So you want to start a resale business? If you’ve been considering striking out on your own in this realm, you’re not alone. Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has seen the biggest boom in history — and not just for big-name box stores.
According to Digital Commerce 360, consumers spent $870.78 billion online with U.S. merchants in 2021, which is a 14.2% increase from what they spent in 2020. The good news? Online shopping isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, meaning selling goods online might very well become your next lucrative side hustle.
The bad news is that the market is pretty saturated.
“The number of online sellers have doubled since the pandemic,” said Kim Alsbrooks, owner of the Etsy shop FernvaleVintage. “It’s not a lazy person’s game. Whether you sell at a flea market or a shop or online, it’s something that needs a lot of attention to succeed.”
How to Start a Resale Business
So how exactly can you start your very own successful resale business that will stand out amongst the crowd? We’ve got the scoop on all that and more right here.
1. Do Your Research
This might sound obvious, but the best way to start a successful resale business is with a bit of research. Mainly, you’ll want to figure out what you want to sell and where you want to sell it.
“You’ll learn and evolve as you go, but taking some time to research as much as you can beforehand is helpful,” said Kari Durm, owner of vintage Etsy shop The Cherry Attic. “Compare platforms, other sellers’ shops, various resell items, pricing, etc.”
2. Follow Your Passions
Once you’ve started the research phase, you’re going to want to determine exactly what it is you plan to resell. Maybe its books, clothes, antiques, decor — you name it. But rather than just picking something arbitrarily (or because you think you can make lots of money selling it), Durm recommends selling something that actually interests you.
“I think you should have a passion for what you’re selling as opposed to just copying what someone else is doing because they seem to be doing well,” Durm said. “A huge misconception is that reselling vintage is an easy, quick way to make a lot of money and there’s nothing further from the truth. I’ve had many weeks where 30-plus hours were spent only on shipping. It can quickly become exhausting and if you don’t love what you’re selling, keeping that pace could be difficult to sustain.”
3. Think Logistics
With an idea of your prospective goods in mind, now’s the time to figure out exactly how you plan to sell things: Online, in-person, or some combination thereof? Decide this early on and it will in large part determine how you spend your time growing your business.
For example, online business owners tend to spend lots of time on shipping and advertising, while an in-person resale business will require you to physically be on-sight for a certain number of hours per week to sell your goods.
Given these limitations, many successful resellers suggest sticking to an online-only business model.
“People are used to shopping online, and it also means you can work from home and set your own schedule, while maintaining a huge customer base,” Alsbrooks said. “You could also do both (online and in-person) but you’d probably need employees to delegate certain tasks to, and it would be a lot of work.”
Another bit of logistical detail to work out? Figuring out how and where you plan on storing your inventory of goods.
“Additional shelving and stackable plastic tubs are helpful, but if you have a small space and plan to keep a large amount of inventory on hand, you might need to get more creative with storage,” Durm said.
4. Source Your Goods
No matter how you plan on selling your goods, you’re going to need to know how to source them. For this, Alsbrooks recommends taking stock of what’s locally available to you.
“It can be as simple as shopping at your favorite thrift stores or checking out local flea markets, large and small,” she said. “I’ve become very familiar with a local auction house that sells in my price range and always has interesting quality auctions. Then there’s my favorite — estate sales.”
When it comes to sourcing online, Alsbrooks cautions against it.
“You will seriously be surprised — good and bad — at half of what you get, when you finally see it in person,” she said.
With the number of people buying online, this can also make it harder to get a good deal, which in turn can affect your ability to turn a profit. Alsbrooks recommends focusing on buying things in person for a good price, and scouting out which locales offer the best goods at the lowest prices.
5. Pick a Platform
With your supply chain figured out, now’s the time to get your business established. While setting up a brick and mortar will involve a lot of extra steps (like finding a space to rent or buy, applying for a business license in your community), getting set up online is actually fairly simple. All you really need to do is pick a platform.
While there are plenty of these to choose from (notably Poshmark, eBay, and Gazelle), the resellers we spoke to said they prefer to use Etsy.
“Etsy has been the only one I’ve stuck with,” Durm said. “I know quite a few people who do well on eBay, but I just couldn’t get my shop going there. I also prefer Etsy’s overall look and user interface over eBay and other platforms.”
Alsbrook also prefers Etsy, but cautions that it takes more work to be successful on Etsy than it would on say, eBay.
“If I post something on eBay, it might take all of three minutes,” she said. “A single listing on Etsy takes hours. Why? Items must be cleaned and in top condition, photographed well, researched (listing description has to be interesting and accurate) and you do your own SEO. Not to mention buying time, and the pressure to get good reviews. But the profit of the same item is at least twice what you’d get from a bargain basement like eBay.”
Keep in mind that you also have the option to cross-post your goods on multiple platforms, but this will add to your overall workload, both in time spent posting and in taking down sold inventory.
6. Hone Your Skills
After logistics, comes goal-setting, and a great way to approach this aspect of your business is by focusing on what skills you want to develop in order to succeed.
“Understand the process and fully address each job skill required,” suggests Alsbrooks. “You will never get found among the competition if you just open an e-commerce shop and then forget about it and expect people to find you and buy. It’s not that easy. It’s very competitive out there, especially post pandemic when the number of online shops more than doubled. If you’re not near the top of the game, it will be difficult to be found online.”
To keep an edge on the competition, Alsbrooks recommends focusing on developing actionable skills like perfecting your product photography, business branding, and even your SEO abilities—all of which will help you appear in more search results and as a result, gain more loyal customers.
7. Master The Financials
Last but not least, you’re going to want to wrap your head around the financial aspect of your business. This includes things like tracking your income, setting aside enough money for taxes, and paying whatever fees are required from your chosen platform (or city) to comply with the legalese of owning a business.
No matter what you end up selling, starting a business will take time and work. If you can get really clear about what you want your business to be, and then focus on attaining the skills necessary to make it successful, you’ll be halfway there.
You might have left the career you had in the 40-hour-a-week workforce. But now you don’t exactly want to be glued to your couch watching puppy videos. You want to be active, you want to work, and you want to make a little money to support your fun retirement plans.
While “retirement income’’ or “retirement job” might seem like oxymorons, they are a more reasonable pursuit today than in years past due to advancing life expectancies and improved health among older citizens.
Many people reach so-called retirement age and are in no way done with being productive. Many continue in freelance jobs and part-time gigs, whether in a brick-and-mortar setting, from home, or even outdoors.
There are plenty of ways to bring in some extra money to augment pension, social security, or other retirement funds. We’ve rounded up 18 ideas for good jobs for retirees that offer part-time opportunities, flexible hours, or both.
20 Part-time Jobs for Retirees
Most of the examples here require your physical presence on-site, but there are remote jobs, too, such as virtual assistant and customer service work that can be done from the comfort of your home.
As you browse these possible jobs for retirees, keep in mind one warning: If you are collecting Social Security, you can only earn a certain amount each month before your benefits are reduced, until you reach the age of 66 years and 4 months. At that point, you can earn whatever you want and still collect all of Social Security benefits.
So let’s get to work, shall we?
1. Substitute Teacher
Substitute teachers have never been more valuable than they are today. Although most schools have returned to full-time schedules after two years of pandemic struggles, people still get Covid. When that happens to a teacher, their students need someone to keep them occupied — and that could be you.
Most school districts have lenient requirements for substitute teachers, often requiring just a bachelor’s degree with no teaching experience.
To be successful, you need to be ready to deal with a room full of 20 or so children of varying ages. But it could pay off. School districts in Chicago, for example, pay as much as $200 a day for a full day of work.
If you have an advanced degree, you may also qualify to be an adjunct instructor at a community college or four-year university.
2. School Support Worker
Most schools are always looking for crossing guards, recess supervisors and other positions. A call to your local elementary, middle or high school could lead you to a good retirement job that would fit your schedule. Even better is searching online for jobs at your school district. This will give you a range of what’s out there.
This is a classic retirement job that gets you out of the house, allows you to have contact with neighbors, and lets you provide security and safety with another set of adult eyes on the children.
3. Tutor
There are hundreds of tutoring companies in the U.S. who work with kids of all ages to enhance their school education or prepare for college entrance exams. If you sign up with one, they’ll match you with work and you won’t need to market yourself as a tutor.
The hourly pay for these companies ranges from about $13 to $25. Requirements often are limited to a bachelor’s degree, although exam-prep work might require a recent ACT or SAT test score, or might require you to retake the exam for verbal or math instruction.
If you are interested in online tutoring, there are many good paying gigs out there. Match your skills to the openings.
Getty Images
4. School Bus Driver
School bus drivers can earn up to $20 per hour. They have regular hours with the opportunity to earn extra for field trips or outings. Some states require a specific license (a commercial drivers license, or CDL, for example) or require you to pass a driving test to qualify.
Recent news reports indicate there are many job openings for school bus drivers.
The job is likely to include more than just driving, however. You may be asked to supervise students on the bus, and you may be called upon to discipline rowdy students or those who are making the trip unsafe. A tolerance for children of all ages is probably an important requirement.
5. Shuttle Bus Driver
There are dozens of different types of shuttle bus driver jobs. Most hotels have shuttles to and from airports. Senior citizen homes, churches and community centers often offer shuttles to shopping areas or grocery stores. Hourly pay for shuttle bus drivers can average about $17 per hour, and that’s not including tips from satisfied riders. Like school bus drivers, shuttle bus drivers have regular hours.
Depending on the particulars of the job, a commercial driver’s license might be required.
There are different state laws regarding licensing for shuttle bus drivers. A specialized license might be required if the bus holds a certain number of people or is a particular size. Your state motor vehicle website will tell you what’s required in your state, and any potential employer will know, too.
6. Tour Conductor
Tour guide is one of those jobs that, when you see someone doing it, you think, “Well, I could do that too!”
Businesses, organizations and sites that host tours come in many shapes and sizes, from historical sites to museums, from outdoor walking tours to behind-the-scenes workplace tours. They can be an everyday part of a business or scheduled by appointment. What do they all have in common? A tour leader.
These jobs require knowledge about the subject and the ability to tell a good story — often while walking backwards.
This could be a dream job for someone who knows the topic well and likes to retell stories about history, natural science or architecture (among many other possibilities).
If this appeals to you, don’t overlook a special area of knowledge you’ve developed during all those years in the workplace. Know a lot about the manufacturing industry? Maybe you’re just the person to lead tours at a cheese factory.
Looking for a fun part-time side gig? Here’s how you can earn money visiting theme parks as a Disney nanny.
7. Patient Advocate
The job of a patient advocate is to assist someone who is struggling to cope with the healthcare system. A patient advocate deals with paperwork and appointments, and communicates with healthcare providers to get information on diagnosis, treatment and followup procedures.
Advocates might also be asked to work with insurance companies to understand coverage and costs. Many are asked to help a client obtain assistance with financial or legal issues. The range of duties can be as varied as the patient’s needs.
Being a patient advocate does not require any particular educational degree, but it is possible to become certified in this role.
These positions can be part- or full-time, and they pay well, averaging $18 an hour. So if you plan to collect Social Security benefits, make sure to check how your wage impacts your benefits.
Getty Images
8. Child Care Provider
Child care might be a bit of a political football these days, but rarely has it been more necessary. Single parents or two-parent families that require or want two incomes are likely to need child care, and that could take the form of a nanny or frequent babysitter.
A babysitter sits in a home with a child or children. A nanny is responsible for getting children to day care or other activities; they are a substitute parent in many cases.
Craigslist, Next Door or other neighborhood job sites are great ways to search for these positions, but your best bet is to work with your personal network. Let people know that you would be willing to work as a nanny or frequent babysitter, and, with the proper recommendation, you could have a very gratifying retirement job.
There are no actual nanny or babysitter licenses or certifications in the United States, but many families require that nannies be bonded, which is a guarantee of service. It is a protection against someone failing to show up for work; one such failure forfeits the bond and that area of work is no longer available to that nanny.
Taking classes in CPR or other emergency response techniques, which offer certifications upon completion, can improve your chances of being hired.
Virtual assistants are independent contractors who offer business services virtually. Those services can include website management, website design, marketing assistance, social media postings, blog writing, email correspondence or any number of clerical duties that can be carried out with a computer and phone. This kind of work is often well-suited to flexible hours.
As of this writing, Ziprecruiter indicated there were more than 174,000 virtual assistant jobs available and suggested that a virtual assistant could make up to $60,000 a year, depending on the work required.
You are more likely to work on an hourly wage determined by your experience and amount of work you are required to perform. There are also job firms that provide virtual assistants; you can sign on with them and accept work as it is offered to you.
Any task that can be done virtually via computer is likely to be requested by a virtual assistant. Firms would rather pay a freelancer than an employee to do the work.
10. Bookkeeper
You have a good head for numbers. You are in charge of your own finances, and you perhaps worked in an accounting role at a previous job.
Many small or civic organizations cannot afford, nor do they truly need, a full-time bookkeeper or accounting service. They are not in it for the money. Often, they are charitable or non-profit organizations. But they need occasional bookkeeping, often with an eye towards tax advantages.
A part-time bookkeeper job often requires simple financial recordkeeping or upkeep of other financial records. Part-time bookkeepers are usually former accountants or have experience as a bookkeeper. They may be asked to track invoices, but most companies use financial services for paychecks.
The average salary for a part-time bookkeeper is around $20 per hour.
11. Umpire and Referee
This is a perfect retirement job if you have a sports background and the ability to withstand criticism.
Competitive sports programs need officials for their games. Baseball, basketball, soccer and football all have leagues at various ages that need officiating. Depending on where you live, the work can be constant. If you get certified for multiple sports, you can work all weekend long and often during the week.
While high-level programs require officials to get licensed or certified, lower-level and youth group programs require just a basic knowledge of the rules. Look around your community for sports leagues in need of umpires or referees.
Pay is often dependent on the age of the players and the competitive level of the organization, but officials are likely to make at least $25 per game. At higher levels where certification is required, you can earn $100 per game.
Getty Images
12. Pet Sitter and Pet Walker
For between $10 and $15 an hour, you can earn money by pet-sitting in a home or, if the pet happens to be a dog, you can walk the animal. Pet-sitting is a good job for retirees who want to work outdoors without a lot of physical requirements other than being able to walk while pulling or being pulled.
Pet sitter/walker is also a good line of work to get into because one job can lead to another. Pet owners tend to concentrate around each other, and they will give recommendations to other pet owners about a reliable person who can watch Fido or Fluffy while they are on vacation.
If you are going to house-sit the animal, you will likely get paid more for also keeping an eye on the property while the owner is away.
13. Freelance Writer
Although freelance writers no longer provide articles — it’s called “content” now — freelance writing is a gig that can offer the freedom to accept the assignments you want. There are firms that will connect freelance writers to people or companies in need of blogs, resumes, cover letters, marketing content and more.
According to Indeed, the average hourly pay for a freelance writer is approximately $25 per hour, but you are often paid by assignment or by word, so the pay varies. If you have knowledge in certain topics like science and medicine, the pay can be higher.
Writing skills rarely diminish, but the requirements for writing change over time. A knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) is going to open more doors. Many jobs that use job search websites like Indeed ask for candidates to take a writing test, but many of those are simple grammar or proofreading tests.
While there are occasional situations where someone needs a one-off writing assignment, freelance writer jobs often offer consistent, if sporadic, work. A retiree who can write could have a client for years. Check out this Penny Hoarder article on places hiring freelance writers.
14. Call Center Employee
Just to be clear, we are talking about taking calls from customers, not making calls. A call center representative answers incoming calls from customers or potential customers and either answers questions or sends the caller to someone else who can answer.
As much as this is a remote job, it is definitely a people-person retirement job. You are likely to be talking to someone who is upset or unhappy, and you are the first line of communication for the company you are representing. You need to be capable of being friendly and helpful in the face of unpleasant conversation.
Freelance bartending doesn’t require bartending school and can earn you good money working at large events or small, private parties. Hourly pay for freelance bartenders can be anywhere from $20 to $50 even before tips.
If you can memorize lots of cocktail recipes, if you have an outgoing personality and a steady hand, and if you’re willing to cut people off if needed, this could be a fit for you. Your best bet might be starting out tending bar for people you know and then building a network of referrals.
Plan on some up-front costs, such as a portable bar (if the host doesn’t have one) and basic bar tools. The host is expected to supply the alcohol and mixers. And to protect against possible liability you might want to consider an annual liability policy.
16. Shopping Specialist
Is it the shopping or the buying that you enjoy? If it’s the shopping, then you might consider becoming someone’s personal shopper.
The job title describes the job. You are given a shopping list and the means to make the purchase, and you chase after the items.
Certainly, many people already have personal shoppers and don’t know it. When they contact a grocery store and provide an itemized list of goods they want, someone does the “shopping,” and the items are then delivered.
But true personal shoppers are more likely to purchase clothing and accessories than groceries. A personal shopper often finds items and then sends photos and descriptions to the person who hired them to get approval.
Some high-end clothing stores offer personal shopper services as well. These positions might be a little less “personal,” as they might be a one-day relationship. But the concept is the same.
Personal shoppers who go after groceries or staples are likely to make typical hourly pay of $14 to $20. Those who work for a service are likely on a wage or salary determined by the service rather than by the client.
There’s also money to be made as a mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers are sometimes called evaluators or secret shoppers and often work on their own time. Their job is to document their shopping experiences and report back to the owners to help them improve customer service.
Got what it takes to be a mystery shopper? We’ve rounded up five companies that are hiring retail sleuths.
17. Security Guard
A security guard who does not carry a weapon serves as a presence to discourage inappropriate behavior. While many large businesses like Target or Wal-Mart hire security personnel from a service, small employers such as charitable or service organizations are likely to hire someone who is reliable and gives the appearance of authority.
The responsibilities of a security guard depend on the needs of the company being guarded. There may be requirements that go beyond just being a presence, but the differences depend on the needs of the company.
Hourly pay for security guards without weapons training is likely to be between $10 and $17. Night-time security guards are likely to make more than daytime ones.
This is a good job for retirees who do not mind a bit of boredom.
Security guards who do carry weapons require special training and weapons licensing, and is an entirely different job pursuit, perhaps not as well-suited to a retirement job.
18. Seasonal Job Employee
Remember when you had a summer job as a teenager or a part-time job during your winter break from college? The same logic can work when you’re thinking about some extra retirement income.
Many seasonal jobs are defined by the weather, which is defined by the time of year and the climate where you live. Seasonal jobs are popular, never go out of style (except when the season changes), and can actually be a fun job to look forward to.
Ski resorts in the winter and water parks in the summer are two great examples of places that require seasonal employees. It is not necessary to be a ski instructor or a lifeguard, either. These places require assistance in areas outside of their main purpose: security, transportation, customer service. Even the National Park Service hires seasonal temps.
Also included in seasonal work are holiday positions during the months of October-December. On-site customer service, truck unloading, shelving of new goods, and custodial services are among the positions for which big box stores are likely to need employees. For example in 2021, we tallied more than 500,000 jobs at national retailers and delivery services.
Some stores hold hiring events in October to fill these positions, but they often continue searching for employees throughout the final three months of the year.
Getty Images
19. Baker/Butcher
Perhaps you grew up baking your own bread, and your cupcakes were legendary at your kid’s school events.
Perhaps you know your way around a rump roast, or can identify all the various cuts of meat they offer at your local butcher.
You could turn your lifelong interest in food preparation into a part-time job, and you are likely to be welcomed because you don’t need as much training as a newbie. Your local grocery store would be a good place to start, letting the hiring manager know that you have some background as a butcher or baker.
These are speciality skills, and as such get paid better than some other positions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a butcher’s hourly wage is approximately $17.15 an hour. Payscale.com lists the average hourly wage for a baker at just over $13 per hour.
20. Specialty Store Employee
You know which hardware store to go to to get advice from someone who has fixed a toilet in their life. You know which fabric store to go to where the employees know the difference between chiffon and silk.
You could be one of those employees.
During your life, you have become knowledgeable about some aspect of household or everyday life. People with your knowledge are hired by companies to help people who do not yet have that experience. Stores that serve a specific type of customer would love to hire someone they don’t have to train extensively.
According to payscale.com, the average hourly rate for a hardware store employee is just under $13. Indeed says a sales associate at a specialty store will make an average of just over $10 an hour, maybe more now that minimum wages are increasing across the country.
Pro Tip
The Penny Hoarder’s Work-From-Home Jobs Portal makes the remote-job hunt easy. Our journalists scour the web for the best gigs, vet the companies and aggregate the latest listings in one place.
Kent McDill is a veteran journalist who has specialized in personal finance topics since 2013. He is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
In America, that means you need to be thinking about your employer’s parental leave policies. Unless you’re lucky enough to be sitting on a tall stack of cash, these policies will affect every part of the family-planning process, from whether you’re given adequate paid time off to physically recover from birthing a child to whether you’re even allowed to take any time off at all.
The good news is that in recent years, there’s been a very slight bump in the percentage of employers that offer these benefits, and a somewhat notable bump in the number of companies that offer paid parental leave to either parent for extra bonding time with their child in the first year of life.
Let’s look at the overall state of parental leave in the United States, along with 15 of the best employers with paid parental leave policies.
The State of Standard Parental Leave in America
Parental leave policies in America are abysmal. There is no federally-mandated paid leave – even for the birthing parent.
In fact, the only protective policy we have is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and all that does is prevent your employer from firing you or canceling your health insurance when you take off for medical reasons related to pregnancy and childbirth. The FMLA protects you for up to 12 weeks.
According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, only 44% of American workers even qualify for the FMLA, which means 56% of workers could legally lose their job or their health benefits if they took time off for a medical need like childbirth.
You can determine if you qualify for FMLA if you meet these requirements:
Your employer has 50+ employees within 75 miles of your work location.
You’ve worked for the employer for at least 12 months (does not have to be consecutive).
You’ve worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months.
States With Parental Leave Insurance
In a handful of states, just because the federal government doesn’t provide you with paid leave doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. Some states offer partially-paid leave through state-run, short-term disability insurance.
If you are the birthing parent, these states have short-term disability insurance that will provide you with full- or partial-pay for a set amount of time dependent on medical need:
15 Employers With Great Parental Leave Policies
The best way to get parental leave in the United States is through your employer. Only 35% of employers offer maternity leave, and 33% offer parental leave, though these policies can overlap.
Over the past two years, we saw a surge in these employee benefits. At the peaks, as many as 53% of employers were offering maternity leave, and 39% were offering parental leave. But in 2022, we’re almost back to pre-pandemic norms. Women and birthing parents have seen virtually no long-lasting change in terms of where we were before the pandemic.
Non-birthing parents, on the other hand, have benefited from a 5-point expansion in the percentage of companies that provide parental leave. Some companies do offer parental leave in lieu of or in addition to maternity leave, as well, but maternity leave has traditionally been used for the medical recovery of birth rather than the sustained care of newborns in America.
If you’re job hunting and thinking of starting or expanding your family in the near future, here are 15 companies that continue to offer substantial paid leave policies for parents.
1. Netflix
Netflix gives salaried employees unlimited leave in the first year of their child’s life at 100% pay. Now, kind of like “unlimited” paid time off or vacation policies, there’s some nuance. You’ll have to work with your manager to figure out what works best for you, your family, and your team at work.
While Netfilx’s company culture encourages employees to take this leave, the company does acknowledge that most parents take anywhere between four and eight months of the 12 they’re eligible for.
2. Adobe
To qualify for Adobe’s parental and birthing parent leave benefits, you must be FMLA eligible. But if you meet the FMLA standards, Adobe’s going to give you a lot more than the FMLA guarantees.
Parental Leave
Either parent can claim up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave within the first six months of the child’s life. You have to take this time off consecutively, so you can’t take a month off at the birth, go back to work and then take three more months off when your babe is three months old. You’ve got to use it all at once.
Leave for Birthing Parents
The birthing parent gets up to 10 weeks of medical leave paid at 100%. You might need a doctor’s note to claim this part of the policy depending on the HR manager. But it is stackable on top of the general parental leave policy, giving the birthing parent up to 26 weeks of total paid leave.
Not FMLA eligible?
If you’re not FMLA eligible – or you’ve already claimed FMLA leave for the year – you can claim up to 4 weeks of parental leave with 100% pay under Adobe’s policies.
Whether or not you’re FMLA eligible, if your state has a disability insurance program, it will run concurrently with Adobe’s parental leave policies. That means you won’t get extra weeks.
You also won’t get extra money. The state will pay you first, and then Adobe will top you off until you hit 100% of your regular pay.
3. Google
To qualify for any of Google’s family leave benefits, you must be with the company for at least 90 days and work 30 hours or more per week.
Google also requires its suppliers to provide this same type of leave for their employees – so Google-adjacent jobs might get you the same deal.
Parental Leave
All parents get 18 weeks of paid parental leave at Google as of 2022.
Leave for Birthing Parents
Birthing parents get a total of 24 weeks of leave from Google – which is inclusive of the parental leave portion. So six extra weeks.
Like Adobe, if your state provides short-term disability insurance, Google will top it off to get your pay to 100%, but won’t give you extra money on top of the state payout. If your state offers a short-term disability program that’s longer than six weeks, it won’t affect your 18 weeks of additional parental leave if you take that extra time at partial pay per your state’s program.
Family Leave
On top of parental leave and medical leave for birthing parents, Google provides an additional 8 weeks per year for caregiver needs. That means you can take care of your child out of infancy, staying home with them when they’re sick or attending parent-teacher conferences or whatever it is you’ve got to do.
4. Facebook
Facebook’s benefits for parental leave and medical leave for birthing parents have different requirements, so be sure to pay attention.
Parental Leave
To qualify for parental leave, you must be a full-time employee. Facebook provides up to four months of parental leave at 100% pay within the first year of your child’s life. You can take this leave intermittently.
Leave for Birthing Parents
You’ve got to be a full-time employee to qualify for the four-month parental leave, even if you’re the birthing parent.
But all birthing parents qualify for 10-12 weeks of additional “maternity” leave as long as you work at least 20 hours per week. It doesn’t matter if you’re full-time, part-time or a short-term employee, and the benefit kicks in the moment you’re hired.
Here’s how those weeks break down:
4 weeks prior to the anticipated birth date.
6 weeks of medical recovery for vaginal deliveries.
8 weeks of medical recovery for C-sections.
5. Thumbtack
Thumbtack’s leave benefits are available to all full-time employees on Day One of employment – no waiting period. Its program is particularly successful, with 10% of employees taking parental leave since 2020 and 99.98% of employees returning after they took their leave.
“We provide parents with a parental leave guide to ensure they are ready for their leave and able to fully disconnect while gone, as well as to help set them up for success upon their return to work,” said Jelena Djordjevic, VP of people at Thumbtack.
“This includes joining our parents employee resource group, our internal network of other parents who now make up nearly a quarter of our team.”
Parental Leave
Parents get up to 12 weeks of parental leave within the first year of their child’s life. You can take this leave intermittently, and the minimum increment is one week at a time.
Leave for Birthing Parents
Birthing parents get an additional 8 weeks of medical leave, for a total of 20 weeks paid leave during the child’s first year of life.
Caregiver Leave
In addition to parental leave during the child’s first year of life, Thumbtack provides another 40 hours of leave at 100% each and every year for caregiving needs. This can include things like:
Taking time off to find a school or childcare.
Participating in school activities.
Addressing family health conditions.
Bereavement Leave
Thumbtack offers employees five days of fully-paid bereavement leave due to the loss of a loved one, too. Bereavement leave can be applied to the loss of a pregnancy or a miscarriage.
6. Bank of America
Whether you’re a bank teller or a VP working in a corner office, Bank of America offers parental leave for all employees who have been with the company for at least one year.
Parental Leave
All parents get 16 weeks of fully-paid parental leave, to be used in the first year after birth or adoption. You also have the option to continue your leave for an additional 10 weeks. These last ten weeks are unpaid, but they do come with job protection.
Bereavement Leave
Bank of America offers a bereavement leave benefit, as well. You get 20 business days off (which is four weeks or more in many cases), and the leave is fully paid if you lost an eligible dependent.
7. Hilton
From the front desk to the corporate offices, all Hilton employees in America qualify for parental leave if they work at least 30 hours per week and have been with the company for at least a year.
Hilton also provides a tremendous resource to their employees through their Care for All platform, which offers actionable and encouraging news for employees who are caregivers around the world. It includes information for those caring for family members – whether they’re caring for children, aging parents, or sick or disabled family members.
The site also provides resources for managers so they can better support employees who are also family caregivers.
Parental Leave
Parents receive four weeks of 100% paid leave.
Leave for Birthing Parent
As a birthing parent, you receive an additional eight weeks of 100% paid leave after the birth of your child, for a total of 12 weeks.
If you need to take time off before the birth, you can get partial pay through Hilton’s short-term disability insurance. There are two types of coverage: Basic and Buy-Up.
All eligible employees automatically get the Basic coverage. It gives you up to 26 weeks off at 60% pay, with a max benefit of $250 per week.
For $250 per week to be 60% of your pay, you’d need to be making less than $11 per hour. So you may opt to pay a premium for the Buy-Up coverage, which provides you with 60% pay up to $2,308 per week.
Parent Concierge
In addition to its leave policies, Hilton provides parents and all caregivers access to a caregiving concierge through its partner, Wellthy, as an employee benefit.
Some of the services Wellthy provides include:
Assistance filing all of the paperwork – whether it’s legal, health-related, financial, or related to social or support groups.
A real-life person as your concierge. The concierge team includes Master’s level social workers, psychologists, and other health professionals.
Help keeping on top of your schedule as a busy parent or caregiver.
8. Amazon
Amazon offers parental leave to blue-badge employees who work at least 30 hours per week.
The badge system at Amazon just shows which type of employee you are. White badges indicate seasonal or temporary employees, while the blue badge is for permanent positions. (The blue badge changes to orange and other colors after a set number of years with the company, but that’s another story.)
Parental Leave
All parents get six weeks of fully-paid parental leave, which can be used within one year of birth or adoption. You can use the leave all at once, or split it into two separate windows. You don’t need to work with your manager on this – you need to inform them of your plans, but your plans don’t require their approval according to company policy.
Leave for Birthing Parents
Birthing parents get 10 weeks of paid medical leave after the birth of the child. If you get a doctor’s note, you may also be able to get four weeks of paid leave prior to your due date.
If your state offers paid leave through short-term disability insurance, it will run at the same time as Amazon’s employee benefit – not in addition to it.
Leave Sharing
Amazon has an incredible policy that allows you to split your parental leave with your spouse if they do not get paid leave through their employer.
Let’s say you’re not the birthing parent, and the birthing parent gets no paid time off. One way you could use this program is by taking one week of the leave for yourself, and giving them the other five.
Your spouse will be paid 100% of your income while they’re claiming the leave – not 100% of whatever they make.
9. Open Society Foundation
The Open Society Foundation offers employees six months of paid parental leave. The first three months are paid at 100%. The remaining three weeks are paid at 70% – 80%.
Paid Sabbatical
After five years of employment, all employees are eligible for a four-month sabbatical. While you don’t have to be a parent to use this benefit, those planning to expand their family may want to take this additional benefit into account when planning their leave.
10. Microsoft
Microsoft offers employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Birthing parents get eight additional weeks of paid time off, for a total of 20 weeks.
11. Ikea
Ikea provides employees with 16 weeks of 100% paid parental leave. Birthing parents get 10 weeks of short-term disability leave.
12. 3M
3M offers eligible employees parental leave as a benefit from the first day they’re on the job. The leave is 20 weeks total, but only the first 10 are paid.
13. Dannon
Dannon (AKA Danone North America) gives its employees 18 weeks of paid parental leave. It used to not apply to manufacturing employees (which comprise more than 50% of the company’s workforce,) but the benefit was expanded to everyone in 2020.
14. L’Oreal
L’Oreal still breaks its parental leave policies down in terms of maternity and paternity leave. Maternity leave is 14 weeks at 100% pay, while paternity leave is 10 days at 100% pay.
L’Oreal also provides employees with a major medical treatment benefit, which can cover up to 75% of costs in addition to your health insurance coverage.
15. Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments gives employees 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave to all parents. Birthing parents get additional time, for a total of 16 weeks.
Pittsburgh-based writer Brynne Conroy is the founder of the Femme Frugality blog and the author of “The Feminist Financial Handbook.” She is a regular contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
Postings for green jobs have increased 8% over the last year, but the skilled green workforce has only increased by 6%.
As green industries continue to grow, so does the need for green workers.
Many established industries are quickly developing new ways of doing things in response to climate change. This means there are lots of possibilities for green entrepreneurs and those looking to break into the industry.
For example, the music industry has a growing number of businesses and organizations focused on making concerts and touring more carbon neutral.
The auto industry is experiencing a big shift toward greener tech, too. It’s anticipated that by 2030, half of new car sales will be electric vehicles. This means that people interested in manufacturing and sales jobs will have to be knowledgeable about green infrastructure and materials.
Meanwhile, construction, transportation, fashion, and health care are transitioning into more sustainable industries, and they’re hiring employees with environmental and sustainability knowledge, according to a World Economic Forum report.
10 Green Jobs That Don’t Require a Four-Year College Degree
Ready to go green? We looked at median salaries, job growth, and education requirements for 10 jobs with an environmental or sustainability focus.
Most of our information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook. We also used reports from employment sites like Indeed and Linkedin, and various industry organizations.
Here are ten jobs that don’t require a 4-year college degree.
Agricultural or Food Science Technician
If you are interested in science and are detail-oriented, you might consider becoming a food or agricultural science technician. This growing field is laboratory-based, where staff measure, analyze, and report on food and other agricultural items. Technicians usually develop specialties, which lead to higher salaries.
Median salary: $44,700 per year
Job growth: 9%
Required experience: Associate’s degree
Arborist
Arborists take care of trees. There are many types, too, which provide a wide range of salaries: research, private, commercial, municipal and utility arborists. Commercial arborist jobs are mainly seasonal, since arborists often work in landscaping. Those kinds of jobs offer on-the-job training while other arborist fields may require a certification or an associates degree in forestry or arboriculture.
This is another great job for the detail-oriented person. These technicians might monitor pollution data, inspect establishments for environmental or safety issues, perform laboratory work, assist scientists or verify compliance with state and federal regulations.
Median salary: $47,370 per year
Job growth: 6%
Required experience: Associate’s degree
Forest/Conservation Worker
Helping the planet might make up for a low entry salary. Forest and conservation workers help plant and protect forests, prevent forest fires and generally take steps to keep our forests healthy. They might also clear brush away from roads and campsites. Another perk? Your office could be in a local, state or national park.
Median salary: $30,550 per year
Job Growth: -3%
Required experience: High school diploma or equivalent
Hazardous Materials Removal Worker
This job might not sound very green, but getting rid of harmful or destructive materials is fundamental for the health of our environment. You learn how to remove and dispose of asbestos, radioactive waste, lead, and other hazardous materials. Often workers will keep records, drive forklifts or other large machinery or clean contaminated areas. It’s also a field with frequent overtime pay.
Median salary: $46,300 per year
Job growth: 0%
Required experience: High school diploma or equivalent
Organic Farmer
Agricultural/farm workers traditionally don’t earn a lot of money. But the 2022 Farm Bill is pumping $300 million to incentivize farmers to transition to organic farming and develop new markets for organic produce. There are no education requirements for organic farming, though there is a lot to learn. You can start off as an apprentice or intern. There are associate’s degree in organic farming as well. Several websites state that experienced organic farmers make more than $70,000 a year.
Median salary: $34,103 per year
Job growth: 1%
Required experience: Few education requirements
Solar Photovoltaic Installer
Solar panel installer is one of the fastest growing jobs on this list. People going into this trade often learn on the job, though there are some courses that they can take at technical colleges, and online. Installers are involved with almost all of the steps of installation. They use the measurements of the location to create the photovoltaic panels, install them, and may repair and maintain them and any systems holding them.
Median salary: $47,670 per year
Job growth: 27%
Required experience: High school diploma or equivalent
Wastewater Treatment Operators
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators are responsible for making sure that clean water flows out to residents and businesses, and dirty water flows in for treatment. These workers might be testing, measuring, and treating water. They record data for government records. They also clean, maintain, and inspect equipment and the systems that filter the water. While this job area is overall declining, it is anticipated that there will be about 10,800 open jobs annually.
Median salary: $47,880 per year
Job growth: -7%
Required experience: High school diploma or equivalent
Wind Turbine Technician
Looking for job security? Consider working in the wind turbine field. Windtechs are the fastest growing jobs on this list. They usually have to get a certificate from a technical school or program, and then — or sometimes simultaneously — they usually get a year of on-the-job training. Windtechs know how to work on the components of the turbine, and are familiar with hydraulic and electric systems. They also collect and report data.
Median salary: $56,260 per year
Job growth: 44%
Required experience: High school diploma, certificate
Vegan Chef
Plant-based eating has been steadily increasing in popularity in the 21st century. A food industry group estimates that 40% of Americans have incorporated vegan food into their diet, and 14% don’t eat meat. While vegan restaurants have traditionally found their home in larger metros, they’re now opening outside of major urban areas. Becoming a vegan chef would require either attending a traditional culinary school, a vegan culinary schools or starting off in a kitchen and learning as you go.
Median salary: $57,839 per year
Job growth: 15%
Required experience: High school diploma, certificate
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Green Jobs
What are the three fastest growing jobs?
Wind turbine technician; 44% growth. Solar photovoltaic installer; 27% growth. Agricultural or food science technician; 9% growth.
Which green jobs have the highest median salary?
Arborist: $63,750 per year. Vegan Chef: $57,839 per year. Wind turbine technician: $56,260 per year.
How fast are green job opportunities growing?
The BlueGreen Alliance estimates that 9 million green jobs will be created over the next 10 years.
What states have the most green jobs?
Alaska, Colorado, Washington, California, Iowa, according to The Hill.
Are all green jobs outdoors?
Many are, but being a vegan chef, wastewater treatment operator, and technicians are indoors.
The Penny Hoarder contributor JoEllen Schilke writes on lifestyle and culture topics. She is the former owner of a coffee shop in St.Petersburg, Florida, and has hosted an arts show on WMNF community radio for nearly 30 years.
Welcome to Sneaky Airways. Don’t enjoy your flight.
The federal government just fined six airlines a record-breaking $7.25 million for slow-walking refunds they owe to passengers because flights got canceled or delayed. All together, these airlines still owe customers an eye-popping $600 million.
The past few years have brought extreme turbulence to the airline industry. Since the COVID pandemic started, thousands and thousands of flights have been canceled, lots of them at the last minute.
If your flight gets canceled or significantly delayed, the airline is supposed to offer you a refund. But they won’t always tell you that. Then they’re supposed to actually follow through and pay you that refund. But it turns out, that doesn’t always happen.
“When a flight gets canceled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department issued the fines. “A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn’t also have to haggle or wait months to get your refund.”
Trouble is, the rules governing flights and airlines can get complicated, and even frequent fliers don’t necessarily know all of them by heart. So we’re going to break down exactly what rules the airlines are required to follow if your flight is canceled or delayed, or if your flight is overbooked, or if your luggage gets lost.
We’ll also tell you how to put in a claim if an airline still owes you money.
Don’t wait until you’re stranded at the airport to know what your rights are.
Which Airlines Got Fined, and How Do You Get Compensation?
The U.S. Department of Transportation is fining a half-dozen airlines a total of $7.25 million for what it calls “extreme delays in providing refunds.” The federal agency says it’s getting “a flood of complaints” about unpaid refunds. So far this year, it has dinged airlines for $8.1 million in civil penalties — the most ever.
The only U.S.-based airline in the bunch is budget carrier Frontier Airlines, which is based in Denver and flies to more than 100 cities. It got tagged with the heftiest fine — $2.2 million — because it still owes $222 million to customers, DOT said. If you didn’t get a refund that you were entitled to, or you have a different complaint about a flight or your experience with an airline, you can file an official complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The other five airlines that just got fined are Aeromexico, Air India, Colombian airline Avianca, Israeli carrier El Al, and TAP Portugal. If you’re still getting stiffed by one of them, you can complain to the feds about them too.
Pro Tip
Of the 10 largest U.S. airlines, nine now guarantee meals and hotels when an airline issue causes a cancellation or delay. All 10 guarantee free rebooking. The DOT compares their policies here.
You Don’t Have to Just Accept a Travel Voucher
Let’s say you’re at the airport and your flight suddenly gets canceled or massively delayed. Bummer.
(This isn’t happening as much as it was during the height of the pandemic, when disruptive COVID-19 outbreaks were wreaking havoc on flight schedules. But it’s still happening more often than usual, mostly because airlines are struggling to hire enough workers to handle a growing demand for air travel.)
Anyway, back to the airport. Your flight is canceled. Or it’s pushed back five hours. Arrrghhh. Fuming, you drag your bags to the ticket counter.
Maybe the ticket agent tells you to sit tight and wait. Or maybe the airline offers you a travel voucher, which you can use to buy another plane ticket at a later date.
You don’t have to accept that, though. You don’t have to wait for the next flight. You don’t have to take the voucher. You’re legally entitled to an actual refund — a full refund, no funny business, no random fees taken out or anything. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.
What’s a “significant delay?” There’s no hard and fast rule. Whether you’re entitled to a refund depends on several factors, including the length of the delay and the length of the flight.
Here’s What Else Airlines Are Required to Do for You
Right now they’re not required to tell you this, so it’s important that you know your rights.
Here are some other rights you have as an airline passenger:
If Your Flight Is Overbooked
Sometimes airlines overbook flights to compensate for no-show passengers. They sell more tickets than there are actual seats.
If too many passengers show up, they’ll ask for volunteers, offering incentives like vouchers and upgrades. If not enough people volunteer to give up their seats, airlines are forced to bump some passengers against their will.
If you get bumped against your will, they owe you money. Here’s what you’re owed if you end up arriving at your destination:
Within an hour of your scheduled time: $0, nada, nothing.
One to two hours late: Double the price of your ticket, up to $775.
More than two hours late: Quadruple the price of your ticket, up to $1,550.
If You Have a Non-Refundable Ticket
This is important: If you bought what’s called a “non-refundable ticket,” you’re still entitled to a refund if your flight gets canceled or significantly delayed. Because that’s not your fault.
The only difference between a non-refundable ticket and a refundable ticket is that passengers who purchase fully refundable tickets are entitled to a refund if they just don’t use the ticket, for whatever reason.
If you have a non-refundable ticket and you miss your flight because you got sick or you were late to the airport, you’re not entitled to a refund. However, many airlines will give you a travel voucher equivalent to the cost of the ticket — as long as you politely explain the problem.
If You Bought Your Ticket Through a Travel Agent
Travel agencies, whether they’re online or in a brick-and-mortar building, are required to refund your money if the airline cancels or significantly delays your flight.
If Your Luggage Gets Lost
Airlines are required to compensate passengers for lost, delayed or damaged luggage, according to DOT rules.
Each airline interprets this differently, but in general, expect a stipend of at least $50 per day to spend on necessities like toiletries and clothing. Just be sure to keep your receipts so the airline can reimburse you later.
If your luggage gets lost permanently, then you’ll need to file a second claim. The airline must compensate you for the value of your luggage, up to $3,800.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
We all saw this coming years ago. And now, most retailers don’t even pretend their Black Friday flyers were “leaked” early.
They start telling us about their elusive doorbusters and other deals before the Halloween decorations come down, so that we can finalize our holiday shopping list and route weeks before joining the Black Friday fray.
There’s nothing wrong with getting your holiday shopping done early, especially if it saves you money. But there’s an easier, less intense way to bag deals as tantalizing as those offered on Black Friday.
Rakuten is offering some incredible, double cash back deals that you can take advantage of now. So you can spend less money on gifts and more time with the people the gifts are meant for.
Rakuten’s Best Double Cash Back Deals
These are some of the best retail and travel deals found on Rakuten. Many of these deals offer double cash back or more. These deals are subject to change, so treat them with the urgency of Black Friday, if these companies have something on your shopping list.
Retail Offers:
The Body Shop: 10% (5%)
Nike: 8% (1.5%)
Adidas: 8% (2%)
Under Armour: 8% (2%)
Zales: 6% (3%)
GameStop: 5% (2.5%)
Zappos: 5% (1%)
Shutterfly: 4% (2%)
Belk: 4% (2%)
P.C. Richard & Son: 4% (2%)
Aerie: 4% (2%)
Zoro: 4% (2%)
Giftcards.com: 3% (1%)
Travel Offers:
Priceline: 5% (4%)
Expedia: 10% (3%)
Booking.com: 4% (2%)
Best Western Hotels & Resorts: 4% (2%)
Hertz: 5% (2.5%)
Choice Hotels: 6% (3%)
It gets even better. If you’re a new user, you’ll get a $10 welcome bonus when you sign up for Rakuten.
Remember: These offers could be replaced at any time, so don’t wait too long if something catches your eye.
Running errands has only gotten more stressful. It’s gotten so bad that many of us are willing to pay strangers to take charge of our shopping carts.
An e-commerce site called Rakuten gets it, though. They’ll actually pay you to shop online instead of going to the store or sending a surrogate shopper in your stead.
Rakuten is a free site that works with over 3,500 retailers to deliver significant cash back savings on all sorts of items and services.
How to Get Paid to Shop
You don’t have to spend hours clipping coupons or crawling through hoops. You just need to join Rakuten, and it’s completely free.
Once you’re signed up, just use the Rakuten app or Browser extension to shop and then watch the cash back pile up in your account with each purchase you make.
You can have the cash back you earn paid out through a PayPal account, or you can have them mail you a check if you’re the type who likes tradition.
Double Cash Back Offers
Who needs Black Friday when you can find those sorts of deals every day on Rakuten?
We’ve rounded up some of the best double cash back offers on Rakuten, so you can literally get paid to do your holiday shopping this year:
The Body Shop: 10% (5%)
Expedia: 10% (3%)
Nike: 8% (1.5%)
Adidas: 8% (2%)
Under Armour: 8% (2%)
Choice Hotels: 6% (3%)
Zales: 6% (3%)
Priceline: 5% (4%)
GameStop: 5% (2.5%)
Zappos: 5% (1%)
Hertz: 5% (2.5%)
Shutterfly: 4% (2%)
Belk: 4% (2%)
Booking.com: 4% (2%)
P.C. Richard & Son: 4% (2%)
Aerie: 4% (2%)
Zoro: 4% (2%)
Best Western Hotels & Resorts: 4% (2%)
Giftcards.com: 3% (1%)
Keep in mind, these deals are subject to change. So don’t wait around for something you know you’re going to buy at some point anyway.
It only takes a minute to join Rakuten and it’s free. If you’re a new Rakuten user, you can get a $10 welcome bonus. Think of it as a sign of good things to come.
As the economy floundered in 2022 — with gas prices soaring, inflation spiking and interest rates on the rise — talk of a recession continued throughout the year.
Whether or not we were actually in a recession depends on who you talk to. And with that said, the conditions are still ripe for a possible recession moving into 2023.
After peaking in the summer, inflation has slowly dropped to 7.7% in the month of October. The average price of gas is pushing $4 per gallon, and a 30-year fixed mortgage rate is over 7% — about 4 percentage points higher than this time last year.
If that’s not enough, the stock market fell into a bear market recently after gradually declining throughout the year.
Amid all this doom and gloom, what’s a worker to do?
Start a side hustle. Having another job on the side started long before the pandemic and hasn’t waned. Many people find that a second, part-time job provides extra financial stability, especially in an unstable economy.
12 Side Hustles to Get You Through a Recession
If a recession is on the way in 2023, a side hustle might be the buffer that helps get you through it. So what are your options?
1. Grocery Store
Restaurant business usually drops during a recession as more people cook at home to save money — and shop more at grocery stores.
People might have to trim their budgets a little, but the need for comfort foods and pantry essentials won’t go away.
So whether it’s stocking shelves, bagging groceries or providing customer service, there will almost always be a need for grocery store workers.
A grocery store shift can work well with a full-time job, too, since most stores have early morning, evening and night hours.
2. Grocery Store Delivery
Grocery delivery services have taken off since 2020, making life a little easier for consumers while providing more opportunities for side gig workers.
Third-party apps like InstaCart, Shipt and Boxed are extremely popular, as are grocery stores that have created their own delivery apps, such as Walmart and Kroger.
3. Bookkeepers
Death and taxes, right?
Recession or not, individuals and businesses have to pay taxes and track their finances.
While accountants work mostly full-time, bookkeepers might work either full- or part-time or even seasonally – making this a viable side hustle option.
Over the last several years, more bookkeepers have been offering their skills virtually as well.
4. Virtual Assistants
The need for virtual assistants isn’t going anywhere either. And during a recession, businesses are a little more picky when hiring support staff — making part-time, hourly virtual assistants an attractive option.
Not only that, companies save money when they use virtual assistants. Companies save 78% of their costs by hiring a virtual assistant instead of one that works on-site, according to one study.
5. Mobile Mechanic
The average new car price reached more than $48,000 in September 2022. That’s $6,000 more than last year, according to Kelly Blue Book. Used car prices are much higher as well.
This simply means car maintenance is incredibly important — and mechanic skills are even more valuable.
The convenience of a mobile mechanic is attractive to people who don’t want to spend hours waiting at a repair shop, juggling a drop off or having a car towed to a shop.
Other car-related businesses — such as mobile tire and windshield repair — should continue to grow as well. You could even start a mobile car detailing business as a side hustle, no special training required.
6. Handyman
Let’s face it. Stuff breaks, no matter what state the economy is in.
There’s a world of DIYers out there who love to fix things and take on new projects. Then there’s everyone else who just wants to call someone and let them do the fixing.
If you’re good at home maintenance or improvement, a part-time handyman job might not be a bad idea to earn some extra money, recession or not.
7. Senior Care Workers
Whether it’s in a care facility or at home, senior care providers look after the daily needs of aging citizens — everything from household chores to skilled nursing.
With 54 million seniors in the U.S. now, the senior care industry will only grow as the number of seniors is expected to nearly double in the next three decades, according to the federal Administration on Aging.
8. Child Care
The need for child care doesn’t dissipate during a recession.
Even if workers are laid off, they may still pay for child care so they can spend time looking for a new job or building a business and avoid losing the child’s spot.
During a recession, when businesses are laying off more workers, they may turn to staffing agencies for temporary, less expensive replacements.
Side hustling with a staffing agency may be a decent place to find yourself during a recession.
10. Pet Care
More than 90 million Americans own a pet. That’s about 70% of households — a number that has been growing gradually over the last ten years, according to an American Pet Products Association report.
The pet care industry is pretty doggone recession proof, even growing during the last two recessions: 29% in 2001 and 17% in 2008-2009, according to a Mauldin Economics analyst.
All that to say, America loves its pets. And recession or not, essential grooming, dog walking and pet sitting still happens. You can even rent out your yard as a dog park if you like.
11. Alcohol-Related Jobs
While restaurant jobs — including bartending — have declined in past recessions, Americans still find ways to enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail.
That makes any job that involves alcohol — whether it’s a liquor store clerk, wine store stocker or delivery driver — a much-needed position during a recession.
12. Tutoring
While teaching jobs are always available during a down economy, they’re too demanding to work as a side hustle.
However, if you have the qualifications, you can still find plenty of jobs as a substitute teacher — or even a tutor. You don’t even have to teach in person, if you find a tutoring position through one of these companies.
Robert Bruce is a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder.
If there’s one job that’s in high demand right now, it’s substitute teaching. All you have to do is open up a tab in your browser and type in “jobs near me” and you’ll start to see ads offering flexible hours and “no experience necessary” to help fill the gaps in your local school system.
And while it’s easy to blame the need for substitute teachers exclusively on the pandemic, this trend also speaks to something deeper: A shortage of teachers that started over 20 years ago.
We dug in to find out just what caused these changes, and how you can cash in on an opportunity to try your hand at teaching. Here’s everything you need to know about how to be a substitute teacher right now.
Why Schools Are Paying More for Subs
According to ZipRecruiter, average hourly pay for substitute teachers ranges from $10.62 to $17.03 depending on the state, or up to $35,425 if doing it full-time. The top-paying states are Nevada, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Washington.
But that’s not the whole picture. As it gets more difficult to keep up with demand, some school districts are increasing wages, adding incentives and relaxing their usual requirements for substitute teachers.
Reports about substitute teacher shortages include stories about school boards hiking pay as they struggle with shortages: up to $240 a day in one district, bonuses up to $500 in another, and $130 per day for those with a teaching license in yet another district. In some districts, schools are even attempting to recruit parents to fill the gaps.
Newer variants of COVID are playing a role, with more teachers falling ill or in quarantine. But to fully understand what’s driving the shortage, it’s helpful to go back a few years.
Combine this pre-existing shortage of educators with COVID and the so-called Great Resignation with thousands of people leaving the workforce, and you have the perfect storm for the education system, and a serious lack of qualified people to help run it.
How to Become a Substitute Teacher
Because of all of the challenges school systems are facing, it’s easier than ever to become a substitute teacher. Whether you want to work full time, part time or even per diem, a lot of schools are willing to take any help they can get.
But there are still a few qualifications to know about before diving headlong into applications.
Requirements for aspiring substitute teachers are set at the state level and by each local school district, says Joseph Fitzgerald, vice president of operations for the Mountain West States division of the substitute staffing provider ESS.
“Many states and school districts allow individuals with a high school diploma or GED to become substitute teachers, while other states add requirements ranging from passing the ParaPro Exam to requiring a Bachelor’s degree,” Fitzgerald says.
While education and experience requirements vary, one thing is for sure: You’ll have to pass a criminal background check and undergo some training before you can step into a classroom.
The Substitute Teacher Application Process
Procedures vary from state to state and from one school district to the next. But here is the typical process.
1. Apply on your local school district or staffing agency’s website
Although you might be applying for a particular substitute teacher position, most substitute teaching roles are filtered through the school district, not just one particular school. The main exception is when you’re applying for a role with a staffing agency like ESS, in which case you would apply on their website, which coordinates with the local school district on your behalf.
2. Complete the substitute teacher onboarding process
Once your initial application has been reviewed, you’ll likely be prompted to undergo a criminal background check, as is required by law for prospective substitute teachers. Once this has been approved, you may also be asked to take an orientation training, as well as provide professional references and proof of your education and certifications.
3. Check in with the ‘substitute portal’
After completing the onboarding process with your local school district, you’ll typically receive access to an online substitute teacher portal, which is where jobs get posted. This is where the process gets interesting, because from here you can start mapping out your new work schedule.
“If you’re a type-A planner, you can log on far in advance and pick up jobs that are posted early,” says long-time certified teacher and education blogger Whitney Rancourt of Mama Manages. “However, there is some benefit to logging in early in the morning on the days you’re available to work.”
By doing some combination of the two, you’ll be able to snag jobs happening in advance (planned teacher absences), as well as take advantage of any last-minute sick days.
How Much Can You Earn as a Substitute Teacher?
Although many schools don’t require extensive teaching experience, higher education degrees or college credit hours, you’ll likely earn more if you have those qualifications.
“I have heard of substitute pay as low as $70 per day and as high as $200 a day,” says Rancourt. “Most districts will pay slightly more than their base rate for certification, bachelor’s degrees, and to retired teachers of that district.” A bigger factor, says Rancourt, is location. Higher cost-of-living areas often pay higher hourly rates.
That being said, school districts everywhere are ramping up their offerings to make more competitive offers in the current market.
“We are seeing school districts respond to substitute staffing shortages with higher pay rates and other incentives,” says Fitzgerald. “If you considered substituting a year or two ago, we encourage you to take another look as many school districts have increased their pay rates.”
Which Substitute Teaching Jobs Pay the Best?
Another factor influencing pay rates is the duration of a substitute-teaching gig.
“Building-based substitutes and long-term substitutes are typically higher-paying roles,” says Fitzgerald. Building-based substitute teachers commit to working each school day at the same school. Long-term substitute teachers have the added duties of lesson planning as well as grading, “and thus school districts compensate for the position more than daily substitutes.”
Some school systems will also pay higher wages for aspiring substitute teachers who have a valid teaching license, are qualified to work with special needs students, or to teach a certain subject or grade level.
Another thing to ask is whether the school pays hourly or daily. If you end up working a longer shift, this could make a big difference in your overall take-home pay.
A final thing to keep in mind when it comes to your earning potential as a substitute teacher: some jobs might even offer benefits, especially if you’re hired through a staffing agency.
“At ESS, we offer all of our substitute staff health, vision, dental and life insurance,” Fitzgerald says. “Most school districts don’t offer benefits to their substitutes, but it’s worth checking because some do.”
Is Substitute Teaching Right for You?
It’s important to consider whether teaching in a classroom is actually a good fit for you — because it’s definitely not the easiest job out there.
“Being a substitute teacher is not easy money,” says Rancourt. “If you’re not physically tired by the end of the day, you’re not doing the job right. Subs should be moving about the classroom for the entire day, interacting with students, actively monitoring, and checking the quality of their work.”
So who exactly is a good fit for this kind of side hustle? Fitzgerald fills us in.
“The best personality types for substitute teaching are people that care about education and want to make a positive impact on the lives of students,” he says. “They must also be able to connect with and lead a group of children or teenagers, so those with strong social skills and assertiveness can especially thrive in substitute teaching.”
How Substitute Teaching Advances Your Career
If that sounds like something that interests you, then you might just want to give substitute teaching a try. Even if it ends up not being your long-term profession, the role may open other doors and career opportunities.
“Substitute teaching can spark career advancement in various areas of education,” says Fitzgerald. “Many of our substitute teachers go on to become school district employees in various capacities, such as teachers, paraprofessionals, or other support positions such as staffing the front office.”
The Bottom Line About Substitute Teaching
Although it may not be for everyone, substitute teaching is worth exploring if you’re passionate about education, want to work with kids, and trying to earn extra money.
And who knows? Substitute teaching might inspire you to explore other roles in education, including online tutoring. It can also be a nice boost for your resume. In either case, that’s a win-win.
Contributor Larissa Runkle frequently writes on finance, real estate, and lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder.
Where can you find antique Pez dispensers, hot vintage heels and (finally!) the perfect lamp to match your weirdly patterned bedspread — all on sale for just a few bucks? Or better yet, where can you sell them to make some extra cash?
We’ll give you a hint: It’s not Walmart. At least, not our Walmart. (And if yours fits the bill… would you let us know where you live?)
No, it’s your favorite online flea market.
A New Way to Browse: Online Flea Markets
Not only are regular flea markets wacky and wonderful, but their goods are usually pre-owned, pre-loved and dirt cheap. (Who wants to pay the full retail price?!) In short, they’re a Penny Hoarder’s dream.
But everything is virtual these days. You turn to your laptop (or, let’s be real, your smartphone) for everything from takeout to taxi rides to a date for Friday night.
So it’s no surprise there’s a whole world of online flea market shopping out there. And it’s just as quirky and addictive as the real thing — especially since you can see it all with just a few clicks.
The Obvious Online Flea Markets
Of course, a few online flea markets are industry giants you almost certainly already know about.
Amazon: A once humble bookselling website, Amazon has become an online marketplace so powerful that its astronomic growth sent its founder, Jeff Bezos, into space. Vendors big and small can sell new and used products on the site and they can appear on your doorstep in as little as one day.
Craigslist: Known for sending shivers down the spines of journalists due to upending newspaper revenues, the online classifieds site is an easy way to pawn off your tchotchkes to neighbors, find some hidden treasures yourself — and so much more. It’s all anonymous, though. So give out your personal deets sparingly, and always meet in a safe, public space!
eBay: This classic buy-and-sell site has been around for more than a quarter century. Although it bills itself primarily as an online auction site, it operates like most online flea market sites. Many of its listings are available for immediate sale — and it seems you can find just about anything you might desire.
Etsy: Sort of like eBay’s quiet, artsy little sister, Etsy specializes in handmade goodies, but it’s also a treasure trove for lovers of all things vintage. In fact, it has a whole category devoted to vintage items, and it’s well-organized enough that you can dive into niches as specific as bolo ties, fedoras and marbles.
10 Online Flea Markets You Might Not Have Heard of Yet
OK, we covered our basic-online-flea-market bases, so now it’s time to move on to the weird and wonderful ones. Half the fun of a traditional flea market is stumbling upon offbeat items and great deals you never would have found elsewhere.
To replicate real flea market experience virtually, we checked out a variety of smaller online flea markets and compared inventory, prices and user experience to help you find the best deals at the digital folding table.
Here’s what we found out.
1. Flea-bay(.com)
Flea-bay.com at a Glance
Pros
Easy to use and navigate
Has smartphone apps
Haggle friendly
Cons
Lots of empty categories
Very little information on seller
Listings may include very little information
In a battle of the Fleabays (Fleabay.net is a less reputable site), the dot com version comes out on top. Flea-bay (notice the hyphen) is a solid online flea market that features a pared-down and slightly dated interface. But that doesn’t make it at all difficult to use.
The site has dozens of categories to browse, but most listings seem to be focused on electronics, clothes or accessories. Like many small online flea markets, it lacks the thousands — or even millions — of listings like some of the better-known online marketplaces.
Still, it’s fun to browse when you’re trying to get a quick flea-market fix online.
Similar to Craigslist, Flea-bay simply connects you with sellers. No transactions take place on the site, so haggle away!
2. vFlea
vFlea at a Glance
Pros
Easy to see if items are pickup only or shippable
Useful filters
Bartering and haggling allowed
Cons
Unencrypted website
PayPal account required for payments
Lots of old listings
Compared to other online flea markets, vFlea feels the closest to actually thumbing through junk until you find a treasure — before leaning across the table to make a bid. The interface is also a touch more polished.
Each listing’s thumbnail specifies whether items are shippable or for local pickup only and also includes an asking price. The platform has built-in “buy now” and “haggle” options, and even an opportunity to “barter” with goods of your own.
Like most online flea markets, items are organized by tags as well as categories, creating better searchability and organization. The site populates the number of listings currently available in each category in parentheses, so no mysteries there.
Finally, vFlea still has some weird stuff available, although it draws the line at community events. For instance, you’ll come across the occasional hilltop timeshare, which apparently can be shipped or picked up locally.
Getty Images
3. Bonanza
Bonanza at a Glance
Pros
Sleek interface
Fun and quirky inventory
Active community forum and blog
Vets sellers to some extent
Cons
Can be tough to verify vendor reviews
No bidding
Although Bonanza seeks to be the best eBay alternative, it doesn’t offer bidding or bartering options.
It does, however, list categories for everything from home goods to collectibles, including coins and paper money.
And there’s also a wonderful category called “Everything Else,” with subsections like “Metaphysical” (which features “haunted” items) and “Weird Stuff” (We found cockroach earrings).
There’s even a “Vintage” section under fashion so you can easily shop for those precious duds from another era.
4. Nextdoor
Nextdoor at a Glance
Pros
Verified locals only
Popular option
Lots of easy-to-use filters to help you find the best bargains
Frequent listings for free stuff
Haggle friendly
Cons
Lengthy signup process
Smaller towns may not have any users
All purchases made offline
Technically, Nextdoor is a social media site for your community. And it takes that seriously. You actually need to input a valid address, which you will have to verify, to join your community group.
Once you’re in, you can do all sorts of stuff. Gossip. Post community PSAs. Discover local events. (Our photo director uses Nextdoor to save money by polling neighbors for recommendations and hunting for deals from local businesses!)
Another great feature? “Finds,” Nextdoor’s very own local buy-and-sell section. You can browse listings to find deals across all kinds of categories. Toys, games, furniture, vehicles, free stuff, and much more! Its nifty filters make finding exactly what you want a breeze.
5. Mercari
Mercari at a Glance
Pros
Pick-up and shipping options
Easy to review sellers
Tons of listings and categories
Haggling accepted
Very polished site and app
Cons
No niche — inventory fairly bland
Mercari touts a user-friendly experience whether you’re browsing on its websites or scrolling through listings with the smartphone app.
There are tons of freshly listed items across a host of different categories. And if you live nearby the seller, you can opt for pickup. Otherwise shipping allows you to tap into a massive selection of goods.
What’s great about Mercari is how easy it makes reviewing the seller. Click the seller’s name and, boom, you can see more details about them and quickly check out any reviews. Mercari also handles payments. So no worrying about forking over cash to strangers in person!
6. The Internet Antique Shop (TIAS)
Internet Antique Shop at a Glance
Pros
Inventory chock full of antique goodies
Simple browsing
Replicates the wonder of sifting through a quiet antique market
Still active after a 25 years
Verified vendors
Cons
Listings contain little info
Usually only one picture per listing
Founded in 1995, The Internet Antique Shop (TIAS) is a bit of an antique itself. While it never took off quite like its buy-and-sell siblings eBay or Craigslist, TIAS has carved out a remarkable niche for all things antique.
The site looks a bit dated. But, hey, it sells antiques. Maybe that’s an intentional part of its charm? It still functions just fine. The category’s sidebar makes browsing simple. And, before you click, it shows upfront how many listings are in any given category — a feature other virtual online flea markets could learn from.
This site is truly a gem. It’s one online flea market you don’t want to overlook. With subcategories like vintage sewing tools and breweriana (read: old signage, steins and more from classic breweries), TIAS really makes it feel like you’re about to stumble upon unique treasures with each click.
7. OfferUp
OfferUp at a Glance
Pros
Safe in-person exchange
Optional anonymity
Easy customer support
Cons
Anonymous options can lead to scams
When new fathers Arean van Veelen and Nick Huzar ended up with a bunch of extra stuff they didn’t need, they saw an opportunity and co-founded OfferUp. The company (with accompanying smartphone app) was created in 2011 and OfferUp claims to be the largest mobile marketplace in the U.S.
The marketplace doesn’t force sellers to enter names and post profile pictures, though it is encouraged in OfferUp’s posting rules. Optional anonymity is both a pro and a con. Similar to a dating app, communication and transactions between buyers and sellers can be anonymous, so you’ll want to check out a seller’s profile for ratings and any reviews.
The good thing about anonymity in this virtual online flea market is that if you want to sell an embarrassing couch locally, your friends and neighbors won’t necessarily know it’s yours!
We talked to a frequent user who said “the best thing about OfferUp is it’s easy to use and I don’t see a lot of duplicate listings on other sites like Facebook Marketplace.” The user recently sold a bedroom set and bought some cool vintage, mid-century lamps.
Getty Images
8. 5 Miles
5 Miles at a Glance
Pros
Offers bidding
Every item is vetted
Cons
Clunky website
Only available in larger cities
Founded in 2014, 5 miles is similar to OfferUp because the focus is on local buying and selling. A unique feature of 5 miles is comparatively robust options for pro sellers, which means you might find more high quality and vintage items.
The site (and app) promotes safety and security in transactions. Created by Lucas Lu who earned a Ph.D. in physics and has a professional background in e-commerce at Alibaba and Light in the Box, the look and feel of the site is more similar to Etsy than Craigslist.
Despite the 5 Mile(s) title, you can search up to 50 miles from your location and there are shipping options if you don’t want to drive that far or meet up in person.
9. Poshmark
Poshmark at a Glance
Pros
Established and trusted
App integrates social media elements
Cons
Known for pricey items
Slow shipping
Poshmark isn’t just for buying and selling used clothes. Now they sell kids toys, home goods, electronics, and even pet accessories.
If you’re looking for an online shopping destination that includes brand names for less, sustainable buying, and a social media experience in one, Poshmark could become your go-to.
With Posh Stories, sellers can craft videos to describe and promote their listing, which gives you a better idea of what you’re purchasing.
We talked to one user who had success selling high ticket clothing items. The user said, “If you have some gently used, brand name items sitting around, you can get more for them on Poshmark than on other sites.”
10. Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane at a Glance
Pros
Unique vintage selections
Long history
Quality control
Cons
Listing fee over 15 items
With daily and weekly arrivals, a magazine, and seemingly endless scrolling for one-of-a-kind items, we could easily get addicted to Ruby Lane.
Buyers and sellers can feel secure with the site’s long history in e-commerce. Founded in 1998, the shop pre-screens items and has a Secret Shopper program where buying experiences are checked for quality.
Oh, the weird and wonderful things you’ll find — and sell — for less.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Flea Markets
Here’s everything else you should know about online flea markets.
Are Online Flea Markets Safe?
Generally speaking, yes, online flea markets are safe. As with any online purchases, guard your personal information. And if you need to make a transaction, be sure the website is encrypted. This sounds fancy, but it’s actually pretty easy to confirm. You can check by looking at the address bar of your browser: You should see “https” before the website’s name. The letter s in https means the website is secure. Many small or old websites ignore this crucial security feature.
Are the Sellers Legitimate?
Exercise good judgement, just as if you’re at a real flea market. Verifying sellers and vendors is a tough nut to crack for almost all online shops — even major corporations like Amazon. As best as possible, try to check who’s selling the item on any given listing before you make your purchase. Some flea market sites more than others make it easy to see the reputation of the seller. For sites that are locally-focused, the sellers are likely neighbors. But still, stay vigilant.
Can You Make Money Selling on Online Flea Market Sites?
Almost every flea market website mentioned in this article allows everyday sellers and established vendors to sign up and start selling. Depending on the online store, it could be as easy as creating a listing and publishing it for the world to see. Other sites are more selective, and the sign-up process might require you to provide lots of personal information to verify your identity. Shipping is something you should definitely factor in when you get started.
What About the Online Flea Market Srchie?
You may notice that Srchie is included in just about every “top online flea market” article. (It was even included in an older version of this article.) However, the beloved website and its social media accounts have been abandoned since 2017. RIP Srchie. We’ll never forget all your great deals.
The Penny Hoarder Shop is always stocked with great deals, including technology, subscriptions, courses, kitchenware and more. Check it out today!
Adam Hardy and Veronica Matthews are Penny Hoarder contributors. Staff writer/editor Tiffany Wendeln Connors and freelance writer Jamie Cattanach contributed to this post.
There are all sorts of things people hope to give and receive during Christmas. But one of the best gifts you can give yourself is some extra room in your budget. The holidays are expensive, after all.
How does an extra $1,098 in your savings account sound? Here’s how:
1. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
No one really wants to engage with that relative about politics over the holidays, especially at the dinner table. But brushing up on the news could help you get together some counterpoints — and it could pay off in another way.
You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with InboxDollars. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and InboxDollars will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
2. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
If you’re going to break out our phone during family time this holiday season, you might as well make money doing it.
There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
3. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
While honest opinions can plot a can of worms right in the middle of your family gatherings this holiday season, there’s another, safer outlet for sharing your thoughts —- and you can make up to $140 a month doing it.
A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.
It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.
And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.
They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.
4. Killing Time on Your Phone? Play Bingo for up to $83 Per Win
Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. Browse Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram. Watch a video on YouTube. Play some Minecraft or Roblox.
Oh, and there’s bingo. We found a free iPhone app called Bingo Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
But there really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
The game is based on a classic Bingo format. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
5. Get a Refund on Your Christmas Shopping
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And also the most expensive.
But here’s a way to actually make money this year.
A website called Rakuten will give you a refund from just about every store you shop at online. Which means it can give you up to a 15% kickback every time you buy Christmas presents this year.
We talked to Denver resident Colleen Rice, who’s earned more than $526.44 in refunds since she started using Rakuten. For doing nothing.
Plus, if you use Rakuten to earn money back within the first 90 days of signing up, it’ll give you an extra $10 or more on the first check it sends you.
6. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.
That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations — but it’s great news for your wallet. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with Swagbucks. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and Swagbucks will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $429 million. We talked to one user in Pennsylvania, 52-year-old Carolinda Hendrickson, who earned $1,200 in a year.
7. Earn $300+/Month in Passive Income with Your Extra Space
If you’re like us, your garage probably isn’t doing much of anything at the moment. Maybe you have some tools in there, or maybe it’s home to your boxes of odds and ends, collecting dust.
But with a website called Neighbor, your extra space — whether it’s a spare room, an empty garage or a parking space — could be earning you an extra $300 a month in totally passive income.
Neighbor works by connecting people who need storage space with hosts who have the room to spare. The average host makes about $300 a month, but some people have earned up to $50,000 a year just by letting people park on their property.
It takes less than 10 minutes to get started. Just answer a few questions about your space, take some pictures and set your asking price. Neighbor will recommend a dollar amount based on your location and type of rental, but the final listing is up to you.
Neighbor even gives you up to $1 million in free protection as a host and offers protection plans for your renters, giving you both peace of mind.
Neighbor is an easy source of passive income, and it’s easier than most side hustles. It’s free to list your space, and you’ll only be charged a 4.9% processing fee from the profit you make each month, so there’s no risk to you.
Take a moment and imagine a whole month without worrying about rent. Your rent is current for this month and paid up all the way to the end of next month, too.
It’s a freeing feeling, right? With the biggest monthly expense out of the way, you can focus your resources on those other things you’ll inevitably stress over.
Visualizing it is fun, because it’s important to see yourself completing any goal, but that’s only the first step.
Below, you’ll find the rest of the steps to complete this money challenge and get significant help paying next month’s rent way early.
1. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.
A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.
It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.
And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.
They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.
2. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.
That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations — but it’s great news for your wallet. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with InboxDollars. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and InboxDollars will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
3. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
Lots of us already play Solitaire on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
4. Killing Time on Your Phone? Play Bingo for up to $83 Per Win
Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. Browse Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram. Watch a video on YouTube. Play some Minecraft or Roblox.
Oh, and there’s bingo. We found a free iPhone app called Bingo Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
But there really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
The game is based on a classic Bingo format. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
5. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.
That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations — but it’s great news for your wallet. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with Swagbucks. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and Swagbucks will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $429 million. We talked to one user in Pennsylvania, 52-year-old Carolinda Hendrickson, who earned $1,200 in a year.
6. Get $50 in Gift Cards Just for Buying Groceries
Grocery shopping was never exactly pleasant. But these days, it’s a downright struggle. Fighting crowds; keeping six feet of space — just buying toilet paper is a feat. Shouldn’t you have something to show for it?
A free app called Fetch Rewards will reward you with gift cards just for buying toilet paper and more than 250 other items at the grocery store. Right now, it’s even offering shoppers a $10 gift card when they spend $30 on dozens of Unilever products at the grocery store. You can do this five times, or up to $50.
Here’s how it works: After you’ve downloaded the app, just look for products branded with the Unilever “U.” Then take a picture of your receipt showing you purchased an item from one of the participating brands. For your efforts, you’ll earn gift cards to places like Amazon or Walmart.
7. Earn $300+/Month in Passive Income with Your Extra Space
If you’re like us, your garage probably isn’t doing much of anything at the moment. Maybe you have some tools in there, or maybe it’s home to your boxes of odds and ends, collecting dust.
But with a website called Neighbor, your extra space — whether it’s a spare room, an empty garage or a parking space — could be earning you an extra $300 a month in totally passive income.
Neighbor works by connecting people who need storage space with hosts who have the room to spare. The average host makes about $300 a month, but some people have earned up to $50,000 a year just by letting people park on their property.
It takes less than 10 minutes to get started. Just answer a few questions about your space, take some pictures and set your asking price. Neighbor will recommend a dollar amount based on your location and type of rental, but the final listing is up to you.
Neighbor even gives you up to $1 million in free protection as a host and offers protection plans for your renters, giving you both peace of mind.
Neighbor is an easy source of passive income, and it’s easier than most side hustles. It’s free to list your space, and you’ll only be charged a 4.9% processing fee from the profit you make each month, so there’s no risk to you.
It’s hard enough to make it these days with a decent job. Making money without being on a steady payroll is a whole other animal.
Whether you’re keeping it together with gigs, or you’re out of the job market altogether, there are always legal ways to make some extra money.
Here’s how you can earn an extra $2,442 this year — without a job. Even better? You can do a lot of them this month.
1. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
Lots of us already play Solitaire on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
2. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.
A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.
It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.
And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.
They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.
3. This Company Will Pay You up to $526.44 to Skip Going to the Store
Running errands is the worst. Seriously. After a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is go to the store and deal with the traffic and the crowds.
We get it. That’s why we like a free site called Rakuten — they’ll pay you to skip going to the store and shop online instead.
No, really. They work with just about every online store you probably shop at, and they can make sure you get some cash back every time you buy — up to 15% cash back.
We talked to Denver resident Colleen Rice, who’s earned more than $526.44 in cash back since she started using Rakuten. For doing nothing. She just uses Rakuten for things she already has to buy, like rental cars and flights.
It takes less than a minute to open a Rakuten account and start shopping like you normally would. You just need an email address.
They’ll pay you with a check in the mail every few months or deposit it to your PayPal account. Talk about money for nothing.
4. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.
That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations — but it’s great news for your wallet. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with InboxDollars. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and InboxDollars will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
5. Killing Time on Your Phone? Play Bingo for up to $83 Per Win
Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. Browse Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram. Watch a video on YouTube. Play some Minecraft or Roblox.
Oh, and there’s bingo. We found a free iPhone app called Bingo Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
But there really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
The game is based on a classic Bingo format. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
6. Save Up to $610/Year When You Use This Website To Find New Car Insurance
Did you know you can save some serious money just by switching car insurance companies?
It’s true — rates are at historic lows, and you could be paying way less for the same coverage. All you need to do is look for it.
But don’t waste your time hopping around to different insurance companies. Use a website called EverQuote to see all your options at once.
EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.
Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
7. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News
It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news-junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.
That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations — but it’s great news for your wallet. You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with Swagbucks. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and Swagbucks will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $429 million. We talked to one user in Pennsylvania, 52-year-old Carolinda Hendrickson, who earned $1,200 in a year.
8. Earn $300+/Month in Passive Income with Your Extra Space
If you’re like us, your garage probably isn’t doing much of anything at the moment. Maybe you have some tools in there, or maybe it’s home to your boxes of odds and ends, collecting dust.
But with a website called Neighbor, your extra space — whether it’s a spare room, an empty garage or a parking space — could be earning you an extra $300 a month in totally passive income.
Neighbor works by connecting people who need storage space with hosts who have the room to spare. The average host makes about $300 a month, but some people have earned up to $50,000 a year just by letting people park on their property.
It takes less than 10 minutes to get started. Just answer a few questions about your space, take some pictures and set your asking price. Neighbor will recommend a dollar amount based on your location and type of rental, but the final listing is up to you.
Neighbor even gives you up to $1 million in free protection as a host and offers protection plans for your renters, giving you both peace of mind.
Neighbor is an easy source of passive income, and it’s easier than most side hustles. It’s free to list your space, and you’ll only be charged a 4.9% processing fee from the profit you make each month, so there’s no risk to you.
We live in a society that caters to the early birds: 8 a.m. school start times, 9-to-5 work schedules and lots of talk about the benefits of starting your day at the crack of dawn.
Well, I say thanks, but no thanks..
There’s nothing wrong with you if you’re the kind of person who stays up late to work, play or just to experience some peace and quiet in the ungodly hours of the night. In fact, research suggests night owls may be more creative, more intelligent and more mentally resilient than their counterparts.*
So, never change! And, while you’re at it, here are ways to make extra cash while burning that midnight oil.
1. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
Lots of us already play Solitaire on our phones for fun or just to pass time until the sun comes up. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free iPhone app called Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
2. Earn $300+/Month in Passive Income with Your Extra Space
If you’re like us, your garage probably isn’t doing much of anything at the moment. Maybe you have some tools in there, or maybe it’s home to your boxes of odds and ends, collecting dust.
But with a website called Neighbor, your extra space — whether it’s a spare room, an empty garage or a parking space — could be earning you an extra $300 a month in totally passive income.
Neighbor works by connecting people who need storage space with hosts who have the room to spare. The average host makes about $300 a month, but some people have earned up to $50,000 a year just by letting people park on their property.
It takes less than 10 minutes to get started. Just answer a few questions about your space, take some pictures and set your asking price. Neighbor will recommend a dollar amount based on your location and type of rental, but the final listing is up to you.
Neighbor even gives you up to $1 million in free protection as a host and offers protection plans for your renters, giving you both peace of mind.
Neighbor is an easy source of passive income, and it’s easier than most side hustles. It’s free to list your space, and you’ll only be charged a 4.9% processing fee from the profit you make each month, so there’s no risk to you.
3. Get Paid to be Someone’s Buddy — We’re Not Kidding
Some night owls want solitude, while others want to get together with those on the same sleep schedule. Why not get paid to do the latter?
You can register to become a friend at RentAFriend.com, where paying users can contact you to attend late-night concerts, bar trivia nights, quiet hangouts, VIP events and more.
You can charge up to $50 an hour and set your own schedule. Why not try it out?
4. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion, even in the dead of night. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.
A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.
It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.
And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.
They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.
5. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the Late Night News
It’s been a historic year in the news. And while we hope the news isn’t what’s keeping you up at night, being a news junkie does have its monetary perks.
You could add up to $225 a month to your pocket by signing up for a free account with InboxDollars. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.
You just have to answer honestly, and InboxDollars will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
We get it. You need copious amounts of coffee to feel alive at your inflexible nine to five job.
Truth be told, life would be a lot easier if you could sleep in every day, and just make money while everyone else was sleeping. But that’s not something most employers offer. But have you considered bookkeeping? It’s the No. 1 most profitable business, according to an article in Inc Magazine.
And you could earn up to $69 an hour by starting your own bookkeeping business, according to Intuit, the creator of QuickBooks.
You don’t have to be an accountant or good at calculus to be successful at bookkeeping. As long as you’re motivated, a company called Bookkeepers.com will teach you everything you need to know. It’s one of the leading training courses in the field, and it even gives you the first three classes for free.
It’s helped thousands of people launch their own businesses, including Daniel Honan, a military veteran and former painter. He never considered starting his own company, but he signed up for Bookkeepers.com, and now he’s making $50,000 a year.
It only took him three months to get started, taking one class a week. Oh, and he makes his own schedule, and earns up to $69 an hour.
If you’re just a little curious, you just have to submit your email address here to take the first free class. If you stick with it, you could be running your own business in just a few months.
7. Get Paid to Skip Going to the Store
Picture this: Buying your groceries without leaving your house… and at night. Sounds like the perfect night-owl scenario, right?
It is — and it can be rewarding, too. A free website called Rakuten gives you a kickback of 3%, 5%, 15% or more when you shop online at thousands of your favorite stores.
Between your Target and Instacart orders, Disney+ subscription and Ulta splurges, that cash back really adds up. Plus, it can be directly deposited into your bank account, or they’ll send you a check.
It takes less than 60 seconds to create a Rakuten account and start getting cash back. All you need is an email address, then you can immediately start shopping your go-to stores through the site.
Earning money for nothing? Living your best night life? Sounds like a win/win.
8. Play Bingo on Your Phone for Real Money — up to $83 Per Win
Do you play games on your phone at night to pass the time? You should see if you can make money doing it, too.
A free iPhone app called Bingo Cash lets you play for real cash. Every win could pay you up to $83.
Bingo Cash is based on the classic Bingo format, where you’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
And no, there’s no catch. There are no ads, either. You can play for free or pay to play in higher-stakes tournaments.
Download the free app and start playing your first game immediately. You could win money today!
9. Start Freelancing
If you have a way with words, consider freelancing. As a freelance blogger, you can work as much or little as you want, and at any hour of the night that you please.
A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a focus group. I visited in-person along with about 15 other people. For two hours, we vented all of our feelings about the ways a particular health insurance company interacts with its customer base.
At the end, we each walked out with $125. The health insurance company wanted consumer feedback on their products and customer service, and it compensated us for providing our insights.
Focus groups can be a lucrative side hustle when you break down per-hour pay. You get to be a part of a company’s market research efforts, magnifying your opinion above those of other potential consumers.
These days, you canto participate in paid focus groups in person or online. Today, we’ll focus on the online space. These focus group platforms to earn anywhere from $20 to as much as $600 per hour.
Online Focus Groups: A Viable Side Hustle
Focus groups can pay extremely well for the amount of time you actually “work.” They can provide surges of side hustle income all at once.
However, they’re not likely to sustain you in lieu of traditional income. Earnings can be extremely inconsistent. First of all, you won’t qualify for every survey, as each focus group has a specific demographic it’s targeting.
Often, though not always, the highest-paying surveys also have the most exclusive demographic requirements. The company may be looking to work with construction foremen who work with specific brands of equipment, for example, or with mobile app developers who use a specific type of programming.
In addition, some consumer research companies will only allow you to participate in one focus group every six months.
Just because work is sporadic doesn’t make this a bad side hustle. When the money does come in, you’re getting paid so much per hour that it’s worth setting aside 30 to 90 minutes of your time.
What You Do in a Paid Focus Group
Most focus groups require between 30 minutes and 90 minutes of work. When you’re doing a focus group remotely, you may be asked to fill out a multiple choice survey. Most of the time, though, you’ll complete a phone or Zoom interview with a live person.
Topics for focus groups are unlimited: You could find yourself answering questions about your favorite margarita recipe, how you’re coping with parenting in the 2020s, or a survey related to your profession.
Some focus groups may require you to dedicate some time outside the interview itself. For example, you might have to give a specific product a test run or keep a journal of your experiences. This extra time is often accounted for in the compensation.
Need a banking service that’s built for gig workers and freelancers, helping you save for taxes and keep track of your expenses? Check out Lili. (It’s free!)
5 Sites to Find Online Focus Group Jobs
Respondent
WatchLab
Focusscope
FindFocusFroups.com
User Interviews
These market research companies pay well for your time and consistently update listings for more opportunities. We surveyed current listings for hourly pay and estimated average hourly pay given the jobs currently available.
1. Respondent
An overwhelming percentage of the focus group opportunities listed on Respondent are remote. The majority of the listings are not city-specific, allowing you to qualify regardless of where you live.
Current job listings range between $20 and $250 per hour, with the average focus group paying around $120 per hour.
2. WatchLAB
WatchLAB doesn’t have as many opportunities listed, but it does regularly update its inventory on its Facebook page.
Jobs are often city specific, though there is a wide variety of cities with opportunities available.
Pay for WatchLAB focus groups ranges from $75 to $900 per hour, with the average focus group paying around $125 per hour.
3. Focusscope
Focusscope is another smaller consumer research company. It updates its users regularly about new opportunities on its Facebook page, and most studies are now completed remotely. Focusscope pays $75 to $250 per focus group, with an average payout of $100.
4. FindFocusGroups.com
FindFocusGroups.com isn’t solely a consumer research company. It is also a job listing board. It aggregates opportunities available across the country, and allows consumer research companies to submit listings.
You can search these focus group listings by state. The average focus group pays around $125 per hour, though there are currently jobs listed for pay ranges anywhere from $75 to $595.
Pro Tip
Participating in medical trials can be another lucrative way to hustle together some extra cash.
5. User Interviews
If you’re looking for online or over-the-phone focus group opportunities, User Interviews listings are plentiful. However, compared to the other companies on this list, more of these focus group opportunities are in-person. Use filters while you search to ensure you’re only being shown the remote opportunities.
A portion of the listings on User Interviews are medical studies rather than focus groups.
Participating in medical trials can be another lucrative way to hustle together some extra cash.
Listings on User Interviews pay between $25 and $500 per hour — though few studies get close to the $500 mark. The average focus group pays $60 per hour.
Pittsburgh-based writer Brynne Conroy is the founder of the Femme Frugality blog and the author of “The Feminist Financial Handbook.” She is a regular contributor to The Penny Hoarder. Information from Penny Hoarder writer and editor Tiffany Wendeln Connors is included in this report.
As anyone who has accumulated a collection of jewelry knows, there’s nothing like the detritus in drawers, boxes and overflowing jewelry boxes. Amid the diamonds and opals, the silver and gold (OK, if you’re lucky), lies a different kind of beauty — the beauty of costume jewelry.
While costume jewelry often gets short shrift compared to precious stones and metals, vintage jewelry sellers reap the benefits of this misconception. It turns out that there is much value to be found in costume jewelry, if only the buyer — or the grandkid — knows how to identify vintage jewelry.
You may come across costume jewelry in several ways. You might get a tangle of necklaces, rings, brooches and bangles as an inheritance. Perhaps you were lucky enough to get faux pearls and rhinestones as gifts over the years. Or maybe you’re a newbie junker or have started going to estate sales looking for silver and gold but are wondering about the value of jewelry that isn’t.
What Is Costume Jewelry?
Costume jewelry — sometimes called fashion jewelry — is generally mass produced. It can be made of many materials, including plastic, but typically not precious metals, especially gold.
The phrase costume jewelry became popular in the 1930s and the jewelry itself provided a way for women to adorn themselves for less money. Think dripping with jewels, just not diamonds, rubies and emeralds and instead amethyst, amber, turquoise and onyx.
Now, some of that retro vintage costume jewelry is worth some money, especially when it is from a reputable designer. Jewelry stamped with the manufacturer or designer’s name is almost always worth more than unsigned pieces.
Bakelite bangles, necklaces and pins are a good example of how costume jewelry has increased in value. The fire-resistant, castable plastic was made into chunky, colorful jewelry (and napkins rings, too) in the 1930s and 40s. If you’ve found some Art Deco delights in Grandma’s jewelry box, know that a Bakelite bangle could be worth $100 or more. Found a funky pin? That might be $500.
12 Tips on How to Identify and Sell Vintage Costume Jewelry
When faced with a crowded jewelry box, it’s hard to find meaning in any of it.
How do you know which pieces to keep and with which to part ways?
We interviewed two jewelry sellers who have turned a significant profit through their sales. Laura Clarice Webb, who runs London-based Clarice Jewellery, once purchased a brooch for 22 pounds (about $30) and sold it for 700 pounds (about $950) that same day. While beginners probably won’t get that far immediately, there are some important standards to keep in mind on your journey, even if that’s just going through Grandma’s old jewelry cabinet.
Jennifer Ward owns vintage jewelry business Ward Vintage and is based in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and deals primarily with costume jewelry.
Keep in mind, what was in fashion back then sometimes comes around again and at a profit. So before you dump that 1950s hideous Rivoli stone brooch that Grandpa got Grandma in the 1950s, know that someone might just pay $50 for it. Likewise the Monet earrings your best friend gave you as a gift for being a bridesmaid in her 1970s wedding.
Here are 12 tips to determine if those prized jewels worn with pride are worth something and how to hawk them if they are.
1. If You See Something Nice, Double Check
First, while this post is about costume jewelry, we have an important caveat: If you have jewelry that could be made of precious metals and stones, check it out with a jeweler, Ward said.
Ward will sometimes work with buyers who leave a bulk jewelry collection to her. It’s grueling to go through pieces one by one, but diamonds in the rough — pardon the expression — do emerge. She once took a set of earrings to a jeweler and discovered that they were 14-karat gold. The jeweler said they wouldn’t sell them for less than $1,000.
Most local jewelers are willing to look at items for no or low cost, according to Ward. It’s worth forming that relationship now so you know where to go when you do have a question. And if you already know some of your antique jewelry is precious, here are our best tips for selling right away.
Sample Costume Jewelry Prices
2. Do Research on Where to Sell Antique Jewelry
Both Ward and Webb couch their answers in qualifiers, but much of their online business happens on Instagram. Ward stages and posts some of her most eye-catching items on the social media platform, though many of the actual financial dealings happen off of the app.
Webb likes Instagram’s community-based atmosphere. With a few simple hashtags, like #vintagejewelry or #antiquerings, she can tap into a global community.
“Instagram is just so easy and a relaxed way of just sharing what you have,” she said. “I feel like if someone was starting and they had a range of jewelry, you can pick a few of the right hashtags and there are thousands willing to buy and share knowledge.”
3. Be Prepared to Sift Through Retro Pieces and Other Items
Part of the fun of going to a thrift store, flea market or estate sale is that it can feel like a bit of a jungle. Don’t expect to enter and find 30 things you want within the first 15 minutes. It takes some time — and a good eye — to find what you want, according to Ward. (Here are some great strategies for finding real gold at a flea market — and making $9,000 in profit from it.)
“You have to be willing to sift through a lot of junk,” she said. “It’s not like you’re going to go in and get ten things.”
Photo courtesy of Laura Webb
4. The Materials of Vintage Jewelry Matter
Don’t immediately discard costume jewelry that seems out of style or don’t instantly scream luxury. In fact, Webb is a big advocate of glass material items. You don’t have to find fine materials for a piece to be worth something.
“If someone finds something and it is glass, don’t be deterred,” she said. “Just because it’s glass doesn’t mean it’s worthless.”
5. Build Relationships With Sellers and Buyers
Both Ward and Webb have relationships with customers and dealers to get the best pieces out to the right people. Ward texts back and forth with dealers of vintage and costume jewelry. She has Zoom meetings to see the best pieces. Do I want this one or that one, she wonders.
If you are looking to unload family antique jewelry, this might not be as big a concern for you since it may be a one-time adventure. However, if you want to build an antique jewelry business, relationship building is key.
Webb has met numerous people through her journeys to antiques fairs. While the business connections are important, it’s the passion that inspires her. These are good people to seek advice from when you’re first starting out.
“There are so many people who you can tell they’re not making a lot of money, but they just love what they do,” she said. “It keeps them going.”
6. Look for a Signature or Other Makers Mark
One no-fail bit of advice to find a piece that will earn at least a little money: spot the signature or the marked piece. It’s not just items by name-brand designers that attract buyers at top dollar — it’s recognizable American brands, like Monet and Napier. The key is to find things that represent certain time periods and may appeal to collectors.
Even if you don’t see a signature, so essentially if you have what you believe to be unsigned pieces, look for a maker’s mark, says Webb. That could be a small animal or a symbol that explains the jewelry’s lineage. Invest in a magnifying glass because some of those marks can be quite small.
“Even if it’s not precious metal or precious stone, it may still have a mark,” Webb said. “If you Google it, you’ll usually find someone somewhere who has done the research.”
Photo courtesy of Laura Webb
7. Consult Costume Jewelry Collectors International
If you want a one-stop-shop database with practically all the information you need to know about costume jewelry, then Costume Jewelry Collectors International is the place for you. Not only are the organization and its website a great way to build up a sharp knowledge for costume jewelry, but it’s also a helpful way to meet other costume jewelry buffs.
Want to know how to identify a piece from World War II? You might start by learning that white metal was actually not allowed at the time, since it was needed to produce arms. Instead, unique materials like wood or even plastic were sometimes substituted.
If you have a penchant for certain designers, like Miriam Haskell or Kenneth Jay Lane, look no further than this interview with Lane himself and a synopsis of Haskell’s origin story (and whether she was the true designer of her eponymous jewelry).
If these little snippets of information aren’t nearly enough, then consider buying this book by Ginger Moro on some of the most famous European jewelry designers. You might even learn about a few more obscure artists.
8. If It Looks Quality, It Probably Is
Sometimes determining if a costume jewelry necklace or other piece is high-quality is as easy as picking them up.
“Good costume jewelry has a weight to it,” Webb said. Ask yourself, are they heavy for their size?
Many of the older pieces were triple-plated, according to Ward. Even costume jewelry that looks well-made is likely more valuable, she said.
When going through family heirlooms, don’t just stop at jewelry. Take a second look at those heirloom antique dishes. You won’t regret it.
9. Be Wary of Fakes
The world of jewelry and jewelry identification is not without its risks. Webb knows this well: she will no longer purchase vintage costume jewelry by Chanel, because there are so many fakes. In fact, she once spent about $275 on a pair of earrings only to learn they were fake.
Some of the fakes, Webb said, “are of such a good standard that I don’t think I would be able to tell whether some of them are real or not.”
“It’s not worth investing the money because it’s too much of a risk.”
10. Understand Which Jewelry Pieces Are Good Sellers
When Ward scouts the shelves for good jewelry, there are certain things that always catch her eye. She is less focused on design and more focused on type which helps her determine value.
For example, so many vintage earrings are clip-ons, so when she finds vintage earrings on posts or with an earring clasp meant for pierced ears, she grabs those. That’s because so many people — about 85% — have pierced ears. If the earrings already have clasps, the buyer doesn’t have to take them to a jeweler to be altered. In other words, they are more likely to buy pierced vintage earrings.
Charm bracelets are ever popular, too — think Pandora but vintage jewelry. European designer jewelry made by Givenchy, Christian Dior and, yes, Chanel will always sell.
11. Know What Your Clients Want
Just as building relationships with vendors is key, so is building relationships with clients who shop for specific styles on vintage jewelry or costume jewelry collectors. Ward is at a point where she can identify certain pieces for certain clients. Sometimes, that means straying from purchasing things just based on what she would want to wear.
“I still buy what I like, but it’s not necessarily what I would wear,” she said.
12. Create a Brand and Internet Presence
If you want to be really successful in the vintage jewelry business, then the same thing holds true as with any other line of work: Build a personal brand. One way to keep clients coming back is to create a niche marketing tactic that always makes them think of you, particularly when it comes to packaging. Consider sending your jewelry with paper hang tags bearing the recipient’s name as a delicate touch.
Webb makes most of her sales through her website, and much of that is through her weekly newsletter. That email chain has 600 subscribers and a whopping 70-80 percent click rate — the average for most newsletters is less than 20 percent. Her subscribers are engaged and ready to peruse her newest listings. Most of her items go fast.
“The newsletter is my biggest achievement, because it’s all been through people choosing to sign up,” she said. “That’s the key to success.”
Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times.
Are you harboring a collection of classic rock albums and afraid to part with the memories of your youth? Or did you inherit a stack of records of some of the biggest acts of the 1960s and know you will never play them?
Well, instead of letting the vinyls sit silently in a corner of a closet or garage, trade them in for some extra cash. The trick is to be realistic about value, and separate your love of Sinatra, Streisand or Sting with the market demand and condition.
“At one time the shelf that held all the Sinatra albums was 70 feet wide,” said Doug Allen, owner of Bananas Records, considered the largest record retailer in the country, and based in St. Petersburg, Florida. “We have way too much of that.”
Data on vinyl album sales in the United States from 1993 to 2020 shows consistent growth since 2006, and in 2021 a total of 41.7 million vinyl albums were sold, up by over 50% from the previous year according to Statista.com.
Music Genres Selling Well
What Bananas Records buys and sells the most are classic rock ‘n’ roll, punk and jazz albums. And that’s for around $5 — if the album and the cover are in great condition. Allen buys 500 to 1,000 albums a day and estimates he pays more than $1 or $2 an album for only about 10 percent.
Doug Allen, bottom, co-owns Bananas Records with his wife, Michelle Allen, which is one of the largest vinyl record retailers in the world with about 3.5 million records. Sonny Rollins, top, is considered one of the most important American jazz musicians and his sixth album, Saxophone Colossus, is selling at Bananas Records for $1,000. Chris Zuppa / The Penny Hoarder
“Records don’t compare to coins and stamps and books,” Allen said. “There’s not really anything that’s worth $100,000 or more.”
On the other hand, records that only sold 20,000 copies — jazz from the 1950s, early punk rock — may be worth more. Allen has seen jazz albums from that era, such as early Miles Davis, go for $500 to $700 a piece, while classic punk might sell for $50 to $100.
Many records that sold in the millions are still popular with collectors and album buyers, but so many copies are still in circulation that they don’t sell for much.
“Punk and heavy metal is what’s selling extremely well because of the age group of people who are buying records right now. They are mostly under 30 years of age,” Allen said. “The ‘70s to ‘90s progressive rock is selling. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Eno.”
He added David Bowie and John Coltrane to the list of what he’s buying.
“If it’s in mint condition it might sell for $20 to $30 if it’s and a really good early pressing,” Allen said.
Yes, just like first or early printings of books, first pressings or early pressings of albums are worth more — even to a 25-year-old consumer.
“Having that knowledge, they are proud of having something like a first pressing. Occasionally it really means something as far as the sound quality,” Allen said. “This is the generation of kids who always listened to music on their iPhone. When they play an album with a turntable and a set of good speakers they discover what music is supposed to sound like.”
Who Is In, Who Is Out
Even in mint condition, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Liberace or Elvis Presley records aren’t worth much, if anything.
“These kids who are buying records today, many of them have never heard of Elvis,” Allen said. “That era is gone.”
He noted that Michael Jackson albums in good shape are selling well.
“Two weeks after his death you could sell anything you could get your hands on for $30 to $40,” Allen said. “Now they are worth about $7 to $10.”
Though Britney Spears memorabilia is selling well with the drama over her conservatorship ending and the announcement of her pregnancy, Allen hasn’t seen an increase in demand for her records.
An Album’s Value Is About More Than the Music
Other factors affect the value of an album, including a record label or address of the recording studio, which can indicate if it’s a first or second pressing; the country in which the album was released; and whether the album was autographed.
The condition of the album cover is as important as the music itself. Water damage, tears and marks can all decrease an album’s value. If you kept your albums in the garage, there’s little chance the vinyl survived the elements and the cover is probably a victim of silverfish or some other pest. And if somebody wrote their name on the album cover, again, that lessens the value greatly.
However, Allen and other collectors frequently buy the album alone if it’s in good shape and the cover isn’t, and vice versa.
Allen advises anyone who is trying to sell their collection to take it to their local vintage record store and have them take a look and let you know what’s worth money. On average, he said if someone brings in a cardboard box full of records, they might fetch $60 to $100 for the lot, some for just a few cents and some for a few dollars.
Selling Records Online
Be sure to check the “sold” price and not the “asking” price before you get your hopes up. You will see many records receive no bids or are taken down before they sell. Still, some records sell for $25 to more than $100 depending on the condition and the rarity. Here are some examples of recent online sales on eBay. But many also include additional shipping costs of $10 to $25 depending on where they are coming from.
John Coltrane: Cosmic Music, $25
Prince: The Black Album, $129
Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation, $19
George Michael, Faith, $12
Michael Jackson, Off The Wall, $35
Hulk Hogan, 1983 Japanese release, $79
Another place to sell records online is discogs.com. The site has many links to advise sellers on grading the value of albums based on the condition, estimating shipping costs and packaging.
You Can Sell Your Record Equipment, Too
“Some brands of turntables are selling quite well. I just paid almost $400 for a 1960s Benjamin Miracord turntable. Some Pioneer (brand) are selling well,” Allen said. The earlier versions with solid wooden bases are what’s in demand.
Solid wooden consoles with built in speakers that are an actual piece of furniture are in demand, also. And they don’t have to necessarily work.
“I’ve heard of people who are rehabbing them and they are paying $1,000 to $1,500 for a nicer, old console,” Allen said.
Here’s What Your DVDs and CDs Are Actually Worth
What about DVDs, CDs and even 8-tracks? Allen, and Genny Stout, manager of Bananas Records, have bad news for anyone trying to unload their old movies and music.
CDs
CDs are less popular each year, as there are fewer cars with CD players. In 2021, Bananas was paying 25 cents for them, but now Stout doesn’t buy them unless they are really good classic rock.
DVDs
“Fewer and fewer people have DVD players,” she said. “We used to sell three for $5. Now they are $1 each.” The store is actually making their DVD section much smaller and rarely adding anymore to their already huge inventory. A Disney box set might be worth a few dollars, tops.
VHS
“We haven’t purchased those in 5 to 6 years,” she said, adding that it’s hard to find non-profit retail stores that accept them.
8-Track
“I would say there’s no market for them with the exception of a cult following,” Allen said. “Maybe a KISS 8-track, something you wouldn’t expect.”
Contributor Katherine Snow Smith is a freelance writer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and author of Rules for the Southern Rulebreaker: Missteps and Lessons Learned.
A man displays his Powerball lottery numbers after buying a ticket at a convenience store in Miami, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo
So, who wants to be a billionaire?
There have been nearly 40 Powerball drawings in a row with no grand prize winner, so Saturday night’s jackpot has ballooned to $1.5 billion. That’s nearly the all-time record.
Now, as professional Penny Hoarders, we generally advise against spending your hard-earned money on lottery tickets. (Invest it instead!) Your chances of winning Powerball are 1 in 292 million, which is lower than your chances of being struck by lightning — twice.
But it’s still fun to think about, isn’t it? We all deserve to dream a little, and a tidy $1.5 billion would go a long way toward clearing up any pesky little financial problems you might have.
How much of those winnings would you actually get, though?
How Much of That $1.5 Billion Would You Take Home?
Let’s say you win. (It is fun to think about, after all.)
First you’d have to choose whether to collect your winnings in 30 annual payments over three decades, or to take a smaller lump-sum payment, which in this case would be $745.9 million, according to Powerball administrators.
Then there are taxes. (There are always taxes.)
If you took the lump sum, you’d immediately get hit with federal taxes of 24% that’s collected on any prize exceeding $5,000 — so that’s about $179 million right off the top. You’d also owe more when you file your income taxes next year since you’d be in the top tax bracket — so 37%, or about $97 million, according to popular lottery-news websites like USA Mega and others.
That brings your theoretical winnings to about $470 million. You’d also pay state taxes. How much obviously depends on which state you’re in.
If you chose the annual-payments option, your $1.5 billion jackpot would get split into 30 payments that averaged out to $50 million each. Those would be subject to an immediate 24% federal tax, plus the 37% income tax each year, so you’d be getting a little over $31.5 million per year. After 30 years, you’d have collected between $782 million and $945 million, depending on what you’re paying in state taxes.
Which to choose? Financial advisors always say it depends on your age, your goals, and various tax reasons, and blah blah blah.
But realistically, nearly everyone takes the one-time cash payment. Seriously, almost everyone. Simply put, you can earn more over time by investing the lump sum, and nobody wants to wait 30 years to collect all their money.
You’ve Won Powerball. What Now?
No matter how you count it, a $1.5 billion grand prize is certainly a lot. The biggest Powerball jackpot ever was $1.586 billion, shared by three winners in 2016.
Even if you took the lump sum and paid taxes on it, the $470 million you’d have left is still no chump change.
If you won, financial advisers would strongly recommend that you get a tax attorney and a tax accountant and make a plan before you collect your winnings. You’d have 90 days to a year to claim your jackpot, depending on where you bought the winning ticket.
They also recommend that you employ someone whose job it is to say “NO” to everyone and their brother who’ll suddenly want you to invest in their once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity, their newly invented revolutionary gizmo, their super-sweet NFTs, or their miscellaneous harebrained scheme.
Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If a lucky winner claims the $1.5 billion grand prize in Saturday night’s drawing, the next Powerball jackpot automatically drops back down to a mere $20 million — practically pennies in comparison, right?
So think about it. Powerball tickets cost $2. Maybe spend a little money on that dream.
You might think a treasure hunt means diving in the ocean to find sunken ships or exploring ancient ruins in faraway countries looking for hidden chambers full of gold and jewels.
But fortunately, you can also become a treasure hunter in and around your own house, starting with nothing or perhaps a small investment in a metal detector.
Most of us don’t believe there’s anything valuable hidden in the house, but after you hear these 10 stories, don’t be surprised if you start knocking down a wall or two…
10 Places to Find Treasures Hidden in a Home
You never know what valuable items — and even cash — may be hiding in your home.
Inside the Walls
It isn’t easy to look in your walls, but there can be valuable things there. For example, more than one home owner has found movie posters that were once stuffed between walls as insulation. In a 2010 case a man in Canada sold 40 movie posters for $50,000 after finding them inside the walls of his house during remodeling. Keep that in mind the next time you think about expanding your bedroom.
If you’re careful, you might be able to peek inside some walls. Turn the power off, remove the plastic covers from switches and electrical outlets, and shine a light in wherever there is an opening that you can see through.
Crawl Spaces
Death is perhaps the biggest reason that there are thousands of hidden treasures to be found.
If a crawl space can be accessed from inside (or an opening in the basement) it’s more likely to have been used as a hiding place because of the privacy. And it isn’t just buried items that might be there. In a crawl space I found a chest in the corner with coins and currency from Vietnam, along with documents and other things. I knew the previous owner so I returned these finds, but if he had passed away in the meantime I might have considered them fair game.
You can use a metal detector to look for buried objects or you can just look for clues, like a dip in the ground or a patch of dirt that looks different. Dig gently; there shouldn’t be wiring buried there, but water lines and drain pipes are common.
Attics
Stories of hidden valuables in an attic are almost cliché, but that’s because these discoveries are so common. I once demolished an old house and I found a glass piggy bank full of pennies under the insulation in the attic. If you plan to poke around under fiberglass insulation you should wear protective gear (disposable clothes, a face mask and safety glasses). Some attics will have things stored in boxes and trunks. These are especially promising if some of them were there before you moved in. Check online for help determining if your finds have value.
In 2013 an original Vincent Van Gogh painting was found in an attic in Norway. Pablo Picasso produced more than 20,000 works of art during his life, and more than a thousand of his paintings are listed as stolen, missing or disputed. So check that attic.
Behind the Washing Machine
Many washing machines have water lines and drain lines that come through the wall about halfway up. Sometimes these openings are not sealed, which is why I was able to stash a pouch full of cash there in a house I owned years ago. I hung it on a string anchored inside the hole so it would be down inside the wall by the floor. I’m not trying to be morbid, but I should remind you again that people sometimes die without revealing all of their hiding places. Take a peek if you have an opening into the wall for your washing machine drain line.
Closets
If your home was inherited or for other reasons came with things already in it, search through those closets. In 2012, Michael Rorrer found comic books worth more than $3 million while cleaning out a closet in the home of his deceased great aunt in Martinsville, Virginia. He found a total of 375 classic old comics, including the first issue of Batman.
Even if you thought the closet shelves were empty when you moved in, sometimes there are things at the back that can’t be easily seen. And poke around for secret hiding places.
Basements
If you watch the PBS program Antiques Roadshow, you might have seen the episode with the woman who discovered a photo album signed by Abraham Lincoln. She found it in her grandmother’s basement. It was signed by President Lincoln and was estimated to be worth somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000.
Apart from being a natural collection point for all sorts of forgotten items, basements also have many hiding places. Look around and think about where you would put something if you wanted to hide it really well. If the basement wall is made of concrete blocks and the top row is accessible, there could be things hidden inside the blocks there. Use a mirror and flashlight to take a look.
Under Carpet
While taking the carpet out of an old house my parents had bought, I discovered that newspapers lined the entire floor. An old-timer told me this was once a common form of cheap carpet padding. What didn’t occur to me at the time was that those newspapers were old enough to have some value to collectors. I just browsed the old headlines and threw them all away.
Money is sometimes hidden under carpeting. This is most common in places where a corner can be pulled up without loosening the whole carpet. Check for unattached corners in the backs of closets and under stairs, and take a peek.
Old Desks
A Scottish man restoring an antique Victorian desk in his loft discovered medals from the Crimea War hidden in a secret compartment. The medals were estimated to be worth 2,000 pounds (or about $2,300).
Some desks have secret compartments. Look underneath to see if there is enclosed space that doesn’t seem to be accessed from the usual drawers. There are also drawers that don’t open all the way but appear to do so because of a false back. If you find coins or bills or even old postcards, you can use online resources to determine if they’re worth anything.
Books
As you pull apart your home in the name of treasure hunting, you might find some valuable old books. You can sell them on eBay. But don’t discard the worthless ones too quickly. My mother told me about an uncle who stashed currency in books. After he died his family discovered thousands of dollars while leafing through the pages. Apparently hiding money in books was common for those who lived through bank failures during the Great Depression.
More recently a man in Massachusetts found $20,000 inside a book that he bought at a used book sale. It’s likely that someone got rid of it after a loved one passed away, and didn’t take the time to open it and leaf through the pages. Check those books!
Under Floorboards
When we were children we used to throw pennies into a hole in kitchen floor. We never did know why there was a quarter-sized hole through the linoleum and wood. We also never retrieved any of the coins. They might be there today, almost forty years later.
Apart from accidental stashes like that, things are often purposefully hidden under floorboards. Recently, a man in England found valuable old British Rail posters stashed under the floorboards of a house he bought. They sold at auction for 18,000 pounds, or about $20,000. Unless you’re renovating you probably don’t want to tear open your floors. But you might find a loose board that can be removed, and you might find access from the floor below. In the case of our kitchen hole it would probably have been as simple as popping open a ceiling tile in the basement. That brings us to our next potential treasure location…
Ceilings
While remodeling, a New York couple found $15,000 in their ceiling. Actually it was their contractor who found the bag full of money, and he was honest enough to give it to them. Again, you can’t tear open a ceiling just for the small chance that there’s something valuable in there, but you can look for clues. Maybe part of the ceiling has already been removed and can be removed safely again. A drop ceiling might have tiles which are easily lifted, so you can take a look. An attic can provide access to a ceiling as well.
That should be enough to get you started, and we haven’t even considered getting out of the house to the garage, shed, barn, garden and yard. Those will be covered in a future post. Meanwhile, here’s one last place to check: your furniture. If all of your hard work scouring the house for valuables doesn’t get you anything, at least you can round up the lost change in the couch and recliner for a minor treasure hunting success.
Steve Gillman is a former contributor to The Penny Hoarder. Deputy editor Tiffany Wendeln Connors updated this story.
Are you the foodie who documents every meal on TikTok and Instagram?
How’d you like to do what you love while getting paid $10K to travel the world?
Man, have we got a mouthwatering dream job for you.
The worldwide hotel chain Ramada by Wyndham is launching a global search for a new “CEO” — Chief Eats Officer, that is.
This one lucky individual will jet around the globe for three weeks, staying at the chain’s 900 or so hotels, exploring the intersection of food and culture while lavishly documenting it all in videos and blog posts.
Ramada operates in more than 60 countries, so think sizzling street tacos in Mexico, chimichurris in Argentina, fish curry with coconut in Sri Lanka, roasted pig in Bali.
For this culinary world tour, Ramada is looking for a food-obsessed, social-media-savvy adventure seeker. Ready to pack your bags? Here’s what you need to know.
How to Become the Chief Eats Officer
Is this your dream job? Then you’d better apply for the gig with the coolest video you can come up with by Nov. 14.
The “CEO” will be chosen by mid-December. If you’re picked, you’d do your thing and immerse yourself in international culinary delights for a few weeks sometime between May and August 2023 — plenty of notice to take time off from your real job!
You can apply via TikTok or email. (Frankly, we’d probably recommend TikTok. After all, the whole point of this gig is to be a brand ambassador on social media.)
Your video should be one to three minutes long and in English. Make sure to mention what country you’re from. (You must be a legal resident of the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Thailand, New Zealand, Turkey or the United Kingdom.)
What Are the Qualifications?
As Chief Eats Officer, you’d be expected to shoot videos for social media and also write blog posts and travel tips for all the destinations you’d be visiting. Your work would be featured on Ramada’s global marketing channels.
To qualify for this gig, you must be:
Active and proficient on various social media platforms (TikTok and Instagram are preferred).
At least 21 years old, with a valid passport.
Fluent in spoken and written English, with strong writing skills.
Comfortable working remotely and on deadline.
Available to travel for up to three weeks from May to August 2023.
Along with the $10,000 payday, the job comes with a $150 daily travel stipend, paid airfare and paid accommodations at Ramada’s hotels.
You’d also have bragging rights for having the best job in the world.
Chief. Eats. Officer.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
