With the current recession seeming like it’s never going to end (although it will eventually), many people are looking at their dwindling bank accounts and wondering where they’re going to get the money to take care of basic needs. After all, life goes on and you have to eat, pay bills and keep a roof over your head. Trying to find ways to figure out how to make money in a recession when jobs are scarce can be frustrating.
Maybe you’re in a situation where you need to earn money now in order to keep your lights on, make sure you can pay the rent, or buy needed items for your children. Unfortunately, this recession is affecting people from all walks of life. White collar workers are competing for low paying job openings along with blue collar workers and high school kids.
When hundreds of people show up for a single job opening, then you know things are really bad. Yet, the human spirit always finds a way to survive. While times are tough right now, the good news is that we are not in the midst of a great depression type situation. There are still lots of people who do have money to spend. It’s just that most of these people are holding onto every penny they can. However, they will still spend money on things they really want.
When looking for ways to make extra money, you’ve got to go back to the basics. Forget about searching online for silly “get rich quick” schemes that promise they’ll show you how to find easy work doing envelope stuffing, craft assembly, data entry or posting links. These are all bogus opportunities designed to steal your money.
Going back to basics means finding simple things you can do in your local community that offer real value to people. In exchange, people will be willing to pay you for your efforts. This is the fastest way to get some extra cash in your pockets.
Idea #1 – Cleaning Jobs
If you’re willing to get your hands dirty and do some physical labor, then you can make some fast money. Buy some cleaning supplies, have some flyers printed up and begin offering your services around town. You can offer to wash windows, clean out garages, basements and attics, clean yards, take unwanted items to the dump, clean up empty apartments after tenants move out, wash cars and trucks, clean offices at night, etc.
Idea #2 – Odd Jobs
Lots of people have tasks they might need done, but don’t want to be bothered doing themselves. If you’re good at fixing things around the house, then you can offer your services as a local handyman or handywoman. You can do things like install or take out storm windows, paint rooms, fix wooden railings, replace old plumbing, install doorbells and door peep holes, paint house numbers on curbs, assemble furniture, etc.
Idea #3 – Run Errands
Many people are too busy, or too ill, to get out and about during the day to take care of basic errands. You could charge a flat hourly rate, or per job fee, for your errand service. You can pick up laundry, do grocery shopping, pick up medications from the pharmacy, drop off items to local charities, ship packages from the post office, etc. This service can be extended to local businesses as well. Just make sure you can give good references so that people know they can trust you.
Idea #4 – Teaching/Tutoring
Are you a whiz at a certain subject? If so, you can turn this into a fast money maker by offering to teach individuals who want to know what you know. If you’re good a math, science, reading and writing, you can offer to tutor school children, high school kids or college age students. If you play the piano or guitar, then you can offer to teach music lessons to kids and adults. Love to cook? Offer private cooking lessons.
Idea #5 – Sell Homemade Crafts
People love to buy things that are authentically hand made. If you enjoy making craft projects, find out what types of crafts people are willing to pay for, then make those items and market them to locals. Some popular items are: jewelry, gift baskets, candy gifts, knitted clothing, ornaments, perfume, lotions and soap.
Idea #6 – Dog Walking/Pet Sitting
One thing I bet your local area has in abundance is pet dogs and cats. People love their pets and often feel guilty about leaving them home alone for long stretches of time. You can be the person who offers these pet owners a loving, professional service that makes sure their animals are well cared for during their absence. All dogs need to be walked and pets, in general, need to be fed and kept happy.
Idea #7 – Save Computers from Malware
If you’re even just a little tech savvy, you can offer a service that helps people get rid of bad viruses and spyware on their computer. You’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t know how to get rid of these persistent threats. Many unwittingly download bad viruses, which makes their computer either run slow, or shuts it down completely. Since it will cost them big money to replace a computer, they are desperate for someone to help fix the problem. You can make really good money getting rid of the bad stuff and installing anti virus protection on computers.
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