Money Management

Money at 30: Three Job Ideas For People Who Want to Work from Home

Ever walk around town and see those “Make $$$ working from home” flyers stapled to a telephone pole? While many of those “exciting opportunities” are undoubtedly scams, the truth is that the Internet and other remote work technologies are making work-at-home jobs more prevalent and easier to obtain. Take it from me — as of this month, I’ve now happily worked from home for the past three years. Meanwhile, as I’ve mentioned in the past, my wife is currently considering such options for herself, which would allow us both to travel more.

This has led me to start thinking more about different work from home career options and I am now here to discuss three particularly great ones:

Writer

Obviously this is how I’ve made my living for the past three+ years so it’s the area I know the most about. Today there are many different types of freelance writers and many different outlets you can use to find projects or full-time work. This includes everything from writing articles to website homepage copy to product taglines. Alternatively you may consider publishing your own books or eBooks as a way to generate income and make writing your full-time profession. 

When looking for writing opportunities there are many plans of attack, including simply looking for sites you’d like to work for and inquiring about any open positions. Of course this method may prove a bit far fetched and so it’s often better to start small and find one-off jobs using various platforms. In addition to popular sites like Freelancer and Upwork that aim to help connect freelancers and clients, don’t dismiss broader platforms like Craigslist that can also be helpful in finding writing gigs. Not only will using these platforms help you stay afloat income wise but will also allow you to build up a portfolio of work you can use to obtain better gigs and higher rates down the line.

Travel agent

This is one idea I hadn’t really considered until a friend of mine recently brought it to my attention. Although I’ve often joked about the sheer number of Disney fans that had parlayed their fandom into a job by starting their own Disney-specialized travel agencies, it never occurred to me that many larger agencies would need help — even from remote workers. Now you might assume that travel agencies were a dying breed given how easy it to book your own trip using the Internet these days, but you’d be wrong. As it turns out many people still enjoy having someone help them plan their vacations, giving those who want to work at home and are savvy at online travel research a marvelous opportunity.

eBay/Amazon seller

If writing or booking trips for others aren’t quite your skill sets, what about something nearly anyone can do: sell items on eBay. Sure plenty of people have made a little extra money by occasionally selling items they have no use for on the popular bidding site but others have turned it into a career by “flipping” items they know will garner attention. In fact entrepreneurial superstar Gary Vaynerhuck has often spoken about “the eBay hustle” as a way to make easy money. This could involve going to garage sales and thrift shops in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough or even buying items in bulk to resell on eBay or Amazon. Either way, when used properly and prudently, these platforms can actually be quite lucrative and allow you to create a work-at-home job for yourself.

Working from home doesn’t have to be a fantasy and not every remote work opportunity is a scam. As a work-from-home (or anywhere) person myself, I’m proof that the dream is possible. Of course the path you choose will depend on what you’re good at and what you like to do — be it write,help people plan, or move merchandise. Ultimately there are plenty of jobs you can do from home, but it’s up to you the find the right one.

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