe audio and video file, then this information is for you.
Let me help you through the steps needed in order to start your own transcription business from home. You don’t even need any special skills or training; just basic knowledge of how the English language works and what words sound like. First, we’ll talk about why transcriptions are such a great way for stay-at-home moms (or anyone for that matter) to make money. If you’re still interested, we’ll take a look at the equipment and software needed for transcription, which costs next to nothing! Then I will give you step-by-step instructions on how to start your own home-based transcription business. Finally, I’ll talk about what skills are needed in order to be successful with this business (and it’s not anything special).
Now let’s get started!
Why is Transcription such a Great Business?
If you like working from home and having total freedom over your time, then transcriptions might be perfect for you. You can work when you want; day or night; 7 days a week. You may even be able to save up enough money while you sleep. You have total control over how much you can make by setting your own rates.
Can I Get a Steady Job in Transcription?
You did notice that word steady, right? Well, this is a business and a very competitive one at that. There are thousands of people who also want to do transcription; some with better skills than others, but many nonetheless. This means you will be much better off working for yourself instead of looking for work from someone else because there simply isn’t enough out there to go around (plus it’s extremely difficult to find)
Will I Be Able To Keep Working as a Transcriptionist?
The short answer: YES! Like I said before, this is not like other jobs where you get paid a certain amount per hour and as long as you put in the time, you’ll get your paycheck. This is much better; you set your own rates and work as hard as YOU want. You will only make money if YOU decide to work, so there’s nothing stopping you from making all the money that YOU want!
What Type of Transcriptions are Available?
Almost any type can be done. We will talk about the most common types in the next section, but basically any audio or video file you can think of is available. You could even do something like audios of speeches (which would be really cool). If you were to start your own transcription company, I’m sure you could come up with something unique!
How Much Will It Cost to Start?
All you really need is a computer (which nearly everyone has now); an internet connection (also very common); and time (you can’t spend it if you don’t have it). The only other things that will cost you money are the transcription software. If you don’t want to spend money you can use open-source software which is completely free, and whatever equipment or supplies are needed for your unique situation. You could easily spend under $100 on all of this stuff or 0$ if you have a computer with a high-quality microphone and speakers.
What Do I Need to Get Started?
Basically, all you need is some form of audio files to transcribe, transcription software, files where someone already typed what was being said, etc.; and lastly the ability to listen and type very quickly. This can be done with any computer, but if you are serious about making money, then I would suggest buying the transcription software or using high-quality free open-source software. The software will allow for much faster typing.
Will I Require Some Special Skill?
No special skills or knowledge are needed to get started. You just need basic computer skills and good English listening comprehension (and the ability to type quickly). That’s really all there is to it!
What is the Typical Time Commitment? How Often, and How Much Do I Work?
There really isn’t a “typical time commitment” because it will vary greatly depending on how much you get paid for, what your workload is like (if any), and what type of transcription jobs you take. If you only get paid $0.25 per minute of audio, then it’s going to be pretty difficult to make more than a few dollars a day; but if you’re working for $1 or more per minute then you can easily make hundreds or thousands of extra dollars each month. For example: if you type at 30 WPM (Words Per Minute) and transcribe 1 hour of audio per day, you will make about $150 per month doing nothing but typing. You can type up to 60 WPM if you are able to, which means the same hour of work would net you over $300!
There are many ways to go about making money as a transcriptionist, but they all depend on how much effort you want to put into it. The more effort or time you want to put into it, the faster your earnings grow.
Can I Work Full-time or Part-time? Or Do I Have To Quit My Day Job?
Yes. You can work full-time; part-time; you can quit your job; you can get a second job; whatever! It’s up to you how much (or little) you want to do! Honestly, there is no reason why anyone couldn’t make at least $500 per month working just 1 hour 5 days per week.
Check out the Best Transcription Jobs – Sites that Pay Quick Money
7. Create and Sell Courses Online
One of the easiest ways to make money without giving paying anything is to create and sell courses. Create a course on your expertise, apply for a free site like Udemy or Skillshare, list it, and sit back as people purchase it. The good news is that you can do all this without spending a dime. It’s not easy but with the right efforts and time, anyone can earn from these sites.
In recent times, due to the high cost of education at traditional schools or colleges, coupled with the extremely slow job market, many young adults are choosing up-skilling themselves by learning new skills online on various platforms. This has led to an explosion in video sharing sites like YouTube where you find thousands of videos related to almost any topic under the sun. People are customizing and uploading their videos on these sites, which is why they get millions of visits and hence earn money through the AdSense program.
If you have a knack for teaching, then these platforms will be perfect for you to create and sell courses online. You can upload your own video and teach people something valuable that’ll help them solve a problem or do something better in life. Create well-thought-out content, use screencast software if possible to create even higher quality tutorials, show demonstrations, etc. This might sound easy but it requires hard work.
What you will need to do;
- Create an attractive cover page for your courses.
- Make a preview video to show off your course.
- Come up with high-quality content that will be the exact reason why people would want to take your course.
- Create a sales page where you list all the features of your course along with the price tag.
- Add upsells, offer them something extra that they might not be able to resist, maybe an extended version or else some other unique training modules
- Create coupons, keep creating coupons, and offer discounts.
Best Platforms to sell your Online Courses:
Once you’ve created your course, uploaded it, and have a sales page ready, the next step is to list it on popular sites that get a lot of traffic. The reason for this is that these popular sites will get you more visitors which in turn will result in higher commissions. Here are some of the top places where you should list your course:
Udemy
Udemy has been around for quite a while now and they have a large database consisting of learners who want to sharpen their skills or gain knowledge. You can register with them and create your own courses which they might even promote on their site. Udemy allows anyone to sign up as an instructor and sell courses directly to students. Udemy charges a commission from the instructor on each sale of a course.
SkillShare
A new site but growing rapidly, it’s a platform where anyone can sign up and sell their video courses online. They have an approval process for every course that is uploaded to them so you will need to submit your course for review before being able to sell it. You get paid 50% of what students pay for your courses which is pretty attractive. There’s also no cost associated with this platform which makes it all the more enticing.
Creative Live
This is another great place to create and sell courses online. It has been around since 2010 and offers classroom-style education by experts in different fields (music, design, photography, etc.). You can also sell your courses on this platform and enjoy a big audience.
Teachable
Teachable is another place where you can create your own online courses and sell them to students across the globe. They have a lot of options when it comes to creating and selling courses, giving you an edge over similar platforms which offer limited features. Some of their incredible features include variable pricing for courses, integrated payments (PayPal & Stripe), affiliate programs, member subscriptions, etc. You can choose either to sell your course or give it away for free depending upon your needs.
Skillfeed
Skillfeed is another website that lets you create and sell video courses online. The best part about SkillFeed is that you don’t need to create a website for your courses. You can simply upload the course information on their site, list them with price tags and if you are using video lessons then it becomes even more interesting since they provide the platform where you can share videos with your students online. This gives an extra edge to Skillfeed because it’s something that other similar platforms don’t offer.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is well known for its top-quality courses in technical training categories like IT, development, etc. It has been operational since 2003 and has served over 37 million users worldwide to date. They have over 8000 experts creating content, so there’s no shortage of content available on this platform catering to different subjects. Pluralsight also offers certifications to students which is another added benefit it provides. Apart from courses, you can also sell online books on Pluralsight.
Udacity
Udacity is another popular website for online courses and has been around since 2011. It’s a great place where thousands of students learn new skills every day. They have tons of free courses available as well as paid ones that you can create and sell online. You need to apply with them before creating your own course but they review these submissions within 3 business days (usually even faster than that).
LinkedIn Learning
Although this isn’t exactly a freelancing platform, you can still upload your video courses here so other professionals can take advantage of the content. What LinkedIn Learning does is that it lets you build a course according to your needs using their easy to use platform. You can choose from a range of courses they have on offer and customize them as per your requirements. This makes it easier for students to find what they’re looking for.
Edukart
Edukart is an Indian website where anyone can create & sell their own online courses. It’s a great place if you want to quickly upload content and start selling it right away. However, they charge a commission of 10% from the instructor on every sale which is pretty high when compared with other platforms like Udemy which only take 50% commission from the instructor.
8. Start a Consultancy Business
One of the easiest ways to make money without paying anything is to launch a consultancy business.
A consultant is simply someone who gives professional advice for pay. Consultants usually work directly with companies rather than individuals, and they charge more. For instance, your typical blog consulting fee might be $2 per hour compared with $15 or less per hour for Expert Answers (see the survey on rates ).
One kind of consultancy is known as “consulting by exception” — getting paid only when you fix specific problems. That’s what I do with my consultancy firm. If I can’t solve the problem within 3 hours (or whatever time period has been negotiated), I won’t get paid.
Another approach is to do more traditional consulting in which the consultant helps set the agenda and guides the discussion, but gives advice only when asked — sort of like an “expert consigliere.” Or you could be a simple expert witness and charge for your opinion.
To find consulting work
Perform research and publish it in Expert Answers or in blog posts or any other appropriate place. Once you’re well known, companies will seek you out. Sometimes they’ll pay by the hour; Othe times they’ll ask for a quote upfront (typically $10-100+ per hour depending on what you do); sometimes they’ll simply send you a check each month whether you’ve done anything for them or not.
As your status as an expert grows, you can continue to target larger and more lucrative companies with bigger projects. To become the undisputed leading authority on some topic within your niche, you’ll need to make significant contributions in the field of expertise (in blog posts, books, courses, etc) — at least several per year. When this happens, it will feel natural for clients to seek out your services rather than vice versa.
One important warning here
Be careful of overselling yourself! Don’t be that guy who’s always pitching himself as a guru capable of solving all problems yet has delivered nothing but failed projects and empty promises. You want customers ready to part with money because they’re convinced you can make their lives better. You don’t want customers skeptical of everything you say and always ask for more evidence.
Make no mistake
It can be a lot of work marketing yourself as an expert and keeping up your skills and generating new business opportunities. However, once you attract a steady stream of high-paying clients, the money will roll in without any additional effort on your part – at least if we’re talking about “consulting by exception.” For traditional consulting work where you have to bill for your time, the pay may not be quite so great on an ongoing basis — but it’s still pretty darn good compared with other ways to generate income online.
To summarize
The process of applying your expertise to help others solve their problems — which can be a lot of fun if you enjoy helping people — will draw in the highest-paying clients and projects. It may take a little work building your reputation, but once it’s done, you’ll have an easier time getting customers than deciding what to do next with your life.
For most people, making money online is not about any single strategy trick, app, or invention. It’s all of that together plus figuring out how to get customers interested in what you have to offer. If this sounds like a difficult challenge, just remember anyone who has been there before and made lasting progress is likely already doing something similar to what I described in this above. So if that’s you, then congratulations — if not, best of luck!
For more information on how to become a consultant read this article from HubSpot.
9. Become A Social Media Influencer
One of the easiest ways to make money without paying anything is to Become A Social Media Influencer. The best part about becoming a social media influencer is that you don’t need to actually buy anything! By setting up profiles on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and having friends and followers like your content, share your content, or talk about it on their own profiles, you instantly gain social influence.
To be an influencer you only need to ask for people’s help; never offer any products or services in exchange for gaining this online presence. Once you have enough people following your accounts (and liking/sharing/commenting on your posts), companies will come looking for you and pay YOU to promote THEIR products and services (or give you free things). Chat with your friends, family, and followers about the products you love (or even hate) and ask for their help to spread the message. That’s it! You don’t even need a website.
10. Become a Tutor
One of the easiest ways to make money online without paying anything is to Become a Tutor. There are many sites where you can become an instant tutor and get paid for it. One good example is TutorVista, which pays around $22 for every hour you work. The best thing about this job is that you do not have to go anywhere or meet anyone regarding lessons, all you need is your computer with an internet connection. You can work anytime, anywhere as long as your schedule permits it. This article will teach you how to make quick cash by tutoring other people on things like science, mathematics, history, etc., using Skype for video chat purposes.
You could also sign up with StudyPool . They pay their tutors between $10 and $25 per hour.
Another similar site is Chegg Tutors , which will pay you up to $20 per hour.
You can also check out VIPKid , where the hourly rate is very good at around $22/hr
There are many others that you could choose from, including:
To sign up with the majority of these companies, you will need to have a four-year Bachelor’s degree or a one-year Master’s degree from an accredited college/university. If you do not have one, you could consider signing up as a high school tutor instead.
11. Make Money Testing Websites and Apps
Most people are looking to make money online with little upfront costs. There are a few ways to go about this, and one of them is testing websites and reviewing mobile apps.
There are a number of companies out there who want your opinion on their website or app before they launch it in the marketplace. This way they can avoid bad reviews and further costly changes. If you give them an early look at how their site or app works, then provide some constructive criticism, you may get paid for your input! It’s that simple.
How Much Money Can You Make Testing Websites
There really isn’t a set number for how much you can make. If one company is willing to pay up to $50/hour, then it’s easy enough to get 5 hours of work in a week. Multiplied by 50 dollars per hour, that leaves you with an extra $250 at the end of your first week! I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but don’t forget about all the other companies that are looking for reviews from people like you. I recommend signing up for as many companies as possible.
What Do You Need To Get Started?
The only requirement that these companies are looking for are that you are able to provide constructive criticism on what they’re asking about. Most people with common sense should fit right in! There’s no need to go out and spend money to get started.
How Can You Get Started?
Getting started couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is fill in your name and email address in the boxes above, then look at all the companies that are currently hiring people just like you! Simply decide which company interests you most, then sign up for an account by following their instructions. After that it’s time to get reviewing!
Which are the Best Sites Where You Can Test Websites for Money?
- Applause: Applause.com
- UserTesting: Usertesting.com
- Utest: Utest.com
- Enroll: Enrollapp.com
- UserFeel: Userfeel.com
- Testing Time: Testingtime.com
Conclusion
There are many ways to make quick and easy money without paying anything upfront. These are just a few of the more popular options that may be available to you. Remember, the best way to find out how much you can make is to sign up for as many companies as possible and start working!
Check out our other article to learn other ways to make money online; How to Make Money Blogging: 17 Tactics That Work