If you know where to look, you can earn a bit of extra cash online
By Katrina Caruso
Whether you’re retired or you work and have some extra time on your hands, you could be making some extra money sitting at your computer. There are scams out there that make similar claims, so we’ve compiled a list of tried and true websites where you can find some interesting (and in some cases, very easy) ways to bring in a little bit of extra cash every month.
Surveys and Polling:
Swagbucks
After completing your first survey, you’ll receive $5 for signing up. Swagbucks is fun because you can redeem the points you earn for gift cards for small amounts, such as $3 or $5, if you choose, or you can rack up a lot of points and redeem (through PayPal) for larger amounts.
MyPoints
With MyPoints, you can gain points for more than just surveys: you can also take polls or receive points for making online purchases with other companies (which is great if you were already planning on buying something from there). After completing your first five surveys, you’ll receive a $5 bonus.
Survey Junkie
The surveys usually take around 15 minutes and you get about $0.50 per survey. Once you’ve earned $10, you can redeem the money for gift cards or cash through PayPal.
PointClub
Within about five minutes of signing up, you can easily make $5 USD. Once you’ve racked up $25 worth of points by taking surveys, you can redeem the points for cash through PayPal and gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, and more. Most of the surveys take about 10 minutes (some less, some more) and will pay about $0.50–1.50 per survey.
Selling Goods:
Varage Sale & Kijiji
If you’re planning to downsize of just clean out a closet, why not also post photographs and descriptions of your stuff on a website such as Varage Sale or Kijiji? Both sites have the bonus of being local (unlike Ebay and Etsy), so there aren’t any shipping fees to have to cover.
Etsy
If you’re artsy or crafty, selling your creations on Etsy can be a great side business. The homemade and handmade market continues to boom, as folks are always willing to spend a little extra on something special. Another popular category on Etsy is vintage clothing and vintage miscellany, so if you’re a collector or if your hobbies include going to flea markets, you could be reselling those items for money on Etsy.
Freelancing:
Upwork
Upwork connects freelancers with employers looking for people to work in graphic design, writing, translation, legal aid, accounting, customer service, and administrative support.
Photo: iStock/andresr.
