No Job? Need Money? Here is How

When you need money, old-school society has taught us to just suck it up and get a job. That can be easier said than done with more than 10 percent unemployment in the United States right now. But, despite Obama's efforts, we still have hope. There are other ways to make money without a J-O-B. Here are some of the ways I have survived long spouts of unemployment, without getting any money from the stimulus package.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL

Right now there are a ton of grants available to single moms or those who don't make too much money. If you can't get a grant, try student loans and take out the max amount you can so you can put a little in your pocket after books and tuition. Attending a low cost school like the local community college will help ensure you put the maximum amount of funds in your pocket and not give it all to the school. Remember, you will have to pay loans back, but if you need the money now and can't get a personal loan without a job, this can mean the difference of survival. I have done this for 4 years and was able to feed my children as a single mom. Check out the University of Phoenix if you want to get enrolled quickly and get started earning your money right away. They make it easy to get started and even offer classes on line. You have to make good grades to keep your funding, so don't take this for granted too much.

WRITE ARTICLES & POST ON A PAY FOR CONTENT SITE

If you like to write or vent about subjects, pay for content sites are a great way to make some extra money and hopefully get people to listen to what you have to say. Associated Content is one of the best sites for making money. It's easy to use and you can get paid immediately for anything you write that is subject worthy. Additionally, they provide you with a check once a month for the number of views you receive on a pay per click basis. This can be an unbelievable residual income if you write content regularly and promote your site to friends and family who will be committed to reading your content.

TAKE PHOTOS AND POST ON ISTOCK PHOTO FOR PAYMENT

If photography is a hobby of yours, why not make it pay. Advertise wedding photography on Cragslist.org and shoot a few weddings each month for $300 or $400. Usually you can get them to pay cash the day of the event, and cash is always good. If you are any good at what you do, you can even charge a little bit more for your services. If you have a good camera, but don't know how to use it, try taking a class at your local camera shop. You could even go back to school for photography and double up on your moneymaking abilities.

If you don't want to commit to weddings, try posting photos of whatever you like on istockphoto.com. They post images for people to purchase and if yours get purchased for use you earn money. It's not a huge money maker unless you have very unique photos for special purposes, but it's something you can do for fun and possibly make a little extra cash.

BE A GO-GO DANCER

Okay, while this isn't for everyone, there is a lot of cash in being an exotic dancer. You don't have to be a "stripper" to make good money. There are plenty of establishments where women can make better tips than a waitress by putting on a skimpy outfit and shaking what her momma gave her. Even guys can make good money in this billion- dollar industry. It might be wrong on so many levels, but there is definitely money out there to be made. If you like to dance and you have a nice body, go for it.

MOW GRASS

Okay, well this is work, but not a JOB and can bring in some pretty good money. We used to have a guy that would drive around the neighborhood with a push mower and a couple of kids in his car. He would knock on doors asking to mow your grass if it looked a little long. He would only charge $20 per yard, which is super cheap, but I bet he made some bread doing a one time cut for people who probably felt sorry for him. We used him once in a while when we didn't want to do it ourselves, and even gave him a tip. Call it a charity mow. The guy probably really needed the money.

BABY-SIT FOR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY

You don't have to open a full-scale daycare in your home. Believe me that can be overwhelming and quickly become a J-O-B with 70 hours of commitment. Offer to baby-sit once or twice a month and take several children for a parents night out. Once people get in the habit of having a night out to themselves once or twice a month, you will be earning some serious cash. They will probably start asking you on other nights as well and you will find yourself turning people away or charging more for last minute notice. If you incorporate activities or fun things for the kids while they are with you, you can charge more and kids will brag to their parents asking to go back.

There are lots of unconventional ways to earn money without having a job. If you have trouble keeping a job because you get bored or just don't want to get up and go to work, try some of these ideas to earn the cash you need without giving up your freedoms.