If you’re stuck at home and need to make money now, then you have to read on.
Money has gotten tighter for just about everyone. Job opportunities as a whole have suddenly become scarce. But, did you know there are many online job opportunities and industries that are booming?
And, they pay surprisingly well.
That’s right.
We at the Luster Lexicon have scoured the web (and our phones) for the best online jobs and apps available in 2021. You can expect them to be legitimate, hire quickly, and pay at least a decent amount of money to a full-time income.
The following post is our results.
We hope it helps you stay afloat and thrive financially.
This post contains affiliate links that help us keep the website free. Only the best are recommended to our readers. Please read the terms of use for more info.
Table of Contents
Online jobs to make money now
Deliver takeout food with DoorDash
People are getting takeout more than ever right now.
This increased demand has ramped up job opportunities in the foodservice space as a whole.
And, as a job seeker, consider the following great news: These jobs are hiring now, pay $1,000s per month, and many of these opportunities let you make money on your own schedule, even without a direct boss.
So, where do you go to get hired if you’re interested in a versatile online job in delivering takeout?
I highly recommend DoorDash.
Compared to other delivery apps, they pay the most money per delivery and have the most amount of deliveries available to service.
Click here to download DoorDash and sign up as a delivery driver today.
How to get started as a delivery driver on DoorDash
Step 1. Download the DoorDash mobile app here.
Step 2. Fill out your details such as zip code, name, date of birth, e-mail, phone number, etc. You must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license to be a delivery driver.
Step 3. DoorDash will ask you for permission to perform a background check. After you give permission, you will be mailed a welcome package, including your red card. The red card will be used to pay for food if necessary.
Step 4. Once you get your welcome package in the mail, which includes your red card, you will need to complete an orientation. Orientation can be done online or in-person and takes about 30 minutes. After orientation, you are ready to start making money as a delivery driver!
Sign up for DoorDash and start making money on your own schedule
Tips for making more money on DoorDash (make $25 dollars an hour or more)
Accept more orders from fancier restaurants than fast-food restaurants. These customers will tip you way more cash on average.
Accept orders for Pizza. Most people have the mindset to tip for pizza delivery and will tip most of the time.
Deliver during peak hours. Peak hours are lunch between 11 a.m – 1:30 p.m. and dinner 4:30 p.m – 11 p.m.
Download GetUpside to save money on gas for free. GetUpside is a 100% free app that pays you every time you get gas. For each gallon of gas you put in your car, you can get paid up to 10 cents! All you have to do is take a quick picture of your gas station receipt and send it to the app so it knows how much to pay you. It’s really that easy Click here to download GetUpside.
Deliver food with Postmates
Do you need more takeout delivery job opportunities?
Download the Postmates app and sign up as a fleet member. No car is needed. You can use your bike or scooter if you don’t own or have access to a car.
The Postmates takeout delivery process works similarly to DoorDash.
For most locations, I have found that Postmates pays slightly less than DoorDash. However, it’s still worth signing up for Postmates. This way, you can have access to more delivery jobs, and you can select the highest paying job between the two in realtime.
Click here to download Postmates and sign up as a delivery driver.
Don’t forget to download GetUpside! It’s a completely free app that saves you money on every gallon of gas you put in your vehicle. Download GetUpside here.
Deliver groceries with Instacart
Do you like the sound of going outside and making money fast and on your own schedule?
You’re going to be intrigued by this next online job.
The demand for getting one’s groceries in a multitude of ways has never been higher than in 2020. I believe this is undeniable at this point. All you have to do is look around!
Now consider this.
High-speed internet and smartphones have forever changed how we get our groceries.
No longer do you have to physically shop at the supermarket. You can have groceries delivered straight to your home or office.
Instacart is one of the companies making this possible. They are rapidly hiring delivery drivers and in-store shoppers to keep up with the rising demand for grocery delivery.
And guess what?
You can get started now by downloading the Instacart app for free and following the simple sign up process.
How to get started on Instacart
Step 1. Download the free Instacart app by clicking here.
Step 2. Fill out your details such as your name, zip code, e-mail, phone number, etc. You must be at least 18 years or older to sign up.
Step 3. Choose whether you want to work as a full-service shopper (shop for groceries and deliver them) or in-store shopping (shopping for groceries only).
Step 4. You will be asked interview questions and undergo a quick background check online.
Step 5. Once approved, you are ready to start working on your own schedule and get paid weekly!
Become an Online Survey Taker
If you’re looking for an incredibly easy online job you can do from home or anywhere to make money now becoming an online survey taker is a great choice.
An online survey taker gives their opinion on current events, the latest products, travel locations, entertainment, etc. and gets paid for it!
How cool is that?
Not to mention, you can take surveys from your phone, tablet or computer as long as you have an internet connection.
*Fun fact. My first ever dollar made online was by taking surveys here. It was so easy to do, and I couldn’t believe at first that you could actually make extra money this way!
Are you ready to start making money quickly with surveys?
Keep on reading!
How to get started as an online survey taker
Becoming an online survey taker only takes a few minutes.
To get started as an online survey taker, all you have to do is sign up for a free account on a survey website and complete your profile using your e-mail or Facebook for convenience.
The #1 survey website I recommend is SurveyJunkie. They pay higher than other survey websites with the highest survey I’ve seen paying $50 for about two hours worth of time.
Unlike other survey websites, SurveyJunkie will pay you through PayPal within 24 hours. So, if you need to make money in a hurry, SurveyJunkie is going to be your best bet.
Click here to create a free account on SurveyJunkie and get paid for your opinion!
Our related post: For best results, get my free guide on how to make an extra $1000 dollars a month taking online surveys part time.
Make extra income fast as a secret shopper
If you’re like me, you love discovering legit ways to make extra money fast.
I’m here to tell you that mystery shopping, also known as secret shopping, is one of the best.
I don’t say this lightly.
Since retail stores will be in business indefinitely, secret shopping is a job that’s always hiring and in-demand, regardless of the economy.
Retail stores value customer satisfaction and their employees who provide that satisfaction. Secret shoppers help ensure that both of those values are met.
Intrigued?
There are two ways I recommend becoming a secret shopper.
You can sign up for a paid service like Flexjobs and use them to find a company that’s hiring. Or, you can download Merchandiser by MySurvey and get started right now for free.
Merchandiser is great because you can make money as a secret shopper on your own schedule. You also don’t have a boss that’s breathing down your neck either.
Additionally, there are other shopping jobs you can do such as store reset where you replace old products on a shelf with new products, shelf sign placement, and many more.
It’s completely free to sign up, and you can start making money today.
How do I get started on Merchandiser?
First, you need to download the app for free through this link.
You will see a list of jobs or “projects” that you can choose from. Each project shows you how much you’ll be paid, how long it will take, and step-by-step instructions for the specific task that must be completed.
Once approved, all you have to do is complete the job, submit your feedback from the job, and get paid!
Be sure to do jobs that are close to home so you don’t use up too much gas or do jobs that you could even walk to!
Merchandiser shopping jobs can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours and require little to no physical work.
Click here to get started as a secret shopper with the Merchandiser app.
Complete fun retail jobs on Field Agent
Field Agent is a free app that lists easy shopping jobs just like Merchandiser.
Want to know how easy they are?
Consider these two examples:
- Go to a local retail store (like a grocery store). Take a picture of item(s) on a shelf. Filling out a short questionnaire about the item(s).
- Go to a food shop like a pizzeria. Take a picture of the pizza. Give your feedback on its taste and quality! Mmm, free pizza with a helping of extra cash!
Since Field Agent is a free app, I’ve found it worth trying.
Plus, it pairs great with Merchandiser. You can make more than $100 per week doing them part-time together.
Download the Field Agent app here.
Also, here’s a great tip.
You should take advantage of what are called “ticket jobs.” Doing ticket jobs on Field Agent provides you with better jobs suited for you based on your given personal information.
Completing these jobs also gives you one ticket per job that can be entered into a raffle to win cash prizes!
Click here to download the Field Agent app
Get a legit work-from-home job through Flexjobs
Bored at home or unemployed with no way to make income?
Then, there’s no better time to get a good-paying work-from-home job.
So, how do you find the best, most legit work-from-home jobs and get hired?
Time and time again, I’ve found the easiest and most efficient way to do this is to use an affordable service Flexjobs. And, by affordable, I mean the service costs less than a large pizza!
What does Flexjobs do?
Flexjobs fully vets companies to make sure they are legit, the job descriptions and salary provided by companies are accurate, and that they are actually hiring now. They also provide additional perks to make you stand out as an applicant such as resume review by a team of experts.
Their customer service is second-to-none and has live humans available to help you around the clock. It’s a good feeling knowing that you won’t be going into your job search alone
Click here to sign up for Flexjobs and get a legit work-from-home job fast
Take care of Dogs by using Rover
Do you love being around dogs?
You absolutely must check out this awesome app called Rover.
With Rover, you can start making legit income just by walking dogs, sitting with a dog at their home or yours, or just checking in with an owner’s dog a few times while the owner is away.
Now get this.
According to Kristen Forecki, Rover’s director of operations, the amount you can make depends on the number of pets you care for each month. Those who treat Rover like a part-time job can make up to $1000 a month, and those who treat Rover like a full-time job can make up to $3,300 a month or more. She also mentions that there are sitters who treat Rover like a business that make six figures yearly!
Ready to get paid to hang out with cool doggies on your own schedule?
Click here to download Rover for free.
How to get started on Rover
Getting started on Rover is easy.
Before we begin, I want to mention the requirements to be a pet sitter or walker on Rover. You must be 18 years old or over and pass a background check. The background check is carried out by Checkr and will cost $25 dollars.
How to create your free account on Rover.
- Download the free Rover app by clicking or tapping here.
- Upon opening the app, tap “More” on the bottom of your screen (iOS) or tap the menu bar in the upper left corner of your screen (Android).
- Tap “Become a Rover sitter or walker.”
- Lastly, tap “Get Started,” fill out your profile and submit.
You should hear back from Rover in an e-mail within five business days with an account approval or rejection. Once your profile has been approved and you pass the background check given by Checkr, you are ready to offer your pet services on the Rover marketplace!
Click here to create a free account on Rover.
Work for Amazon
Amazon is one of the main companies hiring online workers and gig workers right now.
They are hiring people at all levels of experience and education (even if that level is none). With Amazon jobs and gigs, you can make decent money on the side or even a full-time six-figure salary.
Here are the top ways to work for Amazon:
Amazon Mturk. Make money online for completing basic online tasks called Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs). Some of these tasks include: quick translations, website testing, surveys, data collection, reviews, and more. Click here to sign up for Amazon Mturk.
Amazon Virtual Jobs. These are legit work from home jobs in sales, design, management, and many more. Click here to apply for an online job on Amazon.
Amazon Flex. Deliver products or online orders from an Amazon warehouse to a customer’s home or business. Be your own boss and make your hours. Click here to sign up for Amazon Flex.
Apps to Make Money Now
Ibotta
Even if you need money now, there are essentials that you are currently buying.
Ibotta is a free phone app that will increase your buying power for those essentials right away.
Essentially what Ibotta does is give you cashback on the purchases you make at virtually any retail store (including groceries and electronics), carryout services, and restaurants.
To get your money, all you have to do is scan your receipt into the app using your phone’s camera. Then request how you want to have the money sent to you (I use PayPal). This entire process takes seconds, and it’s really easy!
Dosh
Dosh is a free phone app that’s just like Ibotta except the entire process is automatic.
Let me explain!
After you download the Dosh app, link the credit or debit card you normally use to make your retail, carryout, or restaurant purchases to the app.
Anytime you make any purchase at a qualifying retailer or food service using that linked card, you automatically get cashback.
It’s really that simple and straightforward!
One more thing, Dosh gives you $5 for free once you successfully link up your card. The entire process takes about two minutes at most. For your convenience, here’s the link to download Dosh to your phone.
Acorns
If you’re new to investing or you’d like a “set it and forget it” kind of app to make you money, keep reading.
Let me introduce you to the free Acorns app.
Simply put, Acorns automatically rounds your spare change (Ex. $3.59 for a hamburger -> $4.00 -> $0.41) and invests it into portfolios handpicked by economic pros. You don’t have to do anything else!
Their platform is known for seeing a consistent return on investment (ROI) as well.
Before I forget, there’s one other nice thing about Acorns.
They will give you a $5 cash sign up bonus if you sign up for Acorns through this link. Account signup takes about five to ten minutes.
OfferUp
Have some things lying around that you don’t need?
Perhaps someone in your local area would be interested. And, pay you a decent chunk of change to own it.
You could try listing those items on the OfferUp app to make extra money on the side.
