I have been trying to earn money for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I was always trying to start my own business or to find a job that I could do even though I was young. I remember one time when I got together with some friends and made homemade friendships bracelets and then took them around the neighborhood to try to sell them.

I wasn’t the only one in my family who earned money with my own business. My kid brother learned early on that he could purchase candy in bulk and then sell it individually to kids at school to make a profit. He and my sister also used to scout the ground at every parking lot we ever entered because they knew that they could find loads of dropped change there which would add up.

We weren’t particularly unique kids as far as this goes. In fact, I think that most kids are pretty creative and I would say that most of them want to do something that allows them to earn spending money of their own. The problem is that it’s really frustrating for kids to figure out how to earn money when they aren’t old enough to work yet.

There are definitely options for kids with all different types of skills, though. Take a look at my article on 30 ways kids can earn money to get some ideas!

Tags: businesses for kids, earn money, home business, how kids earn money, kathryn vercillo, kids, kids business, Personal Finance, work

One of the vague dreams that I have for my life is to own a bed and breakfast in a nice summer-y location someday. I’d like to have a place to get away to for a few months out of every year, a place where I could spend time just getting to know new people and enjoying the nature around me. I haven’t ever worked to make that happen but it’s an idea I’ve always been toying with.

A mostly-unrelated thing that I’ve been thinking about lately is how to save money on travel. I like traveling to new places as well as visiting friends and family around the nation but it’s always so expensive. In researching different budget travel ideas, I keep coming across the idea of home swaps. Researching those led me to start thinking about a similar option which is renting out a room in my place to travelers interested in coming here.

That doesn’t have a lot to do with my own travel other than increasing my income but it does have to do with my old B&B idea. I may not have a B&B but I could start to see if that’s something that I’d like to explore further by taking in guests now and seeing what the pros and cons are in action. I live in a great space with extra room and could use a new steady stream of income so maybe this is an option. I haven’t made a decision about it yet but it’s something to toy with – a creative solution to many things in my life right now and perhaps even a glimpse into my future.

Tags: bed and breakfast, earn money, kathryn vercillo, Personal Finance, save money, Travel

Everyone is talking about trying to save money these days. People are cutting back in all areas of their lives in order to adapt to the recession that we’re in. But the thing about money is that some people are just naturally better at earning it than others. There are some people out there who are leveraging the recession to their advantage and actually making money off of the fact that the economy is in a bad position.

For example, there are coupon queens out there who are earning an income for their ability to tell others how to save money. Through their blogs and lectures, they are getting people to pay them for advice on the things that they do every day to reduce their own spending. It’s a smart way to approach the recession and also an ironic one; they have people spend money on learning how to save money.

Other businesses are doing well because of the recession even they aren’t actually marketing themselves as being able to help people in this time. Businesses that supply churches with products (such as communion wafers) are seeing profits climb because more people are going to church in these tough times. It’s an interesting phenomenon; some businesses always have to thrive in any situation.

People who are having a tough time right now may want to ask themselves where they can make changes that can take advantage of the position that we’re in. If you can identify a way that the recession can be a money-earning asset in your line of work then you can ride the wave of these economic troubles and perhaps even make a profit doing it.

Tags: business, earn money, economy, income, kathryn vercillo, money, recession, save money

I recently researched a company in the UK that pays drivers money to place advertisements for businesses on their car. Is this something that you would do? A lot of people who wouldn’t have answered yes to that question a year ago are turning up with applications in hand for this business because times are tight and the need cash.

It doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all. You get paid money for the driving that you would be doing anyway. This allows you to reduce the cost of driving and gain an income that you didn’t already have access to. You don’t have to go too far out of your way to do it either – just commit to driving a certain amount of miles each month, checking in with the company and parking in visible areas.

There are certainly some drawbacks to this. You have to make sure to keep your car clean and to drive appropriately since you’re representing someone else’s company. And you have to remember that you’re going to be supporting a business or product while you do this. But that seems like a small price to pay for a little bit of extra cash right now.

From the reverse side of things, this could be a great way for small businesses to get valuable advertising without having to spend a lot of money during these tough times. Are there programs like this in the US right now? If there are, would you consider signing up?

Tags: advertising, business, driving, earn money, kathryn vercillo, marketing, money, Personal Finance, Travel