Want to Work at Home, But Don’t Know Where to Start? Read This…
If you’re dreaming of earning cash from your couch, you could probably use some help: Legitimate work from home jobs can be difficult to find. There are scams aplenty, keeping many of us in the cubicle for years.
Luckily, there are a wealth of resources online to help get your work-from-home income stream — or streams! — started.
We’ve combed through the clutter and selected blogs that feature valuable information, advice and inspiration for people who want to work from home. Whether you’re looking for a full-time job or just a side gig, we’ve got a blog for you.
Introducing The Penny Hoarder’s 12 favorite work-from-home blogs:
Best If… You’re a Stay-at-Home Parent
Work at Home Wife
Angie Nelson was fed up with the “cubicle farm” and office politics in corporate life. She started researching how to make money legitimately online, and, in 2007, launched her virtual assistant business. After receiving emails from others looking to do the same, The Work At Home Wife blog was born.
Post you’ll love: “Work From Home Jobs: 101 Companies that Hire Remote Workers”
“I aim to provide valuable information about how to make money from home, tools of the trade and how to reach those goals that will provide you with the means to earn a living online without having to live online. … I invite you to join me as my journey continues. Every moment of working at home is a learning process.”
Work at Home Woman
Holly Reisem Hanna’s career spanned from nursing to social media. After becoming a stay-at-home-mom, she created The Work at Home Woman as a resource for other remote workers in March 2009.
Holly works as a social media manager and runs the blog, dedicated to helping others on the “work from home journey.”
Post you’ll love: “10 Work at Home Jobs That Don’t Require Being on the Phone”
“Blogging has given me freedom, flexibility, financial stability and has launched the business that I had only dreamt of. Besides the perks of being able to stay at home with my daughter, blogging has introduced me to opportunities and people that I would have never met else wise.”
Best If… You Want to Earn a Passive Income
Smart Passive Income
Whether you’re already earning money online and looking for ways to streamline your business, or you can’t tell a domain name from an email campaign, Pat Flynn can help you create and nourish passive income streams.
Pat has grown his online presence from a personal blog into a business that generates over $100,000 per month — and he shares every step along the way on his blog.
Post you’ll love: “The History of My First Online Business”
“It turns out that getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me. Without my 9 to 5 job holding me back, I’ve since been able to earn more money and work less (with more flexible) hours — which in the end allows me to be home and spend time with my family.” — Pat Flynn
Dumb Passive Income
Full-time trucker Matthew Allen pokes fun at himself both in his domain name and his personal description. But monthly passive income reports that never seem to dip below $1,000 don’t sound dumb to us! It isn’t quick money, but it’s steady and significant.
If you’re interested in keeping your day job but generating a hefty cushion for your savings or to pay off debt, Dumb Passive Income is a great place to start.
Post you’ll love: “How to Start with Passive Income Online” can get your passive earning enterprise off the ground, even if you’ve never so much as visited WordPress.
“In my experience, it takes a great deal of time and effort to create these types of income streams. But once they are set up and the passive income rolls in month after month, the effort to maintain is minimal. And believe me — after you get this to work once, you will be addicted and you will want to create more and more passive income streams.” — Matthew Allen
Best If… You Need a Side Hustle
Budgets Are Sexy
Blogger J. Money admits he didn’t get his act together until he bought his first home in 2007 — what he calls a “much-needed wake-up call” — and started carefully managing his money. After a crash course in personal finance, he started Budgets are Sexy in February 2008.
Post you’ll love: Any from J’s “Side Hustle” series, like “High-Fashion eBay Reseller,” a guest post by Sarah Ming.
“My goal with this blog is to get people to stop and pay attention to their money. … You won’t find any long in-depth instruction manuals or anything else that bores me to death here, as I really want this to be a fun place to share and interact with each other.” — J. Money
Side Hustle Nation
Nick Loper is an entrepreneur and the “Chief Side Hustler” at Side Hustle Nation. He worked a corporate job and built his side business on nights and weekends, and gives his readers the tools — and confidence — to do the same.
Nick’s blog is more than just documenting the journey: It’s a guide to building a “future of real financial freedom.”
Post you’ll love: “79 Side Hustle Business Ideas You Can Start Today” — an epic list and downloadable PDF, so you can print it out and hang it up for inspiration!
“The beauty of these side hustle ideas is that many don’t require a huge initial investment or even necessarily a highly specialized skill-set. … each has the potential to earn you money in your spare time.” — Nick Loper
Best If… You Have Wanderlust
Location 180
Dream of running a business from a Thai beach or Parisian cafe? Then it’s not just a work-at-home job you’re seeking; it’s location independence, or the ability to work from anywhere.
And here to help you on your journey is Location 180. Sean Ogle’s blog offers a comprehensive rundown of the location independent lifestyle: Everything from how to start your business to where to live.
Post you’ll love: “Why My Location Independent Business Has Been So Successful”
“My business is successful because I don’t get bogged down on one project. If I’m struggling in one area, I’ll go do something else and come back to it when I’m ready. I put quality of life, the things I like doing and the people I like being around on the forefront of everything I do.” — Sean Ogle
The Suitcase Entrepreneur
If you’re an aspiring digital nomad, you’ll find lots of resources on The Suitcase Entrepreneur — but we have to say our favorite part of Natalie Sisson’s site is her podcast. Each week, she interviews a guest who reveals the details of their location-independent life and business. Tune in to be educated and inspired!
Post you’ll love: “24 Incredible Lessons Learned from Being in Business”
“Nobody can tell you who you are, and who you’re not, what you’re capable of and what you can’t possibly achieve. Only you can make your dreams come true. Only you can achieve what you’ve always wanted. STOP listening to the naysayers, the fear mongers and people who do not have your best interests at heart. START giving yourself permission to make this your best life ever.” — Natalie Sisson
Best If… You Love to Write
Be a Freelance Blogger
If you love to write, you stand to make some decent cash as a freelance writer. But how do you circulate your work? Sophie Lizard and her team of guest bloggers offer practical advice on how to build a substantial portfolio and get your work out there.
Be a Freelance Blogger provides endless advice on how to get started, get hired and get earning. If you’re serious about taking your writing to the next level, give this website a thorough read.
Post you’ll love: “Freelance Blogging With No Time and No Money: How One Single Mom Made It Work”
“Don’t listen to the fear. Everything will be OK. Don’t waste time ‘learning’ — get the tools you need to learn, and then learn by doing. Absorb as much as you possibly can from your clients’ expertise.” — Ashley Gainer
The Write Life
This comprehensive resource — founded by The Penny Hoarder’s executive editor, Alexis Grant — will transform your freelancing efforts. Instead of a slogging away at your keyboard alone in a basement or coffee shop, you’ll be part of a well-supported community activity — and one that will actually get you paid. This collaborative blog makes the process of going from writer to earner transparent, fun and achievable.
Post you’ll love: “How to Make Your First $100 as a Freelance Writer,” by C. Hope Clark.
“We understand that integrating writing into your life is about more than sitting down to write. … Succeeding as a writer in today’s digital world takes so much more: Figuring out how to work with clients, navigating the changing landscape of traditional publishing, learning the ins and outs of social media, growing a following for your blog and finding a community that will support you along the way.” — Alexis Grant
Best If… You Dream of Building a Virtual Empire
Chris Guillebeau
While not as practical or “how-to” as some of the other blogs, we can’t get enough of Chris Guillebeau and the Art of Non-Conformity. Why? Because, as the name suggests, Guillebeau looks at everything through a unique lens. Whether it’s a blog post, a course or a book like “The $100 Startup,” we’re betting you’ll learn a lot about life, travel and, of course, business from this site.
Post you’ll love: “How to Run a Business and Still Care for Your Family”
“Priorities are not just a question of time, in other words, they are also a question of focus and intention. I think it’s important for each of us to be able to say: This is what I am living for. This is what matters. I will select these values and allow them to be my compass.” — Chris Guillebeau
Tropical MBA
The web abounds with information for people who want to sell their services online (coaching, consulting, writing, etc), but what if you want to sell actual products — and still be location-independent? Turn to Tropical MBA, where Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen share the strategies they used to build a multi-million dollar business. Even better, give their weekly podcast a listen — it covers a range of topics every aspiring entrepreneur should know about.
Post you’ll love: “I Want to Make Money From Anywhere in the World — Where Should I Start?”
“It’s not going to be about where or when you start. You start now. Your business and future will come from the types of actions you do every day.” — Dan Andrews
Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent who wants to spend more time with your kids, or a 20-something itching to travel the world, working from home doesn’t have to be just a dream. With some creative thinking and careful research, you too can start working wherever and whenever you want.
Read and bookmark the blogs above to learn about the opportunities — and motivate yourself into action!
