Editor’s note: This article was first published in September 2021. Earnings figures are from that time or earlier, such as surveys paying €0.50–€15, mystery shopping at €10–40 a visit and a Udemy course earning over $120,000. The Getty Images photo-selling tip via Flickr relies on a programme that ended years ago.
This article answers the question “what ways are there to make extra money from home?” in full, because we’ve been looking at how lots of people generate extra income, in many cases thanks to the internet and in others thanks to their creativity.
There are many ways to earn extra income from home, and most of them require no investment. Some can even end up becoming a very profitable business over time.
These ways of making money have been used by different people at certain stages of their lives, and the vast majority can be started with no investment or with very little money.
And if none of these ideas appeals to you, remember that in a previous article we set out most of the ways you can make extra money online.
See also: 20 business ideas you can start from home
8 ways to earn extra income from home
And now we move on to some simpler, less complicated ideas for earning extra income from home with no investment (or hardly any).
1. Make extra money selling your own crafts
This way of making extra money may seem complicated at first, but the truth is that if you’re good at making some kind of craft that appeals to customers, this idea can be very profitable.
In fact, it’s so profitable that Catalina started out looking to make some extra money and it has ended up becoming her lifestyle and main business.
Once again we can point to the example of the young woman who started making personalised figures for babies from her own home, advertised them on Facebook, and has turned it into her main business: BUBU Decoración Infantil.
Other people make extra money with other kinds of crafts or by selling all sorts of handmade or homemade products, such as woolly hats or gloves.
It’s undoubtedly a way to create a small business and earn some money from home. If demand grows over time, you’ll be on your way to having a decent company.
2. Make extra money thanks to YouTubers
We’re not talking about opening your own YouTube channel here, although that can also be a good way to generate extra income from home. Rather, we’re talking about the help a YouTuber may need, because although it may not seem so, there comes a point when they need help.
If you’re good at video editing, right now there’s high demand from large and mid-sized YouTubers looking for someone to edit their videos to save time.
Other people have specialised in creating thumbnails for YouTubers, because a good thumbnail increases the click-through rate. That’s why some YouTube thumbnails are better made than a film poster.
So it’s a matter of offering your skills to these people. You set the price, although they probably already have a figure in mind for this kind of work.
In any case, it’s just a way of making extra money; don’t expect to get rich from it, because at best you’ll end up working full time for one or more YouTubers editing videos or creating thumbnails.
3. Paid surveys: a classic way to make extra money from home
It’s not the idea I’d most recommend, but it’s an option that’s out there.
Although you won’t get rich with this way of making extra money, far from it, it can be very useful for people who aren’t yet sure what they want to do or can do. It’s a quick and simple way to make money, but it won’t be much.
Some surveys pay 50 cents, others 5 euros and some as much as 15 euros, but as we said, it won’t be easy, because the surveys that pay a decent amount usually take a lot of time.
Then there’s the fact that not all companies offering money for surveys can be trusted. That’s why in one article we listed 3 companies that we know do at least formally pay users for completing surveys. It’s not the best way to generate a high income from home, but it’s certainly a good idea for earning some extra money online.
4. Dumpster diving
Let’s not call it “rummaging through the rubbish” because that would sound bad, but Rosa and Pedro from Córdoba say that five years ago, when they were university students, they lived in a student area and took advantage of the end of the academic year, when students moved out of their flats, to look in the bins for what many people didn’t take with them.
Everything from shelves, clothes, books and all kinds of study materials to, sometimes, televisions and computers that didn’t work and just needed fixing. They sold it all both in second-hand shops and on eBay. They say they made up to €2,500 selling many of the things students left behind when they moved out.
5. Make small pieces of furniture and upcycled objects (and don’t forget crafts)
If you’re handy and creative too, you can build all sorts of objects out of all kinds of pieces you come across. People are paying between 150 and 500 dollars for pieces of this kind. Lisa Frick, who makes hand-painted upcycled furniture, earns about 250 dollars a week selling products made from recycled materials. Without a doubt, a profitable job from home.
As with the first business we suggested, any kind of crafts made at home tends to be an excellent idea for generating extra income.
6. Painting house fronts is a good way to make extra money
Many people probably don’t want to spend money on painting the front of their house, but… what if you knock on their door and tell them you’re trying to save for university and that for €10 you’ll give their façade a fresh coat of paint?
This idea came from Dani, an 18-year-old from Jaén, who says you can make €40 clear a day if you work hard, since, according to him, he did an average of 4 façades a day, charging €15 or €20. Obviously he didn’t sell himself as a professional painter, but the façades looked better than they had at the start, and his customers were grateful.
I know some people will say this isn’t a good business, and so on and so forth… but when someone’s financial situation is extremely precarious and they still can’t find work despite looking, if you can earn 30 or 40 euros for a day’s work, that’s better than nothing.
7. Buying and selling second-hand items is an excellent way to generate extra income
Some people visit second-hand shops looking for undervalued products that can be sold for more on eBay. Others simply buy things at token prices to sell online.
And if you have technical skills: when a scanner or printer breaks down, it often costs more to fix it than to buy a new one, so you can make money by buying that broken old scanner or printer for 1 or 2 euros, repairing it and putting it up for sale. This way of making some extra money is being widely exploited. In fact, you can see it on Wallapop (a Spanish second-hand marketplace app).
8. Self-publishing a book can be a great business
These days you can self-publish your book easily. And there are several ways to do it:
- You can write one or more short books and publish them on Kindle.
- Self-publish your book and sell it on your own website.
- You can also team up with platforms and sell to their audience.
- List the digital edition on affiliate systems, in case bloggers want to offer your book to their readers in exchange for a commission.
- Make an audiobook and sell it on Audible.
- Or you can go to a big publisher, although that route will take a bit more work.
More than a way of generating extra income from home, what this idea could achieve is the creation of an asset that generates a proper passive income.
More ways to make extra money from home with no investment at all
9. Earn good money writing
Some time ago we talked about how a woman was earning up to 950 dollars writing from home. While you can make extra money writing for blogs on a particular subject, this woman specialised in advertising copy, given her great creativity.
These days, although it may seem otherwise given the amount of information circulating online, there aren’t many good creative writers. So if you’re good at writing, can bring creativity or have something to offer that sets you apart from what’s already out there, it will certainly be a good opportunity to make some decent extra money. Maybe you won’t earn €950 an hour, but even if we knock 900 euros off that, I think 50 euros an hour isn’t bad at all.
10. Sell your photos to stock photo agencies
There are many stock photo agencies that pay you every time someone downloads or uses your photo. This way of making money isn’t fast, since it may take a while to sell your photos, but it’s one more option.
One of the biggest stock agencies is Getty Images. Of course, you need to know the pros and cons of doing this very well. On this blog, the author gives an excellent summary, based on his own experience, of how to sell your photos through Getty Images.
11. Use affiliate links to generate recurring extra money
If you have an Instagram account with a large following, a blog with lots of visitors or a Facebook page with plenty of fans, you can start choosing products from companies that let you earn money from the sales made by users who buy through your link.
There are many companies with affiliate programmes, including Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, ClickBank and so on.
The good thing about this way of generating extra income is that as long as you keep getting traffic, the affiliate links keep working and generating money.
12. Make extra money with your selfies
It’s not exactly like that, but people are making money with this idea. If you enjoy taking selfies and have the right style, you can upload your selfies to Stylinity (or similar sites) and tag your clothes. If people like them and decide to buy them, you’ll earn money through reward points that can be exchanged for cash or for products.
It really works like an affiliate programme, so if you have an Instagram account or a YouTube channel you can do it yourself, either with clothing brands that have an affiliate scheme or by tagging the clothes you’re wearing through Amazon’s affiliate programme. “Influencers” use both options.
13. Make extra money as a product reviewer
While companies used to send products to professional reviewers, and even pay them, these days it’s something you can set up on your own.
In other words, you can either receive a product from a particular brand and do a partial review, or buy the product yourself, review it on a blog or YouTube channel and add an affiliate link to the product (if the review is positive) or links to competitors’ products (if the review is negative). Every time someone buys products through your links, you’ll earn money from them.
There are YouTube channels whose biggest income comes from product reviews through affiliate programmes.
See also: 16 ways to make money without working or doing anything
Other ideas for making extra money without investing anything
14. Sell online courses (information products)
If you’re good at explaining a particular subject, you can make your own videos teaching others how to do what you know about, whether it’s the stock market, making a chair, programming and so on. You can sell these courses on platforms such as Udemy. If your course is good and covers a subject that’s in fashion at the time, just remember the case of the young man who made more than 120,000 dollars in a few months selling his course on Udemy.
15. Film-style wedding videos
Since people want to feel like the stars on their wedding day, why not make them a real film? A title, a soundtrack, credits and dialogue in film form could mark a before and after in the wedding video business.
All it takes is a great deal of video-editing skill. If you’re good at it, you’ll have a recurring extra income. The truth is that companies that have specialised in this can charge large sums, something I imagine will get cheaper over time as supply increases, but for now it’s one more business idea.
16. Selling homemade (organic) food for children
Many mothers don’t have time to prepare a proper meal for their children because of work, so your kitchen can become the supplier of quality homemade food for your building or neighbourhood. That’s how Big Dipper was born, which is now a large company.
Right now we’re also seeing some entrepreneurs doing the same thing with food aimed at other groups, such as vegetarians, vegans, people with coeliac disease and so on.
17. Start a podcast to make extra money from home
If you’re passionate about a subject and think you have something to say that could interest thousands or millions of people, you can start making podcasts and earn money from them, either by selling them or by offering them free and earning from the advertising your listeners generate. Without a doubt, an excellent way to make extra money and even create a small business.
18. Selling woollen goods and handmade work from home
Not to sound sexist, but this way of making money is chosen mainly by women who know how to make gloves, woolly hats, hand-knitted jumpers and so on.
It’s certainly a popular choice among unemployed women, homemakers and retired women looking to generate some extra income. And although there’s a huge variety of clothing online, the truth is that people still like handmade goods, and there’s still a market for them.
People sometimes doubt the quality of “made in China”, but few people doubt the quality of that woolly hat our grandmother used to knit us, which kept your head toasty even at minus 7 degrees.
These days, thanks to the internet, it’s very easy to get your handmade products to customers. The very fact that they’re handmade means you can build in a bigger profit margin for the time you’ve put in. And yes, many women entrepreneurs make extra money this way from the comfort of their homes.
19. Part-time or full-time data entry
The millions of websites on the internet aren’t built on HTML alone. They sometimes need a lot of content, so a data-entry worker’s job, among other things, is usually loading data into forms and databases.
You can also offer your services typing up reports and documents in any format. People who can touch-type and write a very considerable number of words per minute are usually in demand. You charge either by the hour or by the page.
20. Low-cost jobs online
If there’s something you know how to do that would take someone else an hour or two while you do it in 10 minutes, there’s a business in it.
For example, someone who has no idea about websites and blogs and needs to install a plugin or some feature on their site.
There was a blogger who offered these mini-services for prices as ridiculous as €5, although of course it was something that took him hardly any time.
For €5 I wouldn’t think twice. Some bloggers are now starting to offer these services from 25 euros per job, which puts them in competition with bigger companies that are increasingly getting their act together on lowering prices. But as long as you can make money this way, all you need is your internet connection.
Unusual ways to make extra money without much effort
Below are some ways of generating extra income with hardly any effort.
21. Make money selling your hair
You can make a lot of money selling your hair, especially if it’s virgin hair, that is, if you’ve never dyed it. Many factors influence how much you’ll be paid for it: the length, thickness, colour and so on.
Where can you sell your hair?
On the website HairSellOn there’s a calculator that gives you a rough idea of how much you could sell your hair for. Depending on your hair type, you can get anywhere from 100 dollars to 500 dollars. As much as 4,000 dollars has been paid for one type of hair. It really is a quick way to get some extra money.
And if you already know something about the subject, you can build a business around it by becoming a hair buyer and seller. Bear in mind that there’s demand for hairpieces and natural-hair extensions, so you can sell both your own hair and other people’s to hairdressing companies, or sell it directly to individuals online.
22. Become a research subject
Research studies are an easy way to make money. It isn’t a steady source of income, but it can give you some extra money when you need it. The most effective approach is to check with the universities in your city or keep an eye on their announcements in different media, where they sometimes look for focus groups.
That said, some medical studies pay money for something easy, while others pay more but take a lot of time and may even carry a health risk.
Then there are companies that pay to study the consumer’s mind, so you may find someone paying you to watch TV for 8 hours or play video games for weeks.
23. Make money putting ads on your car
This is one of the business ideas we suggested for entrepreneurs. In fact, taxis and buses are regular customers that offer their vehicles for advertising. But this market isn’t just for big companies: private individuals can also decorate their car with all kinds of advertising and earn money from it. After all, all advertisers want is for their ads to be seen. Find a company in your country that offers this service to individuals, and if you don’t mind wrapping your car in advertising, this way of making money is for you.
24. Become a mystery shopper
This way of making extra money isn’t hard to get into. All you have to do is sign up with one of the companies that are constantly looking for mystery shoppers: people sent by companies to report afterwards on how they were served, any problems they had, their assessment of the staff and so on.
Sometimes they’ll want you to have a particular car model so you can visit a dealership or garage. At other times they’ll give you a couple of cinema tickets and cover your drinks and popcorn. There are many kinds, and it can be fun.
The problem many people who have worked as mystery shoppers complain about is that at first it’s a hassle to follow the procedure they ask of you and then fill in the form with your opinion and assessment. You can earn an average of between 10 and 40 euros per visit.
More ideas for making extra money from home in your spare time or at weekends
And now we move on to the more typical ways of making money, which you’ll find just about anywhere, but it never hurts to be reminded of them.
25. Personal trainer
At your home or at the client’s, you can make money helping with personalised training for someone who needs to lose weight or get fit. Some people say personal trainers in Spain aren’t well paid, but that isn’t true: some earn nothing, some earn little, and some earn a great deal of money.
The difference between them? The same as in any profession: personal image and the value each one adds for the client. It’s up to you whether it’s just a way to earn some extra income or a very lucrative business.
26. Yoga classes
Yoga is in fashion and increasingly in demand, so if you have space in your living room and the necessary knowledge, you can make money from it in a few hours a week. The same goes for other disciplines and teachings, even reiki, which is very fashionable nowadays. You can make money from home with this idea.
27. Express clothing alterations
Tomorrow, Sunday, I have a wedding, and today, Saturday, I don’t know who can take up the hems on my suit trousers. This service can be offered from a shop or from your own home.
For sewing lovers, all they need to do is advertise properly on a local classified-ads site or on Facebook. If people know what you do, they’re very likely to get in touch.
28. Childcare, elderly care or pet care
Especially when it comes to caring for elderly people and children, the secret is trust. So by building excellent references and advertising properly, and even by working with companies that are constantly looking for nannies or carers, it’s an excellent way to earn money either occasionally or on a regular basis.
Pet care is also spreading as the number of people with pets grows, from walking the dog to looking after it for a few days during business trips or holidays.
29. Design logos
If you’re a creative person, the logo design market moves a lot of money these days. There are lots of sites where a company explains what it wants to achieve with a logo and designers compete to win the sale. Where can you offer your services as a logo designer straight away to make extra money?
On 99designs, companies can order a logo, and designers can sign up via the tab at the bottom of the page.
30. Offer your services on Fiverr
Fiverr is probably the biggest freelance marketplace in the world, where all kinds of services are requested. Although most of the offers are in English, there’s growing demand for Spanish speakers. Jobs start at 5 dollars. From there, depending on the job, you can find some interesting amounts.
31. Sell your music on Envato
Envato is just one of many sites where, if you’re good at making music and background tracks for videos, you can make money selling your music, as well as other things you can sell.
32. Make money from home as a freelancer on TrabajoFreelance
By signing up on this site, you can earn money creating designs and logos, doing SEO, repairing computers and so on. One of the sites for micro-jobs and freelance work in Spain is TrabajoFreelance.es. Look for this kind of site in your country, and if there isn’t one, there’s an excellent business idea for you (create it).
Both the previous idea and this one are good ways to make quick money online in a single day.
33. Managing Twitter and Facebook accounts
We’re talking about making money by helping small businesses or self-employed people who don’t have much time to gain visibility online or build up a sizeable following.
It would be like a community manager’s job, but aimed at people who don’t know what that term means. We sometimes forget that there are many small business owners who know zero about technology, so they wouldn’t even know how to set up a Facebook page for their company. For a modest price, I’m sure they’d leave it in your hands. It’s a good business and certainly a good way to make money online without investing anything. Just time and mental effort.
34. A YouTube channel
This way of making money may be more involved than the previous ones, because it requires building a loyal audience, and luck may also play a part. You can make a channel about a subject you’re good at (cooking, finance…) or even a comedy channel, where you can be very successful if you’re creative. That said, from my own experience and other people’s, I can tell you in advance that making money from a YouTube channel can be a very long and tedious process. So much so that many people get frustrated before receiving their first payment. Still, if there’s a subject you can excel at, go for it.
35. Coaching
Whether as a personal or a professional coach, there can be a big market these days, as long as you’re good at what you do and know how to make yourself known. The profession has boomed to the point where if you kick a stone, 100 coaches pop out, but the truth is that some are really good and some are really mediocre. If you’re one of the good ones, you’ll undoubtedly do better. I know, I’ve just stated the obvious.
36. Blogs and websites
We’re not talking about building an online shop (which takes a lot of work), but making a company’s corporate blog or website can take very little time and is well paid. And if they also want our services for SEO or social media management, and offering that is within our skills, go for it.
Further reading
Featured image: Shisma, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
