Meaningful Ways to Make Money

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This is a collaborative post by Ellie Jo with some ideas for ways to make money.

You do what you can to shop smart, get good value for money and make your budget go a little bit further. From time to time you might need a bit of extra cash to save up for that big holiday or deal with unexpected bills, while it might be tempting to jump straight to taking a loan to think again. Making money can be more than earning cash for cash’s sake, you can make money and make a good impact too. Here are some examples where making cash means a bit more than just putting the hours in.

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Meaningful Ways to Make Money

Help Save the Planet

Recycle your old electronics and mobile phones. Chances are you have an old mobile phone lying around gathering dust. By recycling your old electronics, you will not only make a bit of cash, but you will also be part of a more significant movement to not only produce less new stuff but also ensure the things we do use last longer. And if you can’t sell your pre-loved stuff as is, you might want to consider upcycling, finding new creative ways to reuse old goods. A quick search online will turn up plenty of great schemes and companies that can recycle everything from old batteries to DVDs.

Making Human Connections

Possibly available near you are social connection apps. Online matching services are available and expanding. They match your cooking skills to a few curious diners. From the comfort of your home, you can dazzle intrepid eaters with your cuisine. These apps work similar to ride-hailing services, which means you can earn money based on the people who get into your car as you make your way from A to B. The exciting thing about this ‘ cooking for others’ services is the emphasis on trying to make people connect more. After all, they might have come for the cooking, they will stay for the conversation. On the topic of conversations, also consider ‘rent-a-friend’ services. Get paid to hang out with someone, go to the movies, or show someone around in a town that is new to them. There are also apps that let you snap a photo and post about the food that you have that is likely going to go to waste – while this one doesn’t make you money, it saves money for someone else.

Make a Bigger Difference

If you have long and healthy hair, you could consider selling it for cash. Maybe less dramatic is selling your blood and plasma. Your hair would be put to good use as will your blood and plasma, it will go to people who need wigs or life-saving treatments. You could also participate in clinical trials for payment. Perhaps you will join a group that is part of a breakthrough in finding a cure for a disease. Or, maybe you want to be part of someone’s bigger picture, and help a family become complete. Men can donate sperm and women can donate eggs. Sure, donating sperm or eggs shouldn’t be taken lightly and requires careful contemplation. However, by choosing either of those steps, (even if purely for the money), you should bear in mind that you should be in good health and follow all of the steps with hormone injections and appointments to the letter.

Share Your Wisdom

There are plenty of services that could use your opinion. Online surveys help organizations understand what’s going on in society and will guide them to make better decisions. An even better way for you to share your wisdom with the world is by teaching and tutoring online. Your experience and knowledge might be right up someone’s street. There are plenty of people around the world who would want to pay good money for an online English tutor. Here is a quick list of places you can sell your online course (once you have created it of course).

Click4Course
The TEFL Academy
Teachable
Digital Chalk
Thinkific
Udemy
Skillshare

That is by no means an exhaustive list, a quick search online will turn up a few more and you can find one that suits you.

Create

A great side hustle for millions of people is creating things like jewelry, clothing, or even artwork. You might have had this for a hobby for years and have a nice stash of products, in which case you’re off to a flying start. If not, but you have a few hours an evening, hit the net and find out what gives you a buzz. For some it’s creating written content for magazines and newspapers, for others is wrapping a delicate silver wire around semi-precious stones. Check out Etsy, eBay, and Amazon for selling, or create your own website and see directly to your customers.