Helping people find ways to make money from home is something I’m pretty passionate about. There’s the inherent flexibility in working from home, and it allows you to make extra money outside of your normal 9-5, while you’re staying home and raising your kids, or while you travel.
After looking at the work-from-home ideas I normally talk about on this site, these are the ones I’m still seeing opportunities for you to make money from home. Whether you're looking for a side hustle or want something that can grow into a full-time job.
Want something super easy? I recommend taking online surveys through Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie.
Here's How to Make Money From Home in 2023
1. Start a Blog
Let’s get this out of the way first…blogging is a long game. It can take weeks or months before you make a dime from your site. That was the case for me, and I think it’s important to tell anyone who’s thinking about starting a blog.
But once you do start making money from your blog, there’s nothing like it. You can be your own boss, grow your blog exponentially, earn passive income, and find new business opportunities.
That’s why I’m telling you about it. If you’re stuck at home and looking for ideas, now is the time to start a blog. You have the time to create your blog, develop your niche, write content, learn how to monetize your site, find readers, and build an audience.
If you’re interested, I have a free blogging course that teaches you how to do all of that, and you can sign up below:
One of the most important things covered in our blogging course is setting up a professional-looking website. You have to look like a professional to get paid like one. My advice is to use Launch That Blog. It’s a free service that:
- Sets up your very own WordPress blog
- Makes it look awesome
- Teaches you how to work the technical side of your blog
- Makes sure you have the essential tools ready to use
There are also a few freebies (you can learn more by visiting Launch That Blog). While my team takes care of everything above for free, you will need to pay for hosting through Bluehost. It’s only $2.95/month through my exclusive M$M Bluehost link.
Remember, it takes time to make money from home with your blog, but once you do, your earning potential is almost limitless. I started with $3 from display ads, and now I have some six-figure months. The key is to stick with it.
2. Freelance Writer
Freelance writers are responsible for a lot of the written content you see online -- news sites, blogs, social media posts, web copy, and more. These writers may work on contract or on a per-job basis for a variety of clients.
Because of the variety of clients and types of written content, your work will vary, which can keep things interesting as you make money from home. You can also create your own schedule and set competitive rates.
Most freelance writers find a niche they enjoy writing for. For example, I have a freelance writer on my team who specializes in personal finances and entrepreneurship. And you can find your niche based on interests, skills you have from previous jobs, educational background, or by trying out different areas.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out How to Become a Freelance Writer: The Ultimate Guide for 2023.
Make $1,000 to $5,000/month as a freelance writer
Go from “I don’t know what I’m doing” to “I landed my first client!”
3. Proofreading
Proofreaders correct spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. These are surface changes, while an editor works on structural changes.
Proofreaders are incredibly valuable for writers, bloggers, website owners, and anyone that produces written content. It’s just really hard to catch your own mistakes, and it saves you time and money if you hire out this service. That’s been my experience, at least.
The reason you can still make money from home with these jobs is that so much written content is being produced right now. It’s wild how quickly things are changing, and an editor and proofreader can help writers keep up with their workload.
If you’re interested in either of these freelance jobs, check out Proofreading Jobs: Make Money Pointing Out Mistakes.
Want to make money proofreading?
This FREE seminar teaches you the five steps to becoming a well-paid proofreader.
4. Bookkeeping
Freelance bookkeepers help business owners record and manage daily financial transactions. This can include paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting payments. Bookkeeping is not the same thing as accounting, and that difference is why you can start bookkeeping online without a degree or certification.
Bookkeepers need to be familiar with popular financial software like Quickbooks and know how to read and create balance sheets. Pay averages $20-$40/hour, and you can work online and get paid daily or weekly. It's a great side hustle for home if you like to nerd out with numbers.
Make up to $5,000/month bookkeeping
Learn the skills and strategies necessary to start a successful bookkeeping business from the comfort of your home.
5. Freelancing
Freelance work is suited really well for this current moment – you can work and make money from home, and you can grow and scale your own business. And right now, companies in a lot of different fields are turning to freelancers to help them cut their costs, so it’s a perfect time to consider freelancing.
So, what kind of freelance work is out there? There are legitimately a ton of different options suited to different skill sets and interests. I’ve seen continued work online for freelance writers, proofreaders, and editors. These freelancers are helping to produce and publish important news, educational, and entertainment content.
There’s also freelance work for:
- Graphic design
- Video editing
- Social media management
- Bookkeeping
- Sales and marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO or SEM)
- Legal services
- Transcription
Most freelancers start by leveraging a skill they already have. Think about the skills, training, and certifications from your current or past jobs, and think about how that might translate into a freelance service.
Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are a few job sites. You can also reach out to friends and family, or share that you’re offering freelance services on social media.
And I highly recommend that you set up a website for yourself. It’s a way to show off your work, explain your services, and for potential clients to contact you.
6. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants (VAs) are a huge asset to business owners because they manage tasks that don’t have to be done by the business owner themselves. These are things like:
- Setting up email lists
- Scheduling meetings
- Managing social media accounts
- Email clients
- Payments and invoicing
- Preparing reports
- Event management
I have a few different VAs working for me, and they are all vital parts of running my business. I literally couldn’t run this site without them. The reason I have more than one VA is that each is responsible for specific kinds of work. They’ve niched down and become highly skilled in their area.
One example of niching down is working as a Pinterest virtual assistant. Pinterest VAs are responsible for managing their client’s Pinterest strategy by creating, scheduling, and optimizing pins.
Learn more at How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2023 (Best Courses Included).
7. Digital Marketing on Facebook
Running Facebook ads for small businesses is how I started to make money from home after quitting my teaching job. One client turned into another, then another, and I was quickly out earning what I made as a teacher.
Facebook continues to be one of the best ways for small business owners to find new customers. But most of them lack the skills and energy they need to run a good ad strategy that delivers real results. That’s why ad managers can earn around $1,000-$1,500/month per client.
If you’re interested in learning more, I took everything I learned from running Facebook ads and put it into the Facebook Side Hustle Course. To create the course, I teamed up with my old high school friend Mike Yanda, a former lawyer who now earns around $30,000/month from running Facebook ads, all while working from home.
In the Facebook Side Hustle Course, we teach you:
- How to set up a Facebook ad system
- How to find clients who want to pay you for this service
- How to get those clients to say “yes”
I legitimately love watching our students get started and grow their business.
8. Write an eBook
Self-publishing an ebook breaks down some of the barriers of traditional publishing – finding a publisher, working under deadlines, etc. It also gives you complete creative control over your work.
Ebooks don’t have to be traditional novel length. I’ve read that some of the most popular ebooks are around 30,000 words, compared to novels that are between 50,000-70,000 words.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is one of the most popular platforms for self-publishing an ebook.
9. Virtual Fitness Trainer
The gyms are closed right now, which opens up the marketing for online fitness trainers and coaches. This field was growing already with equipment like Peloton and Echelon, but sometimes it’s nice to have more personalized support.
You can offer training sessions on platforms like Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts. You can create customized workouts and training schedules. You could even start a YouTube channel and work on monetizing it for a long-term way to make money from home.
10. Sell Your Stuff Online
This is honestly one of my favorite suggestions when people want to know how to make fast cash from home. You probably have some stuff you could get rid of, and there are tons of places to sell your stuff online.
Here are few of the top apps and platforms for selling your stuff online:
- Decluttr for electronics. They give you a free valuation for your goods, you lock in a price that’s good for 28 days, and then they send you a free shipping label. Decluttr pays via PayPal, direct deposit, or check.
- Poshmark for on-trend clothes. Poshmark takes clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and kids. It’s free to list, and you pay them $2.95 for sales under $15 or 20% commission on sales over $25.
- Chairish for furniture and home decor. It’s free to use and list items on Chairish, and you pay a commission based on your number of active listings.
- eBay for anything and everything. This is still one of the best places to sell your stuff online. I have a reader who made just under $85,000 selling on eBay in one year, and she was only working at it 15-20 hours a week.
- Facebook has a few options -- Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups. There is no charge to list your items, but be safe when meeting buyers and exchanging money.
Read more at 21 Apps to Sell Your Stuff Online (and How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off!)
11. Cashback Websites
Cashback sites are websites where you can earn money by doing simple tasks. You might earn cashback when you shop, by playing games, watching videos, and more. You aren’t going to make a full-time income with these sites, but they are still worth mentioning if you need to make some cash.
Here are a few of the most popular cashback sites:
- MyPoints: Make money shopping online, taking surveys, watching videos, and more. Read more at MyPoints Review | The Original Cashback Portal… But is it Legit?
- Swagbucks: This site pays you points that you can redeem for cash or gift cards. Read more at Swagbucks Review | Is It Worth It?
- Paribus: If you missed a coupon, or if the price drops on something you’ve recently purchased, Paribus will help you make that money back. Read more at Paribus Review 2019: Legit, Safe, and Easy App to Save More Money.
- Ibotta: This app pays you cashback on grocery store and online purchases. Read more at Ibotta Review 2020: Is it Worth It?
12. Take online surveys
Companies use online survey websites to get valuable market research. These companies need people fitting into a wide range of demographics to give them that information, and they are willing to pay you for your insights.
Survey companies don't pay a ton, but you can make $1 to $3 for every survey you complete. This is easy money.
Here are a few of the companies I used and recommend:
The Final Word on How to Make Money From Home
If you are one of the millions of Americans who’s been laid off or furloughed in the past few weeks, you may need to pivot into a different field. There is work out there, but the job landscape has changed.
Now is the time to polish your resume and consider job possibilities that might be outside of your comfort zone. Your ability to adapt is only going to benefit you in the long run.
About Millennial Money Man
Bobby Hoyt is a former band director who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in 18 months on his teaching salary and then left his job to run Millennial Money Man full-time. He helps other Millennials earn more through side hustles, save more through budgeting tools and apps, and pay off debt. He is a personal finance expert who has been seen on Forbes, Reuters, MarketWatch, CNBC, International Business Times, Business Insider, US News, Yahoo Finance, and many other personal finance and entrepreneurship media outlets.
