10 Ways To Make Easy Money

Everyone has moments where they need extra cash. Sometimes we find ourselves with a job loss, family emergency or just need some extra funds for vacation. No matter what your reason, there are plenty of easy ways to make cash on the side.

I have listed 10 easy ways to make some money on the side. I have personally used these methods for years and years. 

1. SELL ITEMS ON FACEBOOK

 Facebook has this amazing section called:  Marketplace 

 It allows users to sell their stuff to people locally. I find this a wonderful way to sell items FAST. I have used Marketplace more times than I can count. In fact, it gets a little addicting when you see the clutter being cleaned out of your house so fast. Plus you can do it all from your phone and quickly! If you don’t have a phone with a good camera, it might be a good idea to invest in one at some point.

Be realistic with your pricing. Make sure that you are selling items that you are ready to part with. If you are trying to sell something important to you, you may increase the pricing too much without realizing it. Remember, you want money fast. To accomplish this, you must sell at low prices and be willing to let go of the items.

If you are trying to make ends meet and you absolutely NEED the money (like I have), think of it as a roof over your head or keeping something that will just collect dust. Once you start letting go, you will be so surprised at how good it feels! The clutter will start to go away and you’ll feel much calmer. This is very important if you are strapped for cash.

Take good pictures. Make sure to take good pictures in outside lighting or a well lit up room. Take a few photos of each angle of the item. Make sure the background is clear of distraction and not filled with other items the potential customer may mistake as part of the listing. Keep in mind that a potential buyer will want to see things like: Model #, any scratches or imperfections, good indication of sizing and correct coloring. Always add the correct dimensions to the item. This will really avoid confusion later on. And remember, you’ll get asked questions even if it’s in the listing. Most people are just skimming through photos and not reading thoroughly. The content is more for you to look back on to answer questions.

Before you take pictures, also make sure the item is wiped off and cleaned up. Clean looking items sell a lot faster. If it is children’s clothing (BIG SELLER), make sure you wash everything first and add photos of any stains or holes. People appreciate the honesty and will know what they are getting. It also helps to pick out the top name brand items and sell them separately. You would be surprised at how fast hoodies and sneakers go for kids. Children’s clothing has been my top seller. I have four kids so this has been great for cleaning out their closet.

BE HONEST. If your item has some wear and tear or broken pieces, make sure you are up front about it in your description. If you are not honest, they will know as soon as they come to pick up the item. This leads to some uncomfortable situations up close and personal. And keep in mind, describing the item as broken won’t necessarily keep it from selling. There are plenty of people that are looking for imperfect things to use for whatever reason. I sold a torn up dining room table once because a seller saw a way to refurnish it on Pinterest. She was happy to pay my asking price because her husband was going to strip down the finish anyways.

Be careful! The amazing thing about selling on Facebook is that you can check out the buyer before they show up. If they seem a little sketchy or make you uncomfortable, you can always have someone you trust stay at the house with you when they arrive. I always try to MEET IN PUBLIC. I am a single mom, no bigger than my 5th grader so I have to be extremely careful. I learned my lesson the hard way with this one. Set up a meeting time and place and stick to it. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR HOME ADDRESS unless the item is too big and it calls for home pick up. I have had countless success with meeting in public. Not one time did I encounter a problem. There were several times I was really glad I picked a public meeting place too!!

2. EBAY 

 Ebay has been around for quite some time now. There are plenty of videos and tutorials on successful selling with Ebay. My personal success came from selling my children’s clothes. I would end up getting so many hand-me-downs and they would hardly even touch them before they grew out of them!

Keep it clean!
If you are going to sell clothing on Ebay, make certain you keep the items away from animals or smoke. You want your items looking and smelling fresh. I always washed the items first and then sealed them in a bag after taking the pictures. When sending, I would throw in a dryer sheet for freshness. Remember, you want that good seller feedback in order to keep your status. Small things can really pay off in the long run.

Take GOOD PICTURES! 
I cannot stress this one enough. You absolutely do not need a fancy camera just great lighting. Take your pictures with the items laying on a white sheet or white poster board. This white background will really help with lighting and help the character stand out too. I always took my pictures by a window in mid day. You want the natural lighting. Take a group photo first with all of your items together, folded nicely. Make sure you take additional photos of your items individually too. ALWAYS BE HONEST. If you have items with imperfections, make sure you highlight that as well. Honesty is the absolute best policy.

If you want to make Ebay a full-time gig, be organized and keep it simple. Start small with one type of item and then work your way up once you get the hang of it. If you go all in too fast, you will get overwhelmed and burnt out. My sister made her Ebay account a full-time gig so I know that it can be done.

3. Services

What are you good at?

What do you love to do?

Performing services for cash has been around since forever. It’s the fastest way to make money at any point in your life. Make sure you pick something you are good at or love to do and go with it!

Start by advertising in the local paper and tell all of your friends. Chances are, they are looking for a service or know someone that is. Facebook is a great place to let everyone know what you have to offer. 

Some ideas for service jobs:

• Cutting grass
• Cutting/Styling Hair
• Wedding Make-Up
• Manicures
• Dog walking/Dog
• Sitting Babysitting/Child care Photography                 
• Helping the elderly with daily tasks
• Grocery Shopping for the elderly
• House Cleaning
• Organizing papers or a home
• Painting
• Handyman jobs
• Help with an exercise routine
• Wedding Coordinator /Wedding Planner
• Bartender                       
• DJ for music at parties
• Party Planning
• House Sitting

4. Photography

I have been making money as a photographer for over 10 years now. I never took a class or went to school for this either. I got a DSLR camera for my birthday and studied the manual front and back.

Click on the image below to buy the same camera I use.

As I studied the manual, I shot pictures with my new knowledge. When I started taking pictures of my children and posting it on Facebook, clients started coming in. Now I make an income from my photography page.

The biggest way to make money from photography is by starting free. Ask people close to you if you can use their kids for practice. You’ll learn how to deal with children, posing and gain free advertising. When your friends like the pictures and share your content, word spreads fast.

Make sure you have a very basic price list. Keep things SIMPLE at first. You will quickly become overwhelmed if you don’t. Trust me! Your office area does not have to be big either. I have one small desk in my closet and a folder. That’s it! The closet gives me a nice quiet space to work from without any distractions. It’s my favorite me time. I put on headphones and work.

Get an editing program and learn how to use it! I’m a true Adobe nerd through and through. The editing program will be the most major tool that sets you apart from others. Just watch tutorials over and over until you get it. Start out with one thing and work your way up. I’ve been doing this for many years and I’m still learning more techniques!

Have fun with photography too. If you push yourself too hard or set unrealistic expectations, you will come to hate it. Believe me, that’s not what you want to do. You want to love your work.

Get good lighting and offer home services for newborns. You can get a bean bag, some cute blankets and cheap lighting and you’re set! It’s a big deal when you can offer to go to the newborns. Parents of newborns hardly ever want to go anywhere. They are exhausted. If you can offer your services by coming to them, it saves them quite a bit of hassle!

5. Apps
There are so many Apps these days it can certainly be overwhelming! Making money using Apps definitely goes with the “Services” section too. Find out what you are good at and look up an App for it that will pay you.

Many many people use the driving Apps like Uber or Lyft to take people where they need to go. You can do this anytime you want and set your own hours. Hello major bonus!

There are also Apps for things like grocery shopping for people that can’t and dog walking.

Whatever App you choose to use, do your research and make sure you look up the ratings. Keep in mind the negative aspects listed from reviews of people that have tried it in the past.

6. Recycle

There are many ways to make money from recycling. The ways that I have personally used is by collecting tin cans and other metal. I turn these items in at my local scrap yard and get paid immediately. I have used it for gas money to get to the beach.

Some people I know make money this way full time. They advertise in the paper and spread by word of mouth. These people come to your home and take your unwanted metal items. After they haul it all home, they put the time and effort into stripping down the metal and getting it ready to turn in.

This can be really time consuming but really pay off big time in the long run!

You can also take items and re-purpose them for resale. I used to own a coffee shop where I would sell my re-purposed items. I made quite a lot of money that way.

I got old tables or coffee tables that people no longer wanted. I would take them home, strip them down and then refinish them for resale. I was addicted to it!

You can get quite a bit of profit since you acquire the items for free.

7. Blogging
Many people turn to blogging as a way to make money.
This does not require any special talent at all. In fact, you can do this by using what you already know and are good at! Make sure you keep it simple or you will get overwhelmed and burnt out! Simplicity is always the best.

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Now that I have given you plenty of ideas, get out there and make your own cash! You can do it!