The idea of getting
rich quick and making easy money is part of the American Dream. Who hasn't
spent time daydreaming about becoming one of those overnight millionaires? But
your high school economics teacher was probably right: There's no such thing as
a free lunch. With the exception of the occasional lottery winner, making real money takes time and effort. Still, there
are legitimate ways you can make extra money to supplement the income from your day job, without breaking
your back.
Click through the next 10 pages for ways you
can moonlight, and end up with some money to show for it.
10:
Cover Your Car with Advertisements
Have
you been driving down the road and suddenly seen a car drive by plastered in
ads for potato chips or an energy drink? Maybe you thought the car belonged to
an employee with the company. But a number of advertising firms will actually
pay drivers to have their own cars covered with ads.
Depending
on the firm, the length of the promotion and your region, you can be paid
between $400 and $900 per month to serve as a moving billboard. Some companies
will even provide you with a car to drive, free of charge. All you have to do
is sign up on the company's Web site, filling in basic demographic information
[source: Autowrapped, Free Car Media]. Then, if a specific
advertiser decides they want to target your particular demographic, they'll
select you for a promotion. Promotions last from a few months to years, so the
extra income could add up to a nice sum.
Of
course, since you're chosen based on demographics and region, it could be that
you sign up, never to be selected by a company, or have to wait years before
being selected. If a sponsor chooses you, the amount of commitment and effort
is relatively minimal. You'll be required to drive a certain number of miles
per month to fulfill your contract, and you'll have to set aside four to eight
hours for your car to be wrapped at the beginning of each promotion. Once the
ads are removed, your car will be undamaged by the process.
9: Be an Agent for a Direct Selling
Company
Before the get-rich-quick hype of eBay,
there was the get-rich-quick hype of direct selling programs like Avon and Amway. But like selling
on eBay, it's hard to become a millionaire selling makeup and cleaning supplies
to your neighbors. According to Amway, the average salesperson earns $115 a
month selling Amway products [source: Amway].
Of course, like any other kind of selling, the amount of time and energy you
put in is going to affect your sales.
Direct sellers use individual salespeople to
sell their products instead of using traditional retail. To join Amway, you
sign up with one of the company's salespeople (or "independent business
owners"). That person
then provides you with catalogs and samples. As you make sales, you purchase
products atwholesale from your sponsor, and
keep the difference between the wholesale and the resale price as profit. You
can also earn bonuses and higher sales commissions as you sell more.
Direct selling may sound like a pyramid scheme, an illegal sales operation that makes more
money from the wholesale purchases of its so-called "sellers" than it
does from actually selling products to customers.
But in 1979, the Federal Trade Commission
decided that Amway's business model is legitimate because it doesn't require
recruits to pay large up-front membership fees or make large wholesale
purchases before being admitted into the program. So if you decide to become a
direct seller, only sign up with programs that don't require exorbitant startup
fees.
8: Work
at Starbucks
OK, so
it's more of a commitment than hawking old books on eBay, but Starbucks
actually offers an impressive range of benefits to its employees. Most of those
benefits kick in once you work an average of 20 hours per week. Employees can
qualify for comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. Starbucks also
allows half-time employees (or partners) paid vacation. They can also buy stock
for a discounted price and participate in the company's 401(k)program.
Other competitive benefits include partial tuition reimbursements for employees
attending classes and assistance grants for employees who want to adopt
children. To top it all off, you can even take a free pound of coffee each week
[source: Starbucks]. The
company has also been consistently rated as one of the top 100 places to work
by Fortune magazine [source: Fortune].
Starbucks'
benefit plan is notable because it's one of the few that offers insurance to
employees who work only part time. But some of those benefits are slow to take
effect. Insurance benefits kick in after three months of working at least 20
hours a week, and vacation days for hourly retail workers don't kick in until
after a year. So, in terms of ways to make extra money, it requires a long -term
commitment to really pay off. And the base salary of $7.50 to $10 per hour may
not be enough of an incentive for some people [source: Starbucks].
7: Work
Freelance
The recession has driven more and more companies to look
for contract and freelance work as an alternative to full-time positions.
Farming out work to independent contractors makes sense for the bottom line
because companies can pay for the work they need done, with decreased overhead
expenses like benefits and setting up a physical office for each employee. In
today's economy, nine in 10 companies use some amount of contract work [source: Koba]. If
you have a marketable skill like graphic design, search engine optimization,
Web design, public relations or writing, you can take advantage of those employers'
cost cutting.
Hourly
pay for freelance work tends to be higher than for salaried positions. On the
other hand, you will have to account for gaps between assignments. For a
company, the benefit of hiring freelancers is not having to pay them when it doesn't
need them. To get started, research online markets to determine the going rate
for the type of work you'll be doing. There are multiple Web sites where you
can post your resume and search job listings, including elance.com, ratracerebellion.com and flexjobs.com. Some sites charge a commission to connect
you with an employer, others charge a flat fee to access the listings, and some
are completely free.
6: Sell
Your Gold Jewelry
The
global economic recession has driven gold commodity prices through the roof. The
price of gold has reached an all time high as recently as Oct. 6, 2010, when it
hit $1,351 per ounce [source: Wycoff]. So
it's a perfect time to unload old or broken gold jewelry that you don't have
any use for. But keep in mind that the ultimate price you get for the gold
won't hit the $1,351 per ounce mark. That price is for pure, 24 karat gold and
doesn't take into account the markup that the person buying your gold will make
before reselling it. Gold below 24 karats is less pure and will bring in less.
A scrap
gold buyer, the type that advertises on TV, will pay considerably less than a
jeweler. If you have an attractive antique piece of jewelry, a jeweler may be a
better bet. But for scrap or broken gold, you might want to use one of those
scrap gold buyers. In today's market, you can get from $12 to $50 perpennyweight of scrap gold. (There are 18.229
pennyweights in an ounce). Your gold will be worth more to those buyers the
more karats it has, and the more of it you have. When using a mail-in buyer,
check its ratings with the Better
Business Bureau to make
sure is hasn't received complaints. Also, never send gold in the mail unless
the envelope is insured.
5:
Staff Special Events or Conventions
Trade conventions and special events are good opportunities
for companies to market their products, and they usually need local people to
do the work for them. That could be anything from attracting attention to a
booth for a new cell phone at an electronics expo, to handing out samples of a
new energy drink outside of a concert venue. Sometimes you may only have to
wear a T-shirt for a company's product; other times you might be asked to dress
in costume as a product's mascot. The pay is hourly.
Staffing services let you post your resume, headshot and a physical description
in their databases. You'll then be selected by companies running promotions on
a case-by-case basis. The sponsors running the promotions use physical
appearance as a key factor in picking their staff, so if the idea of getting a
job based on your looks is unappealing, working with an event staffer may not
be for you.
4:
Become a Mystery Shopper
Mystery
shoppers are
people who are paid by a market research company to report on their experiences
doing things like shopping, eating in restaurants and buying gas. For each
assignment, the mystery shopping company will give you specific instructions on
where to shop and what to look for. You'll report back on how the experience
went: the customer service, the attitudes of the employees, the cleanliness of
the facilities. After you submit your report, you'll be paid for your time and
reimbursed for anything you bought. So on top of pocket money you can get free
snacks, gas, meals or movie tickets while you work. The pay ranges from $12 to
$25 per assignment [source: Secret
Shopper]. The Mystery
Shopping Providers Associationhas a list on its Web site of
reputable mystery shopping companies. Most of them let you apply for
assignments online. As with any money-making opportunity that seems too good to
be true, look out for scams. Reputable mystery shopping companies will never
ask you to pay money upfront to be eligible to work for them.
3: Rent
Out a Spare Room in Your House
If you
happen to have an extra room or two in your house, renting out the room can be
an easy way to make money on the side. Depending on the rental market in your
area, you could make anywhere from $250 to more than $1,000 per month in rent.
You can check classified ads in the newspaper and sites like Craigslist to see
comparable prices in your area.
But
renting out a room isn't as easy as simply sitting back and collecting the
money. You'll have to draw up a lease that protects your rights as a landlord,
follow anti-discrimination laws when placing ads and interviewing tenants, do
credit and background checks on potential tenants, keep your house compliant
with state laws and local housing codes, and follow certain federal safety
laws. For example, local codes might require you to purchase a new water heater
or update your plumbing, and federal laws may require you to pay to have lead
paint or asbestos removed. State and local laws also determine procedures for
things that will come up eventually, like eviction and security deposits
[source:Fannie Mae]. You
will also have to pay tax on your rental income. Obviously, there can also be
personal issues with sharing your house, so consider whether you're comfortable
sharing your living space with someone you don't know.
2: Sell
Your Eggs or Sperm
Some people
may be uncomfortable with giving away their genetic material. But for those who
aren't bothered by the idea of becoming the biological parent for another
couple's children, donating genetic material can be profitable and even
rewarding. Women who donate an egg are paid between $5,000 and $8,000 for the
time and discomfort of the process. Egg
donors typically
must be between 20 and 30 years old, at an average weight for their height and
non-smokers. The donation process is involved: daily drug injections for a
month and an outpatient procedure for the donation.
Sperm
donors get
between $50 and $100 per donation. Donation cycles last six months to a year,
with donations made up to three times a week, so the money adds up. Donors must
be at least 18 years old, but can donate up until the age of 40. Most banks
require that men be above average in height (5'7" or 5'9"). Some
require a high school diploma, or even a college degree. Between the initial
screening and regular donations, the time commitment can be great. And while
the donation process is obviously simpler for sperm than eggs, men have to
abstain from any sexual activity for three days before each donation.
Potential
sperm and egg donors complete a family medical history questionnaire to weed
out anyone with major genetic health problems. That process also involves
genetic testing and physical examinations. The screening takes several weeks,
and only applicants who pass are compensated. So for some, it may not be worth
the time.
1:
Become a Test Subject for a NASA Bed Rest Study
It sounds
like an urban legend that should be right up there with Pop
Rocks and Coca-Cola, but NASA will actually pay you $5,000 to lie in bed
for 90 days. It may seem too good to be true, but the experiment has a
scientific application. Test subjects lie with their legs elevated, and the
extended lack of muscle use is similar to what astronauts experience in space.
Subjects are not allowed to engage in much physical activity, but they can
watch TV, read or use computers [source: Smith]. So,
it might be your chance to get paid while you write a novel, learn Japanese or
work on items two through 10 on this list.
But
engaging in a bed rest study shouldn't be taken lightly. Individuals with
serious health conditions are not eligible, and applicants have to pass a
psychological screening. Sexual activity is not permitted during the study, and
there can be short-term and long-term side effects. Participants lose between 1
and 2 percent of their bone mass for each month they participate in the study,
and that mass may never be regained [source: Madrigal].
http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/khoa-hoc/nasa-tuyen-nguoi-chi-de-nam-tren-giuong-3184157.html
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