How To Make Extra Money From Home: 20 Ways To Boost Your Income
My goal in writing this article on how to make more money from home is to help people who may be faced with a need for more money. From time to time in my own life, situations have occurred where I need more money and finding a part-time job is not all the time the answer—hence, the idea for this special report.
Self-motivated and business guru, Zig Ziglar, is quoted as saying “You can have anything you want in life, if you can help enough other people get what they want out of life.” While the first part of the statement (monetary rewards) is part of the goal, the second part (helping others) is also important.
I want to help people like me who try to be good people, raising their kids to be good people (or have been) and doing the best they can. Hopefully these ideas will help you or develop your own creativity so you can come up with your own ideas. There appears to be plenty of opportunities out there if you know where to find them or are observant. Sometimes ideas can come to you in the strangest places or in the very unlikely situations!
With persistence and determination, any of these ideas can become a profitable temporary venture, or if desired, a part-time or full-time job. Most of these ideas require little or no cash outlay and can be started quickly and generate cash within days. So get started and good luck! Be sure to use common sense and keep safety first.
If you do ask younger members of the family to help out, all the time make sure to look out for their well-being and make the experience an enjoyable occasion and a “stuff” that becomes a fond memory.
How To Make Extra Money From Home:
1. CRAFTS
Crafts can be sold for a decent profit—if you have an eye for what’s hot—and are somewhat inexpensive to make. How do you know what’s hot? Go to your local store and check the magazine racks. Look for crafts, parenting, and ladies (housewives) publications. These magazines generally have ideas for knick-knacks, kids’ favorites, and gifts.
Parenting magazines will have ideas for decorating kids’s rooms and nurseries. Wall decor such as thermometers, wall socket covers and popular signage such as cell phones for over cribs. Themes can include land animals, sea creatures, stars and planets, cartoon characters, and more. Visit a craft store or interior home party for other ideas and to find out what’s hot.
Ceramics can sometimes be advantageous if they’ve a theme rather than simply generic dogs or cats. For example, what’s popular in theaters? Dinosaurs have been hot recently as have superheroes. What about witches and wizards? (Harry Potter) See if you can relate the product to a popular subject.
Don’t forget seasonal items: Christmas—Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, etc. Easter—bunny, eggs. Halloween—pumpkins, witches, bats, anything scary. Thanksgiving — turkey, pilgrim, horn lot, etc. You get the picture!
2. RESALE
This can apply to nearly anything. Cars, tools, clothing and more can all be bought and resold for a small profit. The secret here is knowing what people are trying to find. Keep an eye on local newspapers, classifieds and bulletin boards, particularly the “wanted” section of the paper.
If you know that John Smith is trying to find a kerosene heater, for example, be diligent and look for him. If Bob Jones is running an ad in a classified “Wanted” section about table saws, find him. Her number will be in the paper, so give her a call and let her know you have what she’s trying to find.
3. FILLING & CLIPING
Do you have a funny story, joke, fun fact or trivia from sports, celebrities or even your own life? Log and record funny things that occur to you (particularly with your kids.) Many publications such as Reader’s Digest, The New Yorker, local magazines, and other major magazines buy such stories and pay an affordable amount (generally between two twenty and fifty dollars) for them.
Obtain an older issue of the magazine and contact the editors to see if they’re using it. If you do not mind spending about thirty bucks, pick up Writer’s Market from your local bookstore. This large volume contains a list of publications that accept this type of material.
4. CAKES, PIES AND MORE
If you love baking, this can be a lucrative venture. Cakes and/or pies can be made for birthdays, social and church events, or nearly any occasion. Especially on birthday cakes, the more creative you are with the decorations, the more successful you’ll be. If there’s a church nearby, call and see if they need cakes and pies for meetings, dinners, or banquets. The trick is letting people know you are available.
5. IMAGES
Do you have some great original photos of your kids, grandkids, or partner at the beach, or Disney World? What about the Grand Canyon? If it is good quality, 35mm or larger, and has an interesting subject, you may be capable to sell it for a pretty high price. Some magazines and software companies buy great photos for stock collections. For more information, take a look at photography magazines, some author’s magazines, or go to a camera store and ask.
The internet should also help.
6. GROW PRODUCTS
This will not apply to everybody, but it will apply to some. If you have a large plot of land, why not grow some produce—but not just any kind—try and grow all natural produce without the chemicals. There appears to be a growing market for these with increasing health awareness. Certain areas of the country will be more receptive to this than others. If you live in one of these “more aware” areas, take advantage of this.
To save money, try the “pick your own natural strawberries” concept or the “dig your own natural potatoes” approach or something like that.
Another alternative is to plant pumpkins. Around the first of October you can decorate for Halloween and have people come out (provided you have room to park) and bring their kids to see the displays and other seasonal baits.
7. CATERING
This can be done for churches and organizations like the Lions Club that hold regular meetings in addition to weddings or parties. One consideration is that it can potentially be time consuming and hard work (while I’m not against hard work, that’s not the focus of this material). Use your imagination—perhaps you can serve pastries and coffee, for example.
8. RECYCLING
It’s not the cleanest or most desirable way to make extra cash but if you are in a bind it is something to consider. Most recycling centers offer anywhere from twenty to forty cents (sometimes more) for a pound can. They also pay for copper and scrap metal and sometimes used car batteries.
Find a well-trodden path, enlist the help of your child or grandchild (if they’re older and responsible enough to walk anywhere near one—watch out) and go for it. Half a dozen trash bags stuffed with crushed cans runs about twenty-five to thirty dollars.
9. HOME BUSINESS
Almost any of these ideas, with a little persistence and creativity, can be developed into a home business. If you decide to start a home business, watch out to find a business that offers products people NEED rather than simply want.
In today’s economy, companies that offer gadgets or items you do not need will be hard to sell. One company specialises in saving money on everyday purchases. This is a terrific service because in today’s economy, everybody needs to save extra money.
The thing to remember about home businesses—even part-time ones—is that they create lots of additional tax deductions that can save you quite a little bit of money in the long run. Be sure to know all you can about the tax laws and procedures for tracking your withholding (you should seek the help of a competent tax professional to get started.)
10. SERVICE
This can be anything from mowing the lawn or removing snow, to a companion at home for the elderly or disabled. Many have their own mower, which works well for you—you just need to stock up on fuel and oil—so give them a small discount. You can even prune trees or shrubs, tend flower gardens, vegetable gardens, etc. Shoveling sidewalks and/or driveways in winter as many elderly people suffer fatigue from this task.
11. BABYSITE
If you’re a reliable person with patience, there is a large demand for this service (at a reasonable price.) You can make quite a lot of money doing this if you do not have a busy or conflicting routine. If you only want to babysit sometimes, many churches have functions where young families need a babysitter for meetings, hayrides, sports, etc.
Call the church and talk to the pastor. Plus, couples who just want to go out for dinner sometimes need a good babysitter. It can generate a large income on a part time basis.
12. SEWING AND CHANGING
If you like to stitch, or are pretty good at it, then you have other possibilities for making more money. If you occur to live near a military base or reserve center then you should not have any scarcity of potential customers. Service members continually need alterations or sewn name patches and tags. If you’re a retired military or spouse of a retired military, so much the better. Make sure you get explicit instructions about item placement.
If you like to knit or crochet then you can make this profitable. Afghanistan, baby boots, blankets and other goods tend to sell well. If you’re a little creative, you can make lots of small “knick-knacks” such as coasters, toilet paper or tank lids and other items. If you can make them themed, like cartoons or games, or seasonal, this can increase their marketability.
13. WASH
At first this may sound like a dirty job but it does not must be. There’s no reason why you cannot specify “I’m not folding panties” or “Must sort” or something like that. Or maybe you can invest a few dollars into used surgical gloves or rubber dishwashing gloves and charge more for sorting.
Remember YOU set your own working conditions. Think about it for a moment — particularly if you live near a university or military base. How many bachelors (particularly boys) do not like doing laundry? You can wash, dry or iron as needed, charging a different price for each task. Again, the secret is to say that you provide this service. Consider wanting advertisements or bulletin boards in the area.
14. HOME CLEANING
While this can be a non-permanent arrangement, many people have turned it into a lucrative part-time job. These days, there are more and more families with multiple jobs, and guess what—the house still needs cleaning! Be honest, reliable and do a good job and you’ll achieve success.
If you can get multiple houses in the same area (such as in a subdivision), this will increase your profits without increasing costs. This is the perfect situation and one you should all the time look for. Also remember the four magic words: “Let it be known”.
15. SHUTTLE SERVICE
Many people need transportation for their kids to or from school, daycare or sporting events — particularly if they’re one of those multi-occupational families. Even if they’re single parents with only one job, sometimes work and exercise schedules clash.
From time to time, senior citizens also need transportation to the doctor, shopping, or other events. Shopping for folks who cannot spend that much can be an idea in itself (that one is free!) Call school offices and retirement complexes to see if they will help you spread the word. If not, place an ad in the local newspaper.
16. PRIVATE CHEF
If you do not mind cooking, you might consider becoming a personal chef for one or more families or busy parents. Many mothers who must work both indoors and outdoors do not feel like cooking a nutritious meal at the end of the day. This could be a service you provide. Meals can be prepared in advance or every evening, depending on mutual preference and convenience. When you share it with the public, emphasize the nutritional factor.
17. TUTORING
How many kids today need help with reading, math, spelling, or any other subject? If there is a particular subject you enjoy, consider teaching in that area. An important subject like Phonics is sort of unheard of these days. Try and come up with interesting topics and perhaps consider serving nutritious snacks and drinks as well. Instead of calling the school office to inform the service, contact the parents directly.
Some school officials may disapprove of the service but it’s still a free country (at least for now). Set up a payment schedule with the parents rather than the school.
18. SITTING ANIMALS
Many people need help with their pets while away on vacation or at other times such as a hospital stay or military deployment. Animals continually must be fed and cared for. Think about boundaries (small dogs or certain breeds or outside pets only) if this is a concern for you. Set your own guidelines and rules.
Keep in mind that animals can put quite a lot of wear and tear on your home if you do not have outdoor amenities. Be sure to “meet” the animal before agreeing to sit with it for a few days to ensure your personalities match or to stop problems ahead of time. If one needs to get away for a long “day” then put their mind comfy about their animals by taking care of them.
19. HELP FARMERS
If you live in a rural area with lots of farms or farms, this can be a source of additional money for you. Most farmers and ranchers need help collecting hay, cutting and peeling tobacco, caring for livestock, and other tasks. Generally, they pay a minimum of seven to ten dollars an hour, cash.
If you are older, see if you can do some of the easier tasks. Today, it seems that young people do not want to work to spend money, so finding a farmer or rancher who needs help should not be a problem.
20. READ BOOKS
Many publishing companies pay “freelancers” to review manuscripts before they spend a fortune on a project that might fail miserably. If you love reading why not get paid to do it? You can find information in written publications or sometimes in newspaper classified adverts. The pay is normally pretty good for doing something you already enjoy.
This also applies to “secret shopper” and “secret” evaluation programs. I personally made quite a fortune a few years ago quietly evaluating national “auto repair” companies. Incidentally, I have a car that needs exhaust or brakes and that is the condition. I evaluate services and fill out paperwork to get paid—easy enough!
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article on how to make more money from home. I actually hope that its content has been of good help to you.
