# How do YOU make extra money? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499 "2004-01-15T01:37:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/41 "2004-01-16T22:54:24Z")
When I was in grad school, I made extra money teaching physics for a variety of MCAT prep courses. They pay pretty well, probably because the courses themselves cost so damn much. The MCAT route is pretty specific, obviously, although if you excelled in particular subject (e.g. math) you may look into teaching SAT or GRE prep courses. Also, I have in-laws who swear by delivering newspapers. They work a couple hours a day in the morning before their regular jobs and make a pretty nice extra income from it. (I don’t know how much.) ---
**Author:** ![jellytoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jellytoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellytoes)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/42 "2004-01-16T23:07:55Z")
Being a Full-time college student, I’ve had to deal with this issue myself. Here is what I do to make money: - part-time bookkeeping - work at a sex toy shop on the weekends - sell books and CD’s on [half.com](http://half.com) - sell everything else on eBay I took me awhile to figure out what sells well on eBay. And sometimes I’m still surprised at how high/low something sells. This week I sold a god-awful doll that I got as a Chistmas present for $40 (it was truly ugly I was going to throw it in the trash) and I sold a beautiful, rare book of Currier and Ives prints for only $8. Go figure. What you also need to consider is how to save money. I am a confirmed coupon-cutter and sale hunter. If it ain’t on sale, I don’t buy it. I frequent thrift/discount stores in the area (one offers a student discount) for clothes and eBay items. I cook instead of eating out, and Mr. Toes and I _cough_ entertain ourselves at home instead of at the clubs or bar. Good luck and keep up with the great ideas! I’m always looking for more. ---
**Author:** ![dave316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dave316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dave316)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/43 "2004-01-17T14:55:02Z")
[http://www.workathomeagents.com/](http://www.workathomeagents.com/) As a Work At Home Agent, you will be taking calls from customers wishing to order products, information or services from a variety of companies, that they have seen advertised on TV or through other media [http://www.wahm.com/jobs.html](http://www.wahm.com/jobs.html) [http://www.narms.com/](http://www.narms.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/44 "2004-01-17T16:04:25Z")
> [@jellytoes](#): > > Being a Full-time college student, I’ve had to deal with this issue myself. Here is what I do to make money: > > - part-time bookkeeping > - work at a sex toy shop on the weekends > - sell books and CD’s on [half.com](http://half.com) > - sell everything else on eBay > > I took me awhile to figure out what sells well on eBay. And sometimes I’m still surprised at how high/low something sells. This week I sold a god-awful doll that I got as a Chistmas present for $40 (it was truly ugly I was going to throw it in the trash) and I sold a beautiful, rare book of Currier and Ives prints for only $8. Go figure. > > What you also need to consider is how to save money. I am a confirmed coupon-cutter and sale hunter. If it ain’t on sale, I don’t buy it. I frequent thrift/discount stores in the area (one offers a student discount) for clothes and eBay items. I cook instead of eating out, and Mr. Toes and I _cough_ entertain ourselves at home instead of at the clubs or bar. > > Good luck and keep up with the great ideas! I’m always looking for more. (hijack, in a way) Can you give me and the rest of us some pointers on selling on ebay and/or [half.com](http://half.com)? I have always wanted to get into this but was never able to find anything anybody would be willing to pay for. The only time i made a good deal was when i got a few XM radios cheaply and made a couple hundred in profit off of that. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/45 "2004-01-17T16:33:01Z")
I play poker online. Of course, it takes some effort (and probably some initial loss) to learn the game, and your bankroll can vary by hundreds of dollars even at the cheap tables, but if you’re an above-average player, you should show a profit over time. I’ve been doing it for about six months, and I just used part of my winnings to fund a really nice trip to Vegas. It’s not for everyone–in fact, I wouldn’t pursue it as a profit enterprise if I weren’t a pretty good poker player to begin with. (I didn’t plan to make any money at it–it just happened.) Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![pezboy2u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@pezboy2u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezboy2u)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/46 "2004-01-17T16:45:49Z")
Since I live near a few major universities, I do a lot of “research” studies. Mostly they involve filling out questionaires and answering questions, a few have involved medical/response tests. I did one recently where they gave me several gin and tonics and then tested my reaction time. Getting paid to drink was fun, and they even drove me home afterwards. Focus groups are a quick and easy way too- around here they usually pay around $75 for a couple hours time. ---
**Author:** ![bittersweet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@bittersweet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bittersweet)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/47 "2004-01-17T21:03:35Z")
Wow! Thanks all, for your feedback. So many ideas, so little time… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/48 "2004-01-17T21:34:42Z")
Fix computers in my spare time. $0-$20 an hour depending on how well I know you. $25 for a house call on top of that, plus any parts. I’ve also been looking in to bartending lately; it’s very different than what I do as my main job. I’m also in the National Guard which brings in a few hundred every month, and they like my skills so much that I can go in more often if I want. I work at a casino and there are many on-call and part-time dealers, slot attendants, beverage servers, and food workers. On the busiest nights (Friday & Saturday) they can come in and clean up on tips in addition to a small wage. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/49 "2004-01-18T04:28:34Z")
> [@Horseflesh](#): > > Fix computers in my spare time. $0-$20 an hour depending on how well I know you. $25 for a house call on top of that, plus any parts. Aww man, that’s what i was gonna say! You wanna know what kinda calls i get? …“can you remove these pop ups and keep them off?” and i’m like “sure, for a nominal fee…\” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/50 "2004-01-20T23:14:43Z")
I’m a gymnastics coach, and because I teach kids, I work afternoons, leaving mornings for uni. Obviously you need a bit of training to be a coach, but our assistants are just Mums, and they don’t have any experience whatsoever. It’s a fun job and the pay isn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![Mottpot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Mottpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mottpot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/51 "2004-01-21T00:21:32Z")
For those of you that clean houses, how would you recommend advertising for this? ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/52 "2004-01-21T17:14:11Z")
> [@liirogue](#): > > The street corner 😉 Just kidding! Maybe pick up a job waitressing or bartending a night or two a week? If you are even decent (and work at a place with decent food) at it, you could make some good money (and you may not even have to report all or most of it for taxes) Yeah, perfect. Great suggestion. With the defecit rising, shuffle that tax burden off onto the rest of us honest folk. We’ll pay it for ya. Another illustration of the inherent unfairness and unmanageability of the 70-year failed experiment called the income tax. Can you say National Retail Sales Tax? Write your congressperson and ask why he or she did not support HR 2001, which would have abolished forever the reviled IRS and income tax. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/53 "2004-01-21T19:54:02Z")
**hyjyljyj** , without bothering to call, I assume it’s because my congressman was blessed with sanity. **bittersweet** , a friend of mine does mystery shopping and dining. It seems to work really well for her. It fits into her schedule, and she enjoys the work. Apparently, the more you do, the better contracts you get. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/54 "2004-01-21T20:48:41Z")
> [@hyjyljyj](#): > > Yeah, perfect. Great suggestion. With the defecit rising, shuffle that tax burden off onto the rest of us honest folk. We’ll pay it for ya. Another illustration of the inherent unfairness and unmanageability of the 70-year failed experiment called the income tax. > > Can you say National Retail Sales Tax? Write your congressperson and ask why he or she did not support HR 2001, which would have abolished forever the reviled IRS and income tax. Umm, **hyjyljyj** , if you had bothered to read the rest of the thread, you would have seen this: > [@liirogue](#): > > At least here in Oklahoma, by law, you are only required to report 10% of your sales in tips. (For example, if you sold $100 worth of food, etc. that night, you only had to report $10 in tips) I was told this by an employer several years ago, so I don’t know if it’s true still or not. Why is everyone jumping on me for saying this? I’m not the only one to mention taxes (or lack of), but I’m the only who has been called on the carpet (and mine is even legal!) ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/55 "2004-01-25T23:26:47Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > **hyjyljyj** , without bothering to call, I assume it’s because my congressman was blessed with sanity. When you assume,… Assuming is rarely safe. For example, you may be assuming ten experienced CPAs and ten IRS agents doing the same 1040 tax return will get 20 identical answers as to how much tax the person should pay. Not a good assumption at all. This experiment has been replicated time and again, and the answers vary wildly, often with _no two being the same._ There’s not much sanity involved there. You may also be assuming your congressman has read even 10% of the income tax code or HR 2001, which details in plain language why the incomprehensible tax code needs to be abolished outright and replaced with a sane system of revenue generation. Collecting tax when goods are bought is not only far easier than the current paperwork nightmare (and its enforcement), it also means EVERYBODY pays their fair share. Tax evaders, rich loophole finders, non-filers, under-the-tablers, organized criminals, sex industry workers, black marketeers…no more free ride at the expense of the taxpaying, hard-working citizenry. **Everybody** has to buy stuff, and almost everybody (45 states) is already used to paying sales tax when they buy stuff. No forms to fill out. No hassles or eyes peering over your shoulder into your private papers. Simple. And sane. ---
**Author:** ![caligynephobia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7feea3/32.png) [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/56 "2004-01-26T01:22:44Z")
Plenty of people and/or their kids will pay for academic tutors. Or T-Shirts - when I was a kid I bought a silkscreen and some chemicals and learned to transfer high-contrast images to the screen and print on fabric. There’s books and do-it-yourself starter kits out there (an easy cheap one is the Speedball system). There’s nothing cosmic about it, and the chemicals and inks are cheap. I even figured out how to make my own screen frames too. Wholesale namebrand cotton or blend T-shirts cost a buck or two in quantity. If you’re creative or can target a market and get stores to carry your work (push your site, etc), it costs you a couple bucks and some time to make the shirts. People pay unreal amounts of money for shirts; keeping it simple and costs low yield high profits. I made T-shirts for my friends’ bands and some student organizations, specializing in non-color-registered, small quantity orders. Word of caution - everyone has ideas that they think would be cool on a T-shirt but actually suck (for example, ref: those little custom shirt booths at the mall). Think hard, maybe do a little market research with your ideas first. Creative is good. Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/57 "2004-01-26T05:11:01Z")
[QUOTE=Wesley Clark] Try to sell things on ebay Selling plasma (someone else already recommended this but its not a bad idea if you can)/QUOTE] You can sell plasma on ebay? Cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/58 "2004-01-26T05:12:23Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Try to sell things on ebay > > Selling plasma (someone else already recommended this but its not a bad idea if you can) > > [http://www.autowraps.com/](http://www.autowraps.com/) dont know if you’d be willing or if you’d qualify for a wrap but if you do they’d pay 100-300 a month to turn your car into a driving billboard. You can sell plasma on ebay? Cool! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/59 "2004-02-03T13:18:27Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I sell [T-shirts and stuff](http://ww.digiserve.con/eescapeshirts/Store.phtml) online. I also do some freelance computer programming work on the side. > (link broken by Czarcasm) The proper way to advertise your website is to contact the Chicago Reader and purchase advertising space. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499/60 "2004-02-03T17:13:51Z")
I make quite a decent income on [Betfair](http://www.betfair.com) - an online betting exchange. You can back or lay both sides of any bet, and if you have a fairly sharp mathematical brain it is easy to get yourself a profit on any outcome of a sports match, horse race, etc. Obviously it’s not a consistent and guaranteed income, but I find it useful… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-extra-money/224499.md?page=4)