For many of us working from home is not just luxury, but a necessity. With the rising cost of living and childcare being both expensive and hard to come by, it is absolutely necessary to at home - and also contribute to the expenses of the household. The real challenge is obvious. Finding a work from home opportunity that is both reliable and that actually pays good money.

There are quite literally thousands of work from home opportunities available online. Unfortunately the majority of them are just plain rubbish and come with a massive hidden agenda. More than anything the network marketing model seemed to have caught on to this huge demand. They would often try and hook you in by promising easy commissions and the potential for great wealth. Unfortunately these "opportunities" and performance based meaning the more you sell the more you make and if you don't sell anything, you don't earn anything.

Selling stuff is a pain in the neck and I don't know bout you, but I don't want to go around and flog off cheap products to my friends and family just to earn some commission. The other thing I also do not want to do is cold calling and trying to sell stuff over the phone. I don't know which one is worse?

So, how do you earn money online? Is there a good solid work from home job that you can do without any real hassles?

Unfortunately most work from home jobs come with it's own advantage and disadvantages. Thankfully the internet has opened up a lot of jobs that you can now do from the comfort of your own home. Freelancing is probably the most reliable way to work from home. Not only does it allow you to work in your field of expertise (regardless of what it is) but it is very reliable and enables you to get work from all over the world - thereby expanding your reach and your earning ability.

There are a lot of websites that act as a "marketplace" where you can find and exchange work. Guru.com and Elance.com are the 2 big ones and putting your profile up on these two sites will get you off to a flying start. In the end you can earn a lot of money working from home, doing what you love and still enjoy a balanced family life.