5 Ways to Make Quick and Easy Money

Sometimes you need extra money--for bills, for presents, or just for run. The following are five suggestions to get quick cash.

1) Sell items on eBay or Half.com. Do you have old VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, or books? Get a gift from someone you didn\'t want? Or do you have collectibles you no longer collect? Turn those items into moola by selling them on eBay or Half.com or any other online auction.

2) Take surveys or participate in focus groups. These go on all of the time, every day. Surveys aren\'t guaranteed income--but you can make as little as $1 or as much as $250 for one few minute survey. I know because one year I made an additional $600 just by taking online surveys. Focus groups are run by market research groups and generally pay around $60 for an hour of your time. You can register with the groups online. Find ones in your area by doing a Google search.

3) Busker on a street corner. Do you have musical or artistic talent? Many towns and cities allow people to sing, play instruments, paint, draw, etc. for donations or small fees on street corners. Check with your city licensing office to see if you need a permit.

4) Donate plasma. This is the old college student stand-by (along with sometimes donations to sperm banks).

5) Become a mystery or secret shopper. Payment is small (usually $10-$25) per assignment, but oftentimes you get to keep what they make you buy--after they reimburse you for it. Plenty of companies advertise on the web for these kinds of shoppers.

So if you need extra cash, look into one of these ideas. They can be one-time revenue sources or repeated revenue sources.

Jill L. Ferguson is an editor, writer, public speaker and professor of creative writing, communication and literature. Her novel, Sometimes Art Can't Save You, was published in October 2005 by In Your Face Ink (http://www.inyourfaceink.com).