Remote work options are available to help earn some extra money during social distancing.
If you're looking for a way to make some extra money during social distancing, the internet has given us tons of different and creative ways that can make us money online – most of which are perfectly suited to the realities of social distancing.
1. Sell Your Creative Talents
Unemployment is spiking to historic levels as businesses let their employees go, but demand for the services provided by certain employees is being transitioned to freelancers for flexibility reasons. It's possible to take advantage of this shift in demand by selling your talents for things like writing, graphic design, photo editing, editing, blogging, social media, and more on Fiverr, Upwork, Shutterstock, Guru or Gigster.
Many of these gigs start off at $5 (hence Fiverr's name), but you can set your own price.
2. Get Paid to Take Surveys
On the other hand, if you're looking for an easy way to get some extra cash without putting in a lot of extra skills, then you can get paid to take surveys online.
Dozens of online research panels exist that will reward you for your time spent sharing your opinion and helping companies conducting market research get answers to their questions. The rewards and redemption options vary from site to site, but generally speaking, you'll create a profile so you can be matched with surveys that fit your personality, and earn points or dollars for every survey completed that are redeemable for Paypal payments or gift cards. Check out sites like SurveyJunkie, InboxDollars, or Swagbucks.
3. Scan Your Grocery Receipts
Shopping for groceries during the COVID-19 crisis is more stressful than it used to be, but these apps will give you money and other rewards just by taking photos of your grocery receipts after you go shopping. Services like Fetch Rewards can be a great way to make some extra cash just by sharing your receipts from your regular grocery shopping.
Once you leave the store (or your groceries are delivered), all you need to do is use the app to take a photo of your receipt. The app will scan your receipt and you'll earn points every time you go shopping. Those points add up and you can cash them in for money or gift cards to your favorite stores!
Check out these other apps that can help you make money right from your phone!
4. Sell Your Digital Photographs
It may be difficult to go out and shoot new photographs during social distancing lockdowns, but if you have a folder full of beautiful photos on your computer or phone, then you can actually sell them to make some money!
Services like Foap, Dreamstime and Shutterstock will let you upload your photos and earn money every time one of your photos sells. Build your online portfolio of stock images, and the commissions can start to add up over the weeks, months, and years that they are sold.
5. Teaching English Online
There are plenty of different ways that you can make money by teaching English online! The best part is that you don't need to know a second language when it comes to teaching English online.
Cambly is a website that you can log in with right on your computer and video chat with people who want to learn English. You get paid $0.17 per minute via PayPal to chat with people all over the world and help them learn a language that you already speak – no degree or onboarding process is required. Other options include Boxfish, Italki, QKids, and Landi English.
6. Sell Transcriptions
If your typing skills are up to the challenge, online services like Tigerfish and TranscribeMe can be a good option to make money as a transcriptionist.
A typing test may be required, which you can complete online, but once you're approved, you just need a laptop and a decent set of headphones to start making money.
