Extra money making ideas

[DizMe]

I tutor in my free time. I'm in finance, but I'm also licensed to teach middle/high school math in my state. I tutor math to mostly high school students. I had the best luck going through a website that matches tutors and students, since I don't have the existing connections. I set my hourly rate by looking at what the other tutors on the site were charging. I initially set my hourly rate a little lower than market, but after a few months, seeing the high demand, I raised my rate.

Tutoring math is fun for me, it allows me to do something that I don't get to do during my 9 to 5 job I've also put every dime of my tutoring money to my Disney fund, and this year's trip will be completely saved for in a week or two.

Thank you! I taught high school English and thought there might be some demand for assistance with writing and literature analysis.

ETA: Do you do this out of your home?

 

[CupcakeKelly]

Thank you! I taught high school English and thought there might be some demand for assistance with writing and literature analysis.

ETA: Do you do this out of your home?

I sent you a PM

 

[Aliceacc]

Thank you! I taught high school English and thought there might be some demand for assistance with writing and literature analysis.

ETA: Do you do this out of your home?

I either do it out of my home or theirs.

If you're certified in English, there are two huge job markets for you: SAT prep and college essay writing help.

Send a resume/cover letter to the local high school guidance offices. Don't forget non-public schools: private, religious and charter schools.

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

Are these legit companies? I always see things like this but I, afraid it's a scam

Yes definitely...I feel like a survey site expert at this point, I've been doing them for years. I can give plenty to stay away form, but these have been the best for me. I make around $10 a day.

 

[Krischaser]

I am interested in Freelance writing but I do not know where to start. I have a degree in elementary education with a special endorsement in early childhood and language arts. Right now I am currently a property manager for a large apartment complex.

 

[arthur06]

I work full time (m-f), but I have a PT job on Saturdays. I work for the Postal Service. I deliver mail on Saturdays. I make about $20.00 per hour and get reimbursed .73 cents a mile. I take home over $200 per Saturday. I can make my mortgage payment off just my PT job that I work 1 day a week.

 

[dhardawa]

I've been earning $200-300 a month taking online surveys. I use www.quickrewards.net and www.opinionoutpost.com the most.

I tried opinion outpost and after about 30 minutes, all I've done is answer questions and then get told I don't qualify. I've earned 0 points.

ETA: Went back for about another 30, finally got one on facial products and after 20 minutes and over half of the survey, got the "you don't qualify for this survey" message and 0 points. This is like every other survey company out there. You spend hours giving opinions and data to them and then magically no longer qualify so they don't have to pay out. Total waste of time.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I am interested in Freelance writing but I do not know where to start. I have a degree in elementary education with a special endorsement in early childhood and language arts. Right now I am currently a property manager for a large apartment complex.

I'm a full-time freelance writer, and you have lots of options. What kind of writing are you thinking of? Given your education degree, I'd suggest you look up textbook publishers as one option. Send a resume with a cover letter and let them know you are interested in contributing to textbooks.

Also, see what teacher's magazines there are in your area or country (not sure if you are in the US or Canada) and send the editors query letters (you can easily find books in the library to tell you how to write query letters) about the topics you'd like to write about. Another option is to submit queries to parenting magazines - tips for parents on how to get the most out of a parent-teacher meeting, helping their child with language arts, etc.

Your property management experience gives you another whole area to write about, and I think many women's and home magazine might be interested. For example, you could offer to do an article on what you are allowed and not allowed to do in decorating your apartment, or simple repairs you can do yourself (and not call the property manager). Things like that.

Teresa

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

I tried opinion outpost and after about 30 minutes, all I've done is answer questions and then get told I don't qualify. I've earned 0 points.

Bummer, I have not had the same experience A couple times I got an error at the end but I emailed them and they have credited me.

 

[DizMe]

Thanks so much for all of the advice on tutoring and freelance writing. OP, I'm sorry to have hijacked your thread but hopefully others will find the information helpful as well.

 

[Aliceacc]

I am interested in Freelance writing but I do not know where to start. I have a degree in elementary education with a special endorsement in early childhood and language arts. Right now I am currently a property manager for a large apartment complex.

I PM'd you, but it occurred to me that others might be able to use the info as well.

This is a great site for education writing: http://educationwriting.blogspot.com/

There are always a variety of openings at www.shmoop.com .

And I've gotten some great jobs from www.sunoasis.com

Google can be your friend: google "freelance early childhood writer" or something similar.

 

[LisaInNc]

I sell my unwanted clothes to a high end resale store and I also go to thrift stores buy certain brands and resell those. It takes less than an hour a day and I net a few hundred dollars a month for Disney.

Lisa

 

[LovesTimone]

Here a few things that have worked for me in the past.

Garage sale - We always make between 200.00 and 400.00 dollars

Plato's closet - they pay cash on the spot for clothing, purses, shoes, belts, more toward the teens type of clothing. We have another store like this ( can not think of the name) here for misses, women, and maternity clothing. Also there are a lot of stores like this for baby items.

Consignment stores, for clothing, furniture, children items.

Save your change - I know this sounds strange, DH and I just put 180.00 in the vacation fund in change that we saved over the last 5 months.

Dog walk - my friend does this and make around 300.00 a week extra, she charges 50.00 a week for 2 walks a day 5 days Monday thru Friday- for 1 dog - She also dog and cat sits, in her clients home or in her own, not sure of what she charges for that service.

Check your local catering companies, large venues for serving help. I did this when my DD was little, I bartended, passed appetizers, drinks -I worked, weddings, private parties, corp. events. The money was great.

Hope this helps.

 

[linck7421]

What is Amazon mTurk?

Please explain in a PM

 

[Jill in Chicago]

I am sure you are already very busy. Personally I can't imagine adding in another job, with the new job time schedules you will have to deal with. Even with some type of at home sales business you will still need to make phone calls at times when people are home/can talk, bookings for parties at night...

Someone else posted about figuring out ways to save money, and I think this might work better for you. Are you already buying in bulk? Cooking soups from scratch? Using your crockpot for cheap cuts of meat. Do your freeze all the little leftovers and use these for stir fries....

I'm sorry I don't remember the ages of your children, but can they help with dinner prep? There are some easy bread recipes out there, and they could bake bread at night, chop up vegetables.... Baking cookies is so much cheaper than buying, and if you skip the cookies now due to cost, you could add a fun treat to the family menu. Breakfast cereals are so pricey, you can make oatmeal and add apples, brown sugar.... Really takes only minutes and so cheap.

Make homemade gifts versus buying, for instance soup mixes, cookies in a jar.... cheaper than buying, and you don't have to spend time and money running out to the store.

One gift idea that I find fun is to make an assortment of cards, and keep the inside of the cards blank. The big purchase is envelopes. I get these from an office place. You can buy a pack of cardstock paper, with a half price coupon from Joann Fabrics or Michael's. That is the base of your card. Then if you or your children have any art supplies you can pull from what you already have. Your library will have lots of card making ideas. You can find quotes on line for the cards.

For many families gifts are a huge chunk of money every month.

All of these take time, but adding another job takes time as well. I think getting the children involved also really helps on your stress level. I think people underestimate the amount of time it takes to run a profitable business/home sales. Instead of spending that time on the phone, trying to book parties/make sales, you could be in your comfy clothes cooking stuff from scratch.

 

[familyfirsttimer]

Just another thing you can do with stuff you already have is take metals to the scrap yard. my DH had the "guts" to our old A/C unit, some copper tubing, a old metal gazebo that was falling apart in our yard and a few bags of soda cans and just got $170. Of course that could be only once/twice a year, but it is found money to me!

 

[Marie17]

I began using Amazon mTurk after seeing it recommended by someone on this board. There is a forum that helps you find good hits to do, and with that help I have made $730 since the end of February. It is something you can do anytime you have an internet connection. Works for me, as it allows me to be home with my family. I have been slacking for about two months- before that I averaged $10/day.

Amazon mTurk? Is that like searching for certain items sort of like chacha was with answering questions? If someone stays-at-home and could possibly put between 2-3 hours per day at mTurk what is a realistic amount of money they could make? I see you said $10.00 per day but not sure how involved that $10/day would be to make - is that for less than 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, etc. Would love to know more about this possibility, so thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I tried opinion outpost and after about 30 minutes, all I've done is answer questions and then get told I don't qualify. I've earned 0 points.

ETA: Went back for about another 30, finally got one on facial products and after 20 minutes and over half of the survey, got the "you don't qualify for this survey" message and 0 points. This is like every other survey company out there. You spend hours giving opinions and data to them and then magically no longer qualify so they don't have to pay out. Total waste of time.

The same thing happened to me over and over. I don't have time to sit there and waste time for 20 minutes only to be told you don't qualify. I felt like I was giving them all of this information for nothing. I closed my account.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

I mystery shop in addition to my full-time job.

I also do Amazon's Mechanical Turk, though that comes in waves.

I do MyPoints, Harris Polls and Swagbucks as well.

 

[DisDance]

Yes definitely...I feel like a survey site expert at this point, I've been doing them for years. I can give plenty to stay away form, but these have been the best for me. I make around $10 a day.

Cool thanks. Gonna have to look into them