Sell your blood! Recycle scrap metal! Become an egg donor! Let your body be used in a clinical trial!
You won’t get rich. You might have to suffer a little. There’s the possibility you’ll be mistaken for a homeless person. But when you don’t have a job, every little opportunity to earn some cash should be seriously considered.
Coupon Sherpa has assembled a fun list of “24 Ways to Make Money While Unemployed.” The title is a little misleading—because several of the “ways” add up to you finding employment (not full-time or with benefits or anything, but it’s employment nonetheless). Jobs like:
11. Become a Census Worker
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, including mileage. Census Jobs are available now.
And:
16. Human Billboard
If you don’t mind dressing up like the Statue of Liberty, a chicken or some other mascot, you can earn money standing on a busy corner to wave a sign and attract clients for various businesses. Not all jobs require a costume, but you do have to be willing to work in all types of weather. You’ll frequently find ads for such work on CraigsList “Jobs,” “Marketing.”
Some of the suggestions are harder than a lot of jobs. Like:
12. Sell Your Eggs
Donating your eggs can pay serious bank — sometimes upwards of $5,000. The process isn’t easy, however, and requires a time commitment. CheckIHR.com for egg donor and surrogacy programs in your area, as well as instructions on how to select the right program for you.
That’s one’s especially difficult if you’re a guy.
One final hiccup to all this money-earning: If you make too much—and if you’re honest enough and/or can’t avoid reporting it—you won’t be allowed to collect unemployment.