30+ Ways to Make Extra Money From Home in 2023

Want to learn how to make extra money from home in 2023?

Finding ways to make extra money can help you pay off debt, save up for a down payment, put more away for retirement, and so many other things. It’s how you create a better financial life for yourself now and in the future.

What you’ll love about the ideas on this list is that they’re all flexible, from side hustles to ideas that can turn into a full-time business. You get to pick when you work and how much. This is your time, your schedule.

Want the easiest and fastest ways to make extra money from home? Check out Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie. These online survey sites pay $1 to $3 per survey.

How to Make Extra Money From Home | 30+ Legit Ideas for 2023

1. Bookkeeping

Bookkeepers are often confused with accountants, but bookkeepers record transactions, while accountants interpret those records. Bookkeepers also update financial records, check records for accuracy, receive and record receipts, manage payroll, and more.

This is a great way to make extra money from home if you know your way around a spreadsheet and are detail orientated. You don’t need specialized training to get started, and many bookkeepers work for a number of clients at any given time, from online business owners to brick-and-mortar stores.

Check out our article How to Become a Bookkeeper to learn more.

2. Make Money Proofreading

Proofreaders are responsible for finding and correcting grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, and misspellings. It takes a certain kind of person to spot those errors and know how to correct them.

If that sounds like you, proofreading is a great way to make extra money from home. There’s a lot of work out there for anyone who wants to learn how to become a proofreader. You can work for bloggers, content writers, online business owners, professionals, academics, authors, and more. 

3. Freelance Writer

Some people are just naturally good writers. They know how to build a compelling argument and craft a narrative. If that sounds like you, becoming a freelance writer is a legit way to make extra money from home.

I know lots of freelance writers, and they love the flexibility of working remotely on their own schedule. What’s also cool about this side hustle is that it can encompass so many different writing niches, so it’s never boring. 

You can write blog posts, email newsletters, marketing campaigns, web copy, ghost write, do grant writing, write catalog descriptions, and a lot more. Freelance writers are needed for virtually every different kind of business, so there’s a lot of room on the online world if you want to start making money from home as a freelance writer.

It never hurts to have some experience or knowledge in a niche, but your writing ability is your strongest asset. You can learn more in How to Become a Freelance Writer: The Ultimate Guide for [currentyyear].

4. Take Online Surveys

Taking surveys is possibly the easiest way to make extra money from home. You’re not going to get rich taking surveys, but it’s a legit way to make some extra cash. Survey sites do market research for companies, and they pay to learn about your opinions and experiences using different products and services. 

Surveys are set up to get information from people who fit specific demographic data points, so you won’t be accepted for every survey. That’s why I recommend signing up for as many survey sites as possible because you have more opportunities. 

Here are my top two picks:

• Branded Surveys: This site pays $1-$3 per survey, and they pay in points that convert to cash and gift cards. New users earn 100 points for signing up.
• Survey Junkie: This online survey site also pays in points that convert to gift cards and cash, and you earn $1-$3 for every survey you complete.

Check out Survey Companies That Pay Cash Instantly for more information.

5. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing, specifically running Facebook ads for small business owners, is exactly what I did when I wanted to figure out how to make extra money from home. I started after I quit my teaching job to run this site full time, and my digital marketing side hustle started bringing in more than teaching ever paid after just a few months.

Running Facebook ads is just one version of digital marketing — you can learn more about it, including how to get started in my Facebook Side Hustle Course. But there are a number of other approaches;

• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Marketing analytics
• Social media marketing 

The goal is the same for all types of digital marketing: help your clients grow their business online.

6. Start a Blog

I couldn’t explain how to make extra money from home without talking about blogging. I created this site in 2015, and it’s been the best job I’ve ever had by far.

Starting a blog has legitimately changed my life. I went from being a broke high school teacher working 70-80 hours a week to a 7-figure business owner.

That sounds amazing, right? Maybe even a little hard to believe? 

The reality of blogging is that while it is insanely flexible and has virtually unlimited earning potential, blogging is a very slow business model overall. It can take a few months before you start earning anything from your site, and the vast majority of bloggers won’t make a 7-figure income.

However, it’s not unrealistic to earn $2,000-$5,000/month in blogging income. You can learn how to make extra money from home blogging on your own time, and you can blog about pretty much anything you want.

If you want to learn how to get started, check out my in-depth guide How to Start a Blog in 2022 –The Easy Step-By-Step Guide. Blogging is also affordable to start, and by using my exclusive Bluehost link, you can start your blog for $2.95/month. 

7. Play on Pinterest

You know Pinterest as the go-to place to find recipes, workouts, crafts, DIYs, home design inspiration, and a lot more. But did you know that you can also make extra money creating pins and sharing content on Pinterest?

Pinterest virtual assistants work for business owners and leverage Pinterest’s massive platform to share content that grows their brands. It’s not as simple as just pinning all day, but if you’re familiar with the platform and want to get even more involved, I highly recommend checking out the Pinterest VA course from Kristin Larsen.

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are a huge help to business owners like me. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without mine. They do a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that it takes to keep a business running, like:

• Schedule blog posts
• Pay freelancers
• Manage my email inbox
• Stay in touch with sponsors and affiliates
• Run reports
• Keep track of my calendar
• Social media management

This is a great way to make money from home if you have previous experience in administrative support, human resources, project management, executive assistance, or customer service. This Fully Booked VA is offering a bundle of FREE resources for anyone who wants to learn how to make money from home as a VA.

9. Sell on Etsy

Etsy is a marketplace for creative, handmade, and vintage goods. It’s blown up over the past few years, and it’s become a go-to place when someone wants to buy something unique.

There are all kinds of things you can make and sell on Etsy: soap, crocheted hats, jewelry, baby clothes, wall hangings, etc. Craft supplies are another popular thing to sell.

Another option is printables — these are things like calendars, invites, thank you cards, checklists, planner pages, etc. What’s great about printables is that they are a passive way to earn from home because you create a downloadable file that can be purchased over and over again, and your customer prints it at home.

10. Start an E-commerce Site

Shopify is a platform for setting up and running your own e-commerce store, and there are already over one million businesses powered by Shopify (they also manage point of sale technology for brick and mortars).

Running a Shopify shop is surprisingly easy because you don’t actually have to store or ship out the items you’re selling — this is called dropshipping. You build your Shopify site using their over 70 customizable themes and drag-and-drop editor, and your shop connects customers with suppliers. 

Once your site is built, this becomes a fairly passive way to make extra money from home because you’re not actively managing or shopping orders. However, you still need to do regular site maintenance and run traffic to your site. 

You can start your Shopify site for as little as $29/month, and this article explains how to get started: Shopify for Beginners | How to Create & Launch Your Site.

11. Flip Things for Money

Flipping is when you buy things cheap, and then turn around and sell them for more money. You can find things to flip at flea markets, garage sales, and thrift stores. You can sell your flips on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, your own website, etc.

Rob and Melissa of Flea Market Flipper made $133,000 in one year flipping items, and they were only working 10-15 hours a week. One of their recent flips was a high-end stroller then bought for $20 and resold for $230.

They teach you their strategies and how to get started in this free 75-minute webinar Flea Market Flipper: Learn the Art of Buying and Selling.

12. Tutor Online

If there’s a subject you know well and can teach to others, working as a tutor is a great way to make extra money from home. BookNook is an online tutoring platform that connects K-8 students with tutors who can help them develop critical math and reading skills. Tutors make $15-$22/hour and must meet at least one of these requirements:

• 3+ years teaching or tutoring or
• 1 year teaching or tutoring and at least a bachelor’s degree or
• 1 year teaching or tutoring and current enrollment in a teaching credential program

You also must be a U.S. citizen to qualify. The tutoring sessions last 30 minutes, and you will work with 1-4 students at a time. There's no lesson planning involved — BookNook handles this part for you. 

BookNook tutors are paid twice a month via direct deposit.

13. Create an Online Course

I’m a firm believer that nearly everyone has a skill they can teach others, and creating an online course is one of the best ways to leverage those skills to make extra money from home. 

Have you built some killer sales funnels? Are you smart about time management? Have you mastered Photoshop? Do you have effective study skills? Do you paint beautiful watercolor landscapes? Any of those things would make a great online course, and really, there are thousands of different topics you can teach online. 

I love online courses because they can be a fairly passive way to make extra money from home. Once you create your course, it can exist online indefinitely (all of the lessons are created in advance so you’re not teaching live). Not only does this create a source of passive income, but you can also serve more students over a longer period.

You don’t need an existing online following to create a course either. Many course platforms have built-in marketing tools or browseable marketplaces. One of my readers started teaching online graphic design courses about three years ago, and she now makes $60,000/month through her courses.

14. Social Media Manager

Brands and businesses need a social media presence if they want to stay relevant and grow their business, and that’s why they need the help of social media managers.

Working as a social media manager is a flexible way to make extra money. You’ll be responsible for things like scheduling and creating posts, setting up accounts, replying to comments, running analytics, creating ads, and ensuring brand consistency.

This post — 15 Tips to Become a Social Media Manager in 2021 — can help you get started if you want to learn more.

15. Sell Your Old Electronics

Decluttr is a site for selling your gently used phones, video game consoles, CDs, DVDs, video games, laptops, tablets, and more. They take used items, refurbish them, and sell them online.

Here’s how Decluttr works:

• Get a free valuation of your items — this is how much Decluttr will pay you for your stuff
• You have 28 days to accept the offer and send in your item
• Pack your item and use the free shipping label Decluttr sends you
• Ship the package to Decluttr
• Get paid via PayPal or direct deposit the day after Decluttr receives your item

Decluttr makes sure there isn’t any personal information left on your device. Oh, I almost forgot — you can sell your old Legos, textbooks, and children’s books on Decluttr too.

16. Sell Your Clothes

Make extra money from home and clean out your closet. That’s a win-win! There are several online sites specifically for selling gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories. 

On Poshmark, you take a photo and create listings for each of your items. It’s free to list on Poshmark, but they take $2.95 for sales under $15. There is a 20% fee for sales of $15 or more.

ThredUp is a styling service and online thrift store. You can request a free Clean Out Kit, and send very gently used clothes to ThredUp. There’s no guarantee that ThredUp will accept all of your clothes — you only get paid for the items they keep. For things they don’t keep, you can have them sent back for a fee or ThredUp will donate them for you.

Another option is to sell your stuff via Facebook Marketplace or local buy/sell groups. It’s 100% free to sell on Facebook, but be safe meeting strangers to complete the sale.

17. Sell on Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA is when third-party sellers (people like you) list and sell things on Amazon. You’re responsible for finding items to sell, creating listings, and shipping them to Amazon. Amazon then takes care of the technical parts of selling, processing payments, and shipping items to customers.

Many Amazon FBA sellers start selling things from around their house — you get to test the platform before spending money on your inventory.

There are all kinds of different selling niches, and I have one reader who made $25,000 last year selling used books on Amazon. 

You can learn how to make extra money from home selling on Amazon FBA works in What is Amazon FBA? | How it Works, Fees, & More.

18. Test Websites

Testing websites is another easy way to make extra money from home. It’s similar to surveys because you’re helping companies develop better experiences for their customers.

The way website testing works is that companies list tests on crowdsourced platforms User Testing. Tests vary by company, but it might involve testing a website that’s still in beta mode or trying out an app.

You use your computer’s recording software to record yourself testing the product, and then companies take your insights to create a better user experience.

UserTesting pays participants $10 for each 20-minute test you complete. All you need is an email address to sign up, and you’ll also need to complete a sample test before you are officially approved.

19. Cash Back When You Shop

Getting paid cash back for shopping as you normally do is another incredibly easy way to make extra money from home. If you’re already shopping, why not make some money back on your purchases.

Ibotta is a popular app that helps you earn cash back when you shop at major retailers through the Ibotta app. They currently work with over 300 major nationwide retailers, like Target, Home Depot, REI, Domino’s Pizza, Glossier, Gamestop, and many more. 

You can also claim offers in the app and then upload your receipt when you shop in-store. 

Ibotta will process payments within 48 hours of earning your cash back and pay you via PayPal or Venmo.

20. Get Paid to Test Products

There are companies out there that are willing to pay you to test their products so they can get feedback that helps them ensure their products are a good fit for their customers. Similar to taking surveys, you’re not going to get rich testing products, but it’s still a nice way to make a little extra money from home.

Companies like Johnson & Johnson, McCormick Panel, Testing Time, and Consumer Product Testing are just a few options to check out if you want to learn more.

21. Rent Out Your Car

Renting out your car is a great way to make extra money from home because it’s fairly passive (meaning not that much work on your end). The idea is that if you’re not using your car every day, then you can list it on a peer-to-peer rental marketplace place like HyreCar.

HyreCar rents cars out to rideshare and delivery drivers specifically, and you can make an average of $35/day. 

The peer-to-peer rental market has seen tremendous growth in recent years because customers can save money, and people like you can make extra money. 

You can expect more wear and tear on your car if you’re renting it out to make extra money from home. You’ll need more frequent oil changes, brake pads will need to be replaced more often, and you’ll have to get new tires sooner.

You should plan to set 10% of what you earn aside for maintenance and repairs, but all of these companies offer comprehensive insurance if something happens to your car while it’s being rented.

21. Flip Furniture

Have you seen furniture sitting on the curb for big trash day? A lot of the time this stuff is still in good shape — it just needs a little TLC. This is a good opportunity for anyone who’s willing to put in a little time and effort cleaning things up, tightening screws, refinishing wood, adding new pulls or handles, etc. 

Besides finding furniture to flip on the curb, you can also find flips at garage sales, thrift stores, and maybe even your own basement. Once you’ve freshened up the furniture, you can sell your flips on places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

22. Sell on eBay

I have a reader who made nearly $85,000 in one year from selling things on eBay, and they’ve done that all from home in their spare time. 

Obviously, there are no guarantees for how much you can make selling on eBay, but it’s easy to start side hustle because you can start selling what’s sitting around your house. Ebay is also a great marketplace for vintage goods, antiques, video games, sporting goods, clothes, electronics, home goods, and collectibles.

23. Start a Consulting Service

Clarity.fm is a site where people can search for experts to answer questions, give advice, and offer valuable insights. Consultants on the site charge per minute, with $1/minute being the starting rate. However, many charge closer to $3-$5/minute. Mark Cuban actually lists his services on the platform for $166.67 per minute!

You will have to apply to become an expert on Clarity, and this process includes connecting your LInkedIn profile (this is required). From there you can build your profile, set your rates, and let people know when you’re available to take calls.

24. Sell Your Lesson Plans Online

A great way to make extra money as a teacher is to sell your lesson plans on Teachers Pay Teachers. You can sell nearly any kind of digital learning resource you’ve created, from lesson plans, worksheets, planners, and more. 

The site sells resources from preschool to college-aged students in every subject you can imagine.

25. Rent Out Your Pool

I don’t have a pool, in part because I know how expensive they are to maintain. However, you can offset those maintenance costs and learn how to make extra money by renting out your pool on Swimply.

Swimply is like Airbnb, but for pools. The idea is that you can list your pool, set your rate, and the availability, and then people can rent it out from you for a few hours or the entire day. 

I recently talked to someone who rented their pool on Swimply, and they were regularly earning $300/weekend with their pool. Depending on where you live, this may only bring money in during the summer months, but having a hot tub or heated pool can extend the season for you.

26. Rent out your house

Speaking of Airbnb, listing a spare room or your entire house on Airbnb is a legit way to make extra money with your home. 

Some people think that you can only successfully list your house if you’re in a big city or tourist location, but you can also do well listing your space in a city that has large corporation headquarters, college towns, or homes in rural areas near national or state parks. 

Before you get too excited about the potential, find out if your city or homeowner’s association allows short-term rentals. It’s much better to make a quick call then pay a hefty fine for violating the rules.

27. Make Money as a Transcriptionist

Working from home as a transcriptionist means you’re taking audio files and converting them into text documents. You might be transcribing podcasts, interviews, web conferences, lectures, or instructional videos. There are even transcriptionists who specialize in legal and medical transcription.

The most successful transcriptionists have a quiet work environment because you’ll need to be able to focus carefully on what you’re hearing so your typed documents are as accurate as possible.

28. Write an eBook

If you have dreams of being an author but have heard how difficult the publication process can be, then you might want to consider writing an ebook and selling it on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon KDP breaks down the barriers to traditional publishing because it allows you to self-publish ebooks and sell them on Amazon. 

One of the most popular genres for ebooks is romance, but sci-fi fantasy and mystery are also incredibly popular. Shorter books also do well, like novellas, not full-length novels. 

29. Sell Unused Gift Cards

I don’t know about you, but I have a stash of unused and partially used gift cards. Instead of letting them just sit in a drawer or your wallet, you can sell them online on sites like Raise.

I mean, if you’re not going to use them, why not make extra money selling your gift cards?

30. Design websites

With so many businesses building their online presence, you can make extra money from home designing and maintaining websites. You can work for bloggers, small business owners, authors, freelancers, and much more.

This is actually a skill you can learn online via free courses and YouTube videos. Bootcamps are a popular way to gain web design or web development skills because you learn practical skills and start building your portfolio.

Once you’ve got the skills to design websites, you can sell your services on Fiverr, which is an online marketplace for freelancers. You’ll be able to gain valuable experience there that will help you land higher-paying clients in the future.

31. Become a YouTuber

When my wife decided to start a YouTube channel a couple of years ago, I wasn’t convinced it would go very far. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she could do it, more that I assumed the site was overly saturated with content creators.

You can imagine my surprise when her channel started taking off after a few months. She now has videos with tens of thousands of views, and she’s earning ad income.

My wife’s YouTube channel is home design and decor, and that’s just one popular niche. You can create videos about traveling, kids, food, working out, knitting, training pets, and so much more. 

32. Graphic Design

Graphic designers create logos, posters, invitations, layouts, magazine spreads, web images, and a whole lot more. This is a solid freelance career these days because there’s always someone in need of professional-looking graphics. 

You can make extra money as a graphic designer by listing your services like Fiverr and Upwork. And you’ll need to be proficient in software like InDesign and Photoshop. 

33. Babysit

Parents are willing to pay good money to have someone they trust watching their kids. That’s why babysitting kids in your home is a great way to make extra money if you’re good with kids — that’s a must!

This is an excellent gig if you have kids of your own and want to find a way to make money while staying home with them. You can find families via word-of-mouth, but you should also check out Care.com. You can list babysitting and nanny services on their platform and connect with local families looking for help.

How to Make Extra Money From Home — The Final Word

You just learned about over 30 legitimate ways to make extra money, but there are still lots of other options available. The goal is to find something that works for your schedule and helps you earn the extra money you need.

Think about the kinds of things you enjoy doing, what skills you have, and what you’re willing to learn how to do.

I’ve been making money from home for a few years now — running Facebook ads, blogging, and creating online courses — and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Now that I’m a parent, I’ve gotten to experience another perk for working from home. I get to spend more time with my new son and my wife. That’s one of the things that is so great about working from home. It’s a flexible way to earn money while doing more of what you love.