Do You Believe That It Is Possible to Earn Enough Online to Survive?

United States
August 21, 2008 5:10pm CST
The hype is certainly there from all quarters, that there is not only room to make enough to survive, but there is room to make enough to thrive. Do you believe the hype? Are you in pursuit of earning your living online? Or do you think that it is all a hoax, that there is no way that anyone could possibly make enough to thrive, let alone survive, online? Hint about my thoughts: One of my favorite authors makes the statement that we should not approach difficult problems with an "I can't" attitude but with the question "How Can I?" When you say, "I can't", you tell your brain that it is ok to stop thinking, that there is no possible solution and no need to expend energy looking for a possible solution. When you ask "How can I", you put your brain to work to look for a remedy or a solution to the problem at hand.
5 people like this
24 responses
@berrys (864)
• Singapore
22 Aug 08
I think if you find reliable sites for you to invest and earn from you can earn a hefty amount online but you have to take precautions and not slack off as you should use it as a daily job. I have a friend who quited his job as he was so unhappy and is now earning money online he uses half the amount of time that and average worker does, can work at any time, any where(laptop) and still make the same amount and sometimes more if his operating from a few sites but its a risky business especially if you use a forex based site.
2 people like this
• United States
26 Aug 08
Success stories like that of your friend are not uncommon to hear from time to time. The people who most especially like to tell such stories are the ones who want to sell you their system: "See how well this worked for me? I did so well, and it is so simple, that maybe it can work for you, too!" This is not to say that they do not have a legitimate system. Whether or not people are trying to sell a system, there are indeed many who find success online - who find a legitimate system that pushes them out of the routine of a regular "job" and into a situation where they do not need to work but for a few hours a day... wherever, whenever, etc. I've never gotten into Forex. eBay was the main place that I had utilized. (But then again, I am still striving towards that goal of "earning enough online to survive".) I appreciate your comments and that you stopped by this discussion to share your thoughts!
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
Well, the tip is really very motivating and empowering. But there are things which really are beyond your power. Not because you can't, but because there other things you choose to do. Life is characterized by a bunch of choices. You can choose to make a living online, which a lot have been successful at, or you can choose to go out and work full time with the rest of the world. I choose to have a regular job. I'd love to get paid for blogging and online marketing seems really interesting, but I think there's just more opportunities out there.
2 people like this
• United States
26 Aug 08
I think that you are absolutely right about everything in life being a choice and being a matter of setting your priorities and finding the things that you believe will work for you. Some things may be beyond our power (back in 1800, who would have thought that people could actually fly?), but many things that seem beyond our power are simply beyond our willingness to pursue them. It may simply be easier to get a regular job, rather than to pursue online earnings. And that is a choice that many people make. (Online earnings may take a lot more work to get the ball rolling...) And even if we had a credible promise that we would be making millions of dollars a year at year's end, I think you would still find many people saying in reply: "No, thanks. It's easier for me to survive (or get by) doing what I'm doing right now." Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@marcialoyd (1173)
• United States
22 Aug 08
I make a little extra "spending" money online but I have never seen enough for a full time income. I believe it is possible though and hope it will happen one day! I do belive though that it takes alot of time and dedication.Even more time then what you put into a "regular" job.
2 people like this
• United States
26 Aug 08
Congratulations to you for your efforts to make a little extra in your activities online! I also believe that it is possible to earn enough online in order to survive, and I am slowly working towards making that happen for me, too. The time and dedication are necessary, as is a little bit of creativity for solving problems and putting oneself in the right place at the right time... A regular job consumes a certain amount of energy, and any business in which you are "in it for yourself" - which certainly describes your money making activity online - will require just as much time and energy - although perhaps there are some out there who would disagree? Thanks for posting your thoughts!
@snowy22315 (182065)
• United States
22 Aug 08
I think you can but you have to be smart about what you do. I'm not really willing to put down any money up front so I am limited in what I can do. I have done pretty well this month but my money comes more from gift certificates and gift cards than actual cash. There are people I know that can make 2 or 3 hundred dollars online per month but those arent really survival wages. You have to have support from someone else.
2 people like this
@jomom75 (90)
• Canada
22 Aug 08
Yes, I think there are ways to make a living online. Most of us just haven't found "our" way yet. For me, I do see ways that some people are making money online, they are just not the way I want to make money so I will continue to search until I find a way that is right for me. I make a few dollars here and there online, nothing big right now, some months I don't make anything at all. I would love to make more and I'm sure some day I will. I would love to make enough online so my husband could quit his job and be at home with us, or at least be able to go and work at a job he likes instead of one he has to because it pays what we need to live.
2 people like this
@bmorell (10)
• United States
22 Aug 08
I think it is possible, but you'd have to work really hard, be diligent, and be versatile. The most important thing would be doing many different things. You'd have to be very diversified. I am personally trying to supplement my income through freelancing online and such. I'd be fine not doing it, but I find it fun!
@chiyosan (30183)
• Philippines
27 Aug 08
i believe that everything is possible... when you think you can make it then you can. of course... :) people can earn online and that would even be enough for you not to work...
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Aug 08
If a person is at least open to something as being possible, then they will entertain (or allow themselves to look for) ways to make that possibility a reality. If they consign something to the realm of impossibility, then there is really no point in wasting time and energy trying to achieve something that is impossible. Sometimes, though, something may be possible, but a person does not assign it a high enough priority in their lives to make it a reality. It is certainly possible for me to walk on the moon. This may not have seemed like a possibility before 1969, but it is a reality post-1969, and so it is a possibility for any of us - we know how to do it. And while it is possible, and while it might be an awesome thing to accomplish - for me, it is just not that high of a priority. There are other things that I would rather do in life than to walk on the moon. It is most definitely possible to earn a living sufficient to survive solely by working online. But for many people, that possibility is equivalent to walking on the moon - there's too much work, there are too many odds to overcome, etc., etc. But at least opening yourself up to something as a possibility, you are able to entertain ways of making that possibility a reality. Thanks for your reply!
@monaliu (344)
28 Aug 08
How can I ? ha ha...(*_*) I think we can do it, if we can try our best to find the way.Everything is possible. But I don't like to face computer everyday. So ,I will try to find another way. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@iakulchen (615)
• Singapore
22 Aug 08
If that favourite authour you are talking about is Robert Kiyosaki, you really should read up more about him, he is the single author that has disappointed me the most. His books are filled with inconsistencies, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" , like " A Million Little Pieces" by another authour, has become infamous for being a work of fiction marketed as "non-fiction", and I learnt much much more from "Think and Gorw Rich" the very first motivional book that was written way, way back in 1937. It speaks a lot about an author when you find that something published so many years ago, which one would think would no longer be relevant, so easil youtperforms a more recent author.
• United States
26 Aug 08
"Think and Grow Rich" is also a good book with much to teach - although it too has its "I'm not going to tell you the secret, but if you read these pages, you should be able to figure it out" theme going for it. George Clason's The Richest Man in Babylon is another book that has taught me much. Kiyosaki certainly has his failings, and I do not take everything that he says. I have read up on him - the net has many critiques. Whether Rich Dad Poor Dad is a work of fiction or non-fiction (or fictionalized non-fiction), that was not the reason that I purchased and read the book in the first place. I wanted to see what the rich are teaching their children that the poor and middle class are not. And in this regard, I think that Kiyosaki does make valid points - Poor people - whether they have lots of money or not - tend to think poorly. They make decisions with the mindset of a poor person. They think that being rich means spending money on luxuries - often the expense-generating variety of luxuries - that end up eating the poor and middle-class alive. The rich - whether they have lots of money or not - focus their resources on purchasing items that put money back into their pockets. The rich open their minds to finding possible ways to make money work for them, rather than enslaving themselves to money. Short answer: I like Robert Kiyosaki because of the ideas that are presented in his books. I may not always agree with what he says. But I find enough value in his ideas because they make me think and they force me to challenge his ideas in my own mind to see if what he says rings true.
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
Yes, i believe, when you are really into it and is really patient. I have seen a site where he is earning so much in a month. But for me, i would just want to make it as a side line or source of income while i am looking for a stable job.
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
yes, i think because i saw in someone's site that he is earning so much in a month. But for me, i just want to earn an income here in the internet while i am looking for a stable job.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Aug 08
I think that a lot of people get started looking for something to earn online in the same way. They cannot find a place in the work force - for whatever reason - and so they take up whatever they can find online. Best wishes to you in your search for something successful!
@curiousman (2427)
• Malaysia
22 Aug 08
I think it's possible though I haven't achieved any significant milestone. Hey, just started a week ago and am already seeing people coming to my website. Guess what, I got 4 mylot referrals just because of my site. Well, I guess they are not as active as I am here but that's something for a week of work. I just need to set the ball in motion and once it rolls, it'll only gain speed. I tell my readers what I do almost every two days and they get to see how I do it and decide if it's what they want without wasting time researching. Check out my site if you're interested to find out what I have done over the past week.
2 people like this
• United States
26 Aug 08
Congratulations to you for taking the first steps toward starting to make things happen! And congratulations again for achieving your myLot referrals! Part of the challenge is trying to find ways to make these referrals active, giving them an incentive to participate - taking an interest in their discussions (or at least making a point of responding to them) and engaging them in discussion as well. You've got the ball in motion - and your plan of putting regular updates in play seems to be one that works well. Thanks for posting your thoughts to this discussion!
@falassion (419)
• Brazil
22 Aug 08
For me, it isn't possible YET. I still have a job and I study, so the time I can spend trying to earn some money online isn't enough to make a profitable ammount enough to live with it. But, if I had more time, I'm sure it would be possible, with some initial investiments.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Aug 08
I think that part of the trick for making money online is to find small ways to make money, that you can get something small started that you can let continue on its own, and then setup another one, and another one, and another one, until you have a little army of systems working in your favor to earn an income for you. If you don't have a lot of time, getting these little balls rolling in your favor may be one of the best things that you can do to get started earning online. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@amc1369 (24)
• United States
30 Aug 08
Any online money making job is going to be a challange.. The best way to earn money is to do your homework. Find whats right for you. you can't succeed at something you can't put your heart into. You must belive in what your doing. Research, research,research. There are so many opportunites that are not scams. But try to remember don't get into things that ask you for money and put your self in a pickle. I belive in people helping people.
• United States
1 Sep 08
Without a doubt, pursuing any money making venture is going to be a challenge - at least at first as the "ropes" are being learned. And doing your homework is a must - on so many different levels, lest you find yourself being taken in by a scam (and how many are out there!) Finding something that you love enough to make it succeed and finding something that has the capacity to succeed are also crucial elements to making online earnings work... Some folks do well with projects that ask for investments, and others find that they simply lose their money... Does this mean that all sites that require some sort of investment up front are bad? No. It's like you said - you really need to have a handle on what you are doing before you hand your money over. You want to know what exactly you are getting. You want to find out what other people are saying about this system (and you want to make sure that they are not simply saying nice things about the system because they are being paid referral fees or affiliate commissions!). That said, there are genuine opportunities - but you always want to do everything you can to make sure that any money that you put out is money that you will see coming back to you in return. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@subha12 (18441)
• India
22 Aug 08
look there are varied opinion about this topic. i am only on mylot. with not just to earn. i prefer this forum so i am here. but many people say they earn so much online. i have no experience about this.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Aug 08
You are absolutely correct about the various opinioins on this topic. MyLot has much to commend itself to people as a forum for discussions, and it undoubtedly attracts a lot of people who are interested in online earnings - because myLot pays for participation. The question is: Can you believe what everyone says? My biggest online earnings so far have come through selling on eBay. I sold many digital download products - photographic images - and while I did not make major profits, the experience was enjoyable... until eBay decided to no longer allow digital download items. I have been learning and experimenting with selling digital download products through my own website... and also looking at other writing communities (article sites like Helium) that offer to pay contributors for posting their content. If you are here on myLot because you enjoy the company, then that is what is good for you! Best wishes in your continued participation!
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
[u]Hello highlyclever, I like your can do attitude quote. I guess you are right if we tell our brain to lookfor remedy it will and it can find one. If you say I can't, that's it. No more thinking and effort on looking for solution. I think I have the tendency to say I can't most of the time and it's really a bad thing to do and think. But with your good advice I would say it is posssible to earn enough online to survive. It is already possible here at mylot. I bet there are people here who earn at least $50 a month. In our country that's already a good sum and you can survive by on it. You can earn more than that here at mylot if your life depend on it. There are other good sites in here and if you have time and energy for sure you will survive on your online earning. You just need to strategize. Regards.[/u]
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
Yes, I think so. I have a friend who is earning for the last five years online and does online earning for a living. He is somewhat familiar with almost all set up from blogging to affiliate marketing. He is also a graduate of computer programming which makes it easy for him to do almost all computer set up. Best to you and hope you will earn more!
• United States
27 Aug 08
Almost everyone seems to be a friend of a friend who earns their living online, and with so many people online (and earning online) these days, I suspect that it will only become more and more common. The computer programming folks may seem to have an advantage, but there are sites like blogger.com which make the blogging setup process very simple. But having such a friend cannot hurt as you try to get your own system up and running and you make your go on the "making your living online" adventure! Best wishes to you as well! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
@Jenaisle (14078)
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
I believe so! You just have to select the sites carefully, spend your time wisely and don't have a day or night job. I believe you can. JohnChow.com had done it and several other successful bloggers. One kid in Asia had earned a thousand dollars through on of his strategies. If others can, you can to.
1 person likes this
22 Aug 08
someone will be rich but not everyone I belive it but i am not the person
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Aug 08
What do you see in your life that leads you to believe that you will never be rich? I think that if you are not open to the possibility, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You never look for opportunities to become rich, because you have consigned yourself to poverty. I have found that something as simple as reading a book - such as George Clason's The Richest Man in Babylon - has changed my outlook and has given me ideas on how an ordinary person can succeed. I wish you the best, whatever path you pursue! Thanks for replying to my discussion!
• Philippines
22 Aug 08
For me its not. We should have lots of different ways to earn so keep surviving guys!
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Aug 08
What do you think stands most in your way of making money online, or making enough money online to survive? Is it the lack of knowledge, or the lack of access? Would you rather participate in sites that pay you, or would you rather formulate sites where you can receive the greatest earnings?