Would you like to make $1,000 a month working from home? Then keep reading! I have a list of real-life ideas to make money from home!
When I first launched my blog, I wanted to earn an extra $700 a month to cover the extras in my life, such as fitness classes, baby and me classes, and coffee stops.
Although I worked 10 hours a week as a Social Media Manager, the money I earned from that job covered my bills, food, and blogging expenses.
To cover my extracurricular activities, I sold things online and at thrift stores. I participated in paid focus groups and occasionally worked a weekend shift at my old nursing job.
Fortunately, my blog gained traction quickly, and within three months, I started earning money from it. Today, I make a full-time income from my blog. The point of my story is that if there is a will, there is a way.
If your financial goal is to make $1,000 a month working from home, you can do it.
Here are some great side hustle ideas, stories, and ways for you to make extra income from home!
1. AI Trainer
With the explosion of AI technologies comes the need for humans to train these tools. For these independent contracting positions, you must be tech-savvy, detail-oriented, and have excellent research, writing, and editing skills.
One company that hires AI trainers is DataAnnotationTech. To get started with DataAnnotation Tech, you’ll create a user profile, and you’ll need to take an initial assessment test. The test will take approximately an hour and can be challenging, so please take your time and focus fully on providing the best answers possible. If you’re accepted, you can begin working on tasks in your dashboard. The starting pay for these roles is $20 per hour, so you’ll only need to work 12.5 hours a week to make $1,000 a month!
Other companies to explore for AI training jobs include:
2. Arts and Crafts Seller
If you enjoy making arts and crafts, you can make $1,000 a month selling handmade goods on Etsy or Amazon Handmade. Kirsten La Greca decided to test the waters on Etsy by selling embroidered scarves. After being on the platform for a month, she finally made her first sale, then another, until she reached $1,000 in sales. She persevered, and after a couple of years on the platform, she’s earned $25,000 annually, or approximately $2,083 a month. For more tips about success on Etsy, check out this interview with Melanie from Simple Made Pretty.
3. Blogging
While blogging has undergone significant changes since I first started, it remains a viable way to earn a monthly income of $1,000 or more. With blogging, you’ll need to diversify how you generate traffic and monetize your platform; fortunately, there are many ways to do so. Of course, you should learn the best SEO (search engine optimization) practices, email marketing, and social media marketing.
As far as monetization goes, you can work with an ad network like Raptive or Mediavine. You can work with brands on sponsored campaigns, as well as engage in affiliate marketing and selling digital products, such as online courses, eBooks, or monthly memberships. You can also sell freelance services, merchandise, and more!
One well-known blogger who has earned big bucks from her personal finance blog is Michelle Schroeder-Gardner. What started as a hobby for her quickly became her full-time job, supporting her family. Besides the flexibility that blogging offers (Michelle lived on a sailboat for a couple of years), blogging allows you to write about topics you’re passionate about and has unlimited income potential. It will also teach you a wide variety of new skills that can later be applied to a remote role, if you choose to pursue one.
4. Content Creator
With content creation, you’ll create content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium, Amazon, Vocal, Patreon, and others! The platform you choose will depend on the type of content you’re creating (written, audio, video, or visual). And the same is true for how you’ll earn money. Some platforms, such as TikTok, offer creator funds, while others, like Amazon, provide affiliate revenues, creator rewards, and bonuses.
With content creation, you can generally repurpose your content for multiple platforms, which increases your earning potential. Some people engage in content creation as a side gig, while others make it their full-time job. How much you can earn will depend on multiple factors, such as your niche, the platforms you’re using, the type of content you’re creating, and how large your following is. Still, motivated beginners should be able to generate $1,000 a month fairly easily.
5. Craigslist Entrepreneur
One thing that often stops people from pursuing a side gig is that they don’t have a website. In the following example, Aimee Pass earned $3,500 in one month using a $5 Craigslist ad.
How did she do it? She posted one $5 ad for family photography sessions and another $5 for live aquarium plants. From these two ads, she generated $800 from selling her aquarium plants and landed $2,700 in freelance photography work.
If you’d like to know more, you can read Aimee’s tips for selling stuff on Craigslist.
6. Customer Service Representative
Not all remote customer service jobs require agents to work a full 40-hour workweek. Many 1099 companies hire part-time gig workers to service a variety of client programs. Generally, with these opportunities, you’ll choose your schedule a couple of weeks in advance, and you’ll earn a wage based on the hours or minutes you work.
Reputable companies to explore include Working Solutions, ACD Direct, Omni Interactions, and NexRep. With Customer Service Representatives earning an average of $19.52 per hour, you only need to work 12.5 hours weekly to make $1,000 a month!
7. Dog Walking with Rover
With the Rover app, you can make $1,000 a month walking and caring for dogs! Simply download the app and sign up to become a pet sitter (fees may apply, depending on your location). Choose which services you’d like to offer (walking, pet sitting, or boarding), your pet preferences, set your prices and schedule, and start earning cash!
This mom started using Rover to pet-sit other dogs in her home and found that she could easily earn an extra $1,000 a month. She even got to pick her preferences; other dogs must get along with children and cats.
Of course, dog walking and pet sitting aren’t the only ways to make extra money with the gig economy! You can deliver food with Uber Eats or DoorDash, or you can drive kids to school using HopSkipDrive. Like picking out groceries? Use Shipt or Instacart to earn extra money by grocery shopping and delivering food, or consider picking up a babysitting or housesitting gig using Care.com.
8. Fiverr Side Hustle
Fiverr is an online platform where people can sell services. The initial concept behind the site was that freelancers would sell services such as content writing, graphic design, proofreading, editing, bookkeeping, transcription, digital marketing, and more for $5.00. Today, the site has evolved, and freelancers charge anywhere from $5 to $10,000 per service.
Services have also evolved; today, there is a business and lifestyle section where people sell cooking classes, craft lessons, personal training sessions, consulting services, and more. It’s totally free to join, and once you sell your service, Fiverr will deduct a 20% fee from your earnings.
This gal from Hustle and Slow earned $1,133 writing 500-word blog posts in her first month on the platform.
9. Focus Groups and Online Surveys
While surveys and focus groups are sporadic, signing up with multiple platforms can help you reach your goal of $1,000 a month. With most platforms, you must answer several qualifying questions to ensure you’re the right demographic for the study or survey. If you meet the criteria, you’ll receive an invitation to participate. Studies and surveys commonly occur online, via phone, web meeting, or in person.
Over the years, I’ve done a fair amount of surveys and focus groups, and it’s a great way to add extra money to your wallet. Focus groups tend to pay well; the last couple that I did paid $100 for an hour of my time. Surveys tend to pay less, but the more you complete, the more you’ll earn. Some platforms, like Swagbucks, offer new users a $10 bonus.
One thing to note with these market research opportunities is that you’ll get a lot of emails, so you may want to create a separate email account for these activities.
Here are some companies to explore:
10. Open a High-Yield Savings Account
Regardless of your situation, it is essential to save a portion of your paycheck for emergencies and retirement. However, not just any old savings account will do; you need a high-yield savings account.
These types of savings accounts can earn you up to 5% interest on the money that is just sitting in your account. No additional effort is required on your part. Of course, to earn $1,000 a month in interest, you would need a significant chunk of cash in your account. But along with the other money-making ideas on the list, earning a fair interest rate will help you meet your financial goals.
11. Rent Stuff
We all know about Airbnb and people making money renting their houses, but let’s face it: most of us don’t have an extra home to rent. However, there are other unique ways to earn $1,000 monthly from the peer-to-peer rental marketplace. Whether you have sports equipment, a car, an RV, a boat, a swimming pool, or a fancy handbag, there is a marketplace for you to list and rent your items for a profit.
For instance, on Neighbor, you can earn an extra $50 to $150 by renting out space in your driveway. Add a few more items, and you can realistically earn $1,000 a month! Check out this article for a complete list of rental marketplaces to explore.
12. Resell Items
Another simple way to make $1,000 a month is by reselling items that you no longer use. First, start with your closet, and go through the clothing that you no longer wear, or that no longer fits. Sites like Poshmark enable you to sell a wide range of items, including clothing, shoes, accessories, handbags, jewelry, and more. It’s free to list your items, and Poshmark only deducts a fee once an item sells.
Of course, Poshmark isn’t the only reseller site to explore. Platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Mercari are great for connecting with buyers. Reselling has become so popular that many people turn this side hustle into a full-fledged business by scouring thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets for new inventory.
If reselling sounds like fun, check out these tips to earn a six-figure income from your reselling business.
13. Sell Digital Downloads
Whether you want to earn a little or a lot, creating digital downloads is a viable way to earn $1,000 a month.
First, you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to sell visual downloads, such as printables, templates, patterns, photos, videos, or SVG files, or utilize your writing skills to create an eBook. Either way, creating digital downloads is a great passive income stream, as you make the item once and resell it repeatedly.
You don’t even need your own website to get started.
Simply create your digital graphic assets using a tool like Canva or Photoshop, and upload your products to a platform like Etsy or Creative Market. Be sure to write SEO-friendly descriptions and promote your digital downloads on social media; then, watch as the sales trickle in.
Cody Berman, who co-created the E-Printables Side Hustle Course, earned $700 in his first week selling printables on Etsy. If you’re curious about a digital download business, sign up for this free workshop.
Writing an eBook is a little more involved, but totally doable.
Here are some resources to help you get started:
14. Tutor Students Online
If you have expertise in a subject like algebra or are a teacher, tutoring can be an excellent way to make $1,000 a month. Numerous online tutoring platforms are seeking qualified individuals to assist students with their studies. For instance, top tutors on Course Hero can earn up to $1,500 a month for answering homework questions online. With Studypool, tutors can earn up to $7,500 a month! For more ways to make extra money with your expertise, check out this list of online tutoring jobs.
15. Virtual Assistant
If you possess excellent organizational skills, effective time management, and attention to detail, working as a virtual assistant is a great way to earn $1,000 per month. Besides the soft skills I mentioned above, you’ll also need to be tech-savvy, have top-notch communication skills, and be self-motivated. Generally, in these roles, you’ll handle calendar management, travel planning, email correspondence, and other administrative tasks. The tasks you’ll work on will depend on who you’re working for and what they need assistance with.
According to Indeed, the average income for a virtual assistant is $27.05 per hour, which means you only need to work 37 hours a month to earn $1,000! If you’re interested in a part-time job as a virtual assistant, explore BELAY, Byron, and Worxbee.
16. YouTube Channel
If you enjoy creating video tutorials, you can make good money as a YouTube creator. Of course, you’ll need to spend time growing your channel as YouTube requires partners to have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time on your content in 12 months. However, once you meet this criterion, you can start making money through Google Ads. One mom who has found major success as a YouTube Creator is Judy Travis. Not only does she have millions of followers, but she also earns a million dollars annually, creating parenting and beauty videos. If you want to make money creating YouTube videos, check out this tutorial to get started.
Yes, You Can Make $1,000 a Month!
As you can see, there are many ways to make $1,000 a month working from home! All you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and the motivation to get started!
One important thing to note is that the roles included in this article are independent contracting positions or small business ideas, which means you’re responsible for self-employment taxes. However, as a small business owner, you have more freedom to create your own schedule, and there is no cap on how much you can earn.
Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this article; it has some exciting ways to make an extra $1,000 a month – including face painting, parking lot trash pickup, and selling worms!
Whichever of these practical ideas you choose, you’ll be well on your way to earning extra money in any given month.
