15 Simple Ways to Make Extra Money

During a recession, where jobs are scarce and unemployment is high, extra money is something most people can look forward to earning. Besides the conventional jobs, there are many things you can do that can earn some money.

Ever since high school, I have been making great money without having a regular job. I have been resourceful, doing research on what kinds of jobs and services are in demand, and doing freestyle work.

I currently web design part - time and do some tutoring for most of my money.

Here are some easy ways for YOU to make extra cash.

Sell things on eBay – You can find lots of valuable things at local garage sales and swap meets. Focus on a particular thing so that you become an expert and know the prices. For example, I used to buy and sell mobile phones for about 7 months and made about 800 a month. I even had a website to sell by myself without paying extra to Ebay/Paypal but sold the domain on Sedo for $1100. Paid Reviews – Paid reviews are becoming a big hit. You can easily make $50 a day by writing product reviews. Depending on your writing cells and readership, some companies are willing to pay hundreds for good reviews. PayPerPost is a great online service which acts as a middleman between writer and buyer. Tutor- I tutor math and science because my degree is in Biochemistry, but you can make a bunch of money offering tutoring services around your community. Spread the word, make a website, and enjoy earning money while helping someone in need. I made this website: http://lasciencetutors. com for my tutoring. Begin a Blog- Sure, for the first year or so, you will probably make a measly few bucks a day. But if you are a determined writer and can do some social networking espionage, you can build up a nice reader base and sell advertising spots to markets in your niche. Write a Book – I recommend this step if you have a particular skill or interest along with some monetary cushion as publishing a book can take almost a year and a half. However, if you’re lucky and your book starts selling, you will quickly find yourself with enough money for a nice house down payment. Sell Stock Photos- Are you a great photographer? You can make great stock photos and sell them to larger websites for extra money. Have some samples of your work ready. Sell an eBook – You can make money faster making an eBook and selling it on a related blog or website (could be your blog or website). eBooks with tutorials and tips are good seller. You can also keep most of the profit and track your sales much easier than an actual book. Tons of websites are available to help you publish your eBook. Become a Social Network Guru – Large companies are willing to dish out hundreds to savvy social networkers with lots of readers. For example, I have heard of offers in the ten thousands for the top Diggers to submit a link. Could that be you? Your credibility and status could take time to build up, but the market is there for sure. Design Twitter backgrounds- Twitter is the next big social networking website. Celebrities, businesses, and bloggers are flocking to Twitter – most of them without any tech skills. You can design them a nice Twitter background and make some quick money. It took me like ten hours to design my Twitter page and I still think a redo is around the corner. Social and Micro Lending- Got a few grand to invest? You can lend it out on social lending sites like Prosper. com or LendingClub. With default rates at a low 2.5%, you can spread your notes around and make substantial amounts on interest alone. Why not help people out and make some extra cash doing so? Start an Online Store- You can sell everything and anything. I have male friends selling cosmetics and lady friends selling car equipment. Use Cafepress or start your own shopping site. Design unique products and make a ton of money. Get a Job with The US Census- Thousands of jobs will be added this year to finish the 2010 Census. These great government jobs can bring in thousands a month if you have time. Census offices in my area are going to grow from ten to hundreds of workers by the time applications begin rolling in. Sell Custom Designed Water Bottles at Events- Find local events in the newspaper or online and order custom designed water bottles. You can buy them very cheap and sell them for an extra dollar or two a bottle. Imagine how much money you could make at a big event? Teach English classes at Adult Centers or Colleges- Does your city have a large immigrant population? There are almost always employers looking to pay a native speaker good money to teach a class. Here in Los Angeles, these classes pay $45-55 an hour for 8 hours a week – almost $1,200 a month. Sell Homegrown Fruits and Vegetables- You don’t have to be a agribusiness to make money selling crops. Grow a few exotic fruit trees or vegetable patches and sell the harvest to locals. I guarantee you, not only will your food be better than what they are eating, but also less expensive. You can even use this to supplement your own purchases and save a bunch of money.

These are the legal and scam free ways to make money that I have thought of. Have you made money doing something else recently? Please share your tips and experiences with the rest of our readers.