Most people are always looking for ways to make money. After all, it won’t be long until the holidays are upon us, and then we’ll really wish we had some extra cash floating around. Even if the holiday season isn’t on your mind yet (after all, is is only October), then the economy probably is.
Before I get into the real meat of how to make more money, let me say this:
The best, and easiest, way to make more money is to start by spending less.
I’ve written about this several times, and you’d be amazed how much more you can “earn” each month by going through and trimming your bills. Saving money is far easier than making more, so my advice is to start with this step. You can find out more by reading, “Tips To Lower Your Monthly Bills“.
Now, the good news is that there are several creative ways to make money, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves.
1. Sell Your Skills
Everyone is good at something, which means that somewhere, you have a skill or talent that others would be willing to pay for. For example, if you’re good at troubleshooting your home computer, then you could offer to fix your friends and family’s computers for a nominal fee. After all, now that Vista is on the market we could all use some extra help.
If you’re not a computer whiz, think about this: the holidays are coming up. People will be busier as it gets closer with shopping and cleaning house to prepare for guests.
You could earn extra money by offering to help with these tasks. Some ideas you could do:
- Run errands such as dropping off kids to practice or playdates, dropping off the pets at the vet, picking up dry cleaning, or taking packages to the post office
- Hang festive outdoor lights
- Do yard work like raking or cleaning out gutters
- Bake holiday cookies and cakes
- Address and stamp their holiday cards
- Wrap gifts
- Babysit for family, friends, or neighbors that need some time to go holiday shopping (or just to relax!)
The trick to doing this, however, is to start getting the word around now. It takes time offer services like this, so start talking to your friends and neighbors. Hang up fliers at your church, bakery, or grocery store, and tell everyone you know that you’ll be offering these services for the holidays.
2. Sell Your Crafts
Do you love to knit? Do you have dozens of paintings lying around? Can you make your own clothes? Your hobbies might be a great way to make money. If you’re not sure what, or how, to sell, check out Etsy.com. The site is like the eBay for everything handmade, and there are some truly stunning crafts for sale here.
3. Sell On Craigslist
There are probably dozens of things lying around your house right now that you could sell on Craigslist. Furniture, clothing, bikes, tools, appliances…you wouldn’t believe the stuff people will buy on Craigslist. If you’re looking for extra cash, this is a great option. And, you’ll also be cleaning and decluttering your home at the same time.
4. Sell Your Space
If you have an extra bedroom in your home, you could consider renting it out to someone. College students especially like arrangements like this because they get to live at a home, and save significantly on apartment rent.
It’s important, if you do this, to screen applicants carefully. All told it’d be better to rent to someone you know, so put the word out to friends and family. Perhaps they have a niece or nephew that is looking for a place. Make sure you draw up a lease, and clearly lay out when the payment is due (and how much) and what the ground rules are.
5. Sell Your Knowledge
Do you know how to build websites? Are you a yoga master? Do you regularly save your family thousands on your yearly taxes? Are you an organizing whiz?
You can take your specialized knowledge and sell it to others. Places like adult learning centers or community ed centers are always looking for people to teach classes, and you can make decent money doing it. Typically you either get a flat fee, or a percentage of revenue (which depends on who many people sign up for the class).
6. Maximize Your Credit Cards
No, this doesn’t mean max out your credit cards; what I’m referring to here is using your credit cards wisely. For instance, many credit cards now offer cash back based upon how much you spend; usually they give you 1% or 2% of what you spend.
By using your credit cards smartly, you could be earning this extra money with no extra work. The trick is to use your credit card for everything, and then pay it off at the end of the month.
This last bit is, of course, crucial.
You must pay off your bill each and every month, or all you’ll be doing is digging yourself into a hole.
If you have a reward-incentive credit card, however, this can earn you a significant amount of money. I do this with my own spending. Last month, I got $105 back. It pays off.
7. Get Money Owed to You
If you need extra money, then you need to start calling in what’s owed to you. If you’ve loaned money to friends or family in the past, then it’s time they paid up.
You can also check Missing Money. This nifty site allows you to search a massive database to see if anything is owed to you. It includes things like old bank accounts, insurance claims, company checks, uncashed checks, investments, properties, escrow accounts, and utility deposits. It’s a free search, and takes seconds.
8. Rent Out Your Driveway
If you live in a busy downtown area, then you could think about renting out your driveway or parking spot to someone else during the day while you’re at work.
Making money doesn’t always have to be boring, or even involve hard work. Think of what you enjoy doing, and see if you can creatively earn some money by doing it.
It’s also important to consider the economy. Right now, things are pretty shaky. This means that people are going to buying less glitz and glamour, and more thrifty and functional. If you can think of a way to help people in this economy, you’ll be well ahead of most people.
