Make Money Online Without Spending Money: Step-By-Step Guide
With the latest pandemic and with many people losing their jobs over the last couple of weeks, it is no surprise people are turning to the internet to learn how to make money online without spending money they don’t have.
But, can it actually be done?
Actually, it can!
While none of the ways I am about to discuss in this post are guaranteed to make you thousands of dollars overnight or hundreds of dollars you may need right now to pay bills, with the right amount of work and dedication, you can make a decent income online in the coming weeks or months. All, without spending a dime in the process!
So, how do you start making money on the Internet?
Let’s find out, shall we?
Disclaimer: This website contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Affiliate when you click on the links on this post at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclaimer here.
Make Money Online Without Spending Money: The Truth You Need to KNow!
As I said above, yes, you can, in fact, make money online without spending money.
However, it is important for you to understand that not spending any money online while trying to make it will only take you so far. No way will you make thousands of dollars a month online without a little investment here or there.
What You Need in Order to Make Money Online
Take it from someone who has been doing this for a while: in order to make money using the Internet, you will need to have some basic equipment first to help you do the job. You will need things like:
- A decent computer-a basic desktop setup or laptop setup will suffice.
- An internet connection-you will need to be able to get online without too many interruptions or connection issues.
- Time-set aside a time that works for you every single day to work online. As someone who works a regular full-time job, freelancing jobs, and works online every day of the week, take it from me when I say having a work schedule is important. Make a schedule that won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed every day that you can dedicate to working. Also, remember to take days off!
Top 3 Ways to Make Money Online Without Spending Money
1. Freelancing
Perhaps one of the best ways to make money online without having to invest any money in the process is freelancing. If you visit this site often enough, you will see many posts of me raving about the perks of freelancing, having discovered it myself right after I gave birth to my son. This is how I first began earning a living online and it is one of the ways I recommend the most, especially for those who are new to working online.
Freelancing is exactly as it sounds: working as a freelance contractor or worker for legitimate companies or clients online for an agreed-upon price between both parties for the completion of a project or job. As a freelancer, you can find legitimate jobs doing things you already have experience in such as writing content, website development, database management, office management, administrative assistant, digital design, Microsoft office work, or even sales. You name it, you can find people who are hiring for it! You find the job, you work whatever hours you like and you get paid for it…as long as you complete the job that is.
So, where do you find these jobs or companies who are looking to hire freelancers?
Well, there are plenty of sites that can give you a great start!
UpWork
UpWork is one of the most popular freelancing sites out there. Originally this website went by the name of oDesk before being bought out by another freelancing company known as Elance. With this website, freelancers are able to find work in a variety of niches to fit the freelancer’s and clients’ needs. This website charges a fee of 20% for the very first $500 a freelancer earns. The more often a freelancer works with a single client, the less of a fee they are charged. Earnings are typically paid the first of every month or as soon as the funds clear from the client. The choice is completely up to the freelancer. Once the funds have cleared, a freelancer can have the funds directly deposited into their bank account or a separate Paypal account. Again, the choice is up to the freelancer.
It is completely free to sign up for an account with Upwork. However, you can pay extra for bids to allow you to bid on more projects with proposals if you choose.
Guru
Guru.com is another freelancing website I personally use to find higher-end clients. This site doesn’t really have too many new job postings added regularly, but once you find a client to work with here, most of the time you will be working with them regularly. Similar to UpWork, freelancers can find a variety of jobs available in various industries, perfect for any need. However, unlike the other freelancing website, Guru offers different memberships to freelancers, which you can take advantage of at any time.
- Basic or Free Membership-includes a job fee of 9.0% on projects with up to 120 available bids every year or 10 free bids a month. It is free to sign up for and costs nothing every month to renew.
- Basic + Membership-this membership includes a membership job fee of 9.0%, includes up to 600 bids on jobs a year or up to 50 bids a month. What makes this membership unique is the marketing perks, which offers up to $1K on free marketing done by the company itself to get your profile in front of clients. This membership costs $8.95 a month for a yearly membership or $11.95 a month for a monthly membership.
- Professional Membership-this membership is tailor-made for freelancers who are taking their freelance work to a professional level. It includes a job fee on all jobs of no more than 7.0%, up to 600 bids a year on jobs or 50 bids on jobs a month, a bid rollover for unused bids of up to 100 a year, the option to submit premium proposals on jobs for the cost of 6 bids and up to a $2K marketing boost a month. This membership costs $15.95 a month for a yearly membership or $21.95 a month for a monthly membership.
- Business Membership-This is one of the last two memberships that can be a great option for freelancers who want to do this full-time. It includes a job fee on jobs of no more than 6.0%, up to 600 bids on projects a year or 50 bids a month, up to 200 bid rollover on unused bids a year, a cost of 5 bids on premium proposals, the option to send sales messages to clients for a cost of 4 bids, the option to link a personal site to your profile and up to a $4k marketing boost. This membership costs $24.95 a month for a yearly membership or $33.95 a month for a monthly membership.
- Executive Membership-this is the most expensive membership you can buy on Guru. It includes a job fee of no more than 5.0%, up to 600 bids on jobs a year or 50 bids a month, up to 300 bid rollover on unused bids a year, a cost of 4 bids on premium proposals, a cost of 3 bids on sales messages, the option to link a personal site to your profile and a marketing boost of up to $8K. This membership has a cost of $39.95 a month for a yearly membership or $49.95 a month for a monthly membership.
FlexJobs
If you want to find a job where you can work full-time from home with a reputable company, FlexJobs is the perfect company for you. FlexJobs works similarly to many job posting sites, except it focuses primarily on telecommuting job opportunities. It helps freelancers find part-time and full-time job opportunities all around the world, regardless of the levels of the freelancer’s career.
Similar to other freelancing websites, you can create a profile detailing your previous work history and experience, take tests based on your skills to show off to potential employers, and even set up a portfolio for companies to see if they take an interest in you. The site offers excellent job tips to help you find the remote job you have always wanted.
FlexJobs has a monthly cost but offers three different options.
- Monthly-$14.95 a month
- 3 Month-$29.95 every quarter
- Yearly-$49.95 a month for a year
Just like a traditional job site, I recommend this site to people who have more time to dedicate to finding a long-term job with a legitimate company. Don’t expect to find an online job in a position you want in just a few days. This site may take a few months before you are offered a great paying position with a great company.
2. Affiliate Marketing
One of the best ways to get started working online without spending a dime is through affiliate marketing. This is a method I personally love because it allows you to start building an income online while you are already working. Affiliate marketing is the one method that 99% of people who try to make money online start with and yet up to 97% of those people fail to make a cent online.
What is affiliate marketing?
It is the idea of promoting a company or person’s product typically through an affiliate network, in exchange for earning a commission when that product or service is sold. Affiliates can be paid in a variety of ways such as per sale, per lead and per click. Many of the most popular affiliate networks include:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Clickbank
- JVZoo
So why is affiliate marketing so popular?
It is simple: because it is cost-effective and allows anybody, regardless of experience, to work from home on their own schedule. While starting a traditional business can result in hefty start-up fees. However, affiliate marketing can be done at a low cost to you and even most marketers start without any money, to begin with. Another benefit to affiliate marketing is that there is no affiliate network or program that will charge you fees in order to promote products.
3. Online Surveys
Online surveys are one of the best ways to make money online, especially if you don’t want to spend any money from the beginning or want something easy to do. As easy as taking online surveys may sound, you need to keep in mind that not every survey site should be treated the same. It is not my most recommended method simply because nearly every survey that may be available may not be available for you. Up to nearly 90% of online surveys can’t be taken simply because you won’t qualify for it. Each survey has specific requirements that must be met including specific demographics or personal habits.
So, what are some of the best survey sites out there?
Well, let’s take a closer look!
Survey Junkie
This survey website is perhaps one of the most popular survey websites used today. It is 100% free to sign up for using your Facebook account or your email address. It has an easy to use interface that any newcomer can easily navigate. This is one of the few sites out there that actually offer surveys to its users on a daily basis. Each online survey can pay out between $1 to $3. Users can payout as soon as they hit the $10 minimum threshold and users can get paid via gift cards or a Paypal deposit.
Swagbucks
While I wouldn’t consider this site a strict survey site, it does offer plenty of surveys that people can easily qualify for. Swagbucks is an online rewards program that has a point system members can qualify for by simply shopping online, conducting searches on search engines or even watching videos. And of course, taking surveys, which can pay between $0.40 to $2 per completed survey. Signing up for Swagbucks is absolutely free and new members can even qualify for a $5 sign up bonus. Users must meet the minimum $3 cash out for gift cards or $25 threshold for Paypal deposits.
Pinecone Research
This site is probably the most coveted online survey site today. Unlike other survey sites, Pinecone Research restricts access to its coveted surveys, only accepting members that fit within certain demographics. These demographics often change depending on the demographics they are targeting with new surveys.
As a member of Pinecone Research, you are invited to take certain surveys specifically based on your demographics and based on pre-qualification questions sent to you via email every month. Each survey can pay as much as $3 per survey. The minimum threshold you need to meet in order to payout is $3 and funds can be transferred to a PayPal account, you can be paid via check or can be sent a VISA gift card.
Make Money Online Without Spending Money: The Bottomline
Yes, making money online without spending money in the process is possible. Is it easy? Far from it. The issue with trying to make money without spending it is that you have to work twice as hard to be noticed, work twice as hard in marketing in order to turn visitors into possible conversions, and don’t have the ability to pay for things you need in order to scale possible earnings. However, it is doable. Try out these three methods for yourself. The only thing you could lose is your time.
How Do You Actually Make Money Online?
Take it from somebody who has been working online for a living since July 2013: there are literally hundreds of ways you can make money on the Internet. If you want to make money online using one of the easiest methods today, then you should follow my EXACT method.
The wonderful thing is you don’t have to have any special skills to make money using my method. I didn’t when I first started and yet I was able to make a full-time living in just a few weeks.
If I can do it, so can you!
Get started in EXACTLY the same place I learned to work from where and the place that taught me how to build my own profitable online business from the ground up. It was the place that taught me how to make money creating content about the very things I was passionate about: writing, video games, pet, and even cooking!
Sign up for my 100% free (yes, you read that right) course and learn from me exclusively. When you sign up, you will get everything you need to be successful: 2 free websites, premium website hosting, and a combination of 20 free lessons delivered straight to you!
Check out my free money-making course by clicking the button below!
See you on the inside!

