How To Make Money When You Can't Find a Job

When you're out of work, the biggest pressure is finding a way to pay the bills in the short term, while you look for a new job. The problem is that it's not that easy to find work, and even then, it takes a little while before the money starts coming in. So, what can you do to keep your head above water?

There are a few things you can do to earn money in the short term, but most of them require a lot of luck and an even bigger portion of creativity. Once you no longer have a full-time job, you have to look at new ways to market yourself and your skills.

Here are a few ways that you can make money when you can't find a job:

Tutoring - If you have a college degree and years of experience in your field, why not try tutoring? For high school students trying to get into a good college and even for college students who are studying to pass entrance tests for graduates school, tutors can be a huge help. There are several places where you can get a tutoring certification. From there, you can advertise locally or look for a job with a larger tutoring company.

Teaching English - There are tons of openings for people who can teach English as a second language. Although the easiest jobs to find are ones that require you to travel abroad, there are some teaching positions available in the U.S. If you don't want to travel and don't live near any of the domestic opportunities, look at your community to see if there is a need for English classes. Often, you can start a class at a local library and charge a small fee. It might not become your new career, but it can help you earn some cash in the meantime.

Doing errands - For those who have jobs, it's getting harder and harder to balance home life and work responsibilities. Use your free time to your advantage and consider hiring yourself out as an assistant or do errands for busy people. For example, if you offered grocery shopping services, you could find several clients and do one big shop, then deliver the goods. The same with other tasks.

Consulting - Depending on your area of expertise, you may be able to find freelance opportunities. The important thing here is to do your research and find out if there are local or national associations that can help you. Before taking on clients, it's a good idea to know the legal and liability issues in your field. For example, if you are a paralegal, you may not be able to give legal advice. However, you could freelance your paralegal services to overworked legal offices.

Turn hobbies into cash - If you like to make crafts, you could open a shop on a website like Etsy. If you enjoy model trains, look for work at a train store or museum. Think about the things you enjoy the most, the things that you do for fun. Then look for ways to use your hobby to make money. When thinking about our job skills and experience, we often forget to think about the things we do on our own time. These can be a great source of inspiration for finding a short term gig to help pay the bills.



What sorts of odd jobs have you done to make money? Please share your thoughts in the comments.