So there's the list of opportunities that can be done mostly or exclusively online. But if you're not into that form of work, rejoice!
We've got plenty more options for you listed below on ways that can help you earn money around town.
27- Become a ghost shopper
There's a pretty fair chance you've never heard of ghost shopping.
Ghost shopping is a service that people seek out when they're low on time but have cash to spare. It means that someone will send you out to do their shopping for them, and then you will deliver it to them in return for a small fee.
Now, a Google search for this term offers some confusion because it mostly lists mystery shopping, which is a different service we will discuss below.
It's safe to assume that this is mostly a person-to-person activity, but there's no reason you couldn't use it to build up your client base so you can expand it to a nice little side business
And if you run it as a business, the legitimacy will make people more comfortable sending you out into the world with their money.
Helpful resources:
28- Street perform (Busking)
If you have any kind of entertainer's skill, you can definitely make some money doing it on the street.
In fact, guitar players who play in heavily foot-trafficked sections of the city during peak hours have been known to make up to 2 or 3 thousand in a day!
Of course, that's not what you should be expecting to make, but it gives you an idea of how the money can add up.
On the other hand, you need to be careful of your local ordinance and the laws about street performance, in a lot of places you'll need to buy a permit from city hall.
If you aren't having any luck with it, try the next town over. The truth of the matter is just that some towns have a different reception to it than others.
Helpful resources:
29- Be a dog walker
Amazingly, walking dogs for people can actually be a full-time job.
Obviously, it helps if you are an animal lover.
, If you charge a fair rate per dog, $10 or so, and you stack up 7 or so customers in a day, then now you're looking at some actual job wages.
Seasoned dog walkers stack up multiple sets of dogs a day, and walk multiple batches.
It'll require a little bit of handling skill on your part, but it's a real way to get money out of such a simple task.
Consider asking your customers if they are alright with their dogs being walked alongside other dogs, just in case they have any strong feelings on the matter.
Helpful resources:
30- Take and sell stock photos
You may have never looked for stock photos online, but if you have, you certainly noticed that the prices are quite steep.
There is a serious cost involved with using stock photos for commercial purposes, but if you're doing business, there's no way around it.
You can be the person who's taking and selling those stock photos, and you'll get a commission each time one of them is downloaded.
Other sites will pay you a flat fee for the photo itself.
There is one rule of thumb: the rates for either option aren't great, so you'll be wanting to take a lot of pictures.
Stock photos are of a studio-quality almost by definition, so this is mostly an option for people who are already photographers or know a photographer.
Sites to use:
31- Sell some of your stuff
Yes, this one is as straightforward as they come!
If you need money, the simplest way to get it is to sell something.
There are lots of ways to do it, classified ads, Craigslist, eBay, etc.
Notice that we consider this a distinct option from pawni because pawning implies that you may come back for it when money is less tight. We'll discuss that below.
When you sell something, you should always look around for prices that people charge for similar items.
You're going to have a hard time selling that DVD player for $50 bucks if there is a $10 one online.
Always price according to demand.
If you are selling something you consider really rare or valuable, do the research and consider selling it through a specialty site.
Antiques, for example, should be sold to antique-lovers specifically. Anyone else won't value it as highly.
Sites to use:
There is something of a stigma against pawning in today's world.
And it's true that nobody wants to part with the things they hold dear, but pawning certainly isn't all bad.
In its basic form, pawning is just receiving a loan where you provide your possessions for liability.
There is interest on the loan, of course, but it is also a loan that you can get on-demand without any messing about with credit history or things of that nature.
In my singular experience with pawning, the clerks were sincere, honest, and very clear about what the terms were. It doesn't have to be as bad as it seems, and if you're in need of the money it's really a decent and civil option.
If your financial woes are temporary, you can always come back for it, after all.
Helpful resources:
33- Donate Eggs/Sperm
At the risk of sounding callous, being paid to donate sperm seems like something you'd get people lining up around the block for!
That's true in a sense, because sperm donors have a very stringent selection process, and only 7% of applicants or so are selected.
They'll be examining your family's medical history, your medical history, your lifestyle, and anything else you could think of that might affect the quality of your sperm.
The donation is on their terms, and your viability to donate is at all times tentative.
You can make around $40 per donation.
For the ladies, you have a much more difficult but much more rewarding option donating your eggs.
Donating eggs is not nearly as pleasant of a process as donating sperm, and will require a harsh drug regimen and testing for 3 to 5 weeks.
It will be a significant undertaking.
However, it has the higher reward An egg donor can easily expect to make $3000 or so from a donation.
There have been stories of people who were searching for the perfect egg donor and were prepared to make audacious demands, like that the donor be a valedictorian!
However, in these cases, the donors have been reported to make $50,000-$200,000.
Nobody's going to pay that much for sperm, that's for sure!
Sites to Use (to find local centers for paid donation):
34- Apply to be on a game show
OK, I know what you're thinking. That sounds crazy, right? I might as well tell you to win the lottery.
Well, getting onto a game show isn't as crazy as it seems. Only certain people will apply to be on a game show.
You'll have to be comfortable being on camera, for one, and be willing to get to a studio and be there for 12 or more hours, maybe even staking out overnight if the applicants are decided by who arrives when.
If you're the brainy type, apply to be on Jeopardy and see if you can pass the applications.
If you're better at guessing, consider the Price Is Right, or maybe Family Feud.
It'll depend on where you are and where it is filmed, but if you can spare the money to catch a plane, you can apply to any of them.
This option is far more grounded and realistic if you give it an honest try and are diligent about it.
Game Shows to Apply for:
35- Try your hand at pet sitting
Much like the dog walking option, this is best is you are good with animals (some might say it is necessary.)
The difference in this and walking dogs is that walking the dogs is an active task which requires more energy but is over more quickly. Pet sitting is a more passive sort of task, but it is also something that requires more time, often occurring overnight or across a series of days.
If you're interested in this option, DogVacay. com will allow you to make a profile, set a rate, and advertise to people in the area.
It's best to pitch yourself as someone who is familiar with and fond of animals because these people obviously care a lot about their pets.
Most people will prefer to have someone watch their pet who has a yard of their own.
Sites to use:
36- Hold a garage sale
A garage sale is technically the same as selling your stuff, like listed above, but has a strictly lower price point.
The thing about a garage sale is that items are priced to move. You're not trying to recoup a solid 50%-75% of your original cost, think more like 15% or less.
It's more important to sell something for a low cost than not at all, as far as a garage sale.
If you have something you're trying to catch a high price for, sell it online instead.
Helpful resources:
37- Mow lawns
Another classic, but equally valid as all the options here.
Western nations are very fond of their yards and lawns, so you have a high rate of potential customers concerning this.
Of course, many areas will have been accounted for by now, as gardening is a pretty big business (and an easy one to grow at that.)
You can get your foot in the door by figuring out the local rates and undercutting them. After all, the gardening companies in your area are also trying to pay the owner and the administrative costs in addition to the employees.
If you come in offering the service for half of that, then you can easily score some business and keep a tidy profit.
Offer pruning and trimming services for the other foliage around the house if you want to make a little extra, but make sure you're capable of doing it well!
Helpful resources:
38- Be a mystery shopper
Remember up above when we talked about ghost shopping?
Well, here's the form of paid shopping that people are more familiar with.
A mystery shopper is hired by a customer to go to an establishment and interact like a normal customer, except when you leave you'll be giving a report on the state of the establishment, the behavior of the employees, and the quality of the service that you received.
You will often be paid a rate in return, and some businesses will cover the cost of the shopping you had to do while there.
A quick Google search will direct you to a few companies that hire mystery shoppers. There is a high demand for people who can attend theaters, and your demographic information will be important.
Sites to use:
39- Shoveling snow Raking leaves
This is a seasonal, regionally dependent version of the lawn care option up above.
If you live in a part of the country where it snows, you already know that having snow on your sidewalks, driveways, and lawns can be a huge pain.
Most people don't want to wake up early to clear it all out of the way, and that's where you come in.
Depending on how quickly you can work, charging $10-$20 a yard can be a great boon to you. A larger yard will justify a higher rate.
If you get really into it, you can invest in a snow blower and greatly increase the rate at which you can work, which will allow you to take more customers and, in turn, make more money.
These same rules apply to raking leaves.
If you're raking leaves, you can also bring a ladder and offer an extra gutter cleaning service. Just be careful while you're up there, self-employment has no workman's comp!
Helpful resources:
40- Do sign twirling
Not technically limited to twirling, you've definitely seen someone around town standing with an arrow-shaped sign, indicating a nearby business.
It's a favored profession of the youth and the elderly alike and can pay you minimum wage or maybe even a little above.
Some people make it extra easy on themselves by having stands that hold the sign, and they just wobble them about, and others get very into it and learn to do dances and tricks.
Either way, you'll be making the $10 an hour, though you may have to wear a silly costume.
It is said that the more enthusiastic twirlers will receive bonuses, though!
Helpful resources:
41- Participate in clinical trials
Clinics of dental and medical varieties are constantly looking for people to participate in their studies and tests, and you can be compensated for being one of those people.
Generally, you'll have to sign a release form accepting the consequences of the trial itself, so this is a task for those who are not afraid of that possibility.
Hospitals and universities are also a good place to seek out this type of money-making opportunity.
For a detailed article on this topic that includes a list of places you can go to participate, read making money as a human guinea pig.
Sites to use:
Yes, another basic sort of option.
The thing is about these basic tasks is that they're timeless; people have needed these services since the beginning of civilization, and they'll need it in the future, too.
Nothing is more basic than the need to eat, so you can easily find a way to get paid for the simple task of cooking good meals.
It's a given that this is really only an option if you can cook well, of course.
Securing this type of arrangement is mostly a matter of branding. More people would be willing to hire a personal chef than you think, so long as you sell it to them properly.
Advertise that you are capable of cooking fresh, healthy meals and that you will purchase the necessary ingredients right before you come over to cook.
Ask your potential customer to compare the cost of your services to the cost of eating out, per night. They might find that you are capable of producing a higher quality of meal for a similar price.
Furthermore, you could advertise different types of deals, like say a leftover package where you cook a large amount of an easily stored food so that they don't have to have you come over every day.
Helpful resources:
43- Sell your art
We've talked before about the possibility of running a virtual storefront. This is the grassroots version of that same option, really.
If you make clothes, accessories, or even visual art, people can and will buy it if you get yourself out there.
Find a way to get your name out there.
A good option for this is to make some stuff for free for your friends and give it out.
That could help you get the word out.
Artists can be very insecure about exposing their work to the world, but if you want to make money, it's best to just throw it out there and get some feedback.
Sites to use:
44- Be a window washer
And no, we're not talking about the people who hang off the side of skyscrapers!
A storefront is important for any business, especially those that are on a single floor (readers with vertigo rejoice!)
You can offer a window cleaning service for a low rate, and secure your business on a weekly or a monthly rate.
The business might just tell their low-level employees to do the washing, but you can offer your services and free up their staff to do other things. After all, the windows are the customer's view into the store itself, so we can't scoff about the importance of a window washer.
Helpful resources:
Lately, the services of Uber and Lyft have become very noteworthy.
These services are revolutionizing the taxi industry, which was before a competitive sort of business that left workers and customers alike dissatisfied.
All you do is install the ride sharing company's app so you can get notified of people in your local area who need a ride.
Rates will often be quite high since this is technically a personal ride service.
There are drivers who are making a living with ride sharing, treating it as a full time job, and then there are those who use it as a way to make some extra cash on the weekend and whenever they have some free time.
Either way, it's an awesome way to make some money with something you already have, a car!
Sites to use:
46- Dumpster dive
Now I'm sure a majority of you are recoiling at the mere idea of it.
Me, get into a dumpster? That dirty container full of trash?
Well, I completely understand your hesitation, dear reader, but I'm happy to inform you that dumpster diving isn't all the negative that it seems like.
There is a whole community of people who dumpster dive, and it plays in the freegan lifestyle.
Don't believe me?
Google Dumpster Diving Reddit to be directed to a popular forum for people who participate in it.
You'll find that if you are willing to tolerate the unsavory idea of activity, there is really a lot of unnecessary waste in the world that the brave can benefit from.
This includes food, furniture, and appliances.
Too grossed out to even consider the idea?
Well, just wait for when a retail store is closing and ask if you can have the stuff that is due to be thrown out. Retail laws mandate that they throw out food by a certain date, even if it's perfectly good.
A lot of people will be glad to give it to you, just knowing that the food isn't going to be wasted.
Helpful resources:
47- Recycle scrap metal and tires
I'm putting both of these under the same heading since they're the same basic concept.
If you have a large storage space available to you, you can stockpile old tires and metal and eventually take them down to a recycling plant/scrap yard to pick up a little bit of cash.
This is a very industrial option, recommended only to those who are comfortable with these types of items, and who have the capability to participate in it (you won't be hauling 100 old tires to the plant in your old sedan, for example.)
Helpful resources:
48- Donate blood plasma
Hopefully, you're not against donating blood just for the good of it, because blood saves lives!
But if you're afraid of needles or blood, maybe you could be swayed by knowing that there is some money to be made.
Donating plasma could net you $50 easy, though you'll be woozy afterward, so don't drive yourself there!
If you don't know what plasma is, it's the clear stuff that appears when you get a cut, and it's very important for making many types of medicines.
Sites to use:
49- Enter contests
Contests can be daunting. The rewards seem so good! But the chance of winning is so low.
Most people only enter a single contest every so often, and so they don't view them as distinctly winnable.
I recommend a different approach. Enter EVERY contest you care even remotely about.
A contest has low odds of being won, so why not increase your odds by entering them all?
If you don't want the prize, you can always sell it later.
I once knew someone who kept several cellphones on them for those 10th caller contests on the radio they'd pull out all the phones and start calling all at once. That person, as you might imagine, made it to a lot of free concerts.
Sites to use:
50- Enter competitions
If you're willing to put yourself out there, and you have some time to kill, why not enter a few competitions?
At worst, you participate and fail, and at best you win and get some prizes.
It's a win-win in my book, because participating in anything will give you more confidence to get out there and do it again.
Do it five times, and now you're looking at an increasingly healthy chance of success!
Helpful resources:
51- Give massages
Now on this one, I'm going to have to strongly recommend that you go in with some idea of what you're doing.
You can fudge some of the options on this list, admittedly, but a massage is a pretty intimate behavior.
The whole goal is to relax your customer, and everybody's different, so if you go in there and start karate-chopping a frail, gentle person, you're looking at a good opportunity for losing some business.
Now it doesn't mean you have to have completed school for being a massage technician, but at least read up on it and maybe watch some videos and stuff.
Definitely find a few people close to you and convince them to let you practice on them. If you aren't good at it yet, don't try to make money yet.
Massaging is a life skill as much as it is a business skill, and you'll find plenty of situations in your life where you'll be glad you took the time to learn.
If you do manage to get some customers, mood is important too. Soothing music, good scents (candles or incense if the customer is alright with it,) and comfortable furniture are all ideal.
I've had massages at people's home-run businesses, and I can attest that an amateur masseuse/masseur can be worth the money.
Note: Please keep in mind that in most places, you need to have a license to operate a business like that. So make sure to do your research and abide by the law.
Helpful resources:
52- Rent out some of your stuff
This is a particularly good option if you have some kind of workman's tools.
A site like Rentything can help hook you up with people who are looking to rent the tools on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Furthermore, there are places that will allow you to rent your car out, if you've got the guts to try it out.
You don't have to stress completely, though: a peer-to-peer car rental service, like RelayRides, will have an insurance policy in place, in case of any unfortunate accidents involving your car.
Sites to use:
53- Wash cars
This seems as basic as some of the other staple options on this list, but it's a service you see done less often.
Most people don't want to drive a dirty car, but between work and a personal life, it is one of those kinds of maintenance that just falls through the cracks.
That's where you come in. Offer to wash someone's car for a fair rate.
What's a fair rate for this service?
Well, first let's ask how you wash a car.
If you think a quick spray with the hose with maybe some dish soap scrubbed on is a car wash, you'd better think again. There are a lot of do's and don't of car washing.
To name a few, to use soap specifically for washing cars, to rinse with water before washing, to avoid washing in the sun, and to dry by hand.
Those are just a few, because the art of washing a car could really fill an article all on its own.
If you'd like to pursue this possibility, consumerreports. org has a fantastic article about how to do the job right.
Helpful resources:
54- Flip stuff
Flipping is another one of those things that seems simple, but I could really write about it for a long time.
Let's just give the brief overview: you get things for cheap and sell them for more.
It might be because you fixed them up (which is the usual way of doing things,) or it might just be that you've got a better idea about what it's worth than the original owner did.
A simple, but good way to get into flipping is to check the free section of your local Craigslist. If you're lucky, you can grab some good stuff that people just don't have room for anymore. Pick it up, and turn right around to sell it on the for sale section of that same Craigslist.
It might sound a little immoral, but it really isn't: the person who is giving it away for free actively made the decision, and chances are that they wanted it gone immediately and didn't have the luxury of waiting.
As the seller, you have the luxury of waiting, and that's really the big difference.
Flipping is a perfectly legitimate way of making money, and some people do it full time.
Helpful resources:
If you have any skill in an academic subject, you can easily make some money tutoring.
There are plenty of ways to go about it: if you're a degree-holding graduate (or a qualifying undergraduate,) there are websites online that will accept your verification and attempt to match you up with students who need your services.
There are tutoring places in most mid-sized towns, as well, and you may even be able to find a job there (though if you find a job, that might invalidate the theme of this article!)
Of course, there is also the basic form of tutoring: simply helping someone in your life with their academic work.
It might be your cousin, or your best friend's little sibling, but there are lots of people who need help with their studies, and if you're there offering your services, they might be inclined to give up a little bit of money in return for their academic security.
You might consider offering a free first session, to allow them to test and see if they would like to continue with the service (and they're more inclined to feel good about it if they feel like they're getting a deal!)
Sites to use:
56- Recycle
A few of the options above have touched on this possibility, but this is the recycling that's as simple as it comes.
Recycling facilities are a huge thing around most towns, nowadays.
It incentivizes people to bring in recycling when it may have otherwise been tossed out or disregarded. And in turn, the recycling facility can take the materials and sell them, or reprocess them into something new.
They'll pay you for the recycling you bring in by weight, so you're looking to get as much of one type of container as you can (where I live, plastic pays the most, but you can also recycle aluminum and glass.)
Sites to use:
- Recyclebank (earn rewards for recycling anything) Gazelle General Electronics BoxCycle Cardboard Boxes Usell Cell Phones
57- Do odd tasks
Using apps like TaskRabbit you can pick up a few dollars here and there while you are out and about.
People who need small tasks done, post them on TaskRabbit and how much they are willing to pay for it. You can accept the task, do it and get paid. It's as simple a that!
Tasks include anything from picking up groceries and returning a book to the library, to visiting a nearby restaurant and taking a picture of its menu, to whatever else that needs to be done.
Sites to use:
58- Clean houses
Maid services are as old a service as it comes (though probably newer than the cooking position we talked about up above!)
There's no doubt that maid services are prevalent in your town, thanks to companies like Molly Maid, who have a national grip on the house cleaning service.
But the upside for you is that these services are not cheap by any means. I've hired maids to help me clean my house before, and I can tell you that you'll be sinking a few hundred easy in whenever you hire one.
The advice for this is the same as the others on the list, as far as preexisting businesses go: undercut their prices!
The problem with national services like this is that they have to raise their prices the larger they get to cover their new costs of business.
If you can convince a customer that you're just as worthwhile and offer a better rate, then you're going to have a good opportunity to secure a long-term customer.
Consider offer an extra service, like organizing. Professional organizers do exist, but breaking into the field is no piece of cake.
This could be a good way to get your foot in the door towards that path if you want it, but otherwise, it's still not a bad gig to get paid for cleaning.
Helpful resources:
59- Babysit
You might consider this one the logical consequence of our previous option!
Babysitting is an ages-old way to make money, favored by teenagers across the world.
It's easy money if you're good with kids, but not so much if you don't like them.
The biggest barrier to entry with babysitting is simply that the market is saturated, and people are most likely to trust a teenage girl to babysit their kid than a grown man. However, if you want to get your foot in the door, you should always start with friends and family.
There is also care. com, which is a babysitting hub where you can make a profile and set your rate.
60- Rent out an extra room in your house
If you have an extra room in your house, you could be making good money by renting it to travelers.
It's as simple as using a site like AirBnB which makes it very safe and easy to rent a room to people.
Sites to use:
In closing
Now, how's that for a list of ways to make money without having a traditional job?
No matter who you are, there's almost certainly something here for you.
Unless you're intentionally trying not to get an official job, there's a good chance that some of these might lead to more long term employment.
There's also the added benefit of any type of entrepreneurial endeavor: your wages aren't fixed. That can be good or bad, but when it's good, it's really good.
Some people would rather make a guaranteed $100 in a day, but some people would rather take the gamble on making $50 or $150 in a day.
Regardless of which type you are, the options on this list could lead to either.
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