50 Ways To Survive Financially During The Pandemic

We’re living in interesting times ladies and gentlemen, and that may be a curse or a blessing, depending on one’s inclination toward pessimism or optimism.

Moreover, most of our readers are currently under a form of other of lockdown, a prison term which I personally loath, mandatory or self-imposed. So, regardless of what you think about the COV19 so-called pandemic, we must give Cesar what’s his and stay home, avoid social contact and all that Fauci palaver, or face consequences, which may be dire financially speaking, at least for some of us, yours truly included.

So, if you’re not an “essential” worker, you are probably reading this while at home, with a lot of spare time on your hands. And speaking about free time and idle hands, we must emphasize the “working from home” mantra. Before the internet/digital revolution, working from home was literally a pipe dream for most people, but following the pandemic hysteria and mass layoffs in the service sector, working from home is suddenly sounding very interesting, especially if you’re looking for a side hustle to supplement your income.

The notion of working from home is probably familiar to most of our readers, whether you’re trying to start your own business or work remotely for a company. Hence, today’s article will try to help you mitigate social distancing and quarantine issues via giving you some ideas about making money without risking getting the flu or whatever flies through the air nowadays. Think around the notion of “side hustles for everyone”, especially if you’ve followed mass media’s advice and you already learned how to code (just kidding).  

You probably know that the high-tech sector has already gone remote, and most Google/Apple/Twitter/Facebook employees have been asked to stay away from office following the outbreak, hence here are a few ideas for remote working at home even if you’re not a tech-wiz, right after a short commercial break.

Best work at home jobs during the pandemic

Freelance Writer

Yes, you got that right: if you can type at reasonable speed and you have a PC/laptop and an internet connection, you can make some money while at home just by writing stuff. Now, depending on your skill level and experience, you can make up to 75k a year, according to various websites, but if you’re just starting into this racket, don’t get your hopes too high, okay? Start with recruiting websites like Freelancer.com or Facebook groups for freelancers, and search for brands or companies looking for “guns for hire”, then give it your best shot; once you’ve established a respectable portfolio and you’re getting good at what you’re doing, you can turn freelance writing into a full-time job and never leave your home again J.

Affiliate Marketer

Oh, yeah, that sounds complicated, but it’s no biggie, really. All you have to do is to build an interesting website, or a blog if you like (yes, that takes time and effort), and engage in referral marketing, i.e. start promoting things like Amazon books/items on your website, and each time a reader clicks on a link on your website or blog and buys stuff from Amazon, you’ll get a commission. Pretty cool, huh?

Freelance Animator

Yes, that freelance thing strikes again. A freelance animator can make a lot of money while working at home these days provided he or she is capable of creating visual effects or animation for various types of media, including movies, websites, video games or TV. The thing is, learning this “power” takes time and skill, but once you’re a master animator, you can make tons of money, and we’re not kidding either, i.e. you can earn up to $100 /hour or even more.

Photographer

If you have a decent camera and the magic eye, you can make a few extra bucks monthly by selling your best shots on the internet. The point being, there are photo buying applications like Foap or EyeEm that pay real money for pics, provided they’re good enough. Just give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

Online Bookkeeping

Yes, we know that sounds awesome if you’re a bookkeeper, but unfortunately most of us are not. Kidding aside, virtual bookkeeping can be a solution nowadays and it may bring you up to twenty bucks an hour if you have a love for numbers and you’re the organized type of person, with OCD-level attention to details. You can find virtual bookkeeping gigs on websites like LinkedIn or Indeed.

Content marketer

The digital age strikes again, and yes, digital content marketing is a big deal nowadays, that if you’re a creative ninja, or genius, or whatever. The daily tasks of a digital content marketer include creating blogs (like writing) but also videos, or social media posts (on Instagram, Facebook et al), plus distributing the respective content online to a specific audience. Again, look on websites like Indeed or LinkedIn for gigs in this niche and thank us later.

Human Laundromat

Seriously, this can be a neat solution to supplement your income during pandemics by doing other people’s laundry and charging them a few bucks for this little favor; if you have a big-ass washing machine and a passion for doing/folding tons of laundry daily, you can make some serious money if you search for clients nearby and you’re ready to pick up their dirty laundry and then deliver it clean as a whistle at their front door.

Interior Design

We know, during economic hardship, interior design jobs sound like rearranging the furniture on the Titanic, but if you’re an experienced interior designer, you can do this job from home via internet and charge bored people who want to rearrange their stuff during lockdown up to twenty bucks per hour for this service. How to do it? There are companies like Decorist, Modsy or Havenly who hire in this niche as we’re writing this piece, so go give it a shot.

Caterer also known as chef or baker

Yes, this sounds like the perfect job for old-school preppers, i.e. people who know how to bake a cake, or housewives with a passion for cooking, to name just a few examples. If you want to turn your passion for food into a side hustle, you can now start your own catering business from home, and become the best chef in the neighborhood. Your first clients can be your friends or your unsuspecting neighbors, or you can try to engage in this hustle at local farmer markets and even online.

Corporate English Trainer

Yes, you got that right: if you have an internet connection and a laptop plus basic computer skills, you can teach corporate employees and even execs in countries like Japan, Korea, or Germany formal English via the “interwebz”. What these guys are mostly interested in is small talk for business meetings and things of that nature. If this sounds like a job to you, check out GoFluent.com and come thank us later after your first paycheck.

Programmer

Oh, yeah, this must be the goose with the golden eggs if you followed mass-media’s advice and learned how to code. Joke aside, remote programmers work from home way before the 2020 pandemic, and some of them make 6 figures salaries. Obviously, if you have a degree in computer science, you already know that.

Child Caregiver

Indeed, this may be the perfect job for the average Karen, i.e. running a childcare racket from home can land you a lot of money especially during lockdowns, when most people would enjoy a bit of quality time alone, but that requires you to have the necessary licenses and permits.

Consulting

If you’re a lawyer or an accountant (that would be a level 10 bookkeeper before you ask), which means you have a lot of experience and knowledge in a specific business or area, you can always provide consulting services for small firms/businesses contra cost.

Customer Service Representative

If you have a reliable ISP and a landline, you can earn 10-12 bucks an hour, or even more, as a customer service representative, provided you have good communication skills and you’re patient enough.

Data entry

Again, this is an entry-level job for people with basic computer skills, but the good news is that anyone can do it from home via the internet. This is not the most exciting gig, not by a long shot, but if you can type really fast and you have a lot of free time on your hands, you can make some easy money, even if you have zero previous experience in this niche.

Music Reviewer

It is said that people who can’t make their own music, earn a living from criticizing those who can. Seriously now, you can become a music reviewer with slicethepie.com, if you’re an opinionated music aficionado who can leave a comprehensive and detailed review after listening to a tune. Just give it a try, you never know.

Transcriber

The ideal candidate for this job is a fast typist who’s also very OCD, as in detail-oriented. The good news is that you don’t require previous experience, so if you’re looking for a career change, or starting your first during this plague situation, pay a visit to quicktate.com, tanscribeme.com or transcribeanywhere.com .

Etsy virtual store owner

This is the perfect job for DIY enthusiasts, i.e. people who love working with their hands; if you’re an artisan, an artist, a painter, or whatever kind of creator, you can side-hustle on Etsy. First, you’ll have to create a seller account (that would be your virtual store) and then start listing your products.

E-commerce

Since we’re living in the digital age, you must learn that being an e-commerce store owner is a big thing nowadays due to websites like Magento, Shopify, and WooCommerce. There are basically 5 types of business models in this niche: wholesaling, drop-shipping, white labeling, manufacturing, and subscriptions.

Event Planner

You can make a buck these days planning other people’s events, that if you’re an organized individual yourself.

Editing and proofreading

You can make up to twenty bucks per hour with companies like Book in a Box, who pay pretty money to proofreaders, book jacket designers, and editors. A degree in literature would help a lot in this niche by the way.

Website Tester

If you have an internet connection and a computer, you can work from home (well, kind of) by surfing the web and testing new websites, looking for things like ease of navigating, and user-friendliness. Obviously, you’ll have to be very detail-oriented and disciplined, but if you’re good at your job you can make a few hundred bucks a month if you register with companies like youeye.com, usertesting.com or userlytics.com .

Online Juror

Yes, you got that right: you can make up to $60 per case depending on the case, naturally, if you’re patient enough to listen to a couple of opposing lawyers arguing in a mock trial, in order to sharpen their advocacy skills. Just go visit websites like Online Verdict, where you can apply for a job as an online juror and watch your inbox.

Game Tester

This is very similar to website testing, but a lot more fun, obviously, as you’ll have to binge play video-games and see what’s wrong with the latest releases. A gamer spirit and a powerful computer plus a strong internet connection are must-haves, but the rest is up to you.

Film and Post Instructional Videos

If you’re pretty good at something, you can film it and post the videos on YouTube. Yes, you got that right, you can become a YouTube star during the pandemic and earn some easy money in the process if you get a lot of traffic. YouTube’s partner program pays up to 2 bucks per 1000 views.

Grant Writer

This is a job for educated folk, as many non-profits, hospitals, and even universities require help to apply for grant money. Here’s where you come in, as a talented grant writer, as these applications are not easy to write, and this job can land you a decent living working from home, pandemic or not.

Graphic Designer

Again, this is a job for tech nerds, but in the age of the internet, there are literally thousands of companies looking for people to help them with their visual ads, branding, logos, websites, and things of that nature. If you were inspired enough to take graphic design courses or you’re just innately good at this, now is your time to shine, especially if you have a certification in this area and a solid portfolio.

Personal trainer/instructor

If you play a mean guitar, or you’re just good at building muscles, you can teach others how to do it via personalized lessons, online or “in real life”, lockdown is damned.

Virtual Test Scorer

This could be the job for you if you have at least a Bachelor’s degree and a green card; no, seriously, you’ll have to be authorized to work in the US to become a test scorer, and you can make $15 per hour evaluating student’s answers on specific subjects by applying a certain set of criteria. LinkedIn would be a good place to start looking for jobs, as well as applying directly to companies like ETS.

Internet Security Specialist

If you love computers and working from home, this may be your dream job, as you can earn a living monitoring network, implementing security standards, and looking for security threats. You’ll be like an internet super-hero on a salary, and by the way, this is a future-proof job, pandemic or not.

Online teacher

Everybody envies teachers for their easy jobs and flexible schedules, but you can become a virtual teacher yourself working from home via Skype for organizations like Connections Academy or K12.

Intellectual Property Lawyer

Expert advice is golden if you’re trying to apply for a patent in the US or to protect intellectual property. If this is your area of expertise, you can work from home and charge $100/hour and even more. But then again, you’re probably already doing that if you have a law degree in patent/intellectual property.

Pet Groomer

If you love animals and you don’t mind bringing them home and clean/style them, this may be your dream job, and the ideal home-based business model for animal-lovers.

Product Reviewer

The internet-based lifestyle strikes again, and that’s mostly due to the success of companies like Amazon, which is slowly but surely replacing brick and mortar stores. The point being, you can make a decent living by reviewing products on the internet for potential buyers, and earn 5-6 figures annually just by writing about stuff you use daily. Amazing, huh?

Virtual Realtor

Oh yeah, even with social distancing and lockdowns, you can still be a realtor working from home, i.e. you can run this type of business by remote and show potential clients the respective property via the internet.

Repairer

With most shops closed, if you know how to repair stuff like bicycles, computers and even cars, now it’s the perfect time to start your own repair business. A little marketing would definitely help, and you can buy a few ads on Facebook, for example, it really works.

Social Media Manager

Everything nowadays is related to social media, since we all need a presence on Facebook, Instagram, etc., and there are a lot of companies, small businesses, organizations and even famous people who require someone to take care of their social media account or even to develop a social media strategy.

Online Stylist

Here’s another idea for working from home, if you’re into fashion and think you can become the next YouTube sensation.

Tax Preparer

Yes, we know this is mostly a seasonal job, but it pays very well provided you know what you’re doing and you’re also registered with the Internal Revenue Service.

Internet Nurse

This would be an excellent job for you if you’re a registered nurse willing to work for health management companies or health insurers via telephone/Skype/whatever. Companies like Aetna, Humana, and United Health Group are always looking for registered nurses for remote work, i.e. patient education, treatment authorization, or case management.

Translator

Even if Google has its own automated translator, it’s still pretty far from perfect, hence if you’re fluent in another language, you can become an interpreter or translate documents and make a living working at home.

Digital assistant

Also known as virtual assistant, this job will require you to work like an old-school secretary via the internet from the comfort of your own home. Basically, you’ll have to answer emails, data entry for your boss, assist with social media issues, and similar stuff, and the best thing is that it also pays the minimum wage. 

PR Representative

Small and medium-sized companies/businesses can’t afford a “real-life” marketing officer, and here’s your next job: virtual PR representative. Which means you’ll have to manage a crisis or to promote a business by remote. Sounds easy enough, right?

Virtual Human Resources Agent

Also known as a virtual recruiter, your job is to search the internet and find the right man for the right place, i.e. the perfect employee for a given position. Since this is HR stuff, you’ll have to do the screening, the interviewing and the negotiation, because after all’s said and done, that’s what they’re paying you for.  On top of that, you can also create resume templates, which also pays pretty well.

Virtual tutor

This sounds pretty straight forward: if you’re an expert in a given area, you can teach others via the internet or via phone.

Web developer

Again, this is a golden job at any time and virtually anywhere in the world, pandemic or not. As in, if you’re good at building websites, you can earn 6 figures easily working at home, plague or not.

Voice acting

This is the perfect job for persons with a beautiful voice, and it pays amazingly well if you’ve “got them vocal cords”: up to $70/hour.

Web Search Evaluator

Amazingly enough, Google, Yahoo, and others pay people to help them deliver accurate services to their customers, hence you can get paid by a search engine company to analyze search results. Previous experience is not required, and you can make the minimum wage easily working from home.

Tech Support Specialist

If you know computers, you can make 20 bucks an hour working from home and helping people solve problems with their computer hardware/software. Your job is basically remote diagnose, i.e. you’ll walk your customers through solutions on the phone, via instant messenger or email.

Survey taker

Finally, here’s the perfect job for someone with strong opinions on whatever topic and a lot of free time on their hands. Taking online surveys won’t make you rich, but you may end up with up to $50 each time you conduct an opinion poll or a survey. Go to realwaystoearnmoney.com and search for the keyword “surveys”, then sign up for as many sites as possible.

Well, that was all folks. We know, there are a lot of ideas left unexplored, so if you want to help make the article complete, just leave us a comment in the dedicated section below. Don’t forget: a crisis may be an opportunity if you have the right mindset, so who knows, if you stay safe at home during these frightful times and try to do something else than binge-watching Netflix, maybe after the pandemic is long gone and forgotten, you’ll end up with a cool story to tell your friends.