Whether you’re saving for an exotic vacation or to pay for your masters program, you’re not alone in keeping a tight rein on your finances. These are not the times for frivolous spending. More and more people are scaling back today than they did five years ago, and frankly, some just aren’t able to have as much fun because of their penny pinching.
Do you have hobbies that keep you busy and stimulate the passion juices within you? It’s now time to start turning those hobbies into money-making machines.
Ok, money-making machine might be a stretch. But many hobbies really can pay off if you’re good at them and know how to market yourself. There are so many fun ways to earn some extra cash. Still not sure how your new-found love of knitting can make you cash? Keep reading.
Shopping
Who doesn’t like to shop? Online, at the mall and even in airport gift shops, shopping is just downright thrilling wherever the location and whatever the purchase.
Personal shopping is a great source for extra cash, because clients pay you to do their shopping. Duties could include finding a client that perfect dress for a fancy gala, or simply picking up medicine from the pharmacy or groceries from the supermarket. Print up business cards to hand out every time someone compliments your outfit, or offer your services to busy moms. A part-time or beginner personal shopper might charge anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the total purchase. However you bill your customers, you’re certain to make enough to indulge in a few purchases of your own.
Gardening
All those weekends spent pottering around your garden, propagating and re-potting plants….. How about you start selling them to neighbors and other residents within your estate? The very mature ones can serve as indoor plants for the home or office. Justify your pricing with very interesting looking pots. People are usually ready to pay for what they consider very beautiful.
Baking
Baking is a talent and a science many people envy. If you’re blessed enough to have the skills to excel at and even enjoy baking, you might want to take advantage and make some money at it. Start out by offering your baked goods at small nonprofit events for free, and pass out your business card and ask for recommendations. If you stick to one or two items and do them well — breads and muffins, for example — invest in a creative logo and packaging, and set up a plate of samples, your products should sell themselves.
Cooking
The majority of people who can’t cook are usually willing to pay for others to provide this service. I’m aware of outfits from where you can order, different sizes of bowls of stew (fish, beef, chicken), soups (efo riro, afang, edikang ikong, ogbono egusi etc), moin-moin.
Organizing
“I would gladly pay someone to just come in here and get me organized!” Who hasn’t muttered these exact words while searching for a receipt to complete their taxes or while standing in their closet trying to select an outfit for the day? If you’re good at and enjoy organizing things, you’re an asset. So share your talent with the rest of us hopelessly unorganized souls for a small fee, of course. Put up ads on club notice boards, share information on social media. Have a Facebook page. Offer your services to friends of friends and have business cards made that you can hand out. You can also market your skills to local real estate agents as an unpacking and organization resource to new homeowners. Ask your clients to recommend you to their friends — word of mouth marketing is free and can be lucrative, especially if your work speaks for itself.
Playing an instrument
If you have the talent for musical instruments, you are very blessed. You could teach guitar lessons. Look into teaching after-school group classes or private lessons at your home or the homes of your students. Put up flyers in local music stores, restaurants and on boards at schools, and make your rates competitive. You don’t want to price yourself out of the market.
Writing and Editing
If writing is your passion, there are several ways you can use this skill to make money. First, you can throw your hat in the ring as a freelance writer. Web sites, magazines and newspapers pay freelance writers for articles, and compensate either with a flat rate or by the word, although a flat rate is most common. Some Web sites also pay based on page views or advertising clicks. Another way to use your writing online is to start a blog, where you can earn money by selling ads on your site. Depending on how good a marketer you are, you can keep earning money from your advertisements long after your initial effort to write the article or blog.
Photography
Photography is a great way to make some extra cash doing something you love. A lucrative way to use photography is as a freelance wedding or portrait photographer. Many of the glossy magazines are also looking for good but affordable photographers to use for their fashion shoots. Although the upfront equipment and marketing costs might be higher, the payoff can be more for this type of work. For example, with a great portfolio and marketing strategy, you could charge an average of $1,000 or more for a wedding, depending on the package you offer.
Other hobbies that help bring in good cash include, Web design, Crafts making, Inbound Marketing if you just enjoy surfing the net and disc jockeying.
culled from howstuffworks.com