5 Ways to Make Extra Income Online Today

ShareThis

Whether or not you know it, you have talents, talents — or stuff — that other people want and will pay for. Among the five sites and services profiled below, I assure that you can generate some extra income with a service or item you may not even have known was marketable. (See also Got Extra Space? Make Money and Meet Travelers with Short-Term Rentals)

Glyde: Sell Your Gadgets

Glyde.com is a marketplace where you can sell (and buy) used smartphones, tablets, iPads, video games, MP3 players, and other consumer electronics.

With no membership or listing fees, you've got nothing to lose to see if your unused gadget can bring in some cash. Once your item sells in the marketplace, you are sent a pre-addressed stamped shipping kit to ship the item to the buyer. (In some cases you'll want the exclusive shipping kit for an extra couple of dollars.)

Glyde gets paid by taking 12% of the first $100 of your item's sale price, and 8% of the rest.

Buyers get 48 hours from the receipt of the item to return it if it's not as described (again, Glyde handles the shipping and sends the item back to you). Once the buyer accepts the item, the money in your Glyde account is yours to withdraw or spend as you wish.

And if you're wondering what the market will pay for your used gadget, check out Glyde's Sell Smart function which compares what you can get across services like Amazon Trade In, Gazelle, Apple Recycling, and more.

Wheelz: Rent Your Car

Here's a peer-to-peer car sharing service allowing you to put your car to good use when you're not in it.

Once approved with a clean driving license, you'll receive a drive box that allows authorized users to locate and get into the car — with their smartphone. Then you set up your car's profile, rates, and schedule of when the car is available (and where it is), and watch the money roll in.

Renters pay hourly or daily rates, and you'll never be left with an empty tank with the gas card provided (users pay for their gas by mileage calculation through their account).

And your car is insured with Wheelz's $1 million insurance policy, meaning your personal policy is untouched.

Wheelz is currently only located in certain cities in the U.S., but since its San Francisco launch in October of 2012, its user-base has more than doubled.

Pearl: Leverage Your Expertise

Are you an expert? Medicine? Computer repair? Law? Dream interpretation? Auto repair? Pet Behavior? Then you could get paid to answer some of the 250,000 questions that Pearl.com fields every month.

You'll need to be verified as an expert before you can answer questions and get paid; read about the process here and send them an email to get started.

It's unclear how much you earn for answering questions, but non-subscribed users pay $30 per question, and subscribers (paying $50-100/month) can ask unlimited questions. This isn't particularly cheap depending on the question, so your expertise needs to be top notch.

TaskRabbit: Run Somone's Errands

TaskRabbit connects busy people who need stuff done with freelancers, students, and neighbors who want to earn some extra money in their spare time.

Verified Task Rabbits complete popular assignments like assembling IKEA furniture, cleaning, dog walking, online tasks, packing and moving, office assignments, grocery shopping — whatever. Users also have the ability to set up recurring assignments or to hire Task Rabbits directly through their profile.

TaskRabbit takes 20% of the fee paid (and set) by the user per task; as a Task Rabbit, you don't pay anything. However, the application process is fairly rigorous (which is not a bad thing); after submitting an application detailing the sorts of tasks you can do, you'll be granted a video interview with the site managers, then a criminal check, and after you pass the quiz showing you've read the handbook, you'll be on the system.

As with Wheelz, Task Rabbit is only set up in select cities in the U.S., but they're expanding. And in some cases Task Rabbits with virtual abilities can work from anywhere.

Fiverr: Sell Your Time, Service, or Product

Fiverr is the quirkiest of all five sites profiled here, with users posting a wide and random range of skills and talents, all starting at $5. Seriously — you just have to check out the bizarre (and often useful) collection of tasks from writing code to human billboards to translation to travel itineraries to fortune-telling to juggling chainsaws and knives (no really)!

Everything starts at $5 (hence the name of the site), but once you reach certain sales benchmarks, you can post extra services and more detailed projects for higher rates.

Fiverr keeps 20% of the rate you charge as their fee, depositing $4 from every $5 job into your account.

And after browsing the huge range of services, you'll surely have some ideas for services to offer that other people just might pay for. Hey for $5 — it's a laugh!

How you have made money online?

Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.

Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


Guest's picture

The key is what you said in the very beginning, you have talents or stuff that people are willing to pay for. It may take a little while to correctly identify where your opportunities lie. It will also likely take a little while to brush up, or improve on them to the point where they become really valuable. But once you do they are always there to be used. The best investment you'll ever make is in yourself.

Guest's picture

Running someone's errands is a service I never thought about, but a great way to make some extra money! Whenever I need some extra pocket change fast, I sell some of my artwork freelance and I have also refurbished and sold furniture. If you go to a thrift store, you can buy cute pieces and go all TLC on them sanding them, repainting them, replacing the knobs and then selling them for at least triple what you paid for the item and the supplies on Etsy or Craigslist for a quick buck!

Guest's picture

Great suggestions! The kids made a good profit when they sold our old gadgets, appliances, and furniture on Craigslist and eBay. They had so much fun as they learn about selling and haggling.

Guest's picture

You introduced some ways to make extra money that I never knew about! Selling old smartphones or electronics is such a simple and easy way to earn some extra cash! I had never heard about TaskRabbit and is such a neat idea! I am sure there are many people out there too busy for their own good that could definitely use a hand for random tasks. Thanks for the great post!

Guest's picture
Gina

I sell a lot through Craigslist and my neighborhood FB group. During yard sale season (which is just starting), I buy low and clean things up that people didn't take the time to do, then resell them for more than I paid. It works with big outdoor toys, baby gear, kids' clothing, etc.

Guest's picture

I've heard of Fiverr before, but not the others! Wow, renting your car out for others to drive? Not so sure I could do something like that. Answering questions at Pearl.com, that's something I'd be interested in, although my field of expertise is in a field where I'm not sure there's wide demand.

Thanks for the article!

Guest's picture

I have lot's of gadgets which I will sell on Glyde.

Guest's picture

There are multiple websites that post jobs from home, especially blogging. At the end of the day, if you know how to write you can work online.

Guest's picture
NZ Muse

Mainly through blogging/freelancing. Microtasking hasn't really taken a hold here yet nor has ridesharing; my partner loves to drive so that would be a great side hustle!

Guest's picture

A good selection, although I'd be war of Fiverr it can be a bit... weird. And the results can often backfire on you accounts, specifically the way Google looks at your online presence. You can always try sites like TextBroker to put your writing to good use, and there's eBay of course! One of the all time great ways to make money - have a scan around your home to find old magazines/art/antiques.

Guest's picture

Blogging! Blogging is a great way to earn a little extra money. Might take a little while to see any roi, but it can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable.