How I Made $100 in 3 Days Using Just My Phone

We always see those videos and posts online that claim people are making thousands of dollars with just their phone. Honestly, I never believed it. Most of it sounded fake or exaggerated — like some guy claiming he made $500 a day doing nothing but clicking on links. But I was curious. I wanted to test the waters myself and see what’s actually possible if you’re motivated and a little creative

So I gave myself a small challenge. Make $100 in 3 days using only my phone. No fancy laptop. No editing software. No paid ads. Just the apps, tools, and internet access I already had. I didn’t expect to get rich — I just wanted to see what’s real and what’s hype

Here’s how it actually went down — and yes, I really hit that $100 mark.

Day 1 — Selling Digital Services (Made $35)

I started the day thinking about what skills I could offer quickly. I’m pretty decent at writing, especially short-form stuff like captions, bios, and product descriptions. So I opened up Reddit and joined a subreddit called r/slavelabour — it’s a place where people post small jobs for payment, usually $5 to $20 each

Within an hour, I found a post from someone looking for Instagram captions for their clothing brand. I offered to write 15 creative captions for $10. They accepted. I wrote them directly on my Notes app, sent them via email, and got paid through PayPal

Later that day, another person needed a catchy bio and slogan for their Shopify store. I offered that for $5 and delivered in under 30 minutes

The biggest win of the day came from a guy who needed product names for his new Etsy store. He paid me $20 for 10 name ideas and product blurbs. I used ChatGPT on my phone to brainstorm, then reworded and polished them to sound natural. That one took about an hour total

By the end of Day 1, I had made $35. No laptop. No design tools. Just writing, DMing, and typing on my phone

Day 2 — Selling on Marketplace Apps (Made $40)

The second day, I focused on flipping stuff — the kind of side hustle that doesn’t need skills, just a little hustle. I looked around my room and found two things I never used anymore: a Bluetooth speaker and a tripod stand for a phone camera

I took clear pictures using my phone, listed them on Facebook Marketplace and OLX, and priced them low for quick sales. Within 4 hours, I got a message from someone nearby. They came to pick up the Bluetooth speaker for $25

Later that night, someone bought the tripod for $15. Easy $40 for stuff just collecting dust

This part was interesting because I realized how many things I own that I never use — old headphones, books, accessories. People want these things. All it takes is a good photo and a short, honest description

Day 3 — Microtasks + Affiliate Hustle (Made $25+)

I wanted to try some passive or semi-passive methods on Day 3, so I opened up Swagbucks and Remotasks — apps that pay for small things like surveys, clicking ads, or basic labeling work. I did these in between doing other things, like while waiting for food or sitting outside

I made around $5 in about an hour, which wasn’t amazing, but it was real money and super low effort

Then I tried affiliate marketing — and this is where it got more interesting

I signed up for Canva’s affiliate program (it’s free), got my custom link, and used Pinterest to post simple design templates and link them back to Canva. I also posted my affiliate link in a few WhatsApp groups I’m part of, especially with friends who are into content creation. One friend actually signed up and made a small purchase — which earned me around $10 in commission. Later that night, I got another click-through and made $10 more

Just like that, I crossed my $100 goal

What I Learned From This Challenge

1.You really don’t need a laptop to start hustling online

Every single thing I did — writing, posting, selling, uploading — was done on my phone. As long as you’re willing to type and stay consistent, you can start small and grow from there

2.People will pay you for things you already know how to do

Whether it's writing captions or selling unused gadgets, your everyday skills and items can be turned into quick cash

3.Quick money isn’t always passive — but it’s real

The fastest money I made required effort — writing, chatting, negotiating. But once you build a small base, things like affiliate links and digital downloads can start earning in the background

4.The first $100 is the hardest — but also the most exciting

Hitting that small milestone gave me real confidence. It reminded me that the internet is full of money — you just need to grab your slice with the right approach

Final Thoughts

If you’ve got a phone and an internet connection, you’ve already got the tools you need to start making money online. You don’t need fancy cameras or a million followers. You just need a little creativity, a bit of effort, and the willingness to try

I didn’t make a fortune — but I made something. And that something was more than I had three days before. So if you’re thinking of starting a side hustle with just your phone, I say go for it. You never know what small action might turn into your next income stream