No matter what you do for a living, there’s always an incentive to make more money. Maybe you’re trying to pay off credit card bills, save up for something special, or have a little cushion should something unexpected happen in your life.
It used to be that if you needed to make a bit of extra cash, you needed to pick up a second job, like bussing tables a few weekends a month or showing up early at the bakery to help with the ovens.
Now, thanks to the doors opened by the internet, and the ease of starting your own business, it’s gotten easier than ever to bring in some extra money without working yourself to death in the process.
Here are five ways you can make some extra cash in a pinch:
1. Sell your unused items. Do you have books you’ll never read again collecting dust on your bookshelf? Is your closet full of outgrown or embarrassing clothes? Are your old computers taking up too much space? Sell them!
- Have a yard sale.
- Sell your things to specialty shops like second hand clothing shops, used bookstores, used furniture stores, or even repair shops that need parts from what you have.
- Use eBay. Lots of things without local markets have a national or global market, and there are people who’ll buy the oddest things on eBay.
In particular, if you’ve got some sort of fairly obscure electronic hardware, try selling it on eBay first. Chances are someone wants it and is willing to pay a premium for it.
2. Ask for a raise at your current job. There’s no doubt that asking for more money is difficult, especially during a recession, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Most people are too scared to ask for a raise, so you can use this to your advantage.
- Assemble a list of the things you’ve accomplished at your work in the last nine months and make your case.
- Another way you may be able to make more cash at your job is to ask your boss if there’s extra work you can do to gain more hours or get paid more for increased responsibilities.
3. Trade skills for cash. Are you a skilled seamstress, writer, or graphic designer? There are countless websites where you can use your expertise to earn extra money.
- If you’re not sure how to get started, take a few minutes to do an Internet search. Resources abound on the ‘net that can help you find buyers for your skills.
4. Get a work from home job. There are lots of telephone based customer service jobs that you can do with just a computer and an Internet connection. Some of them pay remarkably well and all of them have relaxed dress codes to boot!
5. Start your own part-time business. Transform one of your hobbies or skills into a second business. There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as turning your love for something into a business and making it profitable.
Many of these money-making ideas will work fairly quickly with little effort. You can take it one step further and significantly boost your income by creating a business you can run from the comfort of home. Take action and you can make more money!