Tired of the same old suggestions on how to earn extra money on the side? Well here are some unusual jobs people can get to supplement their income. I do some of these myself and have checked out all the sites and they really do work.
Be a Nude Model
Schools with art programs employ nude models for various poses and do not require any particular type of body style. In fact, the National Academy is one paying $12 per hour for models. The School of Visual Arts pays $18 per hour and holds auditions periodically.
Fake an Illness
Remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and his buddy were acting out ailments for med students? Well, it’s a real job and you can get paid to do the same thing. Mount Sinai’s Morchand Center for Clinical Competence hires professional actors and require two contrasting monologues for an audition. Pay ranges from minimum wage to $30 per hour.
Brand-A-Band
Bands are always looking for merchandise. If you can design T-shirts on your desktop publishing system you can print the designs on iron transfer paper. Typically shirts can go for around $10 each and you can unload them at the band’s shows. If you’re into sports teams, you can also sell t-shirts at local sporting events or hook your camera up to the computer, take a person’s photo and iron it on a T-shirt at a fair or special event. Use transfer paper for dark shirts only (we’ve gotten ours on eBay for really cheap) and a bunch of T-shirts either online or at a discount store for about $1.50 each.
Through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk you can sign up and do little tasks that take a couple minutes to a few hours. Pay is anywhere from a penny to $12 or more for some of the companies. Any basic Internet novice should be able to fill out the online forms. It’s not rocket science. Things like checking web links on a page, seeing if the ordering system is going through online or choosing between two items. You can get paid online and transfer to your bank account or redeem your earnings on Amazon.com.
Scalp Tickets for Real
You don’t have to stand out in the weather to sell your tickets. Through StubHub.com you can sell the tickets you’ve gotten for any game, theater event or concert anywhere. Just sign up and start selling your tickets. You can deliver the tickets either by FedEx or electronically. You set the price and buyers are protected because tickets are verified through their service. Start small and grow. Hot tickets can be sold for high dollars! The other good thing is 85% of the money goes to you. It’s good because they do the work and you get the money.
I know it sounds funny, but everyone loves a dog. You can sell advertising space on your dog’s sweater or make a little sandwich sign for Fido to walk around with. Get $10-$25 per side of your dog per day or week depending on your area. People will see the dog and the sign!
Ok – so many of these “secret shoppers” and “mystery shoppers” ask for money upfront. Well guess what! Throw those leads in the trash because the legit people don’t make you pay a thing. You can sign up for a Secret Shopper job at none other than SecretShopper.com. They’ve never made people pay to register so they are the real deal. Also try CertifiedAssociate.com and ICC Decision Services for a legit secret shopper job.
Be A ChaCha Guru
Answer questions on the go for ChaCha.com the premier site where people ask questions from their cell phone and get instant answers. They pay you per answer (about 20 cents) and you can use all those texting skills to share your knowledge with others. Just sign up, go through their Search University and there you are – you’re a guide. There will be a few videos and tests to go through and you’ll have to wait for a couple days before you can actually start, but you’re one step closer if you start now!
Shoot Some Heads!
Musicians, actors and all kinds of entertainment people want headshots. They have to have new pictures constantly to keep up with their changing looks and developing acts. Some photographers charge up to $1500 for a set of photos. You could charge $100 up for good digital photos. Check online to see other people’s press kits and you’ll get an idea of what they need. You can also ask a local modeling studio to look at see a sample of their modeling cards.
It’s true – you can actually part out your body as a parts model. Remember George Costanza on Seinfeld? He had a job as a hand model for about a minute until he got burned on an iron. Check out PartsModels.com or BodyPartModels.com and look under requirements. Maybe you think you’re too short, too fat or too old but you’ve got that one thing they need to make a commercial.
Sell A Piece Of Yourself
Blood banks are a great way to earn a little cash. Most pay somewhere between $25 – $35 depending on the location. You can usually only give once a week. If you’re really ambitious you can try the Fertility Clinic which pays between $1-$200 per week. You’ll have to read their requirements but it’s a good way to earn cash.
