Frugal Friday- Earning Money At Home, Part 2

Earning Money At Home, Part 1

This Frugal Friday is dedicated to "earning money via the internet", but, first of all, a disclaimer is in order: I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ENTRAPRENURIAL EFFORTS. In fact, if anything, I am a novice. ~smile~

However, if you are interested in listening to the ideas of an un-expert (I know, that's not actually a word) I'll happily share a few ideas that have worked well for me.

The internet is an amazing tool for making money, but it also can be a very frightening, overwhelming, complex, and just down right confusing maze of opportunities- and sometimes scams. I don't like to engage in an "opportunity" unless I know for sure that it is legitimate, and I'm sure you don't either.

I've always been a bit skeptical of the get-paid-for-taking-surveys sites (and the majority of them are nothing but time wasters) but there are a few out there that will actually pay you to complete surveys or offers. Here are a two that I like:










Cashcrate is a little slow in approving earnings but has a lower threshold than InboxDollars. Both sites offer surveys and 100% free offers. (As a general rule, I do not participate in offers that require a credit card- even "free trials" can cost you something if you forget to cancel the agreement before the trial expires!) I stick with free offers, paid emails, and quick surveys (2 to 3 minutes or less). I've also learned to steer clear of surveys that require you to "complete an offer", which means signing up to buy something.


Another way to generate a little extra revenue is to make cash back when you shop online. I've used Mr. Rebates for about a year now and have been very pleased with the results! Just remember to log into your Mr. Rebates account before you place an online order (they have hundreds of merchant affiliates) and you will earn a percent back on your total purchase. Of course, I don't recommend buying online just to "make money", but this is a great way to save a little on purchases you were already going to make.



One of the best ways to earn money online is through affiliate marketing. What is an affiliate? An affiliate is one who signs up with a company or business and agrees to promote or advertise their products and, in turn, earns a certain percent off each referral or sale made. Some affiliate merchants offer a small percentage for each sale or referral; some will pay 5o% or 60% or more.


Two great sources for affiliate marketing are Payloadz and Clickbank. Both these sites showcase dozens (hundreds?) of merchants which offer affiliate programs... browse through the lists and pick which ones you want to began promoting and earning money from!

Another tip for affiliate marketing is check out your favorite online businesses and websites, the ones you regularly visit or purchase from. You might be surprised at how many of them offer an affiliate program! Look for words like "referral", "associate", "join now", and other related phrases to check out a merchant's affiliate program.

If you're interested in earning money via affiliate marketing, be sure to check out Homemaker's Cottage affiliate program. We offer 40% profit for every purchase made by advertising our eBooks!

Having a website or blog is the best way to generate sales through affiliate marketing- just place banners and links on your site to direct traffic to your merchants and make sales!

This is far from an exhaustive list of ways to make money via the internet- they are just a few methods that have worked well for me. I'd love to hear how you earn extra money from home via the internet or elsewhere!