I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the U.S. has not quite stepped out of the black hole of a recession that it has been in for several years now. The unemployment rate in America is still just over 8% (and hasn’t dipped below 7% since 2008), and even those who have jobs have taken pay cuts and are dealing with inflated prices around the country.
Here comes the good news! First and foremost the economy seems to be on the road to recovery, which is not good but great news. Secondly, summer is right around the corner and I can’t imagine a season filled with more possibility, fun, and opportunity.
The thing about summer is I find that it always has a way of sucking finances dry before you know what hit you. Saying yes to a weekend getaway with family here, one too many brunches or cocktails with friends there, and your summer tab is already climbing. This summer, why not focus on making more money than you spend?
I’ve listed 10 fabulous ideas for summer jobs below (and yes, they go beyond baby-sitting, dog-walking, and mowing the lawn.) It’s win-win, because you’ll be earning extra money on the side, and obviously the time you’re spending doing these odd jobs is less money that you’ll be out spending.
So, without further ado, I present to you 10 great ideas to make extra cash this summer – without quitting your day job and that are not reserved mainly for teenagers:
1 – Become a Secret Shopper
I actually can’t think of anything closer to a dream job that can be done on the side. The premise of Secret or Mystery shoppers is to rate businesses on how well they are doing. The cool thing about this position is that you get to choose where and when you’d like to do your shopping (or dining out), you aren’t required to take any assignment, and you don’t need any previous experience. And of course, the biggest perk of all – you get paid to eat free food. Go to SecretShopper.com to apply.
2 – Offer to be a Test Subject for Studies or Focus Groups
I had a friend who did this religiously in college and made almost as much as I did working part-time. But it’s not just a task for college-aged kids, because focus groups require people of all ages for all different types of studies. Paid interviews and paid online studies are other options.
FocusGroup.com is a good starting point. Other than that, I recommend looking for universities, clinics, or research in your area who conduct regular focus groups or studies. Again, you can pick and choose which ones you want to participate in based on the monetary incentive, time, location, and type of study.
3 – FINALLY Sell your Stuff
Here’s another win-win way to make some money: you’ll de-clutter your space AND make some cash as well. The age-old way to go about this is yard sale, which is still a good go-to method. If the purpose is mainly to get rid of stuff, the yard sale is your best bet, but don’t overlook places like eBay, Craigslist, Yardsller.com, Sell.com, and consignment stores for items that you know are worth a bit more. I personally love consignment stores for gently worn shoes, clothes, purses, and jewelry. You drop your items off, and received a check once they’ve sold. Doesn’t get any easier!
4 – Work at Summer Events in your City
Summer is the time for music festivals, carnivals, fairs, concerts, and many other types of outdoor galas. Get in on the action and offer to work one. Check out Facebook.com/FindFestivalJobs, and Google festivals coming to your town then visit their websites for career opportunities.
5 – Advertise on your Car
There are two ways to go about this. One, you keep your wheels and get paid to sport ads on your own vehicle. The other is sometimes companies will supply you with cars that come with advertising on them already, and you get to drive theirs. Could be a sweet deal if your car is a gas guzzler or on its way out. Try Ads2Go.com to search for free car programs like this near you. Oh, and the other thing is you have to not mind driving around with big ads or shrink-wrap on your car.
6 – Sell Handmade Crafts
If you’re crafty, there’s a whole market out there waiting for you. Maybe you’ve heard of Etsy.com? It’s an up and coming online marketplace where artists sell their homemade goods. If you can make it, you can sell it on this site. My aunt used to make jewelry for fun, and now she makes some pretty good side money selling it on Etsy. This is a great option especially if you love arts and crafts because it won’t even feel like work!
7 – Pawn your Gold
If you’ve been thinking about selling some of your old gold, now is a pretty good time. I’m not advocating you to do it one way or another – simply listing it as an alternative making money option! If you do decide to sell, do some hardcore research to make sure the business you’re selling through is reputable and giving you the best price for your gems.
8 – Make Craigslist your Best Friend
I have several friends who have advertised on Craigslist that they are willing to do just about any odd job you can think of and have made good money this way. Make the list of things you’re willing to do ridiculously long – organize closets, wrap gifts, weed the garden, wash the dog, cook dinner, go grocery shopping – and start at a low price (like $8 per hour.)
The following week, post a similar ad bumping up your prices a dollar an hour. I have personally seen people using this system making $15 per hour after a month, because they are hard workers and the people who appreciate that will pay that much an hour.
9 – Bake, Make Jam, or Pickle Yummy Foods
If you’re a baker, a jammer, or a pickler, put your goods up for sale. A relative of mine used to bake cookies during the Christmas season and sell them as gift baskets, office presents, holiday gatherings, etc. and was very successful. You can get a stand at a local farmer’s market, swap meet, flea market, or even simply sell out of your home. Jams and pickles will keep, but the baked goods might be better done made-to-order. You could bake cakes for the 4th of July, summer birthday parties, or mix trail mix and sell it for those summer camping trips. If you love to be in the kitchen, get creative!
10 – Check & Repair your Credit Score
Before you roll your eyes and say that this doesn’t put money in your pocket the same way that the other tips do, hear me out. This tactic is one that can potentially save you thousands (and thousands) of dollars down the road. FinancialHighway.com states that the difference between a great credit score and a not-so-great one can be over $40,000 on a home mortgage loan.
You can save bundles of money in interest when you apply for credit cards, car loans, and college loans (for you or for your kids.) So don’t be fooled by this seemingly out of place suggestion – get a free credit report and credit score, fix any errors that may be listed, and get to work on fixing that puppy up. You’ll thank me later!
Happy summer, and happy summer jobbing!
About the author: DK loves to write and blog about personal & national finance. You can catch him at RoadFish.com
Credits: Image courtesy of Svilen Milev.