Tight on Cash? Here are some ideas to help you start thinking about how to increase your spending money for the month. They probably will not take place of your day job, but they can help generate some take-home money to help reduce your debt and potentially get you some breathing room (and maybe that nice pair of shoes you have been eying!)
1. Have a Unique Skill or Ability? “I wish I knew how to do that,” is a common saying around some of my friends. That activity mentioned could be baking, gardening, jewelry making, scrap booking, decorating cakes, or playing sports. People will pay to be taught. They will pay even more to make it a family activity with their children.
2. Offer to Baby, Plant, Pet or House Sit.
- Babysit: Several options are available here. You can offer to babysit for parents needing a night out or to attend a business function. You can also offer to keep kids all night long for parents who work odd hours. Most day cares center won’t accept a child who has a fever or a running nose, but this is a perfect opportunity for you to offer to keep children who are feeling a little sick for parents in need. Contacting several day care centers in your area for referrals, can help you carve out a profitable corner. Please check into all local and state laws for keeping children.
- Offer to take care of plants: Make some extra cash by taking care of house plants or even outdoor gardens while people are on vacation.
- Pet Sitter: If you can undercut the kennels and offer more personal time with their pets, pet owners will rush to have the best pet sitter on the block to watch their pets, while they are out of town, on a business function, or just while away at work. People need help with hamsters, cats, dogs, bird, or even exotic pets. Offer to feed, water, and check in on the pets at their homes and you can rake in some extra money to put towards those new shoes! If you’re uncertain about having large animals in your house or apartment, set a weight limit or offer to take care of them at the owner’s house.
- House sit: Many people will pay to have someone check in on their house every couple of days to make sure everything is in order. Sometimes they ask for simple things like taking out the trash or even some of the options listed above. With offering to house sit, you may be able to pull in a double whammy by plant sitting their garden as well.
3. Can You Craft?
Selling baked goods, jewelry, or even paper crafts at local farmers market and flea market is a good way to help out the local community and pull in a few dollars in your pocket. Selling items over the internet can be a little risky, but you can have big returns in the long run. Sites like etsy.com, can help you start off your craft or scrapbooking business. There isn’t any rule that says you can’t make a little profit on something you already enjoy doing.
4. Substitute Teach or Tutor
Sometimes teachers must take off for appointments or sick children. When this happens, the school needs a substitute teacher. Check with several schools to see what requirements and how much extra income you can earn. While you are there, also check to see if they need any after school or summer tutors needed. Parents will pay to help their children succeed in school or even advance in special areas.
5. Freelance
Rather it is writing or graphic designing; you could make some extra money. Newspaper, magazines, and other local periodicals need extra writers. Have a solid grasp on grammar or spelling? Offer your skills to websites or local newspapers to double check their work and point out any mistakes. Be prepared for a lot of “no’s” before that potential “yes” comes through. You can also make a little extra dough writing for a blog or creating your own to carve out a special nook. Companies will pay to advertise on popular blogs that are seen by many readers.
6. Technology Savvy?
Know your way around a computer or home system? Extra money can be made helping people who are technologically challenged set up their systems, home theater, or even clean up their computer. Offer to come in and help with setingt up new gadgets, installing programming, organizing, or cleaning up an infected system. Your neighbor will gladly offer you some extra cash instead of having to haul it to an expensive computer store.
7. Network:
Know people? Good! Using your resources, whether they are co-workers, relatives, friends, community members, church goers, or neighbors can help you spread the word of your services. You might not know someone who needs a baby sitter or house sitter, but that doesn’t mean one of your co-workers doesn’t. Networking is probably one of the hardest things to start, but slipping it into a conversation when your neighbor says he is going out of town for a vacation for two weeks, might just bring give you that opportunity!