How to Make Money from Home
It seems as if everyone nowadays is looking for legitimate ways to make money from home.
And, with the uncertain economy and the increasing costs of food, housing, and healthcare most people still need additional income just to make ends meet.
So, read on to find out about 10 real-life ways to make money from home for free.
Also, did I mention that I’ve done them all?
Good News! They all worked!
Some better than others.
Let’s dig in and explore these 10 legit ways to make extra cash!
10 Real Ways to Make Money from Home
1) Flip Items for Cash
Flipping used items from home for cash has been a lifesaver at times for me!
And, this is probably the fastest way to make money from home.
Here are a few of the items I have sold online:
Rae Dunn Mugs and Dishes
Tons of Baby Items like a baby swing, baby bumbo seat, baby bath seat, etc.
- Lots of Pet Items like toys, pet gates, pet carriers, Rae Dunn pet bowls, etc.
Purses and boots
Golf clubs and bag
Pool table set
Furniture
The places I have sold used items online are Mercari.com, CraigsList.org, and local online neighborhood sites.
My advice for getting your items sold quickly is to always clean your items really well, take lots of photos in bright light, and write detailed descriptions of everything.
If your items look in brand new condition, they will sell quickly.
2) Visit the Pawnshop to Make Money Fast
I admit, there have been a few times when I really needed money quickly.
So, if you need fast cash and in a pinch, a pawn shop may be the way to go.
Here’s a list of the top general items most pawn shops accept:
- Jewelry and watches
- Power tools
- High-end electronics
- Smartphones
- Guns
- Video games and consoles
- Coins and currency
- Musical instruments
- Antiques and collectibles
Once, I sold some old jewelry that had no sentimental value to me and made $2,000.00.
Yes, it was super nice but I don’t wear jewelry much anyway.
Also, before you go to the pawn shop, make sure you do a little research online.
You’ll want to have some kind of idea of what your item could be worth.
Check out the Pawn Guru Blog to find out everything about pawning items near you.
3) Sell Products on Etsy.com
Another great way to make money from home is to set up your own Etsy Shop.
I recently created an Etsy store and have sold several cards, journals, planners, and coloring pages.
It’s really not difficult to set-up your store on Etsy, create Pinterest pins of your latest creations, and start making sales.
Here are the top 10 best selling items on Etsy:
- Stickers
- Handmade Jewelry
- Beads and Jewelry Supplies
- Digital Downloads and Printables
- Journals and Planners
- Party Decorations
- Wedding Supplies
- Personalized Greeting Cards
- Homemade Self-care Items
- Personalized Clothing and POD Products
- Anything that is hard to find.
If you are skilled at using PicMonkey or Canva.com (both of these applications have free versions) you can easily create all kinds of digital products.
Of course, there are several ways to be successful on Etsy:
- Use attractive packaging and extra padding for breakables
- Include a thank you note and your business card to build continuing customer relationships
- Write detailed SEO product descriptions to help you rank higher in searches
- Use the right keywords so your product will be found online
- Allow enough time for packing and shipping of your items
- Take great photos of your products
- Promote your products on Pinterest.
Read The Beginner’s Guide to Etsy to find out how to start up a shop and sell items.
4) Start a Blog and Make Money from Home
Starting a blog is an excellent way to make money online and create passive income.
However, it can take awhile to get the hang of it and to grow your traffic to your blog.
I started my blog in 2017 and have been improving, growing, and making more money each month.
Also, here’s a list of my favorite Blogging, Business, and Design Tools that I use and love!
Most of these tools are free or very affordable and will help you get your blog started faster and on the right path.
Once you create your blog you can monetize it with affiliate marketing, advertising networks, or sponsored posts.
And, there are so many profitable blog niches to consider:
- Fitness and Weight Loss
- Health and Wellness
- Dating and Relationships
- Pets
- Self-Improvement
- Personal Finance
- How to Make Money
- Food and Drink
- Beauty and Fashion
- Lifestyle
Any of these areas can be highly profitable if you put in the work.
Check out my post with step-by-step instructions on how to make money blogging.
5) Collaborate for Sponsored Posts to Make Money
A sponsored post is a dedicated post that you write, based on your sponsor’s requirements.
This can be a blog post or posts on any of your social media channels like Instagram or Facebook.
The purpose of a sponsored post is to bring more awareness to a product through the power of your influence.
The sponsor company may either pay you for your post, send you a free product, or both.
Additionally, each sponsor’s contract with you will be different and contain many pages of specific information.
Also, the larger your following and influence, the more money you can request for a sponsored post.
Several companies that offer sponsorship opportunities are:
My sponsored blog post experience
My most lucrative sponsored post so far was a collaboration with Christmas Tree Shops and That! (part of Bed Bath & Beyond).
I received an email from one of their media marketing managers asking if I would drive to their Atlanta store, shop with their gift card ($200.00), and then write a blog post ($500.00).
They emailed me a list of requirements and I got to work.
I purchased lots of their colorful Fall and Harvest merchandise, styled the pieces around my home, and took photos and video.
Once I completed all of their sponsored post requirements they mailed me a check.
I like this way of making money from home because it’s very specific work, fairly easy to complete, and most times you get paid for your work within 30 days.
If you’d like to get started making money with sponsored posts, I suggest you do a google search for “sponsored post” companies and apply to all of them.
Eventually, you will get paid sponsored opportunities.
6) Rent out a Room and Make Money from Home
Do you have a spare bedroom, basement apartment, or loft over the garage?
If so, this can be a good way to make some pretty quick cash.
Of course, this will also depend on the area where you live, accessibility, safety, etc.
And, if you happen to live in a college town, you are in luck!
For example, we have a detached garage that has a small, finished apartment above it.
Because there are so many people looking for places to live in our area (near Atlanta), we were able to rent out our space for $1,000 per month.
Additionally, we were already familiar with the tenants.
So, it was a safe and profitable way for us to make some extra money each month.
Check out this site, AirBnB Host Homes to see if this is a good fit for you.
Their website says “Hosting in 3 Steps”:
- List your space for free
- Decide how you want to host
- Welcome your first guest.
Ready to earn? Get started here!
7) Cooking or Catering
This one is easy and fun — IF you like to cook or bake.
Basically, if you are a good cook, like to make cakes or pies, etc., you can sell your delicious goods.
I’ve been paid a few times to make cakes for people (red velvet cake, coconut cake, chocolate cake, etc).
If you are really creative you could try your hand at making birthday cakes.
In the same way, many people will pay you to cook full meals and deliver them.
You could even cater events like parties, graduations, baby showers, weddings, etc.
Additionally, most people are happy to find a great cook that delivers good-tasting food, so you can charge whatever you like.
If you live in a neighborhood use word-of-mouth, fliers in mailboxes, post an ad of your cooking/baking services, or let people know about it on Facebook.
I’m sure the calls will start pouring in!
8) Design and Sell t-shirts on MERCH by Amazon, or other POD business
Merch by
This allows you to create and list t-shirt designs right on
Now, I haven’t had a ton of sales of my t-shirt designs, but I do usually have a few sales each month.
With Merch by
So, you upload your design, set a price, description, and shirt colors, and let
The amount you make per shirt depends on the price you set.
Here are a few steps to get yourself up and running with Merch by
- Get your Merch by Amazon Account here. I’ve heard the wait-list time is several weeks, but I was approved within one week.
- Once you have an account, upload your design onto the platform.
- From there, pick the product you want to sell (t-shirt, sweatshirts, hoodies)
- Once you have uploaded your design onto the product type, pick the colors that look best (5 total)
- Add a price, title, and description
- When you are happy with how everything looks, publish it on
Amazon
Once you submit it,
It is an awesome feeling when you see your first t-shirt for sale on
And, even better when you start making sales!
9) Sell DIY Crafts from Home and Make Money
I’ve always had the “crafting bug” and being creative is a fun way for me to relieve stress.
Not too long ago I was using my husband’s power tools to make all kinds of things out of scrap wood and lumber.
And, by word of mouth, I made plenty of sales with some easy DIY wood projects:
- Small wood signs
- Custom wreaths
- Farmhouse trays
- Wooden bead garland
- Seasonal painted wood blocks
You can always go on Pinterest and look up “DIY projects to make from home.”
Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
- Mix and make slime to sell for kids’ parties
- Make natural soap and bath bombs
- Sew pet bandanas (I’ve made these, and I’ve purchased some from Etsy sellers, too.)
- Create scented candles
- Wood pallet ideas (my favorite!)
- Homemade sugar scrubs and body butter
- Fabric bows and headbands
So, get crafting and start bringing in the moolah!
10) Dog-sitting services
If you love dogs, have the room, and a fenced-in yard, pet sitting might be a good option to help you make some extra cash.
Again, it’s usually easier to find the pets that need services in a large neighborhood, from friends, family, and co-workers, word-of-mouth, and posting on Facebook.
I’ve kept several neighbors’ dogs and friends’ dogs while they were on vacation.
It’s good money and you get to love on dogs all day!
What could be better than that?
You can also list your services on Care.com, which is a site that can help bring together pet sitters and people looking for pet care.
Final Thoughts on 10 Real Ways to Make Money from Home
I’ve tried all of these creative ways to make a quick buck, and I can honestly say I’ve made decent money from each of them.
Some of them are quick ways to get cash in a day, and others take longer but can provide a more consistent side income.
My best advice is to find some things that you enjoy spending time doing and try making money with those.
Good luck to you — I KNOW you can DO IT!
Have you tried any great money making ideas from home?
Do you make money from home with something totally different, unusual, or unique?
I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below. : )
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