Make More Money This Year!

Colleen Langenfeld

Easy tips to add to your income quickly!
Could you use a little more cold, hard cash? Who couldn't? Generate (or free up) some quick bucks with these savvy tactics.

- Hold a garage sale.

Make sure you do it right. Get the word out through signs, flyers and ads to ensure plenty of traffic. Fill a cooler with cheap sodas and charge fifty cents a can. You can even scour others' garage sales the week before yours for the 'deals' you'll be re-selling!

- Go over your budget.

Are you cringing? Don't be. By simply keeping track of where your money goes for a month or so, you'll quickly see a few easy places to free up cash. When you know that it's temporary, it's very easy to do. No pizza for just this week; instead have a picnic with leftovers while watching a video. Combine errands for a couple of weeks and deposit the gas savings into your 'extra cash' account. Reward yourself in a non-monetary way for the 'sacrifice' you're making and you'll find this can be a lot of fun!

- Give lessons.

You don't need to be a pro to share your knowledge with others. Keep your prices low so people will respond favorably and remember, it's more than you were making otherwise. Sewing, gardening, cooking, musical lessons, you name it. You may find you really enjoy teaching others!

- Create a summer job.

You don't have to be a teenager to mow lawns or baby-sit. Many people do handyman-type work in the summer such as painting, mowing, or general fix-it work. Deliver newspapers. Offer to cook a meal a week for a busy family. If you're going to be working on someone else's property, be sure you get the proper insurance first to protect yourself as well as check on the necessary licensing in your area.

- Start a business.

Everyone knows that most businesses are not profitable right away, but there are exceptions. Join a party-plan or direct sales company and you could be making money very quickly. Just make sure you have a plan of action first, since these types of jobs require significant personal motivation to work.

- Barter.

Maybe what you really need is not cash, but a particular project done. If you can do top-notch work yourself in a different area of expertise, offer to trade services/products with someone in the field you need. The key is to keep the retail value of the traded work or product equal so that everyone comes out a winner.

Be creative! For a little investment of time and energy, you could have the extra cash you need!

About the Author

Colleen Langenfeld delivers deals, tips and creative resources to working moms who want the most out of their homes, families and careers at http://www.paintedgold.com . Sign up for our FREE online newsletter and get a digital Creativity Toolkit as our gift to you!