Odd jobs serve many purposes. Whether you are trying to fill a financial void, work but maintain flexibility for kids or save for a rainy day, little ways to earn extra cash exist all around us.
Over the years, I have taste-tested, skin-tested, and kid-tested more than one product for the home. I temped, taught and tried numerous tactics to work from home between loading laundry and mopping my floors.
Several advantages to odd jobs include short-term commitments, quick pay and unexpected cash in the pocket. Disadvantages may include low-pay, little notice and unreliablility in the long-run unless you really do happen on that perceived unmet need you can offer that pays off somewhere in your life.
The elusive trick to earning miscellaneous income is identifying who out there is willing to pay that little extra for a service you can offer to free up his or her valuable time.
Louise Sacco from the Frugal Yankee Radio Hour shares several ways to “find” cash.
1. Sign up for research studies. You can be paid for consumer research or academic research.Watch the ads in your local paper or check Craigslist for opportunities. CAUTION: you should never pay anyone a penny to sign you up for studies. Pay ranges from $50 to $250 for a one-time study.
2. If you can sew, your friends and neighbors will keep you busy hemming clothes and doing minor alterations. Charge the same as tailors in your area.
3. Next spring, if your perennials need to be divided, sell the excess. You don’t have to pot them. Just put the clumps out with a sign indicating what they are and a price. Maybe $3 a clump for daylilies or hosta; $10 for fancy iris; $5 for forsythia that has rooted.
I would add the following from my own experience:
1. Make items to sell. Bake items to sell. Local farmer’s markets and craft fairs are always looking for vendors to set up stands. You just need to figure out what is missing and what you can do differently.
2. Sign up with a direct marketing company that sells something you really like or want in your home. One friend enjoyed selling Discovery Toys when her kids were little. She earned great educational toys and a little extra cash on the side. Other friends have made a lifetime of selling jewelry, home cookware and scrapping booking supplies because they either love the product or have figured out how to make the business work for them. One wise trainer said, “If you get in it as a hobby, you will spend money. If you treat it like a business, you will make money.”
3. Sign up with a temp agency. Temp work allows you to get to know a company before a long-term commitment is made. You can identify different opportunities available while working the immediate need. You get to know the employer which could lead to full-time work if desired.
Overall, one of the best things you can do is to make a list of the things you love to do. Find a way to make one of them at least pay for itself and possibly pay you. Next, make a list of things you can do and look around to see if anyone else is doing them. Again, pick out at least one to pursue. You may have to get training in an area of interest but most employees do who want to improve their chances of continued success.
Frugal living is not just about finding cheaper ways to live. It is also about living smart and always keeping your eyes open for ways to be more efficient, more effective, and more aware of the opportunities surrounding you.
In the Phoenix, January 28, 2009
