So your nine to five just isn’t cutting it anymore. Whether you’re struggling to make ends meet, barely saving a cent for the future, or having trouble keeping up the lifestyle you want to live, you feel the need to make more money.
Unfortunately, you can’t just quit your day job for whatever reason. All you can spend is the time when you’re not working. So what’s a cash-starved person stuck with a low-paying job to do?
Sell Stuff You Don’t Need
It’s the easiest way to make extra money quickly, as you probably have a lot of “useful junk” just lying around in your house taking up space that no longer holds any value to you.
Ransack your closet for clothes that are still in good shape but you just don’t see yourself wearing anymore. That also includes accessories like hats, scarves, gloves, etc. Throw old pairs of shoes that don’t match your current style into the “to sell” bin.
Don’t forget books that you know you won’t ever get to read, or ones that you’ve read but don’t care enough to keep.
You can go old-school with a garage sale, or have the items listed online on sites like eBay or Craigslist. Going down the Internet route is easier, as you open up the items to a much wider audience who can find what you’re selling quicker. No need to schedule a specific date and haul out every item for your neighbors and passersby to see.
Rent Your Space
If you have big enough living quarters, and you’re either good with dealing with all sorts of people or you don’t stay at home too often, you can earn extra income by renting out a room in your house. You can find yourself a tenant like a student going to a nearby university for consistent revenue. Tourists or people simply just passing through your part of town are also possible sources of income, especially if you’re living in a big city or a vacation destination.
Just be very careful about who you’re letting into your property, and read up on your local laws before doing so for your own safety.
Freelance
Outsourcing is becoming a more accepted alternative for businesses on a budget, and you can capitalize on this current trend by offering your skills as a freelancer. Check out sites like Elance, Guru and Odesk, and take on projects that you can accomplish in your spare time. The market is big enough for you to have a lot of options available, so you probably won’t have too hard a time finding ones that fit your current job’s schedule.
If you do a good job, you can expect to find even more work down the road and even ask for a higher rate.
Sign Up as a Mystery Shopper
It’s the only kind of job where you get paid to buy things! Basically, you go into a retail outlet and then evaluate your overall experience from shopping in the store. This includes the quality of the service, the appearance of the store, the general atmosphere, etc. You’re not always compensated by cash, as you can get gift checks, bags, clothing or other items in return, but that will depend on who enlists you to do the job.
Be wary of scams, though, as there are offers that require you to pay a fee to become one and see full listings. You can check with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, a worldwide organization that seeks to bring order and credibility in the industry, to see if the company you’re signing up for is associated.
You can do this on the weekends and get a decent amount of money (or lots of free stuff!) in the process.
Do Direct Selling
If you’ve got a knack for selling things to people, why not try your hand at direct selling? As its name suggests, you sign up for a company that’s offering the service and sell their products directly to consumers. Instead of having the customers go to a store, you set up a face-to-face encounter with them and make your sales pitch. It’s commission-based work, so you will have to hustle to really get good money out of it.
At the very least, there are multiple options for you to choose from, and the best ones such as Avon and Herbalife have built enough brand awareness and credibility to make the sales pitch easier. You’ll also be more convincing if you actually believe in the quality of the product, so pick a company that you are truly interested in what it’s selling.
Making money outside the job you currently have is definitely possible. It’s just up to you how much time and effort you’re willing to spend to earn the extra income.
Lionel Luigi Lopez
Lionel Luigi Lopez is a business writer, entrepreneur and a musician. He is also an active blogger and marketing strategist. He runs a small business in Manila and is still active in music.
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