What do YOU do for extra cash?

Recently I've been looking for ways to make some extra cash on the side. I make more than enough to cover my expenses with my 9 to 5 but I still feel like I'm barely treading water sometimes. It's nice to have a backup source of income when you need an unexpected few hundred bucks to fix something. I've got a kid on the way and a furnace that probably needs replaced. That'll cost $3-4k for a bottom of the barrel unit or $6k for a top of the line, super efficient unit that will net me a $1500 tax credit. It's true...I'm not above taking government handouts when they literally shove them in my face and say TAKE THEM!!1 If social security is still around when I retire then you can be damn sure that I'll be taking it. Let's just say that I'm not counting on it in my retirement plan, though.

Anyway, stupid little expenses come up. Maybe you're just not making enough to pay the bills. Maybe you want to pay off some bills more quickly. Maybe you just find yourself sitting around with nothing to do and you'd like to make use of that time to shore up your savings.

In the recent months I've had some wonderful luck with ebay. I buy stuff on craigslist or at garage sales that I know is worth more than it's selling for and I throw it on ebay to make a profit. If you can view this blog then you can take advantage of ebay. If you live within a reasonable distance from a post office then you can take advantage of ebay.

If someone needs help then help them out if they're willing to pay you. A couple of nights a week I've been helping my dad out at his restaurant. I work for a few hours and I make a few extra bucks. It's a win/win situation. If you're good at what you're doing then the people that you're associated with will be begging you to help them out when you have time if you're not able to do it full time.

Always come through with your promises. If you can find someone who wants you to build a deck for a certain amount of money then build them a deck, build it for what you say you can build it for and reap the profits. If you can fix their plumbing problems for a certain amount and still make some money then do it for what you say you can do it for. Once you fix their problem for what you said it was going to cost then you can count on them telling their friends about what a great experience they had. Just do what you say you're going to do and make sure that you can do what you say you're going to do. People hate unexpected costs. Especially, now, in such economic hard times. Find your niche. Do what you like to do. You will make money.

Anyone who's trying to find work will always be able to find work. If you know what your work is worth and you do a quality job then you'll always be in demand. References are gold. Just make sure that your as valuable as you think you are. At the same time you don't want to be less valuable than you think you are.

Comments

Tallulah Kidd said…
Great Post! I am going to try the Ebay thing. I have so many great finds from Yard Sales just sitting around.
Wendy said…
I'm a Notary Public, and I'm legally able to charge for notarizing documents. I can also perform wedding ceremonies here in Maine.

I'm also a certified teacher, and a homeschooler. I earn extra money by doing homeschool portfolio reviews, and sometimes I teach classes to homeschoolers.

My "job" is as a Virtual Assistant (I'm self-employed and work from home), but those other things bring in a little extra cash here and there :).
It is always good to have some backup skills that are in demand, rather than specializing in one and only one thing.

A good skill that will always be in demand is the ability to recognize a bargain and flip it for cash.

Yard sales are a great way to do this.
Radio Bloger said…
I'm a writer, so I just pull some subjects the magazines need at the time and write a few articles. I have less and less time for that, but when needed it is needed.

I also have several in demand computer graphics skills and that can help from time to time for some bucks.
Anonymous said…
"Anyone who's trying to find work will always be able to find work."

Really? Because I'm absolutely desperate for work, and I can't find anything. Not even Taco Bell would hire me, I was "over qualified".

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