Master Your Card

I’m on this whole holiday kick and one of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is how I can inject a little more cash flow into my budget. I’ve got things locked down pretty tight just because I’m cautious like that. Besides having a solid emergency fund, there are some things you can do - side hustles, if you will - to help put cash in your budget and tide you over when times are tough.

1.) Part-Time Job

This one is fairly obvious and the first one most people will go to. But, it can sometimes be difficult to fit it into your already full schedule. I mention it because it’s an option, but don’t feel like this is the only one you have.

2.) Donate Blood/Plasma/Sperm

Who knew your bodily fluids could be so valuable??? Most donation centers will compensate you for your time, and you can donate rather often. Ladies, you can obviously only donate blood and plasma (they pay more for plasma), but fellas you get the sperm banks thrown in as an added bonus. The compensation on sperm donations can be lucrative, but there’s one drawback. They’re picky as all get-out when it comes to sperm. Check with your local banks and find out the rules and restrictions, but donating any of the three can be a great way to pad you budget!

3.) Participate In Medical Trials

Much like # 2, donating your time for medical trials can pay pretty well. I did this once and it wasn’t that bad. I was part of the control group so they didn’t give me any real drugs (you don’t get to pick), but all in all I got a little over $3000 for a two-week study where I sat in a room at night and did whatever I wanted - watched movies, played games, read. It really was like a vacation that I got paid for. I can’t vouch that every medical trial runs as smoothly as mine did, but it was certainly a great experience, I got paid for it, and it advanced medical research. I can’t complain.

4.) Sell Unwanted Stuff Online, Or Have a Garage Sale

This is easy enough. Most of us have stuff we don’t want that’s just taking up space. I’m getting ready to move in a couple of weeks, so I’ve been selling stuff like crazy…thank God for eBay and Craigslist!

5.) Start a Blog

Ok, so this isn’t the most lucrative thing out there, but with a little time and effort you can make money. I suggest writing something you’re passionate about because you will need to spend a great deal of time with your blog in order to be successful. How you make money is up to you, but one way is through advertisements. Write great content that is rich in keywords and the advertisements will go along with the content, making readers want to click them. Not always, and this is only one aspect of blogging, but the point is that it’s an option and very much in style at the moment.

6.) Survey Participant/Mystery Shopper

If you don’t get taken in by scams, this can be a really good way to earn a little cash and keep some freebies. There are plenty of scammers out there with these two, so you really have to do your homework. The other drawback is that there isn’t always a high demand, or when there is they want someone with experience. You may have to work your way up with these kinds of hustle’s, but like I said - money and freebies!

7.) Dog Walker

Advertise in your neighborhood that you’ll walk dogs for a nominal fee. Don’t overcharge and try to get a good number of dogs. You’ll be getting some exercise in and making money at the same time, it’s a win-win. I think I read somewhere that Drew Barrymore’s dog walker makes almost a million per year. I’m so in the wrong business if that’s true!

8.) House Sitter

I’ve done this too and it’s awesome! Most of the time you get to stay at the person’s house - unless you’re neighbors or something - and it’s even better when they have way cooler stuff than you do! The family I house sat for was gone for a week and they gave me $200. I got to stay at their house and swim in the pool, soak in the hot tub, watch movies in their home theater (and I mean theater literally), and play with an amazing dog! It was a blast. Again, a vacation that I got paid for.

9.) “Date Night” Sitters

This is something you can start up in your neighborhood and probably do well with. Find out what the going rate is with normal babysitters and charge a little less. Be available to babysit on Friday and Saturday nights and try to get a few kids so you make more money - but don’t take so many that you stress yourself out. This gives people a chance to have normal dates at affordable prices, which is why they would use you over a regular babysitter. Have games and snacks for the kids and you’ll be just fine.

10.) Tutor Someone

If there was a subject you were good at in school (especially math), start a tutoring business. People are always looking for good tutors, and if you’re in a college town, you’re as good as gold.

11.) Stoozing

Granted, you won’t see immediate results with this one, but you can pull in a nice sum annually, and combined with any of the other side hustles you might participate in, it could be enough to get you by comfortably. What have you got to lose?

12.) Seasonal Work

There are plenty of things you can do that are fairly seasonal such as mowing lawns and cleaning swimming pools in the summer, and putting up Christmas decorations in the winter. Not very glorious work, I know, but these are things people hate doing, yet the want them done. They’re usually pretty happy to fork over money just so someone else will do it for them. Nothing wrong with banking on that if they were going to pay someone to do it anyway, right?

Bonus Hustles:

- Maid services

- Car wash services

- Chauffeur services

- Pick up and deliver groceries

- Designated driver services

Obviously, some of these will have a greater demand than others. But, there is no limit to the things you can think of to make some money on the side, and when times are tough, you have to buckle down and do what you gotta do.

What do you guys think? Did I miss any really good ones?