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Make Money with a Laptop – 17+ EASY Methods (2024 Guide)

Don't Work Another Day is reader-supported. We may receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own.
  By Forrest McCall | Last Updated:  March 24, 2023

If you own a laptop or computer, you might be wondering how you can use it to make money.

Laptops can be an excellent tool to help you make money online and boost your income.

In this post, I'll explore some of the best ways to make money with your laptop, how much money you can make, and more.

I've personally used many of these methods to make $10,000 a month with my laptop and you can too. Let's dig in!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Some of the best ways to make money with a laptop include:
  • Blogging and online business
  • Freelance writing
  • Starting a YouTube channel
  • Taking surveys with Rakuten Insight
  • Investing in real estate with Arrived

1. Make Money Blogging with a Laptop

Blogging is one of the best ways to make money with a laptop for just about anyone.

While some people might think you need to be an expert writer to become a successful blogger, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Starting a blog is easier than you think.

First, you'll need to decide on a topic or niche for your blog. This can be anything that you're interested in. Fitness, finances, woodworking, or anything in between are all blog topics you could write about.

Next, you'll need to purchase a domain name for your site. I recommend using Namecheap because they offer the best prices available. This will cost less than $15 a year.

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Following your domain name, you'll need to purchase hosting to store your files. I recommend SiteGround because they offer top-notch customer service and extremely fast hosting. Finding the right web host is essential if you want to succeed in blogging. Register for SiteGround for as little as $10 per month.

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Learn How to Start a Blog
Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

After purchasing hosting, it's time to install a CMS like WordPress so you can easily upload new blog posts for your site.

When using WordPress, you can purchase a custom theme to suit the design you want for your blog. You can purchase themes for under $50.

Finally, you'll want to plan your content and launch your blog. The process of starting a blog should take less than a few days to get started.

Once your blog launches, it's all about creating unique content and promoting your posts for others to read.

This is often the most difficult part of blogging. There are a few main traffic sources you can grow your readership with. Between SEO, social media, and email marketing there are plenty of ways to make extra money online with Google.

Once you gain readership, it's time to start thinking about how to monetize your blog. Blogs can make money through several methods.

The most popular are display advertising and affiliate marketing. With these channels you can make passive income for every view your blogs posts get. You can also publish sponsored posts to make more money.

The amount of money you can make blogging is almost limitless. Some blogs make over 6-figures each month from their sites. While it will certainly take some time and effort to reach that level, it's attainable if you put in the work.

One of my sites is earning over $6,000 a month just in display advertising alone!

Adthrive Earnings

Check out my posts on how to start a blog and making money with digital real estate for more info!

2. Become a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants can make good money working from home on their laptops or computers.

As a virtual assistant, you'll be tasked with sending and responding to emails, posting on social media, updating website content, and more. It's an easy freelance job that's perfect for beginners.

To get work as a virtual assistant you'll need to network with website owners and content creators to find those who need help. You can also browse virtual assistant jobs on freelance sites to find work.

The amount of money you can make as a virtual assistant is better than you might think. Some virtual assistants make over $20 per hour for their time which isn't a bad income all things considered. It's a great digital side hustle to earn money in your free time and a perfect side hustle for writers!

Reddit Virtual Assistant Pay

This Reddit User Claims to Make $23 per Hour

Ready to become a VA but not sure where to start? Check out Carrie's Virtual Assistant Accelerator course to learn everything you need to know to become a full-time freelancer!

3. Sell Online Courses

Online courses are extremely lucrative and can make you thousands per month if you understand how to develop and sell courses.

Creating an online course can take some serious time and energy to produce. You'll need to strategize what topics to explore, the best way to present that information, and how to market and sell your online course.

Many online courses will utilize videos to help students learn the topic more in-depth. This can require more time to produce but it can also make your course more valuable and worth more.

Marketing your online course can be one of the most challenging aspects of the entire process. There are several main ways you can sell your courses.

  • Run Digital Ads
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Monetize Your Own Website or Following

Depending on your circumstances, having affiliate partners is likely to simplest and fastest way to sell your online course. You'll pay them a small portion of each sale they produce so it becomes a no-risk situation to sell your course.

Another common method is having your own audience to promote your course to. This means having a website or social media followings that might be interested in your courses. This method is also free, but it comes with the cost of growing your readership and following.

The last method will require money to get started but it can be very profitable. Creating Facebook ads and other types of online advertisements can be a quick way to sell your online course if you have some cash to invest. You can easily determine if your ads are profitable and making you money.

Selling an online course can take a large investment of time upfront but can be a great way to earn money with a laptop. Some course creators have made millions from their offerings.

Check out the video below to learn how you can create and sell an online course!

4. Try Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is a great way to make money with a laptop or computer.

If you want to make money online and are a skilled writer, starting a freelance writing side hustle could be a perfect option for you.

To get started, you'll want to develop a portfolio of your work. Many freelance writers will get started by completing work at lower rates until they build their portfolios.

Once you have grown your writing portfolio, you can raise your rates and make more money.

New writers can expect to earn anywhere from $.05 to $.25 per word written. For example, if you write a 1,000-word article it could net you anywhere from $50 to $250. This is a great income for many people!

As you gain experience, you can make over $1 per word written. This means that the same article that used to pay $250 could now net you $1,000. Talk about some serious cash!

Some writers might prefer to work on an hourly basis and you can charge over $100 an hour for your time!

Freelance Writing Hourly Rate

To gain clients, you'll need to work with website owners and publishers in the digital world and network with them to see if you would be a good fit.

You can also take on work from freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr to get started.

5. Earn Money Creating a YouTube Channel

Want to make passive income with your laptop?

Starting a YouTube channel can be a good way to earn money online. Just like with other forms of content creation, making money with YouTube videos can be very lucrative.

With this side hustle, you'll need to first decide on what topics your channel will cover. There are plenty of topics for every interest. For example, personal finance, fashion, and technology can all be profitable ventures for your channel.

Creating YouTube videos can take some work and you'll need to be comfortable on camera if you want to be successful.

YouTube videos can make money through several methods. The most common are affiliate offers and YouTube advertising.

Some channels can make hundreds of thousands of dollars each month so if you have a laptop and stable internet connection, this side hustle is worthwhile. For example, Kevin's channel, Epic Gardening is approaching 2 million subscribers and makes thousands each month.

Epic Gardening YouTube Channel

6. Take Online Surveys

Taking surveys is one of the fastest ways to start earning money online with no skills required.

The more surveys you take, the more money you can make. While it's not going to make you a millionaire, it's a great way to get money when you need it.

As a bonus, many survey sites will offer free money when you open a new account. Some of my favorite survey sites include:

Taking surveys is an excellent option if you have a laptop and an internet connection. You can work whenever you have some free time and easily make $5 a day

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7. Become a Social Media Manager

If you have the skills to grow a social media channel, becoming a social media manager is a great side hustle to earn money and grow your income.

With many small businesses not understanding how to use social media to grow their business, this can be a tremendous opportunity with a strong income potential.

Gaining clients can be tricky with this side hustle. You'll need to be skilled at selling your services and finding new clients.

You can manage Facebook ads, social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and much more with this gig. This can be a great side hustle for teens because they are more in tune with current trends.

8. Start a Podcast

Podcasting is a fun way to earn money online with your laptop.

When it comes to starting a podcast, you'll want to find a topic that you're interested in. Growing a podcast can take some time, but it can eventually replace your full-time job for some podcasters.

You'll want to decide on the format of your show first. Will you conduct interviews? Will you have multiple hosts? Or will your podcast just be one person?

Once deciding how your show will be formatted, it's wise to brainstorm content ideas so you can start thinking about what topics each show will cover.

Finally, you'll need to record your shows, edit them, and upload them to various popular podcasts channels. The process of recording and editing your podcast can be the most time-consuming step in the entire operation but it's also the most vital.

Once your show is live, you'll need to work on promoting your show to gain listeners. This part can be challenging for those who aren't skilled at marketing. Many beginners will offer to be guests on other shows to gain attention.

Once your show has begun to grow its following, you can monetize your efforts through affiliate marketing and sponsored ads.

Some podcasters make millions of dollars from their shows, so it's worth a try to make money from your laptop!

And the industry isn't showing signs of slowing down anytime soon, meaning you can make a great income for years to come.

Podcast Industry Growth

9. Publish an eBook

If you're a skilled writer, publishing a book can be a lucrative way to earn money. Just like with start a blog or other content creation ideas, you'll need to ensure your book contains high-quality content so you don't disappoint readers.

By taking advantage of free publishing services you can reduce the costs it takes to get started.

10. Start a Video Editing Side Hustle

The world loves videos, and for every video produced it is likely edited.

Video editors are in high demand which makes it an awesome opportunity for digital nomads to increase their pay.

To find work, browse freelance sites like Fiver and Upwork to grow your portfolio. You can also reach out to local businesses to fund potential clients.

11. Build Websites for Companies

In the 21st century, every business needs a website and an online presence. You can make good money building websites for small businesses that don't currently have a site.

The amount of money you can make will depend on the size and complexity of the site but it's possible to make a few thousand dollars per site you build.

You'll need some graphic design skills to help you create the designs for the site, but you can opt to hire outside help for this aspect of the build.

Web design is an extremely marketable skill that can be an excellent way to build your income with a laptop.

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Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

12. Sell Digital Products

Just like creating an online course, selling digital products online can be a great option to grow your side income.

When you sell products online you'll earn passive income from each sale you make. This passive side hustle can be extremely profitable.

Because the expenses of creating a digital product are very low, most of your revenue will be profit. You might need to hire a graphic designer to help you create your products but this can be quite cost-effective.

Once you think of the product or products you want to create, you'll need to craft a plan to sell them. Just like selling online courses or other products, it can be difficult to sell digital products at first.

Pricing your products can also be challenging. Most digital products will sell for less than $100 but you'll want to test and optimize your pricing strategy.

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13. Open an Online Store

Online stores can be an outstanding way to make money with a laptop or computer.

Online stores can require a large amount of work to get started, but once it's up and running it can become easier to manage.

To open a store you'll need to create a plan for the type of store you will create. You can consider selling on platforms like Etsy to save money upfront. Another option is to create a custom website to sell your products.

Once you have created a plan for your store, you'll need to determine the products you will sell and how you will run the day to day operations. The logistics of an online store can be quite complex. Managing inventory and shipping operations can take some time to master.

Opening an online store is a great way to make money with a computer if you have the knowledge to get started.

14. Sell Stock Photos

Looking for a passive side hustle to grow your earnings?

Selling stock photos online can be a great option for those with photography skills.

With this method, you can start earning money for each photo you sell online.

But you don't need to be the best photographer in the world to be successful in selling photos online.

If you can take great photos and have some photo editing skills, you can start earning money in no time.

How much money can you make?

With this gig, it's possible to earn a few dollars for each photo you sell. While this might not sound like a ton of money, it can certainly add up. For example, if you're capable of selling 100 photos a day and earn $3 per photo, you'd make $300 of side income per day!

You can use sites like Shutterstock to get started.

15. Invest in Stocks

Investing in the stock market is an easy way to build your passive income streams and make money with a laptop.

By using platforms like Acorns, you can invest in all of the most popular stocks, mutual funds, index funds, and more. As a bonus, you'll get a free $10 when you register with the link below.

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Disclosure: This link is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How much money can you make?

A well-diversified portfolio can yield an average of 7% to 10% annually. This means a $1,000 investment could yield you $70 to $100 a year. While this might not seem like a significant income, it will begin to compound over time. Register for Acorns now!

16. Invest in Real Estate with Arrived

Real estate is another popular investment to grow your passive income online. With platforms like Arrived you can get started investing in real estate without the headache of dealing with tenants, collecting rent payments, and keeping track of maintenance requests.

Arrived Homes Investing

Arrived allows you to invest in real estate assets that you otherwise wouldn't have access to and you can start investing with just $100.

Register below to get started!

Arrived Homes 5 · Real Estate · $100 Min.
Invest in individual rental properties with just $100 with Arrived. With $83 million of real estate owned, Arrived is one of the best real estate platforms you can use to build wealth.
Risk Level
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Avg. Return
9%
 
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17. Try Affiliate Marketing

If you haven't hear of affiliate marketing by now, this is a tremendous way to earn money from home with a laptop or computer.

It costs absolutely nothing to get started and you can earn a fortune from your efforts. Now, this doesn't mean it's easy by any means, but it is possible!

Affiliate marketing works by partnering with companies and promoting their products or services to your audience and you'll earn a commission for each sale you facilitate. 

There are many different platforms you can get started with, too.

For example, you could start a blog, grow a social media following, or build an email list. All of these methods will enable you to promote products and services that you can earn a commission from.

The key is to match your audience to the products and services you promote. For example, if you start a social media channel about home improvement – you should promote DIY products, not health or finance services.

The amount of money you can make from affiliate marketing is extremely lucrative. I know some people who make over $100k a month from it alone!

I've been an affiliate marketer for several years now and have earned thousands from this gig – so I know it works. You just need to do the work!

How to Make Money with a Computer at Home

Becoming a freelance writer, taking surveys online, and selling digital products are all excellent ways to make money with a computer at home. You can make hundreds of dollars per month with some of the methods listed, so what are you waiting for!?

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Final Thoughts on Ways to Make Money with a Laptop

Learning how to make money with a laptop is quite easy. There are many ways you can use your computer to cash in.

From working as a freelance writer to taking surveys online in your spare time, it's easy to earn money with your laptop.

Don't wait! Get started using your laptop to get paid today!

Forrest is a personal finance, entrepreneurship, and investing expert dedicated to helping others obtain life long wealth. He has a Bachelor's degree in business and has been featured in many popular publications including Forbes, Business Insider, Bankrate, CNET Money, and many others. To learn more about Forrest, visit the About Us Page for more info.
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