17 Legit Ways To Make Money While Unemployed

Whether you're looking for a quick buck or long-term or passive way to make money month after month, know that you'd be able to make more with minimal work required.

You've probably searched everywhere. That stops now. That ends now.

In this article, you'll find:

• The ideas on how to make money online for free
• The tips and tricks to get the most
• The commonly asked questions and answers for first-timers

If you are ready: Read on!

FYI: There's a growing army of Americans who work from their home based on a compilation by FlexJobs.

How To Make Money While Unemployed

Here are a few things that you can do for now without spending money or too much time.

1. Get paid for sharing your opinion

Yes, that's it. You start sharing your opinion and make instant money online absolutely free. As simple as that.

Sites like Survey Junkie offer a ton of surveys for you to jump in on and make extra via the internet.

The sign-up process is straightforward. You earn points for taking surveys that pay anywhere from $2 to $75. The longer the survey you're taking, the more you earn.

Whether you're in the backyard, in the living room, or anywhere in your house, you can take surveys and start earning points and/or straight-up money.

Other sites to check out:

• Survey Club: Net you up to $115/survey for surveys or focus groups. One even made $4,000 in a month.
• Ipsos Panel provides silly questions to keep you off your feet. One member made $40 answering short, silly questions. Sign up here.

Pro tip: Sign up for as many sites as you can. This way, you can pick the ones that work for you, and which ones don't.

2. Get free bonuses

If you're in need of quick cash and want to earn it by doing things you normally do, you can do that using a few apps and get bonuses, too.

Many sites do offer a bonus upon sign-up and that offer ranges from $10 to $50. Believe it or not, some provide cash bonuses as well.

The great part is: You can sign up for these sites for free. This means that you aren’t losing any good money in the process.

On great site is Swagbucks. It offers ways to generate more from taking surveys, listening to podcasts, watching videos, and even cashback if you shop online through the site.

Some of my favorite ones:

• Swagbucks: Earn $10 sign-up bonus. You can earn when you browse, shop, listen to music, play games, etc.. Earning with Swagbucks is a no-brainer.
• Rakuten: Earn $10 after you make $25 of qualifying purchases within 90 days.
• MyPoints: Earn $10 after you make $20 of qualifying purchases. You can also earn money from your home by taking surveys, using coupons, etc.

3. Earn from watching videos (Earn as high as $200/mo)

What if you can get earn extra just by watching videos day after day?

You can actually earn good money online by watching online videos. You can do this and make money while unemployed or even employed.

For example, InboxDollars is one that pays you to watch funny videos, latest news, and events, movie previews, etc.

You could earn up to $200 a month.

Register here for an InboxDollars account for FREE.

4. Shop online and get extra cashback

Almost all of us shop online now. But many don't really know that there's a way to generate money while unemployed or just from home.

Yeah, that’s possible. You can earn money while you shop. Shocker, right?

If you sign up for an account via MyPoints, you can get up to 40% cashback for things you purchase online.

You can use this site to get and use coupons, answer survey questions, etc. to get points. You can redeem points for free Amazon gift cards or even cash through PayPal.

Since 1996, the site has given out over $250 million in cash via PayPal and free gift cards to its members.

It’s an easy way to earn while unemployed by doing things you already do anyway.

Click now and sign up to get your MyPoints account for FREE.

5. Use money-making apps

Did you know you can make extra at home could be as easy as downloading an app?

For example, Ibotta – one of the free mobile coupon apps and cashback shopping app – can help you earn just from buying groceries.

You can earn cashback on select products by purchasing groceries, doing extra but simple tasks, trying new products, etc. Once you do this, the only thing you need to do is scan the barcode and submit the receipts.

In short, you get cashback for buying your grocery. Plus, you'll get $10 sign up bonus now.

The best part is that this app is 100% FREE and you can earn unlimited cashback forever.

How to make money while unemployed from these sites:

• Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel: Install Neilsen and let it run in the background. Neilsen pays $50/yr to keep its app installed. Plus, want a shot at $10,000? It could happen.
• Shoptracker: Get rewarded for 2 minutes of your free time – and keep getting rewarded monthly! Get $3/month. Not a lot, but it's better than nothing.
• Rakuten: You get automatic cashback for shopping online. Rakuten gives you 2-10% cashback. Sometimes, it will double the money back or cashback.

Tricks to make extra by cutting your expenses

Many times, making money is just about cutting down expenses to free up money.

Here are some of the ways you can make additional from your home by reducing your expenses:

6. Cut your expenses

One of the new ideas to free up more cash is to cut some expenses out (e.g., don't spend or need to buy).

A $10 cut every month means $120 in savings per year or $1,200 in 10 years. Cut more from your expenses and you'll save more.

That said, I know that a lot of us with our busy with family, outside activities, etc. that we don't have time to solely focus on our bills.

To cut your expenses and still do what you do elsewhere, you can simply download an app like Trim.

Here's how the app works:

The app goes through your spending and looks for opportunities to cut some expenses such as subscriptions to cancel.

It finds cashback offers, negotiate your own bills, and so many things.

You can also use other-related apps like Charlie and Cushion to evaluate your bills automatically. They do the same thing like Trim does. All you need to do is sit and enjoy while they negotiate on your part.

7. Never delete your emails

It turns out deleting your emails especially email receipts can cost you money. I didn't know that before.

The lesson here: Never delete your email.

Believe it or not, many people are simply losing money instead of making more because of deleting their emails. Don't be that person.

There's an app called Paribus, which gets you some back for your online purchases. In simple terms, you can get money even when unemployed or employed just by letting Paribus look at your receipts.

If it finds you a refund – that is, when the product's price drops) for an eligible purchase – it will request a refund on your behalf.

Here's another benefit:

If your shipment is late (and sometimes, it happens), you'll get some refunds, too. Alright, you're not going to generate more from this. That said, you're going to get refunds. It's that simple.

That in itself is worth trying this app.

Register here for a Paribus account for FREE. 

8. Tackle the high-interest debt first

Interest payments are like a big sum of funds you easily give to companies. Imagine not paying interest or fees on your debt?

That it itself is saving and making money, depending on how you look at things.

Here's what you can do: When you are ready to get your debt out of the way, find out which creditors charge you high fees and interest.

Start prioritizing your debt so you know which ones you need to focus on. As you move forward with paying these debts off, try to avoid getting into more debt.

Here are some opportunities you can do to deal with debts:

There are new, exciting, innovative companies that offer non-traditional ways of helping you get rid of your own debt. One of them is Tally, which I highly recommend.

Why? Tally helps you save money, professionally manage your cards, and get rid of debt faster.

Tally analyzes your credit cards and your credit history to ensure it's a fit for you.

If you qualify, you'll receive a Tally line of credit (LOC) to pay off your cards with high APR balances. This means that it is saving you some by letting it do the right payment to the right card at the right time.

That simply equates to fewer fees and fewer interest charges.

Click here to start using Tally – your easy solution to a long term problem.

If your student loans always keep you from saving some (and also making money), you could simply refinance to a lower rate and a better, shorter term. When you have a lower rate and a shorter term, you easily end up saving a whole lot of money.

SoFi is known for doing that. With no hidden fees and prepayment penalties, SoFi could help you save thousands of dollars over the loan's life.

Click here to find out how to save more with SoFi.

Side hustles from home for stay-at-home moms

If you've suddenly become a stay-home mom because of being laid, there are a few side hustles you can do to make extra on the side while being unemployed.

Here's a stat:

Stay-at-home moms and dads account for one in five U.S. parents. This is the reason why now more than ever, companies are willing to hire this demographic.

Anyhow, if you're looking for income-generating ideas from home, check the following list:

9. Join focus groups

Focus groups have been the go-to groups of companies to identify their next big products to offer. That's where you can come in.

Some of the best-paying focus groups, typically, give out up to hundreds per event. Best yet: You don't have to go anywhere to get that gig.

For example, Survey Club (one of the people's favorites) will pay up to $115/survey or focus event. That's a lot of money for a 100% FREE focus group company.

While these groups are not always going to give you hundreds monthly, getting free money is something you don't want to miss out on.

Here are some other sites that offer focus groups, which work by the way:

• Survey Club
• Survey Junkie
• Swagbucks

10. Start a blog

If you are looking for a way to make money via the internet, one absolutely great idea is to start a blog.

You don't need experience or money to get money from it. Some blog hosting websites cost as little as $2.95/mo.

Sure, you're not going to make money during the first month or so, but once you gain blog traffic and qualify to place advertisements or join ad networks, you'll start making money.

If you're looking for a part-time gig or a full-time gig (eventually) that does not put too much time in your already full plate, this is it.

Click here to create your blog in less than 15 minutes.

11. Become an online teacher

One of the greatest ways to make more money from your home or while being unemployed is to become an online teacher.

You can now even teach online.

Companies like VIPKID make it so easy for would-be teachers to teach as these companies provide all the curricula and training absolutely for FREE.

They also allow you to set your own schedule and decide the number of your students you want to take on.

How about the perks or pay?

You can expect to earn up to $22 per hour in addition to bonuses, referrals, and other opportunities.

Some teachers even generate up to $2,000/month working part-time (as little as 4-5 hours a day).

Joining VIPKID is a simple process, that is, when you meet all the requirements above.

Click here to become a VIPKID teacher.

12. Become a writer or editor

Being a writer or an editor doesn't require you to stick to a 9-to-5 hustle You don't even have to stay within the four walls of an office. It can be done at home.

According to Ziprecruiter, the national average pay for this type of hustle from home job is $36/hour or $74,496/yr.

If you're someone who is creative, has a great background in writing, and, an internet connection, you can make money while unemployed with this side hustle.

Heck, you may even turn this one into a permanent gig.

Some companies require you to submit write-ups with specific deadlines, some will ask you to edit an existing write-up, among others.

You'll find these freelance writing listings through employment websites such as Indeed.

You can also work or pitch your service to agencies and check out sites designed for freelance writing including Writers Work and iHirePublishing.

13. Become a customer service representative

While companies outsource this type of position overseas, some companies choose to hire stay-at-home moms or dads to do such an opportunity.

According to Ziprecruiter, the national average pay for this type jo is $17/hour or $35,934 per year plus bonus and other incentives.

While the pay isn't that high, this can be rewarding if you like providing services to people or interacting with them.

Where do you look for these kinds of opportunities? Indeed is a great platform for this. As of this writing, there are over 845 openings for CSR positions.

14. Babysit

This hustle never gets old and can always ring you extra cash on the side while unemployed.

People need to work and many of them don't have the luxury of having grandparents to take care of their kids. That's where you come in.

Here's the reality:

Unfortunately, child care centers are expensive. Fortunately, individuals who are qualified to babysit can earn so much from it.

The best part is: Sometimes or many times, even high schoolers can babysit and generate cash easily.

Part-time work to make money while unemployed

Here are some of the work from home jobs:

15. Be a data encoder

If you have a computer and have excellent typing skills, then, data encoding is the gig for you.

The truth is: You can make easy money online and fast. Some companies do hire freelance data encoders for many reasons.

One reason is that businesses will find savings in hiring freelance data encoders. They win, and you could learn how to get more money fast for FREE.

As a data encoder, you can be paid the minimum or at least $18/hour – depending on your skill level and experience.

Think about this:

Imagine yourself sitting at home, listening to music, doing minimal tasks, and still get paid.

Ain't that a good way to earn money while unemployed (if you need money right now)?

Visit some of the websites where you can look for this type of task from home jobs:

• Amazon Mechanical Turk
• DionData Solutions
• Axion Data Entry Solutions

16. Become as a VA

Virtual Assistants (VAs) provide support to online businesses. These assistants can do secretarial, administrative, social media, and even technical tasks.

My advice? You could become an entrepreneur and even turn this into a small business in the long run if you want to.

One advice when starting out as a VA. Don’t expect you are going to make money right away. As with other professions, your pay is also based on other requirements, skill sets, and experience.

Here are some of the responsibilities of a VA:

• Drafting and sending email
• Making some phone calls to businesses
• Working on general admin tasks

Visit some of the websites where you can find task related to this type of opportunity:

• Indeed
• Remote.co
• Glassdoor

17. Rent out your car

While you can make additional and drive for Lyft and Uber, there are those days that you just don't feel like doing it. there are days when you can't do just that.

When that happens, you can still earn extra without doing anything special. How do you do that?

The answer is to rent out your car. You can do that with the Getaround app from your phone.

You can set your own schedule. All you need to do is list your car and manage your rentals. Are you worried about your car getting into several accidents? You don't have to worry about that.

Your car will be insured for every trip and includes $1,000,000 insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance.

Click here to start using the Getaround app, and start making extra on the side.

How To Make Money Without A Traditional Job: Conclusion

By now, you're probably asking yourself as to why you haven't thought of some of the ways here to make money online from home.

You can start them now using your social media. Whether it's pet sitting or teaching or something else, there are ways to produce more money fast. You could even turn this hustle while being unemployed into a million-dollar business later on.

Each of them will likely be effective for you only if you have time, commitment, and passion in them. That said, what works for one may not work well for others. That's just how it goes.

Now, are you ready to make money while unemployed? Have you tried any of them before? Are you willing to try even the silliest ones to make cash and more of it on the side?