Very few people wake up in the morning and think to themselves “oh I can’t wait to get into work today!”.

Most people when given the option would love to start working from home, whether part time or full time.

More than that working from home can be a financial life saver for single moms, people struggling to find work, or the disabled.

Imagine being able to make money while sat at your kitchen table!

Before the advent of the internet, there were different types of home based jobs that you can still obtain today.

However, the internet has spurred a growth in the working from home segment, by providing countless jobs and tasks that can truly be done from home, with just a computer and an internet connection.

The thing is though, that not all of these jobs, virtual or physical, are up to scratch and legitimate. In fact you can often find yourself out of pocket rather than earning the spare cash you need.

CBS News recently ran an article about the worst 5 work from home jobs ever, outlining why these particular jobs are poor.

That’s great and it really drives home why they should be avoided, but what then can you do instead?

Here are my alternatives to the worst 5 work from home jobs ever.

1. Envelope Stuffing

What is it?

A promise if lucrative pay for filling and mailing out envelopes.

Why is it bad?

You often have to purchase your own stationery, pay an upfront fee and may find that you end up with little to no work. There’s even been rumblings of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM or Pyramid schemes) being associated with this type of work.

What’s the alternative?

In a word: Swagbucks. This money making systems revolves around being rewarded for various tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, taking surveys and polls – pretty much the things you do every day anyway.

It’s free to join and you can trade in your swagbucks for gift cards and vouchers at well-known brands like Amazon and Walmart, and even straight up cash via PayPal!

2. Assembly Work

What is it?

Creating (assembling) products at home and sending them back to the company. In theory it’s like working on a factory assembly line and being paid per piece you make.

Why is it bad?

Not only will you have to pay for materials and tools, the companies that offer this type of work from home endeavor tend to be very strict over quality, in some cases rejecting pretty much everything you do no matter how perfect it is. On top of that you will likely need to pay for training or even to join.

What’s the alternative?

If you’re skilled enough to put things together for others, why not try your hand at your own crafts? You can sell these via E-bay or better yet via the craft focused Etsy site.

Thousands of people already make a living selling unique handmade craft goods on Etsy so why not you?

But what if you’re good with your hands but not so creative? Check out TaskRabbit, a site where people look for local assistance with a wide variety of odd jobs.

3. Rebate Processing

What is it?

Processing rebates from home, supposedly for hundreds of dollars an hour.

Why is it bad?

Costly required training, followed by a lack of actual work makes this work from home option little more than a scam for most people.

What’s the alternative?

If you’re good with office work, why not try selling your services on, or It’s amazing how many people require tasks doing from simple data entry work, up to needing full time Virtual Assistants.

These sites are vastly different in how they operate (which is why I recommend utilizing both), but can help fill gaps in your income and keep you busy all the while slotting into your own schedule.

My advice though is to be clear and upfront about what you offer, and remember to provide samples of work!

4. Medical Billing

What is it?

This involves handling and processing medical invoices from home.

Why is it bad?

Most of the companies that offer this type of work charge hefty fees (in the thousands) to cover training etc. The issue is that there is little to no work to be found afterwards as medical companies dislike using entrepreneurs for piece work when they can hire a large company to handle it.

What’s the alternative?

You could head towards the admin and data entry side of things, but why not look at bookkeeping? Capable and affordable bookkeepers are always in demand, especially with small business who don’t have the time, skills or desire to handle it themselves.

You can learn the basics from online course sites like Udemy, and then get certified via the NACPB.

5. Multi-Level Marketing

What is it?

Most MLM schemes are scams (not all, but most), which is why the FTC has a risk warning in place for this type of endeavor.  The basic process is that you try to sell products or sometimes just the scheme itself if it is really dodgy) to other people (usually family and friends) and try to recruit them to do the same. You make money for each of your sales, and each of your recruit’s sales.

Why is it bad?

You often end up harassing family and friends to try and make money, and you need a vast number of people below you in the scheme to make decent money. As well as that, there is a very high percentage of scam schemes out there meaning that losing money is also a possibility.

What’s the alternative?

Make money with passive income via affiliate marketing. Often used by bloggers, but can be turned into your own business, affiliate marketing is still going strong. The basic premise is to pre-sell or warm up an audience regarding a particular product and then send that person through to the sales page. If they make a purchase you receive a commission on the purchase price.

The best thing about this sort of system is that once it’s in place an article promoting a product can earn multiple commissions over time, making it truly passive.

Here at ITT, we recommend Wealthy Affiliate as a go to resource for learning how to make money with affiliate marketing.

The Bottom Line

Just remember that you don’t have to accept the dregs when you work from home, and be vigilant to make sure that whatever job it is you are doing is legitimate and has potential – due diligence is your responsibility and should always be done!

There are definitely some crappy online jobs out there, but there are alternatives that can not only make you money, but can give you experience and could turn into full time jobs (employed or as an entrepreneur).


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