This holiday season there were hundreds of requests for assistance this Christmas. Many are single moms who are barely making ends meet. For one reason or another there just wasn’t enough money to make it to the end of the month not to mention buy gifts and food for Christmas. Some moms are sick, disabled, or underemployed. The tragedy is that their kids faced a gloomy Christmas and it’s was not their fault.
Fortunately there were many Good Samaritans that helped these families who faced tough times. Most kids will woke up on Christmas morning to toys and clothes under the tree and a dinner table full of hot good because of the kindness of others. It will be a memorable holiday for everyone but that single mom still has to face the reality of the other 364 days of the year. How will she make it the remaining days of the year? What will next year bring? What can I do to make a better life for me and my children?
The answer is to find a way to make extra money by either getting a second (or third) part-time job or finding a way to make money at home using the skill she already has. Here are seven side hustles or ways to make extra money to cover temporary or long-term financial needs.
Baked Goods – Most moms can bake up cookies, brownies, or other desserts. Use your skills to bake up some profits by baking your specialty items and selling them to the people around you. Many people cannot bake and would pay you to do their baking especially for the holiday season.
Holiday Helper – The holiday season is party season and the party hosts need your help. You can hire yourself out to help with party setup, decorating, and after party clean up. Place an ad on Craigslist, your local penny shopper paper, or newspaper offering your services. You can contract your services all during the year for upcoming parties.
Errand Service – People are busy and often need a second set of hands and feet to take care of their basic needs. Picking up and dropping off dry cleaning, paying bills that require in person contact, ordering items for parties, personal needs, or for a sick relative. Shopping for food, gifts, or tickets are also valuable services. Let everyone you know that you offer this service and/or put an ad in the paper. Hang flyers at the local grocery store, fitness center, or anywhere professionals hang out.
Pet Services – If you like pets you can provide a valuable services to people who need dog walking, pet sitting, or waste management. Pets are like part of the family so people will pay a premium to make sure their pets are well cared for. Dog walking is essential for the health and well-being of the animal. When the owners go away on the weekend they don’t always want to leave their pets at a boarding place. You can keep the pet in your home or go to the owner’s home. Waste management is something that nobody particularly cares for but it has to be done. Whether it’s for a dog in the backyard, the cat’s litter box, the hamster’s cage, or the bird’s cage your pet waste pick-up service would be an easy way to make side money.
Specialty Cleaning – When people think of cleaning service they think of cleaning an entire house or office. What most people considering this service don’t realize is that most cleaning services don’t clean everything. There are some things that takes a special person to tackle. Cleaning out a refrigerator, oven, garage, or attic can be a monumental task. The customer requesting the service has likely put it off for some time and would glad to pay you handsomely to take care of it for them. You may sub-contract out your work to cleaning services, tell your family and friends about it, or place an ad and flyers in the appropriate locations.
Beauty Service – If you are talented in the area of beauty you can make a considerable amount of money. Women all over the world are in the constant pursuit of beauty. Your hair, nail, or make-up talents are in demand. You can specialize and service only the elderly (they want to be beautiful too), children, or certain hair or skin types. The options are endless.
Typing – As simple as it sounds typing is not a skill that every one possesses. If they have the skill they may be just too busy to pound the keyboard at this time. Typing jobs can range from the very simple to the very complex. If you have a computer and printer then you are in business. Clients can be students (any level), small businesses, individuals, and professionals (attorneys, doctors, and many others). You either do straight typing from notes or fix up the content by formatting, proofreading, or editing. Charge more for the extra services as well as for quick turn around service. If you are required to print and deliver a hard copy that is another fee to charge. In tough economic times you don’t have to suffer in silence. Put on your thinking cap and begin brainstorming ways to make extra money. You not only help yourself but you show your kids how to be creative, innovative, and self-sufficient too!