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It’s time to get creative!

Monday, March 1st, 2010

You’ve heard people say that “everyone is good at something”, and I believe that is true.  Everyone has something that they do well, and a lot of the time, that something can make you money!  So today,  I want you to create something (whatever you’re good at) and sell it!

So, what are you good at making?  Perhaps you make jewelry, or flower arrangements, or perhaps you do woodworking, or use leather to make belts, purses and vests.  Whatever you’re good at, now is the time to make some extra money on it!  Here are a few tips for getting started:

  • You need to decide on only a few options you will be offering, since the more you can reuse things, the lower the cost per item will be for you, making your profits higher! 
  • Look into local arts and crafts shows and fairs that where you can sell your creations, and plan to attend.  Be wary though.  It is better to run out early than to have a lot leftover, so put some thought into the amount you’ll make for each show.
  • Look into selling your craft on Etsy.com, an online seller driven marketplace for everything handmade.  Perhaps you will be the next big thing, since everyone loves “one of a kind” or unique items that are reasonably priced.
  • Go to local stores/boutiques that are privately owned to see if they would want to include your items in their store inventory.  These locally owned stores thrive on having something different than the mall, so they are more likely to be interested in something locally made.
  • Keep in mind that it takes time to build a successful side business, so if it doesn’t happen right away, keep plugging away at it!

That’s it!  These tips should get you started down the right path to starting a side job and making some extra money!

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Extra money for the holidays…

Monday, December 7th, 2009

The holiday season is well under way, and now is the time to make some extra cash for those last minute Christmas gifts!  The usual way of making extra money is to get a seasonal job at a retail store, but more often than not these jobs come with the problem of being guaranteed to work on Christmas eve, probably the late shift, and every other weekend until Christmas Day!  This is a deal breaker for a lot of people.  Now, if you want to get one of these jobs for the season, feel free to do so.  I am always glad to see someone choosing work over credit!  If however, you’d like to make some extra money this season, without pigeon-holing yourself into a crazy work schedule, I might have a couple of good ideas for you!

One way to make some extra cash this year is to offer to fill out or write Christmas/holiday cards for elderly (or busy) people in your life, your friends or family etc. You will be doing them a favor and making some cash in the process.  You should be aware, however, that this means you have to do a competent job, putting just as much effort in the cards as they normally would.  Also, how much should you charge?  Well, I would say if it’s an elderly relative, cut them a discount, but other than that, I would charge per card, whatever you think is fair in your local market.  I say this, because, you could probably get a better price in a place like New York City and Los Angeles, as opposed to rural towns in the Midwest.  Not sure what’s fair in your local market?  If someone does take you up on your offer, ask what they think is fair!  Not getting any interested people by word of mouth?  Advertise in your local paper and on Craigslist!

Another way to make some extra cash is by offering to go to the post office and mail packages for people.  Charge a flat fee, and if you get enough interest (see above for ideas on this) then you can combine trips and up your hourly pay!  I would charge a couple of dollars per package, and of course, they pay the cost of shipping. 

The problem (obviously) with both of these tips is that you won’t make as much money as with a regular seasonal job, but that is the price you pay for wanting a flexible schedule during the holidays.  It’s your choice of course, but these tips could bring in enough extra money for a fun and festive holiday at your house!   Good luck!

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Goofy, but good for making a little cash!

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Today, I am providing you with the information to get paid for doing very little, by turning you car into a moving advertisement!  I know this sounds silly and too good to be true, but after a little research, I think there are a few places you can go to do it responsibly on the web, and you could always try it in your own town/city with local businesses, if you’re so inclined.  On the web, there is a website called the Web Trade Bureau, which investigates websites and protects consumers online.  They are a useful tool to guard against scams, which is truly important when thinking of making extra cash in this manner.  Below are a list of websites for you to do your own research if this is a way that you would like to make extra money.  Whatever your choice, look out for scams…we can’t have our readers driving around in neon green cars without being paid for it!

That’s it!  Hopefully, this is enough to point you in the right direction and get you started!  If you decide to make money this way, we would love you to post a comment with your successes and tips for other readers!  Good luck!

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Need some extra holiday cash? Try selling your old stuff on Ebay!

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Today’s Mucho Moolah tip is a way to make money by selling your old stuff on Ebay!  Many of you have heard about Ebay, and would like to try selling stuff on there, but you aren’t sure how, or you’re afraid you will do something wrong.  Don’t be scared!  It’s only hard if you don’t educate yourself first!

The first place you should start is the Seller Information Center at Ebay.  From there you can create an account, check out tips on selling, creating buyer confidence and “bone up” on Ebay policies.  This is a very good resource that is provided by Ebay.   It’s important that your information come from reputable sources, because, like every other aspect of buying and selling, there is a chance you’re dealing with a dangerous individual or website.

Another resource I found is a website called MIStupid.com, an online knowledge magazine.  Their Ebay selling section can bee found here.  This is an actual video tutorial on how to sell things on Ebay, which might be better for those people who are visual learners, as opposed to reading to learn.  It’s a free service (at least the part on selling on Ebay is), so feel free to watch it a few times to get proficient.

The last resource I found is an “Internet for beginners” section on About.com, where they cover buying and selling on Ebay.  Check out the web page here.  This is a very informative source that also includes information on what you pay to market your things on Ebay and how to use Paypal, an e-commerce business allowing you to make or accept payments through the Internet.  PayPal is an electronic alternative to traditional payment methods such as checks and money orders.  Paypal is a very important part of Ebay, since, logically, if you want to sell something, you have to be able to accept payment for it!

I’d like to add that if you research the items you want to sell, or items you pick up at flea markets and decide to turn around and sell, you can get more for your items.  Good luck with it, and happy selling!

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Why not try babysitting again?

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Today’s tip is making money by babysitting!  Sure, you haven’t done it since you were 15, and you might not want think that it screams “adult job”, but it’s a great way to make extra money as a side job!  The only problem you might have is that you will have to compete against 15 year olds who can cut their rate and don’t have any other responsibilities.  If you run into that, you will have to make the decision as to whether or not you are willing to cut rates etc., because if you do it once, you might have to do it from then on.  One point though…you should not babysit if you have not been (or do not think you are) a competent caregiver in the past.

Some tips that might make you more valuable as a babysitter:

  • It might benefit you to be CPR certified.  To find a class near you, check out this website.
  • Advertising on Craigslist or in your local newspaper might be a good way to attract clients.  Or, just put up fliers in your neighborhood.
  • Be willing to do things that your average teenager can’t/won’t do, like take care of infants or keep the child/children overnight.
  • It’s a job, just like any other.  That means you need references.  People who can attest that you are responsible, especially with children (if you know someone who can vouch for that sort of thing).
  • Check around for well-to-do families that need a nanny for vacation.  If you can go with them (unlike a teenager, who is in school, or too young, generally) you make yourself more valuable to them.  And yes, it is their responsibility to pay your way.

I know a person who babysits a lot, and has a job working with children, and all they do is complain about them.  I question why they want a job in that field, if they hate it and get so frustrated with the children.  Therefore, there is one other thing I feel compelled to say-if you don’t necessarily like children, or if , after being around children, all you can do is complain about them or what they did, you should probably steer clear of babysitting.  Not only does a parent not want a babysitter that doesn’t like children, but you probably won’t do as well as as someone who does.

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING tip!

Monday, August 10th, 2009

As the summer starts to wind to an end, many of you might have noticed that your cash flow has dropped off, thanks to over spending at the beginning of the summer. Today, I wanted to remind you that there are a couple of good ways to make some extra money in the summer that shouldn’t cost you much to get started on!

Mowing other people’s lawns is a great way to make extra cash. If you own your own home, chances are you already have a lawnmower that you can use to mow yards in your neighborhood (and other neighborhoods if you have the ability to haul that lawnmower), and if you don’t own your own mower, borrow a friends until you mowed enough lawns (usually 5-8 lawns, depending on where you live) to buy your own! Then you can mow a few lawns in your spare time and have plenty of extra cash to go out with friends, pay for projects you want to do around the house, etc.

If you want to get really ambitious, a good way to bring in even more money than that is to pressure wash people’s driveways, fences or houses. If you do not already own your own pressure washer, this is quite an investment, but will pay for itself after only 1-2 jobs. A decent (not top of the line, but “get the job done” decent) pressure washer costs around $500, which I know sounds like a lot. However, when you pressure wash someone’s driveway you can charge $200-$400 dollars (depending on the size of the driveway and what part of the country you live in), so you will have made that money back quickly. Pressure washing a fence or a house will bring in even more cash, so you should ask around in your area to figure out a price point that suits you.

    A friendly warning:

  • Do NOT use the pressure washer without reading the manual and testing it first. Pressure washers clean by pressurizing water (duh, right?). If used improperly, you can accidentally damage what you are pointing it at…i.e., a driveway with a gash in it, a fence with a chunk sprayed out of it or a house with siding or brick blown off of it. This means you would have damaged the person’s property, and you’d end up paying them, not the other way around. Pressure washing is not for everyone, so don’t attempt it if you aren’t competent with the machine.

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING Tips…

Monday, July 13th, 2009

I love summer, because it is full of opportunities for making money. When summer rolls around, people take vacations. When people take vacations, someone else needs to step in to take care of their pets. This is where you make extra money!

Petsitting is a great way to make extra money! You get paid really well, and all you have to do is spend time with a friend’s/coworker’s/neighbors’ pet(s). Normally, petsitting only requires about an hour a day (unless they have asked you to stay at their house, in which case your pay goes up) and, if you like animals, isn’t really like work anyway.

Don’t know anyone who needs a petsitter? Advertise! Local newspapers are cheap, but if you don’t want to make a monetary commitment (no cashflow) then you can always advertise on Craigslist! It’s free! Still not getting anyone interested in your petsitting services? Get 3 respectable people (your minister, a teacher, a colleague etc.) to write character references (including their phone number) for you and advertise to be a housesitter! That is another GREAT way to make money and in most cases will pay even better than petsitting. You should note, however, that to housesit you must actually stay at the house, generally keep no company while staying at the house, and have a large responsibility to the homeowners regarding their house. This job is not to be taken lightly.

So, there they are! 2 more great ideas on ways to make money this summer! Good luck!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING Tip!

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Today I wanted to remind some of you who may have forgotten, that summer is a great opportunity to make a little extra money. Yard sales are a wonderful way to earn a little extra money while simultaneously clearing the things you don’t want anymore out of your house! Maybe you don’t want that picture of the dogs playing cards any more, or maybe you have had a couple children, aren’t planning on anymore, and want to sell your maternity clothes and their baby clothes. It doesn’t matter, because anything you have that you don’t want can go into a yard sale!

We have had yard sales in the past, with very good luck. However, there are some “tricks of the trade” that you must be aware of when you have a yard sale. The first is simply to advertise. Not just with a cardboard sign at the end of your street, but with an ad in your local newspaper. You want to attract as much attention as possible. Your ad should feature a couple of your more abundant/higher priced items, and if you have a specialty item that will attract certain buyers, put it in there too! Trust me when I say that this is a small investment that will pay off. Your ad should also state the hours of the sale, and indicate whether or not you want “early birds” (i.e. people who show up 30-45 minutes early and try to make offers on things before you have the sale set up).

Now, on the day of the sale you should be aware that people will be there exactly when the ad said you would be open, and some of those people will be vendors from flea markets who will be looking for specific things, like gold or jewelry for sale. These requests can seem odd, so simply state your answer firmly and move on.

Another part of having a yard sale is bargaining. All items in the sale should have the price clearly marked on it, and it should be reasonable (or slightly above reasonable) to get the attention of the buyer. You need to expect to have to lower the price/bargain on all the items you are selling. These shoppers are out to get a deal, or they wouldn’t be at a yard sale, they would be at a store paying retail!

Believe it or not, it also pays to be friendly! Yard sale shoppers have been out shopping some days since 6 a.m., and by 11 a.m. they are tired. A friendly smile and cheerful small talk can go a long way to encouraging them to buy. Talking to them also helps you learn about them and their likes, which helps you steer them toward specific things you have that they might want to buy!

So say you either don’t want to have a yard sale or don’t have time to have a yard sale. Well, then I suggest you gather up any clothes/accessories you don’t want and take them to a consignment shop to sell! They are fast, usually offer a fair price (considering the items are used) and you get to clean out your closet! If you are a little more ambitious, I would say to sell any items you want to get rid of on ebay or at the Amazon Marketplace. You should be aware however, that you will need a Paypal account to operate on Ebay with any amount of success.

So, there you have it! Yard sales (either online or actually IN your front yard) are a great way to make some extra money this summer. Yard sales happen on your terms. They require only a very small, if any, up front investment and help motivate you to clean out your house! They are a perfect way to come up with a little spending money for vacation or to pay for the materials for a home improvement project!

On a personal note, Jerrill and I had a wonderful vacation. Lots of time together, good conversation, spent time with friends and, in general, goofed off! We love spending time together…the more, the better! Unfortunately, we didn’t remember to take many pictures, so I am only posting one!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING Tip! Become a tutor!

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Today’s tip, as I am sure you noticed from the title, is not a money “saving” tip, but rather a money “making” tip! I thought that it was about time I included some ideas for people to make extra money since the summer is coming up, and, most of us like to get out and do more in the summer. There are cookouts, concerts, watersports etc. that we want to participate in and might need more cash to be able to pay for them. So, today’s tip is to become a tutor!

The first thing you should know is that to be a tutor, you need to be proficient in a particular area of study. This doesn’t only mean math or science, because high schools and colleges offer many more subjects then just math and science. On top of english and social studies classes, students take computer/tech classes that they would need help with, as well as engineering classes, excercise science, language etc. If you are someone who has a proficient knowledge in these areas, you can tutor too!

There are many different ways to become a tutor, and the income that you can make from this extra job isn’t bad. The easiest way to “get your foot in the door” is to approach high school teachers from a local high school or college professors from a local college and ask if they would pass on your information to any students looking to be tutored. Also, put your name on the bulletin boards located in the high school and the buildings on the college campus dedicated to the field you are proficient in. If there isn’t a didecated building, then post your information where the offices for the professors in that field are located. There is usually a bulletin board there as well! Either way, all that is required of you is a little leg work, and maybe printing up some business cards (listing your qualifications would be advised). To do this, you should know that the legal way to go about it is by obtaining a business license and then paying taxes every year (sometimes quarterly, I think, but you should check with an accountant for advice). Tutors who are on their own can charge anywhere form $25-$50 an hour, depending on where you live.

Another approach to becoming a tutor is to register with an online website. There are many different tutoring websites out there, and not all of them are reputable. I have found a couple that seem to be “above board”, and they are Tutor.com, and Tutoring Club. So, you apply for a job/register for a franchise on these websites, but they are a great tool because you don’t have to work as hard to find the tutoring clients since these websites have already built up a client base!

So, this is the first of the new addition of money “making” tips! Tutoring is a wonderful way to make extra money, since it is a job that usually is in demand between 4 – 11 P.M., which means for most of us, it won’t conflict with our primary job! It also gives you the opportunity to connect/network with people in your community and help children reach their potential in a given field…and for an extra job, what could be better than that?

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