Readers Respond: How do you earn extra money in a pinch?

Responses: 22

By Erin Huffstetler, About.com Guide

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Have you found a great way to earn extra money? Tell us about it. Share Your Tip

I sell Avon in my spare time and make a nice side income from it. If you want you can just sell to friends and family and still make good commission. Its so easy and fun to do and you can spend as much or as little time as you want doing it depending on how much you want to make. Avon is so well known its really easy to pick up new customers.
—Guest Heather Avon Sales Leader

Cashcrate.com is an excellent way to make money. You complete offers and take surveys and get payed for it. I read an article on it from a guy that has doing it for sometime now and he explained it as voluntarily signing up for spam and gave a whole layout of the best way to do it. and you can actually make decent money. Pretty much make a separate email for spam.
—Guest Nathan

Check out Elance and other freelance sites...odds are you'll find a demand for your skills. I currently use it to pick up telemarketing gigs.
—Guest da47ve

I started creating MSI years ago, mostly to take advantages of ways to pay less for things I was going to buy anyway. Originally it was MLMs, but then I discovered Affiliate Marketing. Now I look for affiliate programs that relate to anything that I buy regularly in order to get the affiliate discount, plus, when I share that info with others, it results in income. Having checks arrive nearly every day is FUN! Whether it be for $5,000 or just $5 -- still FUN!
—Guest BruceWChenoweth

I work from home and can slip out to let my friend's dog out two days a week when he works long hours. I get $100 extra a month for this.
—ablesblife

After seeing this being done on a news program, I joined a few websites. Just google "mystery shopping," and plenty will come up. The trick here is that I belong to over 30 sites, and I make my weekends by going shopping and getting paid for it!! I earn $60 a month for this!
—Guest Taylor

Now that I am working PT, I offer to pick up extra work on weekends or weekdays when the kids are in school. When I wasn't working outside the home, I used to take $10; go thrifting or yardsaling; and turn it into $100 within 14 days with online sales. With the economy as it is, I dont think it can be done as easily, but with research it can be done .
—Momto5RN

Have you seen how much babysitters get? Here in Ireland the rate for 6 hours (9pm to 3am) in a medium-sized town can get 50 to 60 euro, plus a cab paid home. Handy money for sitting down, watching them brush their teeth, storey, and watch tv....nice work if you can get it.
—Guest laetitia

I found only a few programs can make serious money online. And we have to learn it, find what fit and also be consistent on it. Adsense, affiliate programs, web building service and network business has proven successful.
—Jogmatig

A great way to make some extra cash that you failed to mention is by selling your own items. One thing that almost everyone has in their home are books. There is a website, www.bookjingle.com , that purchases your used and/or new books. They make an instant offer on your books and even give you a label to ship the books to them for free. Payment is sent quickly after the book is received -- usually less than 2 days. My experience has shown that they offer more than used bookstores and definitely more than a yard sale. You won't get rich, but you will make some extra cash!
—Guest Keely

I got hired as a freelance writer doing feature articles for the local newspaper, which brings in $150-$200 a month. I also do freelance copyediting when I can get it for $30/hour. Plus I do catsitting for a friend who travels a lot ($10/day). All this extra money (I also have a full-time job) goes to my debt snowball in the Dave Ramsey Money Makeover plan. So far, I have paid off five credit cards and the 6th will be paid off next month.
—Guest Pamela

Request a referral code from this company, and then tell anyone you know who shops online about it. They'll earn cash rewards on their purchases; and this company pays you 10% of their rewards earned when they register with your referral code. I've made about $80 in two months.
—Guest susan

Become a clown for home parties or Santa on Xmas Eve ($50 a visit). In the Chicago area it pays $150-$180 for an hour clown birthday party. Remember 90% of the people are working, and their kids will only be little once. I never had theatrical training, but saw an opportunity. In 1979 I put 45K of clown money down on a 59K new house. Join a clown club found in the phone book like Clowns of America. Read up. Do a few free gigs. Go to a clown convention. You might not be the best looking clown for a start up of a few hundred dollars, but the real good looking clowns are in a hobby and do not perform for money. There is very little competition. It is also a cash business. I'm now retired, and live a comfortable lifestyle from entertaining, my regular job and the good sense to get out of the stock market 16 months ago. It is a heavy work load, but one you may enjoy.
—james77777

Not too creative (like the other messages) but my hub is a teacher (my profession too). I found a small non-profit museum to work at on school release days and during the summer. Also, I watch friends' kids so they can work from home. I'm not a sales person so these $$ making methods are my way to balance our budget!
—Guest SoniainMN

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Erin Huffstetler
Frugal Living Guide