Laid off 101

Look Under the Couch Cushions: 10 Ways to Earn Money While You Look for a New Job
 
Let’s imagine that you just lost your job. And that you don’t have another one. You know that it took you several months to find your last job, and you don’t expect this time around to be any different. If anything, it will take much longer, with 40,000 former bankers looking along with you. Also, your rent is due, your credit card bill is due, your phone bill is due, your student loan payment is due, you have to eat, and you have to buy beer.
 
What do you do after you’ve filed for unemployment?

(1) Scan through Craigslist Gigs. Opportunities abound on Craigslist Gigs. You can sell your eggs, tend bar at a party, take surveys for cash, participate in medical studies, and find many, many unpaid writing gigs and work-from-home “opportunities.” Be wary of scams! If it sounds too good to be true: it probably is.

(2) Tutor children. If you have a college degree, or aced your SATs, or have writing, math, or science skills, you can charge by the hour. You will need patience.

(3) Babysit. Children are our future…

(4) Teach English. There are over 5 million people trying to learn English in the U.S., and many are looking for conversation partners or grammar tutors. U speaks English, dont u?

(5) Walk dogs. This is not as lucrative as say, panhandling, but if you like dogs, it is a good way to make money while getting some fresh air and exercise.

(6) Sell your plasma. If you’re not squeamish at the thought of someone draining clear yellowish fluid from your blood, you can make $9 to $35 per donation, twice a week.

(7) Sell your hair. If you’ve got more than 10 inches, you can make anywhere from $10 to $200 dollars by chopping it all off and letting someone stitch it into a human hair wig. And no, there’s nothing at all creepy about that.

(8) Hock what you got. You would be amazed at what you can sell on eBay. Got unused phone chargers lying around? “Vintage” glassware? Be creative.

(9) Hold a yard sale. You don’t really need a dining room table.

(10) Cash out your IRA. Generally, you can’t withdraw from your IRA without a penalty, but there are exceptions. Most notably: health insurance for the unemployed.