10 Ways For Retirees To Earn Extra Cash – No Surveys!

Has this ever happened to  you? As a retiree, you want to earn some extra cash, and you've found what looks to be a legitimate online survey site, and you go there and sign up hoping to make some extra cash.

After filling out all of the paperwork, you finally get started. First you have to qualify for the survey. So, you are on a roll answering the questions, making certain to really think about your answers.

On about the third question, you're disqualified—the survey wanted someone younger with small children at home. How disappointing! You try three more surveys—same thing—you don't qualify for them either.

Well, survey sites are not the only way to make extra money online! This article will show you 10 ways that you can earn extra money doing online jobs other than surveys.

So, What Are These 10 Ways To Earn Extra Cash?

Please keep in mind that there are so many other ways to earn money online, but being a retiree myself, I would venture to believe your past work experience would lead you to one of these.

I have also listed possible companies to sign up with if you aren't ready to go 100% solo. I will explore each one in further detail, but for now, they are:

• Freelance Photography
• Freelance Writing
• Get Out Of The House
• Online Consulting
• Online Tutoring
• Rent Out Your Stuff
• Sell Your Stuff Online
• Transcription
• Usability Testing
• Virtual Assistance

Here's the Break Down Of Opportunities

1 – Freelance Photography 

Maybe you've always dreamed of turning your hobby into cash. Then again, maybe you previously held a job where you used your photography skills (newspaper photographer, advertising, etc.) and want to stay up to date with them.

There are various companies and freelance sites out there you can use to post your portfolio and get paid. Some of the companies and sites are:

• Fiverr.com – Read Fiverr Review—This site sells just about any kind of freelance service, and photography is no exception. Just sign up with an account and start selling.
• Etsy – Read Etsy Review – This well-known site is used to sell crafts, but there are non-craft items that also sell well. One of these is photos, which can be used in a variety of ways. Anything from photos to frame or put on tee-shirts.
• Foap – If you do not have a lot of expensive cameras and equipment, this site will allow you to sell the photos on your iPhone. If your images sell, Foap will split the profits with you 50/50. Payment varies and is once a month on PayPal.
• Obeo – Read Obeo Review – Obeo hires even amateur photographers to photograph homes for sale in your area. A set of home pictures can fetch $30 to $60.

Shutterstock– A well-known site to sell your downloaded images and video. There is even a referral program to help you earn more when you refer other photographers and customers. Earn up to $30 for a downloaded image or video.

2 – Get Out Of The House

If you were in marketing or customer service in your past work life or just want to shop, eat or talk on the phone—here you go!

You can either get out of the house with this one or stay at home. There are plenty of sites out there that need for you to pose as a consumer as a mystery shopper, or do other tasks like pet-sitting and delivering food.

• Field Agent — See Field Agent Review – If you have an iPhone then you will want to download the Field Agent app and begin taking advantage of mystery shopping jobs in your area.
• GAPbuster – See GAPbuster Review – This site will allow you to shop or dine outside of the house and serves many different industries. The main requirement will be to be a good record keeper.
• GigWalk — Read GigWalk Review – Another mystery shopping job using your iPhone. You may be asked to take pictures, answer questions about a product or count items on a shelf.
• Mobee – See Mobee Review – This site has a really good GPS tracking device to show that you really are in the store. You can take surveys but you can skip them and just do the shopping part.
• Easy Shift – See Easy Shift Review – Each job pays between $2 and $20 dollars, and you can actually just do this at home using your iPhone or iPad. You would be making phone calls.
• Rover – Read Rover Review – If you're an animal lover, you can sign up on Rover and accept pet-sitting jobs in your area. Most people who sign up and are accepted as sitters report getting their first pet-sitting gig within a week or so.
• DoorDash – Read DoorDash Review – DoorDash is an app some people use to request fast food and restaurant orders delivered to their doorstep. DoorDash is regularly looking for people to be “dashers” and deliver these orders. You can use your own car to do this and work on your own time.

3 – Online Tutoring 

This is a good choice for those retired teachers, teacher's aids, those who have lived abroad or those who just enjoy working with people.  A few sites to check out are:

• Cambly — Read Cambly Review – This site is probably better known than most of the other online tutoring platforms. You will be helping students and some adults with their English, which will be their second language. You do not need a degree for this—just a good command of conversational English and a webcam to talk to the students overseas.
• GoGoKid – Read GoGoKid Review – If you have a Bachelor's Degree in any subject, you can help children learn English. The hours are flexible and you may or may not have the same children all the time.
• VIPKid – Read VIPKid Review – This site will accept applicants with “formal” or “informal” teaching experience such as mentoring, tutoring or other alternatives as well as Bachelor's Degree in any field. This is primarily ESL teaching.
• Brainfuse – Read Brainfuse Review – This site requires at least a Bachelor's Degree or higher with experience. You can do one-on-one with students or a group of students.
• TutorMe – This is a worldwide site that is open to applicants with previous teaching or tutoring experience with a mastery of the subject matter. If you don't have a degree, you must be working on it.

4 – Sell Your Crafts Online

This is a way to finally fulfill your long awaited dream of becoming a paid artist or crafter. Sign up with any of these sites, upload your items for sale, and then start selling. A few sites to use are:

• Amazon Handmade – Read Amazon Handmade Review – You can use Etsy and Amazon Handmade at the same time. You sign up with a profile and Amazon will even give you a barcode if you desire. You can even include your handmade items in the Amazon Fulfillment Program.
• Artfire – Read Artfire Review – This is another popular site that has been around for a number of years. There is no listing fee, but there is a monthly fee of about $20.
• Bonanza – As its name implies, it is a “large” online craft store of “anything but the ordinary”. What makes Bonanza so unique is that it is able to combine both the market place (individual sales) and the web store.
• Craftsy – This is a place to sell your own craft patterns. If you have a few designs that you think would be good for a particular craft, then you are invited to sign up and start selling them.
• Etsy – Read Etsy Review – While it has been mentioned before, it is such a popular site for selling all kinds of handmade items.

5 – Freelance Writing

This is also a popular and in-demand choice. There are so many types of freelance writing genres, and levels of writers.

Whether you are a retired journalist or just someone who always wanted to try freelance writing, anything from travel writing to resume writing to online article writing is an option. Some sites for you to try are:

• Crowd Content – Read Crowd Content Review – This site hires writers and editors and sometimes proofreaders. You will need to sign up and create an account.
• Talent, Inc. – Read Talent, Inc. Review – This site hires worldwide. Get paid $20 per resume to start. The pay is monthly.
• Textbroker – Read Textbroker Review – This is considered the “granddaddy of them all”. While you won't become rich you will earn about $.07 a word. However, this is a great place to begin or if you are an experienced writer, there are higher levels for you to start at as well as earn. Levels go up to 5, and pay is weekly on PayPal.
• ProBlogger – This site lists clients who want you to write articles for their blogs. There are food blogs, fashion blogs, and just about everything else. The pay will depend upon the client, and the rate of pay is unfortunately not always listed for each opportunity.
• Upwork – Read Upwork Review – There are all types of writing and many other freelance services available. Once you sign up with Upwork, you can pick and choose what you want to write and your clients. Pay will vary and depend upon the client, but Upwork will make certain you are paid via PayPal.

6 – Online Expert Sites

Maybe you were once a trainer or consultant in the workforce. There are many ways to get paid to give advice online. The sites to look at are:

• Clarity – Once you sign up and are approved as an expert, clients will be able to decide if you are the one to help them with their business challenges. You must have a Facebook or LinkedIn profile to qualify.
• Ingenio – This site focuses on personal counseling and relationship counseling. You can set your own rates here and handle your consultations either by phone or chat.
• JustAnswer.com – Once you are approved on this site, you may work as much or as little as you want. There are over 175 categories and this site is available in over 30 different countries. You can work as much or as little as you want and when you want.
• Maven – This site allows you to become a “microconsultant,” because everyone knows something or is an expert on something. There are 11 categories to choose from and you will be answering questions via email or chat as well as doing phone consultations. There are even long-term projects in which you could get involved.
• Skillshare – This site is where you go to teach—even without a degree in education. As long as you have the skill or expertise, you can create classes and lesson plans right there on the site. Consumers basically buy your course(s) similar to Udemy.

7 – Rent Out Your Stuff

If you are okay with this, this is another way for retirees to earn money- especially, since most retirees like to travel and now have the time to do so. Also, most of us have lived long enough to have accumulated quite a bit of stuff to rent out!

• Airbnb – Read Airbnb Review – Rent out your home, vacation home, apartment or even your igloo if you have one! Charge what you want and decide how long the renters/vacationers should stay.
• Campanda – Rent out your camper or RV. Campanda will insure it for $1 million in liability with roadside assistance.
• Outdoorsy – Similar to Campanda, you just have to decide what to charge and for how long.
• Store at My House – This is a place to rent out any spare space you in your home and charge what you want. It could be an attic, basement, room, tool shed or garage.
• Turo – Rent out your car, and they will insure it for a million dollars with 24/7 roadside service. Decide what to charge.

8 – Transcription

If you were an administrative assistant, courtroom reporter, paralegal or just want to try your hand at this, many people enjoy it. Several sites that you may be interested in trying are:

• Quicktate – Read Quicktate Review – This transcription site pays twice a week and does require a background check due to the sensitive nature of the work. You must also pass the entrance test.
• Rev – Read Rev Review – This site offers both transcription and video captioning. They also hire beginners.
• Scribie – Read Scribie Review – This transcription site pays via PayPal, and you can cash out with just $1. You must pass the entrance exam.
• Transcribe.com – Read Transcribe.com Review – This transcription site is a lot like TranscribeMe, and is a good place to begin doing transcription. It also pays daily.
• TranscribeMe – Read TranscribeMe Review – This site pays weekly via PayPal and you must pass the entrance test. It does not always have an abundance of work, but it is a good side gig to something else.

9 – Usability Testing

Usability testing is a good option for those who enjoy technology or have a background in that.

You will be testing out websites, apps, and software to find bugs and also to see how “user friendly” they are. Most sites will take new applicants as long as they can pass the entrance exam.

• Enroll – Read Enroll Review – Enroll pays once a month via PayPal and is basically done on a first come first serve basis. In other words, whoever can log in and get to the web tests the fastest.
• Erli Bird – Read Erli Bird Review – This usability site allows you to test sites, apps, and tech gadgets. It has a one-week turnaround for the pay once you begin working.
• User Testing – Read User Testing Review – This site pays via PayPal, and you can do up to 15 to 20 tests with each one paying $10. You do not have to live in the United States to participate.
• Userlytics – Read Userlytics Review – For this site you will be browsing websites and sometimes comparing multiple websites. Payout is fairly quick, and you are paid $10 per website.
• uTest – This site is for beta and alpha testing software. It is one of the better paying sites, but usually you will need to be fairly technically inclined to make good money there.

10 – Virtual Assistance

This is a great way to make money if you have a prior administrative assistant background, paralegal or other office support staff background.

While you can certainly “hang your shingle” and advertise for your own clients, below are a few companies that you can find work. They are:

• Fancy Hands – Read Fancy Hands Review – You will be doing a wide range of tasks ranging from calling and rescheduling someone's dental appointment to finding a movie review online. Tasks pay $3 to $40 each.
• Life Bushido– Read Life Bushido Review – You will be working in a team doing various tasks. You may work between 5 to 20 hours per week.
• Team Delegate – You will be doing a variety of tasks for this company including calendar and time management, making travel arrangements, PowerPoint presentations, and taking dictation.
• Time Etc. – Read Time Etc. Review – This company is based in the UK, but hires in both the UK and US. The type of work and clients will be given to you based on skill. The pay range is $11 to $16 hourly.

For 50 more companies that hire work at home virtual assistants plus information on starting your own VA business, check out the e-book, Your Quick Guide to Working From Home as a Virtual Assistant.

In Conclusion

Don't be discouraged because you aren't qualifying for low-paying surveys. There are so many more (lucrative) ways to make extra money online.