WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER?

As I sit here at my parents house for the weekend, unemployed and enjoying the benefit of their hardwork for the past forty years I contemplate what I have to offer.  What can I do, make, or provide that has monetary value?  In these times of financial uncertainty it can’t hurt to have more than one income stream.  Even if I were working full time, I’d gladly take an extra couple hundred bucks a month.

            So here it is; A list I’ve compiled for anyone looking to boost or create an income in some conventional and maybe some unconventional ways.

1.    Sublet a room.

For those already living in an apartment the size of a closet this may not be an option, but for those who have a spare bedroom and are looking to generate some extra cash, rent is awesome when you’re on the receiving end.  If you’re not crazy about having an extra person in your living equation at all times, list your space on airbnb.com or roomorama.com and set availbility  as you chose.

      If you are one of those NYC closet dwellers and you’re headed to the country for the week or weekend, you can list your space for $50/day and make some fast cash while you’re gone.  It’s cheaper than a hotel for your visitors and you get a quick income boost for that small effort. Everybody wins.

2.    Sell your crap.

How many clothes do you have that you’ve barely worn?  Did you just move in with someone and find you now have doubles of everything?  Do you have stacks and stacks of books you’ve already read lying around your house?  Before sending it all to the trash see if you can sell it.  If it’s in great condition list it on ebay, craigslist, amazon, even facebook.  Set up a garage sale.  Anything you can’t sell, donate and enjoy a small tax deduction.

3.    Babysit

If you have nothing to do for the weekend, keep your eye out for babysitting gigs.  Babysitters in metropolitan areas make an average of $15-$20/hour.  In other word four hours of reading The Hunger Games while little Johnny sleeps can get you sixty bucks.  Check out sittercity.com for jobs in your area- they also list tutoring and housekeeping gigs.

4.    Make your hobbies work for you.

If you love photography, try selling your images on stock photo sites.  If you love shopping, sign up to by a mystery shopper.  If you love crafts, sell your work or take custom orders (etsy.com). Best of all, since it’s already your hobby, you’ll love what you’re doing.

5.    Register for focus groups.

If you fit the criteria, you can make anywhere from $50-$100 in an hour or two, just for offering your opinion.  To find focus groups for which you may qualify, check out findfocusgroups.com

6.    Sell your hair.

Definitely not the most convetional way of earning extra income but it’s too easy and profitable not to list.  Your hair can get you anywhere from $300 to $900 on sites like hairwork.com.  On that note you can also sell your sperm or eggs for a pretty penny, but there’s a lot more to consider when selling your “reproductables”.

7.    Use the Internet.

There are a multitude of sites that allow you to list your services for the world to purchase.  Here are a few that you may not be familiar with.

-       Fiverr.com:  Fill in the blank.  I will _______ for $5.  Then list your service.  People list everything from video editing to dancing around in spandex while singing happy birthday.

-       Gigbucks.com: Similar concept to Fiverr, but gigs can range from $5-$100.

-       Vayable.com:  Offer your expertise or an insider’s guide to your hometown.  You can list anything from guiding a hike through the Catskills to bar hopping through your favorite spots in the east village.

-       Taskarmy.com: List your service and set your price.

These are just suggestions.  Take a moment to brainstorm.  What do you have to offer?  What service, skill, or thing do you have that you can trade for money?  You may stumble upon something that you really love doing, and you’ll be getting paid.  Just remember not to blow all that extra money on more crap that you’ll eventually have to sell ;)