27 Proven Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing

Last updated on September 21st, 2024 at 10:28 am

 

Even though there are proven ways to make money doing nothing, it doesn’t mean everyone has an idea. Sure, it sounds too good to be true to get paid effortlessly but it’s real and some people need to understand how to do it.

For some strategies to pay you for doing nothing, you need to put in some work in the first place but here it’s more of doing nothing at all. Let’s say you feel like not working anymore, then you need to find ways to get paid without putting in any effort.

Most of the money-making ideas here will help you supplement your earnings to easily cover expenses and also save more money. I like writing about money and you want to make money, hope we’re on the same page.

Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing at All

Despite the detailed list of ideas, not all will work for you and that’s why you need to find one that suits you best. And that means where possible you need to try out some to get what you want, than just starting up with no idea about a gig.

1. Make Money with Dividend Stocks

When you invest in dividend-paying stocks you can earn money doing nothing. You buy shares of companies that have a proven track record of making money over the years and when you buy shares of a company you become a shareholder entitled to receive dividends every after some time.

You will be receiving dividends for the period you wish to stay with the company as long as it’s making good returns at the end of every stated period. There’s nothing hard about investing in the stock market, online brokers are out there to offer brokerage services at very little to no cost.

The best part, for example, is when you invest in exchange-traded funds and index funds there’s totally zero effort, but with individual stocks, you would need to understand the company behind the stock.

Like said, you need to know what works best for you but in both ways, you get dividends every after a certain period of time.

2. Real Estate Investing

Another great way to make money doing nothing is investing in real estate with very little input capital. Gone are the days when you only had to raise huge amounts to profit from real estate.

Even for as low as $500, you can invest with crowd-funding companies to start earning while you’re sleeping. Not enough to make you believe such an investment because you don’t know about it?

Honestly, some platforms even allow you to invest starting with only $10 in case you can’t afford the $500. Yes, fundrise helps you not to get left out and management fees are not that high, it’s just 1% per annum.

Investing with fundrise you can expect to make about 9% in returns passively every year and it does have a track record of making money.

It’s free money here since you don’t have to put in any effort to get paid after investing in the first place. Let them do the work as you get paid passively without getting stressed by tenants.

You want more real estate investment platforms to make money doing nothing, right?

• Streetwise
• Arrived

We used to think that you need to have a lot of money to invest in real estate property, but now things are that simple. Sign up to start earning as a landlord without any supervision as the platform works for you tirelessly.

3. Bed Testing

Companies hire people to sleep in beds at a fee when looking for ways to make their products better compared to competitors. It’s one of the best lazy ways to make money doing nothing by people.

Standing out among the many it’s not something simple for a company and if you want to make money, you can apply to become a bed tester.

Ensure to provide feedback on the product tested for companies to make use of it in the process of modifying their products for the better.

Such offers can’t easily be found but when gotten can get you paid without doing anything that requires effort.

4. Rent Spare Space

In case you have free space at your place, rent it out to earn money doing nothing. It’s a convenient way to make money too when a tenant agrees to the terms and sticks to them.

Heard about platforms like Airbnb and Neighbor? With these, you can easily find tenants interested in that storage space for months or years and get paid.

I don’t know the type of space that you might have at your place but as long as it’s enough to accommodate someone for a stay. Ensure that there’s security and insurance on the property.

And the bigger the space that you have, the more money you can charge per month to supplement your earnings. You can expect to make up to $100 per month in additional income per spare or storage space available.

If renting out storage space has never crossed your mind, now you better start because there’s a lot of free money here without any hard work.

5. Make Money Listening To Music

At first, I also didn’t believe that just listening to music can earn you some money. I love music, many other people love it and if one is paid for doing something he loves, then it’s free money.

Yes, imagine making your favorite selections, listening to them, and then getting to earn money the more time you spend enjoying a paying platform.

Different platforms will pay you for listening to music during your leisure time doing nothing, and it’s what these paragraphs are all about.

But, first things first, you may need to either download an app or sign up to get access to the service to earn points redeemed for cash on having fun. Cashing out it’s not hard at all and this can be done via PayPal or gift cards.

6. Subcontracting

Another genius way to get paid without a job is through subcontracting work to other people with competence. It’s a common practice nowadays since most people find opportunities online and assign those with flexibility and technical knowledge.

Some people manage other people’s businesses without lifting a finger at all yet getting paid. They use marketing skills to find work or maybe create opportunities through which they can get hired.

Let’s say you have an idea about website designing, it’s possible to find a business and outsource a freelancer to do the work for you and then share the money.

I have ever gotten deals of up to $1000 where I subcontracted people to do database designing and information management, then we shared money.

No matter the area of business you’re doing, subcontracting can be a realistic way to get paid for doing nothing at all when you get opportunities.

However, to make money in such a way you must provide timely and quality work using competent freelancers that won’t disappoint you at any one time.

Some business owners may not be able to provide any payment without seeing work in progress hence you need to have some startup capital to subcontract.

Besides getting work online, there are also lots of offline work that can make you more money. Work that you can subcontract include database designing, search engine optimization, landscaping, and more.

7. Watch Videos & TV

Today you can make money watching videos and TV from wherever you’re around the world. Yes, just watching TV and get paid to do nothing apps like Nielsen reward you for allowing them to monitor channels you enjoy.

You don’t have to keep watching TV, but as long as it plays the companies keep tracking its performance for you to earn. Let your smartphone do the work as you just wait to cash out when it’s time.

Besides watching TV, you can also earn by watching videos through platforms like InboxDollars – Swagbucks – Prize Rebel.

All these platforms can earn you some quick cash to supplement your earnings every month yet doing nothing at all. And to make the most out of them sign up with those that are proven to work.

These apps are surely passive income earners when you follow the best practices on the platforms.

8. Get Paid To Read Emails

Just reading emails then you get paid, this is crazy, right? It feels that way when it’s new to you but there are common platforms that people use.

And some of them include InboxDollars and FusionCash, you get free money reading emails at your convenience. Guess what? On some of these platforms, you also receive sign-up bonuses.

9. Make Use of High Yield Savings Accounts

These kinds of savings accounts are good for earning extra money on top of savings in the form of interest, and it’s a great way to make money every day without a job.

With such an account, you can get access to your money anytime you want it with interest accumulated. When I talk of high-interest accounts I mean one that pays you sign-up bonuses with a good interest of up to 5%. Some of the banks with high interests include UFB Direct – CIT Bank and Bask Bank.

10. Earn Doing Nothing Using Cashback Apps

Everyone needs to save on how much he or she spends every month on groceries and other items, this can be achieved with cashback apps that discount every purchase that you make.

There’re different cashback apps available online and it’s up to you to determine what will work best for you according to your preferences. And sure, people get paid to do nothing with the right apps.

Cashback apps that earn money doing nothing, right?

• Dosh App – with Dosh all you have to do is connect your credit card with recognized restaurants and stores to qualify for rewards. Cashback and other offers when available will automatically get to you from participating stores to your account.
• Rakuten – this platform partners with several merchants in different locations for ease of service delivery to clients. It’s one of the most commonly preferred cashback apps among online shopping platforms.
• Drop – the rewards app is one of the most diversified platforms where people get rewarded in different ways. With Drop you can get rewards through online shopping, attending to surveys, playing drop spin, and more.
• Fetch Rewards – with this online grocery shopping platform, all you have to do to get rewards is scan your receipts to be able to cash in for gift card offers.

Imagine getting paid for spending money on things you want, this implies you’re earning money doing nothing. And I guess what? Some of these cashback apps give bonuses for downloading and signing to use them.

11. Earn Passively Sharing Data

As long as you have an internet connection companies are willing to pay you for downloading their apps to your device.

Yes, the apps run in the background of the gadget using your data and you get paid to do nothing at all. Some of the apps that get you rewarded for installing them onto your device include:

• MobileXpression

When installed onto your smartphone, it tracks activities taking place on your device using your data. Allowing the apps to monitor your activities enables you to receive credits which you can then redeem for gift cards.

• Nielsen App

Another passive income app that pays you for sharing your data usage is Nielsen. It all starts with downloading the app onto your device to start getting paid.

The app pays its users a lump sum amount in points worth $50 every year and this can be gotten using PayPal or in the form of gift cards. It’s such a light app and it won’t slow down your device.

• S’more

It’s a lock screen app that pays you whenever you unlock your phone and Ads pop up. It’s the ads that get you paid but you don’t have to spend time watching them.

What you do, is unlock the phone and let Ads play as you do other things to earn doing nothing. You won’t make a lot of money here, expect to earn about $3 per month on average.

In case you’re new to passive income apps of this type yet you need money very fast, now here you are! But with some apps, you have to be patient to squeeze out a dollar.

And also, if you mind stuffing your gadget with apps, then use more than one gadget and this can help you to diversify income streams.

12. Provide Storage Space

In case at home you have free space available to be used as storage space, people are willing and ready to pay you to use it without you putting in any effort.

You don’t have to worry about looking for tenants, use platforms like Airbnb to get people in need of storage space around your home. Your garage, backyard, or empty room can be used as storage space, and get paid to do nothing.

Airbnb is among those platforms where people are making thousands of dollars every month renting out free space. Heard about neighbor? It also works almost the same way as Airbnb just in case you want to try out other options.

13. Affiliate Marketing

In case you’re a content creator passionately reaching out to others through an online platform, embed affiliate links for companies to earn a commission without doing much work.

It’s almost free money after all you’re doing something you want and then monetizing the content to earn. Trusted followers will of course make purchases through your affiliate link.

And if you’re not yet into online marketing, the platforms that you can use to make content are social media, blogs, and websites. The better your content, the more likely you’re to make money with affiliate links.

14. Get Paid Watching Ads

Do you know that you can earn money watching Ads for companies? It’s a modern world where companies are competitively trying to reach out to clients in any possible way.

And this is where you come in at no cost to you getting paid to watch Ads that pop up on your device. It’s a great way to get started when you’re just a beginner with online money-making.

Let’s look at the list of my favorite places where one gets paid for Ads playing in the background of the gadget.

• PrizeRebel

Here you get rewards for automated Ads running in the background of your device without putting in much effort.

• Swagbucks

You can’t talk about platforms that pay for watching Ads without putting into consideration Swagbucks App. It has been around for over a decade paying out millions in dollars to its users.

• InboxDollars

Another app that can get you paid for watching Ads is InboxDollars. It’s also among the best-serving platforms according to most of its users. And besides Ads, there are other ways to get paid on the platform like taking surveys and shopping online.

15. House Sitting

Some people when they move out of their homes hire others to help them keep the home for an agreed period at a fee. There’s little to no work offering house sitter services to people.

Sometimes you may be required to keep home only at night or check in during the day to look after pets and other things around as agreed with the owner.

Trust me, you can earn extra dollars here without putting in much work looking for gigs when you use platforms like Craigslist and other house-sitting platforms online.

I have seen people earn up to $75 a night or more just checking in during the day or staying for the night. I don’t know what you think about the side hustle, but it’s better than nothing.

16. Get Paid Through Youtube

When we talk about making money doing nothing, I can’t skip earnings from Youtube a platform that makes wonders for most people using it. A video content creator can get paid for months without any additional content on the platform.

And the best part, the content that you make keeps generating an income for years at no cost to you. It’s one platform you need to give a try to make some extra dollars even while you’re sleeping or out having fun.

With Youtube, I have seen channels with great content making up to 6 figures in monthly earnings. Ensure to make nice content that people are searching for to experience the power of Youtube.

I know it takes some hard work in the first place but it’s a great way to achieve financial freedom. This is one of those businesses that won’t cost you much given you have the time and skills to make great content.

Youtube it’s a diversified platform where you can make money as you wish for example through Ads, Affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and more.

17. Complete Online Surveys

There are companies out there investing money into online surveys for people to give feedback about their brands to make improvements where necessary. You attend to questions about products that you normally use and get paid free money.

Online surveys won’t earn you a full-time income but they can be worked part-time to supplement your earnings. Ensure to sign up with legit online survey platforms that have a track record of paying people.

And joining most platforms it’s at no cost to you to start answering surveys to get paid, earnings per survey sometimes depend on the brands you’re working with.

18. Print On Demand Products

If you’re good at Art and designing, use platforms like Tee-Spring to make free money with print-on-demand products. Here you make and upload designs on the platform that earn you a passive income for a lifetime whenever you make sales.

You don’t have to put in a lot of work but in the start at least some little effort. With print on demand, its passive income got doing nothing.

19. Get Rid of Clutter

In things are messed up in your home that you would want to get rid of, let them make you some dollars without much hustle.

What I mean? Things like used phones, flash disks, and other electronic gadgets crowd your place for no good reason. And the best part, you clean up your home make it more spacious, and turn useless items into cash instead of just throwing them away.

20. Make Money with Roadie

Despite other platforms where you deliver orders to different places, roadie is different when it comes to earning from doing nothing.

Here you deliver things to people on your way to your destination and this means you can’t be diverted for any reason to take make a different delivery. There’s no hard work in doing this, after all, you’re delivering to where you’re going.

21. Proofreading

If you’re passionate about reading and you’ve never made any money reading, now here you’re. With proofreading you help content creators identify and put right any errors in their work.

And when reading is your thing, it’s making money doing nothing checking grammatical errors and spellings. But you don’t have to be a literature student to get proofreading gigs to earn money for work done.

Proofreading is a paying side hustle and there are people making thousands of dollars just doing that, most importantly Understand proofreading best practices.

22. Start Money Lending

Let your money make you more money by lending it out to others to earn interest by doing nothing. It’s quite risky but when you do things right it’s a great way to make money fast.

You need to lend out money to people you think are responsible and will pay back. The people you lend money should be those you trust to reduce the risk of loss.

Most of the time ensure to carry out a background check on people you don’t trust to assess their creditworthiness before making any offer.

23. Become a Virtual Friend

There are people online looking for attention from others and ready to meet the costs. Online virtual friendship platforms like Peanut and Yubo can get you paid up to $30 per hour.

You just need to know how to string catchy conversations such that the person you’re connecting with gets occupied and to want more from you.

Honestly, if you have the jazz you can’t fail to earn money from people that you talk with online.

24. Be a Test Subject

There are cosmetic and skincare brands that will give you products to use expecting feedback and in return, you’re paid some money for just doing that at no cost to you at all.

If you’re that person who likes looking good all the time, this is another way for you to make money doing nothing but looking good.

Before using any product you should consult with a skincare doctor for advice, otherwise, you may get into skin issues applying different products.

25. Get Paid To Stand in Line

Standing in line is another good way to earn doing nothing and there are people surely ready to pay for the service. Sounds too good to be true, right?

This normally happens when there are discounted offers at some stores and at music events, when someone wants to get a spot on time hires a person to do it for him before arriving. It’s a real business and has grown over the years in some busy places.

You can charge money depending on the urgency of the client and the time taken to wait in line for the client. Sincerely, standing in line has no fixed charge to a client, it’s all about understanding each other.

Some of the most commonly used platforms include TaskRabbit – Inline4you and Craigslist. You don’t have to be an expert here to make money standing in line for others.

26. Mystery Shopping Apps

Using mystery shopping apps is a great way to earn money doing nothing at no cost to you at all. It’s just walking into stores or near to gather data and then receiving gift card offers or cash.

You won’t make a lot with mystery shopping apps but it’s another way you can side hustle during your free time. Some commonly used mystery shopping apps include Secret Shopper, Client X, and Field Agent.

27. Create an Online Course

Though the side hustle needs you to put in some work upfront, it’s good for earning money even while you’re sleeping. You need to be good at a certain topic to create good content that people are going to use.

People will always buy the course online continuously but you’ll also need to do some changes where necessary. But the effort that you put in it’s worth the price.

FAQs

• What Are The Best Earn Money Online Doing Nothing Ideas?

There’s no good or bad business idea, but it depends on how well you can apply yourself to make the most out of it. Yes, you just need to be flexible and also do things right if you’re to get paid.

• Do I Need To Be An Expert In Certain Fields To Start Making Money Doing Nothing?

Yes, there are some, where you need some competence to offer the best. Take the example of developing an online course, you need to provide value and also understand what you’re selling to people.

• What Do I Need To Start Making Free Money?

Every side hustle you decide to take on has different requirements and most of them are already available, you won’t incur any cost. For example standing in line, listening to music, virtual friendship, roadie, and more.

Closing

Like any other kind of business idea, you need to know what you want to succeed. And just in case one doesn’t work for you it’s not the end, try out others till when you get what you want.

However, in my experience, the best way to make money doing nothing is when you put in some effort in the first place and later earn passively over a period of time.

Therefore, if you have been tied in a 9 to 5 job, I guess such side hustles will make some changes in your financials with multiple income streams.