1-Low-Effort, Passive Techniques

The best money-making techniques are the ones that require the least effort, right? If you're super lazy or you're already tapped out, try these methods to make money in the little spare time you have. Sell Your Unwanted Stuff The fastest (and admittedly most obvious) way to make some extra money is sell stuff you don't want. Have a ton of books you've read or don't read? Try to sell them before you donate them. Old furniture you'd like to replace? Offload it to a neighbor or on Craigslist. We've shown you how to sell just about anything for the most possible money, and the beauty is that once you've done the legwork of taking pictures and writing a good description of your item, you're good to go. Post it on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, Etsy, or wherever else you plan to sell your stuff, and walk away. Let the auction run its course or wait for someone to pick up your item from its Amazon listing, and you're in the money. Whether you're decluttering because you just have too much stuff, or you're downsizing for another reason, you can make a tidy sum from your old furniture, electronics, media, toys, and other unwanted items. You may need to hang onto them until they sell, but once they do, you'll be happier with the cash than you were with the thing that was taking up space, we promise. Rent Out Your House or Car If you don't mind dealing with people or you travel often, consider renting out a room in your home on AirBnb or HomeAway. If you live in a major city or metro area, renting your room can bring in serious money. For example, I live in Washington DC. The short-term rental market during the Presidential inauguration went through the roof, with 4-day stays getting as high as $10,000 in some places. I could have rented my place to tourists for enough to pay my monthly rent and then some while I visited friends or family out of town. Even if you're home, you can rent a spare room to passers-through, tourists, or traveling students. In most cases they won't need anything from you but a bed to sleep in. If you're the hospitable type, you can be quite the local ambassador to your guests. Granted, this comes with its own set of issues, and AirBnB's legality is in question in some cities. Make sure you're aware of your local laws before you dive into room-sharing or house-renting when you're out of town, and follow our tips to not get screwed. If renting space in your home isn't your style, why not rent your car or parking space if you have one? Parking spaces lease for good money on Craigslist. Sidecar lets you rent space in your car to someone who's headed the same place you are, whether you're commuting or road tripping. RelayRides gives you a way to turn an idle car into cash by renting it out when you're not using it. If you work from home or only commute a few days a week, or if you have a spare car sitting in the garage you don't drive often, you can turn it into a regular income stream. FlightCar lets you rent out your car while you're out of town (and you get free airport parking in addition to the money). All of these services offer their own insurance protection for renters and car owners so you don't get screwed renting out your car. Here's RelayRides' $1 million policy, for example.