There are dozens of ways to make money online, some of them are good, some are great, and others are downright horrible. Here are some of the worst ways to make money online, and one good way that has stood the test of time.
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Let's Start With The Best: Online Trading
Trading stocks is a peer-tested and proven way to make money online. You don't have to be a day trader, rising and falling with big-time trades and jet setting all over the globe. It's possible to make a modest but respectable side income online with stocks, as long as you know what you're doing.
If you don't have a ton of money to start off with, penny stock investing could be a great place to start. Check out this Penny Stocks Guide and see if it's something that sounds appealing to you.
And now the worst:
Paid Surveys
If you see someone promising to pay you decent money, even a full-time income from taking surveys, turn the other way and run! Many times you will have to pay money in order to be told about the surveys, and then wait for more surveys to be available, all the while earning maybe a few dollars for your time.
Crowdsourcing Sites
There are places you can make money by performing dozens of simple tasks, and getting paid a few cents for each one.
You'll end up feeling like a robot, and you'll wonder why you spent all of that time when you see your account grow by just a few dollars at a time.
Captcha Typing
If you want to get carpal tunnel syndrome from doing menial tasks and earning pennies an hour, this would be the way to go. Somewhere in the world it might make sense for someone to do this based on global arbitrage, but for most Americans it just won't add up to a feasible online income.
Software Testing
The lure of becoming a software tester is appealing, but companies that are serious about testing their software have their own divisions with full-time employees testing it out all day.
It would be great if we could all play video games and test out new software for a living, but if we are being real we need to look for something more legit.
Latest Get-Rich-Quick Scheme
Getting on board with a get-rich-quick scheme is a sure way to lose money online rather than make it. There will always be some new system that promises you'll make job-killing income with just a few hours a day.
You have to put a high value on your time because no one else will. If devalue your time to the point of accepting a few dollars for your efforts it is hard to imagine making life-changing money online.
If you have to go back to school, take an online course, or listen to what the experts are saying and follow their advice, it is a much better choice than settling for less than you are worth.