I Tried Making Money Online for a Week — Here’s What Worked

We’ve all seen those YouTube videos: “I made $1,000 in one week online” or “This website pays you just to click.” At some point, I decided to stop watching and start doing. I gave myself one week. No big investments, no advanced skills—just a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a goal to make something online.

I didn’t expect to get rich, but I wanted to learn what actually works… and what’s just clickbait. So here’s what I tried, what worked, what flopped, and what I’d do differently if I started all over again.

Day 1: Setting the Rules (And Lowering Expectations)

Before jumping in, I made a few rules:

1.I wouldn’t spend money to get started

2.I wouldn’t do anything scammy or shady

3.I’d keep track of the time I spent on each method

My main goal? Find legit, beginner-friendly ways to make money online that anyone could try.

I opened a Google Doc, wrote “Day 1: Let’s see what happens,” and got to work.

Day 2: Microtask Sites — Small Tasks, Smaller Money

I started with microtask websites like:

1.Swagbucks

2.InboxDollars

3.Clickworker

They’re free to join, and you can start earning immediately by answering surveys, watching videos, or doing simple tasks.

After a few hours of clicking around, I made $2.17. Not terrible for zero experience, but the work felt mind-numbing. Some surveys kicked me out halfway through, and others paid literally 5 cents for 15 minutes.

Verdict: You can earn money, but the effort-to-reward ratio is rough. Good for spare change, not real income.

Day 3: Selling Digital Products (Thanks, Canva)

I wanted to try something that could earn money even after the week ended—passive income. So I explored selling printable digital products on Gumroad.

With zero design experience, I used Canva to make:

1.A minimalist daily planner

2.A simple habit tracker

3.A weekly budgeting sheet

Then I asked ChatGPT to help me write product descriptions and upload them on Gumroad.

By the end of the day, I had my mini digital shop live. No sales yet—but it felt like progress.

Verdict: Great long-term potential. Easy to start, fun to create, and with the right traffic, this could actually make real passive income.

Day 4: Writing on Vocal Media

This was one of the most interesting parts of the week. I signed up on Vocal.media, a site that pays you per 1,000 reads. I wrote an article called “Weird Science Facts That Sound Fake But Aren’t” using ChatGPT to help brainstorm and organize.

After sharing it on Reddit and a couple WhatsApp groups, I got some clicks. Just 38 views by the end of the day, but hey—it felt awesome seeing something I published online.

Earnings? Only a few cents. But again, it’s content that keeps earning over time.

Verdict: Good creative outlet, potential to grow if you build an audience or hit on viral topics.

Day 5: Affiliate Marketing (Without a Website)

Affiliate marketing always sounded complicated, but I gave it a try using free tools only.

I signed up for Amazon Associates, grabbed links for some productivity tools and cool gadgets, then made a simple Linktree page and shared it on Pinterest and a couple forums.

No clicks. No sales. But I learned something important: you need a strategy. Just dropping links randomly won’t get you far.

Verdict: Can be powerful—but not in one day. You need a niche, a platform, and trust from your audience.

Day 6: Freelance Gigs (Fast Money Option)

I wanted at least one method that paid faster. So I tried offering simple services like:

1.Writing product descriptions

2.Editing bios

3.Making quotes for Instagram

I posted on Reddit’s r/slavelabour (a real subreddit where people offer small gigs), and got one $5 gig writing a funny product review.

It took me 25 minutes. Payment came through PayPal.

Verdict: If you need fast cash, this works. Sites like Fiverr or Upwork are more competitive, but Reddit gave me a quick win.

Day 7: Review + What Actually Worked

By the end of the week, here’s what my total earnings looked like:

Okay, $7.29 isn’t exactly “quit your job” money. But I wasn’t disappointed. Because I came away with 3 real takeaways.

What I Learned

1. Fast Money Exists, But It’s Active Work

If you need money right now, look at freelancing or microtasks. It’s not glamorous, but it works. The more skilled you get (writing, editing, design), the more you can charge.

2. Passive Income Needs Patience

Setting up a digital product shop or writing articles that earn over time won’t make you money instantly. But once set up, they don’t need daily effort.

3. AI Tools Help — But You Still Need to Think

ChatGPT saved me tons of time. But I had to personalize everything—titles, layouts, captions—to make it feel human. That’s what people connect with.

Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely. In fact, I’m still working on my Vocal page, updating my Gumroad shop, and learning more about how to bring traffic to my content.

So if you're thinking about trying this out—even just for a week—go for it. You’ll learn, you’ll grow, and who knows? You might even stumble onto your next big side hustle.