What Have You Done to Earn Some Extra Money?

In My Humble Opinion
21

I did mystery shopping a couple years ago but never took it too seriously. I did it mostly because the firm I signed up with represented Hooters, so I got assigned a Hooters visit once or twice a month.

I would have to pay with a credit card (this was required… no cash), but would get reimbursed for 2 meals (no alcohol included). So it was a free meal, plus something like $15. In return I had to fill out a bunch of yes/no questions and type a minimum amount of words about my experience. The survey probably took half an hour. So it was worth it for a couple Hooters meals for me.

I also did a couple at Sharper Image, where I’d buy a product (again, on credit) then return it exactly a week later. Same deal… half hour survey and I’d get $30. That one was a pain in the butt though, with 2 trips and I hate returning stuff anyway. Those were about the only ones I ever did.

I suppose if one is bored they could make some good extra money with it, but for me it was kind of a hassle. But still not really a scam.

oh, and for extra money I sporadically teach classes on web design at a local college.

22

After-school care. You could be an after-school caregiver for 3 or 4 kids, a couple hours a day. Set them up with a place to do their homework, give them a snack and send them packing at 5:30. You can undercut the local daycare prices and still walk away with a decent check at the end of the week. My friend watched Kid Kalhoun after school and the bus dropped him right near her house. It worked out well for all concerned.

23

I work in the library a few days a month. But here is what various friends of mine do for cash:

In-home babysitting for friends
Medical transcription
Fancy cakes
Teaching water aerobics at the gym (free child care!)
Weight watchers sessions
Doing the books for a small local business (the quilt store in this case)
Editing for a local website
Choosing and ordering videos for the grocery store’s little rental place
Installing/removing those floor ads in grocery stores
Flower delivery
Health aide or teacher’s aide at child’s school
Tutor at school or at home
Sewing for boutiques: baby quilts, child towels, etc. (generally something very simple and cute; only people who don’t sew themselves would pay big bucks for these items, but they do)
One artistic friend has a stall at the farmer’s market for her stuff
Night shift at a video store or hospital or whatever is open at night

I know a lot of these aren’t from home; I’m just trying to remember all the stuff people do.

24

House sitting, pet sitting, dog walking, plant watering.

Selling homemade cookies, bread and jam.

Selling crap I have stored and won’t use again.

Waiting tables.

Babysitting.

25

Delivering and picking up blood/blood products for the local blood bank. Technically it’s a volunteer program, but they reimburse mileage at a high enough rate that there’s a profit.

26

My current job fits into this category. I’m a college student living on campus so my housing and food are basically taken care of. Last year, in search of something to put on my resume and a little extra spending money, I took a job in the nicest (and busiest) dining hall on campus. It can be stressful, but I enjoy the job and the money it brings in.

As far as what I do, I’m officially down as Student Staff so I do anything and everything. Someone needs to make mashed potatoes, steam veggies and prepare French Onion Soup? I’ll handle it. Need someone to run the register? I’m on it. Gotta get someone carving London Broil? I’ll do it. It just depends on what job needs doing when I come it. I love the variety of it but not the unpredictability.

27

I recently narrated a documentary; got hired off Craigslist for my low rates and my voice. That job required travelling to the producer’s home studio, and with decent podcasting grade equipment and a good sound card, you can create very professional audio tracks at home.

28

Cleaned up people’s computers (spyware, viruses), set up home wireless networks, installed printers and software, and given computer advice

Babysitting, pet sitting, and house sitting

Answered the phone and took delivery orders at a local Chinese restaurant and sometimes delivered food. (pretty decent tips and the place I worked for had company cars so no wear and tear on my own vehicle.)

Helped a neighbor who owned a shop that sold second-hand children’s clothing by sorting, washing, ironing and hanging clothes. I Also helped her snag cheap clothes by going to garage sales with her on weekends.

Seasonal retail work

Sold stuff on Ebay and Half.com

A friend of mine makes extra money by teaching “How to Sell Stuff on Ebay” classes. I think through the local university.

29

All through highschool and college I played piano/organ for weddings/funerals. I charged 100-250 depending on how much practice/rehersals and how much the fsmilies wanted. All cash. I made 600 one memorable May—not bad for a 17 year old. I only play for friends’/relatives’ services now, as my gift.

30

If you ever happen to have a surplus of hair in the future, Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

It doesn’t pay in cash, but it pays big in the grand scheme of things.

[/hijack]

31

Well, you start by tapping your foot. Then you slide your foot over and “nudge” the other guy’s foot. Then you reach down and “polish” the steel stall divider.

Yep. Metal work. A little free-lance welding. Close up a few gaps, so to speak.

And I’ll haul your “whatever”. Have tow-dolly, will “drag”. As long as two wheels stay on the ground.

And ebay, but that leaves a dick taste in your mouth…

…and the piece de resistance (translate that into whatever poncy accent you want)… mediation for insurance companies. Thats right. Vote on grieviences and appeals to denial of coverage.

I suck so bad, my teeth are folding back. But it beats actually working.

32

For about a year, I cleaned up debris at a local homebuilder’s construction sites. They paid me $6/hr cash under the table and I set my own hours and pace. It was a nice diversion from my much more stressful desk job.

33

This sounds interesting. I’m going to check it out.

And to the OP, anyone with an ounce of common sense is a restaurant manager’s dream employee. The money can be good, very flexible schedules, and meal discounts, too.

34

I don’t know what the demand would be like, but it isn’t too hard or expensive to become a notary.

I have some acquaintances that have gotten into the habit of giving me their cast-off clothing. I collect it for a while, then go sell it to a consignment shop.

35

I used to do a lot of rabies clinics in the summer. Easy work, pays cash, but my free time in the summer is more valuable currently.

In school I was a normal control for dozens of clinical studies. Some involved mild discomfort (repeated blood sampling) and others were a breeze (sleep studies).

36

  1. In college: drug trial guinea pig, twice. A very weird gig to say the least. For the drug trial I got the placebo; for the sunscreen trial I got a mild sunburn. It can be pretty awful, I hear, if you get a high dose of some weird drug.

  2. Senior year of college and a year after: art-class model. In the late 80s this paid $15-$18 an hour, not too shabby for a job that consisted of standing around naked.

  3. Freelance copyediting/proofreading for former clients, here and there for 15 years or so.

37

me too! the one i did, i had to go four separate times, for about four hours each time. as i remember it, they would give me an “overdose” of an over-the-counter drug (i think there was, like, a diet drug, a sleeping pill, a pain reliever, and a placebo, or something like that) and then i would just hang out for four hours, and every half hour or so i would go play some computer games designed to test reflex and memory, and they would time how long i could stand on one foot with my eyes closed, and take my blood pressure and stuff. twice i got really sleepy/dopey, and i think twice pretty much nothing happened.

i got paid $250. by that point in my life i had stopped taking recreational drugs, and it was fun to be drugged up in a clinical setting.
love
yams!!

38

I started a similar thread a while back, though it was also oriented towards saving money. Here’s the link:

It didn’t go very far, but there are a couple of nice sites and ideas posted. Now I’ll just head over to that thread and link to this one, which has more useful ideas than my thread, so far.

39

This didn’t go especially well, but I putting it out as a warning.
If you have any programming ability, never, never, never write custom software for non-profits, or small mom and pop shops on the side.

Never. You will never recoup your time, you will never be free of the application since you are the only one who knows how it works.

You will undercut the price to make some decent cash and then the support calls, the questions, the requests for changes. As an example, I wrote a small piece for a snowmobile racing non-profit. They were out in the sticks on Friday night at 11:30 PM having run out of black ink for the printer. What could I do? Send them a copy of all the reports with the colour changed from black to blue, that’s what. I can’t remember if I billed for that time or not, likely did, but the point is that is my Friday night ruined because of somebody else.

Never again.

40

Despite FordPrefect’s warning, I make a bit doing custom work for exactly the sort of businesses he describes. He’s right, though; my best advice would be to learn to walk away once it’s not worth it any more. Software work averages about $100/month, sometimes a lot more, sometimes less. Often less, these days; my day job leaves little time for this.

Also, I make a little extra throwing knives, axes, and throwing spikes and teaching people to do the same. This is fun, but I’ve only had one serious ‘student’ so far, so mostly it’s as an aside at something I happen to be at. “Hey, man, I hear you can throw anything, yeah?” “Five bucks says I can put this knife in that tree.” “You’re on!” Whirr-thunk! “Pay up!” Was it Barnum who said “A fool and his money are easily parted?” Heh. The knife throwing is the most entertaining, but the least lucrative. However, I can make a killing with it during the seasonal Renfaire.

My wife and I run a bunch of carnival-style games that we take from place to place (water balloons/rotten tomatoes thrown at my face, sink-the-boats, Jacob’s Ladder, stuff like that). It’s not great money but it does bring in some and at the right event you can make a lot. Plus, you’re supposed to insult people, which usually my wife says I’m not allowed to do. Win! The carnival games (during the summer) average $100 or more (it’s been growing this year, and we’re extending the season – I’ve got four more events scheduled before the end of October, eek!); that doesn’t sound like much but the gross is much higher; that’s just what we individually take home, after site fee, equipment rental, paying the other partners, etc…

I’ve also cleaned apartments for people who really really want to get their security deposit back. I hate cleaning, but I’ll do just about anything if the pay is right :), so I deal with it. You need a strong stomach for this one, though. I’ve never had an apartment fail inspection after I’m done with it… kinda proud of that, at least. For apartment cleaning I usually claim one-third the security deposit or $150, whichever is greater (I’m greedy). I’ve only done this maybe four times the past year, though, so it’s not as steady, if a bit more lucrative in the short term. I’ve got two apartment managers who’ve offered me steady work if I want it. Heh.