Fast Cash: Ways to Make Extra Money

Creativity Breeds Greenbacks

When I was a kid my sister and I used to sell cupcakes and cookies in the neighborhood.

Sometimes we'd get asked, "What are you selling these for?" to which my sister, ever the entrepreneur would reply, "For us!"

As an adult there are many ways to make money on the side and a lot of them people are unaware of.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make money doing what you love.

Take some time to determine what you really enjoy and are good at and you may find a hidden source of income, says one career coach.

"Things that we are naturally, instinctively good at, things that are our talents, we take them so much for granted that we don't realize that not everybody has that talent, and we can take that to the workplace," said Helen Harkness, president of Career Design Associates, Inc. in Garland, TX.

My best friend does floral installations on the side for individuals and the holidays are an especially lucrative time for her.

You can grow and sell organic produce, sell computer items you find, sell crafts at your local flea market by renting a small booth for fee, and sell homemade CDs and tapes to friends.

Harkness has seen many examples of women finding ways to make money doing what they love with their talents.

"If we're going to succeed in today's crazy world, we have to know our skills and our talents," she says.

Try dog-walking on for size or sign up with a pet sitting service for holiday pay. At Thanksgiving or Christmas you'll make a lot of money.

You can make up to $16 per hour or clear $600 in two weeks like I did at Christmas the first year I worked for Abbeys Pet and House Sitting in Fort Worth.

Pet sitters serve several local neighborhoods and the boss generally looks for people from those neighborhoods or who don't mind driving a little distance that are available and flexible.

What started out as a hobby for some becomes a full-time business but if you're just looking to supplement your income try working for an established company that is bonded and insured.

If you're working for a pet-sitting company you have control of your schedule for the most part.