ou can make money from your hobby
- Focus on something you love
Pursue something you’re passionate about. Choose a hobby that you enjoy, and find a way to make money from it. Don’t choose a hobby simply because it might make money and then dive into it with that aim in mind. You should be doing this hobby because you love it; any side-income should be secondary.
I love to write.
I love to write. I was struggling with debt. I began to read personal finance books, and then to summarize what I’d learned for my personal web site. From this, Get Rich Slowly was born. Now I make over a thousand dollars a month writing about personal finance. But I didn’t start this for the money — I started this because I was passionate about the subject.
If you’re interested in making money from a hobby but don’t know where to start, think outside the box. What skills do you have that others don’t? Define the term “hobby” broadly. Find something that you can do that most others cannot, something for which other people might be willing to pay.
Your hobby will not make you rich. In most cases, it won’t even net you enough to allow you to quit your day job. It’s quite possible, however, to earn enough money to make the hobby self-sustaining, to keep yourself in new tools and equipment.
- Don’t underestimate your ability
It’s easy to discount your abilities. When you truly love something, your prolonged experience can give you skills and knowledge that you don’t appreciate.
This can be difficult. In order to actually earn income, you need customers. But just as most people have a tendency to underestimate their abilities, they also tend be uncomfortable with self-promotion.
Marketing can be subtle, but it’s an absolute necessity if you hope to earn money from your hobby. People need to know you’re available before they can hire you.
Practice, practice, practice. The more time and energy you’re willing to devote to your hobby, the better you will become. The better you become, the more likely that you’ll be able to earn money from it.
Some other ways to earn money
You can be a paid tester. Medical companies, cosmetics developers and others pay testers to try products and treatments. For some studies, you might have to meet certain requirements. Also, if it is a long study, it may take longer for you to get your money. Look for shorter studies. You can search “paid medical studies” and you will see a list of clinics, testing companies and paid focus group opportunities.
Blood plasma is in relatively high demand. One of the great things about plasma donation is that you can go two times in any seven days — so long as you wait at least two days in between. Check with DonatingPlasma.org to find centers near you. Can get between $20 and $35 a pint.
If you have a couple of days, you can go through the process of bone marrow donation. Depending on how much you give, you can sometimes get up to $450 for a donation. It can be painful, however. Be careful to go to a reputable center.
If you are willing to commit to six months, and willing to avoid, um, releasing your sperm except during donation times, you can get up to $40 per donation. This is something only men can do.
Those with skill in music can make money by sharing their abilities. If it is allowed, you can set up to entertain at parks. Many towns have farmers’ markets, and you can ask if you can be put on the entertainment schedule. A restaurant in my town allows musicians to come in and play during dinner two or three nights a week. You can make money on donations from those who appreciate your performance.
Look around your locality to find out whether or not there are recycling facilities. Many towns still have scrap metal recycling facilities that will pay you by the pound if you bring in metal. Additionally, if you live in a state where you pay a deposit for glass bottles, you can return the bottles for the deposit. Gather up bottles that other have thrown out and return them. Just be aware that it is illegal to do this across state lines.
You can usually be paid in cash for odd jobs. If you are knowledgeable about making repairs, yardwork or cleaning homes, you can make some quick cash for such jobs. If you have a truck, you can offer your services hauling away debris.
When I was a waiter, I always had cash in my pocket. If I wanted extra cash, all I needed to do was pick up an extra shift and collect tips. Serving and bartending are two quick ways to make money. And they are jobs that you can do evenings and weekends.
Hold a yard sale, or sell your things online. Go through what you have, and decide what you can part with. Selling it can provide the means of a small amount of immediate money.
If you don’t want to arrange a yard sale, you can pawn your stuff. In some cases, you are getting a loan that you have to pay back if you want your item back. However, if you don’t care about the item, you can simply take the cash and let the pawn shop keep it. Other pawn shops will buy items from you, and then re-sell them at a mark up.
Did you buy something recently? Take it back. You will get full price if it is unused and unopened, and you have a receipt. Even store credit will help if there is something you actually need to buy at the store.
- Sell Your Unused Gift Cards:
If you have unused gift cards, you can put them up for sale on sites like eBay, Plastic Jungle and others. You won’t get the face value of what’s left on your gift card, but if you won’t be using the card, and you need the cash, this could be a way to get the money you want.
Some people, who live near public transportation or who live near attractions, rent out their driveways — even their yards. Provide parking that is close to a popular location, and do it for less than a commercial lot or parking garage. You can get some quick cash. But you do have to be willing to park a little farther away, or risk having your car blocked into your garage.
It’s not exactly like getting cash, but it can help. If you are in dire straits, you can check with the local food pantry, or speak with a representative of the clergy at your church. You might find that you can get free groceries, or even assistance paying some bills. This will free up cash for other uses.
Working from home can be a rewarding way to make more money, especially if your are making money online. This won’t provide you with fast cash, and it can take a lot of hard work and creativity to build up your home business. When you work as an independent contractor, you will also need to understand how to handle your taxes, and you might even need to be licensed by your state, depending on what you decide to do. Here are some ways to make money by creating your own home business:
Provide babysitting services in your own home. If you can offer some sort of preschool in addition to child care, you can build up an even better business. Become properly licensed, and you might even be able to get help from the state in the form of subsidies for snacks and meals you provide for the children.
Depending on your abilities and skill level, you can can offer pet care services. It can be as simple as walking dogs and feeding cats for out-of-town neighbors, or it can be as complex as bathing and grooming services.
For those who are talented in the area of arts and crafts, it is possible to sell what you make. Web sites like Etsy provide you a way to sell what you create. My sister-in-law sells items she crochets. She even designs patterns that sell for a couple dollars each time someone wants one. If you sew, work with wood, knit, quilt, paint or enjoy some other type of art pursuit, you can build a business.
Those who are organized and have good communications skills can provide administrative services, even at a distance. Appointment setting, phone calls and other duties can be performed by a virtual assistant. It’s a growing field that you can involve yourself in.
Are you good at math? Do you understand science concepts? Can you help others improve their reading and writing skills? If you have a talent for teaching, you can offer your services as a tutor. Not only can you do it as a home business in your local area, but you can also make money online as a tutor. You can look for your own clients, or sign up with services like Stutors.com.
When you have a good eye, and some talent with a camera, you can make money as a photographer. Offer to take photos for graduation, weddings, births and other life events. It’s possible to find small lighting kits on eBay, and a dark sheet can provide a background if you do indoor photography rather than outdoor. With the help of digital cameras and web sites like Shutterfly, it is possible to provide this service. On top of that, you can provide creative photos, landscapes and other images to stock photo sites, and receive money every time someone downloads your pictures.
There are a number of freelancing activities that can be done from your home, allowing a way of making money online. If you have the skill and the right equipment, you can freelance as a writer, graphic designer, software developer, or programmer. Take on projects and get paid.
If you have knowledge of social media, public relations or some other subject in high demand, you can sell your knowledge. Work from home offering tips on increasing social media presence. Write press releases and direct advertising strategy. My husband will be working as a consultant for a local health care system, providing advice and direction on survey design.
- Financial Planning Services
With the right certifications and licenses, you can provide financial planning services from your home. Offer suggestions to help others meet their financial goals. If you get your securities license, you can even help people buy investments.
You can rent out a room in your home. You can convert part of your house to a bed and breakfast, and you can rent it out for temporary visitors to your home. Or, you can rent a room to a college student, or young professional, who needs a place to live. This will provide you with some regular income from the use of your home.
