7 Laziest Ways To Earn Money Online (That Actually Work, Sort Of)
Let’s be honest—most of us have, at some point, typed “how to make money online without doing anything” into Google at 2 a.m. Maybe it was during a soul-crushing job or just a phase of deep procrastination. Either way, welcome. You’re not alone. And no, this isn’t one of those hustle-hard, rise-and-grind articles that wants you to build a drop-shipping empire from your garage.
This is for the lazy ones. The tired ones. The “I’ll do it after lunch” crowd (which, let’s be real, means never). So, here’s a list of ways to earn money online that don’t require a 10-page business plan—or pants.
1. Get Paid for Surveys (Yep, Really)
This one’s a classic. You sign up, click through a bunch of “Would you rather drink Pepsi or Coke?” type questions, and get paid in dollars, points, or sometimes… gift cards to places you’ve never heard of.
Is it glamorous? No.
Is it money? Also no—well, barely. But if you’ve got time to scroll TikTok for 2 hours straight, you’ve got time to click “Strongly Agree” a few times and maybe earn $5.
2. Sell Feet Pics (or Just Use Stock Sites)
Okay, bear with me. This isn’t as wild as it sounds. There’s a legit market out there for oddly specific photos—feet, hands, someone holding a coffee mug in soft lighting.
If that’s too weird, you could upload your beach photos or aesthetic laptop setups to stock photo sites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. You upload once, then just… wait. Like fishing, but lazier.
3. Cashback Apps – The Digital “Oops I Got Paid” Button
These apps give you money back for shopping. That’s it. You shop like you normally do, and they whisper, “Here’s a dollar back for that toothpaste.” Apps like Rakuten or Honey just hang out in the background doing their thing.
It’s not really earning money, more like saving money. But when you’re lazy, semantics don’t matter that much.
4. Let Ads Run on Your Lock Screen
This one’s barely work because you literally just unlock your phone like you always do. Some apps pay you a few cents a day to show you ads on your lock screen. That’s it.
Is it a lot? No. Could it fund your coffee addiction? Maybe one a month. But still—it’s something.
5. Sell Digital Downloads You Made Once and Forgot About
If you ever made a planner template, a resume design, or even a cute wall art quote like “Breathe. Hustle. Repeat.”—you can toss it on Etsy or Gumroad.
The beauty? You only create the thing once. Then people keep buying it, even while you’re watching Netflix in a blanket burrito. This one might require an hour of effort upfront, though. So like…semi-lazy.
6. Rent Out Your Internet Bandwidth (No, Really)
There are apps that pay you for “sharing” your internet. Not like letting your neighbors borrow your Wi-Fi—but more like companies using your IP address for research or testing.
It sounds shady. It’s usually fine. Still, maybe read the terms. Or don’t. Depends how chill you’re feeling.
7. Affiliate Links with Zero Shame
You don’t need a blog or a YouTube channel to be an affiliate anymore. You can just drop links on Pinterest, Reddit (carefully), or group chats where no one reads the rules.
For example, you recommend a face cream you kinda like, someone buys it, and you make a few bucks. Honest work? Debatable. But definitely lazy.
Final Thoughts (Or, Like, Whatever)
Let’s not pretend these methods will make you a millionaire. Most won’t even pay for rent. But if you’re looking for ways to make some money while doing the bare minimum, they’re worth a try.
Besides, isn’t the dream to wake up one day and see $3.27 in your PayPal account and not remember why it’s there? That’s real passive income. Kind of.
