Or, at least, break even. Kids. They direct deposited my paycheck today and it was for less than the amount my checking account was overdrawn.

I need some moneymaking schemes and fast. Any links to good freelancing sites would be good, any good ideas for ways to raise cash on the weekends, etc.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Answers

Do you still have anything you can sell? Resale is your friend.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Yeah, eBay is so your friend, baby. I have been existing on it for the last three weeks.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Two words:

SELL PLASMA.

Three more words:

MEDICAL TEST SUBJECT

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

I realize you wanted good ideas, but the department stores will be hiring for Christmas right about now. Or maybe you could mow lawns on the weekend. (Just kidding. About the lawns.)

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Yeah, baby, second job. Now is the perfect time to go retail for as long as you can mentally and emotionally stand it.

Also, and goddamn... I hate to say it... waitressing. Fastest way to make some cash besides selling your body.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

H, one xmas, I worked part time at Natural Wonders in the mall. Best minimum wage I ever earned. No pressure, just walking around playing with their toys (they call it 'doing demos'). Easy money.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

We were talking about waitressing at lunch! If you need cash-in- hand, it is the way to go.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Okay, ignoring the "good" part of the "good ideas" request, I've always been curious as to what those PUT YOUR COMPUTER TO WORK stickers are all about. workfromhome.com and crap like that.

Technical writing?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Uh... stripping?

I'm kidding, folks. Sorry about that. I'm a little stressed out today.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Oh, and on campus they should have research programs where you must eat your meals at their office, or at least eat only their food, and then you visit them once a week for weigh in or to get blood drawn.

Whatever, your meals are free AND you get paid!

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Bartending. more tips than waitressing. You don't necessarily need to have gone to bartending school, depending on the place. Sometimes you just need to be attractive enough to assure that horny drunk men will come back into the bar to try to flirt with you.

In DC, my money came from beinga process server. For federal cases, anyone over the age of 18 who is not a party to the law suit can serve a subpoena. (some states have their own licensing crap, check first) It was 50 dollars per subpoena. Some took less than 30 minutes counting the trip to pick it up from the attorney's office to the signing of the back my the victim (aka subpoena receiver)

Plasma is good but I know a friend who got real sick going too often.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

I did plasma once as an undergrad. It just ain't worth the $20 to me (yet- but when I'm at a point where being given a free jar of honey makes me feel excited about not running the risk of starving even longer, who knows how soon that will be when it is). But y'all are right on the waitressing. I think I've got to suck it up.

In the meantime, if you know anyone in LA who needs a babysitter. Or a tech writer...

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

I've gotten a few freelance editing jobs from copyeditor.com. I'm not sure if they're still out there, but it was cake.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

I am not proud - I went and signed up at a bunch of market research firms - they call you when they need opinions on new products, adverts, etc, and for an hour of your time, they give you free diet coke and cookies, let you spout off, and then they pay you - $50 to $100 for an hour of time, cash in hand.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

According to the Wall Street Journal, the post office is hiring temp workers at $11 an hour, though the article did go on to say the response has been fairly large.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

Kristin- Where did you find these companies??

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

I ran a search on google: "focus groups"+"chicago", to find companies that do this sort of work full time. After i ran the search, I called the companies and asked to be put in their focus group participant database. Once a few of their recruiters get you in their database, they tend to move around the different companies, and take your name with them.

The money is good, and it is easy enough.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

I'm so jealous! We did a couple of those focus groups in high school and only got paid like $15. Obviously, discrimination at work.

Good luck with the money hunt, Hannah. My x did some medical testing thingies a couple of times, and made a few hundred dollars. His biggest complaint was that it was boring, but he wasn't much of a reader/writer so all he had for entertainment was t.v.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 2001

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Have a great day..

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

uh...

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

Well, thank you, Thomas, because tdigiovanni@mindspring.com just became the new email addie for me to automatically forward all of my spam too. Kind of a late Xmas present.

Of course, I don't want to Bogart the Spammer - so I hope everyone else that reads this forwards all of their spam to him as well.

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

I wonder if one must "BE TRAINED" in "The Ways of Typing Like Ron Popiel Talks", because I am finding it VERY "difficult"!!!!!!

cause, trust me!!! I know that WEALTH BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS precludes "real punctuation"!!! and also, You Too can turn just $37 a month into Hundreds of Thousands in One Year, with no apparent concept of "Grammar", OR, "Forum Etiquette"!!!

-- Anonymous, January 01, 2002

Hannah - I can't believe someone is just now suggesting this, but damn girl, get your ass on some game shows! You're not in any union so you can do as many as you want. And hey, I think you'd do damn well on Wheel of Fortune. Supposedly the average person leaves there with at LEAST $3,000 and that includes the jags who don't make it to the final puzzle.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Oh my god - what a good idea! You could get your food processor on the Price is Right!

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Y'all. Why did I not think of this? Once my car gets here I'm Jeopardy bound.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Either that or start playing the Lotto. Which I'm seriously considering.

Has anyone used half.com? Is it worth it to try and get rid of all my old VHS tapes? I have a jillion, but will I only get like, a nickel?

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

H, my Mom buys gazillions of VHS tapes off Half.com & she pays anywhere from $7 to $12 per tape. It might be worth your while.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

A childhood friend of mine was on Price Is Right. She cleaned up. Won everything, and then won both showcases at the end. Some cars, boats, trips, and all sorts of goodies - I think she sold one of the cars to cover the taxes on the rest. All it takes is a good sense of the value of things.

Sadly, the Gulf War started the day her episode was supposed to air, so we never got to see her on tv. But game shows seem like a good way to go.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

Okay, I just listed a TON of VHS tapes on half.com (hannahbethm is my eBay name.) It kills me to list the Tae-Bo pack I paid 60 bucks for, for $12. Le sigh.

But hey, if it gets me some buckage, I'm all for it.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2002

I need to be making some money and fast, Iam begining to feel extremly depressed about things and Iam feeling a little fed up with being broke all the time and having to watch every single penny that is when I have money of course. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME? Iam qualified to be a book-keeper but, no-one wont's to know as I haven't much experience plus I need to find a job that I can fit around school holidays etc. HELP ME SOMEONE PLEASE!!

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2002

ok, now this is funny. first we have real math questions...and now this??

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2002