Are you interested in learning how to make money online without paying money? Here are 40 top recommendations to help you start making money for free today!
The internet has brought many opportunities to make money online. You can earn money by taking surveys that pay out instant cash, using cashback apps or sites like Rakuten, becoming a content creator, and more.
Here are my best strategies and recommendations for making money online for free. Hope they help you earn extra cash in your pocket without having to pay anything upfront!
40 Working From Home: How To Make Money Online Without Paying Money?
You have a choice – invest money or invest time
Building a sustainable long-term online business without investment takes more time. You have to work countless hours to find these opportunities and then do all the work yourself because you don’t have the money to outsource the work.
In a few months/years you can turn them into fully functional companies, grow your team and become more independent.
There is no magic or mystery in it.
All you need to do is identify a need or problem, find the best solution, and bill for it. This can be in the form of a product or service.
The bigger the problem and the better the solution, the more money you can ask for. This applies to any business in the world, including online businesses.
But what if you need money now?
This is where quick methods of making money come in.
Most of them are not long-term career options. But they pay quickly, require no investment, and can give you the space to work on more sustainable business models.
In this article, I’ve listed short and long-term ways to make money online without spending anything.
Short term ways to make money online fast
If you want to make quick money without spending a cent, the following list is for you.
In fact, if you’re patient and consistent, you can turn many of them into full-time income options.
Let’s look at each method in more detail.
How To Make Money Online Without Paying Money – 40 Sure Ways?
Top Ways to Make Money Online and Offline
1. Risk-Free Matching Bets
Arguably the fastest way to make a lot of money from home (well, without breaking the law). Many students have actually made £100 from this technique. It’s completely legal, risk-free, tax-free and anyone over 18 in the UK can do it (not the UK? Go to #2).
It works by taking advantage of the free bets regularly offered by betting sites through ‘combinations’ with them on a betting exchange. Combination betting eliminates the risk (you back and bet against a certain outcome).
This will allow you to squeeze out the free bet, which can go up to £100. Multiply that by the number of betting sites out there and you can easily make a profit of a few hundred pounds.
2. Online Surveys
An increasingly popular way for students to make money online is by taking online surveys in their spare time. Survey companies are always recruiting new members around the world to take surveys and test new products.
For a few minutes of filling out the form, you can earn a few pounds paid in cash or rewards. You can cash out up to £3 ($5) for some surveys!
Some good ones to try are Branded Surveys, Toluna, LifePoints, InboxPounds, OnePoll, i-Say, Opinion Outpost, YouGov, Prizerebel, Marketagent, Pinecone, Valued Opinions, The Opinion Panel, Populus Live, Mingle, Opinion Bureau, Maru Voice, Panel base, Survey Junkie.
Also sign up for Swagbucks, which rewards you for surveys in addition to just browsing the web, watching videos, and playing games.
3. Paid to Search the Web
Want to make money doing what you already do online? This has to be one of the easiest methods of making money online without really any hassle or change in your behavior.
This innovative idea from Qmee.com rewards you for searching on Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay. You just installed a simple add-on in your browser and when you search there may be some sponsored results in addition to your normal search.
A cash reward is associated with each Qmee result – if you are interested, click on it and you will receive your reward.
The best part is that there is no minimum withdrawal requirement – our first was only 72p connected to our Paypal account. You also have the option to donate to charity.
4. Trading the Online Market
While not necessarily an easy way to make money, stock market investing can be profitable if you learn to do it right and safely. Likewise, you can incur significant losses if you don’t take it seriously.
Today, there is no need to fund Wolf of Wall Street-style stock brokerage yachts. You can do it all yourself using online market trading platforms.
After many hours of research into this new possibility, I tried the popular platform eToro.com.
eToro has over 12 million users worldwide and offers free practice accounts. It was featured in the BBC 2 documentary “Traders: Millions by the Minute” and sponsors several Premier League football clubs.
Currently, stock trading on eToro is not available in the US.
One of the best things about eToro is the CopyTrader feature. It literally allows you to see, track and copy the investments of other high-performing traders.
Follow George’s complete guide to trading on eToro for more information. I think $50 is a good amount to get the most out of the learning curve by trying a few different markets. If nothing else, you will learn a lot about different investments and industries.
Keep in mind that all trading involves risks. eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers high-risk real estate ownership and ‘CFD’ products. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can take the high risk of losing your money. This content is not financial or investment advice.
5. Start your own website
Interested in generating passive income? Do you need a website? It’s the way to make money while you sleep.
Starting a website with Bluehost takes less than 20 minutes, costs next to nothing, and can be done by an 82-year-old. All it takes is a little social media connection to get your first visitors, and there are plenty of ways to monetize your site.
Save the Student is just one example of a successful website, started in college by Owen Burek in his freshman year, which has since grown into a sizable full-time business.
6. Analyze websites and apps for money
Here is another sure way on how to make money online without paying money. Well, looks like you’re pretty cool with a web browser, so maybe it’s time to go pro and browse websites like a fun, paying job!
Introducing UserTesting – a platform that pays ordinary people to review all types of websites. Each review takes about 20 minutes and you pay $10 (£6.50) via Paypal.
7. The Secret of the ‘Disney Vault’
To keep the demand from generation to generation high, Disney Studios has carefully limited the supply of some self-released classics. They are locked up in the ‘vault’ for 8-10 years before being released indefinitely.
Buy them from this window at their regular retail price and you could make a nice profit if they are out of stock for another decade.
For example, in 2011, you could buy Beauty and the Beast on Blu-ray 3D for just £24.99. In just a few years it was on Amazon for a whopping £74.99!
It’s important to point out that not all Disney releases fall under the vault and only the true classics will meet this demand.
There are currently only 2 titles outside of the vault that I would recommend buying. They are Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray and The Lion King Diamond Edition Blu-ray.
8. ‘Paid’ Sites
Similar to making money with online surveys, GPT sites will reward you with cash and vouchers for completing various offers or online activities.
The most popular sites today are Toluna, Swagbucks, and InboxPounds.
9. Become a delivery person or driver
Earn money as a delivery person
Do you have a bicycle, motorcycle, or car? How about a smartphone? That’s all you need to make extra money delivering food or people when you have some spare time.
Sign up with specialist delivery companies such as Deliveroo, which are always looking for new passengers. They give you complete flexibility to work whenever you want and deliver food from restaurants to the customer’s doorstep. You can earn a maximum of €16 per hour.
Double your chances by contacting local takeaways and larger chains like Dominos directly to see if they have delivery services.
10. Write and Publish a Kindle eBook
If there’s one thing students are good at, it’s researching and writing. The Kindle Store allows anyone to publish an eBook and make money on Amazon.
And the Kindle app is now available on almost every device (laptops, iPods, smartphones, and yes, Kindles), so the global market is huge!
List your book for £1.49 – £6.99 and you will earn 70% of the sale. Considering Amazon is the ultimate vending machine (and remember, people, are willing to spend), this is a fantastic deal.
The key to success with eBooks is creating value and writing non-fiction. By simply bringing together the information you’ve researched and combined about a common problem (e.g., “secrets” in finding a job) and presenting it in an easy-to-digest format (an ebook), someone who justifies one spends a few pounds.
Another great tip is to have a great cover designed (check this out) to make it stand out, and once your book is available on the Kindle store it’s very important to get some reviews so it ranks higher. the results will appear. Encourage readers to leave an honest review at the end of your book.
The best part about this profitable idea is that once you invest the time (say 20 hours), you will be earning passive income for years to come!
11. Affiliate Marketing
If you have a good social media presence or maybe even have a blog or website, you can start making money right away by promoting all kinds of businesses, products, services, and offers online.
Sign up as a publisher on the Awin network, check out their deals blog or browse the list of sellers to find something you think your friends would be interested in, grab your affiliate link, and share. If someone buys something through your link (this can take up to 90 days) you earn a nice commission.
To take it one step further, create a website (read our guide) or a Facebook page and invite all your friends to join and post your affiliate offers there.
12. Cell Phone Recycling
You can make good money and help the environment by recycling your old mobile phones and other unused devices. Maybe ask your parents if they have one nearby.
Visit our page on how to make money off old phones for the best companies and how to make sure you get all the money online.
13. Become a ‘Click Worker’
Clickworker.com concept is based on ‘Internet crowdsourcing’, where companies advertise specific, scalable tasks that need to be completed quickly. And for us, it’s an easy way to make quick money from home.
There are a variety of tasks, but most often involve mindless data entry, web research, or form filling. You are rewarded and paid in cash (via Paypal) for the work you do and can choose what and when you work. Take a chance.
14. Reclaim tax
Many students will work part-time or during the summer months, others will do a paid internship or internship. If you are a student who works during the year, you usually pay additional income tax.
Why? Simply because few students earn the tax-free personal income allowance each year, but are placed on a basic emergency tax code by their employers, meaning tax is paid when they shouldn’t.
15. Receive cashback on purchases
This is not only a way to earn money, but also to save money as a student. If you look at it differently, you will make money with every purchase you would make anyway, be it 50% or 0.5% cashback.
Several cash-back sites pay the commission they would have earned.
We recommend signing up for Top Cashback, Quidco.com, and Swagbucks, which are free and offer the best selection of retailers and exclusive offers.
16. Working part-time
A part-time job is the obvious first choice, chosen by most students looking to top up their student loans. It provides a fairly stable income stream and can enable you to gain valuable work experience.
But it is not always easy to find good jobs!
Start your student job search and then check the local classifieds and university career service for job openings.
It’s also worth signing up for the Resume Library, a free service that matches your resume with suitable part-time jobs and career opportunities.
17. Gigs on Fiverr
Fiverr is now the world’s largest marketplace where people can make money selling small services (known as “gigs”).
What you offer can be anything from writing and translating, posting on social media, pranking and teaching to creating music, voiceovers, and short video clips for people all over the world!
The standard price is $5 (hence Fiverr..), but you can add extra services to the shows for more money. While it may not seem like much, it can add up quickly and there are many examples of people making very good money from the site. The key is to have a system that minimizes the time spent on each show.
But there’s another way to get even more from Fiverr for potentially a lot less work. Like it? Just resell shows elsewhere. For example, find a decent logo designer and respond to jobs on Upwork or even local classifieds. A $5 spend can easily turn into $50+, and it’s repeatable! Just check with your designer if they are happy with it.
If you’re not interested in selling, there are only so many good things you can do for yourself. Browse and be inspired!
18. Judging music for money
If you love music, make it your business by rating unsigned bands and artists for money online with Slicethepie.
It can take a while to build your reputation, but some users on the site have said they make £40 a month. This may not seem like much, but if it’s something you enjoy then it shouldn’t be hard work and it’s something else for your resume. The money you earn is in $US, but anyone can sign up and rate.
19. Sell Your Notes
If you don’t mind sharing your notes with other students, this is a great way to earn some extra cash. There are websites where you can upload your grades along with your award, and when another student downloads it, you get paid.
Most of these sites, such as Nexus Notes and Stuvia, are free for you to list your notes, but they tend to take some of your profits for marketing, etc., so you don’t have to go out and about. going to promote your notes.
You will probably have to upload PDFs but it will be worth it for the reward, you can send handwritten notes but you will probably make more money if they are typed.
20. Sell Used Textbooks
A great way to make extra money is to buy other students’ textbooks at the end of the year and sell them right after the first week – when new students know they need them!
You can advertise on campus or put them online very easily on Amazon Marketplace (remember, they get a commission on books sold).
21. Competitions
Participation in the competition is not guaranteed of course, but there is a growing community of so-called ‘compers’ in the UK, consistently earning up to £50,000 a year in all types of competitions.
The types of competitions available to enter range from simple entry forms and Facebook pages to answering questions correctly over the phone to participating in a TV show. Imagine getting Deal or No Deal instead of just watching!
22. Buying and Selling Domain Names(Domain Flipping
A domain name is simply the address of a website (eg ‘savethestudent.org’ or ‘mysite.co.uk’) and there are many extensions (.com, .net, .co.uk etc).
They cost just $0.99 to register with GoDaddy.com, but premium domain names can run as high as $1,000, if not millions when they sell. In 2007 VacationRentals.com was sold for $35 million!
Now you probably won’t find anything like it, but you can still make a quick profit with a little research. The trick is to find available domain names that have some business value, grab them, and then list them for sale on a site like Sedo.com.
23. Mystery Shopping
These days it is easier to become a mystery shopper than you think and you can be richly rewarded for it.
There are dozens of agencies that will pay you to visit all kinds of shops and restaurants to get feedback on their performance. We’ve reviewed the best agencies in our guide to becoming a mystery shopper.
Task apps are another form of mystery shopping where you earn rewards for completing small local tasks. It can also be a lot of fun!
24. Be an extra
Do you picture yourself as a young actor-to-be or just that person passing by in the background on an episode of Eastenders? It could be you if you’re applying to be an extra for TV or film.
The pay isn’t bad either: on average €60-80 per day and you don’t have to do anything for it!
Many casting agencies post willing extras. They make money by taking a portion of their earnings, so always ask what that is before you start working.
Join our tutorial to become an additional guide to 5 of the best agencies, plus lots more advice on how to land your first gig.
25. Sell all your old games and movies
If you want to make a quick buck, it’s a good idea to sell old CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and games that are cluttering your room. Nowadays almost everything is digital or broadcast.
You can earn anything from 10 cents to £20 per item, and the earnings can really soar if you have a large collection. While you’re at it, see if your parents have any “disorders” they’d like to see the back of.
Sites like MusicMagpie pay instantly for sending unwanted items.
For potentially more money (but more hassle), try eBay, Amazon Marketplace, and Preloved.
26. Sell your education
Becoming a tutor for other students is easier than ever. Until recently, your market was limited to local in-person sessions, but thanks to online tutoring sites, you can go global!
With Udemy, anyone can create an online course (about literally anything!) and get paid forever the way users do.
For private lessons, listed on Superprof and MyTutor.
You can earn over £10 an hour and you don’t need to be highly qualified to tutor younger GCSE students or even A-Level students. Get started with our guide to making money as a private tutor.
27. Sell Your Photos
If you think you have a good photo and a little creativity, try uploading your photos to stock sites for free. A good starting point is Adobe Stock or Getty Images.
Make more money selling photo topics that have fewer search results, but you think will be in demand. It might be a good idea to try them out in print first (get free photo prints).
28. Rent your parking space
Some student residences have a unit or garage. If you don’t use your parking space and live in a busy area, you may be in luck. Many people can work in the center and are tired of paying dearly for daily parking.
Advertise your space on Gumtree, Parklet, or Just Park and earn extra money with ease.
29. Nanny
It’s a classic money-maker, and for good reason. You get paid (well) to watch TV and not much else – I hope!
If you’re wondering what to charge, take a look at the local classifieds, but you can expect to get over £11 an hour even if you’re not trained in childcare.
In addition to advertising yourself, creating a Care Babysitting profile is free. It really can be easy money (unless you get stuck with the kid from hell!).
In the UK, for example, you need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to look after young children, even if some parents don’t ask for it.
30. Walking and Sitting Dogs
If babies aren’t your thing, then maybe dogs are… dog sitting is a big deal. Students, in particular, are likely to have free time during the day when others are at work and worrying about their pets at home.
You can earn around £10 an hour per dog, and it’s also a great way to keep fit.
Join Care Pet Care, the best for sitting and walking dogs.
31. Make Money Walking
Walking dogs isn’t the only way to make money simply by climbing these stairs.
Paid apps are now one thing. Sweatcoin, for example, rewards you with PayPal credits, gift cards, and free items in exchange for steps. They share information with healthcare providers such as the NHS and insurers, but promise not to sell your personal information.
Maximize your earnings using the local jobs app that involves walking. Check out TaskRabbit, which lists local paid tasks and errands in your area.
More traditional ideas for making money outside the home include being a tour guide, handing out flyers, or being a human billboard for local businesses.
If you already enjoy counting steps or want to exercise more, getting paid to walk is great motivation and a great way to earn extra money.
32. Work as a Charity Collector
Okay, so this job requires a certain type of person because you will have to endure a lot of rejections and be persistent.
But if you’re bubbly and handsome and think you can sell ice cream to an Inuit, this might be a good idea to earn student money. You will receive a commission on new signups (usually around £20).
33. Rent your house to film
TV and movie directors are always looking for houses to film. For example, a Coronation Street scene was shot in the house where one of the editors of Save the Student lived!
Not only can you earn good money with it, but it’s also great to see your own spot on TV. Start by checking out this site.
34. Rent your body
If you feel free to bring your gear, why not try modeling life. Sit in the chandelier as budding artists capture all your curves (or little pieces) in terrifying detail. Try RAM, a site designed specifically for this type of work.
You can also participate in clinical drug trials, but make sure you fully understand the associated risks.
Warning: don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, no matter how desperate you are for money!
35. Freelance work
You may enjoy writing, managing social media accounts, or doing a bit of graphic design in your spare time. There are so many freelance jobs that require simple skills or just time that someone else may not have.
And the great thing about being a freelancer is that you can work for clients in the UK and around the world with only an internet connection at home, on your own time, while building valuable skills.
A great place to start is with the leading freelance site Upwork.com. Or try our student job search to find freelance jobs closer to home.
36. Sell your clothes
When it comes to clearing out your wardrobe for cash, eBay has long been a favorite. Online auctions are a surefire way to monetize that sleeveless jacket (which went in and out of fashion within a week).
But today, there are many more second-hand platforms that make it even easier to sell your unwanted clothes online, including apps like Depop and Vinted.
37. Sell your stories and videos
If you have an interesting story, try selling it to newspapers or a viral social media company. You need at least one photo or, ideally, a video.
A Save the Student employee had the misfortune of a flying pigeon breaking his university window and sold the story to The Sun for £50.
Some national TV shows like You’ve Been Framed also pay up to £250 for funny pictures. Or just post it yourself on YouTube with ads…
38. YouTube Videos
According to recent statistics, we now watch more YouTube videos than Google searches.
And with the YouTube Partner Program, you can now take advantage of video creation and uploading. You will receive a percentage of the collected advertising revenue per 1,000 views.
Depending on your success (virality, watch time, subscriber base, and topic) you can make a lot of money, and there are many stories every week about more and more YouTubers making it their profession.
39. Watch videos
If making videos seems like a lot of work, getting paid to watch videos online must be one of the easiest ways to make money ever.
WeAre8, Swagbucks, and InboxPounds are the most popular sites because they literally pay you to watch things like ads and videos in the hopes of going viral.
For more engaging and rewarding opportunities, consider becoming a freelancer typing movie subtitles or writing movie reviews.
If you love watching videos and movies and want to earn money from home, check out our full list of ways to make money watching videos.
40. Home Ownership for Wealthy Investors
We all know how much money is in real estate, but on the surface (with home prices so high) you might think this market is off-limits.
The truth is that many people make a lot of money simply by acquiring suitable properties for wealthy investors who simply don’t have the time.
The trick is to find below market value (BMV) properties by shunning real estate agents and instead address your area with your contact details to buy homes. Then approach investors with an obvious offer to pass on the details of the discounted property in exchange for a % of the sale price.
Most cities have monthly networking events for property owners and investors. Find them, sign up, put on your best suit, and keep plenty of business cards. Or you can start on LinkedIn or even Twitter to build some initial contacts.
As you can imagine, this isn’t necessarily a quick way to make money, but once you have a few investors in your phone book, it can be very profitable in the long run. If you are interested, I recommend that you read this book.
How To Make Money Online Without Paying Money – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can you make money online without paying anything?
You can make money online without spending money on methods like affiliate marketing, dropshipping, streaming video games, selling online courses, completing online surveys, and many others.
Is it possible to make quick money online?
Yes, it is certainly possible. Offering services like freelancing, teaching online, starting an e-commerce dropshipping store, selling photography, etc. are just some of the ways you can make quick money on the internet.
How Can I Make $200 Today?
Your best chance of making $200 right now is by providing a service as a freelancer or selling products online.
Is it possible to earn passive income online while I sleep?
No method of making money online is 100% passive, but yes, it is possible to create almost completely passive online businesses that make money while you sleep.
What are the best passive income methods to make money online?
Affiliate marketing, e-commerce drop shipping, blogging, selling digital courses, and publishing ebooks on Amazon are some of the most popular passive income methods.
What are the Most Common Online Home Scams?
Any “get rich quick” scheme that claims you’ll be a millionaire overnight, pyramid schemes where you actually don’t sell any products, affiliate marketing training programs with unrealistic claims, all methods that require absolutely no work and create no value for the market. All these products/programs should be avoided.
What are the best ways to monetize a blog?
Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, digital courses, and sponsored content are some of the most popular ways to monetize a high-traffic blog.
How long will it take to earn $1000/month with an affiliate website?
A lot depends on the type of product you are promoting and the sources you get your traffic from. If you are completely dependent on search traffic, it can take you 10-12 months to earn $1,000 per month from affiliate marketing.
Conclusion – What’s Your Excuse For Not Making Money Online Right Now?
I’ve shared short and long-term methods for making money online while working from home, even if you don’t have any money.
If you need money right away, go for one of the quick methods I’ve shared in this how to make money online without paying money post.
If you have the time, you can create an authority site with a dedicated audience so you can monetize it in a variety of ways.
Now, what’s your excuse for not taking action?
Stop overthinking and overanalyzing things and start making money today.
Trust me, it’s easier than you think
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