Earning extra money during hard times

Daily we hear of more businesses going under, job layoffs, people losing all they have worked so hard to achieve. It's a very stressful time. No matter what your income bracket, we all live on what we make. Hopefully, we all live within our means as well. There has never been a better time for us to learn that huge lesson.

My mind has been working overtime this last while trying to come up with ideas to share with you all hoping that I can help someone else as I help myself. Some of the ideas that have come to my mind are to use my craft skills to generate money. I can sew, I crochet and knit. The other crafting genres are open to me as well. Once a crafter, it's only a matter of getting a book and learning a new craft. Whatever you can do, be it plastic canvas work, needlepoint, ceramics, wood work, all of those things can be put into play as a means to earn extra cash. I plan to make some things to put in local antique stores to sell.

For those of you who are "craftily challenged" there are other things that come to mind. Can you baby sit? Sit for the elderly? House sit? Pet sit or pet walk? What are your talents and how can you put them to work for you? I have a friend who is so very good at doing scrap booking. She could make more general scrapbook collages and sell them. She could hire herself out to organize people's pictures and perhaps scrapbook for others who don't have that talent. I'd be her first customer and would try to work out a barter exchange. She could get to work on my pictures and I could sew something for her. =)

Anyway, I hope that this posting has stimulated you to think of creative ways you too can earn some extra cash. If you're at your computer you can type. Could you do that for someone?

Let me know some of the creative ways you have come up with to use your talents to help earn money for your family. We're all in this together!