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Earning a Decent Living Online

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Keeping the Utilities On, Roof Overhead and Beyond

Just about anyone can make at least a little bit of money online. However, earning a decent living takes a bit more doing.

What is a decent living? Different people have different definitions. However, the goal is to meet one's basic needs and have the ability to maintain some level of a comfortable life. That doesn't mean living in the lap of luxury. However, you shouldn't be losing sleep worrying about bills; you should easily be able to go out for lunch with friends, to the movies with the spouse and other things that are part of actually living rather than merely existing.

A Game Plan

In order to make a serious living online, you need to establish a game plan. Do you have one company you are going to act as an employee for, and that is your sole focus? Or are you going to have several revenue streams that you work on as time and energy permit?

The best way to earn an actual living online is to have multiple revenue streams. Even better is if some of those sources generate a passive income.

Draw up your game plan. Where are you going to devote your time? How much money can you realistically expect to generate with each source per month? Are there other perks such as free products or discounts? Remember to factor in these perks.

If you feel that the sources you have come up with won't generate enough income, find some more sources. Just be certain not to stretch yourself too thin. If you don't have enough time to devote to things, they will suffer... as will your income.

Sales

There are two main routes when it comes to sales. 1) You have stuff to sell. 2) You are creative and either have created products that can be sold or images that can be applied to a company's products and sold. Here are some legitimate opportunities for you to peddle your wares.

Amazon: More than just books. You can sell a range of things on here.
Cafe Press: Use your creativity. Create images, upload and choose your merchandise. Promote your shop(s), and you're in business.
eBay: Everyone knows this one. This is the giant of auction sites. Sell merchandise through individual auctions or create a store. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The downside to the site is that fees can be pretty hefty. If you are a volume seller, that won't be too much of an issue. However, for small sellers, the costs can be a real issue.
Etsy: Are you crafty? If so, this site is for you. For crafters, the site can be a better choice for sales than eBay since the focus here is on items that sellers have made.
Half.com: This is an offshoot of eBay. The focus here are used books, CDs, DVDs and games.
Zazzle: This site is a bit like Cafe Press. One of the primary differences is that it offers a different selection of merchandise that you can put your designs on.

Related Books

Writing

Few people ever get rich with writing, regardless of the type of writing being done. However, plenty of people can and do earn a decent living off freelance writing.

Whether you are a fiction writer, poet or fancy yourself to be a "citizen journalist," you can find a market online.

Here are some legitimate opportunities for writers.

Associated Content: Do you like to write articles? This is the place for it. You can also contribute video, photos, fiction and poetry.

Pay is based on page views.
eHow: Know how to do something? Whatever your expertise, this is the place to share it.
ePinions: This is a difficult one to break into, but it is legitimate. This is where to go to share your opinions and reviews of products. If you can get past the cliquish nature and the antagonistic attitude toward newcomers, you can earn reasonable money on the site.
Gather: Not strictly a writing site, this is essentially a paid social networking site. Members accumulate points that can be cashed in for gift cards or a deposit of cash into their PayPal accounts.

However, I have elected to include this under "Writing," because the site did start out as a site for writers.
Helium: Write an article to available titles, suggest titles and create Zones at this site.

Pay is based on writing and rating stars and page views. Writers can earn upfront payments and bonuses for being the first to contribute an article in an empty title.
HubPages: Write articles and get paid through AdSense and affiliate programs.
RedGage: Not strictly a writing site. You can contribute writing via blogs on this site and add links to your work on other sites.

This site can be a good promotional tool. Plus, it is a good thing when you can write once but get paid multiple times for the piece.

Additionally, members can earn by having their content featured, and there are also contests that allow for additional earnings opportunities.
Squidoo: What are you passionate about? Tell the world through lenses.

This is also a good way to promote your projects (i.e., Zazzle shops, books, etc.).

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Can You Really Make Money Online?: Article that delves into the question of whether one can make money online. (Hint: The answer is "yes.").
How to tell if an Internet Job is a Scam: Signs to watch out for when contemplating an Internet-based job.
Earning Money Online- A Detailed List of What Works for Me: How one SAHM earns money online while still enjoying quality time with her family.