Please post unconventional (legal) ways to make money here.

I'm trying to think of ways to drum up cash, anything from going gem mining around NC to dog sitting to poop scooping for profit.

I haven't had a decent job since 2000 (surprise, surprise) and I am thinking about giving up on that concept altogether.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, what are some creative ways to raise a little dough that people here use? I am just about fed up with trying to make it in this world the conventional way. I started at UPS part-time Monday night and wrenched my back out and had to quit the next day. I give up. Anybody got any creative ideas?

For a tax place. You wave at cars for four hours and get a ten minute break every hour for $6.00 an hour. It wasn't a bad looking costume either, a shimmery aqua blue toga with one of those nerf liberty hats.

But it wasn't compatible with my school schedule.

(Apologies to our vice president)

Snatch up paperbacks and CDs from garage sales or other giveaways; sell them online at next to nothing; make tiny per-item profit on the difference between your shipping reimbursement from Amazon and the actual shipping cost.

That's why you see all those old books and CDs selling for $0.01 on there. Make $1 on each, and sell 1,000 a month, and you too can be a New Economy Winner.

(only half :P )

I always forget about stuff like this.

really.

Offer to arrange everything.
These people don't have the time to do this stuff and you could make some cash.
There is a guy who sells steak knives and does well at the fairgrounds.
Open a daycare.

I worked at a factory in SC for a few months and the woman sitting beside me went on and on about her yard sales. She had at least one a week, and said that she made more money at her yard sales then she did at her plant job.

Eventually she let me in on her secret. She and her boyfriend would take the stuff left over from the previous yardsale to the goodwill bin, but while they were putting stuff in, they were also taking stuff out. They would take all the stuff to the car, go through it, get what they thought would sell, and drive to the next unmanned goodwill bin, put the discards from the first one in there and pull all the stuff out of that one and go through it, until they'd hit every goodwill bin in town, and they did this once or twice a week. She seemed really proud of her industriousness. But she warned me "if you try to do it, don't get caught, because it's called pilfering and you can get in trouble for it."

college, at the end of each semester, a certain number of kids flunk-out and they have to go home. They don't take all of the stuff they and their parents stuffed into that dorm room home so it ends up in the dumpster. My son and I have found all types of good items... TVs, DVDs, cameras, on and on.

I don't know where you are, but in the triangle the dumpsters are FULL of $$$.

RTP dumpsters full of electronics and office supplies; campus dumpsters full of swanky collectable furniture...

I don't know whether you'd qualify under my state's law, let alone yours -- but if you suffered an on-the-job injury that made it impossible for you to continue your employment, maybe there's some coverage. The NC agency has some information here: <http://www.comp.state.nc.us/ncic/pages/qa.htm> and, if you need help, has an Ombudsman Service here: <http://www.comp.state.nc.us/ncic/pages/ombudsmn.htmhttp://www.comp.state.nc.us/ncic/pages/ombudsmn.htmhttp://www.comp.state.nc.us/ncic/pages/ombudsmn.htm>. If you have trouble getting a clear answer from them, call one of your state legislators. Good luck!

It was my first day, so I just quit, it wasn't a serious injury, but I knew if I were to feel like that everyday I wouldn't be able to sit at school and I'm not giving school up.

they need your help and and could make at least $8/hour.

some folks do things for quick cash by hauling cast offs to the dump for cheaper than the other guy; selling some of the "good stuff" at flea markets.

Yard maintenance comes to mind. If you had access to soil/ground, you could grow either veggies or flowers to sell at flea markets/farmers markets, or sell to nurseries. Some people take off around the country, go to other areas to pick up items in flea markets or auctions (maybe even antiques) to bring back and sell for a profit. Need a truck and trailer or camper/van.

If you have any tools to work with, you could build fences or build porches or (if you have a hobby) build/make things to sell at flea markets and craft faires.

If I had the strength and a permanent place to live I would start a propagation nursery in my yard. You take clippings of certain arboritaves, root them in small containers, then when they're strong enough, sell them to nurseries in my area. Investment is small and you can make scads of clippings from one original plant.

You could start a small used book store in your garage or someplace cheap. You could get involved in catalog sales from your home.

Someone in DU suggested stock trading from home (?)

Just a few ideas to get ya thinking......... good luck :hi:

there is a website I can't remember right now where the man suggested that, the propagation nursery. I have about ten "do not propagate" lantanas at my windowsill right now that are going into the ground come spring. I wish I could remember this man's name that has the website, he is amazing, tells you how to do everything free.

Mike McGroarty. I think he lives someplace in Ohio. GREAT info.

lol...I've propogated Lavendar and Rosemary and lemon verbena plants like crazy!! I did it out of desperation at first. We had to move and I couldn't stand to have to leave the plants behind and/or buy them again for my next house. Soooooooo, Mike's help came in very handy indeed. :)

I rarely leave my house without my pruners/clippers; ya never know what lovely thing you'll find in a friends yard that would look nice in your own...:evilgrin:

I like his ideas about supplying nurseries...Heck, if one has the desire, it's feasible to grow a BUNCH of those latanas and sell them at the flea market or at the farmer's market. Would be fun, at least for me, standing out there with your straw hat and meeting interesting people while ya make a few bucks. Just a thought.

GREAT good luck to you :hi:

Yellow 4'o clocks(300 seeds) and Lantanas,too(plants).They're like weeds in my yard.Some others I don't know right now what all I have.
PM me if you like.
Overall not a bad idea! Maybe I start my own nursery,too.I'm so sick of the place I work for!I was so desperate tonight I checked out SMC,but they want too much money for their stat up kit.

I thought it was,but I'm desperate for more funds.

Buy up garage sale stuff and sell it on eBay. I've
tripled my money on some things, 10 X on others ....
My roomate is a mystery shopper, gets all kinds
of free stuff and a stream of checks in the mail.
Google "mystery shopper" ... I'm thinking of trying it,
seeing all the money she's making. Downside is you're
basically a spy for corporate amerika ...

My Girl Scout troop did that for a fund raiser one year and made a mint.

sorry, couldn't resist. :P

It's Girl Scout cookie time here in the Low Country. (And it was a rather FAT mint they made...sent one girl to Mexico on the profits)

I've done alot of stupid stuff in my day, but nothing bad enough to make the Girl Scouts ship me to Mexico!

Toss paint on canvas & sell on ebay & at local coffee shops.:hippie:

I hear they pay good for peeps to give em a thumbs up..

member goes shopping. They are usually very nice and just want to talk or watch TV. Some are asleep and never know their family member was ever gone. Again, $8 hourly.

buy in bulk, sell for 6.00 each and more

some sellers have 15,000 feedback

Being on the east coast, you have an advantage in that we can get a lot of antiques that those in the middle of the country and on the west coast don't: you can get antiques. I would suggest starting small, go on ebay, and eventually work up to your own website, like I have. Get some books and learn a lot about one category: I sell furniture and chandeliers mostly, but it takes a lot more money. My friend sells enamelware, mostly from france, but the euro makes that tough now. Try glassware, or old toys; go to a few auctions and see what you like. Lighting can be bought remarkably cheap and can sell for good money.

Good luck!

but I have a senior who does work around my house for, the other he put new molding around my garage door and changed a couple of lights in my kitchen that I couldn't reach, he was here not quite an hour and charged me $18.00. Another time he put new faucets in my kitchen and two bathrooms which took him awhile to do, I think he made over $100.00 that day. I bought the supplies, but if he had to get them for me he would charge me extra and of course reimburse him for the supplies. There are a lot of people who own homes who don't have time to do repair work or like me who does not know how to do the work.

His normal fee is $20.00 an hour but I know some who charge more.

Street theatre; do something creative and make up your own shtick. :)