Legitimate Ways to Make Extra Money Online

The economic downturn has left many people looking for ways to make a little bit of extra money. There are several ways to earn some extra cash online, if you know where to look. Finding legitimate opportunities can be difficult due to the amount of spam that is out there, promising thousands of dollars a week to work in your pajamas. The first rule of looking for legitimate online jobs is to disregard everything that sounds too good to be true. These are hoaxes that try to get you to buy their programs and products to help you make money. Instead, talk to people and focus on legitimate sources of online income. This article will look at three real ways to make money online. They won't make your rich, but they will put a little bit of fun money in your pocket.

Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online: Sell your Photos

You can make money online by selling your photographs to stock photography websites, such as istockphoto.com and bigstockphoto.com. You upload and tag your photos with concrete and abstract keywords. They are approved or denied by an editor. Once approved, your photos will enter the searchable database. Your receive .50 each time someone downloads the photo, up to $30-$60 for someone purchasing the rights to your photo. Outright purchases are rare though. There are millions of photos at these sites, so you will not make a lot, but once your pictures are uploaded, they are working on their own for you. Sites are looking for creative and versatile images, so check out the rules at the websites and start taking photos around your house.

Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online: Writing Articles

As you can tell from the fact that I am posting this article here, Associated Content is my favorite place to submit online articles, because you can submit them for upfront payment review and earn a few dollars. Most websites pay between one and two dollars for each 1000 page views that you article generates. If you like writing, earn some extra cash by writing articles. Other websites that pay per page view for articles are Suite101, Constant Content, Triond, and eHow. Craigslist also has a great section of writing/editing jobs if you are interested in producing local content. Look under that category for your city to see what is available. Blogging jobs are also common on Craigslist.

Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online: Sell Handcrafted Items

Lots of people have been making money selling items on ebay, but over the past few years several other marketplaces have evolved. The best of these is etsy, which markets itself as a unique seller of handcrafted and homemade items. You photograph your artwork or crafts, upload the photo and assign search tags. Then your item enters the marketplace. There are some fees, but they are low - I believe the current fee is $0.20 to post for four months and 1-2% of the sale price. Etsy also allows you to sell craft supplies and vintage items under separate categories. Etsy is a legitimate source for buying and selling homemade items and has a good reputation. If you make artwork, clothes, candles, body products, jewelry, or anything else by hand, give etsy a try.

These three methods should help you to create a steady flow of pocket money online, and I have tried them all, so I know they are legitimate. Start being creative, and let the internet earn you a little extra this month.