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If you have not read Creative Ways to Make More Money Part 1, please go back and read the first steps to take when venturing into the world of side-hustling.  Who knows, this may become a full-time business, but it doesn’t have to!  The great thing about doing something that you have control over is FREEDOM.  Blogging allows me to work from anywhere, wear anything, don’t need to drive anywhere and can customize my hours around my family. Maybe blogging is not your forte, but you have other passions and talents that you can market.  Here are some ideas that may just be the ticket to quitting your day job.

1. Virtual Assisting/Programming/Social Media Maven

Working from home was once never heard of, but now almost any company will allow at least a day or two of telecommuting. The great thing about an online job is flexibility.  Many customer service companies offer early morning and night shifts that you can take on when the family is in bed.  You could even keep your full-time job and add this option to get some extra cash.  Transcriptionists, Virtual Executive Assistants, Guest Bloggers, Customer Service Reps, and Medical coders all fall into this category. Flexjobs is a one-stop shop for thousands of flexible job opportunities!

2. Babysit

You may be at the end of your rope already, but if you have a heart for children and don’t mind taking one more on, you can get paid a nice sum for that.   Some parents will pay extra for transporting the kids to activities, some provide food (make sure you negotiate that before you agree on a price) and many pay you and your children to have access to their YMCA, pool or other perks.  If you can’t babysit kids, try pets or better yet, get a free vacation by housesitting!  

Care.com matches up people who need caregivers, babysitters, pet sitters, housecleaning and more!

3. Sell crafts on Etsy

Put your artistic abilities to good use by showcasing your crafts online. If you draw, crochet, knit, quilt, paint, sculpt ,or do anything else creative, you can quickly set up a shop online with no investment.  Well, if you list on Etsy, you pay 20 cents per listing, so VERY LITTLE investment. It’s a great outlet for your passion, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive.

Don’t know how to get started? Read this book!

Etsy.com will allow you to at least take the first step today and open up a store with a catchy name, no inventory required to start!

4. Rent A Garage/Room/Storage Area/Hunting Land 

Renting out some space in your house or around it is more lucrative than you might think. Make your space available on airbnb.com or craiglist.org and then spread the word to people you trust. I don’t recommend this if you have children unless they’re close family members or the area is detached from your home. You might have a niece or nephew in college who’s transitioning between apartments and needs a temporary place to stay.   If you have an unused garage or outbuilding, offer to rent it out to people who may not have a place to store their RV, boat, jet skis, motorcycle, etc.   Also, if you have a significant amount of land, you could lease the rights to one or two hunters for a specific time frame.  Guys who like to hunt will gladly pay for the privilege if they don’t have another option.

6. Downsize and purge

If you have anything in your home, garage or outbuilding that you don’t use or love, get rid of it. Sell your stuff on Ebay or craiglist or on a local facebook flea market group.  My ebook, Abundantly Managing Our Households has a bunch of great ideas of what and how to sell your clutter as well! You’ll be shocked at what people are willing to pay good cash for. Ask family and friends if they have anything they want to unload and offer to sell stuff for them and split the profits 50/50. If you have a truck, add the option of delivering big pieces for an extra fee.  We once sold a couch on craigslist for $200 and the lady lived 2 hours away.  She offered to pay us double to bring it to her.  We made a road trip out of it with the family and after the gas costs made an extra $120 for the “hassle”.

These are just some ideas to get you started with little or no investment.  Almost anyone can implement one or two of these ideas and start bringing in a few hundred dollars a month depending on the time invested.  I challenge you to pick one, set a date and give it a try!

Want more ideas? Check out Creative Ways to Make More Money Part 3 where I will lay out even more great tips for Making It Pay To Stay.