Quick Cash Jobs

• A fulfilling, meaningful and long-term career is a fine thing. But if you don't happen to have one, quick cash jobs can come in very handy. Money is something that people give you when you have or do something they want. Find out what people want, provide it to them, and cash will be headed your way.

Clean Houses

• Most jobs that can be grabbed for quick cash are not particularly glamorous, and house cleaning is no exception. You can work for an agency or advertise around your neighborhood and get jobs independently. If you're lucky, you will be working for generous, respectful clients whose houses just need some polishing up. If you're not so lucky, you may confront some combination of stinginess, rudeness and disgusting houses. This all comes with the territory. Agree in advance on a price for your services, and be clear about what you will and won't do. People have different definitions of what "house cleaning" means, and just because your definition doesn't include climbing onto the roof and cleaning the chimney, that doesn't mean you won't be asked to do it by someone.

Deliver Newspapers

• With the spread of the suburbs, more and more adults are taking newspaper delivery jobs away from kids because adults can drive, and the distances in some of these neighborhoods are too far to walk. If you have a reliable car and you like to get up early, contact your local newspapers and find out what's available. Delivery jobs may be available for newspapers, flier publishers and local weekly magazines. For people who enjoy the work, it can be an easy way to make some cash. Cruising around at 5 in the morning before the traffic is bad, drinking coffee and listening to your favorite CDs, isn't the worst way in the world to support yourself.

Go to a Temp Agency

• If you're not excited about the idea of scaring up some quick paying work, let someone else do it for you. This is the job of temp agencies. They connect employers who need workers for anywhere from a day to a month with workers who are looking for quick work and quick pay. Jobs can range from secretarial work to manual labor to house painting to distributing leaflets. If you do your job well and are dependable, temp jobs sometimes lead to full time employment.

Work as a Stage Hand

• Depending on the venue and the location, you may not be able to get a job as a stage hand unless you are a member of the union. However, it can't hurt to ask. Particularly if it is a summer music festival or other temporary event, the worker situation is sometimes a bit up in the air. Showing up in the right place at the right time and asking the right people might land you a job on the spot. Be prepared to lug heavy boxes around and to work weird hours. Also, many sites require steel-toed boots and hard hats.