**This post does contain referral or affiliate links**
When I first planned this post, the world was in nowhere near the mess that it’s in now and I wanted to start this blog post with a few thoughts on exactly what is happening. Because no matter where in the world you are, chances are that you are already experiencing coronavirus outbreak in some shape or form.
In a way, we are all going through this trauma together and the outbreak has only strengthened the connection we all share. In a way, we are all suffering together. Of course, there are some people who are suffering a lot more than others and there is nothing that I can say to alleviate or equalise what it is that they are going through.
We can’t take the pain away from those people, but we can offer our love and thoughts, letting them know that we care and that their stories matter to us.
It’s hard to believe that we are only in the fourth month of the year and January feels like a really, really long time ago. Even before this pandemic broke out, 2020 had personally hit me hard. Less than two weeks in, my family experienced a bereavement and things have been a massive whirlwind since.
In times of crisis, I always turn inwards but with social distancing, the fear of what might happen next and the concern over what state our economy will be in, I know that I have been thinking about my finances.
It’s no secret that I am ambitious and by the end of 2020, I want to have achieved a lot and despite everything, I still believe that it is possible. One of these big goals being the creation of more than one income stream. It’s something that I have been working on for a long, long time now and to some extent, I have been pretty successful in that endeavour. If you have found yourself in a financially uncertain period, it can help to look for alternative ways of creating stability in amongst the chaos. In today’s blog post, I wanted to share eight of the top ways that I have earnt money online and how you can get started with them too.
Top cashback |
This is the easiest of all my suggestions and also the most passive, because Top Cashback offers you cash on your purchases. It’s really easy to use and get started on.
You create an account, install the extension and then ensure you click the pop up whenever you shop on a registered website.
I started using this platform a few months ago and to date, I have earnt over £200.00 on it. That might not seem like a huge amount but bear in mind that it takes no work and is going to tumble over until I withdraw it at Christmas.
At the end of the day, if you’re doing the shopping anyway, you may as well earn some money on it.
Here’s my sign up link to help get you started.
Teach English online |
There are a whole host of different online teaching websites that regularly advertise for new teachers to join their platforms and these can be a lucrative way of earning some extra income – without needing to leave home. Using just your laptop, some self-possessed spark and coloured polo shirt, you will be asked to teach children online, using the company’s software and resources.
At the moment, it might be a little tricky to fully utilise this one because some of the online teaching platforms have taken a break from recruitment due to the coronavirus outbreak. But others are still looking for new teachers, so it’s worth looking anyway.
This is something that I did towards the end of last year and it helped me to earn some extra money for Christmas. As a rough guide, most platforms pay between £12 and £17 per hour, so it’s the perfect ‘work from home’ side hustle.
A few of the best:
- Dadada
- Say ABC
- iTutor
Join a freelance website |
If you have always fancied yourself as an administration whiz, longed for a writing career or have always loved designing logos, chances are that there is someone out there who wants what you can do.
These days, there are a whole host of different freelance platforms that help to pair these needs with the skills that you have.
Personally, I have only ever really focussed on two such services – People Per Hour and Upwork – but I have found some amazing clients from these platforms.
Now, don’t get me wrong, not all of these clients have been high value and to be honest, some people on these sites want something for nothing but if you pour over each advert carefully and stick to your personal pricing strategy, it can be a really abundant opportunity.
I’ve also used these platforms to vastly grow my personal portfolio and this means that I am now able to pitch for even bigger clients. So, if you are interested in perhaps going full time self-employed or are just looking for some extra income, these sites could be the perfect opportunity for you.
Audit your finances |
Ok, so this one isn’t going to earn you any money as such, but it might save you some money, meaning that the overall result is much the same – more money in your bank account.
Most of us now have some extra downtime in our schedule and so, there is no better time to review our finances and decide where we can save money. Take a look at your bank account and decide if it is working for you. Consider switching suppliers. And even think about cancelling that subscription you never use (I am the worst at doing this).
Whatever your situation, I bet there are things you can change to help make your finances that little bit better.
Consider switching banks |
Banks always have lucrative switching offers that are specifically designed to get you to change banks and a clever switch can both save and earn you money. Take a look at your bank situation and decide if there is one that better suits your needs, attempt to find a switching offer to the one that best suits you and voila, money earned.
Create an online course |
This is the most complicated of all my suggestions, the one that I have the least experience with and the one that takes the most investment, but it’s also the one that will likely have the biggest pay off.
We all have something that we are passionate about or can add value to, find yours, turn it in to a kickass course and start selling it online.
There are a bunch of tutorials and articles about the best platforms to use and it’s something that I am currently working on.
Stay tuned to see more than.
Start a blog |
Blogging has been a passion and hobby of mine for a number of years and I have seen many fellow bloggers turn their blogs into full-time and seriously lucrative income streams. But, to be honest, whether or not you want to monetise it, I would really suggest that you start a blog.
Whatever it is that you want to write about, I can assure you that there are people out there who want to read it and it can be a really fun way to express yourself, whilst also opening up the possibility of some serious income.
Again, this isn’t one that is going to have immediate pay offs but play your cards right and it could be one you pursue in the future.
Have a huge declutter |
For some people, lockdown will have been an incredibly difficult time and if you suffer from recurring mental health issues, it’s probably been excruciatingly hard. I know it’s a cliché, but for me, cleaning and decluttering does wonders for my mental health and it’s something that I do often.
As a result, it would be fair to say that I am somewhat of a minimalist and I completely abide by the less is more philosophy. So, his is an activity that I have spent a lot of time doing during the lockdown and as a result, I have managed to keep my eBay shop pretty stocked up. There’s also a chance of me moving after all of this is done and so, it helps to get ahead of the decluttering whilst I have the time to do so.
If I think that someone else needs something that I no longer want, I donate it. If I think it is worth selling, but not worth posting, I’ve put it to one side for the charity shop. And if I think it is worth a bit of money, I sell it.
P.s. My eBay is here if you fancy having a nosey.
