With the hurting economy in the U.S., it has become more important to find ways to earn extra income or to cut expenses. Fortunately, it is precisely because of the economy that there are far more opportunities for you to use your talent as a service to others, while allowing you to make it through this tough time.
Photo by Jenn_Jenn
Use your Talents and Abilities
Everyone has something that they are good at that others are willing to pay for. In this economy, people are less willing to pay large and expensive companies to provide services. Many folks are turning to Craigslist and their local newspaper to find what they need. You can provide for that need. Use what you know to make some extra money or to tithe your time (giving up your time for others is just as good as putting money in the basket).
It’s easy. All you have to do is post a small ad on Craigslist or another classified publication and wait for people to call. Here are some ideas for services that people are looking for or that you can offer:
- Computer repair (very common)
- Web development
- Personal organizing
- Tutoring
- Administrative work
- And so on…
I answered a web development ad, and put a computer repair ad on Craigslist and within 24 hours I had two paying gigs. Not too bad of a response for 5 minutes of work.
It’s Not Just About Earning Money
As I mentioned before, you can also tithe your time. Often, your time is worth more than the money that you spend on tithing. So by helping someone to organize their house stuff for a couple hours per week you are then able to save the money that you would have used for tithing. It may sound cheap, but if you figure out how much your time is worth compared to how much you usually tithe during the week, then you’ll see why it is sometimes a better choice. Plus, you will see the fruit of your labors directly.
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Business, catholic, extra income, income, Money, money hacks, Professionals, tithing
Side jobs are precisely how I pay for books / expenses above and beyond what I get from loans and financial aid.
One nice part of "side jobs" as an income source is that you don't really need to file taxes for it… no 1099 etc… that is, unless you end up making a LOT of money from it. Then, well, that's different.
Without a doubt, good point. Tax-free is always nice.
It's especially easy with coding and web development (which I am sure you do, smart guy) since you don't have to go anywhere. It's a bit more time consuming if you have to do something in person, but still really good.
Do it enough and I you could probably build a nice client base for if you ever do want to make it your primary business. 1099 wouldn't matter so much if you were making enough.
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