How to earn/find $160?

Interesting. Looks like it's about 32-34 cans for a pound. I suppose it would be worthwhile if you raided the recycling bin at a party/office breakroom/etc. Not so much for just what comes from my house. Something to keep in mind when any organization I volunteer for has a party. They might find it worthwhile.
Most of the can collectors have grabbers and snag cans out of park and gas station trash cans. I ran into a retired guy who had a pickup truck bed full of flattened cans. Says he makes $30,000 a year doing it. His wife thought he was nuts, until he started using the money to take her on cruises.
 
Most of the can collectors have grabbers and snag cans out of park and gas station trash cans. I ran into a retired guy who had a pickup truck bed full of flattened cans. Says he makes $30,000 a year doing it. His wife thought he was nuts, until he started using the money to take her on cruises.
If you get $0.60/lb. of aluminum ($1200/ton) and there are 32 cans / lb., that's about $0.019/can. To make $30k, you'd have to collect 1.6 million cans/year (4,400 per day every day). Seems a bit hard to believe.
 
If you get $0.60/lb. of aluminum ($1200/ton) and there are 32 cans / lb., that's about $0.019/can. To make $30k, you'd have to collect 1.6 million cans/year (4,400 per day every day). Seems a bit hard to believe.
In California, by law, you get 5 cents per can under 24 ounces, and 10 cents per can over 24 ounces. I can't defend his claim, but I suspect his recycling included other metal items and glass.
 
In California, by law, you get 5 cents per can under 24 ounces, and 10 cents per can over 24 ounces. I can't defend his claim, but I suspect his recycling included other metal items and glass.
Even at $0.05/can, that's 1,644 cans 365 days/year. Or if you worked 2,080 hours per year (standard full time job) you'd need to collect almost 300/hour to make $30k.
 


I don't know that I would ever do it, but you could "donate" plasma. Takes time, but apparently some centers pay a nice bonus for donating a certain number of times per month. (And yes, I know some people don't think the word "donate" should be used for something you are paid for, but let's skip that debate. I'm just giving the OP some new ideas.)
 
Hey all.... I said I would report back after a trip to the resale shop, so here I am. I would say that the shop took less than 20% of what I brought (I suspected that... they are notoriously super picky), but the good news is that I got $39 for the approximately 20 items they took. I have another full BIG trashbag to finish washing and then I will make another trip there next week. I have an alternative shop to try to sell/consign the remaining pieces. Whatever is left after that gets donated to a nearby public school in a very depressed/poor area (I know a teacher there).

Also.... not sure what prompted DH, but he gave me a very generous belated birthday gift of Disney Dollars today.... generous enough to cover the $160 and then some! So I'm going to go ahead and make the reservations, but I'd still LOVE to finish "finding" the money for this splurge myself. BTW, I'm up to $59 "found" so far. Keep those ideas rolling in!...............P
 
Hey all.... I said I would report back after a trip to the resale shop, so here I am. I would say that the shop took less than 20% of what I brought (I suspected that... they are notoriously super picky), but the good news is that I got $39 for the approximately 20 items they took. I have another full BIG trashbag to finish washing and then I will make another trip there next week. I have an alternative shop to try to sell/consign the remaining pieces. Whatever is left after that gets donated to a nearby public school in a very depressed/poor area (I know a teacher there).

Also.... not sure what prompted DH, but he gave me a very generous belated birthday gift of Disney Dollars today.... generous enough to cover the $160 and then some! So I'm going to go ahead and make the reservations, but I'd still LOVE to finish "finding" the money for this splurge myself. BTW, I'm up to $59 "found" so far. Keep those ideas rolling in!...............P

Awesome, good for you!

I would try yard sale groups. I posted a few things on our local Swip Swap on Facebook. I made $45 selling our Wii & Games yesterday. Today I have 2 sales pending: $5 for two games, $5 for 2 shirts. So $55 in 2 days isn't too bad!

I also do Swagbucks and make about $30 a month easily there between my laptop and a $10 cell phone.

Good luck!
 


Awesome, good for you!

I would try yard sale groups. I posted a few things on our local Swip Swap on Facebook. I made $45 selling our Wii & Games yesterday. Today I have 2 sales pending: $5 for two games, $5 for 2 shirts. So $55 in 2 days isn't too bad!

I also do Swagbucks and make about $30 a month easily there between my laptop and a $10 cell phone.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have some things listed on several local FB yard sale groups, but for a variety of reasons, I am not listing this stuff... one reason being that there is just TOO MUCH for me to list a bunch of individual pieces. Second reason is that I live in the boondocks and the nearest place I've met folks (other than people who ventured out to my house), is about 15 minute away... and that is if I am really lucky and they live here in town. Not always worth my time and gas to spend 30 minutes round trip to sell a $2 item. I found two more resale shops that I plan to try and then the remaining stuff gets donated. By strange coincidence, one of the resale shops is right near the metal recycling place..... so I may make a trip to both places after work one day next week.........P
 
I managed to earn 27 dollars in 2 weeks of grocery shopping with Checkout 51 and Ibotta for things I would buy anyway. And I didn't have to do anything except scan some barcodes and receipts when I was putting away groceries anyway.
 
Join a Facebook yard sale group. You easily have things laying around the house that you can sell to total that.
 
Does your health insurance offer a Wellness Benefit? Mine does and I can submit to be reimbursed up to $150 a year to cover blood work, MRI's, outpatient procedures... I'm going to do mine this week and thought of you :)
 
No, it works in other states. Googling recycling centers in Chicago I find they are paying 35 cents a pound for aluminum cans.
http://www.bigdaddyscrap.com/prices.html
Recycling cans in NY is HUGE. You get 5cents a can/bottle at the machines at the supermarket. There are people who walk around town with strollers and big garbage bags going through garbage on the sidewalk and trashcans and recycle them for the cash.
 
Wow, I'm amazed the lengths people have to go to in order to recycle. We've had curbside pick up since the mid 80's. It started out with people using small buckets and we had to even separate each color glass.
For about 8 yrs now our township provided us with huge blue containers on wheels for it all, single stream. (I'm 5'2" and it comes up almost to my shoulders.). We can put all paper, cardboard, glass, cans and all plastics except numbers 3 & 6. That thing is full every week and sometimes we have to toss in our neighbor's container.
I can't wait to tell dh. He still complains that they won't accept plastic grocery bags. Lol

I was thinking the exact same thing as I read here! LOL!!! Not only do we just put them on the curb in our giant blue bin, but we PAY them to haul it away.
 
I know it has been suggested and answered that you do FB sales, but I would stick with this. When I go at it full time, I can pull in at least 100.00 a day and I only do pickups one day a week when it fits into my schedule. (so that is 100.00 a week) This Summer I haven't sold anything at all, and I get PMs all the time asking me when I plan on listing again. I sell kids educational toys, home school materials and kids name brand clothing. I only belong to one site to keep me sane, but you could join multiple ones?
 
Donate clothes to the Salvation Army. We do this every year and when we do Turbo Tax is shows our refund before entering the donation and after the donation is entered. It shows we end up getting $30 extra back on our taxes. We donate about 12 pairs of pants and 10-12 shirts. just to give you and idea what you need to donate to get this amt in a refund. Granted you don't get the money in your pocket today but it will be in your pocket next year.
 
I was thinking the exact same thing as I read here! LOL!!! Not only do we just put them on the curb in our giant blue bin, but we PAY them to haul it away.
And in some places, those recyclable end up in the landfill anyway because there isn't enough demand for recycled glass, plastic and paper. New glass, plastic and paper often is cheaper.
 
We're in IL. We don't turn in our cans to a recycling center-they don't pay and some make you pay them. We take them to the scrap yard. Of course, the price of aluminum scrap has gone done a lot.

I guess it depends where you are in Illinois. Our local recycler still pays for aluminum cans. I think the last time my DD took them in, it was about $0.50/lb.
 
I know it has been suggested and answered that you do FB sales, but I would stick with this. When I go at it full time, I can pull in at least 100.00 a day and I only do pickups one day a week when it fits into my schedule. (so that is 100.00 a week) This Summer I haven't sold anything at all, and I get PMs all the time asking me when I plan on listing again. I sell kids educational toys, home school materials and kids name brand clothing. I only belong to one site to keep me sane, but you could join multiple ones?

Do you purchase the items in order to sell them? Or do you just have a bunch that you are getting rid of?

I'd love to do something like this!
 
Do you purchase the items in order to sell them? Or do you just have a bunch that you are getting rid of?

I'd love to do something like this!

I'm a homeschooler, so I sell handmade educational items that I create for units and studies and then sell once we are done with them. I also have 3 kids who are the only grandchildren and great grandchildren on one side and they are incredibly spoiled and always growing, so I am constantly selling those items too. I take the Summer off from selling and only come right back in time to sell Halloween costumes and back to school type themed items and works from there!
 
As for the side hustle maybe check craigslist or task rabbit. I know plenty of people who had "side hustle" type jobs on nights/weekends and did house cleaning myself in high school and in college. You won't be able to pick up a house cleaning job but you might find someone that needs some extra help (like if a worker is on vacation), a catering gig at a private party (did that once for a friend, got paid about $100 to clean up tables, serve canapes, help clean the kitchen etc), or bartender if you have that skill. If you know anyone who has that type of business ask if they need a hand with anything in the next month or two. I would say when I did it years ago $10-15 an hour was fair so I wouldn't do a gig like that for less than $15-20 an hour (also depends on how tough it is, bartending is easier and brings in tips, house cleaning I wouldn't do it now for less than $20 an hour).

This is what I was going to suggest! On Craigslist, I've picked up a sign-spinning gig for a few hours, served appetizers at an open house event, done paid surveys. I check both the Gigs section of CL to see what one-time job offers there are and also check the Volunteer section of CL. Sometimes there are volunteer gigs that offer a giftcard or small incentive to participate. I earned $20 to go and watch a film and provide feedback. I often pet-sit for friends (dogs, cats, hedgehogs...) and make some extra cash that way. If you like animals and have the time, it's a fun side gig.
 

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