How I Make $5,500 a Month From Home

Can I be honest?
 
I love finding side jobs for extra money. But what I don’t love is reading articles that tell you to do online surveys or become a Facebook Ad Marketing Manager.

A Facebook what?

So here’s the deal:
 
Whether you’re looking for side hustle jobs or fun ways to make money, you’ve come to the right place.
 
Last year, I was able to quit my job in pursuit of having a flexible lifestyle. And I’ll be the first to tell you:
 
It’s amazing.
 
So while my income varies from month to month, I’m able to consistently bring in between $5,000 – $6,000 each month.
 
Let’s dive in. 

1. VIPkid- $2,100

VIPkid is a company that connects English speakers with children in China. The pay range is between $18 – $22 per hour.
 
It’s 100% online and you’re given lesson plans to read along with the student. Each lesson lasts 25 minutes.
 
You essentially become an online teacher who helps students pronounce English words correctly.

I know what you’re thinking.
 
I can get paid $18-$22 per hour to help Chinese kids pronounce English? Is it legit? I thought that too.
 
But I’m so grateful that I did my research and verified it for myself. It’s been one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had.
 
The kids are amazing to work with and I’m making a difference in their lives by helping them learn English. It’s been one of the best side jobs for extra money that I’ve found.
 
Plus, you don’t have to be a certified teacher to do this. They do, however, want you to have some experience working with children.
 
So I’ll tell you what another VIPkid teacher told me:
 
Her: Have you babysat before?

Me: Well I’ve babysat my nephew a little bit here and there.

Her: Then you have experience working with children.
 
But fair warning:
 
Don’t apply for this job if you don’t like kids. You’re working one-on-one with small children, so you want to enjoy it.

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2. Virtual Assisting – $1,535

Several years ago, I worked in a small office for a local business. I answered the phones, responded to emails, and scheduled appointments.
 
It was a job that didn’t pay very well, but it helped me pick up some good customer service skills.
 
And thankfully, those skills are universal. Most companies need some sort of assistant.

The best part?

There are tons of companies that are willing to hire from home.
 
And in my search for side hustles, I read about a woman who makes her full-time income ($30/hour) as a virtual assistant.
 
I wanted something reliable and flexible. A job that I could be happy with and make good money.
 
Even though I had some customer service experience, I wasn’t 100% confident I could do this. But I knew it was a legitimate way to make money – and I wanted to escape my 9-5 job.
 
So I learned how to become a successful virtual assistant.
 
It was a game changer.
 
When I started, I charged my clients $20/hour. After about 6 months of work experience under my belt, I bumped up my hourly rate to $22.
 
A year later, I now charge $25/hour.
 
I focus mostly on social media management, email marketing, and customer service.
 
I used UpWork to pick up new clients. I found two companies that I love working with and I’ve stuck with them for the past several months.
 
If you’re looking for side jobs for extra money that can potentially grow into a full-time income, then I recommend virtual assisting.
 
If I didn’t enjoy VIPkid as much as I do, then I’d become a full-time virtual assistant.

3. Rev.com- $200

Randomly enough, a few months ago I stumbled upon a Reddit thread about how to work from home with no startup fee.
 
They were talking about a transcription site called Rev.
 
At that point, I had no idea what transcribing or captioning meant, but I was intrigued.
 
So here’s what it means:
 
Transcribing and captioning means you’re paid to write subtitles for shows, movies, and even YouTube videos.
 
The best part?
 
This side hustle doesn’t require phone calls or personal interaction.
 
It’s just you typing at your computer. So for this job, you’re required to have good grammar, punctuation, and attention to detail.
 
There’s a two-part application process:
 
1. Grammar quiz
2. Transcription sample
 
I usually hop on Rev in the evenings. The jobs go very quickly, so you have to claim them fast.
 
Here’s Jessica talking about her experience:

4. Private Music Teacher –  $1,665

I love this income stream because it gets me away from the computer but still allows me to work from home. I teach voice lessons, piano lessons, audition, and acting prep. 
 
My bachelor degree is in music, so this has allowed me to work on cruise ships, do musicals, and teach lessons.
 
Just like with VIPkid, these lessons are fulfilling because I get to see the students work hard and improve.
 
I’ve built up a clientele of about 5-10 regular students each week.
 
In a typical month, I make somewhere between $1,200 to $1,700 teaching private lessons. This income stream was awesome because it helped me get a month ahead on my bills. 

Bonus Money: Selling on LetGo and Facebook – $148

Last month I made a little extra money because I sold some stuff online. So while this isn’t one of my main side jobs for extra money, it was the perfect way to score some extra cash.
 
So here’s the deal:
 
My friend started telling me about this thing called the “7 Experiment.“
 
The Author, Jen Hatmaker, really focuses on the crazy amount of excess we all tend to have in life.
 
She focuses on 7 key areas:
 
Food, clothing, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress.
 
She challenges you to see what happens if you intentionally cleared the excess for 7 months. So this month, I cleared some extra clothes and possessions.
 
I asked myself:
 
If I have 4 pairs of black jeans, am I really going to wear my least favorite?
 
Probably not.

So seven months, seven areas, reduced to seven simple choices. I’m embarking on a journey of less, and it feels incredible.
 
Grand Total – $5,648

As you can see, I get a lot of variety from my work. My day is flexible which allows me to have time to do the things I enjoy.
 
I wouldn’t trade it for a 9-5 ever again.

Thanks for reading.