How would you earn money from freelancing if you had just 8 months before you went homeless?

Firstly, I would like to clarify that a job is not an option for me BEFORE I RUN AWAY since my parents want me to solely focus on studies, and I use gaming as an excuse to pick up my laptop but focus on freelancing instead. My skills include web and AI development, which I’m not sure if it’s even possible to land a gig with these skills anymore.

The 8 month duration is for my 19th birthday, where I’ll get my bank account and everything, and then I plan on running away from home. It’s a very well thought out plan in general, with only one missing component: money. I have no money to rent myself a room or buy a small bike or anything. So what do I do? Is it feasible to save up enough money after 8 months to be able to support myself for at least a few months?

I only plan on running away for a few months at first so my parents can think about their decisions for a bit, so it’s not like I need a large sum. But if push comes to shove, and they don’t let me in anymore, I would prefer to have some backup cash as I search for a 9-5

Before thinking about money, I’d ask one thing first: what exactly is happening at home that makes you want to run away? If it’s abuse or you’re not safe, that’s a different situation and you should talk to a trusted adult, counselor, relative, or local support service. But if it’s mostly about your parents being strict with studies, running away with little money can create much bigger problems than it solves.

ProxyBoost said:

Before thinking about money, I’d ask one thing first: what exactly is happening at home that makes you want to run away? If it’s abuse or you’re not safe, that’s a different situation and you should talk to a trusted adult, counselor, relative, or local support service. But if it’s mostly about your parents being strict with studies, running away with little money can create much bigger problems than it solves.

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I’ve talked to and got many people involved, but my parents refuse to acknowledge their issues. My mom has diagnosed MDD and Bipolar Disorder, and my father is diagnosed with anger issues and MDD, and both of them are very toxic to each other. It’s not just them arguing or even getting physical sometimes that’s making me want to run away, they control all my life decisions and even want to marry me off to some cousin of mine after I finish my ALevels. Extremely narcissistic people, but I still believe they could maybe reconsider their decisions if I rebelled for a bit

I am sorry you are dealing with that. If there is physical violence or pressure to marry someone against your will, I would treat this as a safety issue first and try to involve a trusted adult, counselor, relative, or local support service. At the same time, 8 months is not a lot of time, so I would not make any sudden moves without a real plan. Start saving money quietly, keep your important documents safe, and try to build some online income before doing anything drastic.

With web and ai skills, you can probably find some small online work. Check the freelance section here too: https://www.blackhatworld.com/forums/hire-a-freelancer.76/ also some freelancers websites

At first it may not be the kind of money you dream about, but everyone starts somewhere. Small freelance tasks can turn into better clients, better skills, or even a different business later.

ProxyBoost said:

I am sorry you are dealing with that. If there is physical violence or pressure to marry someone against your will, I would treat this as a safety issue first and try to involve a trusted adult, counselor, relative, or local support service. At the same time, 8 months is not a lot of time, so I would not make any sudden moves without a real plan. Start saving money quietly, keep your important documents safe, and try to build some online income before doing anything drastic.

With web and ai skills, you can probably find some small online work. Check the freelance section here too: https://www.blackhatworld.com/forums/hire-a-freelancer.76/ also some freelancers websites

At first it may not be the kind of money you dream about, but everyone starts somewhere. Small freelance tasks can turn into better clients, better skills, or even a different business later.

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Thank you bro this means a lot to me. I’ll check that link out, and yeah I know I’ll start small but I haven’t had any luck on Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Discord, Upwork, Fiverr, Twitter, or any other platform for months now so I’m just curious on what I’m doing wrong

Seekehr said:

Thank you bro this means a lot to me. I’ll check that link out, and yeah I know I’ll start small but I haven’t had any luck on Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Discord, Upwork, Fiverr, Twitter, or any other platform for months now so I’m just curious on what I’m doing wrong

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Also, if you already have web and ai skills, you can look into youtube. I see quite a few people around me making money from views by uploading different ai generated videos. It is not instant money, of course. You still need to spend time testing niches, thumbnails, titles, video formats, and understanding what people actually watch. But compared to many other businesses, it can be pretty cheap to start. Search for some courses or guides on how to start with youtube videos, then test small. Even if it does not become your main income, you willl learn content, seo, editing, analytics, and audience building. Those skills can help in other online businesses too.

ProxyBoost said:

Also, if you already have web and ai skills, you can look into youtube. I see quite a few people around me making money from views by uploading different ai generated videos. It is not instant money, of course. You still need to spend time testing niches, thumbnails, titles, video formats, and understanding what people actually watch. But compared to many other businesses, it can be pretty cheap to start. Search for some courses or guides on how to start with youtube videos, then test small. Even if it does not become your main income, you willl learn content, seo, editing, analytics, and audience building. Those skills can help in other online businesses too.

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Yes I’ve actually been thinking about doing this for a while and I even made a script to help automate some parts, but I put off doing it since I was barely getting any views let alone any subscribers, and I’m in a bit of a hurry. But I may have to revisit it since I’m desperate at this point lol

Seekehr said:

My skills include web and AI development, which I’m not sure if it’s even possible to land a gig with these skills anymore.

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It is very possible, if you take the right approach.

Instead of just saying “I do web and AI”, identify a customer within your reach, figure out their problems, and build a solution. Your skillset is ideal for things like appointment and reservation automation, and there are plenty of businesses that could use that.

Seekehr said:

I still believe they could maybe reconsider their decisions if I rebelled for a bit

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And they might cut you off permanently. Once you walk out that door, you need to be prepared to never return.

Stavro said:

It is very possible, if you take the right approach.

Instead of just saying “I do web and AI”, identify a customer within your reach, figure out their problems, and build a solution. Your skillset is ideal for things like appointment and reservation automation, and there are plenty of businesses that could use that.

And they might cut you off permanently. Once you walk out that door, you need to be prepared to never return.

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I’m glad you brought up appointment making since that’s exactly what I made a small startup around. Built a website, bought a com domain with my own pocket money and stuff, but well, it didn’t work. I don’t really know WHERE to advertise this, I tried running facebook ads but I’d have to pay someone a big sum to make me a banner or pixel or whatever since AI generated ones don’t perform very well.

And yeah, I get that, but I still like to think they’re my parents at the end of the day and would maybe never abandon me

Seekehr said:

Yes I’ve actually been thinking about doing this for a while and I even made a script to help automate some parts, but I put off doing it since I was barely getting any views let alone any subscribers, and I’m in a bit of a hurry. But I may have to revisit it since I’m desperate at this point lol

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From what I have seen, youtube usually needs some time to understand your channel and audience. Sometimes a channel gets lucky and one of the first 5 or 6 videos takes off, but more often you need 12 to 15+ videos before you can see any real pattern. I would not quit too early just because the first uploads got low views. Test different topics, titles, thumbnails, hooks, and video length. The first goal is to understand what the algorithm and viewers react to, not to make money from the first few videos. Also, if the videos are easy to translate or revoice, you can test the same idea in different languages or countries. Just make sure each channel has a clear angle and does not look like pure duplicate spam. Like anything else, it is mostly testing and consistency. Sometimes one small change in niche, title, or intro can make a big difference. Finding working combinations is one of the most important parts of any online work, including freelancing. Nobody finds their gold mine right away. Sometimes it takes 3 to 5 months of testing before something starts making sense.

ProxyBoost said:

From what I have seen, youtube usually needs some time to understand your channel and audience. Sometimes a channel gets lucky and one of the first 5 or 6 videos takes off, but more often you need 12 to 15+ videos before you can see any real pattern. I would not quit too early just because the first uploads got low views. Test different topics, titles, thumbnails, hooks, and video length. The first goal is to understand what the algorithm and viewers react to, not to make money from the first few videos. Also, if the videos are easy to translate or revoice, you can test the same idea in different languages or countries. Just make sure each channel has a clear angle and does not look like pure duplicate spam. Like anything else, it is mostly testing and consistency. Sometimes one small change in niche, title, or intro can make a big difference. Finding working combinations is one of the most important parts of any online work, including freelancing. Nobody finds their gold mine right away. Sometimes it takes 3 to 5 months of testing before something starts making sense.

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This is probably the most detailed answer I’ve seen posted, thank you VERY much. One last question, is it fine if I do YouTube Shorts (and Instagram reel) instead of YouTube? Does it pay good aswell, since long form content will consume too much of my time and might not even show any results?

Hi,
since others have already answered your question about “how to make money,” I’m going to take the liberty of commenting on the situation as a whole.
First of all, congratulations on coming to this realization. It’s never easy to realize that you’re living in a toxic environment, and I think your decision is the right one.

From what I understand, you can’t open a bank account on your own yet. Have you looked into PayPal, Escrow, or other options? Because once you find clients, they’ll need to pay you, so be sure to explore your options carefully.
Another point: taxes. In your country, do you have to formally register a business? Are the tax authorities very strict? Make sure to look into these details thoroughly.

Are your ID documents up to date? If so, stash them somewhere. Not just any old hiding spot—I’m talking about a truly secure place that only you can access or know about. Same goes for your health records.

Also check which documents you might need to rent an apartment.
As someone else said, prepare for the possibility that you might never return home. So, if you have items you care about, try to bring them out gradually.
I hope your situation gets better soon. Eight months is a long time—you’re probably counting the days—but if you prepare well, much like the heroine in the series *The Glory* (Netflix), it gives you a goal and helps you be patient.

Seekehr said:

I’m glad you brought up appointment making since that’s exactly what I made a small startup around. Built a website, bought a com domain with my own pocket money and stuff, but well, it didn’t work. I don’t really know WHERE to advertise this, I tried running facebook ads but I’d have to pay someone a big sum to make me a banner or pixel or whatever since AI generated ones don’t perform very well.

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Forget paid ads. Your focus right now should be one paying customer. Speaking directly to twenty decision makers at local companies will teach you far more than showing one ad to twenty thousand random people who probably won't ever need your service.

Seekehr said:

And yeah, I get that, but I still like to think they’re my parents at the end of the day and would maybe never abandon me

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My wife has parents similar to yours.

Don't build your plan around what-ifs and maybes. Take care of yourself first.

Seekehr said:

This is probably the most detailed answer I’ve seen posted, thank you VERY much. One last question, is it fine if I do YouTube Shorts (and Instagram reel) instead of YouTube? Does it pay good aswell, since long form content will consume too much of my time and might not even show any results?

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I have not worked with reels specifically for monetization the same way people use youtube views, so I cannot speak too confidently about that part. One thing I would suggest for youtube is not to mix formats too much on the same channel. If you start with shorts, then focus on shorts. If you start with long-form videos, then build the channel around long-form. Shorts usually pay less than long-form videos, but they can still be worth it if the channel starts getting serious volume. The main advantage is that they are faster to produce and easier to test.

I would also consider running a few channels at the same time with different angles or languages. Yes, it takes more time, but on a longer distance it gives you more chances that one of them will start getting traction.

You can become a Middleman reselling other vendors services on Freelancing sites. You don't need to have the skill yourself. Just find the clients and raise money.

If you have enough and good creativities, you can do tiktok, kwai, ins. Try to record your life, your opinion, your dressing. Be an influencer and then you can sell stuff.

I’d build some income and savings before making that decision freelance projects can help you create a safety net over time.

https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/f...or-hiring-or-working-as-a-freelancer.1658599/

I would apply for different platforms, especially alternative ones with Lower competition, as Fiverr and others are super competitive

Also, I'd market my services on Reddit (on posts related to my niche already ranking on Google, commenting on those posts and buying a few upvotes for some cents)

After reading your story, I realize you have many elements that can be developed. You're building a YouTube channel, and you could also share aspects of your life, which would be a topic that attracts many viewers. Just like this post of yours, it could spark curiosity, comments, and debate. This would make your channel more appealing. Beyond YouTube, you could expand to other platforms. You could also use short videos or regular shared content. Nothing beats taking the initiative, building, and persistently working together.

Seekehr said:

Firstly, I would like to clarify that a job is not an option for me BEFORE I RUN AWAY since my parents want me to solely focus on studies, and I use gaming as an excuse to pick up my laptop but focus on freelancing instead. My skills include web and AI development, which I’m not sure if it’s even possible to land a gig with these skills anymore.

The 8 month duration is for my 19th birthday, where I’ll get my bank account and everything, and then I plan on running away from home. It’s a very well thought out plan in general, with only one missing component: money. I have no money to rent myself a room or buy a small bike or anything. So what do I do? Is it feasible to save up enough money after 8 months to be able to support myself for at least a few months?

I only plan on running away for a few months at first so my parents can think about their decisions for a bit, so it’s not like I need a large sum. But if push comes to shove, and they don’t let me in anymore, I would prefer to have some backup cash as I search for a 9-5

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Firstly,you can search your job on many platforms and you can start what you are good at.You can also do 9-5 for your backup.