The mystery shopper makes a purchase, taking note of the customer service received, the quality of the item or service, and other factors.
They might need to do something specific, like check the cleanliness of the bathroom or make a return. Once the job is done, they get paid.
If you like shopping, this might sound like a dream job. It doesn't pay a lot; expect to earn about $10 or $15 per shop.
However, you will be reimbursed for your meal if it's a restaurant or the merchandise you were asked to purchase if it's a retail store. You might even get a free hotel stay!
Volition.com is a good place to start if you want to become a mystery shopper. They have lists of reputable companies to sign up with.
If you look at other companies, be sure to avoid those that send cold emails or that charge for a list of shopping tasks. Both of these are signs of a scam.
If your idea of a nice weekend afternoon is to spend a few hours snapping photos of landscapes, people, pets, or anything else, you might be able to turn it into an opportunity for making money online.
When individuals, marketing agencies, or small businesses want to use the photos on their websites or their brochures, they pay a fee. As the photographer, you get part of that fee.
A photo that you take in January might be purchased for use in February, twice in April, twice in August, and four times in December. So over the course of the year, that one photo might be used nine times.
Of course, you could sell the photo dozens (or even hundreds) of times or not at all. Putting up more photos will raise your odds of making extra cash.
You can check out this guide about selling pictures online where we discuss the companies worth submitting to, along with how much they pay and how likely you are to have your work accepted.
If you like to spend time on the weekends sewing, woodworking, painting, soap making, or creating just about anything, consider making a business out of it.
You could craft all year and sell your wares at holiday bazaars. Or you could list them on a site like Etsy or even Facebook marketplace to make sales all year long.
Think about choosing a niche. What can you specialize in that isn't already overrun on the market? What problem could you solve?
Courtney Orillian, the founder of Confetti Momma, noticed the desire in others to have party supplies that rivaled those found on sites like Pinterest.
So she and her husband created an Etsy store to provide handmade party supplies to people who don't have the time, energy, or talent to make them themselves.
Think about how you could devote a couple of hours each week toward fleshing it out into a small business as one of the ways to make extra money online.
Sign up for an account on Fiverr.com and look through the listings to see what types of tasks clients are looking for.
Fiverr started as a freelancing website where clients could hire freelancers to complete a job for $5, hence the name “Fiverr.” Now, you can make much more than $5 completing a job on Fiverr, but let's assume you start with charging $5 for a job.
Earn Money In Spare TimeMany of the tasks listed could be done in 15 minutes or less, which would allow you to earn a cool $20 in the span of an hour.
You could give online lessons or do an astrology reading. You can even give tips on succeeding at your favorite video game. If someone will pay $5, you're golden!
Come up with five ideas for blog posts. Don't actually write the blog posts for $5; just give the client a list of titles or topic ideas.
Write three to five social media posts. If you enjoy posting on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you could probably knock this out in five minutes.
Write a haiku, limerick, or some other verse for a greeting card. You could offer verses that would be good for a birthday card, a love letter, or a funny “thinking of you” card.
Take a photo of you holding a sign next to a local landmark. This is particularly good if you live near a tourist attraction.
Make a list of restaurants or attractions in your local area for people who are visiting your city or town. You could write up a comprehensive piece and just sell the same piece over and over again.
Make a list of restaurants or attractions in your local area for people who are visiting your city or town. You could write up a comprehensive piece and just sell the same piece over and over again.
If you have enough time to consider getting a part-time job, you might instead look for ways to make extra money without having to answer to someone else.
Mow, trim, and blow lawns. Make sure you square up the edges and don't leave clippings in the driveway because those extra touches can boost your reputation.
Think of all of the things you have done in your own home that might be cumbersome or downright impossible for someone who has no tools or no experience.
Dave Ramsey told a story on his YouTube show about a Florida man who built up a $2 million net worth by mowing lawns. Even if you're not able to rack up enough business to turn your side gig into a full-time job (check out out list of the best gig jobs), you can still make a pretty good income.
Busy people will pay someone else to come in and spend time scrubbing bathrooms, mopping floors, washing walls, and knocking down cobwebs.
If you don't mind cleaning your own home and would like to get paid to clean others, try to spread the word via your contacts.
Consider that if you charge by the hour, you could be penalizing yourself for being a fast worker. If you're not a fast worker, your client might suspect that you are padding your time.
Don't worry too much about the first few jobs; use them to gauge how long it takes you to complete a home. Then you'll be able to charge more effectively next time.
Depending on your location and the economic level of your area, you can probably charge between $25 – $100 per hour. If the home is particularly large, it's possible to make over $1000 in one day.