We all know the scene. My husband is happily watching his game shows or old Turner Classic movies, and there I am—sitting in the living room, not especially excited about either. Instead of scrolling aimlessly on my phone, I’ve turned this time into something productive (and even profitable). I use it to grow my online business, create content, and brainstorm new ideas
What I do and you can also:
If your spouse is glued to the TV and you’re looking for a better way to use that time, here are some ways I’ve found to make money from the couch.
Turn Your iPhone Into a Mini Office
I keep my iPhone nearby, and while the TV hums in the background, I pop into ChatGPT. Together, we research new topics for my blog, build post outlines, and even brainstorm titles that might catch readers’ eyes.
I save everything into a simple text file right on my phone. Later, when I’m back at my desktop PC with a proper keyboard and mouse, I can polish it up and publish. That way, my “half-watching TV” moments become the first draft of tomorrow’s blog post.
Use AI to Create Visuals
Besides writing, I also ask AI to help me generate header images and infographics. Since my blog posts need that extra pop, these visuals make my content more shareable on social media. A few minutes of creative experimenting while my husband watches his westerns can save me hours later.
Pro tip: If you’re using AI art or design tools, save your images to the cloud so you can edit or resize them later on your desktop.
Do Light Blog Maintenance Tasks
Not every blogging task requires total focus. While the TV is on, I can also:
- Approve or respond to blog comments
- Update Pinterest pins
- Review old posts for broken links
- Check affiliate dashboards for new earnings
These small “maintenance” jobs are perfect for filling the in-between moments while still feeling productive.
Keep the “Final Draft” Work for Desktop
While I can research, outline, and design on my phone, I save the serious editing and publishing for my desktop PC. That’s where typing and formatting are easier, and I can see my blog layout properly. It’s a nice balance—light lifting on the couch, heavy lifting at the desk.
Other Money-Making Tasks You Can Do From the Couch
if you’re looking for more inspiration, here are a few extra ideas:
- Write short product reviews for affiliate links
- Draft email newsletter snippets
- Curate a “resources” list for your readers (tools, apps, books, etc.)
- Research SEO keywords for your next article
- Engage with social media followers to build your brand
Key Takeaway
Just because the TV is on doesn’t mean your time is wasted. With a smartphone and creativity, you can turn those “in-between” hours into a profitable part of your blogging business. The best part? You don’t even have to leave the couch.
Learning to be an Affiliate Marketer
If you are interested in learning how to be an affiliate marketer and starting your own online business, then I recommend the same platform I am using to learn and host my blog sites. Read about it here.
Affiliate Links
This post contains an affiliate link, which, if clicked on and an item is purchased, I receive a small Commission. – Shirley
Conclusion
So, next time your spouse settles into a marathon of game shows, grab your phone, open up your AI assistant, and start building the next piece of your online income puzzle.
Comments
I enjoy receiving comments and questions from site visitors, you can leave yours below – Shirley
6 Responses
This is such a relatable and inspiring post! I love how you’ve broken down ways to be productive without feeling like you’re missing out on downtime. Turning “TV time” into micro-work sessions is a clever strategy. I’m curious—what’s been your most profitable task to do from the couch so far, and do you find certain times of day work better for creativity versus maintenance tasks?
Thanks Jenny for your comment. I believe the researching and working with AI for new blog post content is the best use of my “downtime” using my iPhone. Another good use I didn’t put in my post is using my iPhone to watch the training videos on Wealthy Affiliates platform. That is something that is easy to do while in my recliner. Thanks for reading my post and your kind comment. -Shirley
Thank you for sharing such a clever and relatable way to turn those ‘TV time’ hours into productive moments. I love the idea of transforming couch time into creative work, whether that’s outlining blog posts, crafting visuals with AI, or catching up on small maintenance tasks. It’s practical, inspiring, and so easy to start—especially when multitasking around a spouse’s favorite show.
Out of curiosity, which of those couch-friendly tasks do you find most rewarding—AI-generated visuals, quick blog outlines, or managing comments—and why?
Thanks, Leahrae, I’m handicapped in either a wheelchair at my desktop or in a recliner with my phone all the time. When I can’t sit at my desktop due to pain in my back and legs, I can always work on getting blog post outlines and a draft in a text file with AI, also creating images. I can work with AI on my phone when in my recliner. Then, when I feel better, I go to the desktop where I can really type and use my mouse within the WordPress editor and WA. I also like to brainstorm with AI for unusual topics to post about. I don’t want my one finger typing I have to use on my iPhone. Thanks for your comment. – Shirley
There is some great advice here – so often we waste time scrolling while we could be doing something productive, without sacrificing our relaxation! I love the bit about getting help from ChatGPT. While this isn’t something that should be abused or overused, it can be an excellent resource for brainstorming, outlining, and streamlining your work. If it can do the heavy lifting for your blog, and leave the fun stuff to you, you can’t go wrong! ChatGPT can be finicky, though. Have you found a way to prompt it that makes outlines blog-friendly? I find that sometimes when I try to transfer an outline, the font sizes are all over the place. Or the bullets in a bullet list don’t transfer. It’s a small inconvenience, but it still takes up time.
Thanks, Steph, for your comment. Yes, it’s nice to have chat AI to do the heavy lifting. The things I want to save, I ask Chat to create a downloadable txt file. And I saved it so I can access it on my computer, too. (a Dropbox file). Then, at my desktop, I go into WA and copy the content of the text file into the WordPress Editor. I do all my formatting within the WordPress editor. Copy and paste plain text, then separate headings, paragraphs, and other stuff within WordPress. The same applies to lists: just copy the list text, create a new list block, and move each list item to the WordPress list block one by one using copy/paste. Best of luck, -Shirley