Beer money doesn’t necessarily have to be for alcoholic beverages - although in my case, it usually is, har har. My wife and I use the term to mean extra cash on top of our weekly budget to spend on little pamper-me stuff like takeaway food and accessories for our hobbies (hers is usually makeup and trinkets for the house), etc. I’d like to think of it as a sort of disposable income - one that requires putting in some work, of course.
The great thing about getting beer money is you won’t need to go all-out on time and effort put into the work you need to do to get it. Some of you might say that accomplishing surveys and tasks on GPT sites could constitute towards a beer money fund, but that can understandably get predictable and dull. As for me, I’ve found practical yet creative and fun ways to make some extra cash that will contribute to me getting my foamy brewskies every weekend. Here are five of them.
1) Provide small services
Big money is often the result of big efforts, as with investments, hard work over a certain period of time, etc. However, through the years, I’ve realized that beer money and other “needs” that don’t require a huge price tag can often be met by what we’ve come to know as odd jobs. I’ve been doing odd jobs as a kid for pocket money - from having a paper route, mowing the neighbors’ lawns and shovelling their icy sidewalks, and generally being everyone’s errand boy. Today, I have Fiverr to turn to for “selling” my skills as a freelancer to those who may need them ASAP. So if you’re a writer, musician, designer, web developer, or just have any kind of skill someone else needs yet prefer a flexible schedule, try this site out!
Website: https://www.fiverr.com/
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fiverr-freelance-services/id346080608?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fiverr.fiverr&hl=en_US
2) Enlist your vehicle for car wrapping services
What in tarnation are car wrapping services, you ask? Nope, it doesn’t include a stall in the department store with a harassed-looking shop clerk surrounded by tons of wrapping paper and ribbon, which you happen to drive through.
Basically, it’s letting other people use your car as a sort of moving billboard, and YOU, the driver, is, well...the “driving force” that lets a lot of people see what the product or service is being advertised. Payments range from around $300-$1000! I have a buddy who’s agreed to car wrap his vehicle for Carvertise and since he’s got such a good experience with them, I’m thinking of doing the same, soon.
You can choose between a partial and a full car wrap (decals) for the length of the agreed-on campaign, which the company will pay you monthly for. Before all that, though, you will need to be interviewed by them then get matched with a brand or service depending on your driving habits and the kind of vehicle you own. Simple as that!
3) Sell your hair
This is a no-brainer, though of course, not everyone will be up for it. I know I’m not (more on this below).
Someone has written extensively in this forum about selling your hair for money, and I think it’s awesome! It’s a natural resource that keeps growing and as long as you have it, you have a virtual money-making wellspring that can get you anywhere between a hundred to a thousand dollars (depending on the quality of your hair and the demand for it) in one snip of a pair of shears. Me? No can do, unfortunately, as I have a bit of a male pattern baldness and can’t harvest enough of my hair to sell at any value
But if you’re interested, check out Hair Sellon which is a marketplace for buyers and sellers of hair. It has a high Trustpilot rating and you can actually see the kind of hair under the Recently Sold column so you’ll get an idea of how much your own hair costs.
4) Be an alcohol or tobacco “double agent”
For those who like beer and have aspirations to be “Bond, James Bond” in their spare time, listen up. Here’s the perfect job for you.
It basically falls under the mystery shopper category, but specifically, you’re going to be buying beer and tobacco products in certain shops to make sure they ask for identification from all customers in accordance with their alcohol and tobacco compliance. Mystery shopping sites like Second to None offer this kind of job to individual contractors if you’re up for it!
5) Rent out your driveway
Everybody needs parking space, but not everyone has one. Do you? Then you can potentially make money from it!
I believe there is already an exhaustive review of this particular “odd” but practical practice. For good measure, here is another one on the subject in the forum for reference. I guess what I’m trying to say is, it might sound wacky but it’s becoming a popular way to earn some extra cash instantly - so much so that people are starting to sit up, notice, and even thoroughly review them for legitimacy.
Website: https://www.justpark.com
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/GB/app/id519652671?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.justpark.jp
The verdict
They may not be mainstream or generally accepted ways to make some cash on the side but bear in mind that necessity is the mother of invention. People are generally creative and resourceful, and when there’s a need for some extra cash, I’ve discovered that they become even more so.
Your turn
What kind of tasks are you willing to do for beer money (apart from the usual GPT and paid survey sites, that is)? Are they weird, wacky, or strange? Tell us all about them - the odder the job, the better!