How it works: Do you have storage space in your house? Or maybe an empty garage or storage shed? You could rent out these spaces on Neighbor.com, which is sort of like Airbnb for the self-storage industry. You set your own prices, and the person who rents your space will pay Neighbor.com a service fee.
Highlights: You're paid via direct deposit, or you can receive a debit card at the end of the month. There are fees subtracted from your payment for using Neighbor.com: a processing fee of 4.9% of the total reservation plus 30 cents per monthly payout.
Drawbacks: If you suddenly need to use your storage space, you must give your renter 30 days of advance notice to pick up their stuff. If you don't give them enough notice, you'll pay a $60 termination fee.
Time investment: Plan for at least a couple of hours to prepare to store someone's stuff, which may involve cleaning. You get paid after approximately 30 days of providing storage.
How it works: If you don't have the energy to hold a yard sale, OfferUp may be the next best thing. After you take a picture of what you have and price it, hopefully someone nearby will see it online, love it, send you a note and you'll meet – in a public place, OfferUp's website recommends – and you can get your cash. OfferUp also offers ways to mail items to buyers.
Highlights: OfferUp is often compared to Craigslist, but some users claim it's an easier site to post on, probably because if you download the app, you can send instant messages to buyers and sellers, and members have profiles, so you can get a better sense of your buyers. If someone has earned badges on OfferUp, that's a good sign they're considered a trusted, reputable seller on the site.
Drawbacks: As noted, if you meet a buyer to exchange an item, meet in a public place. On its website, OfferUp says, "Keep in mind that just because someone is buying or selling online doesn't guarantee your safety: You're responsible for your safety, so when you arrange a meetup, take sensible precautions. In the event of an emergency or any danger, call 911 or your local emergency number."
Time investment: Probably an hour or two of work, or the process could span days, depending how long it takes to sell your item. You take some pictures, set a price, negotiate with the buyer and possibly schedule a meetup to exchange the item for cash. If you ship an item to a buyer, it generally takes about four to five days for the money to show up in your bank account.
How it works: Do you have a lot of nice stuff, stuff that you think people in your neighborhood would want to rent out? For instance, maybe you have an expensive telescope or camera that often sits in your closet? You could rent it out on Fat Llama’s website for money. Everything is insured, up to $30,000).
Highlights: It’s a good way to make money off something you paid for but don’t use all the time, and for the renter, it’s a practical strategy to spend less money instead of buying something expensive that they won’t use all the time.
Drawbacks: You may have a lot of stuff, but not stuff anyone wants to rent.
Time investment: As long as it takes to post photos of what you’re renting out and to meet the person and so on. Fat Llama’s website says that when you rent out an item, “we’ll send you the due amount within 24 hours of the start date of the rental. This will normally hit your account about 3-4 working days after the start date of the rental.” You decide on the rental fee, and Fat Llama takes 25% of that.
How it works: On Wonder, you can earn money for conducting research. Wonder doesn't hire just anyone, though. The application process takes about five minutes, according to the website. And if Wonder thinks you have the skills to do research, you'll get access to its dashboard. You can then showcase your skills and get paid for answering a question, perhaps from a business executive or an author writing a book.
Highlights: Researchers on Wonder report making an average of $8 to $16 for each detailed answer. In short, Wonder offers an ideal gig for those who really enjoy learning and explaining.
Drawbacks: Job sites suggest that researchers can make, on average, about $20 an hour, so the pay is not high if you're spending a lot of time answering questions.
Time investment: About an hour for a detailed answer. You’ll get paid every two weeks through PayPal.
How it works: Nick Loper, creator of the blog SideHustleNation.com, is a fan of UserInterviews.com. “They specialize in matching you up with high-paying market research studies,” Loper says.
“Many of the studies are aimed at tech and industry professionals, but there are some general population studies as well,” Loper says. He says that he has made $50 on the site, testing an online video tool, $30 to give his opinions on retiring early, and $10 to answer a short survey for bald men.
“If you're not looking for regular freelance work, this is an easy one to add to your toolbelt,” Loper says.
Highlights: The money. While Loper has earned on the low side, he says that typically you can make $40 to $200 an hour on the site.
Drawbacks: You do have to match up with what the site is looking for, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll be chosen for something you would like to offer your opinions on. So it is a possible way to make occasional money and not something you’ll likely turn into a consistent cash cow.
Time investment: It truly varies. You might spend 10 minutes offering opinions or a couple hours. But the more time you spend, you more money you’ll likely get.
0 Comments