How can you earn some extra money easily and quickly? You may be broke, debt, and desperate to make some money quickly, or you may be unable to work full-time (maybe because you’re a student like me?). Don’t worry, there are ways to make money quickly, easily, and without robbing a bank.None of these are very unusual jobs, but I wanted a comprehensive list of ways to earn money fast, for those who needed it. And the jobs are:
1. Mystery ShoppingAbout: Mystery shopping is the only job where you can earn money for buying things and eating out. Your job is to go to a retail or food outlet, and evaluate the environment, service and product quality. This might mean a free cart of groceries, free clothes and accessories and free meals. Pay varies, from $10 to $50.All this sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. There are some catches though, the most significant being the fact that jobs are hard to come by. You need to watch the boards at your company, request for assignments as soon as they’re posted, and even then, you might lose the job to someone else.Skills required: Mystery shoppers need an eye for detail. You’ll be required to fill up detailed forms and reports, so you’ll need good writing skills: you won’t be paid or reimbursed for your purchases if you don’t submit a proper and timely report. Most companies will reimburse you for your purchases (upto a limit) but some may not, so make sure you read the fine print. In most cases, you will be reimbursed, but you’ll need to have enough cash on hand to make the inital purchases. Some assignments also require you to exchange or return a product. You’ll find city-based assignments more easily, so this job isn’t for those who don’t go to town frequently. You’ll also need to spend the transport fare, time and energy getting to the shop/restaurant. Most mystery shopping organizations provide tips and advice for doing the job well, and a policy manual: you should read those thoroughly so that you can impress the clients. Keep the clients happy, and you may find yourself getting assignments more easily.Warnings: Don’t sign up for a mystery shopping organization that asks you to pay to be a member. There have been incidents of fraud, so check up a company’s background and credentials before you sign up.How to get jobs: You can sign up through the internet, after checking the company is ok.In short: Mystery shopping is a fun job for those living in or nearby cities, but you’re not likely to get assignments too often. If you want to be a mystery shopper, think of it as occasional easy money or a fun hobby that pays.
2. BabysitterAbout: Parents go out leaving their kids at home: you come by to take care of said kids. Assignments are usually of a few hours’ duration, at night, so this means that you can entertain the kids for a few hours and put them to bed. Some assignments are of longer duration; you may be asked to stay the whole day or over a weekend. Pay varies, but you can expect $10 - 15 per hour, and more if you’re their preffered babysitter. Once people are confident in your skills, you’ll start getting more assignments; you can expect up to two or three a week if you do well.Skills required: Kids are brats, so go on assignments well-prepared. Some of you may be naturally good with kids, but for those who aren’t (like me) here are some tips: turn on the charm. Feign interest in their lives, play with their toys, let them win convincingly at their games, tell them cool, new stories, make funny Homer Simpson or Shrek voices. If you’re dealing with extremely young kids, such as newborns, you’ll need the ability and knowledge to handle them, feed them, put them to bed, change diapers, etc. For older kids, you’ll need to be able to exert your authority if needed, e.g. “Bedtime now”, or “Finish your veggies”.It helps to get the kids to like you. That way, when they need a babysitter again, they’ll ask for you.I read about a babysitter who cleans up the house after the kids are in bed, or while they’re watching TV. The clients love her.How to get jobs: People are trusting you with their children, so they’ll need a reason to believe in you. You may have to babysit for free for friends and family, so that you can get their recommendations. Ask people to refer you. You can also advertise your services through bulletin boards, leaflets, etc, but the easiest way to get babysitting assignments is through people who already know you.In short: The difficulty level and pay are both average, and jobs are more likely to come your way after you’ve completed a few assignments successfully.
3. Pet SitterAbout: I’ve heard of a dog walker who makes five figures a year walking dogs. In this job, you’ll be taking care of pets, so it’s essential that you love pets.The most common assignment is to be a dog-walker. You can walk up to ten dogs at a time, if you can manage it.To be a dog-walker, you really need to be able to discipline the dogs and get them to listen to you, if required. You’ll need to have a good rapport with the dogs, and stop to pick up after them… You’ll be most likely paid on a weekly or daily basis, to walk each dog for about an hour or 30mins a day.You might also be asked to take care of pets when owners are on vacation. This means that they must trust you enough to leave you the keys to their house. You’ll need to feed the pets, take them for walks, maybe even clean them.To be a pet sitter, you absolutely must have good rapport with the pets.Warnings: Don’t get into this job if you’re scared of animals, animals are really good at smelling fear. Also, don’t offer to take care of pets while the owner is away if the house seems to be in a creepy neighbourhood.In short: A fun job for animal-lovers; can potentially pay well. You’ll get more assignments over time.
4. Donate BloodAbout: Until that breakthrough in creating plastic blood comes about, you can make money by selling your blood. Sounds a bit gruesome, and it would be a bit more philanthropic to just donate it, but this way you help people in emergencies and make some dough.You’ll have a needle sticking into you for a bit, and you’ll lose some blood (duh!). You can find these jobs at blood banks.Pay is so-so (and varies).Warnings: Make sure that you go to a reputed organization and that the needle is safe. You’ll be asked about any illnesses, and if you’ve given blood in the past. It’s not at all dangerous to give blood, as long as you don’t donate in too short intervals.In short: Reasonably safe, average pay, an easy job that you can’t do too frequently.
5. Participate in Medical ExperimentsAbout: Become a freak for science. Nyah, you won’t really have to anything dangerous. It’s mostly behavioral stuff, like how you react when angry/aroused/happy. If you’re lucky, you might be assigned to sleep, so that your REM patterns are monitored. If you’re ill, you might be able to participate in more programs.Pay is average, and assignments are usually infrequent. You can find out about these jobs at your university bulletin board or hospital board.Warning: Make sure you go to a reputed place. Be prepared for rejection, since there are often many people applying for the same job.In short: Fun, infrequent assignments with reasonable pay.
6. Wash CarsAbout: You must be willing to get wet. You’ll need basic cleaning supplies, and you must know how to clean cars. This is a rare job these days, but you might get hired by a rich person with a nice car and not enough time. The pay won’t be anything great, and these days most people really love their cars, so you should be willing to do a good job.You could try advertising your services, stressing the amount of time you’ll be saving your clients. Since you don’t really need to build up trust (but a few recommendations will really help) advertising your services is likely to help a lot.
7. Mow LawnsAbout: Similar to washing cars, in that you’ll be helping clients by saving them time. Pay is average, but jobs are more common than car washing jobs. Mowing lawns is also hard work: if you take regular assignments, you’re also likely to lose some weight.You can advertise your services, but try to get a few references to back-up your claims.
8. Surveys and StudiesAbout: You know those people in the mall, armed with clipboards and asking people to spare 5 minutes? Well, you could be one of them!Companies will hire you to find out about people, their preferences and behaviors. This job is a bit intimidating in that you’ll need to accost perfect strangers, but if you do so politely and with a smile, many people will tell you all about themselves.Nowadays, people are more privacy-concerned, so you might have a tougher time, but you’ll do well to know you audience. For instance, girls have an easier time interviewing guys, and vice versa. Older people are also more willing to talk, usually.You will be asking personal things like people’s income levels, age, toilet roll use, etc, so you’ll need a thick skin and not get embarrassed.You’ll also need to be responsible in completing assignments timely, and preparing a report, if required. Pay is reasonable (and often very good), but assignments may not be too common.You can sign up with a market research agency.Warnings: Make sure you sign up with reputed agencies. Don’t accost aggressive or drunk people. And don’t enter creepy houses.In short: This job won’t suit everyone, especially not the extremely shy. Pay varies between reasonable to good, but assignments aren’t that common.
9. TelemarketingAbout: Telemarketers are those annoying people who call you at dinner time, asking for your time or money. You could be one of them!You’ll be hired by companies to call people at home, and talk to them. You may ask them to buy something from you, or you may ask them to participate in a survey.You’ll need to be very convincing. But even so, you’ll face a lot of rejection. Only one in thirty, or one in fifty people may agree to your proposition. Despite this, you’ll need to keep up your energy and enthusiasm. You may face anger and hostility, but you’ll need to stay calm, polite and friendly.You’ll need a quiet room and a telephone line.This is not a job for the faint-hearted, but the pay is decent, and you can work at your own hours (almost).You’ll need to sign up with an agency, so make sure it’s a reputed one.In short: Regular pay, by working hours of your own choice, but a job only for the brave.
10. House CleanerAbout: Call yourself a maid or a toilet scrubber, but people will pay to have you clean their homes.The work may be a bit unpleasant, but the pay is decent. And assignments are usually pretty regular. You should, of course, be a good cleaner, and leave the counter-tops/floors/toilets sparkling.People will be trusting you to enter their houses, often when they’re away, so you must be able to prove your trust-worthiness. References are really useful.You should also try advertising your services. Take out a small classified ad, and distribute flyers in the neighborhood of your choice. Ask clients to refer you to their friends. Make sure you price your services properly: charge less at the beginning to build up references, and when you have those, raise your rates.Warnings: Once again, do not enter creepy houses. If a client freaks you out, or a house is just too disturbingly dirty, quit.
11. Professional HobbyistAbout: If you’re extremely crafty or handy, you can make money from your skills.Put your hobby to use: if you’re a great photographers, offer to take portraits of people for a small fee. You can use referrals or advertise your services. You can also hang about tourist-y spots, and offer to take pictures and develop them within an hour or so. You could also take Polaroids, if you’re good with them. You can also try to sell your photos to the postcard-making companies.If you’re an artist, you can try to sell your paintings. Keep in mind that the most popular paintings by amateurs are usually portraits (and who said people aren’t vain?)If you enjoy tinkering around with electronics, offer to repair things for others. If you like plumbing, hire yourself out as a plumber. If you enjoy woodworking, offer your services as a handyman, or try to sell your pieces at flea markets and fairs.Warning: Don’t learn a new hobby to make money. It’s not easy, and you’ll wind up frustrated.In short: If you’re talented, you might make a few bucks, but it’s not likely to be steady income.
12. Supermarket Checkout Clerk or Shelf-StockerAbout: Supermarkets are hiring, so why shouldn’t they hire you?The work may be tiresome, and the pay isn’t that great. If you’re a checkout clerk, you’ll need to be able to operate a cash-counter, and you’ll need references.Work is steady, but drains your soul. Still, we all sell our souls for cash.
13. Waiter/WaitressAbout: This is the most common of part-time gigs. You are paid to serve people food.It’s easier to get waitressing jobs in smaller places, like fast food outlets or diners. The pay isn’t that great in those places either, so once you’ve built up your skills and your references, it’s time to move onto a fancier restaurant.A place that serves a buffet is a really good place to work, since you get to have free food.There are certain skills that you absolutely must master as a waiter/waitress. First off, learn how to deal with people in a very friendly way, no matter how rude they may be. Get people to like you: how much clients tip you is directly proportional to how much they like you.Learn to remember orders, or at least write them down.Be good at serving food: don’t break stuff.If your manager wants to give you extra responsibilities, be clear about your limitations or willingness to learn.You can also try to get jobs at catering services.Finally, when you’ve learnt all you can, and you’ve got a reference, get a better-paying job.Warning: Don’t eat half-eaten foods, no matter how tempting it seems.In short: Regular income, and pay increases with your skill and experience level. If you need cash quickly, this is the best route to go. It helps to have some experience, but even if you’ve never waitressed in your life, you’ll be able to get a job at a fast food joint or diner. Be nice to customers, and try to get tables with the ones who tip well
14. DishwasherAbout: Restaurants don’t just need people for serving, they need people for cleaning up the food, too.Typically, the pay is less than that of the wait staff, since it involves less skill. Once again, you’ll have to be careful not to break stuff.Pay is obviously regular, but not too great.
15. WriteAbout: Sell your writing skills.Be a blogger like meeee! I absolutely love blogging, and I love my blog. I love letting people know what I think, and trying to help them. I love writing, so blogging isn’t like a job for me at all. If you like writing, blogging might just be for you.If you’re a blogger, you’ll need to spend a fair amount of time writing, at least an hour a day. You’ll also need to promote your blog, and gain a fair amount of traffic. For the first few months, you won’t really be making much money at all. Your income might increase after that– some of the most popular bloggers earn six figures a year by blogging, but you can realistically expect to make about $1000/month after a few months, if you’re very good at it.Apart from blogging, there are other ways to make money by writing. You can work as a freelancer online, offering your writing skills to other website builders. Post your profile and requirements on one of the forums and outsourcing websites. Pay varies, but the minimum is around $10 for a 500 word article. You may have to do research for any article that you write, and you’ll need to compete with cheap labour from other countries.US citizens can also submit articles to a content website (sorry, forgot the name) and get paid $25 per article. Not a bad deal!Keep offline writing opportunities in mind too– if you’re in high school or college, there’s usually a campus newspaper. Your local newspaper might be hiring too.Warning: Never submit poor quality articles. Never plagiarize.In short: For those who like/love writing, this is a great job. Pay varies, depending on your popularity.
16. Special Event StaffAbout: Be an usher at a conference, movie theater, concert, or charity event.Your responsibilities are minimal, apart from looking presentable. You might need to help people find places, the washroom, suitable seats, etc.The pay is usually not that great, but you can watch events for free!Assignments aren’t that regular.
17. Work at a Gas StationOne of my friends is putting himself through college by working at a gas station on weekends.This job is like working at a supermarket, but a bit tougher. Almost all places in the US (other than Oregon and New Jersey) have self-service gas stations now. However, I’m not going to plug this job too much, because it sounds too tough and too risky (what do robbers think are the easiest spots?)
18. Be a SalespersonAbout: This isn’t so much of an odd-job, unless you’re a traveling salesperson. As the name implies, you’ll need to sell things, and will usually get paid on a commission basis.Car salespeople are not the only salespeople out there. You can also sell cell phones, electronics, perfumes, or even clothes.You must be persuasive, and you must be aggressive. You can’t shy away from asking people to buy things from you, but you must also gain their trust. You’ve got to know what you’re selling, and whom you’re selling to.This job takes nerves of steel, since you’ll be dealing with people face-to-face, and therefore, getting a lot of in-your-face rejection. But if you’re good at it, you could earn a nice commission.In short: This is one of those jobs that’s really more of a regular job, but you can be a salesperson without any special education/training.
19. Be a GeekAbout: Lots of people are looking to hire geeks, i.e. people with technological knowledge that most other people don’t have.If you’re good at coding, list yourself at rent-a-coder. There are other sites too, and it’ll help if you can get references. Now that the ever-increasing numbers of people are doing internet marketing and other “internet stuff”, there’s an increasing need for people who know the technical parts of these things.In short: Pay is reasonably good, but the assignments are rare, since there’s still a lot of competition. However, once you’ve established yourself and built up your reputation, clients will give you referrals, all of which mean more assignments and a higher rate.
20. Be a ResellerEbay is just the start. Off-line stores, especially consignment stores, are also places where you can sell off your stuff. What “stuff”? Well, the stuff that you buy in bulk, for cheap, during crazy sales. If you’re using ebay, you can also sell second-hand items.This is more of a business than a job. Which means that a level of risk is inherent in reselling: there is always the off-chance that you’ll be unable to off-load your inventory.You’ll need to understand the item you’re trying to resell: how much it usually sells for, who buys it, and how much demand there is for this item. Almost all items can move at the right price, but there is a difference between a “hot” bag and one that buyers aren’t too interested in.You’ll need to be constantly on the look-out for great deals. You’ll need enough cash or credit to buy a lot of the item selling at the great price. You’ll need to spend time and effort not only in buying the products, but also convincing others to buy from you: from building a relationship with a retail store owner, to uploading pictures on Ebay.There’s a cost involved, other than the price of goods you buy, and your time. Ebay has charges that you must pay, and there’s transportation costs and internet costs.My advice is to start small. Once you’ve realized where your knack is, and you’ve gained some experience, you can scale up. Also, don’t sit around all day reading books like “How to Make Millions from Ebay”: they’re almost all scams.
21. Be a Taxi DriverCan you drive? Can you drive well?If so, learn about your city’s roads, and put yourself through whatever course you need to pass to get a taxi-driver certificate. The cost and duration varies, but if it’s quick and relatively cheap to get the certification in your city, this job might be for you.You’ll need to understand the rules and regulations governing your job first. What happens if you’re in an accident? What about refusing customers? What about…?Once you’ve gotten you’re certification, you’re set. But talk to a few taxi-drivers first, and see how much they make, and get some tips for them. If you’re renting a taxi, you’ll need to pay some rent each day, and you’ll need to earn significantly more than that, to make your job worthwhile.Still, this is a quick way of making some pretty serious cash, in most places.
22. Gardener/snowshovellerAre you good with things that grow? Or those that fall out of the sky? If so, you could apply for a landscaping-related job.The most obvious job for green-thumbs is that of a gardener. You’ll have to make the gardens of busy people look lovely, so you better be good with those plants (and not kill every leafy being, like I tend to do!) In some cases, you may be asked to select the plants which will fill up the garden, but mostly, your employer will have some basic idea. You’ll have to buy saplings/cuttings, make them grow and bloom, and stave off the evil weeds and bugs.Snowshovellers have it relatively easier: their job is more about brute force, but these are more seasonal jobs. Additionally, you could rake leaves in autumn.You can look for these jobs in the same way as you’d approach pet-sitting: recommendations help. However, in these jobs, you can also try distributing leaflets and putting notices on bulletin boards.
23. Golf CaddyThis job is relatively easier, but as usual, pay is so-so (unless you’re assisting a professional, in which case you can easily earn in the upper five-figure ranges).If you are assisting a pro-golfer, you’ll need to know quite a bit about golfing. Otherwise, when assisting amateurs, you’ll mostly be lugging bags around, measuring distances, and fetching drinks.If you’re looking to be a caddy, you can let some of the popular clubs know, and ask a few golfers to spread the word to their buddies.
24. Messenger/conciergeYou’ll need transportation: most use a bike, since they’re cheap and practical. Basically, you’ll be running errands and delivering stuff to people, whether it’s letters and packages, drycleaning, or groceries. Usually, you’ll get these jobs through agencies, but you can also try selling your services personally, as an “assistant”.Most of these jobs are a bit risky, in that you’ll be weaving in and out of traffic, with no insurance from your employer. Be careful, but enjoy the fact that these jobs don’t take up much time in your day.
25. Get a Job in TranscriptionThe local radio station, and some transcription services, hire transcriptors. What do you have to do as a transcripter? Nothing too tough: simply listen to tapes, and accurately type out what’s being said.These days, most of these jobs are being outsources to labour-cheap nations, but if you look around, and are willing to work for low pay, you can still get these jobs. Do a quick search, and you might come up with an agency which could hire you.
Phew, I’m so tired just researching a listing these jobs! Personally, I’m pretty damn happy being a blogger, but you might need to earn some money quickly, whether to fund a new business, pay up your credit card debt, or tide you over for the next few months till you sell your art or get a proper job. Or you might need some quick income without being able to work full-time. In that case, don’t sit on your ass hoping that some grand scheme you’re planning works out. Work on you grand scheme later, after you’ve killed your financial demons with money from a job where you’ve actually worked hard. I hope you consider these jobs: you’re sure to find something that suits your personality and doesn’t drain you too much. Good luck!
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