With the coronavirus raging outside, many of us are stuck inside wondering: "can I make money from home?" "Is that even a thing?" "I don't want to invest though." And, ultimately: "How can I earn money from home without any investment?"
I hear you. As someone who is greedy and frugal, I always wanted to know the way to make money online with little to no investment. And, despite having being doing it for the past seven years, people are still surprised to hear that I do earn money from home (and also whilst travelling), and I did it without any investment.
So I suppose it's time to share my secrets with you. At least until you all murder each other over toilet roll anyway.... or something similar, so this post will answer these questions and, more importantly, give you some ideas as to how you can start weaselling your own way out of the rat race!
1. Home Office: Try Doing Your Current Job from Home
Sounds like a duh option (and if it's not relevant to you, move on to the next points), but I cannot tell you the number of people that describe their job to me, and I'm like "wait, yeah, cool, but, couldn't you just do that from home?". ASK YOUR BOSS. Lay out a powerpoint on how your job could be done from home. Come on, you're good at powerpoint! And even if it can't be done at home because you've got a hands on job like a doctor or a builder or a dominatrix etc, surely at least one day of the week could be done from home? Hello admin. And powerpoints. (I'm not sure why I just assume you're sat about doing powerpoints all day... and I'm not sure why I find my assumption funny. Okay, I had too much coffee this morning.) Now, I'm not saying you should do your job from home forever (unless of course you really love it and your new home/work lifestyle), I'm just saying that doing the job you already know (and are hopefully good at), is a good way to start earning money from home without any investment. I mean, hello, you don't have to invest in any training? And think of all the time you'll save cutting out the commute. Yey.
2. Start Freelancing & Doing Odd Jobs Online
So maybe you've now decided to earn money from home without any investment by doing your current job from home, and my work here is done. But for those that can't do their job from home or don't want to, where do you start?
Start by closing your eyes and thinking of a skill you have, or better yet something you enjoy doing. Know that someone, somewhere, is willing to pay you for that skill or passion. Seriously. Luckily we live in a time where it's easier than ever to connect to those buyers, thanks to the internet. Many, many websites out there like fiverr, upwork, craiglists and more are just waiting for you to sign up and show your skills.
I personally recommend Fiverr, (purely because that's where I started earning money from home, and, yey, there's no investment needed). What is Fiverr? Fiverr is this platform that let's you sell any kind of skill for five dollars, and, once you get enough good references, you can up that five dollars to as much as you like. Any kind of skill? You ask. Well, okay, not anything, but many things I myself found particular success from:
Start by closing your eyes and thinking of a skill you have, or better yet something you enjoy doing. Know that someone, somewhere, is willing to pay you for that skill or passion. Seriously. Luckily we live in a time where it's easier than ever to connect to those buyers, thanks to the internet. Many, many websites out there like fiverr, upwork, craiglists and more are just waiting for you to sign up and show your skills.
I personally recommend Fiverr, (purely because that's where I started earning money from home, and, yey, there's no investment needed). What is Fiverr? Fiverr is this platform that let's you sell any kind of skill for five dollars, and, once you get enough good references, you can up that five dollars to as much as you like. Any kind of skill? You ask. Well, okay, not anything, but many things I myself found particular success from:
- proofreading (perks of being a native English speaker, but actually, in my experience if English is your second (or third etc) language, your English proofreading skills are probably already better than mine... utilise!);
- translating from German to English/ English to German (perks of once having a German boyfriend you might assume... na, perks of working really f-ing hard to learn German)
- holding up signs on pretty beaches with messages for random strangers (slash being a 'model')
- teaching English one-on-one via skype (or rather, listening to people tell me very deep personal secrets about their lives, often stuff they'd never told anyone about, whilst I patiently listened and corrected them on their pronunciation #lifeisstrange)*
- reviewing ebooks and anything else people wanted reviewing that I could do remotely (don't review actual products, they take ages to ship and mostly those kind of people want you to review without seeing the product which is hashtag notcoolbrad)
- correcting people's maths homework (perks of having a maths degree that I paid 20 grand for and never used)
- And more
*Teaching English I found particularly interesting, you can of course do this offline too, but many places require an English degree, I think it's a great idea to trial being an English teacher online before you decide to make the commitment to get said degree.
Fiverr, can be crap, of course, and there are many alternatives like upwork and freelancer. Fiverr was just the one I personally had success with. In my opinion, Fiverr isn't the place where you will earn money from forever, it's just a stepping stone to get you there. Either it finances you whilst your 'bigger projects' are taking wing (see next point) and/or it gives you a great little platform to trial a new job before you actually commit to making it your career forever.
For example, I once thought that I wanted to be a translator. So on Fiverr I tried it. I had some great projects (e.g. a book about the existence of the female orgasm), and I had some shit projects (e.g. a very very boring and repetitive lawyer report). But even with the great projects (which were exclusively book translations) all it taught me was that I'd rather be writing my own books (possibly even about the female orgasm) than translating someone else's.
For example, I once thought that I wanted to be a translator. So on Fiverr I tried it. I had some great projects (e.g. a book about the existence of the female orgasm), and I had some shit projects (e.g. a very very boring and repetitive lawyer report). But even with the great projects (which were exclusively book translations) all it taught me was that I'd rather be writing my own books (possibly even about the female orgasm) than translating someone else's.
My point is, utilise your skills. Many jobs can be done online as freelance nowadays, if yours can't what about your skills - what do you like doing? If you like doing it your probably good at it and there's probably someone out there waiting to buy it from you.
3. Dehoard & Minimalise: Sell or Give Away Your Stuff!
From the things around your house that you definitely don't need anymore to the things you've always wanted to make and earn money for. And everything in-between. Ebay used to be the place to go to sell your physical I-no-longer-need-three-sets-of-china stuff, but nowadays Facebook market place seems to be ruling.
When it comes to your art (be it music, paintings, ebooks, literally anything you enjoy making), why aren't you selling it? Are you afraid no one will buy it? No one will buy it for sure if you don't put it out there, at least give it a chance. Do you not have the time to make things you enjoy making? How much time do you spend on Netflix/Social Media? Like worst comes to worst, if you're doing something creative that you love then you're practicing good mindfulness, which is never a bad thing.
Although I recommend that you start a blog to host your products from, it doesn't have to be THE way. Etsy is a great platform for selling unique and cool things (it's also a great place for buying them too).
When it comes to your art (be it music, paintings, ebooks, literally anything you enjoy making), why aren't you selling it? Are you afraid no one will buy it? No one will buy it for sure if you don't put it out there, at least give it a chance. Do you not have the time to make things you enjoy making? How much time do you spend on Netflix/Social Media? Like worst comes to worst, if you're doing something creative that you love then you're practicing good mindfulness, which is never a bad thing.
Although I recommend that you start a blog to host your products from, it doesn't have to be THE way. Etsy is a great platform for selling unique and cool things (it's also a great place for buying them too).
4. Write about Your Passions: Start a Blog!
After a year of blogging, I wrote a list of how long my Fiverr jobs took me to complete, how much they paid, and how much I was being paid per minute; next to it I wrote a list of how long my blogger jobs took me, how much they paid, and how much I was being paid per minute. By the time I finished the list I quit all my jobs on Fiverr. I'm not saying that you shouldn't do Fiverr (clearly, like look at the above ramble I just did on it). I'm just saying, use Fiverr until your blog takes off (which on average takes about a year). But definitely start your blog right now. Cause the earlier you start it, the quicker it becomes valuable. Like seriously. Okay, not right now, finish this blog post first ;).
*I say you can start a blog without any investment. And it's true, but if you want it to be successful I recommend investing just $10 on hosting. $10 will buy you a domain for a year and even if you don't have the time to do blogging 'professionally' in that first year, it's a good investment because a one year old blog is more valuable than a zero year old blog. Yes, even a one year old blog with no traffic (trust me). I bought my domain from HostGator and I've renewed that every year since (can't say fairer than that). I actually host on blogger (which all my blogger friends think is hilarious). But I'm a create of habit, plus a stingy one and blogger (unlike wordpress) is free. When you start getting into affiliate marketing Awin is definitely the way to go - they charge £5 sign-up fee, which you get back when you make a sale. I promote lots of affiliate through them like Trustedhousesitters - who pay like £15 a sale. Last but not least, I really really really really really really (did I make my point) recommend keysearch it takes all the guess work out of seo. I put off getting it for years and I kicked myself for not getting it sooner.
We also make a passive side-income by selling our own ebooks. I wrote a house sitting guide and Tanbay wrote about how to move to England (for Germans). Making money as Social Media Influencers is a dream come true for us - we work how we want, when we want, we get to travel and we get to spend all our time together. Travel bloggers and social media influencers can make a lot of money. We've even met a millionaire whose does what we're doing (though admittedly he's doing it a lot better than we are)! But we would be lying if we pretended this happens overnight. It took us two years to get to the point we're at now. So how did we get here? And more importantly, how can you get there?
As for making them successful, this takes a bit of patience, a lot of trial and error and lots of networking with other people in your field. But more on that in another post. Whilst becoming a Social Media Influencer/ Blogger /YouTuber is a great goal to have, you will need to finance yourself for the first year or so as no one makes money overnight doing this. Here are some ways to finance yourself initially:
How do you make money as a blogger?
- with affiliate sales (where you get commission every time you sell someone else's product),
- with sponsored posts (where you get paid to fairly review and then, if it's good, promote someone else's product),
- with book sales (both your own and others),
- merch sales,
- advertising
- and so much more.
*I say you can start a blog without any investment. And it's true, but if you want it to be successful I recommend investing just $10 on hosting. $10 will buy you a domain for a year and even if you don't have the time to do blogging 'professionally' in that first year, it's a good investment because a one year old blog is more valuable than a zero year old blog. Yes, even a one year old blog with no traffic (trust me). I bought my domain from HostGator and I've renewed that every year since (can't say fairer than that). I actually host on blogger (which all my blogger friends think is hilarious). But I'm a create of habit, plus a stingy one and blogger (unlike wordpress) is free. When you start getting into affiliate marketing Awin is definitely the way to go - they charge £5 sign-up fee, which you get back when you make a sale. I promote lots of affiliate through them like Trustedhousesitters - who pay like £15 a sale. Last but not least, I really really really really really really (did I make my point) recommend keysearch it takes all the guess work out of seo. I put off getting it for years and I kicked myself for not getting it sooner.
5. Work on Becoming a Social Media Influencer (if blogging is a bore)
We basically use our blog (travellingweasels.com), our YouTube channel (youtube.com/travellingweasels) and our Instagram (instagram.com/travellingweasels) to generate enough income (and more) to finance our travels. How do you make money from your blog? We work with brands who want to build a relationship with our followers. We could be making ten times the amount we are making, but we only ever work with brands we have personally tried and love otherwise we'd have no integrity. Some ways we make money on our various platforms:- Sponsored Campaigns - promote a brand/company on our website, YouTube channel and/or social media channels
- Instagram takeovers - take over a brand/company's Instagram account for a few days to increase their engagement
- Photo and Video Sales
- Brand Ambassadorship - similar to sponsored campaigns, but involves a free product or two as well (blog, Youtube, Facebook, etc.)
- Adverts - on YouTube and our website
We also make a passive side-income by selling our own ebooks. I wrote a house sitting guide and Tanbay wrote about how to move to England (for Germans). Making money as Social Media Influencers is a dream come true for us - we work how we want, when we want, we get to travel and we get to spend all our time together. Travel bloggers and social media influencers can make a lot of money. We've even met a millionaire whose does what we're doing (though admittedly he's doing it a lot better than we are)! But we would be lying if we pretended this happens overnight. It took us two years to get to the point we're at now. So how did we get here? And more importantly, how can you get there?
We recommend starting a blog, a YouTube channel and social media channels immediately. Immediately because there's always an excuse not to start: not the right time/don't have the right equipment / don't have enough content etc etc, but trust me everyone's first attempts are rubbish and embarrassing - you need those first attempts to learn from and the sooner you start, the sooner you can iron out the kinks. Some people start with just a blog, or just a YouTube channel or just social media, but we recommend all three. You'll find you'll enjoy one the most and this will be the one you should focus on in the end, but for now it's good to have your options open.
As for making them successful, this takes a bit of patience, a lot of trial and error and lots of networking with other people in your field. But more on that in another post. Whilst becoming a Social Media Influencer/ Blogger /YouTuber is a great goal to have, you will need to finance yourself for the first year or so as no one makes money overnight doing this. Here are some ways to finance yourself initially:
6. House Sitting & Couchsurfing: Travel & Cut Your Expenses!
That is: make your home base mobile: a rucksack and a trolley bag, for example. I guess this is the ultimate end point of dehoarding and minimalising. Here's something people are very surprised to find out: travel is (often) cheaper than living at home. Of course this depends a little bit on who you are, where your home is and where you're travelling to. But generally speaking, for people who are from the USA, Canada, the UK, Western Europe, Australia or New Zealand life will be a lot cheaper for you if you live in South East Asia, South America or Eastern Europe. It's just a fact. Living costs are soo much cheaper there! Keep that in mind.
And even if you are travelling to more expensive countries, I've got another tip for you: house sitting reduce your accommodation costs to zero by looking after people's houses and homes whilst they go on holiday - not just a great way to save money, but also a great way to have the peace and quiet you need to start building your own online businesses. We don't house sit that much anymore, but this is how we started travelling.
In the mindset of clearing out your house of crap you don't need, start doing that with your whole life, including your finances. Maybe you need your current job to make you thousands because your current lifestyle requires it. But as someone who has lived on a beach and owns only what fits in a one rucksack and one small suitcase, I'm here to tell you that the most important things in life are fulfilling friendships, good health and nature and none of these things need cost a lot. Perhaps take this time at home to reflect how much money you really need to be making from home to live a happy, fulfilled life. And remember, time is the most important currency.
In the mindset of clearing out your house of crap you don't need, start doing that with your whole life, including your finances. Maybe you need your current job to make you thousands because your current lifestyle requires it. But as someone who has lived on a beach and owns only what fits in a one rucksack and one small suitcase, I'm here to tell you that the most important things in life are fulfilling friendships, good health and nature and none of these things need cost a lot. Perhaps take this time at home to reflect how much money you really need to be making from home to live a happy, fulfilled life. And remember, time is the most important currency.
Wrap Up: How to Earn Money From Home Without Any Investment
Use your skills online to make enough money to cover your accommodation costs (if there are any), travel costs, insurance and food. Spend the rest of your time focussing on finding your way to become financially and geographically independent!
P.S. If you're interested in starting travelling and house sitting right now, we'd like to let you know that Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount -- click on the link to use it! Enjoy :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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