How To Make A Living Without A Job (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make a Living Without a Job PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Benjamin Packard

Last Updated: June 5, 2025 References

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  • Finding Sources of Income
    • |
  • Saving Money
    • |
  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was co-authored by Benjamin Packard. Benjamin Packard is a Financial Advisor and Founder of Lula Financial based in Oakland, California. Benjamin does financial planning for people who hate financial planning. He helps his clients plan for retirement, pay down their debt and buy a house. He earned a BA in Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2005 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the California State University Northridge College of Business in 2010. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 332,037 times.

If you've lost your job or just don't feel like holding down a traditional job, you still need to find a way to pay your bills, right? There are actually lots of ways to make small amounts of money that you can use to support yourself. As long as you don't expect to live like a millionaire, you can totally support yourself without having to hold down a traditional job. Small tasks and saving money are the key!

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Finding Sources of Income

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  1. Step 1 Make a job out of your hobby. 1 Make a job out of your hobby. The fact of the matter is that anything you do that makes money is going to take time. And time + money = a job. No matter what you're doing in order to make enough money to support yourself, it can technically be considered a job, even if it isn't a job in the traditional way. If you just want to avoid a job you hate or that feeling of working too hard, turn your favorite hobby into a job. No matter what you do, there is a way to monetize it.[1]
  2. Step 2 Do website tasks. 2 Do website tasks. There are a number of websites that will let you do quick tasks for small amounts of money. The most popular is Amazon's Mechanical Turk, but Short Task is also a good option. Keep in mind that the amount of money you get from these tasks is very small, but you should be able to do them easily while doing other tasks (like watching tv, using the toilet, or riding on the bus).[2] Advertisement
  3. Step 3 House and pet sit. 3 House and pet sit. When people go away on vacation or for business, especially if it's for a long time, they will often want to make sure that nothing goes wrong in their home or with their pets so they'll pay someone a small amount to live in their home or to take their pets until they get back. Start by house sitting for people that you know to build up references, they advertise online and in newspapers.[3] [4]
  4. Step 4 Resell junk. 4 Resell junk. Go to garage sales or hang out on websites like Craigslist and look for free or low cost items. Oftentimes you can slightly clean up an item or refurbish it a bit and get a lot more money when you resell it. Sometimes you don't need to do anything at all: people will often sell their items for less than they're worth if they just want to get rid of it quickly or they don't know what it's really worth.[5]
  5. Step 5 Rent your home. 5 Rent your home. If you own a house, you can rent a small, cheap apartment for yourself and then in turn rent out your own home. If your home rents well, your temporary apartment is cheap, and your mortgage is paid off or low, then this can be a good way to make some money. It can either be a very short-term thing (such as for conventions or special events) or it can be more long-term.[6]
    • Just make sure to check your cities rules regarding rentals. You can get in a lot of trouble if your city doesn't allow them without a permit.
  6. Step 6 Use your body. 6 Use your body. You can sell your hair or be a test subject for cosmetic studies. (Remember to be sure that it's legal in your country)[7]
  7. Step 7 Run errands. 7 Run errands. Lots of people have quick errands or chores that they need done but don't want to do them or don't have the time. This can range from picking up groceries to mowing the lawn, a ride to the doctor to delivering a package. A good place to find such tasks that need doing is TaskRabbit. You will usually need a background check and a car, but as long as you have those you should be able to find lots of quick ways to earn cash.
  8. Step 8 Do stock photography. 8 Do stock photography. When websites, magazines, or other media need images, instead of taking them themselves they'll often pay a small fee and license someone else's pictures. This is called stock photography. Using a high quality camera, take some good pictures and then license them through Flickr or other stock photo websites. Get enough of them and you'll make money without having to do much more.[8]
  9. Step 9 Tutor in a subject you know. 9 Tutor in a subject you know. If you know how to do something pretty well (for example, you were really good at math in school), you can take quick and easy tutoring jobs to help kids do better in school. You can find lots of advertisements for tutors on sites like Craigslist. You'll probably need references but the money can be good for almost no work.
  10. Step 10 Do some advertising work. 10 Do some advertising work. There are lots of opportunities to make money by helping companies with things like advertising. You can get paid to take part in focus groups and surveys. You can also sometimes find work as a secret shopper, after which you can resell the products you buy to make money. 20|20 Panel is a common place to find opportunities like these.
  11. Step 11 Design products. 11 Design products. If you've got Photoshop and basic art skills, you can make money be designing some t-shirts and other products and selling them online through special retailers. Websites like Society 6 and Redbubble allow you to make clothing and household items. They'll sell, produce, and ship them for you (in exchange for a cut of the profit), but you'll still make a good chunk of money off your sales.
  12. Step 12 Write website content. 12 Write website content. Lots of websites will give you money for producing content for them. Listiverse and eHow will pay for articles you write, for example. This requires that you be able to write content quickly, though, in order to be worth the effort. Have something to say and good command of your keyboard!
  13. Step 13 Run a blog. 13 Run a blog. This can get pretty job-like but if you have fun and do it in a way that you enjoy then it won't be that big of a deal. Find a topic that you understand and enjoy and make blog posts, Youtube videos, etc. Ads places on your site and videos can make you a pretty tidy sum and tools like Google Ads makes it really easy to do too.[9]
    • Want more remote work tips? Check out wikiHow's "How can I make money online from home?" forum!
    14. Advertisement
Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Saving Money

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  1. Step 1 Use only the base necessities. 1 Use only the base necessities. We think that we need all sorts of things that we really don't, and these things can quickly suck up a lot of money. You want to make all those little bits of money that you made by following the first section stretch even more, right? Look at what you think of a need and reevaluate. Cell phone? Land line? TV? Candy? Fast food? gym membership? Online subscriptions? Internet? Different people need different things, depending on how they live. Just look at everything you spend money on and think: do I actually need this to survive? If you make your money through something like the internet, than the answer might very well be "yes".[10]
  2. Step 2 Live at home. 2 Live at home. If you're young, live at home. This can save you a lot of money and help you build up a financial cushion so that you can more responsibly move out at a later date. If you help your parents out around the house and are generally respectful and loving, they won't even mind too much. Just make sure that they see you trying to save money and be responsible.
  3. Step 3 Track how you spend money. 3 Track how you spend money. Look at your monthly spending or bank statements. See any big numbers that stand out? When you look at your statements, you'll often find purchases that you really didn't think about or that you really didn't need. Paying attention to how you spend your money can make you a more conscious spender and save you lots of cash.
  4. Step 4 Budget. 4 Budget. Plan how you'll spend your money and stick to the plan. This will save you tons of money in the long run. A lot of the time the money we make seems to disappear, because we excuse all sorts of little purchases. Give yourself an allowance, but otherwise strictly budget your income in order to save as much money as possible.
  5. Step 5 Only buy things at a discount. 5 Only buy things at a discount. Clothes, food, household items: everything you buy should be at a discount. Don't go for any sale, however, that encourages you to buy something you weren't already going to buy anyway: this leads to to spend more money, not less. Get your clothes from Goodwill or garage sales. You can save a lot on food by shopping at grocery outlets and similar stores.
  6. Step 6 Never use credit cards. 6 Never use credit cards. Avoid credit cards or any other kinds of loaned money.[11] This money comes with interest that you have to pay, which means that everything you pay for with the credit card actually costs more than what you're already paying for it. This can really end up costing you a lot over time. If you need a credit card to pay for something, then you either don't need it or you're living beyond your means.
  7. Step 7 Use public transport. 7 Use public transport. Using public transport can save you a ton of money on bills. If you have a long commute, an unlimited bus pass often costs less than just your gas bills alone. Once you factor in car payments, car maintenance, insurance, and other fees, public transport saves a ton of money. Plus, you'll have time to just relax while you get around or even use a 3G device to make even more money by doing online tasks or updating a blog while you commute.
    8. Advertisement

Community Q&A

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  • Question How can I make money online? Community Answer Community Answer Try making a blog or something similar. If you pay a little bit of money for your own domain and Google ads then you'll make money super quick! On the side, there are also jobs as simple as booking people's flights. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 25 Helpful 24
  • Question How can I avoid being jailed for child support while waiting for disability approval? Community Answer Community Answer Just pay the child support while your waiting and until you are cleared for disability. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 74 Helpful 20
  • Question Should I be speaking to people on public transportation in order to live without a job? Community Answer Community Answer You can tell people about what you are doing and promote your services. (If you can afford it, have a t-shirt and/or business cards made.) You might find more work that way, someone might know of someone who wants a pet-sitter or a photographer or whatever it is you are doing. If you are making a job out of your hobby and it's something like knitting that you can do on public transportation, by all means do it -- that's more promotion. Advertising and promotion are always the key. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 14
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Tips

  • If you live home alone, you'll most likely get evicted or be low on your bills. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Make sure you try to get money the second you move in. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Try to stay with a buddy if your parents don't want you to move in with them. Thanks Helpful 43 Not Helpful 23
  • Do not see this lifestyle as a long term solution. Even if you can pay all your bills, you need to keep in mind things like paying into unemployment, paying your taxes, and saving for when you're older. People usually have to save money for their entire life if they want to retire at a reasonable age. Thanks Helpful 54 Not Helpful 32
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-strategies-for-turning-your-hobby-into-a-fulltime-job
  2. ↑ https://clark.com/employment-military/work-from-home-amazon-mechanical-turk-review/
  3. ↑ https://www.clevergirlfinance.com/blog/how-to-make-money-without-a-job/
  4. ↑ https://shehitrefresh.com/what-is-house-sitting/
  5. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/advice/a25316/selling-old-stuff/
  6. ↑ https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/renting-out-a-house
  7. ↑ https://www.savethestudent.org/make-money/7-things-no-one-tells-you-about-selling-your-hair.html
  8. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-money-from-stock-photography-2017-4?IR=T
  9. ↑ https://www.clevergirlfinance.com/blog/how-to-make-money-without-a-job/
More References (2)
  1. ↑ Benjamin Packard. Financial Advisor. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ Benjamin Packard. Financial Advisor. Expert Interview

About This Article

Benjamin Packard Co-authored by: Benjamin Packard Financial Advisor This article was co-authored by Benjamin Packard. Benjamin Packard is a Financial Advisor and Founder of Lula Financial based in Oakland, California. Benjamin does financial planning for people who hate financial planning. He helps his clients plan for retirement, pay down their debt and buy a house. He earned a BA in Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2005 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the California State University Northridge College of Business in 2010. This article has been viewed 332,037 times. 26 votes - 71% Co-authors: 11 Updated: June 5, 2025 Views: 332,037 Categories: Job Loss | Making Money | Business by Industry Article SummaryX

To make a living without a job, try using your skills to make money. For example, offer tutoring services in a subject you know well or write content for a website. You could also sell things you no longer need either online or at a local garage sale. This could be things like old appliances, your vehicle, or clothing. Renting out a room in your home is another option you could try. Alternatively, do small tasks for others. This could include things like house sitting, pet sitting, or running errands. You can advertise your services online or in local newspapers, or use websites like Task Rabbit. For tips on how to budget so you can meet your basic needs without having a job, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Veshnya Sher

    Veshnya Sher

    Sep 29, 2016

    "I was interested in finding the job/hobby I would love to do and make a living on it. Looks like there are some..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Benjamin Packard Co-authored by: Benjamin Packard Financial Advisor 26 votes - 71% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 11 Updated: June 5, 2025 Views: 332,037 Veshnya Sher

Veshnya Sher

Sep 29, 2016

"I was interested in finding the job/hobby I would love to do and make a living on it. Looks like there are some..." more Agnes Velez

Agnes Velez

Jul 6, 2018

"It gave me lots of ideas to help me moving forward with leaving my job, but still being able to bring income to the..." more Sam Smith

Sam Smith

Jan 1, 2018

"This article had a variety of ideas that would be useful to make disposable income with a traditional job." Jennifer Alvarez

Jennifer Alvarez

Jan 19, 2018

"Loved the references touch, it was extremely helpful. Thank you. " Indondo Tambagira

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"I'm still reading the article and it is really good!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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