29 Sep Additional Income on the Side – 4 Side Quests You Can Pursue

There are many reasons why you would want to get extra cash, whether you are buying something specific that you couldn’t normally afford, or you are a student with no steady income or, simply put, you are trying to survive in this harsh world of loans, debts and living off credit from day to day. These are some side gigs you can do during your free time which could bring you some extra money on the side.

1. Selling old stuff

You have bunch of old clothes you don’t need? Your garage is full of things that are of no use to you? Clothes, car parts, old gardening machines, and random trinkets can sell and bring you an extra buck or two, without you investing a single dime. Just roam around your house and you will definitely find a truckload of things you probably did not know you owned.  You could organize a garage sale, maybe some of your neighbors could join forces with you, and even go and take a spot on your local flea market, just don’t blow it all on booze for the after-party. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, so no matter how old, used and abused your old stuff is, somebody will want it, cherish it and keep it warm and fuzzy.

2. eBay middleman

Since selling old stuff is of limited duration and resources, and lacks a constant supply of merchandise and of course, you are looking for money on the side, not starting a brand new company, so there is a way to sell things without even handling the product . I’m talking about a type of eBay seller, but not really a seller – you are a middleman, your clients are companies that are selling something, but you present them in your shop, and handle the ordering. After that, the company sends the product to the customer, and you get a piece of the profit.  Also known as drop-shipping, this allows you to sell without selling. Neat, eh? One big issue to keep in mind is having proper website security since you are handling people’s credit card information and you need to keep that data safe.

3. Stock photography

The principle is simple – you take a photo, the more generic the better, and after that, you upload it to one of the many websites that host such services, and if someone needs one of your photos, he will buy it – the higher the resolution, the higher the price. The same applies to the copyrights limitations – is it part time, only for censored posting, or is it completely buying off the copyrights for the photo. When you see a generic photo of people sitting on the beach, kissing, or a dog in full sprint, it was probably taken from one of the stock photography sites, and bought off. If you get good, you may even live off it, and this can be your ticket to the professional photography world. Also, you could start a blog showcasing your skills, just make sure that your connection is stable and safe – you don’t want for your photos to disappear into thin air, along with your money. Finally, having a well designed website is something that can be a big resource. Basically, it will serve the purpose of being your online portfolio.

4. Selling your opinion

There are two major channels you can enter. The first is being an online juror, and the second is joining different focus groups and participating in studies that are being put online. Being an online juror means helping trial attorneys practice for real cases that haven’t yet come to court. Your role is to show how would an average group of people think when it comes to a particular case and how would they respond to their court tactics and case strategies. It is like a focus group, but you are not leaving the comfort of your home and you will be doing something more interesting than deciding which soap smells better or what type of candy you like. That brings us to focus groups, where you show up and offer your opinion on different products and tell them what a person like you would think. All companies, sooner or later, do this in order to respond to the market’s needs.

Making extra money these days is easier than it was – you don’t need to go near traffic lights and wash windshields and sell paper dragons. Now, it is available online or with a little effort around your house and with a little persistence, your bank account will be that much fatter. Since all of this will be conducted through your website you need to be sure that your hosting is decent, according to the guys at Altus hosting most people run into bad expereinces first since they go for dirt cheap providers.