Making Money Online

As I look through job listings and check out certain message boards, I see so many people trying to make some money working from home, and most of what is posted out there is either a scam or should be considered a scam.

I don't personally know anyone who makes a fortune working online. The people I do know who are making a lot of money from home run their own businesses doing something that they have a lot of experience in, whether it is real estate, loan processing, other financial services, freelance editing and ghost writing, web site design, or one of the arts.

It usually takes many years of education, research, and preparation to work yourself into a position where you can start making some real money working for yourself. People who expect to be handed money making machines on a silver platter just because they don't want to get out of their home and find a job in the real world are delusional.

On the other hand, if you are looking for some ways to bring in just a little extra "pocket" change every month, there are lots of legitimate opportunities to do that. Writing articles for Associated Content is one of those ways. I also pick up the occasional mystery shop from IntelliShop and I am a professional tax preparer, which brings in extra income during the regular tax season.

I have investigated a lot of different online "jobs," and 99% of them end up being a scam, require lots of money up front, or are only for the very aggressive salesperson. Before responding to any work from home advertisements spend some time researching the company, product, or related advertisements online. Chances are you will come across others who can either verify the legitimacy of the company or can warn you away from wasting your money.

Associated Content is a great example of a legitimate company offering the average person who loves to write an opportunity to work from home doing something they love, though they certainly don't promise that anyone is going to get rich writing for them.

Associated Content gives writers the chance to make money online by writing articles on nearly any topic imaginable that contain a minimum of 400 words and submitting them for paid publishing. Once the article is reviewed an offer of payment will be extended to the author ranging from $3 to $25 depending on the article's content.

Associated Content does not require any fees to sign up with them, and in fact often offers referral bonuses for invited others to begin making money online by writing articles. There are a few other online information sources that offer similar opportunities.