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The fastest and easiest way to make some extra money is find something no one wants to do and do it - just fill the need. It doesn't have to be a career move . Just take a look around your neighborhood. Think of every one you know. Look around your garage at the tools you have, and you'll find chores you do for yourself that you can easily do for other people. Most of these chores will also provide cash on the barrel head as soon as the work is done. Here's a few ideas to get the juices flowing.

We've all seen the kid dragging the family mower from house to house offering to mow lawns. Why not give it a shot? I personally don't like to mow, and a break one week out of the summer would be worth it one time.

Another idea is wash windows inside and out for $6-8 a window. You see, most commercial window washers prefer businesses, because of repeat business on a regular basis. Try this in the local neighborhood, particular a two-income family, and you'll probably find a taker today. I know a couple that make their living doing with this idea. They only work 8 months out of the year due to weather (and desire).

An easy one to do is paint house numbers on the curb. Grab some stencils and white paint. Start with your home (if you own it) or offer to do a friend's house (who's a home owner) for free. Then go to the next house. Tell them you just painted the number for the house next door, and you'd be happy to do theirs for a couple of bucks. Do it for a tip - you'll probably do better than just a couple of dollars! All you will be out is the cost of stencils and a few spray cans of paint.

When the weather gets bad, shovel snow from driveways. Just grab a shovel or your snow blower and go to it. I know one farmer who comes to town with his tractor with a front end loader on it, and moves the snow off the walks with a shovel then uses the loader to clear the driveways - for nothing more than a tip. He more than pays his expense and is offering a service that is greatly appreciated.

Another fowl weather idea is offer a jump-starting service. This one is not as quick but it can be lucrative in winter time. I had a friend who lived a few blocks from a huge hospital. He put a up a flier on every bulletin board he could find in the hospital. It said "Dead battery? For a jump-start, call Mac at 555-5555. Only $25." Considering that towing companies were charging $50 and up, that was a bargain, particularly for the graveyard shift workers. Yeah, the hours were rough, but it was easy cash, and he made many nurses happy.

If you have a pickup, offer to haul junk to the land fill. I've always got friends wanting to borrow my truck, to do it themselves. I say "what if you pay me to help you load it up and I'll haul it out there for ya?" (Land fills aren't the most pleasant places to be.) That way I'm liable for my own truck, they don't have to go to the dump (but they do pay the fee) and I save them some time. I usually can make a twenty spot in about an hour.

It's not hard to generate that extra money; all you need to do is take a look at your abilities, take inventory of your equipment and tools, then examine your community. If you're willing to do the work, I think you'll find there's gold right there in your own home town.

Learn more about this author, Tod Demuth.
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