How Can I Make Money Doing Nothing is a question many people ask, and at money-central.com, we’re here to tell you it’s more achievable than you think. By exploring various passive income streams, investment opportunities, and leveraging assets you already possess, you can generate income with minimal effort. Discover diverse ways to earn, from high-yield savings accounts to selling stock photos. These methods provide opportunities for financial gains while freeing up your time. Whether you’re interested in real estate investment trusts, cash-back rewards, or renting out your RV, there are numerous paths to explore to achieve financial freedom.
1. Sign Up for a Rewards Credit Card
Earning money without any hard work sounds appealing, and one way to accomplish this is by using a rewards credit card. With these cards, you earn points or cash back on purchases you make anyway. You may even receive a large signup bonus when you first sign up.
Some cards offer bonus points, like 50,000 or more, as a welcome gift, though this often requires spending a certain amount of money within the first few months, such as $4,000 in the first three months.
Here is a summary of the different types of rewards you might receive:
| Reward Type | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Points | Use for travel and gift cards. |
| Cash Back | Money back on your purchases. |
| Mile Rewards | Miles to fly on planes for free airfare. |
Using credit card rewards is a smart financial move as long as you use your credit card responsibly. Avoid accumulating debt just for the rewards, as interest charges negate the benefits. To truly profit from credit card rewards, always pay your full credit card balance each month.
Alternative text: Image illustrating different types of credit card rewards programs, including points, cash back, and mile rewards.
2. Get Paid to Stand in Line
If you don’t mind waiting, you can earn money by standing in line for other people. This service is valuable for busy individuals or those wanting to attend popular events without the wait.
As a line sitter, you hold someone else’s spot in line, such as for tickets or a table at a busy restaurant, allowing them to avoid the wait.
You can earn approximately $25 to $35 per hour just for standing in line, depending on your location and demand.
To begin, search for websites connecting line sitters with clients, like Taskrabbit, Same Ole Line Dudes, and InLine4You. Join these platforms, list your services, and await client requests.
3. Dividend-Paying Stocks
One of the best ways to make money without a job is by investing in dividend-paying stocks.
When you invest in dividend-paying stocks, you’re buying a piece of a company that gives you money regularly. Think of it like getting a small “thank you” for holding on to the company’s stock. These payments usually come from the company’s profits and they’re called dividends.
Here’s how it works. You buy stocks that pay dividends, and then, every so often (usually every three months), the company sends you money. It’s a way to earn without doing much after your initial investment.
Here’s a table to show you what to look for:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | How much you earn compared to the stock price |
| Payout Ratio | The part of profits used for dividends |
| Ex-Dividend Date | The day when you must own the stock to get paid |
Keep in mind, not all dividend stocks are the same. Some may lose value and payments could stop if the company isn’t doing well. So, it’s important to choose wisely, and you might want to seek guidance from someone who knows a lot about stocks.
As stated by the New York University’s Stern School of Business, dividend stocks offer a consistent income stream, making them an attractive option for investors seeking passive income.
4. High-Yield Savings Accounts
When you put your money in a savings account, you want it to grow. High-yield savings accounts are like your regular savings account but with an extra boost for making your money grow faster.
The interest rate or annual percentage yield (APY) is what the bank pays you. The higher the APY, the more money you make. Good news! Some of these accounts offer APYs much higher than the usual, like more than 5 percent! That’s a lot better than the average savings account.
According to this high yield savings account calculator, if you have $10,000 saved, you could earn $400 with a high yield savings account in a year. Whereas with normal banks, your earnings would only be $41.
According to research from New York University’s Stern School of Business, high-yield savings accounts offer a low-risk way to grow your money, making them ideal for those seeking safe investment options.
You must be thinking, “What’s the catch?” Well, most of these accounts are from online banks. No biggie, just that you won’t have a bank branch to visit. They also tend to not offer other features, such as bill pay and checks – it’s simply a place to park your money and earn a lot more in interest.
5. Sell Printables
If you want to earn money while doing nearly nothing on the internet, you can try selling printables online. Printables are files that you make once, like planners, invitations, flash cards, and worksheets, and then sell over and over again.
Yes, you will have to make the printables and open a store, but after a while, you can start making money from the same printables over and over again.
This is because printables are digital products that sell with just simple downloadable files.
6. Share Your Opinions
You can earn money in your free time by joining paid market research studies. Keep in mind, it won’t replace a full-time job (they usually pay only $1 to $3 for each survey you complete), but you might make some extra cash.
Some of the survey companies I recommend include:
| Survey Company | Description |
|---|---|
| Branded Surveys | Offers points for completing surveys, redeemable for cash or gift cards. |
| Swagbucks | Provides various ways to earn, including surveys, watching videos, and shopping. |
| Survey Junkie | Focuses primarily on surveys, with easy-to-use interface and quick payouts. |
What I like about answering online surveys is that I can answer them whenever I want, such as while watching TV or eating lunch.
7. Rent Out Your Extra Storage Space
If you’ve got extra room at your place, you can make money by renting it out.
Think about renting out parts of your home, like an empty closet, your driveway or parking space, or your garage. Websites like Neighbor allow you to list these spaces for someone to store their belongings (such as a car, sofa, boxes, and more).
Neighbor is like the Airbnb of storage space. Instead of having guests over, you’re renting out your storage space to store other people’s belongings.
8. Sell Stock Photos
Selling stock photos is a good way to earn money through passive income without actively working for it.
You upload photos you’ve taken with your camera or phone to a platform like Depositphotos. When someone buys one of your photos, you get a commission.
Websites, companies, and blogs use stock photos for all different kinds of reasons. Businesses use them to improve their content, websites, or overall appearance, as they may not have the time to take photos of everything they need.
Alternative text: Examples of stock photography subjects, including travel scenes, business settings, and family moments.
Stock photography includes pictures of things like:
- Travel, landscapes, and outdoor scenes
- Business settings like laptops, offices, and people working
- Family moments, including parents and children
- Household items, such as living areas and kitchens
- Animals, including pets and wildlife
- Vehicles like cars and boats
- Sports, from professional events to casual games
9. House Sitting
For some people, house sitting is the ultimate dream job. You may be able to watch houses around the world in dream destinations after all.
House sitting involves taking care of someone’s house while they’re away. It’s a way to earn money without much effort. Your responsibilities include staying in the house, making sure everything is safe, collecting mail, and sometimes looking after pets or watering their plants. Many times, people just want it to look like someone is living in their home so that no one will try to break in.
You can find house sitting jobs on websites like TrustedHousesitters and Care. You may also find these types of jobs through dog walking gigs, such as on Rover.
10. Invest in REITs
Investing in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is like buying a small piece of many buildings without the hassle of managing them.
REITs are companies that own many real estate properties, and they earn money by renting out space in those properties. Imagine shopping malls, apartments, and offices as examples.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose a REIT – Look for REITs with good histories, like those experts trust.
- Invest Your Money – You can start with a small amount of money.
- Earn Money – REITs make cash from their buildings. They share this cash with you through dividends.
11. Pose for Art Classes
If you can stay still for a while, you might like posing for art classes. When you pose, art students look at you and draw or paint your picture. It’s a way you can make money by just sitting or standing.
Most times, art models get about $20 to $30 each hour. You’ll usually be there for around three hours or more.
You will hold a pose. A pose can be something like sitting in a chair, standing, or making an interesting shape with your body. These poses can last from five to twenty minutes. Don’t worry, you get breaks so you can stretch and rest.
You don’t have to look a certain way. Artists need all kinds of people to learn how to draw humans well. You just need to be okay with being looked at while you are posing.
Check with local art schools, colleges, or community centers. They usually need new models. You can also look online for art model jobs in your area.
12. Listen to Music
If you enjoy music, you can actually make some money by listening to songs. You can use apps and websites that pay you just for listening. Companies want your opinion on new music, and they’ll pay you for your time.
Here’s how it typically works:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Find an app | Look for apps that offer payment for music listening. |
| Sign up | Create an account on these platforms. |
| Listen and rate | Start listening to music and provide your honest feedback. |
| Earn | Collect your earnings, usually through points that can be converted into cash or gift cards. |
13. Get Paid to Work Out
Yes, you can get paid for being active, even while doing your regular workout.
Apps like HealthyWage make staying fit exciting by allowing you to bet on your fitness goals. You set a weight loss target, bet on yourself, and join others with similar goals. If you achieve your goal first, you win money from the prize pool. It’s a friendly competition with a chance to earn a financial reward.
14. Become a Notary
If you want to earn money with little effort, you might think about becoming a notary. As a notary, your job is to be a witness when people sign important papers and to check that the people signing are really who they say they are.
So, yes, you are still working a job, but you are simply watching people sign papers.
What notaries do:
- Meet people who need papers signed.
- Check their IDs to make sure they are who they say they are.
- Watch them sign the document.
- Use your notary stamp and write in your record book.
You can make anywhere from $9 to $21 per hour, but it depends on things like where you live and if you have to go to people or they come to you.
15. Mattress Tester
Testing mattresses is a unique side hustle where you can make money by just testing out mattresses.
As a mattress tester, you’ll test beds and write reviews about your sleep quality, comfort, and any other observations. Your feedback is valuable as it helps companies improve their products to better meet customer needs.
Some mattress companies pay individuals like you to test their products. This helps them figure out how comfortable their mattresses are and how they can make them even better.
You can find these gigs by researching local sleep clinics or mattress companies that offer paid studies or testing.
16. Join a Sleep Study
Similar to testing out mattresses, you may be able to get paid to join a sleep study.
Sleep studies are research projects that help doctors understand sleep patterns and disorders. If you’re interested in earning money while contributing to science, participating in one of these studies is an option. Typically, sleep studies seek specific types of participants, such as a particular age group or weight range. Your initial step is to determine if you meet their requirements.
After being accepted into a study, you’ll visit the center for tests. During the study, you might wear special equipment while you sleep. This equipment helps researchers monitor and track your sleep patterns.
The payment you receive depends on how long the study is, which might be for one night or even several weeks.
Many universities, like the Harvard Division of Sleep Medicine, pay for sleep studies.
17. Put an Advertisement on Your Car
If you want to earn extra money without doing much, think about turning your car into a moving billboard. Companies will pay you to put their ads on your car.
To start, join a car wrap advertising company like Carvertise or Wrapify. They’ll place a special sticker, called a car wrap, on your entire car or specific parts of it. These companies seek drivers to display ads on their cars, and the more you drive and the places you go can increase your earnings.
Your car’s make and model, condition, and paint quality are important. They decide how well the ads will stick and look.
The type of ad wrap you choose changes how much you get paid too. The options are:
| Car Wrap Type | Possible Earnings |
|---|---|
| Full Wrap | $200 to $1000 per month |
| Partial Wrap | $150 to $250 per month |
| Window Ads | $100 to $250 per month |
Keep in mind that the earnings can vary. It depends on factors like how frequently you drive and where your car is visible.
18. Rent Out a Spare Room in Your Home
If you have an extra room in your house and want to earn passive income streams, you can make money by renting it out. This is a smart way to earn cash without much work.
To find a roommate and earn rental income, you can advertise your space in various places. You can announce on your personal Facebook page, place an ad on websites like Craigslist, create a rental listing on Airbnb, and more.
Whether you have a house or an apartment, this may be an option available to you.
Alternative text: Conceptual image representing various low-effort job opportunities and passive income streams that provide financial rewards.
19. Use Cash Back Sites
When you shop online, you can earn money back on what you spend by using cash back sites.
Think of it like getting a discount, but instead of saving money right away, you get some cash back later.
I use cash back sites and apps pretty much every single time I shop – it’s easy, free money for me.
Popular cashback sites include:
| Cash Back Site | Description |
|---|---|
| Rakuten | Offers cash back at thousands of stores, with payments via check or PayPal. |
| Ibotta | Provides cash back on groceries and household items through receipt scanning. |
| Honey | Automatically finds and applies coupon codes and cash back offers while you shop. |
For example: To get cash back, all you need to do is create a Rakuten account, visit their website, and click on the store where you want to shop (such as Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, etc.). They will then redirect you to that store, and you can shop online as you normally would to get cash back.
These types of sites typically pay via free gift cards or PayPal cash.
20. Rent Out Your RV
Renting out your RV can be a way to earn extra money on something that might be sitting around collecting dust (and rust!).
By renting it out, you could potentially make $100 to $300 a day or even more.
RVing has become very popular these days, and people frequently rent RVs to explore on vacations or even to try out a specific RV model before making a purchase.
21. Receive a Pension
Getting paid to do nothing may sound like a dream, but if you have a pension, it’s a real thing that can happen when you retire.
A pension is money that you get regularly after working for a certain number of years.
When you work at a job that offers a pension plan, your employer puts money into this plan for you. When it’s time to retire, this money comes back to you, usually every month.
The amount you get usually depends on three things:
- Age – Generally, the older you are when you retire, the more you get.
- Salary – How much you earned at your job can affect your pension.
- How long you worked there – The longer you worked, the higher your pension.
Sometimes, you might have the option to receive all your pension money at once, known as a “lump sum.” It’s a substantial, one-time payment instead of monthly checks. Make a wise decision by considering what works best for you. If you’re unsure, seeking advice from someone knowledgeable about finances could help you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Paid to Do Nothing
Below are answers to common questions about how to get paid to do nothing.
How Can I Get Money for Doing Nothing?
Surprisingly, you can earn money with minimal effort through avenues like cash-back credit cards for everyday spending, selling digital downloads, investing in dividend-paying stocks, and securing a pension for retirement.
What Are Jobs Where You Do Nothing and Get Paid a Lot?
It is difficult to find a job that pays a lot for doing nothing, but there are positions like being a notary that compensate for simple tasks.
Can I Really Make Income By Just Being Idle?
Yes, you can generate passive income through methods like earning interest from high-yield savings accounts or renting out spare space.
Where Can I Find Jobs That Don’t Expect Much Work From Me?
Explore gig economy jobs, where you earn based on accepted tasks such as food delivery or charging electric scooters. Many other side jobs exist, including creating online courses, becoming a taste tester, micro-investing (like with Acorns), working as a background actor, watching ads, affiliate marketing, delivering groceries, writing online book reviews, playing games, and engaging as an online companion.
How to Get Paid to Do Nothing Online?
Online opportunities include selling digital files and stock photos, which require initial effort but eventually generate income with minimal maintenance.
How To Get Paid to Do Nothing – Summary
There are many ways to get paid to do nothing (or almost nothing).
You can grow your savings effortlessly with high-yield savings accounts or make money by renting out extra storage space. Investments in stocks that pay dividends or REITs can give you money regularly without needing your daily attention.
Did you know that you can get paid to do nothing? money-central.com offers a wealth of resources to explore these opportunities and take control of your financial future.
Ready to explore more options for earning with minimal effort? Visit money-central.com today to discover articles, tools, and expert advice that will help you achieve your financial goals. Whether you’re looking to start investing, manage your debt, or find the best savings accounts, money-central.com is your go-to resource for financial empowerment.
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