10 ways to get extra money

As we all know, times are tough.  I've had some readers asking if I knew any tricks to earning some extra money.

Here are a few tricks that could get you some extra cash really quick:

1. DON'T SPEND MONEY.  I know, duh right?  There are some weeks that I go to the grocery store and stock up on deals, but more often then not I go one time to buy milk and bread and that's it.  If I'm at home blogging, cleaning, organizing or doing a project....I'm not out spending.  
2. Limit the amount of time that you go shopping.  If you are grocery shopping, bring a list and stick to it.  If you are shopping for clothes think twice about the purchase before you make it.  Read my article HERE about purchasing things on your priority list.  If you are just "wondering the mall" because you have free time.....go to the library and rent a book!  Preferably anything by Dave Ramsey. :)
3. Look around for anything of value that you could pawn or sell on ebay or online classifieds.  If you don't need or want it anymore, it's just taking up space in your house.  Sell it and get some extra cash. (My brother in law was looking to sell a white gold and diamond ring his wife no longer wants)
4. Read my article I posted about online surveys and mystery shopping.  They are a fairly easy way to make some extra money from home.
5. Evaluate any memberships you have before you renew them.  Ask yourself "Did I use this enough to justify the price I paid for it?"  If not, don't renew it.  This includes Net Flix.  Most shows are available for FREE online on the network site or places like Hulu, so why would you pay for them on Net Flix?  Some gyms will let you trade working the front desk a few hours a week for a membership.
6. Cut back on current expenses. Examine your cellphone usage.  Can you cut back on minutes and get a cheaper plan?  Do you watch all 600 channels on your TV?  Do you need call waiting?  Can you turn the thermostat down? (my answer to that one is NO!)  Can you make your kids lunch instead of paying for school lunch?  Are store brand diapers cheaper then name brand ones?  Eat dinner at home instead of going out to eat. 
7. If you can't afford it, DON'T BUY IT! I'm trying to put together a few trips this summer for our vacation.  I found an AMAZING deal on airfare to London.  I would LOVE to take the kids to London, but add in all the extras and we would have to put quite a bit on our credit card.  Fact of the matter is, we can't afford to pay for 5 people to travel to London....so we are not going.  I'm currently working on more "Thrifty" vacations we can do closer to home. :)  HERE is an example of a thrifty trip we went on last month.  
8. Sell homemade stuff on Esty.  You can sell anything from documents you've created (like chore charts) to vinyl decals, crochet items, scrapbook pages, cards, crafts....anything you can make is game.
9.  Use Swagbucks.  Swagbucks is a online search engine that gives you points for random internet searches.  You can cash in your points to earn free things.  I've gotten 2 $5 Amazon gift cards from them and all I've done is use them instead of Google occasionally.  They also offer bonus codes now and then to boost your points.  I got 50 points yesterday and 17 today.  Sign up is free.
10. Keep track of what gift cards you have and what online deals you have purchased.  Making sure you use these items before they expire will save you a ton of money. I'm currently working on a post about how to organize these items.