make free money

Find an Artistic Outlet

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   Sell photos. If you have a decent camera and a good sense of light, color, and composition, you can take and sell stock photos – i.e. nondescript images that lend themselves to many applications and are commonly used to illustrate online articles or products – with minimal effort. Stock photos of locations (a fire hydrant, a bare wall near an interesting tree, or anything you might find as a default background image on your computer) are easier to take, but stock photos of people (i.e. people arguing, people kissing, people laughing) usually sell for more, as they have more uses and require the written legal consent of your subjects. Hunt for a reputable stock photo dealer or database that will pay you fairly before signing on with anyone.
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   Design web images. By pairing good aesthetic sense and the use of design or photo-editing software, you can make and sell background graphics for social media pages, web logos, or computer icon packages. If you know or are willing to learn computer programming, seriously consider making web pages; programmers may be easy to come by, but programmers with an eye for beauty are another thing altogether.
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   Make and sell crafts. If you are even a little bit crafty, consider selling your goods on a site like Etsy. Though you can make more money on intricate projects (ex. an exquisitely woodburned gourd), even labor-light projects can bring in good money if you’re willing to produce them in high quantities. Who knows – if you do well, you might even be inspired to start a crafts business.

Participate in Marketing Research

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   Become a mystery shopper. This means doing business with various establishments and rating their products and services without their knowledge. It may sound like cake, but remember that it requires discreteness, a good memory for detail (ex. the name of every individual who helped or served you), and enough cash for you to be able to pay for your shopping experience up-front and then wait to be reimbursed pending the approval of your review.
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   Write product reviews. Many companies will pay a lot more than two cents for your two cents. Product reviews are a great way to get paid for being opinionated that doesn’t require the writing background that many other writing jobs do.
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   Complete online surveys. Though tedious, online surveys are often quick and painless and, for a few bucks at a time, can add up quickly. Read How to Make Money with Free Online Surveys for more details.

Pursue a Passion

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   Start a website or blog. Sure, competition in the online world is steep, but one thing that makes a good site or blog stand apart is the dedication and enthusiasm of its writer. Plenty of sites focus too hard on SEO and keywords, and while SEO-optimization is certainly necessary to help your content make money, delving into something that truly matters to you will set you apart from your fluff-and-stuff competitors.
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   Start a small business. Being passionate usually translates to a superior product and better service, which is especially sought after in the age of the anonymous, 1-minute online review. Worried that there isn’t a market for your interests? The fact is that though you may not personally know many people who want what you have to offer, thanks to the internet, there’s a huge market for niche-products (pigeon diapers, chainmail wedding dresses, you name it)… and you might just end up being a trend-setter. To create an online store, you can either make your own website or, if don’t want to self-host, you can sell on eBay or a similar site.
   • Copywriting. Bloggers and business owners are out there looking for freelance writers to help them with their internet marketing campaigns. If you can write a good video marketing script, sales copy, press release, product reviews, website content and advertising copy, you can make money doing exactly that. You may need basic SEO skills since most of these copywriting jobs require some knowledge on how search engines work. These people are looking for traffic, and they will only hire you if you can deliver that.^[1]

Do Odd Jobs

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   Watch and/or walk your neighbors’ pets. Taking a few pooches to the park every week is a good way to have fun, get some exercise, and meet new people, all while making a little cash on the side.
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   Landscape. Look for brush-clearing, mowing, or woodcutting jobs, some of which may land you regular customers. This can save you money at the same time: if you are hired to pick up pine needles, use them to mulch your roses, which will appreciate their acidity and smothering effect on weeds; if you are hired to cut and clear a fallen tree, use it to heat your house that winter.
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   Run errands for the elderly. Contact your local community center or church to get in touch with people who need help getting groceries, cleaning their gutters, or getting to the post office. You might cultivate some lovely friendships at the same time.
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   Find odd jobs online. Check out Craigslist, Fiverr, or Zaarly for interesting or unusual gigs that come up.

Use Money-Making Apps

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   GigWalk: This iPhone app allows you to team up with companies posting gigs and get small jobs done for cash. These can be anything from mystery-shopping to making deliveries to testing apps to taking photos. Simply install the app, make a profile, and start looking for gigs in your area.
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   WeReward: This iPhone and Android app allows you to complete small tasks (ex. taking a photo of yourself with your favorite beverage or eating at a new establishment) for points that translate to cash. Though the per-task reward is small, there are millions of participating businesses and the points can add up quickly. The location-based rewards are best if you already have an active lifestyle and won’t have to force yourself to starting eating/drinking out all the time.
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   CheckPoints: This iPhone and Android app allows you to go to stores and scan items for points, which you can then use to redeem prizes. This is a handy way to make a little extra while you do your shopping, but note that the rewards are either actual products or gift certificates – no actual cash.