16 ways to earn extra money

 Sure, you are cutting back on everything from entertainment to grocery costs. You may have even eliminated things from your budget altogether, but what happens when you still come up shorthanded on cash? We have put together a list of sixteen creative ways to pull in a little extra income for any unexpected expenses, or just for spending money.  

1. Gardening/Lawn service- Have a green thumb? Let your friends, family, and coworkers know you are more than happy to help them with gardening and landscaping for a little fee. Even if you're not particularly talented in the area, anybody can mow a lawn.
2. Sell fresh produce- If you already have a garden going, or are looking to start one for a fun and fruitful hobby, sell your fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices from your garden. You should package them in an appealing, attractive and presentable way.
3. Deliver the phonebook- Somebody's gotta do it. It is usually a seasonal position, and doesn't take much effort. You can also set your own schedule around your regular work and any other obligations.
4. Have a bake sale- Kind of like selling the aforementioned fruits and veggies, but much easier. You'll profit big time from selling individual servings of cookies, brownies, cupcakes and other home baked goods. One way to make these look appealing to potential customers is to wrap them in colored plastic wrap, and tie with ribbons.
5. Tutor students- Are you a math genius? Use your school skills to earn extra cash by helping tutor students. Tutors are needed in every grade level. Advertise on billboards at schools and other places parents will see it, such as fast food restaurants and drop-in daycares.
6. Collect cans- Collect aluminum cans, and take them to a recycling facility. It's not a huge payout, something like five to ten cents per can, but it does add up and helps the environment.
7. Sell unwanted items on Ebay- You can sell pretty much anything on this site. Scour your garage for unwanteds from sports equipment and toys to used furniture and clothing.
8. Take up a second job- Whether it's delivering pizzas or waiting tables, a part-time second job with bring in some extra income. Read more in our article "Moonlighting: Is a second (part-time) job right for you".
9. Babysit- Most parents at one time or another want (or need) a babysitter. Get your name out there, and keep rolling in the clients. Its especially easy if you already have little ones of your own.
10. Shovel snow- If you live in a cold climate, offer to shovel people's snow. So many people hate the chore, that they'd be glad to pay somebody a little cash to get the job done.
11. Have a garage sale- When you think quick cash, you think garage sales, right? Just make sure to plan everything out, and set up early in the morning on a weekend. Promote your yard sale with signs, and classified advertisements in both your local newspaper and Craigslist.org. You can also set up a stand for selling your baked goods and fresh produce at your yard sale. Consider making it a multi-family garage sale to help friends and neighbors get in on a little extra cash.
12. Drive people to the airport- Live in a major city? Offer to take people to the airport. Put up flyers in coffee shops, restaurants and office building break rooms.
13. Sell textbooks- Sell your used college textbooks. Try local stores that buy them, or online stores like Swapbooks, Bookbyte or BigWords
14. Teach a language- If you're fortunate enough to be fluent in another language, why not make some side cash teaching interested students? You could also tutor those that are already enrolled in a second language class.
15. Rent out a room- If you have an extra room in your house, consider renting it out to a single mom or college student. The extra money you'll collect from rent will help, and shared utilities will bring down monthly bills.
16. Become the new paperboy- It's not just for teenagers anymore. It's only a few hours a week, but it does help. Talk to your local newspapers, and see if they need any extra help delivering papers.

Oh, and don't forget to claim the income on your tax return! Would be a shame to get into a bind later.

Editor's update:  This article is now featured in a Carnival of Savings over at  SavingsWithSadie!