If we’re being honest, figuring out how to earn money doing nothing is probably the Holy Grail for most of us. We would all love to receive money without actually having to put in any time or effort.
I, for one, have given this a lot of thought ever since I disappointedly learned as a kid that I have to finish my chores before I get my allowance. And being a nice person and all, I would like to share my findings. So, here are my top five ways to earn money doing nothing:
Become a Housesitter
It’s a busy world we live in and some people travel a lot. This in turn means that their homes are left unoccupied for long and frequent periods of time. So, if you are willing to mind a person’s apartment or house, and occasionally feed their plants and water their pets – or the other way round, you could become a housesitter.
Services like HouseSitter.com connect homeowners and perspective housesitters. You can make money just by chilling at a person’s house.
Requirements: Most services have age requirements.
Downside: Housesitting does include a quite a high level of responsibility and accountability.
Rent Out Your Car
If you live in a big city, chances are you do not need your car on a daily basis. In fact, I bet that sometimes days and days pass by without you using it. And as you know, idleness is not good for your vehicle.
So, by utilizing services like Turo or Getaround, your car won’t suffer from disuse and you earn money doing nothing. Of course, how much you earn is contingent on location and type of car – with luxury and sports cars commanding higher prices.
Requirements: Age requirements; car maker-model-year-mileage requirements; a valid driver’s license.
Downside: You have to have a car and know how to drive.
Put Your Extra Space on AirBnb
A good way to earn money doing nothing is to rent out your real estate. This can be an apartment or that spare bedroom that you keep all those boxes in. Unlike the traditional model, with AirBnb you have the luxury of choosing when and for how long you want to rent it out.
Like while you are at vacation and the place is empty anyhow.
Requirements: Owning an apartment or having an adequate rental agreement.
Downside: Cleaning. You will either have to clean the place before and after renting it or pay someone to clean it.
Rent out your Parking Space
Parking spaces are a hot and sought-after commodity in cities. And its not uncommon for most apartments nowadays to come with their own parking space. So, if you have a dedicated spot that you don’t use, you can put it out on Craigslist or a similar service.
Requirements: Adequate rental agreement or homeownership terms.
Downside: Slim chances that you don’t need it yourself.
Passive Data Collection Apps
Some companies will pay you just to have their apps installed. Some of these apps might collect your personal data. But others – like Money SMS, are just looking to collect other types of data that has nothing to do with you, and you’re just helping them.
Money SMS pays you just to receive texts. That is it.
A lot of Telecom SMS providers and Mobile Network Operators need to send SMS test messages to foreign countries in order to verify and ensure proper delivery of their SMS routes. You don’t even have to open those SMSes and you literally earn money doing nothing.
Requirements: A working mobile phone and functioning phone number – and who hasn’t got one these days.
Downsides: Pays relatively small amounts per SMS – €0.02 per text message.
The Take-Away
Obviously, the simplest way to earn money doing nothing is to inherit it. But you will notice that we skipped out on that method because a) people might get the wrong idea, and b) it’s not a realistic option for most.
With a little bit of imagination, there are ways to earn a few bucks or euros with little to no effort. The internet is especially full of opportunities to make some cash. However, some of the opportunities offered are questionable, to say the least. So, watch out for scams.
If you found this article helpful and are interested in a new source of income, click down below to download our app and start making money today.
