Does anyone seriously think they can earn enough to live comfortably from home?

@rosie_123 (6113)
March 3, 2007 1:04pm CST
OK first - I do NOT want this thread flooded with spam referral links to "get rich quick" websites that will get this discussion deleted. It is a serious discussion, and I wouldl ike well-construcred, well thought-out replies, NOT referral links! So - now that is out of the way - please read on! Well, everyday I come into MyLot, and there are discussions about online jobs, and working from home, and the best ways to earn money. But my point is simply this. In my opinion, there is absolutely NO WAY that anyone can really make enough from home on the Internet to live a comfortable life. Of course you can make a few £ here and there - maybe £50.00-£100.00 a month if you're lucky (that's about $100-$200), but I cannot see anyone with a mortgage, or kids in school, being able to afford to give up their real, 9.00am-5.00pm day job for that. So what do you think? Is there really a way to earn, and live comfortably, without having to get up every day, and join the rat race, and give your employer a good days work for a good days pay?
23 people like this
49 responses
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
3 Mar 07
Not here at Mylot, but you can make money freelancing as a writer or photographer submiting work and researching leads 100% on the internet. It's hard work though, and I suppose it takes natural talent and discipline. At sites like this, no way. I suppose if you had loads of referrals that kept coming in you would make some money without wasting a tremendous amount of time, but I think for the majority of people it's chump change. Am I wrong?
• Pakistan
4 Mar 07
Yes you can surely make enough earnings online but for this you need some website or product to sell online and getting enough sales is not so easy for non proffesionals like me!
@coolcatzz (1587)
• Canada
3 Mar 07
No Rosie I completely agree with you. There are too many scams out there now that I simply won't listen to anymore. I am a stay-at-home Mom so if I can make a few bucks on mylot then great. It's sure not huge money. I don't know I find somedays I am far more motivated than others. If I get in here and answer a few posts then I'm ok but it's just getting started. I enjoy it though and there are certain friends of mine (like yourself) that I look forward to their discussions. If people could make a serious living off of online stuff then everyone would be doing it. Now I know there are some serious mylotters who can make 90-100 a month but that is a lot of posting and probably a lot of referrals and I just can't commit that much time.
3 people like this
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
4 Mar 07
I think there are loads of scams as well. I've tried the survey places and never received a penny. If I make atenner this month from Mylot I'll be pleased. We are just doing it for a lark to see if we can actually hit the goal we have set, and if so I am going to donate the money to what my sons think is a good cause: a membership to Runescape. I can't imagine anything I could do nline that would earn enough to live off.
1 person likes this
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
3 Mar 07
I think you can, in fact I am bound determined to do it. I have just started selling on ebay, I have also been checking on some other avenues of income. I have learned so much here on mylot and continue to learn. I am still new with the computer, I am willing to put in the hours and to work hard.
3 people like this
@stibigirl (291)
• United States
3 Mar 07
I think that you are right, depending on where you live and your cost of living expenses. I don't think that people realize how different it is for someone that has to pay out more than 2/3 of what a regular job pays for living expenses. Not everyone has to do this, but there are people who live hand to mouth in a sense because cost of living is so high. With that said, I agree with you, where I am from you cannot earn enough online to have enough income to survive. Even if I was making the $1500.00 a month that is mentioned here by oldbuddy, either I or my husband would still have to work, and we would probably still BOTH work in order to be able to buy a house.
3 people like this
@rosie_123 (6113)
3 Mar 07
Yes I agree with that. I live in London, and even the $1500 a month would only just about cover our mortgage, food, and heating bills here. To live decently, one of us would still have to work, and if we wanted a holiday now and again, or any chance to save for your retirement, both os us would still have to. Thanks for your response.
3 people like this
@Sicantik (706)
3 Mar 07
I earn my money from home as an eBay UK seller(My shop is Adam & Isla), I earn quite decent amount the same amount when I was working part time before I had my baby. Of course you have to do your home work first and really find out which product to sell. But once you know your market it is possible. I do almost all the work from home as I dropship some of my items. And I use courier company to send out some other items and they come and collect it from my house...xx
3 people like this
• United States
3 Mar 07
In all honesty, there are a number of ways and opportunities to earn a healthy living from online businesses, the keyword being BUSINESSES. Essentially, if you're a "member" of a site, you're a contractor (or employee in some instances), and such methods will not yield you desireable results. There are tens of thousands of people who earn a living online through their websites. There are essentially two forms of websites: those that push content and those that sell a product. I suggest checking out some webmastering/niche communities (I.E. DNForum.com, NamePros.com, et al for instance), as members of those forums are the ones that are truly able to sustain their way of life, from an online income. Good luck!
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
3 Mar 07
Well unless you run a successful website from home, selling products or professional services then there is no feasible way of earning enough money through sites to give you a reasonable wage to be able to quit work and stay at home. There are too many get rich quick and scams on the internet and you're working for others for too little gain. Most rely on you getting referrals which as we know is bleeding hard work! If you are UK based then the chances are most of these sites are US based only and if you are not a US citizen you are not eligible. At the end of the day most sites may promise you the earth but there's little return.
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
3 Mar 07
Well it all depends on what you use the internet for as far as making money. My wife & I are looking into a small internet jewelry sales deal. We're planning on making jewelry & setting a site up to sell it. I've a family memeber that does similiar work and makes a decent living. Not enough for me but enough for her to live off of. I don't expect to make enough off this at first for the quitting of jobs but would hope in time it's possible. Maybe 3 to 5 years time to get the site built up with enough visitors customers & referrals. Thanks for this. Gonna be interesting to read the responses. Happy postings from Grandpa Bob
2 people like this
@rosie_123 (6113)
3 Mar 07
Well good luck with that - I am a great jewellery lover, so I will be eagerly looking forward to hearing about your new business.
• United States
4 Mar 07
It just depends. If you're talking about sites like mylot then no I don't think you can. If you are talking about a data entry site or something like that then maybe. It all depends on how much time you spend on these sites. The data entry sites you have to pay for to get anything out of it. It could be worth it though. If you sell things online then I can see a good income. I think it would be safe to safe to keep your regular job though. Even if you are doing well it could all go down hill in a split second if you're not careful.
2 people like this
@marty3888 (2355)
• Acme, Michigan
4 Mar 07
I sure wish those data entry jobs made halfway decent money but from what I've heard, those are scams. I think I read where they used to make money but it dosn't work anymore.
1 person likes this
@marty3888 (2355)
• Acme, Michigan
4 Mar 07
I so much agree with you. I can't even see making $100 a month. That would help me alot if I could. The only people that are probably making enough money to live comfortably are those scammers and possibly the people who join those sites where you make money off of referals and they actually bug family, friends etc to join so they can make money off of them. Sorry, I just can't do that.
@shambuca (2524)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I wish there was- and i don't see how people can do it unless they are starting their own business and even then it you have to have money put aside to get you through the first couple of months... like retiredtvguy said - if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.
2 people like this
@bkfuels (1603)
• Canada
3 Mar 07
Yes there is a way I know a lot of people who make a great deal of money. It is also not easy. People that are in network marketing and actually work it and call people (which I do not like doing) I have a lot of friends that are making more at this then a regular job.
3 people like this
• United States
4 Mar 07
I would love to find something where I could make $100 extra a month on the internet, but haven't found anything so far. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them!
2 people like this
• United States
4 Mar 07
Associated Content. Someone on myLot paid for their groceries of $118 with AC income. AC has a good online reputation.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Mar 07
Working from home/online is a skill that someone has to have. It sounds great and all, never leave the house, do work in your PJs, etc., but it really takes skill in order to stay motivated and get stuff done. I worked online for about three years, I ran a marginally popular website, and I made about 5K a month. If I would have been smart enough I would have been able to earn millions, but that is a different topic lol. The key is not to put all your efforts into one thing. You can do stuff like myLOT, ebay, do some freelance writing and webdesign, and doing things like that you can make enough to live, but you will often times spend 10-12 hours a day working. You really have to ask yourself if it is worth it. If you don't mind putting the time, and doing the work, and you think you can keep yourself motivated, those extra couple hours of work (which you very well may have spent commuting anyways) may justify not having to worry about reporting to a boss, dresing up, or the long drive. Personally I want to get back to a position where I can work for myself, just because I don't do well not being in charge.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Mar 07
So, what happened with the online website (the way you worded it, it sounded like it was in the past), are you back doing regular work now? I am interested in anything you know about online income as that is my goal too.
1 person likes this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
4 Mar 07
No, i do not think its possible to earn enough from working from home to have a decent lifestyle. For me, if it was truely possible millions would be doing it and the whole work ethos would die. Unfortunately, people scam others and nowhere is this seen more often than on internet sites offering vast earnings for little work. Very few people have actually been paid by these sites and i suspect many of them are fake, just an atempt to get the desperate, vulnerable or simple minded to work for nothing. In short, home working through the internet may be a good idea, but for it to work it would need policing riggerously blessed be
2 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
4 Mar 07
Honestly I don't know-- I know I cannot. I don't have the time or the interest in doing so. But you hear all these programs on tv about working online and making enough in 1 year to pay cash for a house- Someone must be doing it-- Otherwise why would so many people try it? If I had no job outside of the home and had some extra cash so that I didn't have to look for work- I might try out some of those infomercials on tv. They can't all be scams can they? I would really like 1 person to come here and say they do and prove it- Even oldbuddy making $1500 a month-- He is retired and has the time to do it. I think I could live on $1500/month- well with my sig. others paycheck also! It is great for extra spending!
@Evacuee (1147)
3 Mar 07
Like Anakata before me I was interested to see if anyone posted any 'get rich quick schemes' on here but it seems you have quite rightly, put them off. I don't really think one can earn much on these sort of sites. One has to be more dedicated and spend a lot of time researching different methods and sites to make a lot of money. But there are people like John Chow who do so and earn quite a lot, however I think that comes from referrals and most of the people I am connected to are just not interested. One might make a few bob from Ebay too or if they have their own hobby which produces an income making items.
• United States
4 Mar 07
the only way you can live comfortably is if you do real work. im sure that there are some sites that pay alot, but you prob. have to be calling other people from your home and i dont feel comfortable doing that.
2 people like this
4 Mar 07
I really don't think that there is a way. The best thing to do would be to run your own business but that would be a lot of work. If all your kids were at school then you could probably spend enough time on your own business to make a lot of money, but I don't think its possible when you still have one at home as you can't make professional visits or phone calls with a child crying in the background.
2 people like this
• United States
3 Mar 07
website designers, billing specialists, accountants, and programmers can earn comfortably from home as can folks with in demand skills in the information/tech fields with a computer. telecommuting is possible (working from home). as gas skyrockets, telecommuting will become the premere means of earning a living, but we aren't there yet.