How To Make Money Online When You're Broke (And Have A Phone)

Summary

The presenter outlines low-cost, phone-friendly side hustles for students and others willing to put in the work. The ideas range from digital products and affiliate commissions to local services and freelance content work.

No specific earnings, startup costs, or income targets are provided. Most opportunities pay per sale, download, license, or job.

Business Models and Execution Playbooks

Print-on-Demand Planners and Journals

• Create planners, trackers, or journals in Canva and upload them to Amazon, which handles fulfillment.
• Promote listings with Amazon sponsored placements. Start with a small ad budget, then build on organic traction.
• Don’t rely on uploading alone: use social media, particularly TikTok, to attract customers.
• The presenter describes the model as potentially passive after setup but provides no sales or income figures.

Affiliate Content: Amazon Influencer and TikTok Shop

• Make honest product videos showing how items work. Earn a commission if viewers purchase through the content.
• Start with products already on hand rather than buying new items.
• Suggested niches include dorm essentials, tech accessories, skincare, and beauty.
• Both programs have eligibility requirements, but the presenter does not specify them.

Selling Student Notes

• Upload organized, readable class notes to platforms such as StudySoup or StudyPool.
• Revenue is tied to downloads. The presenter highlights midterms and finals as periods when demand may be especially relevant.

Freelance Social Media and Video Work

• Small businesses and organizations may need help editing videos, creating flyers, and managing social accounts.
• Build basic editing skills with tools such as CapCut or iMovie, then create sample videos.
• Use a content calendar to plan publishing.
• Search for part-time content creator or social media intern roles on Indeed, LinkedIn, and—if you’re a student—Handshake. The presenter recommends following up by email after applying.
• The presenter shares her own example of working as a social media intern during the school year.

UGC (User-Generated Content)

• Create promotional videos for a company to use on its own channels; the creator does not necessarily post them on a personal account.
• Choose a niche, such as beauty, college, or lifestyle; make sample videos; assemble a portfolio; and contact brands or their PR teams.
• Aspire is named as a platform for finding creator opportunities.
• Contract consideration: Clarify usage rights and duration. The presenter warns that perpetual rights—which allow a brand to use a creator’s face indefinitely—are valuable and should not be granted casually. Follower count is not presented as essential.

Stock Photography

• Upload existing aesthetic photos—such as coffee, study, or laptop images—to stock platforms, including iStock (auto-transcribed as “IM”) and Adobe Stock.
• Earn money when customers license the images. The presenter characterizes this as a potentially repeatable income stream after upload, without giving earnings estimates.

Dorm or Apartment Cleaning

• Offer cleaning for small spaces and promote through campus flyers (with permission), word of mouth, and student groups.
• Set clear expectations in a written agreement; consider whether the client should remain present.
• Use protective equipment such as gloves and masks. The presenter suggests avoiding bathrooms and prioritizing personal safety.

Reselling Unused Belongings

• Sell items such as clothes, shoes, or old cameras on marketplaces including Mercari and Poshmark.
• Create an account, photograph items clearly (the presenter uses a ring light), and optimize listings.
• The presenter says these marketplaces can provide existing buyer traffic, reducing the need for separate marketing.

Babysitting, Pet Sitting, and House Sitting

• Offer local services or use platforms such as Rover for pet-sitting opportunities.
• House sitting is described as an underrated option.
• Treat in-person work as a safety issue: tell someone where you are going.

Metrics, Targets, and Timing

• No specific financial metrics are given: There are no income ranges, hourly rates, fees, startup costs, or conversion benchmarks.
• Payment mechanisms mentioned: Commission per product sale, payment per note download, stock-photo licensing revenue, and fees for service jobs.
• Timing and demand cues: Planners may be timely around the new year; notes may be more relevant around midterms and finals; the social media internship example is during the school year.
• The presenter says influencer and affiliate programs have requirements but does not state the thresholds.

Presenter and Sources

• Presenter: Unnamed creator on the truly haja channel.
• Platforms and services mentioned: Amazon, TikTok, Canva, StudySoup, StudyPool, CapCut, iMovie, Indeed, Handshake, LinkedIn, iStock (auto-transcribed as “IM”), Adobe Stock, Aspire, Mercari, Poshmark, and Rover.