12 ways to make money online

Woman analyzes different ways to make money online legitimately.
Are you looking for ways to earn extra money online legitimately? The Internet can offer you many ideas to make complementary sales and also supposed commercial opportunities to earn a lot of money from home. However, it has been proven that many of these opportunities are actually hoaxes. Others could be legitimate, but even then it is not worth spending time and effort.

Cheating through job offers from home

There are honest ways to make money online; You just have to know how to find them. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has provided detailed information on how to detect deception. Before committing to an opportunity to work from home, get the answer to the following questions.

***What is the total cost of the membership fee, supplies, software, etc.?
***What exactly should I do? In what terms?
***How do I earn money (commission payment, hourly, salary)?
***How and when will they pay me?

Calculate how many hours you must work to cover the cost of the supplies you need to get started. In many cases, scammers earn money by charging membership fees to new sellers, among other upfront costs.

It is also a good idea to use your instinct to know who your potential customers would be. You may get your friends and family to make some purchases, but will they continue to do so every month? Maybe the scammers promise you that they will give you a list of exclusive customers or that they will assign you your own sales area, but that may not happen.

Never reveal your financial information, for example, your bank account information. Pay attention if they tell you that they are going to transfer your money or send you a check for a significant sum in exchange for sending them a portion of that money. This is a frequent hoax: as soon as you transfer the money, the check they sent you will bounce or the deposit they promised you will never be credited.

Do a search online to see if the company is associated with the terms 'deception' or 'claim'. The fact that you do not find anything does not mean that the company does not have a bad history. The FTC warns that some companies change their names and address to avoid negative comments.

Evaluate the opportunity cost

Before committing to an opportunity to work from home, ask yourself if what you will get is worth it. For example, how many hours do you have to work to make a profit? There are some opportunities that may not be worth spending time, even if they are honest ways to earn money from your home. The idea of ​​the opportunity cost states that 'if I can do A, I can't do B'. Therefore, if you spend your time and energy on one thing, you can no longer devote them to another.

Be realistic about what you can expect. If it seems to you that something is too easy, it is probably not legitimate. However, if you are willing to investigate and get small amounts of money slowly, you can earn money honestly by working from home.

Surveys and user tests

No special skills are needed. You just need a computer and give your opinion. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of time and very little money is paid. Some sites limit the number of surveys in which you can participate each month. Do a search for 'paid survey sites' or 'paid user tests'. Read the comments and review the claims.

Multilevel sales (Multilevel Marketing or MLM)

Multi-level sales consist of selling a company's products (for example, cleaning products, essential oils, makeup, hair care products, etc.) to your network of friends and acquaintances in exchange for a commission. However, if the company earns most of the money by selecting new sellers, instead of obtaining it through the sale of its products, it is a pyramid scam and is illegal.

Internet games

Some online games reward players with gift cards and cryptocurrencies. You could earn money, but if you have to invest a lot of time to master a game that pays pennies per hour, is it worth the effort in exchange for what you get? You may have fun, but if what you need is an additional income, games are probably not a quick fix. The man works to earn money online from home.

Secret Buyer

You earn points or rewards for visiting
and reporting on certain companies. It could be a good way to earn extra money if it is a place you usually visit. But if you have to move especially, keep in mind the cost of fuel, time and effort involved in getting to the place, in addition to the money you spend while you are there.

Share your consumption habits

You can register to give your opinion as a consumer to retail sellers through programs such as the Nielsen Consumer Panel, which allows you to earn points that you can redeem for products or gift cards. In this case, it would be considered as income only if it is items that you would buy anyway. If the rewards you get are in the category of 'wishes' and not in the category of 'needs', you are not really making any progress. In fact, you may be wasting your time.

Administrative and accounting work

There are serious companies that will pay you to perform small administrative tasks, for example, process data online. These jobs are usually relatively easy, but they take time and are monotonous. The more difficult the task, the greater the pay.

Transcribing audio files (for example, for video captioning) can be an additional job if you type quickly and are good at listening. If you are organized and you like numbers, you could earn extra money by working on project management online and taking care of small business accounting. You always have to research the company and confirm how and when they will pay you.

Additional works

There are many applications and websites that allow you to offer practical services, such as walking dogs, doing small manual tasks, sharing car transfers or renting your vehicle or home. Just ask yourself if the side effects of the activity are worth it. For example, will your property suffer some kind of deterioration? Are you physically fit to do it? Is there a possibility that you want to increase insurance coverage? Will you have to pay your own taxes? With what part of your profits does the company keep?

Buying and selling currencies

The purchase and sale of currencies can be a profitable option, but it is an extremely volatile activity and has a high level of risk. Before putting real money to circulate, make sure you practice a lot. Learn all you can and never risk more than you are willing to lose.

Coupons and discounts

There are many applications that allow you to find discounts and rebates on your purchases, but it will only help you in your finances if it is items that you would buy in one way or another. If you use a coupon to save or get a $ 5 cash reward, but then spend that $ 5 on something you don't need, you will not have increased your income. On the other hand, if you transfer the $ 5 to an account that pays interest, or if you use them to pay off a debt, in the long term you will be increasing your income.

Internet investments

Investments are not a shortcut to earn a fortune on the Internet, but they do allow you to make money constantly over time. You need to inform yourself about the different investments and decide which one is the most convenient. To invest it is necessary that you keep the costs at the lowest possible level and that you choose the investments that have a higher return with a reasonable level of risk.

Entrepreneurship

Finally, you can always start your own business in the old way. Why do you have to depend on another person to create your own opportunity? If you feel like selling a product or service, take advantage of the free resources offered by the Small Business Association (SBA) to find classes and advice near where you live. There are many grants and aid programs for entrepreneurs who are just beginning.

Complete the My Savings Plan at no cost to explore the different ways to increase your income and get your own sustainable salary.