# Unconventional ways to make money



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

The number one topic that comes up from the general public when it comes to investing is that they don't have any idea how to earn money other than from a paycheque. 

Everything else is too hard, needs capital they don't have (since they generally spent all of that on cell phones, lattes, big screen tv's, fancy cars, etc.), too much time, or special education.

I thought this may be a good place to discuss some stories or ideas on ways people can make money without any of these requirements, maybe it'll inspire someone else.

Things like the guy who went out in his backyard and "invented" the pet rock. Or two blonds and a brownie (I may have the wrong company, but it would be similar) who got McDonald's to start selling their products, maybe the looney spoons or best of bridge authors. Maybe the kid you know who took a hobby of leatherworking and turned it into a real handmade leather products company.


----------



## FinancialFreedom (Aug 18, 2015)

Interesting topic. I definitely don't have any that turned into big money, but I did create a workout app that has provided some passive income.

I was laid off from work for an extended period of time so while I was off I figured I'd try to make some money off an app. I had an idea in mind and spent $20 on Udemy for a Android programming course. Over the next 2 months I learned how to program and made the app. I got a call back to work just as the app was finishing. 

That was about 1.5 years ago, and I've made over $5000 from it to date so far. Not a lot, but I also haven't touched the app since I got called back to work a year and a half ago. Good feeling getting ~$200-250 per month deposited into bank account for not doing anything!


----------



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

here's an idea:
http://vocm.com/news/break-in-leaves-major-damage-to-lawtons-in-paradise/


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

When I was in university, a bunch of my friends became buskers (street performers). Some played instruments, some juggled, some had full blown acts. They made an unreal amount of money and travelled all over the world. 

I know others who work farmers markets and make several thousand dollars a day from stuff they make, bake, grow or sew. Profit margins vary depending on the items, some lose money because they don't treat it like a buisiness others clear really good money. 

My kids ran the vending machines at my work, made some good spending money when they were younger. A couple hundred each (usually two kids worked it) every month after expenses. Required only about an hour of work every month (shopping and stocking). I know adults who have routes and make a living off of them.


----------



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

delivering flyers, newspapers...
pros - fresh air, exercise, plus getting paid for it
cons - NL weather


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Never found the pay for that to justify the time, but if you're exercising anyway...


----------



## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Just a Guy said:


> I know others who work farmers markets and make several thousand dollars a day from stuff they make, bake, grow or sew. Profit margins vary depending on the items, some lose money because they don't treat it like a buisiness others clear really good money.
> 
> .


A parent at my kids school started selling organize baby food at the farmers market. She is as smart as whip when it comes to business and ended up selling her company for millions to a large mega Corp. there are tons of non traditional ways to Make money. It takes an idea, planning and execution.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Yep, that's why I started this thread, I'm tired of people who can't see past a paycheque saying they don't have any options. That wasn't baby gourmet by any chance was it?


----------



## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Some things we have done over the years, many of them were while on mat leave for me or my spouse was laid off. None made a ton of money, but enough to help out on tougher times or when we had a little more time before kids.

- I was a clown and mime at kids events. I could face paint, juggle, and balloon sculpt. However, this was decades ago, so apparently my skills in balloon sculpting and face painting are now considered ‘low tech’ by today’s standards. 
-other kids event planning. I get offers all the time to help plan kids events, I won’t take money for it as it usually people we know, and I do it free with Girl Guides. But there is mine there.

- salvaging and reselling reclaimed and recycled computers. We partnered with a recycler and would clean their hard drives and resold them on commission. Would have kept going but recyclers practices were getting questionable,and they were really disorganized which wasted too much of our time

- buying things in bulk and reselling. This could vary to whatever is a good deal. One time my hard drive broke on my old computer, so my spouse instead of buying a new drive, bought 600 of them used for parts. Yep, 600. Some worked, some didn’t we scrubbed and data cleaned them and resold them individually then in batches batches. We averaged about 10 times the cost. I did the cleaning of the drive while breastfeeding I need the middle of the night.

- reselling the hot toy of the year. 8 have almos5 always managed the find the hot toy of the year, parents pay silly amounts. Oddly enough most times, my kids have n9 interest on the hot toy. I am often able to resell it at a profit. There was one year when the anniversary addition of Tickle me elmo came out. I was on mat leave, sleep deprived and able to go shopping at the crack of dawn. I managed to sell enough Tickle me Elmo’s that were more than Double my mat leave those two months. Some people don’t agree with this, but for good karma donate at least one or two if the hot toys to children’s Christmas charity or return them two nights before Xmas. 

- mystery shopping, I didn’t make a lot of money but enough to satisfy being able to buy something and eating out when my spouse was laid off and i was on mat leave, same with focus groups

I wish I had a craft or an art that I was really good at, but I tend to be more of systems person meaning I take what is already out there and just find a way to sell it or make it more efficient to produce. I do consulting as m6 side job, b7t it’s not that interesting.


----------



## tdiddy (Jan 7, 2015)

Start a blog? 

Look at the income from this early physician blogger in USA
2013 https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/2013-state-of-the-blog/
2017 https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/state-of-the-blog-2017/


----------



## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Just a Guy said:


> Yep, that's why I started this thread, I'm tired of people who can't see past a paycheque saying they don't have any options. That wasn't baby gourmet by any chance was it?


That may have been the company. I can’t remember. I’ve know many people to make it big and many successful entrepreneurs, s9 can’t always remember the companies when it comes to acquaintances 

I think what you will find there are those who will always find a reason wh6 something isn’t an options, and those who make the options. 

My sister and cousin were t(e ones that started with the bab6 car seat pouches 30years ago. Both could sew, we’re tired of cold little babies in the car, and made the pouches. They didn’t do the property patent, and ended up getting very little but they gone for bigger things. .


----------



## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

I know some people who do a few of these:
- house sitting
- web page design
- unlicensed taxi driving (Uber, Lyft)
- food delivery

I've also heard of web sites where people outsource tasks and odd jobs to others. For example a friend recently messaged me from across the country and said that his wife had to get some documents printed, bound, and delivered somewhere within a few hours. He asked if I could do this... I was not available, but maybe someone can be hired over the internet to do that.


----------



## tombiosis (Dec 18, 2010)

I know a few people who make good money flipping pinball machines.
Btw, does anyone on this forum have, or know of anyone who has, an old pinball machine collecting dust that they no longer want? will pay a fair price and remove it hassle free...lol


----------



## Chica (Jan 19, 2016)

I used to take my horses to kid's parties, got several nearby city firefighter's children's picnics and through that some birthday parties. Lead kids around for 3 or 4 hours, about $500. Last did a party in 2013. I no longer have a truck to tow my horse trailer and sadly one horse passed away. Kind of unconventional because not everyone has access to a horse. I bought a power washer about 7 or 8 years ago, cost around $1500, with a spinner attachment and used to get some work, make as much as $1000 in a weekend if I was at a townhouse and got several owners wanting driveways, sidewalks power washed. I had another power washer but that one was the more powerful one. I'd still be making money at it except it disappeared with my ex when we broke up and that was the only tool he took that I was pissed about because I made money from it and it cut off an income stream for me. More conventional I used to be a senior companion, had a few clients, took them on outings for a few hours once or twice a week. Sadly all my former clients have since passed away. Also not too unconventional I make a little money selling articles and photos and house and pet sitting. None of are steady incomes.


----------



## TomB16 (Jun 8, 2014)

Chica said:


> I used to take my horses to kid's parties, got several nearby city firefighter's children's picnics and through that some birthday parties. Lead kids around for 3 or 4 hours, about $500. Last did a party in 2013. I no longer have a truck to tow my horse trailer and sadly one horse passed away. Kind of unconventional because not everyone has access to a horse. I bought a power washer about 7 or 8 years ago, cost around $1500, with a spinner attachment and used to get some work, make as much as $1000 in a weekend if I was at a townhouse and got several owners wanting driveways, sidewalks power washed. I had another power washer but that one was the more powerful one. I'd still be making money at it except it disappeared with my ex when we broke up and that was the only tool he took that I was pissed about because I made money from it and it cut off an income stream for me. More conventional I used to be a senior companion, had a few clients, took them on outings for a few hours once or twice a week. Sadly all my former clients have since passed away. Also not too unconventional I make a little money selling articles and photos and house and pet sitting. None of are steady incomes.


Hi Chica. Love the screen name. 

You indicate none of these incomes are steady but how steady are they in aggregate? It sounds like you've been able to hustle up an income for yourself.


----------



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

...if you know your prices and your market, you can make money haggling on kijiji, then re-selling the same item at a better price. I now have 2 guitars that have cost me zero $, using my profits from buying & re-selling other guitars on kijiji.
I;m sure this works with other items too.


----------



## peterk (May 16, 2010)

jargey3000 said:


> ...if you know your prices and your market, you can make money haggling on kijiji, then re-selling the same item at a better price. I now have 2 guitars that have cost me zero $, using my profits from buying & re-selling other guitars on kijiji.
> I;m sure this works with other items too.


I did this with camera gear in university. Best deal I ever got was buying out this guy's whole lens collection (failed photographer - stay in school kids) for $900 and sold them separately for $1500, after using them myself for a year or two of course.

It only is worthwhile for the expensive item though where you can profit $100+ a pop. Not much point buying something for $80 and reselling for $100.

These days though I just work harder. Kinda silly to distract myself with flipping things and thinking about side "passive income" projects when I can just got to work and make $85/hr OT. Or you can spend that time studying, focusing and becoming an expert in you field. 

Giving it your all in a career job is the "new" unconventional way to make money. :tongue-new: Coasting at your day job and trying to blog or trade or reno or SEO or flip on the side is the new normal. Mostly because there are hardly any good jobs out there anymore, and the good ones are in unbearable corporate environments anyway.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Reminds me of the one red paper clip guy who traded a paper clip all the way up to a house, then wrote a book about it (residual income).


----------



## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

Ran into a guy who does canvas work for boats. Here was set up at Meyers Pier in Belleville for a number of days doing a full cockpit enclosure I believe. He said he was busier than he wanted to be and was having trouble finding a younger person to help and train.

Hboy54


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

The true businessmen find ways to make money without doing the work themselves (they being their limiting factor on the amount of money they can earn). If you can take a small portion of other people's work your limits become the size of the market and the number of people capable of doing the work for you. 

Many people think, with all my income streams, I must work like a dog. The truth is, I've developed systems to get others to do the work for me. It developed out of the fact that I wasn't able to do the work myself to start with.


----------



## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

peterk said:


> *These days though I just work harder. Kinda silly to distract myself *with flipping things and thinking about side "passive income" projects when I can just got to work and make $85/hr OT. Or you can spend that time studying, focusing and becoming an expert in you field.
> 
> *Giving it your all in a career job is the "new" unconventional way to make money.* :tongue-new: Coasting at your day job and trying to blog or trade or reno or SEO or flip on the side is the new normal.


Smart guy PeterK. :applouse:

What you said is plain common sense. It's too bad that common sense isn't so common.

2.2 million individual Canadians earn more than 100K. Good income _is_ attainable. Pick the right field; work your *** off. Find a like-minded spouse who does the same. Live below your means and invest the difference. You won't need no stinking side hustle. :tongue-new:


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

The problem with many of these ideas is the fact that many still require the person to do the work themselves. We tend to be stuck in the thinking that doing side work isn't somehow work.

People need to start thinking about ways to get others, or other products to make money for them without having to do the actual work themselves. 

For example, when people generally start in real estate, they tend to do all the work themselves. They find the property, they renovate the place, they find the tenant, they collect the fees, they deal with the banks, they do the repairs...it's a lot of work. Not as much as working but eventually you hit the limit of what you can physically do. 

Now, having been injured and unable to work, I had the "benefit" of having to develop a way to automate this and offload the work to others while still maintaining a profit. My "job" became figuring out the system, and overseeing it. Finding the right people was the hardest part, but once that was in place, expansion was a whole lot easier. 

When I was physically able to work again (though still limited) I took the same idea to my struggling company (I hadn't had anything in place when I got injured, so the company headed downhill while I was away). Once it was turned around, I could step away and do something else. This allows me to run multiple companies, a lot of real estate and still gives me free time to spend with my family. 

Funny thing is, getting injured, which prevented me from doing things "normally" was the true seed of my success. Had I not gotten injured, I probably would have gone down the standard path and been fairly limited in what I achieved.


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

It is easier to think up ways of making money than actually doing it.


----------



## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

GoldStone said:


> What you said is plain common sense. It's too bad that common sense isn't so common.
> 
> 2.2 million individual Canadians earn more than 100K. Good income _is_ attainable. Pick the right field; work your *** off. Find a like-minded spouse who does the same. Live below your means and invest the difference. You won't need no stinking side hustle. :tongue-new:


Yes but _most_ of those high income earners are older people. For the younger generation, say under 35, it's very difficult to find high incomes let alone full time work with job security. I'm a high income earning professional in my 30s and even my job is tenuous and could disappear any moment.

Most of my friends in that 30ish age group -- even the smartest and hardest working ones -- have been constantly laid off during our working lives. We are all becoming used to jobs only lasting 2 to 4 years... this is a new economic reality. Among the friends I've been catching up with over the holidays for example, all of them in their early 30s, one of them has been jobless for a few months and another (who works at one of the biggest insurance companies) has been anxious as his company laid off thousands of people including several of his coworkers.

There are not many full time / permanent jobs out there with job security.


----------



## Koogie (Dec 15, 2014)

Sounds like there should be plenty of work making tiny violins for millenials.

I mean, no one else has EVER had it hard before.


----------



## Chica (Jan 19, 2016)

TomB16 said:


> Hi Chica. Love the screen name.
> 
> You indicate none of these incomes are steady but how steady are they in aggregate? It sounds like you've been able to hustle up an income for yourself.


Power washing is a sideline business. Most clients in the spring/summer wanting to wash away the winter grime. Sometimes realtor friends who had a listing that had a driveway, patio, or sidewalk that need to be cleaned or freshened up. Power washing is not a year round thing nor is it sustainable. Sometimes got clients who were walking or driving by and asked for a quote. Power washing is a wet, dirty job. Not too many people keen on renting one and getting mucky splatter all over themselves. I wore gum boots, rain gear, and a face shield and I still ended up grubby. That's the selling point. Why put yourself through that mess when you can hire someone.
.
Nothing I listed would be a sustainable annual income - even if you added all of them up.


----------



## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Just a Guy said:


> The problem with many of these ideas is the fact that many still require the person to do the work themselves. We tend to be stuck in the thinking that doing side work isn't somehow work.
> 
> People need to start thinking about ways to get others, or other products to make money for them without having to do the actual work themselves.
> 
> ...


 JAGuar smart thinking seams you created your own productive job of making others more productive kinda like the manager of an assembly line with the market deciding your rate of pay. 

Though now days not practical to spend to much time & energy setting up system with employees as politicians want to get elected & can make it difficult to set up a long term business plan when taxes can be raised & politicians not the market determines wages & benefits. 

The first thing an account tells you in the US is to keep your employees under such a number so Obamacare does not kill your company.

Can do the opposite I knew a guy that came to Canada worked @ a paper mill which is set up like an assembly line for 5 years saved every cent then moved back to his own country. The plan was he would live like a king & never have to work again because his dollars would be stretched so much further


----------



## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Just a Guy said:


> The true businessmen find ways to make money without doing the work themselves (they being their limiting factor on the amount of money they can earn). If you can take a small portion of other people's work your limits become the size of the market and the number of people capable of doing the work for you.
> 
> Many people think, with all my income streams, I must work like a dog. The truth is, I've developed systems to get others to do the work for me. It developed out of the fact that I wasn't able to do the work myself to start with.


 A person learns more @ a funeral then a wedding. Not everyone @ the poker table can be a winner the money will flow to the strong & strongest hand. Other peoples work is in limited supply just like the money on the poker table. Have to do the complete opposite of the majority @ the table as the majority will lose money same is true with using other peoples time & money.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

One definitely needs to look for different solutions. Too many people are interested in maximizing profits. When I first got into real estate, I didn't have the money for a down payment, so I figured out a way to finance the property 100%. It meant, over time, that I paid more for the property (technically using other people's money) but it also meant that I made money out of nothing. 

Many people don't know how to run a business, do the books, negotiate a contract, find customers, etc. If you can do the business side of business, often it's not hard to find people to do the work for you and take a cut. Eventually some of these employees generally get disgruntled for having to give up a share and try and strike out on their own only to discover how much work you actually do. Some of those employees then come back a little more humble, others find success or failure down the road. 

Either way, there's always a need for people which business skills.


----------



## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

Do something useful that people are willing to pay for.
I make a few bucks off helpful Youtube videos.

I'm thinking of starting a financial series, but quite honestly the market for Canadian Financial education seems pretty small, this is a good forum and the membership seems pretty light, despite being rather well informed and helpful.


----------



## getliquid (Mar 2, 2014)

james4beach said:


> Yes but _most_ of those high income earners are older people. For the younger generation, say under 35, it's very difficult to find high incomes let alone full time work with job security. I'm a high income earning professional in my 30s and even my job is tenuous and could disappear any moment.
> 
> Most of my friends in that 30ish age group -- even the smartest and hardest working ones -- have been constantly laid off during our working lives. We are all becoming used to jobs only lasting 2 to 4 years... this is a new economic reality. Among the friends I've been catching up with over the holidays for example, all of them in their early 30s, one of them has been jobless for a few months and another (who works at one of the biggest insurance companies) has been anxious as his company laid off thousands of people including several of his coworkers.
> 
> There are not many full time / permanent jobs out there with job security.


There are at least 5x more than the report figures of individuals who earn more than 100K, doctors, lawyers, accountants, electricians, plumbers, real estate agents basically anyone who is smart enough to incorporate themselves to min taxes. 

100K is not a dream job vs the baby boomers era times, 3 years in the RCMP or Provincial police your already at 86K base, with at least 5% increase/year one can hit 100K easily before they turn 30, look at the job titles on the sunshine list. Of all the accounting grads I graduated with that went on and got their CPAs, 90% of them are over 100K before they turned 30, usually the lower tiers are in the public service, however, defined pension is worth more to some than others. This is no longer the era that rewards the smartest/hardest/loyal workers, competition is fierce and people need to adapt.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

So James, 

Why are you looking for someone else to provide you with job security and high pay? Do you think, just because you have money to invest, that somebody else should invest it for you and get you above average results?

If you sit around waiting for others to solve your problems you may be disappointed...there really isn't anything in it for them to do that. There's only one person who has your best interest at heart, and you look at them in the mirror.


----------



## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

Sorry $100k is pretty good.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil105a-eng.htm
$100k Salary + the benefits puts you into the top 10%.


----------



## canew90 (Jul 13, 2016)

If one has an idea or thinks they've found a product others may be willing to buy, then go for it. But with most things it won't be easy, an instant success or generate big bucks. That doesn't mean you should quit or make the effort, just realize that 90% or more will not succeed. Do it part time or when ever you can, find others who may help, be open to suggestions on improvements, and Don't go into debt. Few things are instant success, but many who continue to pursue their dreams do achieve satisfaction if nothing else.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I personally don't believe 90% will fail because of the product or service. I believe the high failure rate is because of the people running the company. 

Here are some common reasons I see that companies fail...

Many people want an easy road to riches, when the road proves to be unpaved, they give up.

They pick partners based on friendship. Partners are tough to begin with, if friendship is the qualification instead of knowledge, skills and work ethic, you are in a lot of trouble.

People get stuck in an idea and are unwilling to change. To many owners want to do things their way even when, with a slight adjustment to their plans, they could be successful. 

They don't know how to manage money. They spend it when they have it on things they don't need and don't spend it on things they need to when money it tight. 

They rarely answer the question "where is the money going to come from" in a realistic fashion.

Pride.


----------



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Money makes money............ask the rich.


----------



## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Justaguy I have been involved in real estate investing for nearly 50 years and have yet to find a single real estate agent, property manager, or contractor I can trust. Not even to show up for work and be minimally competent. Would appreciate some lessons on how you manage your real estate investments by remote control.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Actually I helped develop all those people. I found good employees at various companies (they do exist, but usually don't last long). If they have an entrepreneurial spirit, I help set them up in business. I have other contacts who invest in real estate, all looking for someone trustworthy, so the demand is there. When you develop a company who realizes and appreciates the market, and the consequences of cutting corners, they find they can make a good living.

If they piss us off by getting cheap and cutting corners, having developed these companies before we could do it again, they realize they could lose a majority of their clients fairly quickly. Plus, we helped these companies develop, I was a mentor to many of them, so they know the "right" way to do things. They've also usually worked for other companies and seen the "wrong" way to do things. 

As for a realtor, generally I don't really use them much, but I've generally had to find someone who was able to be trained to do what I wanted from them. I don't need to trust them, I've got managers I do trust.

Basically, I took the same techniques required to get good managers for a company, find good people, train them, make sure they earn enough to be happy and expanded the concept outside of a company structure. 

Since I didn't need the money, I gave my advice, time and help free of charge. I don't have ownership in any of them, but I am still an advisor to all of them. 

I agree there are few (if any) good companies out there, especially in property management which is just wild in fraud and all sorts of questionable practices. 

So, I didn't try to find something that didn't already exist, I helped build what was needed.

P.S. This year I'm to be the best man at one of my contractor's wedding. I'm not sure if that a statement of respect, or he just doesn't have many friends. It's not like we hang out a lot. You can decide.


----------



## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Just a Guy said:


> I personally don't believe 90% will fail because of the product or service. I believe the high failure rate is because of the people running the company.
> 
> Here are some common reasons I see that companies fail...
> 
> ...


 No matter how you slice it there can only be one best. If your the best you have the best odds of survival. No matter how well companies are run the market will only be able to support x amount.

JAG you have a lot of knowledge & understanding you would be good @ writing a book.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

New wealth is created by developing new, previously untapped at least in a certain manner, resources. You can be "the best" and a market can be completely dominated by one or more companies, however that does not mean all avenues of success have been taken. 20 years ago there was no Facebook, twitter, snapchat, smart phones, etc. The internet bubble had just imploded after tons of investing abuse. It wasn't the end, it wasn't the beginning, it wasn't even the beginning of the end, nor he end of the beginning...it was just a time for people to look for new possibilities.


----------



## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

lonewolf :) said:


> No matter how you slice it there can only be one best. If your the best you have the best odds of survival. No matter how well companies are run the market will only be able to support x amount.
> 
> JAG you have a lot of knowledge & understanding you would be good @ writing a book.


So be unique, get a profitable niche, and be the best and only in it.


----------



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

If you were actually correct how do you explain recent companies like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Tesla, spacex, etc.? We are nowhere near having invented and developed every possible idea there ever will be, just because you personally can’t see anything new...people do it every day.


----------

