Creative Ways to Get Some "Money-Mojo" Back!

Before you resort to selling lemonade on the corner (which might not be a bad idea BTW), here's a few more "creative" ways to make some extra bucks while you're looking for regular employment. I know it's easier said than done, but don't let it get you down too much! You'll get some "money-mojo" back before you know it!

1- Participate in Focus Groups: Are you a 35-55 year old female who colors her hair? Or, a 20-30 year old male who plays video games? Companies are willing to pay you cash for your opinions about certain consumer products or services. These firms advertise on sites like Craigslist to attract a specific demographic. I've seen ads for focus groups paying between $25 - $250 dollars depending on the group and subject matter. But, act quickly! These groups usually book up fast!

2- Wrap Your Car: It's possible to get paid to have your car turned into a moving advertisement! If you drive 800 miles or more per month and you live in a highly populated area, you may want to check out companies like Autowraps that offer car wraps. You can get paid up to $400 per month for a full car wrap and lesser amounts for a partial car wrap or a window wrap. Hmm...what's the catch? Well, the main glitch is that there are far more drivers wanting to do it than advertising campaigns available, so your chances are pretty slim that you'll be chosen. Still, it couldn't hurt to fill out an application...

3- Get Paid To Recycle: Don't know what to do with those old cell phones, laptops or PDA's? Recycle them for cash! Companies like Gazelle and Cell For Cash will pay you for your old electronics. First, find your item on their website. They'll send you a box so you can ship off your item to them. Once they verify the item, they'll send you the cash or they can pay you through Paypal. Gazelle says their process takes about a week once they receive your item. If you can't find your item on their list, they can send you a price quote. Gazelle refurbishes and then sells the electronics or recycles them if they're un-fixable.

4- Crafting for Cash: Are you a knitter or a quilter? Do you make your own jewelry? If you have a talent for creating, you can put it to good use by making and selling your wares online! Etsy.com makes it easy to sell your crafts. Be sure to take really clear pictures of your items so people can see what they're buying. Also, do some research beforehand and figure out the actual costs of producing your craft so you can make a profit!


5- Pet/Child Caretakers: If you're an animal lover, offer to walk your neighbor's dog a few times a week for a reasonable price, or agree to care for their cats while they go away on their summer vacation. If you really love children, offer to watch the kids in your neighborhood. When I was a teenager, I was paid $5.00/hour to babysit...I've heard the rates have doubled (and sometimes tripled) since!

6- Freelance, or become a "Consultant": Believe it or not, people may pay you for your knowledge and expertise! Sologig.com, Guru.com and Elance.com are just a few websites that specialize in connecting contractors, freelancers and consultants with employers looking for seasoned professionals. You can sign up for free on most of these sites and you can choose the projects that you're interested in and negotiate pricing directly with the employer.

334 Reasons Why My Garage Sale Was A Success!

It's now the day after my "Garage Sale Extravaganza". My back aches, my feet sting and my lips are really chapped. Was it worth it? You bet!

The experts were right. Garage sales are a great way to put some extra dollars in your pocket. And, in my case, a great way to make $334.00 extra dollars (to be exact)! What a great feeling it is to have a huge wad of bills in your wallet...even though most of them are one-dollar bills! Now I know how a stripper must feel the day after a gig!

Would I have one every weekend? Absolutely not! A lot more work went into this sale than I realized. But, you have to put work into it to make it special! Here are some tips to keep in mind when you have yours:

1- Organize! Organize! Organize! Separate and organize everything at least a few days BEFORE the sale day. Put aside the items you don't think will sell and either donate them to charity or throw them in the trash. DON"T put them back into your closet or garage! After that, organize the sale items into categories: kitchen stuff, electronics, knick-knacks, mens clothes, womens clothes, kids' stuff etc. This way, you won't be left scrambling to set things up the morning of your sale.



2- Advertise it properly. List your sale on Craigslist and other free classified listing sites like www.oodle.com and www.gsalr.com. Choose brightly colored (we used neon) signs and post them around your neighborhood the day before your sale. And, make sure people can read your handwriting!

3- If you're having your sale in the summertime, remember your sunscreen and stay hydrated! It was 95 degrees the other day and we were outside in the sun from 730am-2pm. Needless to say, we drank the whole case of bottled water we bought for the day!

4- People love to pick through all your jewelry hoping to find a rare gem hidden among the junk. Make sure your jewelry and other small items are kept close to you so no one can steal them!

5- Beware of the neighborhood "constant-talkers" - those chatty neighbors who stroll by, check out everything you're selling (and I mean absolutely everything!), talk your ear off for 45 minutes and still buy nothing.

6- To price, or not to price? Well, it depends on the items you're selling. Everyone tries to haggle for the cheapest price - who doesn't want a great deal? There's a fine line between standing firm on a price and moving your stuff off your property! Trust me...you'll start reducing your prices as the day progresses. It's okay to sell that George Foreman Grill you haven't touched in years for $3.50. You're not using it! Remember, you got into this to make some extra cash and free up some storage space. Don't lose sight of the task at hand!

7- Lastly, if you have some big-ticket items or collectibles you want to sell, you may get more money for them if you sell them on EBay or list them separately on Craigslist. Research comparable items, post clear pictures and let the bidding begin! (it's actually quite exciting!)

I'm still a little tired from yesterday, so I'll share some other ideas for making extra money with you in my next post. Happy selling!