With the economy down, money getting tight, and debt accumulating, everyone and their brother is out to make an extra buck or two through side jobs or other money-making opportunities. While an extra job will bring in the much-needed cash, it is also a hefty and regular time commitment. Other money-making opportunities may or may not pay the money promised. So, if you are strapped for cash and have limited or irregular hours to devote to making additional money, what can you do?



The answer lies in making money through online business opportunities. Unlike a side or full-time job, online work is performed at your own time and convenience. Usually, you devote as much time as possible to performing an online task, and are then paid accordingly.

You do not have to look far in order to find legitimate and well-paying online work. Depending on your time and talents, here are 5 easy ways you can make money online:

1.Freelance Writing. If you are good at writing and have an interest in researching various topics of interest, then freelance writing may be for you. You may choose to get paid by the article, by page views, or by a combination of both methods. Some excellent online freelance writing sites are Constant Content and Associated Content.

2.Online Surveys. Online survey sites are always on the lookout for new recruits with valuable information. Some surveys will pay you only a few pennies, while others go as high as $20 (or more). For examples of quality survey sites, please visit either InboxDollars or SendEarnings.

3.Affiliate Marketing. If you can perform keyword optimization research and set up web sites, affiliate marketing may be for you. The premise lies in you being a third party liaison between potential buyers and sellers. By posting quality content about the products being marketed, you draw customers to your web site. You will also monetize your web site, so that the traffic you drive can click on your ads and buy your advertised products. When this happens, you will receive a percentage of the sales profits.

4.Ebay Sales. Ebay is the world's largest garage sale, and more than likely you already have something that you need to get rid of. If you have stuff in your house that is just taking up room, you can certainly sell it on Ebay and make some quick cash. However, you can also become savvy at finding brand-name merchandise at low prices and then sell it on Ebay for profit. Alternatively, you may make quality merchandise on your own and sell it at an even greater profit.

5.Blogs. Blogs have become very hot in the last few years, and you probably already know someone who runs a blog. If you can start your own blog, either by purchasing your own domain name or by going to a public site like Wordpress, you stand to make a good amount of money. The key is to write about topics that are of interest to readers and so drive lots of traffic. Fresh, current, and quality content is therefore essential to your blogging success.

The following are just 5 ways that you can make extra money online. Other opportunities also exist, if you are diligent and do some additional research. These 5 ways are just some of the ways that you can start making easy money online.