Introduction
Most people keep using the same earning methods and earning platforms online, but there are actually quite a few money-making methods that almost nobody talks about. Some of them are more like real side hustles, and some of them have genuinely surprised me with what they can pay. And a lot of you here on my channel also keep asking me for brand new methods that they have never heard of before. So, in this video here, I’m going to show you seven overlooked money-making methods that you’ve probably never heard of. And I’ll be honest about who they’re for and who should probably skip them.
In case you don’t know, my name is Mikael, and I have tested hundreds of different ways to make money online and make extra money on the site in general over the past 8 to 9 years. And today’s video is one I’ve been looking forward to making because the seven methods I will show you usually fly under the radar. Now, let’s just start by setting the expectations. None of these are magic solution. None of them will make you rich overnight. But there are real ways to earn some extra money if you’re willing to put in some effort.
How much you can earn and what tasks you have to do vary a lot depending on the methods. I will explain all the important details about each method to help you find the right options for you. So, it’s not a prioritized list. I’ll just go through the seven methods, explain a little bit about each, and then you can decide based on that which of them you think sounds the most interesting and relevant for you.
1. Observa: Mystery Shopping App
So let’s just jump to the first option. The first is called Observa, and this is a mystery shopping app that pays you, for example, to visit stores, photograph shelves, check product displays, and answer quick questions on behalf of major brands such as Walmart, 7-Eleven, and more. The tasks you can find here usually take 15 to 30 minutes on average. And how much you can earn, of course, depends on the exact task, but from what I’ve seen, it’s somewhere between three and $25 for each task. And there’s no minimum payout threshold you need to reach to withdraw. Usually, once you’ve completed a task, your money will get paid into your PayPal account within 24 to 72 hours.
So, that’s definitely great. The catch is that it’s only available in the US and Canada. So, just keep that in mind. And when it comes to something like a mystery shopping app or platform in general, task availability depends heavily on where you live, and you have to go out to specific stores to do these tasks. So also keep that in mind, where you live, that if it’s something where you have to spend too much time and money on transportation, then it might not be profitable. But in general, big cities have plenty of work, but smaller areas usually have a lot less.
2. Thumbs Up: Social Media Posting App
Thumbs Up is an app you can use for both Android and iOS devices. Basically pays you to post about local businesses and brands on your social media. But the great thing is that there’s no minimum follower requirement. So you don’t have to have a huge following or anything like that to get started. You can download the app, sign up, verify your phone number, and then browse a map for nearby businesses that have active campaigns.
Then you, for example, need to take a photo, post it on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or X. The exact task will, of course, vary, but you can read all about it when you look at what tasks are available in your local area. And then usually you can get paid anywhere from $5 to $50 per approved post, and you will get paid via PayPal or Venmo. In most cases, the payments are more or less instant once the posts have been approved. The big limitation here is geographic because campaigns are mainly concentrated in a few big US cities. So you have to keep that in mind also.
3. Sharetown: Reselling Returns Platform
Next, we have a really interesting one in my opinion, and this is called Sharetown, which is a platform that connects you with returns from direct-to-consumer brands. And in general, these are companies that have returns that they don’t want to pick up themselves. So they pay you to pick them up, store them, and resell them yourself. So you don’t have to actually pay for this inventory until it actually sells. So in that sense, there’s no financial risk, and it has quite a high earning potential if you’re willing to put in the effort.
They say on the website itself that some reps are making up to $50 per hour. And I have also seen examples of some of the top reps, they call them the reps or share town reps, earning up to $3,000 or more per month. But it would definitely require some time and effort. And you also need to be aware that, in many cases, you need to pick up in many cases large items and store them until you can sell them. Then you need some kind of storage space, and you also need to have a vehicle so you can pick up these items.
You need to be willing to put in physical effort and then have a sense of how you can sell it online, how you can just take the right pictures, write the right description, so you can make sure you sell it as fast as possible. So, this is a hands-on side hustle. So, it’s definitely not a passive one, but with time and effort, it’s also a side hustle that can give some quite nice extra money.
4. Survey Monkey Rewards: Short Survey App
So, let’s now talk about Survey Monkey Rewards. And you can use this app for both iOS and Android devices because most people know Survey Monkey as a business survey tool where you can create surveys as a business to get feedback from customers. But a lot of people don’t know that they actually have their own rewards app for consumers. So that means you can join it for free and start earning by taking small surveys, and the surveys are, in general, short, typically just two to three minutes, and some testing has shown that it can even pay around $13 per hour, which is definitely quite high for a survey app.
The downside is that they are very limited surveys in general, and on average, you are lucky if you get 8 to 10 surveys per month. So that’s something you need to keep in mind. Also, another thing you need to be aware of is that it only pays out in Amazon gift cards as of the recording of this video here. So, you can’t get paid in cash. So, if you want to only earn cash, then this is not the right option for you. You need to earn just $5 to take out your earnings. So, I would say this is best used as a little extra option alongside some of the other apps and websites I show here, instead of just a standalone earner. But in general, if you’re interested in survey apps, then I also have a video about my top recommended survey apps. I’ll leave a link in the top corner for more information about that.
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5. Neighbor: Storage Space Rental Platform
So the next option is called Neighbor, and this is kind of like Airbnb for storage space, you can call it. So if you have a spare garage, basement, attic, parking spot, or even just some extra room, you can list it here on this platform and earn passive income from people who need somewhere to store their stuff. So once you have set it up and rented out your space, then there’s nothing else you actually need to do. Someone will just pay you monthly to store their belongings. And I have seen examples of top hosts that earn up to $10,000 per year.
Of course, most people will earn a lot less depending on your location and also the space size, but it is free to list your storage space here, and neighbors will also handle the payment processing. So once you have set it up, if you have extra space or storage or something like that, it can be an easy way to earn some extra money. You just need to be aware that currently it’s only available in the US, but if you live somewhere else, you can just look in your country if there might be something similar. So then you at least have inspiration for this type of earning opportunity.
6. Micro1: AI-Powered Freelance Matching for Tech Professionals
Micro1 is the next one I want to talk about. It is an AI-powered platform that matches technical professionals. That means, for example, developers, engineers, and designers can work remotely at competitive rates. So it’s not for everyone, but if you have the right skills, it can be interesting. And what makes it different is that the matching process uses AI to vet and place you. So that speeds up the finding of relevant work, but that also means that you will actually be interviewed by an AI. I’ve tried that myself.
It feels a little bit strange to be honest at first, but that’s probably the future. So, it’s quite interesting to try here, and it does make things more efficient, it seems. But as mentioned, it is in the higher skill category. So, it won’t be relevant for everyone. But if you do have a technical background, it’s a legit, and uh, it’s a platform not many people talk about, and you can find well-paying remote work here.
7. Mindrift AI: AI Training Platform
The last option I want to talk about is called Mindrift AI, and this is an AI training platform backed by Toloka. So it is a well-known company or platform behind it. And this is a platform where you can get paid to help train AI models. For example, helping by writing prompts, evaluating AI responses, fact-checking, and editing AI-generated content. So you can kind of think of it as teaching AI how to think and communicate better. And usually it pays somewhere between $15 and $60 per hour, depending on your background and the exact project.
And you would get paid weekly via Payoneer. It is possible to join from all countries. You don’t have to have any prior AI experience for certain roles, but there are also higher-paying specialist projects for people with expertise and knowledge in certain areas, for example, like medicine, law, or finance. Just be aware that the application process involves an assessment that covers English fact-checking and text editing, and how much work is available that depends on the current time, which projects you have, and all that. So it’s a process you need to put in some time and effort to potentially qualify for work here. Are you looking for 5 Boring AI Workflows? Read this article.
Conclusion
So these are some quite unknown ways to make money, and some of the methods are quite easy to get started with. You can earn a bit extra here and now. Others take some more time and effort, but also have higher earning potential. But I love coming across new method looking into uh what options there are, because there are just many opportunities both online and in the real world. And I hope this gave you some inspiration. And if you tried any of them or if you want to try any of them, please let me know in the comments below which one you think sounds the most interesting and relevant for you and why. I would love to hear that.
And also, if you have any other unknown earning platforms, please feel free to share them below. Just don’t spam with all kinds of promotional links or anything like that. But I would love to hear genuine experiences from people who are just sharing here. I love reading all your comments and questions, and I make sure to reply to every single one. So please just share below. And finally, if this video helped you, please make sure to hit the like button and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the notification bell so you won’t miss out next time I release a video with tips and tricks about different ways to make some extra money.
