If you’ve found yourself Googling “how to make money online for beginners” or “how can I make money online”, this article is for you!
If you’ve got a solid internet connection and some devices to work on, you’re halfway to being in business online.
Whether you want to have a small side hustle or a full-time online business making thousands a month, this article will give you some incredible ideas so you can start working online for more money today.
Benefits of making money online include:
Working from the comfort of your home
Earning more income to pay off debt
Setting your own schedule
Earning money while watching TV
Opening up future opportunities
Starting your own business
Working on what you’re passionate about
Spending more time with the family
The list goes on and on when you make money without a typical 9-5 job and solely make money online. Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
- 1 Quick Picks
- 2 How to Make Money Online in 2023
- 2.1 1. Become An Online Proofreader
- 2.2 2. Take Paid Online Surveys
- 2.3 3. Find Freelance Jobs
- 2.4 4. Start A Money-Making Blog
- 2.5 5. Sell Printables On Etsy
- 2.6 6. Become A Freelance Writer
- 2.7 7. Sell Old Items Around The House
- 2.8 8. Invest In Stocks
- 2.9 9. Invest In Real Estate
- 2.10 10. Online Tutoring
- 2.11 11. Selling Online Courses
- 2.12 12. Work As A Pinterest Virtual Assistant
- 2.13 13. Run Facebook Advertising
- 2.14 14. Sell Photos
- 2.15 15. Sell Your Notes
- 2.16 16. Write A Book Or eBook
- 2.17 17. Twitch Streamer
- 2.18 18. Coaching
- 2.19 19. Dropshipping
- 2.20 20. Make Money Online Through Affiliate Marketing
- 2.21 21. Buy And Sell Websites
- 2.22 22. Become An Influencer
- 2.23 23. Translation
- 2.24 24. Start A Consulting Business
- 2.25 25. Peer To Peer Lending
- 2.26 26. Sell Thrift Finds Online
- 2.27 27. Earn Cash Back
- 2.28 28. Get A Cash Back CC
- 2.29 29. Make A YouTube Channel
- 2.30 30. Review Products
- 2.31 31. Become A Personal Shopper
- 2.32 32. Rent Out Your Space
- 2.33 33. Sell On Etsy
- 2.34 34. Watch Videos & Ads
- 2.35 35. Test Websites
- 2.36 36. Graphics Design
- 2.37 37. Create Products
- 2.38 38. Develop New Apps
- 2.39 39. Start A Podcast
- 2.40 40. Manage Social Media
- 2.41 41. SEO
- 2.42 42. Develop Websites
- 2.43 43. Data Entry
- 2.44 44. Sell T-Shirts
- 2.45 45. Play Games
- 2.46 46. Voice Acting
- 2.47 47. Walk
- 3 Final Thoughts
Quick Picks
We have so many amazing ways to earn more money online, but we get that you may want our top picks to check out quickly!
Here are our favorite Savvy ways you can make money online today:
Best Overall – Online Proofreading
Best Way to Make Money Fast – Swagbucks
Best Online Business Idea – Bookkeeping
Best Passive Income – Start a Profitable Blog
How to Make Money Online in 2023
You may just want extra money on the side or just a better-paying career- or a little bit of both. And these options could be all that and more!
Here is our full list of tried and true ways to make money online.
1. Become An Online Proofreader
Proofreading is one of the final steps in the process of content creation and one of my favorite ways to make money online.
This article that you are reading now had a proofreader work on it before it was published.
Proofreading is the final check to make sure there are no remaining spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
If you are serious about learning how to become a proofreader you should totally consider taking the General Proofreading: Theory and Practice course by Proofread Anywhere.
With this course, you’ll learn how to proofread AND how to market your business to get clients.
Not sure proofreading is for you? Check out their FREE proofreading workshop for more info!
It will give you all the education, experience, skills, and tools you need to make upwards of $20–$30 per hour.
2. Take Paid Online Surveys
Did you know you can earn money by taking surveys? We make money immediately every week through popular survey sites.
Market research companies want our feedback on items so they can make changes on products and services- and you get paid for it!
Taking online surveys won’t make you rich, but they will certainly help you earn some more income.
Instead of vegging out in front of the TV twiddling your thumbs during commercial breaks, why not do the best way to make money online?
You can use your computer or mobile device to answer a few surveys and make money quickly in your down time.
Some of the highest paying survey companies include:
Swagbuck Surveys ($10 sign-up bonus)
Inbox Dollars ($5 sign-up bonus)
Survey Junkie
3. Find Freelance Jobs
Why not take the skills and experience you already have to make money as a freelancer?
Becoming a freelancer you get to set your own hours, prices, and make money doing things you love.
Freelance work can range from anything like writing, graphics design, bookkeeping, social media management, search engine optimization, etc.
You can download the Steady app to make extra money as a freelancer as early as today.
You can also check out sites like FlexJobs, Upwork, and Fiverr to find even more freelance work.
4. Start A Money-Making Blog
Blogging is my jam and the best way we make money online- it has literally changed my entire life and the lives of so many people.
My wife and I were both able to quit our 9—5 jobs, make more money than we ever thought possible, and truly create a life of freedom!
Within just a couple of short years, we have been able to grow our blog into a full-time income. Now we help others just like yourself start your own profitable blog with our FREE 5-Day Start Your Blot Bootcamp.
It is such an incredible dream come true to work for myself from the comfort of my home! I get to set my hours, earn my own income, and not have to answer to “the man.”
When we started our blog, it was just going to be a side job to earn more income. Now it’s thriving multiple six-figure businesses that reaches millions of readers every year.
5. Sell Printables On Etsy
Are you a creative individual? You can sell online and reach millions of people easier than you would in person!
Online businesses are booming with people who have a unique creative flair and can satisfy a client’s wants and desires.
You can qucikly open up an Etsy shop, create a couple printables, and list them for sale.
Our good friend Julie actually makes over $10,000 per year selling printables on Etsy in her spare time.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to be successful just watch Julies FREE Etsy Printables Workshop and learn everything you need to know about selling digital printables.
6. Become A Freelance Writer
Ever wonder how big companies like The Wall Street Journal, Time Inc., and others keep up with their articles?
They have contributors! And you could become one of them.
Holly over at Club Thrifty made more than $250,000 as a freelance writer last year alone.
You don’t even have to start with major brands. Start with small businesses looking to add on one contributor.
The secret to getting gigs is knowing what topics you should write about. Just like blogging, you need a niche!
The best part is that you don’t need any prior writing experience to get started. You can even use tools like Jasper AI and Surfer SEO to help you create content for you.
There are also a handful of other online typing jobs to consider.
7. Sell Old Items Around The House
Believe it or not, you most likely have hundreds if not thousands of dollars laying around your house.
Take some time and take inventory of the things you are no longer using around the house. Things that are collecting dust and losing value.
Now it’s time to say goodbye! Start selling your unused items on Decluttr or easy places like Facebook Marketplace.
This is one of the best ways to make money when you find yourself saying “I need money right now.”
Here are a few examples:
Cameras
Gaming Systems
Clothing
Tools
Phones
Kids Toys
You can make some serious cash by simply selling off the things you no longer need or want in your life. Platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace are great places to start.
8. Invest In Stocks
A lot of people have made good money off of the stock market. If you can invest in the right company, you can really strike it rich and make money online easily.
Just think of the people who bought Amazon shares when they had their initial public offering!
With an app like Acorns, you can round up the spare change from your purchases and invest it into diverse exchange-traded funds.
Choosing stocks that pay dividends passively earns money online for years to come.
Money-making apps like Acorns make the process super simple to get started!
9. Invest In Real Estate
Now, we’ve heard this time and again- “How can I invest in real estate without thousands of dollars?”
You don’t need to be rich or an accredited investor if you want to make money from real estate!
Real estate is a great way to earn passive income, though stock dividends make money fast if that’s what you’re looking for.
If you sign up with Fundrise, you only need $10 to start investing, and you can get REITs for commercial property, apartments, and other developing private properties.
You should still do market research when investing, but Fundrise is very informative and has educational materials so you can pick smart investments.
10. Online Tutoring
Tutoring is the perfect job for teachers over the summer, but tutoring in multiple subjects are great money-making ideas for anyone to cash in on.
Within the first month of becoming a tutor in English, I earned close to $1,000! I got hired and have ZERO in-class teaching experience, which means so can you.
Whether you have a degree, a passion, or just know a lot from your own classes, you can get paid as an online tutor for any subject you can imagine.
11. Selling Online Courses
This is something we’ve done ourselves with our new Bloggers’ Secrets course! Online courses are a fantastic way to educate others on a particular topic.
It helps if you have a blog to sell it on, but you can start selling an online course strictly through partnering with other people who have loyal followings.
Some of our favorite online courses to learn from and use as examples are Stupid Simple SEO, Flourish With Facebook Ads, and Six-Figure Blogger.
Make sure to join The Savvy Couple Community and Blogging With Purpose on Facebook to learn more about our course and ask us anything!
12. Work As A Pinterest Virtual Assistant
Do you love browsing on Pinterest and pinning until your thumbs are numb? Have you ever thought about getting paid to be on Pinterest?
Yes, it’s true you can earn money online by becoming a Pinterest Virtual Assistant.
You can also work as a virtual assistant for businesses in need, doing data entry work, answering calls or emails, or other office tasks.
Our friends Gina and Kristin teach an incredible course that walks you through everything you need to know about becoming a virtual assistant.
They have had many students start making so much money online that they were able to quit their jobs and work online full-time from home.
13. Run Facebook Advertising
Did you know there is a HUGE demand for small business owners needing help running Facebook ads?
This is a big industry that seems to not be slowing down as businesses find that Facebook is a great sales channel for many products.
Our friend Bobby Hoyt over at Millennial Money Man created a Facebook Side Hustle course to show you exactly how you can make $1,000 – $2,000 per month helping a business bump up their advertising revenue.
14. Sell Photos
If you take great photos, you can make money off of selling them to stock photography websites, such as Adobe, Shutterstock, Bigstock, and more.
If your photos have people’s faces in them, make sure they sign a model release form so that they consent to be included in the photo.
You surrender the copyright in the process, but if you weren’t planning on selling them, to begin with, then you don’t have to worry about anything.
Plus, it can be pretty cool to see an image you took on one of your favorite sites or on an Instagrammer’s feed.
We’ve got a full list of stock photography websites you can check out to start selling your photos.
15. Sell Your Notes
Are you a college student or a recent graduate? If so, there’s a great way for you to earn money with your writing.
StuDocu is a site that will buy your lecture notes from you. All you have to do is scan in your notes and you get paid via PayPal a few days later.
Pretty cool, right? It’s 100% legitimate, by the way. One of my friends did this after her term ended and she made easy money.
It won’t make you rich, but it’s a great way to make money in college.
16. Write A Book Or eBook
It has never been easier to write a book, especially since you are now able to self-publish using Kindle or Amazon.
Think about the different types of genres that you would like to write about, and set yourself a target for the number of words that you’d like to write each day.
17. Twitch Streamer
This is another really cool way of making money that’s become a lot more popular recently.
If you are into gaming, then you can stream your games on Twitch and make a lot of money, if people like what you’re doing!
18. Coaching
Do you have a particular area of expertise that you like to help other people with? You could become a coach!
The more qualifications you have, the better. Being a coach is very popular right now due to it being so easy to do online with people all over the world. The pay is great too!
19. Dropshipping
Have you heard about dropshipping before? It’s one of the best ways to make money online from home because it can end up being pretty passive income.
Dropshipping has the potential to make a lot of money as well if you do it right, and you can even sign up to dropship and make money on Amazon!
It’s essentially where you’ll sell products, through your own website most likely, and when you sell the product, it will be shipped out – but not by you.
You can avoid shipping costs by simply being a middle man with dropshipping, and keep your house clear.
The great thing about this is that you don’t have to keep lots of stock at your home (or workplace) and you don’t have to scramble to post things out every time you make a sale.
20. Make Money Online Through Affiliate Marketing
Making money online is simple once you learn about affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is actually how our blog makes most of its money- we provide an affiliate link for a course or brand we love so you can benefit from them too.
We partner with companies we absolutely love and think our readers would find value from. We mention the company, and we get paid a small commission every time someone signs up.
It’s a great way to help other people save money, invest, or more, and give us a chance to make some money on our blog.
When we first started our blog, we had no idea what affiliate marketing was.
After we took the course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, we started to earn hundreds of dollars a month online.
21. Buy And Sell Websites
You may have heard of buying and selling things before, but have you heard of buying and selling websites?
Flipping websites is something that you can do if you have a website or have had one before, so you know what to look out for and what you can improve on.
There are sites that you can buy and sell websites on, such as Flippa, or hang out in Facebook groups in the niche that you’re interested in to see if anyone is selling.
We’ve also seen people buy and sell domain names, without actually creating a full website around the name, so you have some options even without having coding skills.
22. Become An Influencer
Even though celebrities get a lot of exposure partnering with big-name brands, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it too!
Create viral videos, and you can find yourself becoming the next social media star as a big social media influencer.
Influencers have literally built their businesses off of a social platform like Instagram or YouTube, and you can use their success as a business model.
You can do quirky, cute, or interesting things to grow your audience, but the main way you can start getting paid now is through advertising revenue.
The concept is simple: brands pay you to showcase their products. That’s it!
If you’re interested in becoming an influencer, create your personal brand or voice, grow your audience, and start by reaching out to smaller brands for collabs or affiliate links.
It helps if you already have a platform, such as a blog, so you can always get this set up as well.
23. Translation
If you ever look at job postings, you will see that there is high demand for people who are able to translate from one language to another.
Audio file translations are a great way to make money online and work from home at your own pace.
As a translator, you could make over $50,000 per year helping people have conversations or translating audio files.
24. Start A Consulting Business
Did you know that consulting can be extremely lucrative?
It’s quite a simple process really. Someone with a problem comes to you to solve it. And the best part is that they pay prettily for a solution that actually works.
Before you get this convoluted idea that every consultant is a top-notch expert in their field, understand that a consultant only has to be more knowledgeable than the client in a specific area.
A great benefit of working as a consultant is that you can usually snag a retainer, which means you will be paid for being a resource in case the client has any questions.
To really make money as a consultant, you need to niche down and have a clear understanding of who you can help.
You may have experience creating business models- well, find clients who need to improve their business model or have none at all!
Sam Ovens has an elite program to get you started as a wildly profitable consultant. He’ll teach you how to get paid providing immense value to your clients.
25. Peer To Peer Lending
You know when you go to the bank to get a loan? Well, this is your way of being the ‘bank’, per se.
Peer-to-peer lending (or p2p lending) is as it sounds – you will be lending money to your peers.
Say, for example, someone wants to borrow money for their business, they may get a p2p loan. You can be expected to get around 4-7% interest on this.
26. Sell Thrift Finds Online
While it may sound strange, it’s totally possible to take items that other people don’t want and are looking to offload for a low price, and turn around and resell it for a profit – sometimes a big profit.
You can learn everything there is to know about buying valuable items for a low cost and flipping them for a profit with the course from Flea Market Flippers.
They make a 6-figure income from buying items from flea markets, thrift stores, and online, then selling those items on Amazon or eBay at a profitable price!
This isn’t an entirely online-only option since you have to go thrifting to find good sellers.
It is still a good option if you enjoy wandering around at flea markets or thrift stores anyway.
Plus, that makes for a good excuse to leave your house once in a while!
27. Earn Cash Back
Do you do the majority of the shopping in your house? You need to start making money online through cash back programs.
We have earned a few hundred dollars in just a few short months using companies like Honey and Capital One Shopping.
The solution for how to earn money online has never been easier! Cash back apps can get your money and provide ways for you to save money.
Honey is an online program that allows you to earn a percentage of your purchase back via check, PayPal, or gift cards.
Honey has an incredible browser extension to make sure you always get the most cash back with your online purchases and finds coupon codes automatically.
You can also download their app to save money on the go!
Capital One Shopping is another helpful browser that tries to find discounts on your purchases.
You can also get rewards on their website, including Amazon gift cards– so you can use that cash back and savings for something great!
28. Get A Cash Back CC
If you’re already spending money, why not earn some of it back with a special cash back card?
Make sure you set a budget so that you don’t overspend and then have a lot of debt to pay off.
Getting cash back should be a feature of any credit card you sign up for, such as Chase or Capital One.
You should do your research before signing up for any credit card and make sure that the allowable ways to get money online through cash back are feasible for you in your situation.
29. Make A YouTube Channel
How much do you think Youtubers make? It may surprise you how much money they earn!
There are many videos that you can make, depending on your talents, interests, and lifestyle.
Some people record cooking instructions, how to sew clothes, your life with your kids, or anything else you can imagine.
As long as people find you engaging and content interesting, then you can monetize your channel and earn money from your videos.
If you create a YouTube channel and want to learn how to make money from it, we recommend the online course, Mastering YouTube, which can teach you how to earn thousands a month.
30. Review Products
You can also earn money reviewing products from home- literally any and all products!
We use products for blogs, take courses on successful business tactics and more, and then make recommendations through articles and affiliates, so you could do the same.
You can get freebies from affiliates or buy things people recommend, then write your experience with it or record yourself using it too.
You can use your own website to share your product feedback or create YouTube videos to reach a wider audience online.
Now don’t think because you get an affiliate like that you need to give them guaranteed favorable reviews- your readers or viewers want honesty, and your credibility and followers will crash if you lie to them.
Give as much detail as you can, the good and the bad, and see what you can get in advertising revenue or in views on a YouTube channel!
31. Become A Personal Shopper
If you’re shopping for yourself, why not help other people with their shopping too?
As a personal shopper, you essentially get clients who need help buying things but don’t have the spare time, knowledge, or taste to get what fits the occasion.
Sometimes you help people pick out the next best laptop for work- other clients may need high-end dresses and suits for business dinners.
Depending on the services you offer, you could be buying groceries, antiques, child care items, and more.
For the most part, this job can be well accomplished online, but depending on the client, they may ask you to go to stores in-person for more detailed picks.
32. Rent Out Your Space
Want a way to make better use of your home? You can rent out any free space you have with a few apps!
Plenty of people host their homes on Airbnb, and make money from just having guests crash there, but you don’t have to rent your whole house to make good money.
You’re able to rent out just a room or 2 on Airbnb, plus with other options like Neighbor, you can rent your basement, garage, and even driveway as storage space.
All you need to do is sign up with Airbnb and Neighbor, take pictures of the spaces, and decide how much you want to rent your space for.
33. Sell On Etsy
Do you have any artsy hobbies you enjoy? Well, you should use those hobbies to make money too!
Some people carve wood, make jewelry, sew quilts, make cards, and those are all fantastic online money-making ideas.
You can start any type of Etsy shop and post your creations- Etsy has millions of users around the world looking for handmade works of art.
If you look at the best sellers on Etsy, you have endless options of ideas and are only limited by your own time and craft budget.
34. Watch Videos & Ads
I am such a couch potato, so finding out I could get paid to watch videos was life-changing.
This isn’t a get-rich-quick idea, but you can use your free time to get extra cash watching ads and all sorts of videoes.
If you’re already watching Facebook or TikTok videos in your downtime, why not get some free money out of it?
I put the videos on in the background while I’m cooking, working out, or just taking a break from work.
My favorite apps to get paid for videos (and more!) are Swagbucks and InboxDollars, but there are plenty of other options you can try if you check out our other articles!
35. Test Websites
Testing websites is a great side hustle if you notice mistakes everywhere you go.
Companies pay you to visit and test their websites- meaning you use the site, see how it works or doesn’t work, and give them feedback.
Sometimes it’s testing their check-out features and “buying” products, others want you to review websites for looks and general usability.
UserTesting.com is the place to visit to find job postings for testing websites- most are 20 minutes to complete and you get paid $10 via PayPal quickly.
36. Graphics Design
If you can create graphics, you could easily make $20 an hour doing online graphic design!
Different designs include business logos, printables, marketing graphs, stickers, and so much more.
Being a freelance graphic designer, you can find clients on Fiverr or FlexJobs and have a revolving door of work when you want money.
37. Create Products
If you’re creative, you could develop a product that helps people and becomes another must-have
Shark Tank has been a huge platform for people to see innovative products before they hit the market- the Scrub Daddy being our favorite example!
You could create the next best cleaning tool, organization trays, computer gadgets, or any type of convenient product to make life simpler.
38. Develop New Apps
People are always looking for apps to entertain them or make things easier.
If you’re good at programming and have ideas for games or anything, you can make demos to sell your idea to bigger brands.
Or you can create a company around your app, just like how Facebook and Instagram started!
39. Start A Podcast
Podcasts are booming and everybody has a podcast they are hardcore dedicated to.
If you have interesting stories, read cool things, have some crazy theories about life, you may find a following online.
Growing an online community is the way you earn money from affiliates, merch, donations, and more.
40. Manage Social Media
Social media marketing is another great job to do at home, where you make your own hours and work wherever you want.
Businesses essentially hire managers to post on social media, connect with customers on the platform, answer questions and comments from people, and overall increase brand awareness.
41. SEO
Businesses need help being found online and making their content stand out from the competition and you can make money helping them.
This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. You can use research and marketing tactics to make product descriptions, website writing, and more.
That research and use of keywords will increase site visibility, meaning more website traffic, more sales, and more brand awareness.
You can take a course on SEO like Stupid Simple SEO, which we took to help with making our blog stand out, plus there are online tools like Surfer SEO that make writing SEO content a breeze!
42. Develop Websites
Another money maker for programmers is a web development business. You can find aspiring businesses and create a custom website for them.
You need programming skills of course, but there are some other ways to make websites and make money online without taking classes or something.
If you know how to design websites on WordPress, get an online store set up on Shopify or Square, or other apps and programs, you have many options for website development.
Another option you have is to buy and sell websites that already exist, by redesigning it, growing a following, and then selling it for a profit when you want to move on to something new.
43. Data Entry
Data entry jobs are everywhere, and you can find part-time and full-time jobs to do right from home. You can make money fast if you’re a fast typer!
With data entry, you need to be fast at typing, have experience with spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, and other general computer skills to make your job go quicker.
Clients may higher you to put data into tables, organize data, use data to make conclusions about sales, and much more.
44. Sell T-Shirts
Custom shirts for family reunions, bachelorette parties, friend groups, and more can make you thousands of dollars a month.
T-shirts are fairly inexpensive to buy, and people are happy to pay for custom designs, text, and more to fit the vibes of the party or make special gifts.
You can sell shirts with your own art, funny phrases, and much more in your own online store through Shopify or Etsy.
45. Play Games
We’ve talked about taking online surveys for market research and watching videos and ads for feedback, so let’s move on to playing games!
Apps like Swagbucks and InboxDollars also provide you with games to make money from if you want other easy ways to earn extra cash.
If you don’t like playing phone games, you can also make money with gaming on your computer or any other game system too.
You can stream your games on Twitch for money plus create a YouTube channel to monetize your gaming even more.
46. Voice Acting
If people compliment you on your voice, you may want to consider voice acting and voice-over jobs to make money.
People who get into voice acting record themselves reading ads, reading books, reading product descriptions for the visually impaired, and much more.
You can earn $35 an hour or more making commercials and talking into a microphone at home!
47. Walk
Interested in a great money-making idea that has nothing to do with an internet connection? We have some great apps that pay you to walk.
This is still technically online, but we figured we should throw in a side hustle to get you out of the house and exercising just a little.
We like apps like HealthyWager, which uses extra money as a motivator to lose weight.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 47 side hustles you can do online to make money, and even turn into fun full-time careers.
To maximize your earning money online and make money quickly, focus on two or three tops to start off with to really master them.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, college student, or anyone else who needs some extra money, remember that you have what it takes to earn some extra cash!
We believe in you. Let us know in the comments how you started making money online.
Remember, we make money each month on our blog, so if we can do it, you can too. If you don’t believe me, then check out our income reports.
There are countless options right at your fingertips for you to explore and go after. What are you waiting for?
Now that you’re determined to find easy ways to make money online, you need to take complete control of your life and master the way(s) you think you’re suited for!
Steady App
Earn more money on your terms when you need it most. Steady members can make an extra $5,500 in average yearly income!