How to Make Extra Money from Home: 10 Legit Ideas

If you’re looking for ways to make money to pad your bank account, you might consider supplementing your full-time income with a side hustle. The best side hustles offer flexible ways to make money without having to search for a part-time job.

There are plenty of side hustle options to choose from. You can make money online with a blog, selling on Amazon, or even by watching videos. The choices for side gigs are endless and many can be quite lucrative — potentially earning you hundreds of dollars per month.

For a lot of us, the key requirement of the ideal side hustle is the flexibility to work from home. There are so many reasons this may be preferable or even necessary for you. For example, if you’re homeschooling your children or caregiving for an elderly relative, you can’t just drive off to a nine-to-five office job. Or if you work full time already, you don’t want to sacrifice your remaining time at home completely.

Working from home has been a huge blessing for my family, especially when one of my kids needed extra healthcare appointments for several months last year. Whether you want to make money for a few hours a week or are looking for a new full-time job, we’ve got some great options to try.

Featured side hustles

Earn cash by watching dogs

If you love dogs and you're interested in picking up a side hustle that will allow you to stay close to home, consider becoming a pet sitter or a dog walker. And if your home has the space, you might even offer pet boarding in your home. As the owner of a very anxious dog who hates boarding in a crowded kennel, I can tell you in-home boarding with a caring individual would be worth a lot.

Becoming a pet sitter or dog walker lets you hang out with furry friends and earn cash while you do so. It's a pretty good gig if you're an animal lover, and your schedule is largely up to you, although clients will sometimes require aspects of care (such as dog-walking) to take place at specific times.

How can I get started with pet sitting and dog walking?

In the past, if you wanted to earn money pet-sitting or dog-walking in your spare time, you'd have to market your services and build a client roster on your own. These days, I’d recommend platforms like Rover and Care.com, which make it easy to connect with pet care clients.

How much can I earn as a pet sitter or dog walker?

According to Rover, pet sitters and dog walkers can earn between $20 to $28 dollars per hour on average. However, earning money with Rover or other pet care platforms will depend on your availability, number of clients, and other factors.

FYI, boarding has the highest average hourly rate, so if you're able to take in animals overnight in your own home, then you may be able to earn more.

Visit Care.com and complete your profile

Get paid to write a blog

Blogging requires an upfront time investment, but if you have some spare time on your hands, you could learn how to start a successful blog and start making money online. I’ll tell you, you can earn money on the side while blogging from anywhere, but beware of any blogger who tells you it’s an easy road.

Blogging can require months or years of putting out great content before you’ll begin seeing profits. That said, here’s how blogging works as a side gig.

You’ll want to design your blog to focus on something you enjoy, such as travel, food, minimalism, or really any topic you want. You should have some expertise as well, not just an interest in the topic.

Before starting a blog and expecting the money to roll in, be sure to select a blog topic that lends itself to making money. What I mean is that you probably have many interests, but unless there’s a skill you can teach or a product you can sell, it’ll be tough to make money. Check out the next section for more on this.

How to earn money as a blogger:

• Affiliate marketing: If there are products and/or services you use, you can recommend them to other people and get paid for it. Companies give you unique links to their products and services. As your visitors click on the links and make purchases, you get a cut of the profit. You can do this by reviewing Amazon products or signing up for other affiliate programs. For example, I’m a book lover, so I might promote my favorite reads via affiliate links.
• Selling products/services: Your blog can be a hub for any products or services you want to sell. (You might write a book, create digital downloads, offer online courses, or create branded merchandise, for a few ideas.) Outfit your website with shopping tools like Shopify or WooCommerce and direct your visitors to your online store with your blog posts.
• Google ads: Putting ads on your website is a simple way to make your blog profitable. If your blog ads get clicks, you get paid. Google AdSense is one of the most popular tools for adding ads to a website.
• Sponsored blog posts: As your blog becomes more popular and attracts more visitors, you can start getting paid by companies to create sponsored posts. Effectively, companies may pay you to talk about their products or services.

How do I get started with blogs?

One of the easiest ways to get your blog started is by using a web hosting company like HostGator. You can use HostGator to get a domain name, encrypted security, and a professional email address. Plus, plans start from only a few dollars a month.

Blogging is similar to becoming a social media influencer to make money. For example, my family and I watch a lot of YouTube channels and we know those creators earn money from hitting certain subscriber counts, selling merch, and other tactics.

How much can I earn as a blogger?

There's no actual limit on the money you can earn from blogging, but the flip side of that is you might spend a lot of your free time trying to make it profitable. I encourage you to do your research on best blogging practices, and then you'll be able to control the amount of time you put in and the amount of money you get out of it.

Make money selling products on Amazon

If you have products you want to sell, you could try places like Craigslist, Etsy, or eBay. But you could also leverage the extensive Amazon marketplace to list your goods and start making money from home.

How does selling on Amazon work?

I’d recommend doing your research, of course, to learn how to sell items on Amazon. You might use a tool like Jungle Scout to guide you through the process.

Once you have something to sell, you can list it on Amazon where millions of users can find it and potentially buy it. Jungle Scout can help you find products that will be the most profitable and then launch them when you’re ready to sell.

You can also simplify your sales by using Amazon’s fulfillment services. It’ll pack and ship your items, plus handle customer service and returns.

How do I get started with selling on Amazon?

There’s no monthly fee to create an individual plan on Amazon if you plan on selling fewer than 40 items per month (that’s because the cost is 99 cents per item sold). Or, go with the professional plan for $39.99 per month and get access to many more selling features including the chance to sell an unlimited number of items.

Certain selling categories — such as fine art, jewelry, and electronics — are limited to professional plans.

How much can I earn by selling on Amazon?

As one of the world’s largest online marketplaces, Amazon can open up the opportunity to earn a lot of money. ZipRecruiter reports the average Amazon seller makes $102 per hour, or $211,000 per year. (I know. Wow!) Just remember that number includes Amazon "super sellers" who are devoting a lot of time to this endeavor, and your earnings will depend on factors like the types of products you sell and how much time you can put aside for this side hustle. Multiple sources state that the majority of Amazon sellers are earning more than $1,000 per month, though it will likely take you some time to work up to that amount.

Managing your business expenses

Even home businesses have their expenses. Here's an excellent business credit card we recommend:

Get paid to watch videos

I enjoy watching TV now and then (though I’m sick of streaming platforms canceling my favorites after one season). How about you? If you like to watch TV to unwind, you might enjoy making money at home while you’re doing it. With companies like Swagbucks, you can earn money by watching videos, taking surveys, and shopping.

Brands pay companies like Swagbucks to gather consumer insights about products and content. As a member, you watch videos, take surveys, use coupons, and shop. In return, you earn money for your activity. I know some people enjoy this for the opportunity to share their opinions as much as for the money.

How do I get started getting paid to watch videos?

It’s free and simple to create an account with Swagbucks. You can sign up with a valid email address or by linking your Facebook account. Look up other companies that pay people to watch videos and provide feedback as well, and you might increase your odds of earning money this way.

How much can I earn while watching videos?

Watching videos with Swagbucks won't make you rich, but it can be a good way to earn some extra cash in your spare time. Swagbucks says that the average user can make $2 to $5 per day watching videos for them. That doesn't include special offers and exclusive deals that might earn you more.

Save your receipts

Here’s one of my favorites: buy groceries, save the receipts, and scan them into an app to get rewards. My husband got us started on Fetch Rewards a few years ago, and while it doesn’t make us a ton of money, we’ve received a number of free restaurant meals after accruing enough points on the app,

How can I start making money from receipts?

Simply download the Fetch app through your phone’s app store. It’s available on the App Store and Google Play. If you snap photos of your grocery receipts, and watch your rewards add up. Then, redeem points toward gift cards to retailers like Papa John’s, Airbnb, Target, and more.

It’s a little bit more effort to earn rewards from digital receipts, but you can use the Fetch eReceipt feature. Link your Fetch account to your email and any of your accounts with retailers to start earning even when you don’t have paper receipts.

How much can I earn with receipts?

If using Fetch, you can only earn points that are redeemable for gift cards. You can earn 25 base points for each qualifying receipt that you upload, and if you take advantage of special deals and promotions, you can quickly earn hundreds to thousands of points on a receipt. You just need to pay attention to the details on those offers to make the most of them and earn the most points. That in turn will translate to more points you can turn into gift cards.

You might also check out similar apps like ReceiptHog, CoinOut, and ReceiptPal to earn rewards like gift cards for sharing your shopping receipts.

Earn money answering surveys

Online surveys and survey sites provide low-stress solutions to the question of how to make money from home or anywhere else. You can access a site like Survey Junkie from wherever you have internet access. On your computer, cell phone, or tablet — whichever works best for you.

How do I get started earning money with surveys?

First, find yourself survey sites and sign up. A few to try out include Survey Junkie, InboxDollars, and Branded Surveys. You’ll typically answer questions about yourself to complete your profile, which determines the types of surveys companies send you.

You might run into the same issue I have, which is that I usually don’t qualify for surveys, often because I don’t do a lot of online shopping (or in-person shopping) or use the brands they’re researching. So just beware that not everyone is a good candidate for survey sites.

Survey sites usually estimate how long each survey will take to complete and the payout before you begin, so you can plan your time well. You earn points for every survey you complete, but how many points you earn depends on the survey and its complexity.

If using Survey Junkie, once you’ve accrued 500 points, you can cash them out for $5 in rewards. Points can be redeemed for gift cards, PayPal dollars, and bank transfers of cash.

To get started, you can create a free SurveyJunkie account on its website or mobile app and then start taking surveys.

How much can I earn by answering surveys?

Not much, to be honest. Taking surveys isn’t a way to get rich quick (or at all), but you can earn a little bit of money or gift cards. Some people commenting on online forums complain that it’s difficult to get invited to enough surveys to earn the minimum for a payout, so keep that in mind.

Based on the experience of a few different members of our editorial team, we earned around $1 to $3 per survey, and each survey took between 15-20 minutes to complete. So you can decide whether it’s worth your time.

Use cashback apps

Here’s another way to make money from home while doing your normal shopping. By signing up for a cashback app like Rakuten or Ibotta, you can earn valuable rewards and discounts.

How do I start earning money with cashback apps?

All you need to do to earn some extra money with cashback apps is register for an account online or in-app. Then, follow the directions for earning rewards.

Ibotta, for example, is similar to Fetch, except you need to add specific offers to your account before shopping. Then, make purchases and add your receipts. You can withdraw funds via bank transfer or select a gift card once your rewards reach $20.

Rakuten is also free to use, and you can get discounts or cash back on purchases at select retailers.

How much can you earn with a cashback app?

This probably won’t shock you, but the amount of cash back you can earn with apps like Ibotta varies, depending on how often you redeem offers through the app. You may also earn referral bonuses for recommending the app to friends.

Sell your skills and services

Can you provide freelance writing, graphic design, social media, or virtual assistant services? Do you have experience with online tutoring, transcription, editing, or data entry? If so, there’s probably a market for your services.

How do I get started selling my skills and services?

Obviously, you need to possess certain skills to be able to monetize them. Think about skills you have that not everyone enjoys (or can do well). Once you’ve narrowed down a niche, you can sign up on a freelancing platform to start connecting with potential clients.

Once you've found a platform that's a fit, the next step is creating an account. It’s usually fairly simple, although you may need to provide documentation of your qualifications to add to your credibility.

You may also be able to start making money by marketing yourself on LinkedIn or social media sites. Not a day goes by that I don’t come across a new-to-me freelancer advertising their services this way, and it’s easy to search for people with specific skills on these platforms.

How much can I earn selling my skills and services?

Since many services allow you to set your own prices, and you can run the entire business from your own website if you prefer, your earnings are up to you. The earning potential varies for freelancing professionals — some earn a full-time income while others simply freelance to make some extra money on the side.

I recommend researching industry standards so you know typical rates for people in your field. You may need to start on the low end at first to gain experience, then gradually increase your rates.

Rent out your car for cash

Renting out your house through services like Airbnb is a common side hustle, but did you know that there are other things you can rent out to make quick cash? Like your car?

If you live near reliable public transportation or don’t use your car on the weekends, you can turn your vehicle into a passive income machine by listing it on Turo. It’s a proven method for making extra income, and it’s available in over 5,500 cities around the world.

How do I start renting out my car?

With Turo, you list your car as available for daily rentals. Tourists or locals in need of a rental car can select your vehicle, and you’ll receive up to 90% of the trip’s price.

Turo handles all the hard work for you. The company sets the price on your car based on market conditions (but you can always manually change it if you wish), and Turo provides owners with up to $750,000 million in liability insurance.

It’s free to list your car on Turo. Just create an account and follow the prompts to get started. You can post a description of your vehicle and photos, plus potentially attract more customers by offering weekly or monthly discounts.

How much can I earn by renting out my car?

According to Turo, owners who list one car on the site earn an average of $10,868 per year. But that's before Turo takes its cut. Since you take home 70% of the earnings, you'd be looking at an average of about $634 per car, per month. ($10,868 / 12 = $905.67 x 70% = $633.97)

How much you'll actually make depends on your location, your car’s make and model, and how often you make it available for rentals. This wouldn’t work for me because I live somewhat rurally and need my vehicle to get anywhere, but if you have alternate transportation, this is a fairly easy way to make extra cash.

To find out how much you could earn, use Turo’s Carculator.

Have fun (and earn money) playing online sweepstakes

Sweepstakes sites provide legitimate ways to pass the time and earn awesome prizes (including cash) along the way. PrizeGrab is one such online sweepstakes site. You can enter to win cash, gift cards, and even merchandise such as TVs and home appliances.

How do online sweepstakes work?

With PrizeGrab, you select a prize you’re interested in and click on it to enter. Winners are randomly selected through PrizeGrab’s system and are notified via email.

PrizeGrabbers can earn points by entering prizes and returning to the site on consecutive days. As you accrue more points, you can get larger prize opportunities. It’s really pretty simple.

How do I get started with online sweepstakes?

To get started, you need to create a free PrizeGrab account by either providing your email address or connecting your Facebook account. Once you sign up, you begin entering prize drawings with a single click.

How much can I earn with online sweepstakes?

Prizes on PrizeGrab range from $10 Starbucks gift cards to $10,000 cash giveaways. It won’t replace your job, but this is a roundup of ways to make extra money, not make full-time income, after all.

Bottom line

As you can see, there is a lot of variety in these work-from-home jobs. Be sure you think about how to balance your full-time job with a side hustle, if this is purely for extra income.

If you have a bit of free time while you’re at home, here’s how you can get started making extra income:

• Walk dogs and pet sit to earn up to $1,000 a month.
• Create a blogging website.
• Sell products on Amazon.
• Watch videos and complete surveys with Swagbucks.
• Scan your grocery receipts with Fetch to earn rewards.
• Complete online surveys for cash and rewards.
• Use cashback apps to earn on your purchases.
• Market your skills as a freelancer.
• List your car for rent.
• Create an account with PrizeGrab.

And if you’re looking to supercharge your income — here’s how you can make $100 per day or even $10,000 per month.