I’m not looking for any kind of get-rich-quick scheme, or anything illegal, of course. I was just looking for some ideas about some good, possibly fun or interesting ways to earn some additional income to supplement my current one. I looked into taking some tax preperation course? Has anyone else done this? ANy other ideas?
What skills or talents do you have besides the ones you use at work?
I’m also curious if anyone has done the tax-preparation course thing, and if it provided any results for them. Because I need to learn more about taxes for my own needs anyway, and it wouldn’t hurt if I could learn to do other people’s taxes in the process. But I have a feeling to be a real tax pro takes much more education and training.
I have strong math and analytical skils, good general purpose computer skills, esp. EXCEL. I used to think I was a pretty good writer, but I have disabused myself of that notion.
Skills I don’t have:
Wrapping present
Typing reasonabky well
Using chopsticks
I’m an English major. My work experience consists of running restaurants (6 years), running housekeeping and laundry for a nursing home (few months), and my current job, technical support for professional tax software. I don’t like math and computers hate me.
From THIS end, it can be done. It is also rather informational. Where I’m going with all this is that it doesn’t take all that much training. All you’d be at an entry level is a data entry person. You’d put numbers in open boxes. As boring and as dry as they are, I’d recommend some IRS publications, at least to see if you have the chops for it (don’t worry, nobody does. I recommend Publication 925 on passive activity and at-risk rules).
Would you consider being a hired hand/personal assistant?
A neighbor and I were talking the other day, and wishing there was someone we could hire to put up and take down the outdoor Christmas lights. 
We’d also like someone to come over and tune up our personal computers – for less than $100 an hour.
I paid a guy $180 last week for a half hour’s work, but that was Roto-Rooter.
Seriously though, could you be a substitute teacher or a tutor, with your math skills?
How about teaching courses at community college? You could teach at night and I don’t think you need any accrediation (not sure about CA). Plus, I would expect good math and computer skills to be in-demand.
Have you considered mystery shopping? It is actually legit, and it’s something I do in my spare time to make extra money (several hundred dollars a month at most, but that’s working around a full time job).
I second the tutoring thing. Math tutors are always in demand. I tutor a few other subjects and really enjoy it, and see that the math tutors always have lots of business. Talk to local colleges/universities. Also, talk to their athletics departments if applicable, they often hire for tutors as well. I like working for the university because they set up a regular schedule and provide a location and “marketing.” But you can get better money, especially as a math tutor, if you’re willing to market yourself.
How about a Pooper-Scooper service? There was a young man in our area who did this and really made a success of it. He started by putting hand-written fliers up in the grocery store with a flat rate for ridding a yard of dog poop. Last I heard, he now has three employees, and he’s making really good money.
House cleaning can be pretty lucrative, too. My housekeeper earns about $40 for an hour and a half of cleaning (though I think that’s a bit too steep.) Offer to clean some friends’ houses for free so that you can get references. (And check your local laws to make sure you don’t have to be bonded or anything.) Have friends put up fliers in their workplaces (which is how I found my housekeeper.)
There are various Nigerian investment schemes that you might want to look into.
Yes. H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, et al. usually have courses, although it is probably too late to sign up for 2006. In CA, licensing took 66 hours of education, then a final test, along with some more training. You also have to keep up continuing education, and (I think) be bonded by the state.
It’s a fine way to make money Jan-April, although it would be initially hard to build up a client base. Taking the school through a tax preparer might allow you to put in a job offer if you do well, and at least get some hands-on training before going off on your own.
Someone on the SDMB mentioned a while back that he used to pick up public records at the courthouse for paying clients. I’ve thought about looking into that myself, but I don’t know what records I should offer to pick up. I wouldn’t know where to start.
Got a car? You can offer to drive people/things around on Craigslist. If you’re willing to drive a long way, you could do odd jobs for people in small business or people who are moving, especially if you have a truck. Obviously you’ll have to screen out the people and things you don’t want to carry, and it’s probably not the safest supplemental income idea, but I have friends of friends who do it.
You say you’re good with general computer skills. Install peoples’ computer and network equipment for them–plus TVs, speaker systems, videogame systems and other stuff that’s intuitive and simple to you but doesn’t come as easily to others. Secure home computers against viruses, spyware and adware. Teach people how to use the Internet (help them set up an email account, show them how to use a search engine, etc.) Troubleshoot. You say you’re good at math–be a math tutor.
If you are intelligent and self-disciplined, online poker. Or is that not possible in the us anymore?
Speaking for CT- you don’t need accreditation to teach at the CCs, but they do require a Master’s degree or higher in the field you will be teaching (or other appropriate degree or life experience, e.g. art). If you are teaching developmental courses (i.e. courses below college level in reading, writing or math) any Master’s or higher degree should be fine, as long as you can demonstrate proficiency.
YMMV
Sell your crap on Ebay, get and keep your 100% rating and start selling for friends and family for a part of the cut.
I second this. I just started teaching web design classes at a local college one night a week. It’s a lot of fun and good extra money and actually not a lot of work, either. I’m sure an Excel class would be great for college students.
Thanks for the suggestions. I think I like the Community College, tutoring suggestions best (I do have a Master’s degree in Economics) although I may look into the tax preperation thing more closely as well as the mystery shopper.
I work for Kaplan doing SAT prep. You can do private tutoring or teach a class for a number of tests. If you scored well on any standardized test, you can apply.
First you say:
But then! you say:
These two statements appear to be at odds with one another.
I was thinking more along the lines of bartending. I didn’t have to take a course or anything, I just do it two nights a week and the people are fun and the tips are good. I wasn’t even a people-person before I started the job. It was good for me to learn to chit-chat and be friendly to strangers. This might be a skill that you too would like to develop if you are the type who thinks tax preparation sounds like fun. 