Jobless Benefits Expired? How To Make Money With No Job

There is bad news from Washington for the unemployed - jobless benefits for workers laid off for more than 26 weeks will expire, affecting 800,000 by early December 2010, 2 million by the end of December, and an estimated 5 million by April 2011. Merry Christmas, folks!

Meager as they are, jobless benefits can mean the difference between eating and going hungry for many families this holiday season. If your family is one that will be affected by the expiring benefits, here are some ways you can make money with no job.

There are so many scams and get-rich-quick schemes on the internet, that a lot of people don't believe there's any legitimate way to make money online without starting the next Amazon.com.

But there is.

Making money online isn't easy and you shouldn't believe anyone who tells you that it is. However, with some hard work and determination, you can be successful.

Here are 15 real ways to make money online with little or no money upfront:

1. Design t-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and more for Cafepress or Zazzle.
2. Sell your handicrafts or vintage goods on Etsy.
3. Self-publish your book on Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, PubIt, Lulu, or Createspace.
4. Sell your photos on iStockPhoto, Shutterstock, or Fotolia.
5. Sell prints or other artwork on deviantART.
6. Sell used books with BookScouter.
7. Sell (almost) anything on ebay or Amazon Marketplace.
8. Offer to do something for $5 on Fiverr.
9. Become a freelance writer, web designer, virtual assistant, or more on oDesk, Elance, or Freelancer.
10. Become a graphic designer on crowdSpring or 99Designs.
11. Answer questions at WebAnswers.
12. Earn money with social bookmarking at SheToldMe.
13. Get paid for your content on Flattr.
14. Start a niche website or blog and make money with ad revenue or affiliate programs.
15. Write for HubPages or Squidoo.

Writing online is my favorite way to make money with no job. In fact, writing online now is my job!

If you are a total beginner to making money writing online, I recommend Squidoo. Squidoo has many modules that make it fast and easy to create a page, or "lens", and all you need to make money is a valid PayPal account.

If you have a little more experience, HubPages is a more profitable choice. It is just as easy to create a page, or "hub", on HubPages (maybe even easier) as it is on Squidoo, but you must have accounts with Google Adsense, Amazon Associates, the Ebay Affiliate program, and/or Kontera to make any money.

More sites where you can make money writing online include Associated Content, Triond, Xomba, Helium, and Infobarrel.

If the internet isn't your thing, or you don't have reliable access to a computer, here are 15 more easy money-making ideas:

1. Throw a garage sale
2. Rent out your stuff.
3. Take in a tenant.
4. Sell aluminum cans and other recyclables for cash.
5. Sell your hair.
6. Sell plasma.
7. Sell garden produce.
8. Sell crafts or artwork.
   
9. Become a street performer.
10. Teach others your skills.
11. Babysit.
12. Run errands for people.
13. Start a taxi or chauffeur service.
    
14. Take odd jobs.
15. Start a small business.