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Posts Tagged ‘Extra income’

Creative income and sacrificing for what you want.

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

In this world, there are many different types of people.  We all approach a difficult situation differently.  While one person might attack a problem with voracity, another might decide to shelf it until a solution presents itself, while still another person might decide that they aren’t capable of solving the situation, and either seek outside help or give up entirely.

I know a woman who demonstrates a dedication and voracity that is rarely matched, with an eye for creativity in the face of her problem.  This woman has 2 children, both boys.  She would very much like to try for a girl, but she needs to have a surgery to be able to try for her baby girl.  This will cost several thousand dollars that is not covered by her insurance, so, she was faced with a difficult situation.  She did not cower or give up, though.  Instead, she has decided to start a side business outside of her normal job.  She is quite talented at decorating cakes, and so, she has taken that talent and turned it into income!  She is offering cakes to friends, family, and anyone else interested in visually interesting cakes for a reasonable price.  Her goal is to save up enough money to pay for the surgery.  This is not a woman beaten by her circumstances.  I always say that you can’t let life happen to you, you have to happen to your life…and she is doing just that!

What type of dedication do you have?  Do you rise to the occasion when you are faced with a problem, or ponder on it too long, or do nothing?  Whatever your answer, you can be sure that others are starting businesses in their kitchen, getting their extra slice of the money pie.  Will you let your opportunity pass you by, or rise to the occasion?

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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?