For our Earn More Challengers and readers, I give you 28 ways to make extra money.
I scoured my brain and the web for great ideas. The one common denominator I found: the extra money skills are within us. All of us contain a skill worthy enough to produce extra income. I think the issue is having the courage to make things happen.
- So what if you look like a tightwad collecting your friend’s cans & bottles after a party! You’re helping the environment and making yourself some cash! Sweet!
- Who cares if you have your hand stuck in couch looking for change! Again, you’re making some money!
- Who cares if you are donating yourself to wash everyone’s clothes so you can find the lose change in their pockets!
- Who cares if your friend’s think you are weird because all you do is blab about how you’re going to make some extra cash this month for someone’s blog challenge!
I believe in Dave Ramsey’s motto: “Live like know one else so later you can live like no one else.”
I plan on making strides to live the good life because I’ve seen the other side and it just ain’t my cup of tea anymore! Here are you 28 Fabulous Ways to Make Extra Money!
- Freelance
Write for eHow.com, Associated Content, or Helium. You could also become a ghostwriter for someone or write Private Label Articles to sell online. - Donate Blood/Plasma
Have extra? Can make money. - Start a side business
My friend and I are thinking about starting a Candy Buffet and Coffee Bar business for parties/weddings/corporate events. - Become a Direct Seller
Ladies, start those home parties selling Avon, Pamperchef, Tupperware, Arbonne, Partylight or Mary Kay - Teach a Community Class
Have a great skill? Cooking, Candle Making, Teaching Manners, Taking Care of an Animal, etc… The Parks & Recreations Department or local community college is always looking for people to teach a class. - Recycle bottles and cans
Don’t throw out bottles and cans. Get a big trash bag just for recycling and throw in the good stuff. Take in to recycling center. Can make some good money. Don’t forget…collect the bottles and cans from your friend’s party. My friend made $50 everytime she had a party. - Sell your stuff on Ebay/Craigslist
Clean out the clutter. Sell! Sell! Sell!You could even offer to help someone sell their stuff on Ebay/Craigslist for a minimal fee.
- Sell your books on Half.com
Unwanted books? Sell on Ebay’s Half.comAgain, you could help someone sell their stuff on Half.com for a minimal fee.
- Tutor
Book Smarts? Tutor a student in your field of expertise. - Teach people how to cook
Holidays are coming up! Teach people how to make really good desserts in your home or church kitchen facility. (or make an ebook with those family recipes and sell) - Babysit
Parent’s Night Out is real popular. Babysit a group of kids for 4 hours on a Friday or Saturday night so the parents have time to chill out.Charge $25 – $30 for each kid. Offer a snack, kid’s craft, throw on a kid’s movie. My girlfriend’s nights are real popular with the families.
- Become a dog walker
I see it all the time, a lady in the morning getting fit by walking 5 dogs around the neighborhood. - Sell candybars at your work – just say its for a kid’s fundraiser
Candy/Chocolate is a popular commodity in our office. Buy a case of candy bars from a wholesale store, like Costco, then mark each bar at $1.00. Tada! Profits. - Start a craft & sell on Etsy
If you don’t have much to sell in household belongings, like me, consider starting a craft business. Etsy is a great place to sell your creations online. - Create Websites
Are you a computer saavy designer? The target is small businesses. I found a designer who will create 5 static pages for $250 and her goal is helping small businesses with their website. Win-win situation.You could even consider designing professional web templates and start your own online market.
- Write an ebook
If you have a great idea and a good blog or fan base, many people would love to hear about it. Charge a minimal $5 per download. Adobe has a great ebook on how to write ebooks (click here). - Advertise on your blog
Try Amazon associates or Google Adsense on your website. You could even try Clickbooth.com or Commission Junction, too. I don’t make very much, but every little bit counts. - Take paid surveys
A couple of ones I know of are Lightspeed panel or Pinecone Research. - Have a car wash
The Carl’s Jr. by my house always has a carwash going on in their parking lot. Many businesses will allow you to use their parking lot for such fundraising services for organization or family. - Clean someone’s house
There were these group of gals with nice bodies…they started a house cleaning business in which they where bikinis while cleaning. Querky, but it worked quite successfully. - Be a mystery shopper
Don’t know much about this one, but I hear it works. - Have a Garage sale (aka – bootsale?)
Open up your lawn, place unwanted stuff, price, stick signs up or advertise in your local Pennysaver and whala! The crowds will come and give you money to take your stuff away for you.
- Find lose change in the couch
There is always money falling out of people’s pockets. Check your couch, your friend’s couch, check the pockets before you load them in the clothes washer, and walk with your head scanning the ground at all times for lose change. - Give music or foreign language lessons
Are you art saavy? People want to learn. Advertise in Craigslist. - Sell your photographs on iStockphoto.com
Take great photos? Try selling them on istock. - Paint street numbers
$10 a house. Pass out a flyer saying your coming around on such and such date to paint curbs. Use a stencil and some spray paint to make the street number look new. - Rent out a spare room
Emtpy room? Rent it to a college student. Make a few hundred here. - Put clothes on consignment
Have nice clothes you don’t wear anymore? Don’t want to deem them for garage sale or thrift store? Then sell them at a consignment shop.
I hope you will benefit from many of these ideas! If you, dear readers, have any other great ideas please leave them in the comments! Are you geared up to make that money? Thank you for Mr. and Mrs. Planning for Everything for placing a great challenge in our hands.
I was going to list the frugal prize & guidelines with this post, but I think I will save it for tomorrow or Friday. There’s a lot of information here.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Tutoring is a totally legit way to make extra money. I love it!
It should pick back up for you now that school is starting again. That will be nice.
I’m excited! I am also going to be checking out some of these ideas for sure!
It’ll be fun to see how everyone finds their niche for making the cash.
Fabulous inspiring post! You’re right – I’m a big believer in going out there and finding ways to generate income. And by doing it this way, you’re still freeing yourself from the 9-5 routine. Obviously at the moment we are trying to do exactly this and hubby launched his business (handyman – outside jobs etc). We had a load of flyers printed and posted only about 50 yesterday and already he has his first job! Having the get up and go to get out and sniff opportunities out is a big thing.
Thank you Alice. I’m glad to hear hubby’s skills will come in handy. He can probably get a lot of word of mouth business this way, too.
I think that is where a lot of people hesitate…is actually getting out there and making it happen. I know that is my problem: executing the first physical steps to a goal. I can think alot. But that thinking isn’t makin’ me the money. So, September will be fun to put that food foward.
Great list! I enjoy making money from home by writing articles, surveys, and blogging.
I know its a lot of work, but once you get the hang of it the money is there to be earned.
Great tips! I’m going to kick up my ehow and examiner writing for next month’s earn more challenge and take another look around the house for things I can sell.
I really need to write some more eHow articles, too! Can’t wait to see how this all progresses. I plan on putting up a total bar to see what we do as a whole group. Maybe it’ll lend some inspiration to eachother.
Those are some great tips. I’ve also made like $4 doing YouData. All you do it look at ads and then give you some change – downloaded into your paypal account – so you don’t even need to give them any more personal information than your email address. Works pretty well, though no massive windfall for me yet. =)
I also tried doing surveys, and didn’t really make any money after hours of survey filling. Mainly because I am a single white female – so we’re a dime a dozen.
As for the mystery shopping, I signed up for one and keep applying for jobs in my area but so far haven’t gotten assigned any. Most of them in my area are shopping at GNC, Spencer’s or Jiffy Lube. If I could get the Jiffy Lube one every 3 months that would be pretty exciting, but I’ve yet to get assigned one even though I apply everytime.
As for tutoring and teaching at the community college, that is what I do and it is some great extra cash. Honestly, anyone can get money tutoring because even sixth graders need tutoring. So if you can add and have some time in the evenings, just put yourself out there and you can get some extra cash flow. =D
Oh, thanks for the link! Wow, I think I could sit and look at ads.
Surveys do take a lot, but I did find someone that was giving $10 a survey. I will have to see if I can find that link again.
So, no success with the mystery shopping. Plus I heard you have to spend and then they will reimburse you. So that may not work with everyone. But, I do hope an assignment comes your way soon! Ya, for some reason, my oil changes seem to be getting more expensive everytime I go. lol.
I also thought that maybe teaching a crafting class at JoAnn’s or Michael’s would be good, too.
Thank you so much for the wonderful input and ideas! And you’re right…I didn’t think about tutoring the youngins. For an hour or two of your time… and money in the bank….sweet!
Hey, these are just amazing ways to earn. While this was just an idea in our mind, you worked on it so well that now it seems reachable to us too
Thanks for sharing useful ideas. I am not sure but paid posts can be one way to earn, then writing into local magazines, newspapers can work. Lot many ways to find out.
I am really interested to see how the writing works for you. That’s right, there is Pay Per Post. I am not sure how to make it into magazines or newspapers. But the financial potential is definitely there. Also, I hear people writing for the Examiner. That may work, too.
This is going to be fun!