Ideas for Making Some Extra Cash

A friend of mine made me a proposition. Knowing that we are short on money these days, she offered to let me take her child home after school and keep him for an hour every day, instead of sending him to day care. She’ll pay me $50 a week. At this point, turning down $200 a month is not an option, especially for doing next to nothing. I have to take my own child home from the same school every day. I’m just bringing a friend with us now.

With school getting ready to start in just a few weeks (sigh), there will be many opportunities for moms or dads to bring in a little extra cash. Here are some other ideas.

School Shuttle Service

Offer to take kids back and forth to school for a weekly fee. I see at least 10 “mom” shuttles at my son’s school every day during the school year. They work before school and after school and make anywhere from $500 to $1,000 a week on a full schedule.

Personal Shopper/Assistant/Delivery

A friend of mine is moving out of her home and is absolutely overwhelmed with everything she has to get done. She has hired me for $12 an hour to help her purge stuff and organize her stuff. It’s not always easy work, but she pays me cash, and she pays me immediately. If you have good organizing skills or are a bargain shopper, offer those services for a fee to people or even small businesses which could use a few hours of help.

After School Extra Curricular Activities/Tutoring

Are you an artist or musician? Can you sew or cook? Perhaps you have a real talent for helping kids understand their school work. Offer after-school classes for kids in your home or a local recreation center. My son takes art classes and drama classes after school on different days of the week. I pay $50 a month for each. If you have as few as 10 students, that’s an extra $500 a month.

Substitute Teacher

The average pay for substitutes at a public school is about $75 a day, and you generally have to have a college degree or relative certification. Check with your local school district for more information.

Child Care

If you are home during the day and are good with kids, you might consider babysitting services, either for the whole day or just as needed. This can be for working parents with pre-school aged children or for parents who are home during the day but have doctor appointments where they can’t bring their kids.

Pet Sitting

People actually pay money for doggy daycares so their pets don’t have to be alone during the day. If you like pets and you’re home during the day, why not open your home to one or two non-destructive pets? They entertain each other and you earn some extra money.

With today’s busy lifestyles, people need and are willing to pay for help to get things accomplished. What are some ways you earn extra money?