How2Day: Easy Ways to Make Good Money

Selling unneeded or unwanted items is one easy way to make good money. David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images
In tough economic times, almost everyone could use a little extra money. Even when things are good economically, a little extra money can go a long way toward paying down debt or other expenses. However, not everyone wants to break her back working two full-time job just to make ends meet. Most people can find easy ways to make good money by just being a little creative and highly observant.

Use the Internet to sell products or services to the millions of other Web surfers in the world. Of course, not everyone is going to buy your product or service, so you cannot expect to get rich overnight. You can, however, make some easy money by promoting other people's products through a business model known as "affiliate marketing." In affiliate marketing you become an affiliate or someone who sells a product on behalf of someone else. In return, you receive a percentage of the profit or total price of the item. The best products to sell are software packages and services like those found at clickbank.com. Clickbank pays affiliates twice per month on commissions they generate through online sales. You can promote products through blogs, websites online classified ads and anywhere else on the Web.

Start a service-based home business. Offering a service to people usually means that you do not have many overhead expenses with the possible exception of a few supplies or maybe gasoline and other related travel expenses. Possible services that you can offer include starting your own dog-walking service if you live in the city or a lawn-mowing service if you live in a small town or the suburbs. If you have a car and get good gas mileage, you may wish to consider starting a grocery delivery service for the elderly and charge a flat fee or one based on how much shopping you do. Handyman services and home-cleaning services can also provide ways to improve your income. The key is to be observant, find a need and fill it.

Another way to make extra money is to become a mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers get paid to shop or dine to evaluate the service, cleanliness and overall quality of a store, business, restaurant or other establishment where employees deal with the public. Mystery shopper usually work as freelance or self-employed individuals and receive their assignments from mystery shopping companies. ABCNews.com notes that there are thousands of these companies, so you may need to do a little research to make sure you find one that is legitimate. ABC also notes that mystery shoppers can make anywhere from $5 to $20 per assignment and, in some cases, up to $75 for more difficult assignments.

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