Six Ways to Make Money After Being Laid Off

Many people have been laid off in the last year and the state of the economy makes it difficult to find another job, even ones that are only part-time employment. Because of this, it may be necessary for individuals that are laid off to find one or more alternative income streams while employment is unavailable. In this article, I intend to describe six alternative income streams that people that are laid off can use to make money.

Unemployment Income Option #1 - Renting a Room

Many people have an extra room or two in their home that is used either for storage or not at all. If you have been laid off and have such a room in your house, why not consider renting the room out? This could net you an extra several hundred dollars every month with little effort on your part. Posting an advertisement on Craigslist or putting fliers up at local supermarkets or churches is probably the best way to go about doing this.

Unemployment Income Option #2 - Tutoring

Are you a recent college graduate, former educator, or fluent in another language? If so, you might be qualified to tutor local high school and college students for a reasonable rate. There is always a market for tutors, especially in science, math, and foreign language. Even if you are not interested in tutoring, you could proofread essays for a fee. Again, advertise at local schools and nearby colleges.

Unemployment Income Option #3 - Using Skills

If you have any skills such as being able to do home improvement or house cleaning, you could market yourself in that way. There is always a market for people skills, whatever they are. Just think about what you're good at and what you'd be willing to do in exchange for money. If you can write well, you could even begin to do freelance writing for Associated Content as a way to make money online.

Unemployment Income Option #4 - Using Equipment

Let me give you a real-life example of this. One of my neighbors lost his job and began mowing lawns as a way to make money. He mows our lawn as well as the lawn of perhaps two other neighbors, and does so an average of 2.5 times every week. He charges $20 for each mowing. If you do the math and assume that a month is 4.5 weeks long, you find that he can expect to make around $675 every month by mowing three families' lawns regularly. This is not a ton of money, but it is more money than he would be making otherwise. By utilizing his riding mower, he is able to provide a service for people and make money. Similar concepts would be plowing driveways in the winter or giving haircuts at home. If you already own the equipment, you can make a fair profit by using it.

Unemployment Income Option #5 - Online Selling and Trading

Do you know how to post and sell items on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist? If so, you have a marketable skill. See if anyone you know wants to sell things like baseball card collections or used exercise equipment online and charge them 10-20% of the profit in exchange for posting the item, writing the description, and taking any photos. Your income will be based on how much the items are worth, of course, so try to do this for items you know will sell for a good price. Likewise, you'll most likely have to do this for a good number of items before you see a serious profit.

Unemployment Income Option #6 - Babysitting

Babysitting is a great way to make a small income while unemployed, especially if you have raised children of your own. If you have been laid off, you might find yourself at home much more often. You can use this time to babysit local children on a regular basis. Again, you could make several hundred dollars or more every month if you babysit full-time for one or two children.

While any one of these options probably would not be enough to make a good amount of money, doing two or three of the things listed above could help out considerably in tough times. Do you have any other ideas on how an individual that has been laid off could make money while unemployed? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!