(continued from Part 1)
3. Try Fiverr.com.
Fiverr.com is a website that allows anyone to post a product or service that costs $5. The website takes $1, so your earnings will be $4 per task. If the task only takes 15 minutes to complete, then you have the potential to earn up to $16 an hour. If you can think of offering a service that doesn’t take a lot of time, you can make some decent spending money. Logo design, for instance, does not need to take that long if you are skilled at PhotoShop. There are also several other websites similar to Fiverr.com that allow you to charge up to $25 for quick services or products. A Google search for “Fiverr Clones” should show you several sites that are worth considering. Even if you are working full time, you can use your spare time after work, or even before work or during your lunch hour, to start earning more.
4. Buy a storage unit at an auction.
Or more correctly, purchase the contents of a storage unit. This practice occurs when people put items in storage and then fail to pay their rental fees. Eventually the property devolves to the rental place, who will sell the items in order to recoup their rent. The items will be auctioned site unseen. This practice can be hit or miss, since people might be storing a whole bunch of clothes or other personal items with little to no resale value. However, if you think about the success of eBay, you will know that many people are actually making a living from purchasing the contents of abandoned storage units and selling what they find. CDs, old records, books, tapes, and other collectibles can all be found in this way and sold on. Sell the junk at a garage sale and the good stuff on eBay. With a little luck, that $200 storage unit could be worth $10,000 or more.
There are certain rules, tricks and tips to selling on eBay that you will want to become familiar with before making such a commitment, so start small with a few items in your home and then take it from there. Also consider selling the latest titles as used books on Amazon. Become familiar with good packaging and mailing practices to be sure that any parcels you send out go by a traceable means and arrive promptly and undamaged. Remember that you will get ratings as a seller at all of the sites you participate on, so be prepared to offer good customer service.
If you still have a job but you are underpaid, underemployed, or both, these are just a few of the ways that you can make extra money to pay off debts, start an emergency fund, or start saving for your financial goals for the future.
Further Reading
For more great ideas on how to survive and even thrive in this recession, see: Your Recession Survival Guide
For more information on creating wealth to start your own business, see How to Start a Successful Small Business Even If You Don’t Have Much Cash
For more information on how to start an emergency fund, see Emergency Fund 101: How to Save Money for Unexpected Expenses
