I found a few work-from-home ideas that are intriguing but how can I tell if they’re scams?

Dear Dave,

I started listening to your show, and following the Baby Steps, three months ago. I’m already seeing great results with my money. Over the weekend, I spent time looking at part-time jobs to help me pay off debt faster and keep moving forward with my finances. I found a few work-from-home ideas that were intriguing. But how can I tell the difference between real opportunities and all the scams featured online and on television?

Bonna

Dear Bonna,

Congratulations on making the decision to gain control of your money! You sound motivated, and I believe it will translate into some really good things.

Truth be told, the vast majority of things you see online and in late-night infomercial presentations are scams. I’m not talking about ads for legitimate job hunter sites, I’m talking about the business-in-a-box kind of thing. I know you’ve probably seen the advertisements that go something like, “My sister-in-law makes $500 an hour working from home, and you can, too!” These clowns are the worst of the worst. Please, don’t waste a second of your time on that kind of stuff. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

There’s no shame in picking up a normal, part-time gig a couple of nights a week after work and on weekends. You’d be surprised at how much extra cash you can earn just delivering pizzas, or working at a local retail store. If that doesn’t sound like something you’d enjoy for a little while, you might try thinking of something you love doing, and find a creative way to make some extra money doing that. Your idea might even be something that would allow you to work from home. I’ve known lots of folks who make wonderful second incomes by turning a hobby or hidden talent into extra cash.

But the big thing is to just find a real and honest idea to help you make extra money. Remember, short-term sacrifice for long-term gain. You won’t be doing this side gig forever. But whether you’re looking for a little help in building your emergency fund or paying off debt, creativity, determination and hard work go a long, long way.

Best of luck, Bonna. And God bless. You can do this!

— Dave

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