So, how can you fix your financial situation with little-to-no extra effort? Actually, there are some ways, though not all of them may be the most attractive to you. This list is compiled with enough variety, however, that you should be able to find a few that will work.
Move Home
Lots of millennials have found this as at least a temporary solution. With mom cooking your meals and no rent to pay, think of what you can put away. Set up a budget. Give yourself some money for fun and personal needs, and stick the rest away. You may be surprised at how fast it accumulates. In the meantime, your resume is out there of course, as you wait for those nibbles that may result in a career position. If you have good self-control, you can build up a bit of a savings account for later.
Get Roommates
If you don't want to move home, get with your friends and find a place that you can all share - this will lower expenses for everyone. The key here will be to establish good "house rules" so that everyone knows what his/her responsibilities and what everyone's boundaries are.
Ditch the Car
Public transportation has improved a lot. Or find another person at work who you can pay to drive you, at least some of the time. You save gas, maintenance, and insurance costs, and those are big.
Female Millennials - Sell Your Eggs
If you don't have religious objections, this is an amazingly lucrative way to earn a large chunk of money. The going rate is generally between $3,000 - $8,000; however, women with certain characteristics can command up to $25,000.
Good Writers Can Make Good Money
If you like to write, and are good at it, making money in this way can be lucrative too. There are lots of blogs that pay for creative, well-written posts; you can become one of essay writer s for any number of online writing services. If you don't find writing burdensome, this can be a big help.
Get Paid in Cash/Set Up a Business
Whether you work as an entrepreneur or as a freelancer, ask for cash payments. As long as those payments are not reported, you don't have tax liability. The other thing you can do is set up a business and use business expenses to offset that income. This is a fully painless way to have more cash in your pocket without any extra effort at all.
Play Video Games
It's called gameplay streaming. There is good money in this, and if you like gaming, what a perfect way to make extra cash - it's not like work at all. Basically, if you have been a gamer for a long time and you are good at it, your goal is to get online "fans." You join one of the gameplay streaming sites, get your fans on there with you. The larger your fan base, the more advertisers are interested in placing ads when you play; and there are also fan donations. Some gamers with large fan bases can make from $3,000 - $10,000 a month.
Become a YouTube Sensation
Yes, many millennials have done this - think Michelle Phan or Rhett and Link. If you are a bit of an "actor," and you have always enjoyed making videos with your friends, come up with a theme, corral some friends, and get creative. The money, of course, comes when you get many followers, and advertisers see an audience for their products. This takes time, of course, but if it's something you enjoy, it hardly seems like work.
Sell Stuff
If you have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, do you really need it? Those accumulated game systems and piles of games? That snowboard you just had to have? Or that hoverboard? We tend to hold on to stuff far longer than necessary, so it's a good thing to clean out once in a while. This will give you short-term cash if you have a specific need.
Unemployed? Find Multiple Online Gigs
Everything from Beta testing new software and games to completing surveys are pretty stress-free gigs. While none of them pay much alone, if you have several going at once, you can improve your finances. Some of this work is pretty mindless, and that's not all bad.
Create an App
If you are a computer geek and enjoy creating, consider developing a game or app. Marketing it may take a bit of effort, but if it's really good, there are reviewers who are popular and who will plug it for you.
Busking
Yes, a lot of people do this. Can you play a guitar or sing or juggle? Can you set up an easel and draw caricatures? Think of some small talent you have that you can "peddle" on a busy sidewalk, especially during lunch hours and on weekends. You may be surprised at the "haul" you can make.
Participate in Research Studies
There are studies on everything from sleep habits and patterns to investigational medications and other therapies. Some of them pay quite well, and the only "work" you have to do is show up - how's that for no effort?
All of these suggestions involve very little work or work that doesn't seem like "work" if it I something you enjoy. It's no fun being broke or always strapped for money. If you can pick two or three of these things that don't "feel" like work, you'll have extra cash and enjoy getting it.
This guest post was authored by Nelma Lumme.
Ms. Career Girl was started in 2008 to help ambitious young professional women figure out who they are, what they want and how to get it.
