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Whether it’s putting a coin or two towards a dream vacation, saving up for retirement, or spending them on treating oneself, having extra cash is unlikely to harm anyone. That is why some people come up with pretty inventive ways to earn some.
Members of the ‘Poverty Finance’ community recently shared their ways of filling up their pockets. Ranging from something rather conventional, such as pet sitting or language teaching, to some more peculiar activities like breeding cockroaches, their answers showed that in most cases, where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you’re interested in other lucrative ways redditors were able to earn some extra money, scroll down to find their answers on the list below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I currently work a full-time job. when my kids were
younger I would occasionally babysit for neighbors. I’ve lived in the same neighborhood for nearly 20 years so I know many people.
Once a month, on a Friday night, I host a Parents night out and babysit overnight. I still have a swing set, a tree swing and such so kids come to my home. I charge charge around $50 a child and I serve dinner and have a dessert, we play outside until dusk, come in and get cleaned up/put pjs on and then watch a movie. Depending on weather and age of kids we may use our blowup movie screen and projector and watch the movie outside along with popcorn and juice boxes. Afterwards it’s brushing teeth and getting settled down in sleeping bags. We set up camp in the family room
and kids fall asleep quickly. I’m up by 8 making breakfast to feed the little people and parents pickup a round 9:15. I usually watch 8-10 kids and it’s an easy $500. Kids LOVE the night and I have more demand then space available.
#2
Back in college I put together furniture, 80% of the time for older folks who ordered flat pack furniture and couldn’t put it together themselves. I enjoy the puzzle of putting together IKEA furniture, and I usually had an interesting conversation or two with the older generation.
#3
I had a plumbing backup and needed someone with a snake to clear the line. I looked on Craigslist and everyone was charging $99 for the snaking. This one guy advertised for $69. I called him, he came and had my line clear in 20 minutes. We got to talking. He and his family had just come in from Ohio a couple of weeks before because their 8 year old daughter needed medical treatment that was only available in Tampa, but before he left Ohio he had bought a used electrical plumbing snake for $400. Upon arrival he was instantly busy with snake jobs because his price was the lowest on all of Craigslist. According to him he was making about $400 per day, and he was working it 7 days a week. Good money in it once the initial investment is made, but of course it is not a glamorous job.
#4
I have a flea market booth. The most lucrative part about it is freeze dried candy I buy from a local business. I buy in bulk and have 100% mark up and still sell a c**p load of candy! It helps that the local mall has pretty much the same stuff for 3x the price. People want to try it but don't want to pay those prices, so they get excited when they see mine and buy 3 for the price of 1 mall candy. It's silly, but I'm happy with it.
detective miller's hat 1 year ago
My sister and I are doing our first flea market soon. Hopefully it's a bigger success than our Etsy shop.
#5
I pet sit. For people in my building. Mostly doctors. Three doctors and some elderly couples. I offered during the pandemic for free but they tipped me? I told them even i was a little offended .. its GREAT for my dogs to play and have dogs over lol….
I even take them to the park and on walks. Now if they go out of town they ask me to pet sit. I know some people charge 80 a night thats my pet sitter charges me.. they give me 40. Plus they bring me a little knickknack from wherever they travel to.
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
SAME! Due to the pandemic, my company still works remote and it's awesome. So I offer anyone who wants to have their dog stay here when they travel (as long as I'm not double booked). It's fantastic. Dog is happier here than in some kennel. I love having them around. Like the op, I really don't charge money but people insist on paying. It's not enough for me to quit my day job (not that I want to) but it's great money to have around.
#6
Rev! You transcribe the audio that you hear, and it can be anything from police body cam to talks about blueberry fields. You can make decent money if you grind it. You DO get graded. If you get too many bad marks, you get 'demoted' to a base level. Premium folks get the pick of the litter when it comes to files. I easily make a couple hundred bucks a month doing it. You do need good, noise-canceling headphones. You have to follow their guidelines for transcribing--labeling speakers correctly, etc.
#7
I met a dude once who sold cockroaches to Petco, Petsmart, etc. He was making like 200k off his garage.
#8
I worked as a victim for a military training drill. It was $100 per day, paid in cash. If you did all three days of this exercise you got an extra $25. They are coming back to my area in two months.
Panda Kicki 1 year ago
That gigs are really nice. I used to do all kinds of those, for police, military, health care. Been a hostage on a boat, got medevac via helicopter, take the slide from a airplane.. Pay was good, but nowadays they usually dont use paid people, but teens from their schools that gets a free pizza :(
#9
I sell plant cuttings and seedlings! Spring time I just sell my extra peppers and tomatoes, and then have some well loved houseplants that need a haircut every so often - i just root the cuttings in water and eventually pot and sell. Its not a ton of cash or anything, but it's a nice way for my hobby to pay for itself over time. Also been growing pomegranates from seed because where I live they are an uncommon houseplant. The local garden center sold small trees for 129+! I had no problem growing the little guys for a few months and selling for 20$ whereas the seed packs were 5 dollars for a bunch.
#10
I sell photos of my feet.
#11
I dog/house sat for years. I do it now for a select few people but at some point I was making an extra $1000 a month. There are lots of pros and cons but generally it was a good gig. I stayed at peoples houses with their animals, which paid more. People will pay really good money if you’re trustworthy and will stay in their home.
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
Yep, can confirm this is a very profitable thing. I never did that, but was asked - a LOT. I just don't like staying in other people houses and only willing to have dogs stay at my place. But people ask for this a lot and offer big money for it.
#12
Every once in a while I'll go be a tester for food/drinks at P&K Research. Yeah it's weird, but $25 is $25.
#13
In college, I was a “line waiter.”
Every time there was a new video game, console, or phone release, I would go to the store and offer to wait in line for someone.
I could make $100 in a night, and I would bring a book or some homework to keep me busy.
The Original Bruno 1 year ago (edited)
In Washington, DC, committee hearings are supposed to be open to the public. Special interest groups hire dozens of line waiters. They don't need that many people to observe the proceedings; they just occupy the committee hearings so there's no vacancies left over for the public. But if you get a tip that a hearing will take place in a few days in such-and-such a room, you legally COULD wait five days on line with no bathroom or food to witness a hearing.
#14
I “teach English “ online, basically just chat with ppl. One of them is a kid where we do a 50/50 reading and watching Pokémon or Godzilla. So I get paid minimum wage to watch pokemon and old Godzilla movies.
TheKnightOwl 1 year ago
I'm curious about this. Would you need to know the language of the person you are teaching, or is the whole point to immerse them in the English language without the ability to fallback on their native tongue?
#15
Not super odd but I sharpen knives and tools to supplement my income. Startup costs are pretty low and if you go to a farmers market in a wealthier part of town, you can usually get a decent amount of business.
Kitchen and pocket knives are usually the standard but if you can sharpen tools like lawn mower blades, shears, chisels, etc. You can get a decent amount of consistent return business.
Anywhere from a couple hundred to about 1k a month depending on how much I am working at it.
#16
Not that weird but I model for art classes. I have a FT job but I usually do classes a month and get paid in cash which is nice.
detective miller's hat 1 year ago
I used to do that when I was in college. I went to an art school, so there were a fair few of us who modeled for painting and drawing classes. It was a bit strange at first, sitting stark naked surrounded by a bunch of kids you knew from the dorms or parties, but it was also wild how fast you just.... didn't really care. There is something very freeing standing naked in front of a bunch of people and not really caring.
#17
I do clinical studies. I was on an antibody one where the total pay is like $6k.
I got $300-700 a month for the first few months for a blood draw and 1 infusion. And once I complete it next month I get a $1,500 “bonus” for completing the whole thing.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
Antibody drugs can cause (rare) severe anaphylaxis which could lead to death. I would totally try something that could cure my condition, I wouldn't try anything like that as a healthy volunteer.
#18
Rubbish dumbs salvage sellable items for their tip shops, they sell things dirt cheap, buy clean and resell. I tend to pick up a lot of golf clubs for $1-$5 and resell for $40-$100. It’s amazing what people throw away.
#19
I'm an artist, I draw commissions for any adult who wants nsfw 18+ content drawn. It's helped me earn enough money to make my car payment the past two months, which is great. I don't advertise my services, but I'm asked about it frequently on social media so the clients just come naturally to me.
#20
I do dog training for both puppies and behavioral issues. Mainly work with the local shelter to help dogs get a handle on their own issues so they can get adopted. I always teach the black dogs a fun trick like spin or "fight me!" (They get on hind legs and flail their front paws like a boxing match) since Black Dog Syndrome means they're in the shelter longer.
Awesome At Being Autistic 1 year ago
It's harder to find a home for black dogs (and black cats). Some people say that it's because they're not photogenic enough for Instagram, but in reality they've been hard to place long before Instagram existed. Various other theories out there too. It's sad, I grew up with black Labs and black cats, I don't know why some people don't like them.
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Karen Philpott 1 year ago
Well unless those black dogs also have red glowing eyes and smell of sulphur then, I wouldn't and don't have a problem with them. I've had black cats and they're just gorgeous.
MrsFettesVette 1 year ago
BDS makes me so sad- my baby is black and we think she's the most beautiful girl in the world (which we tell her every day). She's smart, sweet, gentle, silly, and the light of our lives. I do not get the "black dog" mindset at all,people are missing out on wonderful pets
sherry powers 1 year ago
Black dogs and cats were always my favorite, and working at two shelters they were always the best behaved ones considering the daily stress they go through living there
#21
Not money but I garden for some elderly friends as well as guerrilla gardening on unused city land. A little seed money, some good dirt, some water, a learning curve, and I’m supplementing my entire family’s groceries every day for the summer and fall.
#22
I make simple static webpage sites for people.
P.S. Always get a proper contract signed for work like this, with deliverables, a deadline, a stated length of time for support, and how they can acquire support in the future.
#23
I bake fruitcakes from scratch, using pecans instead of walnuts, and cream sherry in lieu of harsher liquors. I use 1/2 pound loaf pans, so no one is stuck with a lot of leftovers.
Baking begins in September, through October, so the cakes have time to soak up the sherry.
Business is pretty good, I can do a few hundred dollars or more easily, and still have folks clamoring for more.
#24
https://preview.redd.it/xu3rmqirsrib1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b2f1e56824428f4826d55cce2156698883d35b0
I crochet and sell dolls
TheKnightOwl 1 year ago
My mum does this and is amazing at it. I told her she needs to set up an online shop. She just finished Paddington Bear, with his little bag and a marmalade sandwich. Her talent amazes me, if only I inherited it!
#25
You’d be surprised at how lucrative a Photoshop gig is on Reddit! There are tons of groups centered around requesting different photoshopped things, and many of them will tip $5-15 if yours is the best!
#26
Similar to drug trials, I’m a regular volunteer for testing medical devices/smartwatches that measure blood pressure and/or blood oxygen. Each session lasts 60-90 minutes, pays $200, and only requires giving a small amount of blood. Typically limited to 2x per month but I’m not there for the $.
#27
If you are healthy and can build up your microbiome using potent probiotics, you can literally get paid good cash for your stool! There are people that suffer from c-diff infections and require fecal transplants! Just google it!
#28
I host trivia. It’s a few nights a week for 2.5 hours a night. It’s $50 each night plus the different venues hook you up with deals on food and drinks. Like one place you get a free meal, which you can use for like these giant a*s amazing pizzas that are like $25. Or another place I get free drinks. It’s pretty chill and I make about $500 a month. It helps.
#29
Not weird but I've been working on cars since high school and I do mobile maintenance for basic upkeep and minor repairs. I always tell my clients to never bring big projects to me because if there is something seriously wrong with their car I am not willing to take on huge liability repairs, but things like oil change, brake pads/fluid, fuel line repair or head gasket replacement I can do confidently.
#30
One thing I did was a mock jury I found on Craigslist. Went to a law firm where they catered food, drinks and snacks. We got to listen to a case and deliberate like an actual jury would and the whole thing was recorded. Got paid 200 plus travel fees for about 3 1/2 hours worth of work. Also I would go to peoples houses and assemble/disassemble patio furniture, barbecues, things of that nature and made on average 100 dollars a job
What do you think ?
Bart 1 year ago
5 years ago did a (free) 3 day course on how to safely remove wasp nests. Now I charge $200/nest removal and it only takes bout an hour. Not year round off course but still 20-30 nests each summer.
John G 1 year ago
I did this in our backyard... except for the safely part. Didn't get stung, but definitely got lucky. Then I read what I should have done - wait until night.
Load More Replies...
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
My daughter plays travel volleyball. She wants to play in college, so we take video of all her games to put together highlight videos that she then links to college coaches. Other girls on our team have approached me about making similar videos for them. I'm not a professional, just a dad trying to help his daughter create opportunities for herself. But I've made probably over $1,000 now over the past year by making highlight videos out of film I already was taking.
CatProductions 1 year ago
Like about 20% of all of these jobs I never even heard about lol, this was a pretty cool article
Rick Seiden 1 year ago
I've been thinking of selling two sided magnetic name/word tags on Etsy, but I don't want the hassle of dealing with people who are a******s. (Think something you'd put on a dishwasher where one side says "CLEAN" and the other side says "DIRTY". I 3D print them with embedded magnets. It's super easy to change the text on them and to print them out if you have a multicolor printer. Really low cost and you could easily sell them for $5-$10 each. But then you'll get someone who says they don't like the shade of yellow they got and want a refund or some such nonsense, and I spend far too much time dealing with them to make it worth it.)
Kel_how 1 year ago
You could always have a hard and fast no returns policy
Load More Replies...
Dolevaal 1 year ago
Not really wild but I used to donate blood plasma on a regular basis. There are pretty strict limits (you can only come twice a week, when you're on medication its tricky, they'll ask a lot about your background and stuff) but they pay in cash (about 23 Euros per visit) and they often have actions where they'll pay more when you come more often.
Petra Schaap 1 year ago (edited)
i used to do surveys for a while. It usually paid around 25 euro per time but it didnt happen a lot. It was fun though. One time i was shopping, a girl walked up to me going "can i ask you something?" i went "sure" and she asked "do you sometimes eat vegetarian burgers?" i was like "uh yeah?" and she dragged me inside an office building 😂 without any further questions. I knew the survey place was located there was there but it was still a bit strange. Later her boss apologized to me and asked if they could call me for more surveys. Said yes!
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
My mum did some when I was younger. One time she thought the ad sounded a bit dodgy, and didn't know the area, but decided to go anyway, just with me in tow. Not sure why she thought an 8 year old would have helped in that situation but oh well! I enjoyed it because it was just watching ads and giving opinion on them. I remember one was for Chicken-in-a-biscuit and I was excited a few months later seeing it on tv :) (The ad was pretty ridiculous though, people holding biscuits that suddenly explode and a chicken came out)
Load More Replies...
censorshipsucks 1 year ago
A lot of these seem USA-specific. We have a big industry here with recycling and scrap/waste but it's done by waste picker guys who live in shanties. They strip infrastructure for it. IMHO the best side gig is one which requires no stock and no equipment. So, for me, that is basically making websites.
Aisling Raye 1 year ago
Prolific.co (one of the sites to do studies) is available in most OECD countries. It's particularly worthwhile if you're multilingual.
Load More Replies... 
Rasmus Turkka 1 year ago
The side hustle career job productivity is insane, maybe I'll do something similar one day
LayDiva in the Zone 1 year ago
I do the random focus panel, an occasional medical study, anything that pays at least 50 bucks or more.
Bart 1 year ago
5 years ago did a (free) 3 day course on how to safely remove wasp nests. Now I charge $200/nest removal and it only takes bout an hour. Not year round off course but still 20-30 nests each summer.
John G 1 year ago
I did this in our backyard... except for the safely part. Didn't get stung, but definitely got lucky. Then I read what I should have done - wait until night.
Load More Replies... ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
My daughter plays travel volleyball. She wants to play in college, so we take video of all her games to put together highlight videos that she then links to college coaches. Other girls on our team have approached me about making similar videos for them. I'm not a professional, just a dad trying to help his daughter create opportunities for herself. But I've made probably over $1,000 now over the past year by making highlight videos out of film I already was taking.
CatProductions 1 year ago
Like about 20% of all of these jobs I never even heard about lol, this was a pretty cool article
Rick Seiden 1 year ago
I've been thinking of selling two sided magnetic name/word tags on Etsy, but I don't want the hassle of dealing with people who are a******s. (Think something you'd put on a dishwasher where one side says "CLEAN" and the other side says "DIRTY". I 3D print them with embedded magnets. It's super easy to change the text on them and to print them out if you have a multicolor printer. Really low cost and you could easily sell them for $5-$10 each. But then you'll get someone who says they don't like the shade of yellow they got and want a refund or some such nonsense, and I spend far too much time dealing with them to make it worth it.)
Kel_how 1 year ago
You could always have a hard and fast no returns policy
Load More Replies... Dolevaal 1 year ago
Not really wild but I used to donate blood plasma on a regular basis. There are pretty strict limits (you can only come twice a week, when you're on medication its tricky, they'll ask a lot about your background and stuff) but they pay in cash (about 23 Euros per visit) and they often have actions where they'll pay more when you come more often.
Petra Schaap 1 year ago (edited)
i used to do surveys for a while. It usually paid around 25 euro per time but it didnt happen a lot. It was fun though. One time i was shopping, a girl walked up to me going "can i ask you something?" i went "sure" and she asked "do you sometimes eat vegetarian burgers?" i was like "uh yeah?" and she dragged me inside an office building 😂 without any further questions. I knew the survey place was located there was there but it was still a bit strange. Later her boss apologized to me and asked if they could call me for more surveys. Said yes!
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
My mum did some when I was younger. One time she thought the ad sounded a bit dodgy, and didn't know the area, but decided to go anyway, just with me in tow. Not sure why she thought an 8 year old would have helped in that situation but oh well! I enjoyed it because it was just watching ads and giving opinion on them. I remember one was for Chicken-in-a-biscuit and I was excited a few months later seeing it on tv :) (The ad was pretty ridiculous though, people holding biscuits that suddenly explode and a chicken came out)
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 1 year ago
A lot of these seem USA-specific. We have a big industry here with recycling and scrap/waste but it's done by waste picker guys who live in shanties. They strip infrastructure for it. IMHO the best side gig is one which requires no stock and no equipment. So, for me, that is basically making websites.
Aisling Raye 1 year ago
Prolific.co (one of the sites to do studies) is available in most OECD countries. It's particularly worthwhile if you're multilingual.
Load More Replies... Rasmus Turkka 1 year ago
The side hustle career job productivity is insane, maybe I'll do something similar one day
LayDiva in the Zone 1 year ago
I do the random focus panel, an occasional medical study, anything that pays at least 50 bucks or more.
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