Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2012. The online options it describes, such as paid-to-click and paid-to-read sites, email chains and website sign-ups for points, reflect that period; many such sites have since closed or turned out to be scams.
Electricity bill, loan, gas… I can’t make it to the end of the month! The best solution is to save and keep an eye on unnecessary spending we can avoid or reduce. When that doesn’t work, or expenses go up and pay goes down, there are ways to look for extra income to fix the imbalance in your budget.
A word of warning, to avoid bigger problems: check whether this extra income has to be declared to the tax authorities (Hacienda in Spain) or even requires registering as self-employed. Also, if you’re unemployed, get advice on whether it’s compatible with receiving unemployment benefits.
Some ideas
Part-time jobs: this option of working by the hour, covered by article 12 of Spain’s Workers’ Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores), is best done with a contract.
Some ideas to fill the rest of the day after your regular job: telephone operator, leaflet delivery, looking after children, the elderly or people with disabilities, waiting tables…
Online work: with the usual security precautions that come with any online transaction, these extra-income jobs fall into two different kinds.
One is writing articles or posts for different networks, blogs or weblogs through publishing companies. The other is taking part in opinion surveys, reading chain emails, or signing up for websites and offers that pay different rates.
Pay can be a few euro cents per page, but as earnings build up they grow, and they’re paid out in points that can be exchanged for products. These are PTC (paid-to-click) or PTR (paid-to-read) sites.
Online advertising: this means creating your own website and reaching a significant number of visits. That’s when you’ll attract advertising from companies that want to promote themselves alongside the content of your site.
Sales work: these are sales jobs that pay commissions. How well you do will depend on your commercial terms, your people skills and your ability to deal with others. It has the advantage of very flexible hours and can be very profitable.
It covers all kinds of sectors, from fashion, jewelry, cleaning products, tools and cosmetics, and these are catalog or multi-level sales.
Teaching: depending on your academic level and availability, you can give lessons to students at different levels, according to your abilities. Languages, math and computing are the most in demand. You can do it as a self-employed tutor or through a private academy.
Selling things you don’t use, through second-hand businesses or online ads, to get one last return out of them. It’s a small income boost and a clear-out of “stuff” we no longer use.
Renting out rooms, if you’re in a position to do so. Depending on the size of the home and who lives in it, there may be free rooms for students, separated people and so on. You could also rent out a garage space or other property you have available.
Home cooking for others. Your network of contacts alone, or small ads in the press or online, can turn your skill in the kitchen into a great opportunity for extra income. If your specialty is a good dish of beans with clams, stewed quail or something else, why not make more than one portion and charge a small margin for yourself?
Featured image: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
