15 Money-Making Hobbies

Guest post from Laura

Earning money doesn’t need to be an exercise in drudgery. If you are creative and open-minded, you may be able to make cash doing something you love.

1. Start a Blog

If you have a computer and a passion for just about anything, you have the potential to make money by starting a blog. There are two ways you can go about doing this. The first is to create your own blog and draw advertisers. The second is to find other websites who pay guest bloggers to write posts.

2. Arts and Crafts

This is a great way to get kids to develop artistic skills, and put those skills to use. Don’t worry, you don’t need a future Rembrandt in your home to make money. There are many people earning very nice sums of money selling crafts (such as bead bracelets) on websites like Etsy or at local flea markets.

3. Photography

If you or your kids are constantly taking photos of anything from food to animals to beautiful scenery, you may have an income source hiding in your image files. Why not post those photos to a stock photo website. If people use your pictures, you can earn a bit of cash.

4. Keeping a Garden

Growing a garden helps kids learn about nature, good nutrition, and it gets them outside. It can also provide a little extra spending money. If you are near a local farmer’s market, rent a stall and sell your surplus.

5. Baking

Do you look forward to marathon baking sessions with your family during the holiday season? Well, this may be hard to believe, but there are others who dread the obligatory holiday baking. Good news, you can create a win-win situation by taking over this chore for a fee.

6. Shopping

Much like baking, shopping seems to be a love-it or hate-it activity. If you or anybody in your family happens to love it, try posting a few ads on Craigslist, or other internet bulletin boards, offering to shop and deliver goods for others.

7. Foraging

Did you know that there are plants and fungi growing around you that can be eaten or used for medicinal purposes? Some of these items, such as dandelion greens and morel mushrooms are in high demand from chefs. Others, such as goldenseal are wanted by herbalists and health food stores.

8. Video Production

There are multiple ways to make money with this hobby. The first is to produce a video that is either funny, touching, exciting, or interesting enough to go viral. The second is to offer your services to others. You may not be asked to film weddings as an amateur, but you can get your foot in the door filming school theater performances and sporting events.

9. Officiating Sports

Are you a football or baseball family? Maybe another sport is your passion. If you know the rules of the game, try contacting the local or state level that runs leagues and tournaments near you and offering your services. The kids can even get in on the action as many little league sports will accept officials as young as 14.

10. Canning Food

If you keep a garden, your ability to earn money doesn’t stop when the weather turns cold. You can continue making money if you turn your produce into jams, jellies, pasta sauce, and other home canned treats.

11. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking

This is perfect for a family who loves animals, but cannot keep pets of their own. You can get your daily animal fix by walking, playing with, and caring for pets, while also earning a bit of extra money.

12. Starting a Collection

Antiques, stamps, coins, comic books, figurines, etc… These are just a few items that you and your family can collect for both fun and profit. You’ll enjoy the thrill you get when you track down that perfect item for your collection, and you’ll get a kick out of the money you earn when you sell these highly collectible items for a profit.

13. Hair Styling and Makeup

This is a great hobby and money maker for a style conscious teenager. When prom and homecoming seasons roll around, there are many girls who cannot afford to pay $100 or more to have their hair and makeup done professionally. Offer these services for $50 dollars and under, and your teenager can easily earn a few hundred dollars.

14. Tutoring

Tutoring isn’t limited to academics. If you are passionate about computers, furniture refinishing, arts and crafts, or even auto maintenance, you can earn a bit of money by passing that knowledge on to others.

15. Journalism

Are you passionate about local art, music, sports, or food? If you are, and have a knack for writing, contact a few local publications. They may accept submissions for articles, or even have an opening for an occasional field contributor. You may also be able to work directly with artists or venues if they need help with press or promotions.

Sounds good? Even better, many of these opportunities also work well as a family activity.

Laura Callisen is a devoted mother, writer and sometimes traveler. Today she works as a freelance blogger and writes everything related to self-growth and motivation at Grab My Essay.

photo source