Before everything else, I want to say that there’s no shame in being unemployed. It happens to the best of us. I’d like to think I played my cards right, but I’ve gotten laid off, downsized, deemed redundant. The times between jobs are some of the most challenging times I’ve faced.
If you’re in this position, I’ve created a list of methods to see you through during these trying times. Hopefully, they help you bounce back, as did I. And who knows? You might want to keep doing these even when you get a more stable job. These methods are pretty good for supplementing your income.
Let’s get to it!
1. Become a Beta Tester for Games
Mobile and video games require enormous amounts of time and work to complete. And even when a game is done, it’ll require extensive testing before it gets released to the public. Since game developers are usually busy, you know, actually developing games, they hire large numbers of people to test their games.
These people are called beta testers, and it’s a pretty fun and lucrative job. My man Holden wrote about becoming a beta tester for games here.
You can also check out these websites and companies for job openings:
iGameLab
Link: https://community.panelpolls.com/iGamelab.php
Erlibird
Link: https://erlibird.com
Betabound
Link: https://my.betabound.com/welcome
Beta Family
Link: https://betafamily.com/tests
2. Hack Sites for Profit
If beta-testing games is child’s play to you, you may want to consider hacking sites. No, I don’t mean stealing people’s credit cards or breaking into bank accounts (two things you should never do). In this context, “ethical” hacking is tech speak for testing sites to find security vulnerabilities. You work for a security company, and when you spot a weakness, you report it to the site, which can then take the appropriate action.
Some sites even have “bug bounties” where they will pay you if you spot any bugs or vulnerabilities. It’s a great way to earn money if you’ve got the necessary tech skills. Holden also wrote about it here.
And here are some websites and companies you should check out:
HackerOne
Link: https://www.hackerone.com
Synack
Link: https://www.synack.com
Bugcrowd
Link: https://bugcrowd.com
Cobalt
Link: https://cobalt.io
3. Sell Ad Space on Your Car
If you’re not very tech-savvy, you can earn good money by selling ad space on your car! These ads come in the form of car wraps. A printed vinyl material is wrapped around your car. The great thing about this method is it doesn’t permanently alter your car. If you decide you don’t want to run ads on your car later on, you can always have the wrap removed.
The amount you make will depend on the model of your car and your daily route. Once accepted, you will have to stick to the agreed-upon route to get paid. If you drive daily anyways, this is a great way to make some passive income. Kanvi wrote about the process of car-wrapping (and the earnings you’ll get) here.
Websites and companies you should check out:
Carvertise
Link: https://carvertise.com
Free Car Media
Link: https://freecarmedia.com
Pay Me for Driving
Link: http://www.paymefordriving.com
4. Rent Out Your Driveway
This earning method was pretty surprising to me. Basically, you earn by doing just that - renting out your driveway to other car owners. Why would they want to rent your driveway? It depends on your location. But if you live close to an office building or business district, it might be cheaper for the driver to rent your driveway instead of paying for parking near the office. They can then either walk or take a train to their office.
Of course, this means you should have a regular schedule, because when a car is in your driveway, you won’t be able to leave or exit your garage. Speaking of garage, you can also rent that space out. This is a great option if you don’t own a car, but have a spacious garage. For more info on that, here’s an article from Holden.
Websites and companies you should check out:
CurbFlip
Link: https://curbflip.com
Spacer
Link: https://www.spacer.com
Parqex
Link: https://www.parqex.com/
Parking Cupid
Link: https://www.parkingcupid.com
5. Become a private grocery shopper
Modern life is extremely fast-paced. People are extremely busy these days, and unfortunately, they don’t always have time to get groceries for themselves. They can always order from the grocery directly, but they wouldn’t be able to ensure that the products (particularly meat and produce) they get is top-quality.
And that’s where private grocery shoppers come in. Think of this as Uber for shoppers. When you get a booking, you will get a grocery list. It’ll be your job to pick out the best product from what’s available, then deliver it to the client. I wrote about it in this thread.
Websites and companies you should check out:
Instacart
Link: https://www.instacart.com
WeGoShop
Link: https://www.wegoshop.com
Shipt
Link: https://www.shipt.com
6. Help Hauling Items
If you’re physically fit, you can look into the business of hauling stuff for clients. There’s a company called Dolly that’s like the Uber for haulers. (I once called it the “Uber for heavy-lifting) If you have a truck, you can also rent it out and make even more money.
I tried this before (you can read about my experience here), and I think it’s a great way to earn cash. If you’re in between jobs, you can use Dolly to earn a few bucks while you’re looking for more permanent employment. You can also use your earnings to offset the monthly payments of your truck.
Check out Dolly to learn more:
Dolly
Link: https://dolly.com
7. Drive People Around
If you’re not up for doing some heavy-lifting, you can become a Lyft driver. It’s not the most unique method of making money, but it’s still pretty lucrative, especially if you’re willing to put in the hours. I also drove for Lyft before, and it’s actually a good way to make money. I wrote about my experience in this thread.
It can get a bit tiring - even more tiring than working on Dolly, since you’ll be doing more on Lyft, but the end results are more than work it.
Check out Lyft to learn more:
Lyft
Link: https://www.lyft.com
8. Sell stock photos
If you’ve got a good eye and photography skills, you can look into selling stock photos. It takes some time and effort to build a large and suitable portfolio, so this earning method is more appropriate for those who have already built up a sizeable portfolio.
Here’s a thread about selling stock photos. It’s got all the info you could possibly need on doing this. One of the great things about selling stock photos, I think, is that it’s a great source of passive income.
iStockPhoto
Link: https://www.istockphoto.com
Snapped4U
Link: http://snapped4u.com
RedBubble
Link: http://www.redbubble.com
123RoyaltyFree
Link: https://www.123rf.com
Dreamstime
Link: https://www.dreamstime.com
Fotolia
https://fotolia.com
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