What do you do to make extra cash on the side?
Illegal methods need not apply.
I put together a PDF on this exact question because I always had friends asking me how I made money on the side: http://su.pr/2CUpNz
17 Answers
Web Design is a good way to make some scratch on the side. Do some networking and you're sure to a friend, family member, or a cousin thrice removed that needs something thrown up onto the interwebs to advertise their business.
Also look into selling things that are collecting dust around your place on Craigslist. If you have electronics sitting around, such as an old cell phone you no longer use, you can also use http://www.gazelle.com/ - Granted, you won't get as much $$, but you can rest assured your inbox won't become inundated with messages from Nigerian scammers looking for you to ship the item to their twin brother in the U.K.
I agree with the earlier poster, if you live in a metropolitan area you may be able to get extra cash selling your plasma. Some areas still pay to collect some of your "man business" for artificial insemination.
Best of luck!
I have had good success at selling people's crap/stuff on Ebay. There never seems to be a shortage of friends or family that don't want to spend time posting auctions, taking pictures, or doing all the leg work of shipping. So for 15% (most places charge at least 20%) of the winning amount, I'll do it for them. Its easy to make a few hundred in a month with pretty little effort, and everyone wins.
My trade as an engineer and passion of anything that burns fossil fuel has led me to have a small business on the side designing and engineering aftermarket components that allows owners to upgrade their vehicles.
The vehicles ranging from classic musclecars to modern street machines that just rolled off Detroit's assembly lines.
The money made isn't huge (it does make the monthly car payment and allow myself some fun money) but the rewards and recognition make it worth my time. I think you have to have the "rewards" portion of the equation or else it just becomes a second job.
My advice to you is to do something you enjoy doing that has value in other people's eyes. Then get the word out (craigslist and eBay are easy and relatively cheap ways of selling).
Starting off is the hard part but once a few hurdles are cleared the benefits will start to show.
Honestly, Tried and true... the best/fastest way to improve finances is to cut spending. Eat Peanut butter & Jelly sandwiches instead of eating out and buy a flask for nights out. You will immediately have more cash in your pocket!
As a retired tax collector, remember your income is taxable. Find a niche that you have and feed on that. If you can work on cars, or do home remodeling, place ads in local newspapers touting your skills. Another great way to make some extra cash is going to bartender school. I know of some bartender's that make $400 a night in tips and wages. Not bad for pouring drinks.
online auctions, consultancy jobs that you can do along-side your current business. If you have a lot of experience doing something, you'll be a valuable asset to many corporations that are looking to make changes without hiring permanent staff.
Other options include ANY service you can provide for a price. Catering and party planning are great businesses- you dont need an office for it even... just use Facebook to market yourself ;)
Sounds ghetto but I live in a campus town,Provo utah, and alot of students and others donate plasma, Depending on where you go, you get 30-40 bucks each time, and you can make about $240-$250 a month, not much but its an easy way to make money for about 8 hours a month