You are mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, wishing to find that magic lamp that refills your bank account at the snap of your fingers.
Sounds easy, but realistically can you make money online without paying a rupee? Most websites that lure you to make money online for free, from anywhere in the world, often have a catch, with pay later option.
Whether you are looking for a side hustle or transition from a decade-old job, we have 27 fail-safe ways to help you earn those extra bucks online- for free and without any running around.
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How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything in 2022
1. Market and monetize your skills as a content creator
One of the widely chosen professions in 2022 is that of a content creator. You will need a good grasp of your preferred language to create authentic and engaging content.
With the world market developing at a rapid pace, easy access to the internet has allowed ordinary individuals the freedom to monetize their skills independently.
This egalitarian landscape has paved the way for over 50 million individuals who now call themselves successful creators, as quoted by Forbes in 2022.
Platforms for a digital content creator are:
- Instagram- https://www.instagram.com
- TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/en
- Youtube- https://www.youtube.com
A digital content creator in India with around 2 years of experience in the field, can earn anywhere between 2.5 lakhs to 12.4 lakhs.
None of these platforms require a sign-up fee and allow you to operate in your free time from anywhere in the world.
2. Become a virtual assistant
If you have the knack to manage, organize and multitask, the job of a virtual assistant is a perfect fit for you.
On a daily basis, the core task of a virtual assistant is to help businesses do their job better. It could be anything from managing their social media profiles to answering client calls.
A rise in the number of entrepreneurs across industries has led to the demand for more virtual assistants who handle end-to-end services for them.
As a newbie in the space, you have the choice to either take up multiple services or create a specialization by playing on your strengths.
Businesses that hire virtual assistants:
Flexible work hours, a great band of clients, and the average pay of $20/hour are some perks you can enjoy as a virtual assistant.
To become a successful VA, you need to have strong communication skills, a bachelor’s degree, and some work experience in the field.
As a freelancer, you can choose flexible work hours, while a long-term associate will be required to clock in as a regular employee. Neither of these businesses requires a sign-up fee.
3. Affiliate Marketing
The internet is full of affiliate marketing programs that claim to help you earn money even when you sleep. True?
Not entirely, but affiliate marketing has immense potential to help you make good money without you investing anything apart from your time.
Join a reputed affiliate marketing program by either linking your blog or social media profile.
Once you qualify as a partner, share your affiliate link with your readers, followers, and friends. In return, earn a commission every time someone uses your affiliate link to make a purchase.
Wondering where to find these programs? Best affiliate marketing programs for beginners are:
Amazon Associates- Amazon Associates
ShareASale- ShareASale
ClickBank-ClickBank
Affiliate marketing programs will not make you an overnight millionaire. But since they are free, with the apt use of a digital strategy, you can grow your revenue by almost 30%. The criteria to join an affiliate marketing program requires an individual to sign up, provide essential details like address, bank account, etc., and start promoting products via their affiliate link.
4. Online Survey
Spending your days watching back-to-back Netflix shows sounds exciting! But have you ever thought you could make a few extra rupees by squeezing in a quick side hustle?
Taking a paid online survey is one such way to mint free money! Apart from offering flexibility, these websites empower almost anyone to participate.
You will need a few hours of your time, a functional email address, and basic sign-up details to get going.
Make the most of this quick money-making job by signing up on multiple websites and carefully allocating your time for different surveys.
Most websites will allow you to only take a set number of surveys in a month, so pick the most lucrative ones offering a high price per hour to maximise your income.
Here are some websites that legit pay you, either through gift cards or an account transfer, to take an online survey:
ySense-https://www.ysense.com
Opinion World-https://www.opinionworld.com
The Panel Station- https://thepanelstation.com/in/home
5. Become an Influencer
One of the latest job trends of 2022 is to become an influence, and for good reason.
In an emerging arena for the youth, multiple social media platforms allow individuals to create a niche, follow their passion and become an influencer.
Some of these platforms are:
Instagram Influencer
Whether you have 500 or 50,000 followers, becoming a successful influencer on Instagram is directly related to the platform's engagement metric. Create your brand, create sponsored posts, join affiliate programs, and even sell your services on this photo-sharing platform to make money with no monetary investment.
Check out the Influencer Marketplace on Instagram.
6. Start a Podcast
Starting a podcast is easier than you think and equally easy to monetize it.
Apart from affiliate marketing, look for sponsorships and advertise your podcast channel for better reach. Here are some ways to monetize your podcast as professionals do.
While there is no fee involved to create a podcast, language fluency and in-depth knowledge of a topic are two core traits required to make a good podcast.
7. YouTube Channel
YouTube has an ocean of content, yet every creator is just a drop in the sea. Creating a YouTube channel is free- you will need an email address and an original name for your channel.
Once you hit the 1000 subscriber mark, YouTube allows you to run ads on your channel. It is the first step to monetizing your content.
Slowly you can partner with brands to do sponsored content, sell services, and share informative tutorials on topics related to your channel.
As a beginner, grow your YouTube channel with zero investment with these tips.
8. Social Media Management
Social media management is the art behind successfully integrating a connectedness between a brand, its content, and its customers. Roughly 47% of the Indian population uses social media, that is approximately 658 million users.
Often big businesses lack the time to tap into the needs of these customers across various social media platforms to churn out and create engaging content.
It is then that individuals, aka social media managers, come to the rescue.
The job is simple, connect, communicate and build a community of brand loyalists who in turn become evangelists for the brand.
As a social media manager, your job is to effectively analyse customer behaviour, devise a plan to achieve social media goals on time, and track accomplishments.
There is no prior investment required to become a social media manager, however, work experience in the field is a plus.
You will need to allocate a minimum of 5 hours daily to learn current trends, share posts, and coordinate with the brand team.
9. Teach
Selling knowledge online can be both an enriching and profitable business.
Time is the only investment you need to make when you sell your skills online.
You can choose to begin working part-time and gradually grow into a full-scale business once you master the art of sharing knowledge online.
Ever since the pandemic, the educational landscape has seen a massive revolution where physical presence is no longer required to acquire a new skill.
The global e-learning industry is expected to reach $336.98 billion by 2026. So if you have a skill and are looking to monetize it online, here are some options for you:
Teach a Language Online
Whether it is English or any other native language, websites today allow you to offer mass and private online classes to interested students at your convenience.
Platforms like Verbling require an authentic teaching certificate for approval to teach on their website. They also provide an exclusive video platform for you to upload documents, fix a schedule, and earn an 85% fee from each class.
Like Verbling, iTalki is another great online language learning website that allows a trainer to set their rates for their class. With no dearth of learners, these 10 language learning websites will be useful in your teaching journey.
Music Classes Online
An immediate question that arises in the mind of a music teacher is, ‘who will learn music online?' Well, in a world that is slowly becoming digital, music too is not left behind.
There are plenty of individuals who want to learn a new instrument at their own pace, in the comfort of their home, but with the guidance of an expert. This is where your skills as a music teacher online come in handy. You can use your time offline to record sessions, and share videos of tips to master the skill.
What is your investment? Nothing. You get to prepare before an online class, teach multiple students using platforms like zoom and make more money than at a one-on-one session. Some of the best music teaching websites are:
Musicmaster- https://musicmaster.in
Shankar Mahadevan Academy- https://www.shankarmahadevanacademy.com
Udemy- https://www.udemy.com/courses/music/
The best part about teaching on these music websites? You have an entire community to help you tap into the best resources of the online music market space.
Teach Art Online
When you can sell art online, why can’t you teach? A lucrative way to boost your passive income, teaching art online can be easy once you have a strategy in place. If it’s your first time teaching online, you could get overwhelmed by technology.
The best way to begin is to interact with your class and share video examples, and PDFs to warm up the session. Use live platforms like zoom and google hangout to connect with learners across the globe.
You will need a teaching degree, along with adequate equipment like a smartphone and tripod or a good HD web camera before you begin your online art class. As an entrepreneur, you will have the freedom to set your price.
But as a novice, it is advisable to collaborate with online teaching platforms for a hassle-free session.
Teachable- Teachable
Skillshare- Skillshare
Ruzuku- Ruzuku
Pros:
No sign-up cost
Helps you find new students
The time required daily is no more than 2 hours
Cons:
Will take a cut from your earnings
10. Selling Online
In 2022, hopping on the e-commerce bandwagon is easier than you think. But before you begin you need to decide:
What is it that you want to sell?
Where do you want to sell- marketplace, e-commerce platform, or a standalone website?
How to accept payments?
Promote your product?
As a first-time seller, it is often advisable to use credible websites like Amazon and Etsy to start your selling journey.
Become a seller on Amazon
E-commerce platforms like Amazon offer leverage to their sellers by taking off the burden of shipping. In just 4 simple steps you can become a registered seller on Amazon. Here’s how you can sell online on Amazon.
With the use of their free tools, Amazon’s professional team will help you grow your business and reach over crores of buyers.
What you need to register yourself on the Amazon Marketplace:
GST/PAN information of your business
An active bank account to receive payouts
Sell handmade items on Etsy
A creative marketplace, Etsy allows one-of-a-kind sellers to display their handmade products to over a million shoppers. If you are an entrepreneur who is looking to share their creativity and DIY work, while earning revenue for the same- Etsy is the place for you.
The platform ensures you get a good value for your products, their built-in tool enables you to manage, promote and grow your business.
The standard plan, at no additional cost, allows you to monetize your business from anywhere in the world. Here’s how to register yourself as a seller on Etsy.
Selling Old Items
The e-commerce industry has projected a growth rate of $350 billion by 2030. Despite being scattered, today’s market has a sizable appetite for all kinds of products. So it goes unsaid that almost every Indian household hoards items that are not just over decades old, but also unnecessary. Like Marie Kondo says, if your item does not spark joy for you, do you really need it? It could spark joy for someone else, and there are platforms like the Facebook marketplace, OLX India, and Quikr that can help you do that.
Some of the most widely sold and bought second-hand items online are:
Some of the most widely sold and bought second-hand items online are:
- ShoesElectronics
- Video games and consoles
- Cars, Bikes, Scooters
- Books
- Branded clothes
- Luxury handbags
- Furniture
When selling second hand items online, ensure you post clear and honest pictures of your product. You will need a good camera along with some bargaining skills to make a successful sale.
There is no predefined time and a sale could take anywhere from one day to one month.
11. Get Creative
One of the more offbeat ways to make money online for free is to put your potential to the best use.
Where there is the internet, there is content, and behind every piece of content is a creative mind effectively managing its resources. Be authentic, but experimentative.
From editing photos online to designing graphics for brands, you can turn your hobby into a profession and make money while doing so.
Here are some creative options that will help you make money online, without any investment:
Create and sell an NFT
NFT, aka non-fungible tokens have a rapidly growing digital asset market, and is fairly easy to make. This unique digital asset has a separate NFT marketplace, where buyers use cryptocurrency to buy and sell intangible collectibles.
Cost of making an NFT can be free, depending on the blockchain platform used by the creator. If a fee is charged, you can add the amount to the buyer’s cost and equal profits.
As an NFT creator, you will require a fair bit of experience in the crypto space. There are a plethora of free courses that will help you create an NFT for free. Once made, an NFT creator can list their assets on platforms like Ethereum, Tron, Litecoin, Tezos, etc. to find the right buyer.
A market that has crossed the $40 billion mark in 2021 comes with disclaimers and changing trends that you need to pay close attention to. Check them out here.
Edit pictures and graphics
As a photo and graphics editor, you have endless means to mint a few extra bucks. As a professional, you already know the tricks of the trade and businesses that have a dearth of good editors. But as a newbie in the market, reach out to potential clients on platforms like Fiverr- a marketplace that links clients with service providers.
Build a solid portfolio with work samples and get honest feedback from past clients to make your hold in the editing space. Beyond businesses, there are a ton of individual photographers on the hunt for freelance editors to help them reduce the load.
With time and experience, you can make anywhere from $50-$100 an hour by editing images, headshots and graphics online. What will you need:
An in-depth understanding of editing apps and platforms like Lightroom.
A solid portfolio of your work, along with recommendations from clients.
Good communication and personal interaction skills.
Spending 3 to 5 hours daily can help you build a business venture that brings you new and exciting work regularly.
Merchandise Designer
This digital age has opened up a new arena for designers, illustrators, and artists to share their work and monetize from their skills. An industry that was previously considered low-paying is now a trending professional among the youth.
E-commerce platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon are a blessing for freelancers to connect with potential buyers. Design websites like Behance and Dribble allow designers to create ‘on-demand’ pieces that are experimental and allow creators to play with the price.
Spending a minimum of 2 hours daily to get your creative juice flowing is good enough to help you earn a decent income. You will however require a good laptop, and designing apps to help you create one-of-a-kind pieces that sell.
Graphic Designer
One of the best and quickest ways to make good money online is to become a graphic designer. But everyone knows that, so if you want to stand out in the online marketplace- find a niche for yourself.
While you find your calling, sell graphic templates and logos on marketplaces like Creative Market. It will help hone your skills and give you an insight into the trends of the industry.
A graphic designer can make up to $50k a year by investing 3 hours of their time daily. Freelancers, on the other hand, have the flexibility to charge a fee based on individual projects.
12. Rent
A rental business is a brilliant opportunity for
you to make money on the side.
It requires no new investment because you rent what you already have- a car, bike, your home, or even your parking spot. Why is renting a good side-hustle?
In a passive income stream, renting assets you possess will neither consume your time nor effort.
You do not need to quit your existing job to make money from home. Rather, renting your home on platforms like Airbnb brings a steady source of income, equivalent to that of a job.
You can make money off assets that are no longer useful for you. Have an old bike lying around? Rent it out and make money.
Make anywhere from INR 5000 to INR 50,000 monthly by renting out a room in your home or a parking space in your building.
13. Gigs and freelancing
The freelance ecosystem in India has grown at an astounding rate of 46% from Q1 to Q2 in 2021. An industry that is booming with millennials is projected to $30 billion by 2025.
With no dearth of job opportunities across industries, freelancing as a career option will allow you the flexibility of time and place of work.
As a freelance creator, the first step is to choose a niche. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer a plethora of opportunities to creators by providing a steady source of regular income.
India, one of Upwork’s core freelance markets, saw $33.1 million in revenues in 2020 alone.
With a captivating number of freelance work available online, writing is just a small portion of the chart. There is a growing demand for transcript editors, translators, and voice-over artists to level up their skills while making money on the side.
To become a successful freelancer in 2022, you need a stellar portfolio that showcases your past work, current expertise, and contact details.
On average, a freelancer in India can earn anywhere between INR 10,000 to INR 30,000 every month by putting in 2 hours of uninterrupted work time.
14. How NOT to make fast money online?
The bottom line of making money online quickly is to stay away from scams and phishing websites.
Expect the process to be laborious. Making money online requires you to put in some hard work, sleepless nights, and research before you become an ‘overnight success.'
Time is money. Keep a clear picture of your goals in your mind before you take up more than you can chew. Let go of low-paying clients to focus on a single project if it adds value and experience to your hat.
Balance your money from the side hustle by making appropriate investment decisions.
15. Tips for beginners on how to make money online without paying anything
Make simple changes to your money habits
How you earn is irrelevant if you cannot save what you make. Small changes in spending habits can help you manage your wealth more effectively.
The term ‘Latter Factor’ coined by Bach is the perfect example of how eliminating miscellaneous spending can help you save a substantial amount in the long run. Cut down your daily coffee change by investing INR 50 every day in a micro-investing app to save INR 18,250 by the end of the year.
Take advantage of the gig economy
Freelancing is a great way to boost your income on the side. Set aside time from your daily chores to pursue a passion that pays. Become a freelance content creator, a pet trainer, or even an Uber driver to clock in a few extra bucks with just 20 hours of work a week.
Turn your hobby into lucrative streams of income
Your hobby can become your side-hustle when put to good use. Write a blog and monetize it with ads. Partner with brands and join their affiliate marketing program to earn extra credits on platforms like Amazon and eBay. Start a YouTube channel and let it grow into a profitable business while you continue your mainstream job.
Sell what your have
Pre-loved clothes, utensils, and even vehicles will spark more joy when they find a forever home instead of sitting and gathering dust in your garage.
Have some fun while making money
Who said making money had to be boring? Love music, get paid to listen to new tracks on Slice the Pie, a music aficionado's heaven that pays listeners in return for a review.
CONCLUSION
Sixteen or sixty, making money online can be free, fun, and fast if you work towards it with dedication. These are some of the quickest and fail-proof ways to make money without emptying your wallets. While some bring short-term gratification, others have a long-term goal of wealth accumulation. So stop over-analyzing, find your calling and monetize it the right way.
FAQ
How can I make $200 today?
Whether it is a soft skill like writing or designing, or a product on an e-commerce website to make $200 today you will have to sell your services online.
What are the best passive income methods to make money online?
Some of the best and high-paying passive income methods online are freelance content creation, affiliate marketing, becoming a social influencer, and selling products on e-commerce platforms.
How to make money online without paying anything?
To make money online without paying anything you can choose to become any of the following:
Content Creator
Virtual Assistant
E-commerce Seller
Online Tutor
Social Media Influencer
Renter
How can I make money for free without doing anything?
Renting out your home or vehicle or selling old assets will help you make money for free without any work.