13 Ways to Make an Extra $500 Today

Do you want to know how to make money fast today? Welcome to our article all about different ways to make extra money. We will show you how to get money quickly! These 13 easy ways to make money can help you to make $500 plus a month (probably a lot more!). Let us show you how to make $500 today! At the very least we can show you how to make $100 a day.

This article is all about how to make money fast from home (e.g., completing surveys for money).

 

The Best Ways to Make Money Fast Today

Do you want to make $500 today? Who doesn’t right!? This article will hopefully explain how to make 500 dollars in a week realistically. So, if you want $500 now or as soon as possible – this article will show you how to get money fast.  If you already know how to make a lot of money, this article will still show you new ways to make even more!

Earning extra money can change your life. Finding ways to make 500 dollars today or even just $500 extra every month will allow you to relax a little bit and enjoy life without stressing about money. Creative ways to make money can help you to make some extra cash and they can be fun.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that we may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please understand that we have experienced all of these companies, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions that we receive if you decide to buy something through our links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals. We aim to show you how to make $500 extra a month but the results will depend on the effort you put in. Read on to see how to make $100 a day.

 

Living with constant anxiety about money is a horrendous way to live life, but it is widespread. But trust us, it does not need to be YOUR life. We escaped this ‘modern day slavery’ and talk a lot on this blog about how we did it!

 

Make $100 per hour freelance proofreading!

Our friend Caitlin Pyle has a FREE MASTERCLASS webinar running at the moment where she teaches people how to become freelance proofreaders and make $500 a week (or more!) reading other people’s online content!

 

how to make $500 a day with a proofreading side hustle

 

Check out this FREE intro Workshop about Freelance Proofreading!

Despite what we were taught as kids, money DOES buy happiness, to some extent.

Money allows you financial stability and takes away the worry of how you will get your bills paid. At the very least it buys you FREEDOM. It allows you to spend more time with your loved ones and allows you to save money for a rainy day fund. We hope that you find some inspiration and some new ideas on how to make extra money from the list below.

 

Ways to Make $500 in a Week (This is how to make money fast!)

There are so many ways to make $500 in a week online. I highly recommend that you try completing paid surveys (from only the best survey sites) and testing websites as some of the best ways to make $500 in a week online as supplemental income.

These are not passive ways to make extra money, but they require no skill and can help to make that much-needed cash quickly. In this article we will cover ways to make $500 in a week both passively and actively.

Let’s get started discussing the details on how to make $500 extra a month and possibly a lot more! How much more depends on how much time and effort you can put in.

 

If you are curious (or just in a hurry to make $500 today!)

Make $500 with Survey Junkie paid surveys! Get paid for your opinion online!
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If you want to know how to make 500 dollars in a week realistically, this is probably the fastest, easiest way to get $500 now. All you have to do is sign-up for Survey Junkie (our readers LOVE Survey Junkie!) and complete a few simple tasks online while you are waiting in line at the grocery store or relaxing on your couch! This is how to make 500 dollars in a week realistically in your spare time from a survey site we love and highly recommend. Completing paid surveys is one of the best ways to make money fast today with just your laptop.

 

 

Blogging Is One of the Ways to Make Extra Money (earn $500 per day or more!)

We always recommend starting a blog as the best way to make extra money. This is always what I recommend to people who want to know how to make $500 extra a month. Perhaps the ability to make an extra 500 a month is not that exciting for you – well some people make $5000+ a day from blogging! If you put in the work, blogging can be one of the best ways to make money fast today.

make an extra 500 a month by collecting coins!

It is pretty easy with blogging to make an extra 500 a month.

How to earn 500 dollars a day with a blog – would you like to make $500 per day online? It is possible.

However, blogging is not on the list below because it is unlikely that you can make $500 a day from a brand new blog that you start today. People always ask us about how to make 500 dollars in a week realistically – blogging is a realistic way to do that but it takes a lot of time and work.

How to earn 500 dollars a day blogging? Well, one of the best ways to get to this kind of income level is from affiliate marketing. Essentially, you get paid when people buy a product through a link on your website. This can be extremely profitable, and I know people that do this and earn $500 per day easily. Some people like Michelle can earn $5,000 per day with affiliate marketing!

It is not easy to earn $500 per day online and to start with you should not expect to make anything like that. If you want to the best way about how to get money fast – read about monetizing your blog!

Your future self will thank you for putting in all the hard work if you start a blog – our websites and blogs help us to make thousands of dollars extra every month!

 

 

If you need help getting started with a blog, check out our step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to set up a blog the right way.

We have seen such an overwhelmingly positive response to our recent article The 5 Easiest Ways To Make $100 in Under 7 Days that we just had to try to do it even better!

So, let’s get started with these 13 Ways to Make an Extra $500 Today!

 

Related Article – how to make $500 extra a month

The Fastest Ways to Make Money Online for Free

how to make $500 extra a month in $20 bank notes

13 Ways to Make an Extra $500 Today

How to make $500 a day? Try these ideas and let us know how much you make! None of these methods are easy – but nothing worth doing ever is! Let’s get started! This first idea will help you make cash today!

1. Take surveys online.

Big brands are always trying to improve their products and marketing by collecting market research from their users and customers. been is a pretty big business, and the companies are often prepared to pay some decent money for this information.

Online surveys are one of our favorite ways to make extra money online.

Completing paid surveys is a pretty easy way to make some extra money online. Generating income by completing surveys online is almost instantaneous, and often you can cash out the very first day you sign-up. Signing up for these companies is 100% FREE, and they do pay you! Here are our readers’ favorite surveys that will pay you for your opinion. You can easily make an extra 500 a month by completing paid surveys.

Survey Junkie – We love this site! Legitimate, fast, easy, and fun surveys will have you generating income online today! We actually just started working with the company that owns Survey Junkie and we love the management team. They are very professional and work out of offices close to where we lived in L.A.

how to make $500 extra a month with Survey Junkie

uses

 

Our other favorite paid survey site is Vindale Research. The paid surveys that are offered on Vindale Research are generally quick and easy to complete. The pay per survey is fair, and overall, we have found the site to be reliable and a legitimate way to make some extra money. You won’t make a fortune completing paid surveys (we make an extra 500 a month doing them).

2.  Become a dog walker.

It used to be that dog walking was the realm of the teenager looking to make some extra money. These days it can be a very lucrative way to make some extra money. The statistics are very promising, with full-time dog walkers making an average of $3,300 per month for walking some friendly mutts.

ways to make extra money on the side with a full time job creative ways to make money with dog walking

Apps like Rover and Wag! have made it possible to walk more dogs and make more income than ever before. They also open up many other opportunities like house sitting.

It is very possible to make $500 in a single day by walking dogs, but you would need to be quite energetic and fit! The best places to be a dog walker are Los Angeles and New York. People have more money and busy lives in these big cities, which is why you can be paid decent money for dog walking.

3.  Become a personal trainer.

Ok, so, unfortunately, nobody would take me seriously if I tried to be a personal trainer, but it is a decent option for many of you guys! Great pay rates, low startup costs and with rising levels of obesity, you will be sure of some work. Like any business, it takes a little bit of startup capital and effort to find clients. Personal training is just one of the ways to make extra money and become healthier in the process!

You can find out more about becoming a certified personal trainer here.

how to make $100 a day as a personal trainer

How to make $100 a day? Become a personal trainer!

4.  Child Care.

This used to be the realm of the teenager, but now it is a fantastic way for anyone who loves kids to make some easy money. I know a couple that runs a successful childcare business from their house. They have made a decent living doing this. However, it is not an industry that is known for large profit margins. You can read more in this interesting article about the costs and problems associated with starting a child care business. I think that the average childcare business can make an extra 500 a month per child – which works out quite well.

creative ways to make money with child care

5. Clean out gutters.

One way to make an extra few hundred dollars per day is to do the work that other people do not particularly enjoy. Starting a gutter cleaning business can be quite lucrative! You can charge $100 – $200 per house, typically the work takes 1-2 hours, making it possible to do a few houses in a day.

Get $500 Today by cleaning gutters

This squirrel knows how to get money fast!

 

The work is relatively unskilled, but you have been comfortable with working outside, have a steady head on your shoulders for going up ladders and be physically able to gouge out leaves from people gutters.

The start-up costs are meager, really you just need workman gloves, a ladder and some heavy-duty trash bags. The work is season though, with Fall being prime time gutter cleaning season.

Read More About Starting A Gutter Cleaning Business

6.  Start a business raking leaves.

This is another seasonal side business to start that can make you $50 per yard. Very easy and very low-cost to start! Try advertising on Craigslist to get work. Raking leaves is important because if you let them sit they start to rot and stink.

Check out what real people say they will pay to have their yards raked in the Fall. This is another way to make money that requires you to be physically fit. This also use to be another way that teenagers would make some extra money, but now it is a fantastic way for anyone to make money.

If you get serious about raking leaves as a business, you may want to upgrade to a leaf vacuum to make your life easier. Here is a useful guide for what you can charge for different levels of service when raking or removing leaves from people’s yards.

13 ways to make an extra $500 today 50 strange but legal ways to make an extra $500 or more this week by raking leaves

7.  Sell crafts on sites like Etsy – one of the most creative ways to make money!

If you have some skill in making crafts, you can sell them on Etsy. My sister makes some extra income selling silver jewelry on Etsy that she really enjoys making. There are so many options for things to make and sell! Etsy is one of the most famous sites for selling crafts, but it is not the only one.

Let’s be frank though – you are unlikely to be able to earn $500 per day selling crafts on Etsy. It just takes so long to make things by hand. Unless you start scaling up by hiring people etc. then you will probably only make a modest amount of money from it. My sister makes make an extra 500 a month from selling her silver jewelry but not all of that is from Etsy – she also sells it in local stores.

Starting an Etsy store is free. However, there are selling fees associated with it – a transaction fee, payment processing fee and a listing fee. It only costs $0.2 to publish the listing though, which seems very fair.

earn $500 per day

Here is a great blog post that lists 40+ other websites that you can sell your handmade crafts. Etsy is not the only site that you can use. Another alternative is to start your website or blog to sell your products.

 

8.  Become a photographer – easily earn $500 per day.

Starting a photography business can be very lucrative. Professional photographers know how to earn 500 dollars a day or more – in just a few hours of work.

The highest paid events are typically weddings, where you can charge thousands of dollars for a few hours work! If you live in a big city like LA, you can also set up a photography business that specializes in ‘head shots’ for aspiring actors and actresses. This can give a photographer a very easy way to make some extra money!

You can also make some extra money by selling your pictures. Sites like this one will pay $100+ per photo if they want your pictures.

9.  Rent a room in your home.

The rise of sites like Airbnb has made it much easier to rent out any spare bedrooms that you have in your house. This can be a very easy way to make some decent money without really doing any extra work. This is one of the first things that we tell people about if they ask us how to make $500 extra a month.

We have rented out rooms in our house and we made an extra $1,500 per month. Screening your potential tenants extremely carefully is very important to make sure that you do not end up with crazy people living in your house. Trust me – this happened to us! But don’t worry, the majority of people are great, and you can often make friends with them! It is pretty easy to make an extra 500 a month per tenant.

Airbnb is a good way to get short term tenants at relatively high nightly rates. Be careful to inspect all your bookings though because sometimes they will use a coupon code and you end up with a much lower rate. This isn’t always made clear to you at the time a tenant books the rental.

Do you know how to earn 500 dollars a day with a rental? Well, plenty of higher-end houses in LA and New York rent for $500 per day. If you want to earn $500 per day from a rental property, you will need a fair bit of capital to buy it. Still, it is likely to be a great investment and something worth considering if you have that kind of money to invest.

 

10.  House sitting to make extra money.

This is an interesting one – often you will not get paid to stay in a person’s house, but if your lease is up then house sitting could be an easy way to live for free. There are many great websites that can help put house sitters and house owners in touch. MindMyHouse is a good website to look at for these types of opportunities.

Ok I admit this is a stretch in terms of ‘making’ money, but it is still a cool way to save money on rent and see some interesting new places.

how to earn 500 dollars a day with airbnb and renting out your house

11.  Sign up for a focus group to make extra income.

Focus groups can pay you as much as $200 per hour for your participation. A focus group is a diverse group of people who give opinions or are studied in a market research setting to predict how a particular product or service will be received by the general population.

Typically, the time commitment is only a couple of hours.  These are often available at your local university (I participated in one in the psychology department at my local university). Look for notices around campus and on Craigslist for opportunities to participate in these study groups. Focus Group Finder is a great resource for finding focus groups both online and offline to participate in. Even if you only did two or three  of these – you could easily make an extra 500 a month.

12.  Participate in medical studies for extra money.

Medical studies are one of the best ways to make extra money fast!

These studies can be quite lucrative ($500 – $2,000 per study)! Covance is a site that is worth checking out if you are interested in making some money from medical studies. You can even participate if you have no existing conditions! Your local university will probably also have some of these available with ads placed around campus and on Craigslist.

 

Ways to Make $500 in a Week with medical testing

13.  Get paid for searching the web with Swagbucks

Swagbucks is one of the most creative ways to make extra money online

Swagbucks is a site that will pay you to search via their browser. You can also complete surveys and play games for extra cash! Swagbucks is completely free, so we recommend trying it out.

A company called Prodege is behind the Swagbucks website. They have been running Swagbucks since 2008 and have proved to be a legitimate and reputable paid survey company.

Hopefully, you can get started with some of these creative ways to make money today.

Good luck,

Russell and Maleah

Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Right for You?

I like to think of travelers on a spectrum from ‘homebody’ to ‘digital nomad.’ I’ve only met a small handful of complete homebodies who don’t enjoy exploring past their backyard.

Out of those who do enjoy it, most really look forward to vacations that punctuate their careers and their comfortable, reliable lifestyles. This is the common midzone.

And then there’s the smaller subset of travel lovers.

We’re the ones who can’t get enough. Who giggles when others suggest that maybe our last trip ‘finally got the travel bug out of your system.’ Who start planning our next trip on the return flight home from our current trip.

For us, travel is more like a way of being. We don’t prefer our personal spaces and steadfast daily routines to keep us grounded. (Though there’s nothing wrong with that!)

We’re explorers who enjoy being out of our comfort zone. We’re not satisfied with taking a vacation a couple of times a year – it should be an ongoing affair.

If you feel this on a soul level, you just might be a digital nomad in the making.

But before we get into the good stuff, let me introduce myself:

Amanda Gaid with Thai Elephants

I’m Amanda. I’ve been living the nomad life for the past five years, with about three months as the most prolonged period I’ve managed to sit still in between flights.

When the little travel light first turned on in my head, I was in New York City, living in what might equate to a $1,000 shoebox. I escaped to a Costa Rican beach just in time to give winter the middle finger, and life never went back to ‘normal.’

More than 40 countries later, I’ve road tripped around Kyrgyzstan, gotten food poisoning in the Philippines, made best friends in Turkey, and jumped off a cliff in Colombia.

And I’m typing this sentence from Mexico.

I believe that becoming a digital nomad can be tough, but it’s way more attainable than it might feel to you right now. That’s why this guide maps it all out to help you on your way.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at:

  • A definition of the digital nomad and whether you’re really cut out for it
  • The pros and cons of living the digital nomad lifestyle
  • 5 skills and traits all digital nomads share

Let’s do this.

 

What is a Digital Nomad?

While there’s no explicit definition of digital nomad, they all generally share two main qualities. You can categorize these qualities by splitting up the term.

  1. [Digital] They have location-independent jobs. They earn most or all of their income online, so they’re not tied to a specific location to work.
  2. [Nomad] Because they don’t have to stay in any single place, many are constantly on-the-move – to anywhere with a wifi connection and a place to plug in their laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Some digital nomads take these work and travel benefits to the extreme, hoping to a new location every few weeks or even days. Others like to stay in one spot for longer periods so they can get to know the city and the local culture.

It’s common to see a digital nomad who rents an apartment for a few months or a year but still takes several short trips to nearby destinations. For example, say your first destination is Prague for six months. From there, you can easily take week-long trips to cities like London, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam.

Pro tip: Choosing an affordable ‘home base’ like this is a great technique for beginners. It gives you some time to figure out your personal preferences and processes without diving head first into the deep end of the location-independent lifestyle.

Freelance Writing, Editing and Proofreading

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is one of the most flexible of the non-phone options, and it’s a natural field to break into without any experience at all! This is also an industry that can pay well, especially if you forgo content sites (such as the ones below) and work on finding private clients that will agree to the rates you set.

The content sites I’ve listed below may not pay that well, but they can still help you get valuable writing experience and earn a weekly paycheck.

  • Verble – Read Verblio Review – the US only. Pay ranges from $8 to $72 per post. Get paid weekly with Paypal.
  • Boost Media – Read Boost Media Review – Open worldwide. Rate of pay varies. Pays via Paypal.
  • Buy Keyword Articles – Read Buy Keyword Articles Review – the US only. Rate of pay varies, but they state most of their writers earn between $10 and $18 hourly. Pay is every two weeks via Paypal.
  • Crowd Content – Read Crowd Content Review – Open to US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Pay ranges from 1.2 cents to 7.6 cents per word. Pay is every second Friday via Paypal provided you’ve reached the $10 cash out threshold.
  • The HOTH – Anywhere in the US. No previous professional writing experience or education necessary, but you must be a native English speaker. Pay varies depending on skill level, but according to Glassdoor, most make around $15 – $17/ hour.
  • Online Writing Jobs – Read Online Writing Jobs Review – the US only. Pays around $15 per article. Payments made weekly via check or Paypal.
  • Scripted – Read Scripted Review – Maybe open worldwide. Pay varies depending on the assignment but could range between $10 to $25 or more. Get paid weekly via Paypal.
  • Textbroker – Read Textbroker Review – Open to the US and some other countries. Pay depends on your star rating when you apply. Pay ranges between a seventh of a cent per word and five cents per word at the highest level. Pay is weekly via Paypal provided you have at least $10 in your account.
  • Words of Worth – Read Words of Worth Review – Open to US, Canada, and possibly other countries. Pay rates are not listed on the website, but it will vary depending on the assignment. Get paid once a month via bank transfer.
  • Writer Access – Read Writer Access Review – the US only. Pay rates range between 1.4 cents to 7 cents a word. Get paid weekly if you opt for direct deposit payments, or bi-monthly if you opt for Paypal payments.
  • More writing sites listed here.

If you’re serious about starting a freelance writing business and would prefer to avoid the lower-paying content sites I listed above, you can get a FREE no-strings-attached list of 200+ writing niches and sub-niches from Gina at Horkey Handbook.

This will help a lot when you get started and you’re unsure what to specialize in.

Editing & Proofreading

Editing and proofreading are flexible, non-phone jobs that are often home-based. You might make a great editor if you have excellent grammar/spelling skills, can read/scan documents, and you can spot mistakes in text that others miss.

One thing to keep in mind about editing and proofreading jobs is that most of these will require that you have either a degree, or a degree in a related field.

  • Cactus – Read Cactus Review – They offer highly specialized freelance editing work regularly.
  • Gramlee – Has occasional openings for remote proofreaders/editors.
  • Kibin – They do not always have openings for work at home proofreaders, but you can fill out their form to get notified when they do.
  • Scribendi – Read Scribendi Review – Open to US and other countries. Rate of pay not listed, but will depend on word count and turnaround time. Pay is via Paypal.
  • Scribbr – Read Scribbr Review – Worldwide. Must be a native English speaker with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Experience editing academic texts is also required (it sounds like editing your own assignments in college would probably suffice). Pay is a flat per word rate, but rates vary based on assignment. According to their website, many earn $23 – $25 per hour.
  • Go here for 25 companies that have work from home jobs for editors and proofreaders regularly.

Many of my readers have started proofreading from their iPads, scanning legal documents for court reporters as a result of the Proofread Anywhere eCourse I recommend. You can read some of their testimonials in the comments on this post. They offer a 7-day intro course free, so you can decide if that line of work is right for you before you pursue the training.

12 Best Money Making Apps

Money Making Survey Apps

Swagbucks – $10 Bonus

swagbucks app for making money from surveys

Without a doubt one of the best money making apps out there, Swagbucks allows you to earn extra money in 6 different ways. Plus you can get a free $10 just for signing up.

Swagbucks allows users to earn SB Points by watching videos, answering short surveys, playing games, searching the web, or shopping online. You can then redeem your SB points for cash deposited directly in your PayPal account or by claiming gift cards to one of over 1500 retailers (like Walmart or Amazon).

The best part is that there is no limit to how much you can earn. You’re not going to replace your full-time income from it, but if you use Yahoo! as your browser, play a few games and take a few surveys, there is no reason you can’t boost your income by at least $100 each month. With an A+ rating with the BBB and over $166,000,000 paid to members to date, there is no reason not to try one of the highest paying apps out there.

You can read our full Swagbucks Review here.

MyPoints – $10 Bonus

Want $10 for a few minutes of your time? MyPoints is one of those money-making apps that bribes users to sign up by offering $10 cash for new users.

But that’s not where it ends.

By installing the app, and using regularly, users accumulate points that they can exchange for cash, gift cards, or physical gifts.

It’s a rewards program for your phone…and that is precisely how you should look at it.

These money making apps are not getting rich quick schemes. Their purpose is to add a few bucks to your bottom line each month by doing things you’re already doing.

And while there are people out there obliterating my earnings, I usually manage to earn just under $50 in gift cards each month (PayPal for me). That’s $600 a year I save by letting my phone roll through videos and mindlessly completing surveys while I watch T.V. Think of what you could do with an extra $600. You can sign up here with your email address and then download the mobile app.

InboxDollars Surveys – $5 Bonus

best apps to make money fast - inbox dollars survey app screenshot

As the name suggests, InboxDollars will pay you for opening and skimming emails and answering simple surveys. There is also a $5 signup bonus.

InboxDollars works on a cash-only system, so you don’t have to worry about converting points to cash or only being compensated in gift cards. And according to their website, they have paid out over $57 million to users who have completed surveys over the years.

After my initial $5 bonus, I found that many of the surveys did not pay out a ton of money, which was a bit of a bummer. Nonetheless, clicking around and answering questions can still net you a couple of bucks an hour, which is better than nothing. You’re going to be on your phone anyway, so you may as well get paid for it!

Pinecone Research

The thing about many survey apps is, they can be a significant time suck for almost no reward. That’s why I love Pinecone Research. Each survey pays a flat $3, and they’ll often match you with reviews that match your interest and demographics.

Cash Back and Receipt Scanning Apps

Ebates – $10 Bonus

money making apps for iphone - ebates mobile app

You’ve probably heard of Ebates before for desktop, but they also have a mobile app. What I love about Ebates is how easy it is to use, and its generous payout policy. All you have to do is shop at the stores you like (either online or in person), and you get cash back on your purchases. If you take advantage of special events, holidays, and promotions, you can earn up to 12% back in some cases.

All you have to do is log-in to the app and search the retailer you’d like to shop. You’ll go directly to their e-commerce store and start collecting rewards automatically when you buy. You have the option of redeeming those rewards as cash, gift cards, or a PayPal deposit.

The cool thing is, this is on top of any discounts/coupon codes you already have.

Better yet, eBates is offering new users $10 just for signing up. Here’s our full review.

Ibotta – $10 Bonus

money making apps for android phones - Ibotta earnings screenshot

Ibotta is yet another of the money making apps you’ll see on this list that revolves around cashback shopping.

But unlike some of the others, Ibotta has become immensely popular worldwide because it extends to grocery brands, and it has an affiliate program that allows users to invite friends and make even more money.

You get $10 just for signing up, and they’ll pay you $5 more for each friend you refer.

Your earnings potential is unlimited. Not bad considering you’re helping your friends save money and handing them an extra ten bucks at the same time.

Check out our complete Ibotta review for more details on how to use this money making an app.

Dosh – $5 Bonus

best money making apps 2018 - dosh cash back screenshot

Dosh is a smartphone app that gives you cash back every time you purchase at participating outlets using your credit card.

Not having to jump through hoops to earn cash back is probably the biggest perk of Dosh. For instance, I’ve been getting cash back from Exxon each time I fill up my gas tank, and I didn’t even realize it until recently. The money just gets added to my Dosh account.

Just download the app, link your credit card (this is secure), then you’re off to the races. You can start shopping at participating merchants using your credit card, and points will be added to your “Dosh Wallet” straight away. Once your balance reaches a minimum of $25, you can cash out via Direct Deposit or PayPal. You can read our full Dosh Review here.

Receipt Hog

This receipt app was the first one I tried, and still my favorite to this day. They don’t always accept new users, so check back regularly if you’re not able to sign up.

With this app, you can get credit for any receipt imaginable except restaurants and a handful of stores. However, you should still scan those receipts because you’ll be entered into monthly drawings.

Passive Income Money Making Apps

Acorns – $5 Bonus

acorns app screenshot

If you want to start saving up for your future and investing for retirement, consider checking out Acorns. This is a beginner-friendly investing app that can help you get started with investing using just your smartphone. You can read our full Acorns Review here.

UPDATE: $5 Signup Bonus

Acorns are now offering a $5 signup bonus for new accounts opened. After completing your account registration, Acorns will deposit a FREE $5 into your account to give your investments a head start.

Nielsen – $50 per Year

Have you heard of Nielsen ratings for TV shows? Well, it turns out that Nielsen collects data on a lot more than just TV. One area they’re really into is internet usage research.

What does that mean for you? It means Nielsen will pay you $50 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device. The app itself collects statistics on your internet usage anonymously, so you never have to worry about any data being linked to you. The app takes up barely any space and doesn’t slow down your phone or tablet at all!

Stash

stash app screenshot

Stash makes investing simple. For most people, that’s a good thing. If you’re a seasoned investor, you may find the app too simple for your taste (but that’s the point).

Stash does most of the work for you. You pick what you are interested in (like tech, or clean energy, or retail stores) and Stash can provide, a user with diversified portfolio options. From there, you can set up the app to pull a few bucks a week from your bank account and can start to grow your investing principle.

If you’re interested in investing but have no clue to start, try starting with as little as $5 and let Stash do the rest. Better yet, Stash will spot you $5 just to get started.

*DollarSprout is a paid Affiliate/ partner of Stash. Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investments LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This material has been distributed for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. Investing involves risk.

Slidejoy

Slidejoy belongs on this list because it is without a doubt one of the easiest money making apps out there.  I am not saying this because it’s going to make you productive. It won’t. But it will make you a cool $5-15 per month according to the developers.

So how does this money making the app work? Per Slidejoy:

Upon turning on your phone, you will view an aesthetically pleasing ad on your lock screen Then,

  • You will have a choice to ignore the ad by sliding right and unlocking your phone
  • You will also have a choice to engage with the ad by sliding left. Upon sliding left, the phone will unlock and you will be directed to a destination specified by the advertiser (YouTube, advertiser website, Google Play, coupon page, etc.)
  • To prevent bias, you will make an equal amount regardless of whether or not you engage with an ad
  • Over time, Slidejoy learns your ad is the preference based off of your behaviors during different times of the day and curates a more relevant user experience
  • You can cash out your earnings via Paypal/several gift cards or choose to donate it to charity

As long as you can put up with your smartphone’s lock screen being trending news stories or ads (which disappear when you open your phone), you’re looking at $180 a year (or more). Slidejoy says that as the ads get more catered to your interests, the payouts go up. They don’t say by how much but getting up to $200 a year shouldn’t be too hard. Not bad for selling your phones lock screen to the highest bidder (literally).

Ben Huber

Hi! I’m Ben. A personal finance nerd on a mission to help DollarSprout readers make and manage financial decisions. A quoted contributor for Business News Daily, Business.com, Discover Bank, Moneyish, Student Loan Hero, Policygenius, TechRepublic, and more, I work to help others live their financial best life.

11 Ways to Get Paid to Surf the Web

Well, surprisingly, there are quite a few companies that will pay you for doing this sort of work online!

These work-at-home opportunities range from beginner (payouts in gift cards and sweepstake entries) to intermediate, and full-time gigs. Some jobs require only necessary web skills, like being able to click and answer simple questions. Others require more in-depth experience, research skills, and tech-savviness.

Most of us spend a lot of time on the computer: reading, checking email, and sharing pics on social media; you may as well get paid for your time; right?

Here Are Some Ways You Can Get Paid to Surf the Web:

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a popular site where you can earn points called SB for performing basic tasks like playing games, taking surveys, or watching videos. Your SB can be redeemed for rewards like Amazon, Starbucks, and PayPal gift cards (in $5 increments). In addition to earning money by doing tasks, you can earn by registering to be completed your primary search engine. Every time you search using the Swagbucks search bar, you earn more SB. Users report they can earn between $50-100 a month, but some users earn even more.

2. Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft users can register their account to earn points for surfing the web simply by signing in. Users can also earn points for buying Windows and Microsoft products and using their preferred search engine, Bing. Microsoft rewards points can be redeemed for gift cards for movies, apps, games, and retail stores. Depending on your level of use, you can earn points for completing 10-50 searches per day. Earn 5,000 points, and you can redeem them for a gift card worth about $5. So, while you won’t earn a huge income off Microsoft Rewards, you certainly earn a little money for something you’d probably be doing anyway.

3. Nielson Digital Voice

Nielson has been performing market research to analyze the preferences of television viewers for years. Nowadays, with Nielson Digital Voice, you can share your opinions by downloading an app to your phone. Watching videos, playing games, and posting on social media is counted as demographic research, so you can earn points for nearly everything you do online. The points are then redeemed for sweepstakes entries into $10,000 monthly giveaways, plus several chances to win $1,000 every month. You can also be invited to take other surveys for chances to win even more sweepstakes entries and extra prizes.

4. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is also a popular program in which you can engage with other players in friendly competitions to earn cash prizes. You can earn points for using your phone’s GPS to check in at partner stores and also earn discounts and coupons. InboxDollars pays you to watch your favorite TV networks and shop online, where you can also earn members-only discounts and free samples. Offers and deals result in earn-outs of 10 cents per completed item up to $6. Higher paying rewards often require additional purchase. Oh, and did I mention new users get a $5 bonus just for signing up?!

5. Qmee

Qmee runs in conjunction with search engines like Google or Bing. When you search for sites, Qmee shows relevant results in a sidebar on your screen. If you click on those results, you can earn points to be traded in for cash or gift cards. You can receive additional points for more engagement with brands, and you can also receive money-saving offers. You can take surveys and earn rewards for each survey you complete. Payouts are available through PayPal, or you can exchange points for gift cards (and there’s no minimum point requirement).

6. Leapforce

If you’re internet-savvy and you have a background or familiarity with research, you can get paid an hourly rate to perform searches and tasks to help improve the quality of Internet search engine results. This position offers Independent Home Agents a chance to conduct Internet research and provide evaluations for companies on how well they’re meeting the needs of customers and their performance results. To be a Leapforce agent, you must be 18 years of age or older and own a computer with high-speed internet and anti-virus software. Agents must complete a qualification exam before they start. According to Glassdoor, Leapforce Agents earn an average of $13.88 per hour.

11 Ways to Get Paid to Surf the Web

7. Appen

Appen is also a web search evaluation company. Agents complete projects to gauge how well search engines and websites are performing. Appen also offers opportunities to become a Social Media Evaluator. Researchers should have a computer that’s less than three years old, high-speed internet, and a strong understanding of technology, social media, and search engines. There is an initial screening process and a qualification exam. Appen Agents can expect an average workload of four hours a day, plus there are bilingual work opportunities. According to Glassdoor, Appen pays between $12.90 and $13.72 per hour.

8. UserTesting

User-testers evaluate websites and give their opinions via a recording. Testers’ voices and screens are recorded as they complete a given task and evaluate their experience out loud. Each test takes between 10-20 minutes, and user-testers earn $10 per video or task. One great thing about UserTesting is that you can set your hours and complete them on your timeframe. The number of opportunities varies based on factors like your demographics, skills, and quality rating. The money you earn is transferred through PayPal within one week of completing tests.

9. Ask Wonder

If you’re good at Internet research and you enjoy learning about a variety of subjects, Ask Wonder might be a great opportunity for you. Active Researchers can make up to $2,000 per month by answering questions with credible, researched answers and providing references. Questions are proposed on a central dashboard, and researchers can pick and choose which ones to answer. Qualified Researchers must demonstrate that they can research a topic thoroughly and provide succinct, well-researched answers.

10. Clickworker

Clickworkers create texts and documents; they proofread and make corrections, take surveys, or categorize data. The work is research-driven, and you set your schedule. Many of the tasks can be completed from a laptop or mobile phone, and your earning potential can grow based on the size and difficulty of the task. The average worker earns around $9/hour. There’s an initial screening process, which includes an evaluation of language and writing skills.

11. Figure Eight

Figure Eight offers research positions where tasks are geared toward technology, search relevance, and user experience. Figure Eight offers micro-tasking opportunities with a flexible schedule, so it’s perfect for workers who can only complete tasks in small pockets of time. Researchers are given more tasks and higher-level tasks as they successfully complete projects. Pay also varies by task with higher-level research and projects offering more compensation.

Working online and performing Internet research can be great ways to earn money from home, especially if you’re looking for work that’s fun and offers a flexible schedule. Try some of these great ways to get paid today!

The Top 10 Sites for Online Ventures or Work

Whether you are a novice or a pro, let us help take the guesswork out of choosing the right blog platform for you with our expert reviews. Our top-rated blog platforms offer free domains, new templates, and SEO support that will make your blog stand out. Find your ideal business venture and start writing today!

How to Write Epic Product Descriptions That Sell

A well-written product description has the power to move your customers through your sales funnel. By injecting creativity and product benefits into your product description, your store becomes more likely to convert the casual browser. While most customers make their purchase decision on the product photo, the product description helps fill in the gaps to determine whether or not the product is the right fit for the customer. By educating customers on the key benefits, unique value proposition, and offering a solution to a frustrating problem, your product description can help get more sales, lower refund rates, and build customer trust. In this article, you’ll learn how to write product descriptions and find a product description writer, learn from product description examples, and we’ll introduce an easy to follow product description template.

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What Is A Product Description?

A product description is the copy that describes the features and benefits of a product to a customer. The goal of the product description is to provide the customer with enough information to compel them to want to buy the product immediately.

To write a product description that converts, you need to write copy that persuades customers to buy. What problem does your product solve? What does your customer gain from using your product? What separates your products from others on the market? Your brief description needs to answer these questions in a way that is easy to read.  

How to write product descriptions

Should You Write Product Descriptions?

It depends. Like every other aspect of your website, product descriptions may or may not be needed. It needs to be split tested. Each website has a different layout, personality, and style which may require a different product description template.

Some stores may convert best with only bullet point descriptions. Others may need a long paragraph, or a mix of bullet points and a paragraph. And some websites may convert best with no copy at all. You can use A/B split tests tools like Google Optimize to determine what format works best for you.

Here’s a product description example with no copy. According to VWO, an online store called FreestyleXtreme ran a split test. Their test included two landing pages – one with and another without a product description. They were surprised when they found out that the page without copy converted 31.88% better and had a 96% confidence level.

How to write product descriptions

There are several factors as to why the product descriptions didn’t convert well. It’s possible they weren’t written correctly for the audience, they were placed in a less visible area, or were written in the wrong format. However, when it comes to your specific store, testing whether or not you should have product descriptions, in the first place, can help you better understand how to optimize future product pages.

Now, let’s look at why you should have product descriptions on your store.

Having optimized product descriptions can help improve your search engine optimization (SEO). By optimizing your product descriptions to include specific keywords, you can help improve your chances of ranking high on Google. Without product descriptions, you may be able to optimize your images for keywords, but your product page may not appear high in search results due to a lack of content.

Product descriptions can also educate your customer on the product. The product description offers supplemental product information that the picture can’t do on its own. For example, you likely wouldn’t buy a laptop by looking at the picture alone. As a shopper, you’d want to read about the laptop’s specifications and features. This also applies to fashion — some people may be allergic to certain fabrics and need to know the material of the clothing you sell on your store. By providing customers with key product information, you prevent a build up of customer service inquiries. It also helps customers know if that specific product is right for them, which can help lower return rates.

A product description can also be used to make a customer laugh to enhance the bond between your brand and customer. It can also assure customers that your product will solve their biggest pain point or enhance their life in some way.

Picking the Right Words for Your Product Description

How to write product descriptions

According to David Ogilvy, the 20 most influential words include:

  • Suddenly
  • Now
  • Announcing
  • Introducing
  • Amazing
  • Sensational
  • Revolutionary
  • Miracle
  • Magic
  • Quick
  • Hurry
  • and more.

Using the keywords listed above can help captivate your reader and persuade them into action. You can use these words in product descriptions, headlines, email subject lines, and more.

According to Unbounce, there are also several words and phrases that people shouldn’t be using in their copy, product description, and more.

Poor word choices include:

  • Market-leading
  • Breakthrough
  • Innovative
  • Stunning
  • Ultimate
  • and more.

Ultimately, the words are poor choices if they aren’t accurate. Calling your product revolutionary when it’s not isn’t going to make your brand stand out.

It’s important that a product description writer is honest and transparent when describing the product. Saying a product is free when it really isn’t is deceptive. Saying your product is of the highest quality when you have countless complaints about the product quality isn’t going to trick people into liking your product.

For example, if several people notice that the material is thinner than expected, you can mention that in your copy without drastically impacting sales. It gives your customers an honest expectation of the product before they receive it. Your customers may even prefer thinner fabrics on summer days.

Being honest doesn’t mean writing all of your products flaws but highlighting its strengths. Is the design what’s selling the product? Put an emphasis on the look of the product when describing it.

You’ll also want to bring your customer into the product description using words like you. Help your customers envision themselves using your product. Make them part of your product’s story.

Keeping it casual can also help your product description stand out. You’re not writing a thesis, but an enticing description to bring your product and your customer together. Use contractions in your writing like you’re, you’d, who’d, etc.

How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell

1. Write your own 

Avoid using the manufacturer’s product descriptions. By writing your own copy, you avoid being penalized by Googlefor duplicate or thin copy. You also improve your chances of writing a product description that converts your customer.

2. Make it scannable 

Your product description should be easy to read. Having two sentences describing the product with several bullet points allows customers to receive the information quickly so they can purchase immediately. If you sell laptops, you’ll want to turn the specs into bullet points for an easy read.

3. Know Your Audience

If you sell fun products like ugly christmas sweaters or food shaped jewelry you could inject humor into it. Your copy should be playful and light as customers buying those types of products would likely appreciate an entertaining product description. However, humor doesn’t work on all dropshipping niches. For example, you wouldn’t want to inject humor into a product description about life jackets, coffins, or other sensitive issues.

4. Optimize Your Product Descriptions

The easiest way to optimize your product descriptions is to use a tool like On Page SEO Checker on your store. You’ll want to use keywords that are relevant to your product. For example, if you sell makeup brushes, you’ll want to be specific such as ‘unicorn makeup brush’ or ‘mermaid makeup brush.’

5. Tell a Story

Use your product description to tell a story. It could be the story of why your customer needs this product to solve their problem. Or a story of the products benefits. Or just an entertaining story about the product that draws your customer in.

6. Split Test It

Don’t forget to split test your product descriptions. Test different formats, lengths, words, and more. Split testing your product descriptions can help you optimize your product page to improve your conversion rate.

7. Spell Check Your Work

Read over your product descriptions to ensure there are no typos. You can use tools like Grammarly to avoid spelling mistakes.

8. Offer All The Details

Make sure that customers have the information they need to make a purchase. For example, if dropshipping apparel, care information and size charts can help customers before and after their purchase. If you sell tablets, you’ll want to ensure you list all the specs. If you dropship jewelry, you’ll want to include information such as ‘nickel free’, as some may have allergies to certain materials.

Product Description Examples

How to write product descriptions

ModCloth is a great product description example to learn from. The product description is short and sweet with only two sentences. The product details include scannable bullet points. The first sentence of the product description compliments the customer by mentioning their ‘glimmering charisma.’ However, the customer compliment is tied into the ‘glorious glimmering’ of the bolero. The second sentence compliments the customer again in relation to the product. Pay close attention to the language used in the copy. Words like ‘delighted,’ ‘delicate,’ ‘magnificence,’ ‘radiance,’ ‘gloriously’, and ‘glimmers’ are used to capture attention while being positive descriptors.

How to write product descriptions

Tipsy Elves is an excellent product description example of showcasing the product benefits. Their short and sweet two sentence description mentions that this jumpsuit is perfect for ‘lazy days on the couch, USA events, and hitting the slopes.’ For those looking for an outfit for the 4th of July, their problem is solved as it mentions that this outfit is ideal for it. Notice how the first word in the copy is ‘freedom’, which is a positive word and is often associated with American pride products. Their product details aren’t very scannable. However, they mention the benefits for some of their features such as mentioning that the material is thinner for ‘year round wear.’

How to write product descriptions

Chubbies is a great product description example for creativity. The shorts shown in the picture above are called ‘The Mojitos’ likely due to its minty green color. Their opening description runs with the mojito theme though their product picture fails to show a mojito which would likely blend pretty nicely. They mention benefits with their product features such as ‘keep you oh-so comfortable.’

How to write product descriptions

Naked Wines keep their product description scannable with three bulleted points. Their bullet points creatively use check marks which helps customers make a positive association with the wine. The writing style is casual with phrases like ‘who’da thought it…’ They also use build brand trust by mentioning that ‘91% of you would happily buy it again!’  Pay close attention to the language used to describe the wine such as ‘ripe’, ‘peppery undertones’, ‘lashings of oak’, ‘scrumptious’, and ‘silky finish.’

Product Description Template

There are countless methods on how to write product descriptions. If you’re ever stuck on a format you can follow this simple product description template while writing your copy.

3-Step Product Description Template

  1. Complement the customer in relation to the product.
  2. Mention the product benefit in relation to the product feature.
  3. Provide a simple recommendation.

For example, if you’re selling unicorn brushes you might try this product description example:

Like this unicorn brush, you’re one of a kind. These brushes are made with synthetic bristles for an easy clean. Pair this set with our mermaid brushes for a complete set of unique makeup brushes.

If you’re selling a dress, you might follow this product description example:

Nothing will flatter your curves better than this bootylicious evening dress. Made of a stretchy spandex, this dress will hug your body on all the right spots while highlighting your silhouette. With a simple pair of black pumps, you’ll complete your look to help you look flawless.

How to Find a Product Description Writer

Struggling to figure out how to write product descriptions that sell? If English isn’t your first language, you might want to hire a product description writer.

Finding a great writer requires patience. You can use sites like ProBlogger, Fiverr, or Guru to find quality product description writers. Look at a writer’s reviews, previous work, and who they’ve worked for in the past to determine the quality of their product description writing.

How to write product descriptions

Conclusion

Mastering your product descriptions will require creativity and testing. Don’t be afraid to test our product description template to help you improve your format. Writing product descriptions that sell takes a bit of experimentation but with some patience you could end up in this article one day as a product description example.


Nicole Martins Ferreira

Nicole Martins Ferreira

Nicole Martins Ferreira is a content marketer at Oberlo and experienced ecommerce entrepreneur. She’s been building online stores since 2013 and sharing her secrets with Oberlo users since 2016. Follow her on Twitter @nicolemarfer.

Five Ways to Make $2,000 a Month Online This Summer in 2019!

In need of some extra cash for the summer?

What can an extra $1,000 or $2,000 do for you?

Maybe it can pay your child’s summer camp. Or buy you a plane ticket or two for an awesome summer vacation. Or it can help you pay your car insurance bill or even one month’s house rent!

Who would say no to some easily earned extra cash?!

I wouldn’t!

Today, I will give you 5 ways that can give you some extra bucks!

Get Paid to Test Apps!

Testing apps is very easy! You can get paid anywhere from $10 to $60 per test! All you have to do is give your feedback on the app, detect any bugs, and test if the app is functioning how it is supposed to be done! Simple as that. If you want to do some math, here is an example.

One test per day for $10 each. Multiply that by 30 days, and you just made an extra $300 spending only 10 minutes per day!

Start a blog!

Starting a blog is by far my favorite. Although, it can be time consuming, it is very fun!

There is no better time to start a blog than the summer, since most people have extra time off! I started this blog almost two months ago, but I haven’t had too much time to work on it since I am also a college student. Butt now that Summer is around the corner, I have been having more time to focus on it! And yes, it is making money for the little effort I am putting in due to my hectic schedule! Read about how I made my first $106 last month from this blog here!

Follow my steps on how to start your own blog!

Step 1: Visit HostGator.com

Step 2: Purchase your domain name (website name) for $2.75

Step 3: Design your website

Step 4: Write your first blog post (My first blog post was the most popular post so far! I think that was related to the fact that I was so motivated and excited writing it! Read it here!

Step 5: Sign up for Google Analytics and Pinterest (Favorite source for generating traffic)

Step 6: Sign up for Google Ads if you want to add a few ads on your page and get paid per click!

Step 7: Sign up for Affiliate Marketing

Step 8: Generate traffic to your page and grow, grow, grow! (I personally use Pinterest Promotional pins to get most of my traffic and I got all of my followers after I signed up for MiloTree! Before MiloTree, I had ZERO followers on Pinterest! )

Youtube! Without Filming!!

Yes, that’s right! You can make money with Youtube without filming yourself! You can make money from other people’s videos on YouTube! This course teaches you all the secrets of becoming a pro using Youtube to make some extra bucks without filming yourself!

Take Surveys!

A close friend of mine told me about this survey website that pays up to $30 for a 25 to 30 minute survey! I signed up for it recently for just $1 and I got instant access to many surveys about different topics. You also have the option to attend paid focus groups in your area!

Another survey website that I’m sure you’ve heard of is Survey Junkie! This website it 100% free and have surveys available for you to take on a daily basis! They are very easy surveys and do not take more than 20 minutes of your time.

Start an Online Business!

I used to think that starting an online business is very hard until I started watching Youtube videos on how to start selling on Amazon. It is actually not that complicated.

Simply decide on a product, sign up to start selling on Amazon and then decide whether you want to ship the products on your own or if you want them to be full-filled by Amazon (and have an opportunity for 2 day Prime shipping.) Many people check out Alibaba.com and get their products from there. They also keep checking on what is trending on Amazon for the week!

Making money online is not as hard as it seems! And it is possible! I recently signed up for these online classes on how to make money with ClickBank. ClickBank seems to be making money for lots of people online and I wanted to give it a try as well! People claim to make thousands online from ClickBank, so if they can do it, I most likely can as well!

Best of luck! I hope you were able to find this post helpful to your needs.

See You Soon,

Ayla