1. Be a nude model
“There are no particular physical attributes we’re looking for,” says Allene La Spina, model registrar at the School of Visual Arts (212-592-2404, schoolofvisualarts.edu). “We want someone who’s comfortable being nude and who’s inspiring in their poses.” SVA holds auditions twice a year for the $18-an-hour job (call to put yourself on the list). The single-named Sharine has experience posing at SVA and at the National Academy (212-996-1908, nationalacademy.org), which pays $12 per hour. “They demand challenging poses that look beautiful but make your feet numb,” she says, explaining that each stance lasts up to 20 minutes. Sharine also poses for artists ($25 an hour) and photographers ($150 an hour, no face shots), whom she finds through Craigslist or recs from art teachers. To make sure they’re not sketchy, she meets them in public and brings someone with her to the session. “I only want to work with real artists and photographers who have studios,” she says. “Not just someone who wants to see a girl naked.”
“There are no particular physical attributes we’re looking for,” says Allene La Spina, model registrar at the School of Visual Arts (212-592-2404, schoolofvisualarts.edu). “We want someone who’s comfortable being nude and who’s inspiring in their poses.” SVA holds auditions twice a year for the $18-an-hour job (call to put yourself on the list). The single-named Sharine has experience posing at SVA and at the National Academy (212-996-1908, nationalacademy.org), which pays $12 per hour. “They demand challenging poses that look beautiful but make your feet numb,” she says, explaining that each stance lasts up to 20 minutes. Sharine also poses for artists ($25 an hour) and photographers ($150 an hour, no face shots), whom she finds through Craigslist or recs from art teachers. To make sure they’re not sketchy, she meets them in public and brings someone with her to the session. “I only want to work with real artists and photographers who have studios,” she says. “Not just someone who wants to see a girl naked.”
2. Provide customer service
Outsourcing company Working Solutions (972-964-4800, workingsolutions.com) sets you up with a temp gig on the horn, for which you’ll earn between $7.20 and $30 per hour, depending on the project—some “agents” do tech support, others take reservations. The good news is you work flexible hours and you get to wear a Madonna headset. The bad news: You’ll likely be cursed at by strangers.
Outsourcing company Working Solutions (972-964-4800, workingsolutions.com) sets you up with a temp gig on the horn, for which you’ll earn between $7.20 and $30 per hour, depending on the project—some “agents” do tech support, others take reservations. The good news is you work flexible hours and you get to wear a Madonna headset. The bad news: You’ll likely be cursed at by strangers.
3. Babysit
Parents used to trust nearly any teenager to look after their kids (we know, they hired us). But these days many prefer college-educated tot-watchers and will pay as much as $35 an hour. To get in on it, submit to a background check and, if approved, upload a profile to babysittersforhire.com. If local parents like what they read, they’ll contact you with jobs. Just leave your boyfriend at home this time.
4. Become a social-media guru
Creating a successful online presence for a business isn’t as simple as setting up a profile and being well-versed in emoticons. The key is to start small. Build your portfolio by helping out friends who are starting businesses, running bar events or promoting their band. Then, pitch local establishments like pizza spots and Laundromats to see if they’ll let you go to town on their Facebook page, shoot a promotional YouTube video for a yoga studio, or see if an author needs help setting up a Wordpress blog. You can find some gigs on Craigslist.com. as well as more techie sites like Elance.com and Odesk.com. You might start at $15 a hour, but your fee will soar with your success rate.
5. Cater waiter
Waiting tables at a restaurant means scrounging for tips. Cater-waitering for dinner parties, corporate events and weddings is essentially the same job—but with an hourly rate of $17 to $35. Send your résumé and photograph to Premier Model Bartenders (145 W 28th St; 212-499-0886, modelbartenders.com), which employs 300 part-time cater waiters in New York.
Waiting tables at a restaurant means scrounging for tips. Cater-waitering for dinner parties, corporate events and weddings is essentially the same job—but with an hourly rate of $17 to $35. Send your résumé and photograph to Premier Model Bartenders (145 W 28th St; 212-499-0886, modelbartenders.com), which employs 300 part-time cater waiters in New York.
6. Dog- or cat-sit
Members of SitterCity (sittercity.com) pay $12 a month for access to a database of baby and pet sitters. Create a profile billing yourself as the outlandishly responsible angel that you are, and those in need will come to you. You can make about $10 to $20 a day cat-watching; doggy-care wages can reach $25 to $50.
7. Be a phone-sex operator
Dirty talkers typically earn 50 cents per minute of talk time. Requirements include a landline (no cell phones), a computer with Internet access and the ability to not giggle uncontrollably at unusual requests. Start your new career by looking into options at phonesexprofessionals.com. Foreign accents are in demand, so let a company know if you have—or do—a good one.
Dirty talkers typically earn 50 cents per minute of talk time. Requirements include a landline (no cell phones), a computer with Internet access and the ability to not giggle uncontrollably at unusual requests. Start your new career by looking into options at phonesexprofessionals.com. Foreign accents are in demand, so let a company know if you have—or do—a good one.
8. Sell band T-shirts
All it takes to make a good-looking shirt is a desktop design program, a pack of iron-on transfer paper, a color printer and an iron. Make your own band shirts and unload them at shows for $8 a pop. Also works marvelously with sports teams.
9. Hawk other people's stuff on eBay
Listing an item on eBay takes just a few minutes, but some people can’t be bothered. Offer to sell their stuff for 10 percent of the profit. One publicist we know makes $100 a month selling her coworkers’ designer clothes, bags and electronics. Her best tip—if something doesn’t sell, repost it in a week. Even if it got no bids the first time around, it may get ten the second time.
10. Assemble Ikea furniture
Urban Express Assembly (the company that works with Ikea Brooklyn) offers furniture assembly for a pretty penny. You should be able to underbid the big box by charging around $30. Pass out flyers on the ferry or on the shuttle from Brooklyn Heights.
13. Scalp tickets
No need to lurk outside concerts and games: Sell tickets through StubHub (stubhub.com), a site that lets you charge whatever price you want (legally) for in-demand tickets. The site e-mails you when a buyer bites. You’ll get 85 percent of the total sale.
14. Help people move
Rent a van from U-Haul—pick it up yourself to save the customer the trouble. Charge $40 an hour for your time and bid for jobs on Citimove (citimove.com).
16. Pass out flyers
Once again, Craigslist (newyork.craigslist.org) is the place to go—search for the terms flyers, street team and promotion. Some companies have paid up to $200 a month, while other offer around $12 per hour, plus bonuses.
18. Tutor for standardized tests
You have to be committed for this one because the application and training take quite a while. To teach for Kaplan Test Prep (212-492-5800, kaptest.com), you need to have scored in the 90th percentile on the test you want to teach. After you attend the required 20 hours of training, you’ll start at about $20 bucks an hour. At the Princeton Review (877-312-7022, princetonreview.com), you'll earn $25 per hour, but you have to take a 30-minute test and give a five-minute lesson audition. If you pass, you begin a 30-to-60-hour training program. Finally, if you scored in the 99th percentile when you took the GMAT and aren’t one of the five people still making millions in the business world, you can pull in $100 an hour teaching for Manhattan GMAT (212-721-7400, manhattangmat.com). Yes, there are some catches: You’ll have to endure a phone interview, an online audition, a live audition and two months of (paid) training. You’ll also have to explain to a classroom of naive corporate hopefuls why their career choice is doomed. Doomed!
Urban Express Assembly (the company that works with Ikea Brooklyn) offers furniture assembly for a pretty penny. You should be able to underbid the big box by charging around $30. Pass out flyers on the ferry or on the shuttle from Brooklyn Heights.
11. Use Amazon's Mechanical Turk
Named after an 18th-century chess-playing device, this service (mturk.com) lets companies pay people to do simple tasks—like judging if two items in a search engine are the same, or coding a subject category for websites. Each listing has a reward amount from a penny to $5. Have your earnings transferred to an account, or redeem them on Amazon.com.
Named after an 18th-century chess-playing device, this service (mturk.com) lets companies pay people to do simple tasks—like judging if two items in a search engine are the same, or coding a subject category for websites. Each listing has a reward amount from a penny to $5. Have your earnings transferred to an account, or redeem them on Amazon.com.
12. Put your hobbies to use
Your mom may get ’em free, but some New Yorkers would pay good money to buy your homemade soap and Popsicle-stick puppets. Offer them up at the American Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center (craftsatlincoln.org; $660-$1,320 for a weekend booth). For more venues, visit artfaircalendar.com.
Your mom may get ’em free, but some New Yorkers would pay good money to buy your homemade soap and Popsicle-stick puppets. Offer them up at the American Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center (craftsatlincoln.org; $660-$1,320 for a weekend booth). For more venues, visit artfaircalendar.com.
13. Scalp tickets
No need to lurk outside concerts and games: Sell tickets through StubHub (stubhub.com), a site that lets you charge whatever price you want (legally) for in-demand tickets. The site e-mails you when a buyer bites. You’ll get 85 percent of the total sale.
14. Help people move
Rent a van from U-Haul—pick it up yourself to save the customer the trouble. Charge $40 an hour for your time and bid for jobs on Citimove (citimove.com).
15. Bartend for parties
If you make a mean mojito, invest in a shaker and start mixing for private cocktail and dinner parties—it’s the only time someone will ever pay you to get them drunk. Certification isn’t required in New York, but it will make you more legit if you’re advertising on Craigslist. For help with that, hit the New York Bartending School (212-768-8460, newyorkbartendingschool.com), which offers a 40-hour, $695 course that ends with state certification and job-placement assistance.
If you make a mean mojito, invest in a shaker and start mixing for private cocktail and dinner parties—it’s the only time someone will ever pay you to get them drunk. Certification isn’t required in New York, but it will make you more legit if you’re advertising on Craigslist. For help with that, hit the New York Bartending School (212-768-8460, newyorkbartendingschool.com), which offers a 40-hour, $695 course that ends with state certification and job-placement assistance.
16. Pass out flyers
Once again, Craigslist (newyork.craigslist.org) is the place to go—search for the terms flyers, street team and promotion. Some companies have paid up to $200 a month, while other offer around $12 per hour, plus bonuses.
17. Get paid for being a consumer
You like to buy things, and companies would kill to know why. Cash in on your coveted consumer sensibilities by taking part in focus groups and online surveys. Check out findfocusgroups.com for paid listings—commitments vary in length and pay ranges from $15 an hour to more than $300 for more in-depth studies. As a rule of thumb, look for companies you’ve heard of and don't give our your social security number or bank account number. Also, be sure to never give out your social security number. For lazier folks who don’t want to leave the house, your best bet is online surveys. Start by going to earnontheside.com, a site that ranks paid online survey sites.
You like to buy things, and companies would kill to know why. Cash in on your coveted consumer sensibilities by taking part in focus groups and online surveys. Check out findfocusgroups.com for paid listings—commitments vary in length and pay ranges from $15 an hour to more than $300 for more in-depth studies. As a rule of thumb, look for companies you’ve heard of and don't give our your social security number or bank account number. Also, be sure to never give out your social security number. For lazier folks who don’t want to leave the house, your best bet is online surveys. Start by going to earnontheside.com, a site that ranks paid online survey sites.
18. Tutor for standardized tests
You have to be committed for this one because the application and training take quite a while. To teach for Kaplan Test Prep (212-492-5800, kaptest.com), you need to have scored in the 90th percentile on the test you want to teach. After you attend the required 20 hours of training, you’ll start at about $20 bucks an hour. At the Princeton Review (877-312-7022, princetonreview.com), you'll earn $25 per hour, but you have to take a 30-minute test and give a five-minute lesson audition. If you pass, you begin a 30-to-60-hour training program. Finally, if you scored in the 99th percentile when you took the GMAT and aren’t one of the five people still making millions in the business world, you can pull in $100 an hour teaching for Manhattan GMAT (212-721-7400, manhattangmat.com). Yes, there are some catches: You’ll have to endure a phone interview, an online audition, a live audition and two months of (paid) training. You’ll also have to explain to a classroom of naive corporate hopefuls why their career choice is doomed. Doomed!
19. Sell your unwanted books
At Book Off (49 W 45th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-685-1410), you’ll get between 10¢ and $1.50 for your fiction and nonfiction titles. The Strand Book Store (828 Broadway at 12th St; 212-473-1452, strandbooks.com), meanwhile, offers up to one-fourth of the Strand's selling price, depending on how well preserved the tome is, how likely it is to sell and what the shop's current inventory is like. “I’d love to have a first-edition copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses,” says Strand co-owner Fred Bass. “If it was in good condition, you could get somewhere in the thousands of dollars.” A newish copy of The Secret, meanwhile, will fetch up to $4.
At Book Off (49 W 45th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-685-1410), you’ll get between 10¢ and $1.50 for your fiction and nonfiction titles. The Strand Book Store (828 Broadway at 12th St; 212-473-1452, strandbooks.com), meanwhile, offers up to one-fourth of the Strand's selling price, depending on how well preserved the tome is, how likely it is to sell and what the shop's current inventory is like. “I’d love to have a first-edition copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses,” says Strand co-owner Fred Bass. “If it was in good condition, you could get somewhere in the thousands of dollars.” A newish copy of The Secret, meanwhile, will fetch up to $4.
20. Clean apartments
Start with flyers in your building—everyone likes the idea of someone else doing their cleaning—and work your way up from there.
21. Have a stoop sale
Stay on private property—your steps, porch or an enclosed garbage area—so you don’t have to go through the rigmarole of getting a vendor permit. One Brooklyn couple held a sale last month and made $800 by the end of the weekend.
22. Sell your clothes
Consignment stores like Tokio7 pay you only when someone buys your stuff. Beacon’s Closet (beaconscloset.com), on the other hand, gives you instant cash—35 percent of what the item will sell for. A pair of like-new Converses will get you $10–$20, and a cashmere Marc Jacobs sweater $16–$29. “We buy seasonally,” says Tiffany Collings, manager of the Park Slope branch. “So if you have a wow piece that’s not right for the temperature outside, wait to sell it.”
Consignment stores like Tokio7 pay you only when someone buys your stuff. Beacon’s Closet (beaconscloset.com), on the other hand, gives you instant cash—35 percent of what the item will sell for. A pair of like-new Converses will get you $10–$20, and a cashmere Marc Jacobs sweater $16–$29. “We buy seasonally,” says Tiffany Collings, manager of the Park Slope branch. “So if you have a wow piece that’s not right for the temperature outside, wait to sell it.”
23. Organize people’s closets
If you’re one of those people whose closet looks like a finely edited Soho boutique, help others tame theirs for $20 an hour. One tip to keep in mind: Don’t toss anything without your client’s approval! Advertise on Craigslist (newyork.craigslist.org).
If you’re one of those people whose closet looks like a finely edited Soho boutique, help others tame theirs for $20 an hour. One tip to keep in mind: Don’t toss anything without your client’s approval! Advertise on Craigslist (newyork.craigslist.org).
24. Refinish street furniture
A little sanding and a bright coat of paint, and the curbside table you found becomes a lustworthy vintage item. Brooklyn Flea (brooklynflea.com) founder Eric Demby has a soft spot for people who refurbish old objects. "The Flea is curated—it's not first come, first-served," he says. "But I love what I call 'rejuvenators.' The usually have good success—people respond to it." Sign up online to be a vendor.
A little sanding and a bright coat of paint, and the curbside table you found becomes a lustworthy vintage item. Brooklyn Flea (brooklynflea.com) founder Eric Demby has a soft spot for people who refurbish old objects. "The Flea is curated—it's not first come, first-served," he says. "But I love what I call 'rejuvenators.' The usually have good success—people respond to it." Sign up online to be a vendor.
25. Write other people’s online dating profiles
Believe it or not, there’s an actual business, Profile Helper (profilehelper.com), that interviews clueless daters and charges them $50–$100 to revamp their dating profiles. Clever up your Facebook page to advertise your profile prowess; post info about your service on OKCupid (okcupid.com) and Craigslist. Charge $30 a pop and tell your successful clients to pass the word along. For more money, offer to snap flattering photos.
Believe it or not, there’s an actual business, Profile Helper (profilehelper.com), that interviews clueless daters and charges them $50–$100 to revamp their dating profiles. Clever up your Facebook page to advertise your profile prowess; post info about your service on OKCupid (okcupid.com) and Craigslist. Charge $30 a pop and tell your successful clients to pass the word along. For more money, offer to snap flattering photos.
26. Busk in the subway
The MTA’s Music Under New York program (341 Madison Ave at 45th St; 212-878-4678, mta.info/mta/aft/muny/) schedules musicians to play each month in city subway stations. Too underground (har) for auditions? You can still legally perform your acoustic rendition of “Circus” in the subway. As long as you’re not using an amplification device, selling CDs or positioned near a booth, in a car, or blocking the flow of traffic, you’re totally within your rights. Check in with City Lore's Street Performers Advocacy Project (212-529-1955, citylore.org) to learn the rules.
The MTA’s Music Under New York program (341 Madison Ave at 45th St; 212-878-4678, mta.info/mta/aft/muny/) schedules musicians to play each month in city subway stations. Too underground (har) for auditions? You can still legally perform your acoustic rendition of “Circus” in the subway. As long as you’re not using an amplification device, selling CDs or positioned near a booth, in a car, or blocking the flow of traffic, you’re totally within your rights. Check in with City Lore's Street Performers Advocacy Project (212-529-1955, citylore.org) to learn the rules.
27. Play online poker
At any given time, there are a gazillion players looking for a game of Texas Hold ’Em on sites like PokerStars (pokerstars.com) and PokerRoom (pokerroom.com). One Brooklynite who asked to remain anonymous tells us he made more than $65,000 playing in his spare time over the course of the past three years. “The key to making money is playing multiple games at once. Sometimes I play eight games at a time,” he says. “I like to play in the evening—more people are on their computers, so you have a better chance of matching up with less experienced players.”
28. Set up a chair and offer five-minute massages on a subway platform
Prerequisites: shoulder-rubbing savvy; an unsketchy appearance.
29. Save others from administrative hell
Outsourcing is the name of the game in today’s business world, but not all the work gets shipped out to Bangalore. To get matched up with a client looking for remote assistance, sign up with Solvate (solvate.com) to become a “talent member.” Name your target rate (think $20–100 per hour, depending on the skill level of the work) and lend your services as an accountant, designer, virtual assistant, writer, bookkeeper or techie.
Outsourcing is the name of the game in today’s business world, but not all the work gets shipped out to Bangalore. To get matched up with a client looking for remote assistance, sign up with Solvate (solvate.com) to become a “talent member.” Name your target rate (think $20–100 per hour, depending on the skill level of the work) and lend your services as an accountant, designer, virtual assistant, writer, bookkeeper or techie.
30. Hit up a casino
Take Greyhound’s Lucky Streak bus to Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, CT; 888-226-7711, mohegansun.com) for $30 round-trip, and you’ll get three $5 bet vouchers (and a $15 food credit) for free. Just make sure to play games with the best odds—namely poker, blackjack and craps—and place your bets on the 6 and the 8, since they’re rolled more frequently than any number other than 7.
Take Greyhound’s Lucky Streak bus to Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, CT; 888-226-7711, mohegansun.com) for $30 round-trip, and you’ll get three $5 bet vouchers (and a $15 food credit) for free. Just make sure to play games with the best odds—namely poker, blackjack and craps—and place your bets on the 6 and the 8, since they’re rolled more frequently than any number other than 7.
31. Personally assist someone
Running errands, answering phones, walking someone’s pet iguana—personal assistants do whatever random tasks a client requests. The Pavillion Agency (15 E 40th St at Madison Ave; 212-889-6609, pavillionagency.com) is currently hiring—apply through its website. Part-time gigs pay from $20 to $100 an hour.
Running errands, answering phones, walking someone’s pet iguana—personal assistants do whatever random tasks a client requests. The Pavillion Agency (15 E 40th St at Madison Ave; 212-889-6609, pavillionagency.com) is currently hiring—apply through its website. Part-time gigs pay from $20 to $100 an hour.
32. Give walking tours
Know your local lore? Big Onion Walking Tours (212-209-3370, bigonion.com) offers jaunts through more than 30 Manhattan and Brooklyn enclaves and is looking for new guides, who get $50 and up per hour. “But we have extremely high standards—all our guides must have advanced degrees in history and be licensed [by the Department of Consumer Affairs],” says Seth Kamil, Big Onion’s president. “And it takes four to eight weeks of pretty serious training to learn the Big Onion method.”
Know your local lore? Big Onion Walking Tours (212-209-3370, bigonion.com) offers jaunts through more than 30 Manhattan and Brooklyn enclaves and is looking for new guides, who get $50 and up per hour. “But we have extremely high standards—all our guides must have advanced degrees in history and be licensed [by the Department of Consumer Affairs],” says Seth Kamil, Big Onion’s president. “And it takes four to eight weeks of pretty serious training to learn the Big Onion method.”
33. Convince store owners to pay you $25 for advertising space on your dog's sweater
Prerequisites: Dog, lack of soul.
34. Spot trends
Trend Hunter (trendhunter.com), a website used by bloggers, marketers and journalists to tap into fashion, tech, business and social spheres, employs thousands of trend-spotters to create its content. Join for free by writing a profile with info about your professional background and personal interests; then, when you come across new trends (off-the-shoulder dresses; urban farming), upload photos, videos and descriptions. The site shares ad revenue with its finders, so people who post frequently can make $200 monthly.
35. Teach a class
The Learning Annex (212-371-0280, learningannex.com) offers more than 8,000 courses each year, from how to be a matchmaker and how to flip houses to how to be a “Real Cougar Woman.” If you have an idea for a class (“How to Make Money Without Really Working”?), send an e-mail to newcourse@learningannex.com. For noncelebrity teachers, they pay a percentage of the revenue. The average class costs $44.95—so enroll 30 students and you’ll make $150–$200.
The Learning Annex (212-371-0280, learningannex.com) offers more than 8,000 courses each year, from how to be a matchmaker and how to flip houses to how to be a “Real Cougar Woman.” If you have an idea for a class (“How to Make Money Without Really Working”?), send an e-mail to newcourse@learningannex.com. For noncelebrity teachers, they pay a percentage of the revenue. The average class costs $44.95—so enroll 30 students and you’ll make $150–$200.
36. Be a secret shopper
According to Paul Ryan, president of Secret Shopper (secretshopper.com), all that’s required to be a spy consumerist is “common sense and internet savvy.” His company sends sneaks to grocery stores, health clubs and restaurants. Each gig earns you $20 to $100 a pop. “The pizza-delivery ones are the best because I don’t have to go anywhere, and I get free food,” she says. Get additional assignments at certifiedfieldassociate.com and iccds.com.
According to Paul Ryan, president of Secret Shopper (secretshopper.com), all that’s required to be a spy consumerist is “common sense and internet savvy.” His company sends sneaks to grocery stores, health clubs and restaurants. Each gig earns you $20 to $100 a pop. “The pizza-delivery ones are the best because I don’t have to go anywhere, and I get free food,” she says. Get additional assignments at certifiedfieldassociate.com and iccds.com.
37. Transcribe interviews
Most writers—especially Ph.D. students and all those newly freelance reporters without interns—will give their souls to have someone else type out their interviews. Transcribers advertising online charge by the hour (typically $20 to $22) or by the minute of recorded conversation (around $2 to $3.50). List on Craigslist or mediabistro.com.
38. Become a focus-group guinea pig
The Focus Room (693 Fifth Ave at 54th St; 212-935-6820, focusroom.com) is a market-research company that provides companies like the MTA, L’Oreal, HBO and major banks with feedback from people like you. Well, maybe not exactly like you. “Clients set the criteria—they may want people in New York who read travel magazines,” says company president Ira Weinstein. Register through the website, then if your demographic info and preferences match what a client is looking for, you’ll be contacted to participate, earning between $85 and $500 each time. Clients most often want nurses, doctors, travelers and prestige-product fans.
The Focus Room (693 Fifth Ave at 54th St; 212-935-6820, focusroom.com) is a market-research company that provides companies like the MTA, L’Oreal, HBO and major banks with feedback from people like you. Well, maybe not exactly like you. “Clients set the criteria—they may want people in New York who read travel magazines,” says company president Ira Weinstein. Register through the website, then if your demographic info and preferences match what a client is looking for, you’ll be contacted to participate, earning between $85 and $500 each time. Clients most often want nurses, doctors, travelers and prestige-product fans.
39. Find temp work
Companies ranging from nonprofits to law firms constantly need fill-in help; rates range from $12 to $45 an hour, depending on the position and your qualifications. Dust off your résumé and consult our guide to the top NYC temp agencies to score a gig.
Companies ranging from nonprofits to law firms constantly need fill-in help; rates range from $12 to $45 an hour, depending on the position and your qualifications. Dust off your résumé and consult our guide to the top NYC temp agencies to score a gig.
40. Rent your apartment to tourists
If you rent once in a blue moon, list on Craigslist for free. If you want to make a habit of it, register at vrbo.com ($299 a year) and post an availability calendar. Another option if you’re consistently out of town—list at citysonnet.com. CitySonnet offers rooms for $120 and up and private places for around $135 and up.
If you rent once in a blue moon, list on Craigslist for free. If you want to make a habit of it, register at vrbo.com ($299 a year) and post an availability calendar. Another option if you’re consistently out of town—list at citysonnet.com. CitySonnet offers rooms for $120 and up and private places for around $135 and up.
41. Substitute teach
In New York City, you need a bachelor’s degree and no criminal history. Apply through the DOE website (schools.nyc.gov) starting in March; eligible candidates will be called in for an interview and writing test. Those who pass are added to the roster of substitutes to receive calls about gigs. Some are listed in advance, but most pop up either late the night before or around 5 or 6am the morning of. You can teach up to 40 days a year for $154.97 per day.
42. Sell your photos to stock agencies
Corbis and Getty Images are the biggest, but if you’re not an established pro it can be hard to break in. Instead, try Shutterstock (submit.shutterstock.com), for which magazine editors and graphic designers pay a monthly fee to download royalty-free images. Each time a subscriber downloads one, you could get between 25¢ and $28.
Corbis and Getty Images are the biggest, but if you’re not an established pro it can be hard to break in. Instead, try Shutterstock (submit.shutterstock.com), for which magazine editors and graphic designers pay a monthly fee to download royalty-free images. Each time a subscriber downloads one, you could get between 25¢ and $28.
43. Be a ChaCha guide
ChaCha (chacha.com), the service that responds to random questions from phone calls or texts, hires guides to text back answers from home. To apply, take a quick test on the website to determine your "guide role." We got info about becoming a guide via text, of course: “I was lucky enough to make Top Guide and now make 20¢ a text. Thanks for asking!” As a generalist or specialist, you can expect payments between 10¢ and 20¢ per completed task.
44. Bike messenge
There’s a lot of turnover in the industry; so as long as you have wheels, you’re golden. Most services pay a commission—ranging from 40 to 60 percent—based on the number of deliveries made, and a messenger who works three out of seven days might rake in $200 to $300 for the week. Cyclehawk (cyclehawk.com) has a good reputation; start there.
There’s a lot of turnover in the industry; so as long as you have wheels, you’re golden. Most services pay a commission—ranging from 40 to 60 percent—based on the number of deliveries made, and a messenger who works three out of seven days might rake in $200 to $300 for the week. Cyclehawk (cyclehawk.com) has a good reputation; start there.
45. Be an extra
Despite the jokes, it’s not such a bad thing to come straight out of Central Casting (875 Sixth Ave at 31st St; 646-205-8244, centralcasting.org). If you're nonunion, download a registration packet from the website and deliver it Tuesdays or Thursdays (11am for men, noon for women). Have a SAG or AFTRA affiliation? Go on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays at 10am. Currently, the most in-demand parts are prep-schoolers for Gossip Girl and faux cops and corpses for Law & Order and its spin-offs. “Every day is a deadline,” explains Brad Kenny, manager of Central Casting. “At 4pm today, a show could call and say, ‘We need ten doctors and four nurses for tomorrow—they have to fit these sizes and be this ethnicity,’ and we rush to find those people.” The pay ranges from minimum wage if you’re nonunion up to $160 a day plus overtime if you’re SAG. Also try: NYCastings (nycastings.com) and Back Stage’s casting search engine (casting.backstage.com/jobseekerx).
46. Walk dogs
You’ve got two choices: You can look for a gig with any number of organized companies, or go it alone, just you and the dogs. Petaholics (646-723-1282, petaholics.com) is hiring poochophiles who are available between 11am and 3pm, and who have experience with animals (walking them, working at a shelter or vet and owning/caring for a pet of your own all count). Expect to bank $50 to $200 a week. NYC Dog Walkers (917-912-3968, nycdogwalkers.com) is also hiring—it prefers employees who’ve owned a dog. Those who go the indie route and post flyers in their neighborhood charge $15 to $30 an hour.
47. Do voiceovers
If you’ve watched Saturday morning cartoons like G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pokémon, you’ve no doubt heard Tom Wayland. The 37-year-old is a director-at-large for DuArt Film & Video and also freelances as a voice actor himself. “Compared to other acting gigs, like theater, voiceover work is the best bang for your buck,” he says. “If you book a national union spot with residuals, you can make thousands and thousands of dollars over time.” Wayland recommends signing with an agency like CESD Talent Agency (257 Park Ave South between 20th and 21st Sts; 212-477-1666, cesdtalent.com), which vets hopefuls by listening to their vocal demos. “[A demo] is your calling card in the voice world,” says CESD agent Tom Celia. But he doesn’t think you need to spend a fortune to have it professionally produced—editing together clips on your home computer will work just fine. And if you’d rather try to find work without an agent, create a profile for Voice123.com, which maintains a database of casting listings.
If you’ve watched Saturday morning cartoons like G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pokémon, you’ve no doubt heard Tom Wayland. The 37-year-old is a director-at-large for DuArt Film & Video and also freelances as a voice actor himself. “Compared to other acting gigs, like theater, voiceover work is the best bang for your buck,” he says. “If you book a national union spot with residuals, you can make thousands and thousands of dollars over time.” Wayland recommends signing with an agency like CESD Talent Agency (257 Park Ave South between 20th and 21st Sts; 212-477-1666, cesdtalent.com), which vets hopefuls by listening to their vocal demos. “[A demo] is your calling card in the voice world,” says CESD agent Tom Celia. But he doesn’t think you need to spend a fortune to have it professionally produced—editing together clips on your home computer will work just fine. And if you’d rather try to find work without an agent, create a profile for Voice123.com, which maintains a database of casting listings.
48. Paint apartments
You can post flyers until the cows come home, but your best bet is to befriend supers. Take care to wow your clients with your Michelangelo-like abilities (and your anal clean-up skills), so they’ll recommend you to everyone in the building. Current Craiglist rates hover around $80 to $225 per room or $175 per day.
49. Start a “business”
Any hobby that could potentially make money can be considered a business for tax purposes. File a Schedule C and you can deduct expenses considered “ordinary or necessary,” says CPA Neil Schloss of Castle Consulting. If your business is a band, that includes the cost of equipment, practice space, transportation to gigs, even concert tickets and CDs. You’re allowed two years of loss with your business, so even if you don’t sell any discs, you can still save on taxes.
50. Join Amway
Become an Amway (amway.com) “Independent Business Owner” and hawk beauty, health and home-care products to earn proceeds from the markup—the suggested retail price results in about a 29 percent profit. But the big bucks are made by recruiting others—each month you get a bonus of 3 to 25 percent of the volume sold by all the recruits you’ve brought into the fold. The average Amway seller makes $115 a month, but many earn much more.
51. Take head shots for broke actors
Professional head shots can cost about $400 and up, so charge around $80–$100 to take photos with a decent digital camera. Have your clients do their own hair and makeup, always shoot them in natural light (it tends to be more flattering) and offer a discount if their friends book sessions with you. Place a basic listing on backstage.com (for free!) or distribute flyers at local acting studios.
52. Create an online store
At CafePress (cafepress.com), you can create shirts, posters and bumper stickers and sell them to the site’s 6.5 million users. Each item has a base price; you decide the markup. When someone buys a product, CafePress prints it and ships it, and you get a check for your total markups once a month. Tamara Remedios, whose day job is running Restaurant Week in Hoboken and Jersey City, started a popular customized T-shirt store on CafePress called Wear My Name in 2001, on which she spends about 10–15 hours a month. Her average markup is $6, and her busiest months net about 100 sales. “I put everything I make in a bank account and go on a vacation each year,” she says.
Become an Amway (amway.com) “Independent Business Owner” and hawk beauty, health and home-care products to earn proceeds from the markup—the suggested retail price results in about a 29 percent profit. But the big bucks are made by recruiting others—each month you get a bonus of 3 to 25 percent of the volume sold by all the recruits you’ve brought into the fold. The average Amway seller makes $115 a month, but many earn much more.
51. Take head shots for broke actors
Professional head shots can cost about $400 and up, so charge around $80–$100 to take photos with a decent digital camera. Have your clients do their own hair and makeup, always shoot them in natural light (it tends to be more flattering) and offer a discount if their friends book sessions with you. Place a basic listing on backstage.com (for free!) or distribute flyers at local acting studios.
52. Create an online store
At CafePress (cafepress.com), you can create shirts, posters and bumper stickers and sell them to the site’s 6.5 million users. Each item has a base price; you decide the markup. When someone buys a product, CafePress prints it and ships it, and you get a check for your total markups once a month. Tamara Remedios, whose day job is running Restaurant Week in Hoboken and Jersey City, started a popular customized T-shirt store on CafePress called Wear My Name in 2001, on which she spends about 10–15 hours a month. Her average markup is $6, and her busiest months net about 100 sales. “I put everything I make in a bank account and go on a vacation each year,” she says.
53. Entertain/scare children
Uncle Majic, 30, the local hip-hop magician whose ads are in heavy rotation on TV, has entertained for the offspring of celebrities like Wendy Williams and Russell Simmons. “I started very small, handing out flyers at local schools,” he says. “The first year, I performed at 40 schools—that’s 40,000 kids. And how many do you think are having birthday parties?” Uncle M. adds that while being a magician takes skills, “anyone can be a clown—just put on an outfit, blow up some balloons and you can make $200 an hour.” Or consider donning a red nose and working for Majic himself (212-613-6244, hiphopmagician.com). His only requirement: “that you don’t have a criminal record and are not listed on any child-abuse websites.”
Uncle Majic, 30, the local hip-hop magician whose ads are in heavy rotation on TV, has entertained for the offspring of celebrities like Wendy Williams and Russell Simmons. “I started very small, handing out flyers at local schools,” he says. “The first year, I performed at 40 schools—that’s 40,000 kids. And how many do you think are having birthday parties?” Uncle M. adds that while being a magician takes skills, “anyone can be a clown—just put on an outfit, blow up some balloons and you can make $200 an hour.” Or consider donning a red nose and working for Majic himself (212-613-6244, hiphopmagician.com). His only requirement: “that you don’t have a criminal record and are not listed on any child-abuse websites.”
54. Become a virtual-reality mogul
How’s this for meta? In Second Life (secondlife.com), you can start a business and earn virtual Linden dollars, which can be traded for actual U.S. currency. Leo Newball Jr., a 29-year-old who lives in Brooklyn, is a Second Life DJ—he plays music for virtual parties and events. Newball charges $25 to $50 an hour; in a given month, he makes between $200 and $800 while parked in front of his computer (virtual dollars can be exchanged for U.S. currency for a small fee through the LindeX Exchange). Nearly any type of business can fly on Second Life—from selling clothes for avatars to virtual real estate.
How’s this for meta? In Second Life (secondlife.com), you can start a business and earn virtual Linden dollars, which can be traded for actual U.S. currency. Leo Newball Jr., a 29-year-old who lives in Brooklyn, is a Second Life DJ—he plays music for virtual parties and events. Newball charges $25 to $50 an hour; in a given month, he makes between $200 and $800 while parked in front of his computer (virtual dollars can be exchanged for U.S. currency for a small fee through the LindeX Exchange). Nearly any type of business can fly on Second Life—from selling clothes for avatars to virtual real estate.
55. Model your parts
Have pretty hands or knockout gams? Put them to work as a parts model, where your body parts or facial features can earn between $50–$250 an hour for print advertisements, according to Dani Korwin, president of Parts Models (partsmodels.com). If you’re at least 18, send in professional photos of your precious appendages. Once deemed worthy, your feet or hands could be gracing the next Avon or American Express ad.
Have pretty hands or knockout gams? Put them to work as a parts model, where your body parts or facial features can earn between $50–$250 an hour for print advertisements, according to Dani Korwin, president of Parts Models (partsmodels.com). If you’re at least 18, send in professional photos of your precious appendages. Once deemed worthy, your feet or hands could be gracing the next Avon or American Express ad.
56. Sell your hair
Okay, so it’s a Les Miz–style desperate measure. But if you’ve got the tresses and the desire to chop ’em off, why not make a little cash while you’re at it? You post photos and a description on The Buy and Sell Hair (buyandsellhair.com), either with a listing price or an invitation to field potential buyers' offers. Recent sales include 14 inches of black hair that went for $500 and 16 inches of never-dyed strawberry blond hair that went for $800. Fantine never had it that good.
Okay, so it’s a Les Miz–style desperate measure. But if you’ve got the tresses and the desire to chop ’em off, why not make a little cash while you’re at it? You post photos and a description on The Buy and Sell Hair (buyandsellhair.com), either with a listing price or an invitation to field potential buyers' offers. Recent sales include 14 inches of black hair that went for $500 and 16 inches of never-dyed strawberry blond hair that went for $800. Fantine never had it that good.
57. Sell that so-last-year bling
We’re a little weirded out by those Cash4Gold commercials (mail them our jewelry? who are we, Bernie Madoff?). Take the gold you no longer wear to KLIM Jewelry (66 W 47th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-382-1406, klimjewelry.com), where you’ll make $25–$45 in cash per pennyweight (about 1.5 grams) depending on the purity. Event planner Dana Lowenfish got $1,000 for a handful of broken chains, two earrings and an old nameplate. “Gold is at its highest value ever,” she says. “Get cash for jewelry you’ll never miss.”
We’re a little weirded out by those Cash4Gold commercials (mail them our jewelry? who are we, Bernie Madoff?). Take the gold you no longer wear to KLIM Jewelry (66 W 47th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-382-1406, klimjewelry.com), where you’ll make $25–$45 in cash per pennyweight (about 1.5 grams) depending on the purity. Event planner Dana Lowenfish got $1,000 for a handful of broken chains, two earrings and an old nameplate. “Gold is at its highest value ever,” she says. “Get cash for jewelry you’ll never miss.”
58. Sell your junk
Doyle New York (175 E 87th St between Third and Lexington Aves; 212-427-2730, doylenewyork.com) holds free appraisals of jewelry, art and household items one day a month from 9:30 to 11:30am. “The most successful thing is jewelry,” says client-services rep Janis Youngren. “Also, silverware is doing really well right now, as is fine art.” Doyle will either buy your stuff on the spot or accept it on consignment.
59. Be a part-time personal stylist
“Fewer people want to spend a lot shopping,” says pro stylist Angela Hastings (angelahastings.com). “They want to make the most of what they have.” Hastings, who creates looks for magazines like Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly and comapnies like Banana Republic, started earning good money on the side seven years ago when she helped a friend of a friend with her look. “Personal styling is more about reality, and editorial styling is about fantasy,” she says. “I like doing both.” Hastings starts by giving clients a questionnaire to figure out exactly what they want, then she digs through their closets with them to figure out what does and doesn't work. She won’t divulge her pricing, but others advertising on Craigslist charge $150 per hour to more than $1,000 a day.
“Fewer people want to spend a lot shopping,” says pro stylist Angela Hastings (angelahastings.com). “They want to make the most of what they have.” Hastings, who creates looks for magazines like Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly and comapnies like Banana Republic, started earning good money on the side seven years ago when she helped a friend of a friend with her look. “Personal styling is more about reality, and editorial styling is about fantasy,” she says. “I like doing both.” Hastings starts by giving clients a questionnaire to figure out exactly what they want, then she digs through their closets with them to figure out what does and doesn't work. She won’t divulge her pricing, but others advertising on Craigslist charge $150 per hour to more than $1,000 a day.
60. Be a fit model
If you’re an exact size 4 or the perfect size 8, fashion designers need you to try on their designs and give feedback on what does and doesn’t work for your shape. The pay is great—between $2,000 and $3,000 a day—but you need an agent. MSA Models (570 Seventh Ave at 41st St; 212-944-8896, msamodels.com) is the gold standard and holds open casting calls (show up at 10am on Tuesdays). Mary-Evy McNenny, a 51-year-old Upper East Sider, has works as a fit model for Lafayette 148 and Ellen Tracy—and she admits it’s not easy. “You cannot lose or gain weight. Just a few pounds and things won’t fit the same,” she says. “I weigh myself every day. When I go on vacation, I bring a scale in my carry-on bag.”
If you’re an exact size 4 or the perfect size 8, fashion designers need you to try on their designs and give feedback on what does and doesn’t work for your shape. The pay is great—between $2,000 and $3,000 a day—but you need an agent. MSA Models (570 Seventh Ave at 41st St; 212-944-8896, msamodels.com) is the gold standard and holds open casting calls (show up at 10am on Tuesdays). Mary-Evy McNenny, a 51-year-old Upper East Sider, has works as a fit model for Lafayette 148 and Ellen Tracy—and she admits it’s not easy. “You cannot lose or gain weight. Just a few pounds and things won’t fit the same,” she says. “I weigh myself every day. When I go on vacation, I bring a scale in my carry-on bag.”
61. Sell celebrity autographs
You’re in New York, for crap’s sake. All you need is a stakeout near the Waverly Inn, a writing surface (no, not your ass—try head shots) and a great puppy-dog face. A signed Madge LP album cover can sell for $25–$1,200, Donald Trump’s John Hancock can fetch about $150, and all four cast members of Sex and the City (like we’ll ever see them all together again) can get about $100 on eBay and from autograph dealers. For a database of registered dealers, visit the Universal Autograph Collectors Club’s website (uacc.org).
62. Be a bargain wedding photographerPhotographer Ashley Macknica, 27, and her boyfriend, Joel Barhamand, 29, cashed in on their social circle’s engagements, volunteering to shoot their nuptials. The two set up A Couple of Cameras (acoupleofcameras.com) and now photograph about ten weddings a year at $3,500 a pop. “We always dress like we’re guests—the more you blend in, the easier it is to get candids,” explains Macknica. If your friends aren’t tying the knot, post a profile on the heavily trafficked Wedding Photography Directory (weddingphotographydirectory.com).
63. Participate in medical or psychological studies
Want $1,000 to eat strawberry yogurt for 14 weeks? Willing to fly to France for four days to test jet-lag medication in exchange for $2,500? Yeah, we thought so. To offer yourself up for sweet clinical studies like these, check clinilabs.com, which focuses on projects in New York, or clinicaltrials.gov, a National Institutes of Health website that lists studies going on across the country.
Want $1,000 to eat strawberry yogurt for 14 weeks? Willing to fly to France for four days to test jet-lag medication in exchange for $2,500? Yeah, we thought so. To offer yourself up for sweet clinical studies like these, check clinilabs.com, which focuses on projects in New York, or clinicaltrials.gov, a National Institutes of Health website that lists studies going on across the country.
64. Apply for grants
Foundations give grants to everyone from filmmakers working on civil-justice projects to architecture pros in New York City ($15,000 from the Center for Architecture Foundation). For $19.95 a month, search the Foundation Center’s online database of grants for individuals (fconline.foundationcenter.org) to find the ones that apply to you.
Foundations give grants to everyone from filmmakers working on civil-justice projects to architecture pros in New York City ($15,000 from the Center for Architecture Foundation). For $19.95 a month, search the Foundation Center’s online database of grants for individuals (fconline.foundationcenter.org) to find the ones that apply to you.
65. Donate eggs
Since the economy soured, the number of women looking to cash in on the potentially lucrative trade of egg donation has jumped as much as 30 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the Columbia University Center for Women’s Reproductive Care (1790 Broadway at Columbus Circle, 866-GIVE-EGG, columbiaeggdonor.com), healthy, nonsmoking women are compensated $8,000. The process requires eight to ten weeks of extensive hoops, including examination of genetic and reproductive histories and infectious-disease screening, a month of hormone treatment, plus the actual surgery. But the pay makes the going rate for sperm donation—$50 to $75—look pretty wimpy.
66. Use your apartment as a set
You can make $500 to $10,000 a day renting your place as a location for a movie, TV show, magazine or commercial shoot. “We get calls looking for high-end apartments that could be a rock star’s in a movie,” says Redhead Locations agent Michelle Churchill (redheadlocations.blogspot.com). “But we also get calls saying, ‘We need a place that looks like a dump above a storefront.’?” There’s no fee to list, and we help you work out the details, like making sure there’s parking for production trucks, and that your co-op board or landlord is cool with it.
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