Courtesy of Dave Ramsey
If you want to blaze through the Baby Steps, there’s nothing like an extra job—and the extra cash it brings in—to turbo-charge your gazelle intensity. And while extra income is great for blasting your debt snowball, it’s also super handy for building an emergency fund, paying off the mortgage, or beefing up your college fund or retirement nest egg.
Teaching
You might be surprised to learn that plenty of folks will pay you to teach them about something you love doing. All you have to do is get the word out. What are people interested in learning? Rebecca G. is a teacher for her day job, and she tutors special-needs students on the side. “I feel like I really make a difference and make an extra $120 a week!” She’s a month away from paying off her car and being debt-free!
Food
If there’s anything people will pay for, it’s food! You could do specialty items like Caitlin T., who makes custom cakes. “I started making cakes for friends and family for free,” she said in her post. “Now I sell $5,000 to $6,000 in cakes each month!" Michele S. and her husband make barbeque rubs and sauces to sell at farmers’ markets. “Now we have our first [commercial] account!” she said. But you don’t need special skills or a secret recipe. Mattie W. just started a meal preparation business. She buys the groceries and prepares meals for busy families who want a home-cooked dinner but don’t have the time to put it all together. A recent 10-meal order netted $75 for three hours of work.
Pets
People love their pets, but there are some aspects of their care many pet owners are willing to hire out. Carol S. has a friend who owns a poop-scooping business. That’s right—she removes dog poop from people’s yards so the pups’ owners don’t have to. “I covered her poop-scooping business for a month while she went to visit her aging mother,” Carol said. “Made enough money to buy a door and window for a remodel I’m doing.” Of course, there are cleaner jobs for pet lovers. Debby M. is a child care center director by day, and she bathes dogs at her friend’s grooming shop on the weekends. “I love bathing the dogs, and I get two perks: extra cash and my five dogs groomed for free!” she said. Lin H., a former accountant, now pet-sits for a living. “Left my accounting job to do something I enjoy, and I make more [money] doing it,” Lin said.
Embrace a Passion
Do you have a beautiful home and love entertaining? Open a bed-and-breakfast like Luann M. “It’s a good extra income, and we serve guests from all over the world,” she said. Love gardening? Jamie W. opened his own you-pick-it pumpkin patch two years ago. “It keeps us active and creative and helped me spend my ‘work’ money to pay off my car early,” Jamie told us. How about music? “I sing in two professional choruses,” Darcy M. said. “I love it, and I love the extra bit of income it produces.” Sports enthusiasts can get in on the action too. Eric K. and Brian E. serve as referees at soccer, basketball, softball and baseball games. “I love it, it keeps me in great shape, and it puts an extra [$1,000] per month in the budget,” Brian said.
Help Others
A successful business will meet an unmet need, and you can find plenty of needs to meet in the senior community. Amanda B., a stay-at-home mom, recently landed a job calling seniors who live alone—just to chat. “I brighten a lot of days and I love doing it!” she said. “I drive seniors to all kinds of appointments and to get their groceries,” Lynn S. said. “It’s been great as an extra money maker.”
Cash In On a Skill
Cheryl T. designs business cards, flyers, address labels and other items and sells the designs online. “I make about $100 extra a week,” she said.
Saving Money Is as Good as Making Money
Extra money is a blessing to your budget whether you earned it or saved it with smart shopping or by cutting back on luxuries.
If you want to blaze through the Baby Steps, there’s nothing like an extra job—and the extra cash it brings in—to turbo-charge your gazelle intensity. And while extra income is great for blasting your debt snowball, it’s also super handy for building an emergency fund, paying off the mortgage, or beefing up your college fund or retirement nest egg.
Teaching
You might be surprised to learn that plenty of folks will pay you to teach them about something you love doing. All you have to do is get the word out. What are people interested in learning? Rebecca G. is a teacher for her day job, and she tutors special-needs students on the side. “I feel like I really make a difference and make an extra $120 a week!” She’s a month away from paying off her car and being debt-free!
Food
If there’s anything people will pay for, it’s food! You could do specialty items like Caitlin T., who makes custom cakes. “I started making cakes for friends and family for free,” she said in her post. “Now I sell $5,000 to $6,000 in cakes each month!" Michele S. and her husband make barbeque rubs and sauces to sell at farmers’ markets. “Now we have our first [commercial] account!” she said. But you don’t need special skills or a secret recipe. Mattie W. just started a meal preparation business. She buys the groceries and prepares meals for busy families who want a home-cooked dinner but don’t have the time to put it all together. A recent 10-meal order netted $75 for three hours of work.
Pets
People love their pets, but there are some aspects of their care many pet owners are willing to hire out. Carol S. has a friend who owns a poop-scooping business. That’s right—she removes dog poop from people’s yards so the pups’ owners don’t have to. “I covered her poop-scooping business for a month while she went to visit her aging mother,” Carol said. “Made enough money to buy a door and window for a remodel I’m doing.” Of course, there are cleaner jobs for pet lovers. Debby M. is a child care center director by day, and she bathes dogs at her friend’s grooming shop on the weekends. “I love bathing the dogs, and I get two perks: extra cash and my five dogs groomed for free!” she said. Lin H., a former accountant, now pet-sits for a living. “Left my accounting job to do something I enjoy, and I make more [money] doing it,” Lin said.
Embrace a Passion
Do you have a beautiful home and love entertaining? Open a bed-and-breakfast like Luann M. “It’s a good extra income, and we serve guests from all over the world,” she said. Love gardening? Jamie W. opened his own you-pick-it pumpkin patch two years ago. “It keeps us active and creative and helped me spend my ‘work’ money to pay off my car early,” Jamie told us. How about music? “I sing in two professional choruses,” Darcy M. said. “I love it, and I love the extra bit of income it produces.” Sports enthusiasts can get in on the action too. Eric K. and Brian E. serve as referees at soccer, basketball, softball and baseball games. “I love it, it keeps me in great shape, and it puts an extra [$1,000] per month in the budget,” Brian said.
Help Others
A successful business will meet an unmet need, and you can find plenty of needs to meet in the senior community. Amanda B., a stay-at-home mom, recently landed a job calling seniors who live alone—just to chat. “I brighten a lot of days and I love doing it!” she said. “I drive seniors to all kinds of appointments and to get their groceries,” Lynn S. said. “It’s been great as an extra money maker.”
Cash In On a Skill
Cheryl T. designs business cards, flyers, address labels and other items and sells the designs online. “I make about $100 extra a week,” she said.
Saving Money Is as Good as Making Money
Extra money is a blessing to your budget whether you earned it or saved it with smart shopping or by cutting back on luxuries.