Legit and Easy Ways to Make Money While Chronically Ill or Disabled

Having a large family and living with fibromyalgia requires me to be on a strict budget and live as frugally as I can. The medical bills are piled up, so I do what I can: coupons, make “extra” money when I can, and budget more efficiently. I have tried various ways to make money, but not all are worth the time, energy, and return. So, I’ve compiled a list of legit and easy ways to make money while chronically ill or disabled.

Legit and Easy Ways to Make Money While Chronically Ill or Disabled

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a rewards program that gives you gift cards and cash for online activities such as shopping, playing games, taking surveys, and searching (it’s free to join Swagbucks). Whenever you complete activities, you earn points called SB, which can be converted into gift cards from various retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and more. You can also opt to get cash back through PayPal. There’s even a mobile app to earn while on the go. Here’s how I use Swagbucks to shop at Amazon for FREE.

Read more about What is Swagbucks? (with a short step-by-step tutorial)

Sell Your Junk

You could make cash by selling the stuff you no longer want. You could have a garage sale, but it’s a pain. You have to sort your items, price them, and then take a chunk of your (early) morning trying to sell them. I’ve done my fair share of garage sales and am completely over it. No thanks! Instead, you can Trade in your old devices at Gazelle.com

Earn Cash Back with Ibotta

In addition to earning cashback through Swagbucks, you can also use Ibotta. Ibotta is a free app that pays you for everyday purchases through various retailers (in-store and online). You can use the computer browser and/or the app. You can pay with the app, link your loyalty accounts, and submit a receipt to earn cashback. Complete bonus purchases for bonus rewards. For example, earn an additional $10 when you redeem ten offers.

I’ve been using Ibotta for a few years and love its convenience and ease of use. They recently added the option of paying for purchases through the app to earn additional cashback. It’s super easy to use and worth your time. Refer to friends and family for additional bonuses, too!

Online Work

If you enjoy writing content, proofreading, editing documents, pinning on Pinterest, or any admin assistant work, then you would be a good fit for doing virtual assistant (VA) work. There are lots of bloggers out there looking for help with these tedious tasks and willing to pay for the help. A VA does an array of work, so check out this list from the Introvert VA Club. You can even join her club to get VA work.

Sell Your Designs Online

If you enjoy creating designs and want to make money, check out Zazzle. You can upload your designs, and Zazzle will handle the rest. Your designs are available on shirts, mugs, ornaments, and more. The possibilities are endless. Zazzle takes a small percentage for every product sold, and the rest is yours. You can create a store within Zazzle if you’d like, too.

Referring Friends to Companies You Love

I do this regularly because I enjoy hearing my friends and loved ones’ opinions on services or products they’ve received. Most companies have a referral program to benefit the loyal customer and the person they refer to. Sometimes, you’ll get cashback on products you love or steep discounts on future orders. For example, with Book of the Month Club (which I LOVE and usually center my book reviews around), for each person you refer to the club, YOU get a FREE book!

Zazzle also has a referral program: For each friend referred, they get 60% off cards and 20% off other products on their first order, and you get a $25 coupon code to use on Zazzle. Ibotta and Swagbucks have good referral programs, too. Most companies have a ‘refer a friend’ deal, so check out the small print on the company’s website.

Affiliate Programs

Using an affiliate program is similar to referring friends and family to a company you love but allows you to earn cash instead of cash/rewards for that particular company. If you are a blogger or own a website, consider joining an affiliate program. You can browse which merchants you currently use or have used in the past, join their program, and then use the customized links to earn a commission with the merchant’s links you use. The cash you earn can be deposited into your bank account.