Ideas for Extra Money or Income

extra money

If you have jewelry that you no longer wear or perhaps has been handed down from your parents and you don’t plan to give it to your children, perhaps you should consider turning it into cash. Here are some of the ways others have turned jewelry into some extra money and some caveats.

  • Go to a pawn shop for jewelry worth less than $1000.
  • Answer one of the ads you see in the newspaper or on TV.
  • Sell your jewelry online through Amazon, eBay or Craigslist.

If you feel this is an option but haven’t a clue how to go forward check which of these might be your best bet by going to http://www.retiredbrains.com/Home/Work+at+Home/Selling+On-Line/default.aspx

You can also get free training to sell online by going to OnlineAuctionLearningCenter. After preliminary free training for beginners if you wish more instruction you can sign up and pay for a course. Check them out at http://www.OnlineAuctionLearningCenter.com/retired

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  • Go to a reputable local jeweler who buys and sells “estate pieces”.  Rose Estate Jewelers is an example and they have a page of tips on selling your more valuable jewelry http://www.roseestatejewelers.com/Tips.html. To get the best price you should consider placing your items on consignment with an agreed-upon amount you expect to receive. In most cases, the seller usually takes 10% to 20% of the total sales price. You can check local jewelers with the Better Business Bureau and also Google the store name to see if there have been complaints. Generally speaking, jewelers that have been in business for many years are better choices.
  • Contact an auction house. If what you plan to sell has great value you should consider an auction house like Christie’s or Sotheby’s.

Take a Temporary or Seasonal Job

Employers generally do not have to pay benefits for temporary or seasonal jobs so they save a good deal of money. As a result, more and more employers look to hire on this basis.

The percentage of the workforce that is temporary has increased from around 17% in 2009 to 25% in 2012. Click here for information on how to find temporary jobs and project assignments along with a list of temporary jobs most in demand.

There are also many seasonal jobs available. Most think of holiday retail opportunities when they think of seasonal jobs but there are many varied types of seasonal jobs available. Jobs listed this summer include working as a movie extra or guiding tours at the zoo; working in national parks for the concessionaires who run the hotels, restaurants, gift shops and marinas, working in Alaska at resorts and fishing lodges and for transportation and tourism companies. If you are a golfer there are jobs at golf courses as rangers or starters, or even driving the ball pickup tractor at driving ranges or working behind the desk at the pro shop. To look for a seasonal job that might be appropriate for you to go to http://www.coolworks.com/.

Work From Home

There are all kinds of opportunities to earn money working at home. For a list of them as well information on what you can earn and how to go about starting a home-based job click here where you will find information on the following ideas:

Direct Selling –These companies usually require you to purchase some product for you to sell but the   “starter kit” of training materials is generally not very expensive.

Selling Online  – usually on eBay, Craigslist or Amazon.com. The company described above that could teach you how to sell jewelry online will also train you N/C to sell just about any item. Many make a good living buying and selling online. Click OnLineAuctionLearningCenter  for free training.

Writing or Editing – Some websites pay for articles, but unless they’re commissioning your original work, you won’t make big bucks. Yahoo! Voices, and Helium are a good way to build an online portfolio of published work while making some money at the same time. MyEssays.com allows essay writers to sell their original work starting at $10 for a short essay, and up to $100 for comprehensive work. Writerfind.com lists a range of freelance opportunities for experienced writers to pursue on their own.

Telemarketing – Some organizations outsource their cold-calling campaigns to call centers and third parties. They hire full-time and temporary workers, many of whom work from home to place those calls. You could work in debt collection, soliciting donations, persuading people to try a product or service, booking or confirming appointments, etc. These jobs generally pay by the hour and often have some kind of commission. Some are commission only.

Virtual Customer-Service Agent – Answer the inbound customer calls for companies like 1-800-flowers,  J. Crew or other retailers. Employers like these, and many others like them, outsource their customer service calls to companies that hire U.S. based virtual agents. You can usually set your own hours and pick an employer whose products or services are suited to your knowledge and interests.                                                                                                             

Freelancing – Sites like freelancing, guru and work sites like oDesk and Elance allow you to register as a freelancer or search a wide variety of areas including design, consulting, writing, administrative support, sales, telemarketing, accounting, and finance.

Warning: There are many scams in the work at home area so you must carefully research any home-based business particularly if there is an investment required.

Art Koff is a senior in his mid 70’s and after “retiring” from 40+    years in advertising, founded RetiredBrains in 2003 as an information resource for boomers, retirees, and Americans planning their retirement. 

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Ideas for Extra Money or Income
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