5 top tips on how to make money online

If you have recently had a baby or have decided to be a stay at home mum, you will notice that it can be a little tough to live on maternity pay or solely to rely on your partner's income. But don't bury your head in the sand because there are a number of ways to make money online - from the comfort of your home and fitting around your busy schedule as a mum.

1. Get paid for answering surveys online

Surveys are a great way of making money online. You sign up to one or more of the many survey panels out there and get regular emails inviting you to participate in a survey that suits your profile. It is free to join survey websites and you can instantly start earning money. The good thing about being paid for surveys is that you are under no obligation at all. If you don't want to answer certain questions or find you are not interested in the overall topic, you can simply skip the survey and wait for a topic that suits you better. Most paid survey websites either pay you via PayPal or in vouchers for high street or online shops. I have currently bought my little girl a Leap Frog Learn and Groove Activity Station with Amazon vouchers that I have earned by sharing my views on beauty products, cereals & Co - my favourite survey website is Valued Opinions.

2. Shop via Cashback Websites

Do you do most of your shopping via the Internet? Then cashback websites can be a brilliant way of making money online. With every purchase on the Internet that you make through the website, you can get cashback paid into your your account via PayPal. Websites such as Top CashBack are free to join and allow you to save big amounts of money whenever you make a transaction on the Internet, change providers for gas and electrics and much more. 

3. Affiliate programs for your website or blog

If you have your own website then joining affiliate programs can be an easy and uncomplicated way to make money online. The idea behind affiliate programs is really simple: you link to an online shop via your website or blog and any purchases that are made through your affiliate link will earn you a certain amount of commission. The usual rates vary between 5 and 20% and often depend on your relationship with the affiliate website. There are many different affiliate programs out there, so you can be sure you will find programs that really suit you and your website or blog.

4.  Write reviews

Websites such a Ciao are a brilliant way to earn money online if you like writing and expressing your opinion. Ok, they won't make you a millionaire but if you regularly post reviews on products you have bought, then you can easily save up a decent amount of money. You also don't have to write a ten page essay. Simply upload a review of a product that's in the website's database, get people to read it and the pennies will start coming in.

5. Become a seller on Ebay

If you are thinking of throwing your unwanted belongings into the skip, then stop and re-think, because in the world of Ebay, your rubbish might be someone else's dream. You will be surprised what people spend their hard earned money on: old mobiles, newspaper clippers or toys and many other items change hands every day. So when you are next de-cluttering your home, make a list of all items you haven't used for a while and put them on Ebay. You have to pay a little commission depending on the price you sell your goods for but some people get so caught up in the idea of winning the bid that they actually pay more than the item is worth. Crazy, but I've seen it before.