Many people are interested in the opportunity to work from home. This can help you to cut back the cost of commuting, and child care, and other expenses, such as meals at work. However, in many cases, the desire to work from home surpasses good sense. While there are legitimate home jobs out there, there is equal number, or far more scams. Scammers are always looking to prey on the needy. People who cannot afford to work outside of their home because of children, or other responsibilities, often get sucked into scams and schemes that promise high income while doing very little from home. Let's take time to look at work from home jobs, which are legitimate, how much money you can actually make working at home, and more:

First: How can you find home based work opportunities?

Well, depending on the type of home job you are looking for you will look in different places. However, for the most part you can start with some specifics. First, if you have a job currently that you think you might be able to do from home, talk to your employer about the possibility. There are some jobs that you obviously could not do at home, such as jobs in the food service industry, or retail. However, if you do data entry, customer support, or something similar, it may be possible for you to work from your home doing the same thing you already are. So, consider your job, if you can do it with a computer and internet access, and you do not need much else, ask your employer about the possibility. If you are serious about working at home, prepare a proposal for them that shows how it will be mutually beneficial.

If you do not have a job that you can bring home, then start looking for one that would work. You can check the local paper, classifieds, Craiglist.com, and other websites. When searching these look for titles such as home-based employment. You may find that your local paper posts several opportunities for home based work in your area. You may find that some are legitimate, and some are not.

Second: How do you know if home based work opportunities are legitimate?

While it is hard to know for certain if a home job is a legitimate opportunity, there are some tell-tale signs that say that it is not. For example, if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. If you have to provide any sort of personal information like bank account numbers, or credit card information, to be considered for the position, then it is likely a scam. If you have to buy a "starter kit" or pay to get the job then it is false, or at least not nearly as profitable as they claim it to be. If you have to sign up for it through the internet, be careful to check that there are real people and that you have contact information.

You should also use your gut. The fact is that most home based business or work opportunities pay around the same as a not home job. If you can't make 10K a month at a normal job, you probably can't at a home job.

Third: What are some of the most popular and profitable home based work opportunities?

There are all sorts of home jobs. You have your choice between some basic genres, for example, you can start your own home business using skills or a trade that you have. You can work for an existing company, but work at home. Or, you can work online. Let's look at some specifics in each of these categories:

Skills or trades you have:

There are jobs that you can do that allow you to work from home. For example, if you are a crafty person you can start a home job selling crafts. If you are skilled at graphic design or web design you can create a website or do freelance work from home. If you are a skilled writer you can do freelance writing. Freelance work is a great opportunity to work from home, but you have to find the right jobs.

For freelance writers consider sites like, Elance.com to find jobs (though you have to pay to join), Suite101.com and Helium.com are sites you can submit articles on, and they will sell them to companies. If you are a good writer, you can make a few hundred dollars a month or more doing this.

For freelance web designers consider letting big companies know of your skills and your freelance ability. Post your resume on the web, and in many other areas. You will find that with these skills, you can make work from home work for you. You will be able to make ends meet because you can charge less than a big time programmer. Network with friends, and make sure they know you are looking for work so they can keep you in mind.

For freelance graphic designers, you can get work to do from home by advertising your services in local papers, on eBay, and on Craigslist. You can also go to businesses that do graphic design, such as an advertising company, and see if they are in need of any freelance designers.

Use your natural love of children to start a home job. You can start a day-care by getting certified, and licensed through the state. There are space requirements and limitations on the number of children you can have, but it is a good way to add to your income.

Work for existing company:

There is opportunity to work from home doing things like working for a call center. Most call centers that allow you to work from home pay about $10-$12 an hour, and so if you work full time you could realistically make a decent wage from home. Of course you can only get a job like this if you can guarantee a professional atmosphere. Companies do not want their calls answered by someone with a screaming baby in the background. You can try to get a call center home hob through LiveOps. This is a company that provides home-based call centers, and helps set companies up with this option. You will likely need to have internet access as well, and either have a phone line, or be willing to have a phone line installed just for the purpose of answering call center calls. Every company requirements are different, but this is a good option for someone who needs flexibility, or just wants the convenience of working from home.

Another profitable home-based business is sales. There are a lot of ways to sell something from home. You could become an agent for an insurance company, such as Beneficial Life, or New York Life. These home jobs generally require you to go to other people's homes and show them your products, and sign them up for the insurance you sell. You usually get paid on commission, and continue to get a small commission for each person who stays on the insurance. While it takes a long time to build a big enough client base to make a generous income with this, it is possible to make $500 or so a month.

Other home jobs include things like paper routes. Many newspaper companies will pay you to roll, and stuff papers, and then deliver them. This can be a good option for someone who is only looking to supplement their income from home, not earn enough to cover the cost of living.

Work online:

Of course the internet is a great way to have a home job. There are all sorts of opportunities online, although many are scams. You can do surveys and get paid to take them, but usually this only pays a few dollars a survey, though some could be much more. Survey Savvy, American Consumer Opinion, and the National Family Opinion are some of the most popular online survey companies. Again this kind of job starts small and should not replace a full time job, but is a good way to supplement income from home.

Another good way to supplement income from home is to be a mystery shopper. Of course, in some cases you have to sign up for services you do not really want or need in order to be considered, but some mystery shopping job offers are legitimate. Do not sign up for stuff, or pay to be a mystery shopper. Mystery Guest , Corporate Research International Mystery Shops and the Service Intelligence Experience Exchange are all companies you can look at if you are interested in making supplemental income as a mystery shopper.

Sell stuff you have:

Lastly, to work from home you could start a small job selling items, for example, you could sell junk you want to get rid of on eBay, but this is not a long term job. So, instead, look to create an item that will sell on sites like eBay, or Etsy, and produce these items from home to sell. For example, you could make hair bows for babies, home made jewelry, or other accessories. You could sew items like blankets, baby clothes, etc. Of course, this is a home job that is not going to be consistent, but is still a way to supplement income.