I'm sure a lot of people would like to make a little extra cash for sitting on their butt in front of the computer. Since I do too, here's a list of sites that have actually made me money:
MyPoints.com
This website sends a few emails a day and all you do is open and click on them. Each email earns you 5 points and it takes about 3000 points to start having some good redemption options. You redeem your points for gift cards and the best part is you can earn up to 10 points per dollar spent through their website. I once used my points to get a Gap gift card and then earned about 500 MyPoints (almost $5) just by using it online! It works just like these credit card cash back offers except no bogus fees and crazy interest rates!
Amazon Mechanical Turk
Now this website is just great. It is great if you need to do some academic research and you want to pay participants as well. With this program, you just complete surveys for Amazon credit. This is really boring but pays really well. I sometimes make a better hourly rate than at my real job - the other day I made 20 bucks in 30 minutes.
BzzAgent
This is fun but requires a little more work. BzzAgent is a marketing company that provides samples in exchange for feedback and information sharing. In addition to sending samples, BzzAgent also rewards your feedback with MyPoints! Talk about a great deal! I most recently received 5 mascaras and 5 lip balms in the Maybelline Lots of Lashes and Baby Lips campaign.
Update: I have recently joined Crowdtap, which also gives free samples in exchange for reviews. I have not received a full-sized product, but have gotten some cool samples. You can also complete quick surveys that are usually about one or two questions each, and build up points to redeem for gift cards. I usually net about $5 a week for about 5-10 minutes of surveys.
I have also considered selling items on Etsy that I buy from estate sales. The problem I have found is that everything at estate sales is pretty much overpriced, so it's hard to make any money. I would stick to garage sales, where gems can still be found.
Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping is definitely not a full time job, but it is pretty fun and you can make some cash. Look on the MSPA website for a list of legit mystery shop companies. Different companies often have shops in different regions of the country. You can expect to be asked to submit detailed reports about your experiences on assignments such as restaurants, gas stations, and movie theaters. Many companies reimburse your meal as well as pay a small fee, usually around $5. If you are very detail oriented, you can end up with a few extra bucks and a few free meals at the end of each week.
Good luck!
