How to Make Money at the Beach

If you live near the beach, there are ways to make some extra cash, either by selling or renting things to tourists, or using the beach's resources to create an income. This article will show you some tried-and-true methods, and also some fun and unique ways to make money at the beach.

Sell

Selling things to tourists is the obvious way to make money at the beach. You can sell sunglasses, sunscreen, food, drinks, beach toys like buckets and shovels, firewood, beach bags, clothing, crafts, maps, books, sun hats, beach towels, kites, You can pretty much try to sell just about anything, if you think there might be a market for it.

You could set up a booth, cart, or table to sell your wares, as long as you follow the city's laws regarding selling at the beach.

Rent

Some things that you might be able to rent out to tourists are metal detectors, scuba or diving equipment, sports equipment, large beach umbrellas, beach chairs, grills, dune buggies or surries, and surfboards.

Gather

There are a lot of things you can find on the beach that you can sell for money.

Use a metal detector to search for coins, watches, jewelry and other treasures.

Collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles and recycle or refund for cash.

Look for beach glass, antique Japanese glass floats, shells, driftwood, interesting rocks. All these things have a market. Driftwood can be sold to pet shops for reptile cages or aquariums, or interesting pieces can be sold for decoration. Sell your finds on Ebay, or to local shops.

Create

Create crafts and art using materials you find on the beach.

I've seen fantastic sculpture art and baskets created out of dried seaweed, miniature sandcastles made from tiny balls of sand mixed with glue, painted rocks, sea glass jewelry, beach grass baskets and fiber art.

Make sure that you follow any local laws or regulations regarding taking natural materials from the beach. Some things, especially driftwood and coral, have laws protecting them.