Ideas for Making Extra Money

It seems like the cost of everything from gas to bread and everything in between is rising. With cost going up faster than pay many people find it necessary to make side money to make ends meet. An obvious way to make extra money is to get a part time job, but with work, school, or family responsibilities it is not always feasible to get a second job. So how do you make side money?

Start a Blog

Blogs have been steadily increasing in popularity over the last 10 or so years. You could create a blog on anything from personal finance to dating to sports or fashion. Blogs have essentially no startup cost and can be written and maintained in your spare time; which allows for a great deal of flexibility.

Freelance

If you are an expert in a field, know web design, or can write reasonably well than you may want to consider freelancing. You can register at websites like freelancer.com or oDesk.com. These sites allow you to create a profile, display a portfolio of your work, and bid on jobs. Both sites are relatively easy to get started with and typically the jobs you’ll get can be done on your own time as long as you meet the agreed upon deadline.

Odd Jobs

Another option is doing odd jobs like babysitting, cleaning houses, repair work, mowing lawns, or gardening. You can find these jobs in your local newspaper or on websites like craigslist.org.

Sell Stuff

If you’re like me you probably have a lot of stuff around the house that you don’t use or could afford to part with. If so you have several options. You can sell your stuff online at sites like amazon.com, ebay.com, or craigslist.org. If you have clothes to get rid of you can sell them at local consignment shops like Plato’s closet and once upon a child or whatever stores you have locally. If you have books to sell you can usually sell them to local used books stores, in my area there are several half price book stores that usually offer a pretty fair price of used books as long as they’re in decent condition. Another option is to have a garage sell. If you do decide to have a garage sell a great way to boost your profits is to baking some brownies or cookies and make a pitcher of lemonade to sell to your customers.

Sell Yourself

Well not actually sell yourself, but sell/ donate for money things like plasma, sperm or eggs, or take part in medical trials. A quick google search will yield the name of local blood/plasma donations centers and sperm banks. Egg donation is a little more complicated but if you meet the requirements it can pay $4,500-$10,000. If there is a local college or university in your area they may have various trials for new drugs or medical treatments usually you’ll be compensated for your time and travel. Also there may be market research firms in your area that will pay you to test products or be part of focus groups.

In this economy everyone is trying to save or make an extra dollar so the most important things to remember about making side money are to be creative, be persistent, and don’t give up.