Tricks to Convert your time into money
In the general case, people are exchanging services and/or resources, and money is just one particular type of resource. Therefore, when you agree to work for a boss for money, you are actually exchanging your service of doing what your boss wants, for the resourcemoney which your boss has. Holding this view is very useful in that while it is true that your boss is hiring you, you are also hiring your boss! That perspective will help you a lot whenasking for a raise, or looking for a job in general, but that is a subject for another article.
So what exactly is a service? Well, in essence, it is your time + your knowledge of doing a particular task (which is actually also a form of your time). Hence, to be even more simple, you are essentially trading your resource of time for your boss’ resource of money. So how do you spend your time to get money? Here’s a couple of steps:
- Go with the opportunities that are already available for you. These are generally options you have with the current skills you already possess. For example, you may already know of a McDonald’s opening, which pays you $8/hr between the hours of Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Or you may know of a publishing company which likes your articles, but it pays $50/hr but available once a month.
1. Sell Your Stuff on Amazon (AMZN)
You can make hundreds by selling unwanted goods on Amazon, such as unwanted gifts
you collected over the holidays or that collection of baseball cards you've had
since you were a kid.
Search for your product on Amazon, scroll down past the "buy" options on the
right-hand side and look for the button that says "Have one to sell? Sell on
Amazon." They'll walk through how to prepare your listing and notify you when your
item sells.If you want the most time-efficient route, you can ship Amazon your
goods, and Amazon will handle all the order processing and fulfillment for a cut of
the total. The best way to get started with Fulfillment by Amazon is by reading the
ebooks "Selling on Amazon" or "FBA for Beginners" –- free if you have a Kindle
Unlimited subscription, or $2.99 if you don't.
2. Craigslist
Craigslist is good for selling larger items that would be inconvenient to ship.
Advertise your item to local buyers, and they can accept your price outright or
barter (like at a garage sale). Once you agree on a price, you can choose where
you'll exchange the product.It's always safest to do the exchange at a neutral
public location, like at a coffee shop or in the parking lot of a busy grocery store
in the afternoon, rather than agreeing to meet at one of your homes. Remember that
Craigslist buyers are strangers, so exercise reasonable caution.
3. Etsy
If you're crafty, you can start a nice little side business by selling your wares on
Etsy. Create your own "store" and stock it with whatever you create -- hats and
mittens, home décor, custom candles, the possibilities are endless.
4. Fiverr
If you've ever had a random idea for something you could do for a buck, chances are
there's a place for it on Fiverr. Fiverr users offer everything from professional
services like animation and design to quirky services like writing your name on the
beach and taking a picture of it for you.You only earn $5 a pop (hence the name),
minus website fees, but if you choose a simple task, you can do in 10 or 15 minutes,
the money could add up.
5. Amazon Mechanical Turk
Only got a few minutes here and there throughout the day? Why not turn that time
into profit by signing up for Amazon Mechanical Turk. Workers are provided with a
list of tasks, or "HITs," which you can filter based on the amount of time required
(some are as short as 30 seconds).You may be asked to do things like answer a
survey, transcribe a piece of audio, rate an article or compare images. Payouts
range from a few cents to more than $20, depending on the task. It's a great way to
earn some spare change in your down time. Check out the Amazon Mechanical Turk
Getting Started Guide, which endorsed by Amazon Web Services.
6. Rent Your Space
Got an extra room, floor or even storage space you're not using? Turn it into a
revenue stream by renting your home on AirBnB or RentYourSpace.net. Why let that
space collect cobwebs when it could be collecting you cold, hard cash?
7. Task Rabbit
Task Rabbit connects service providers with people in their area who are looking for
their services. Tasks range to everything from cleaning houses to running errands to
doing handiwork. If you have a couple extra hours a week, it could be an easy way to
supplement your income.Task Rabbit is in 19 cities across the U.S.; visit the
website see if yours is one of them.
8. Swagbucks
Another way to get paid for killing time (whether in line at the bank or on your
lunch break) is Swagbucks.com. Earn points for doing web searches, answering polls
and surveys, watching videos and more; then redeem these points for things like gift
cards.
9. Mystery Shopping
If you can keep a secret and follow instructions, you may find mystery shopping a
fun way to earn a little extra. Companies hire mystery shoppers to make sure their
businesses are being run properly, and assignments could involve asking questions
about a particular item, evaluating a cashier's speed and friendliness or checking
how clean the restrooms are at a restaurant.
10. Pet Sitting
If you're a pet lover, you can get paid to watch people's furry friends in their
home or in the comfort of yours. Sites like Care.com, DogVacay.com andRover.com
connect you with pet owners who need everything from an overnight sitter to a sitter
for a couple hours, and you can arrange assignments to match with your availability.
11. Sell Your Items on eBay (EBAY)
EBay's auction-style format helps you get maximum dough for your stuff if it's rare
or popular, and you can also set a "Buy It Now" price for serious buyers who want to
skip the bidding. Be sure to present your item accurately, take lots of flattering
photos and write an interesting description.