Employment Ideas, Outside the Box

Retired here plus SSI, when that stops I imagine I will join a traveling band of scouts.
We will scavenge, kill, pillage, plunder and promote other human values.
Plus wabbits chickens and a garden someday maybe some pigs, lots of pigs.
Or maybe I’ll die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandpa, not screaming like the passengers in his car.

Here in asia I do a few things. Though all required alot of study and continue to study on several areas of interest as well. The ones I earn from are
Acupuncture and TCM (traditional chinese medicine) also do Feng Shui consultations the traditional methods NOT the watered down new age crap that westerners call feng shui theres a vast difference between them.

reply to post by theregonnakillme


I was thinking that maybe knitted sweaters made out of crouch hair might be something I could sell


they might a good combo pack with foreskin lamp shades

I think this is a very fascinating thread! S&F! As for myself, I fabricate custom equipment in my garage and also make custom large bore rifle parts. One could possibly even make a large bore rifle from the parts in theory I also do some freelance writing as well.

reply to post by onequestion


hmmmm I started mowing a few yards on the side..now I have 14 yardfds a week @ an average of $25 a piece..

During winter months..I cut firewood...sold just over 60 loads last year @ a going price averaging $125...

This summer I also started with a $100 canoe..and after 50 floats of my local river I now know it better than most locals and have started offering one and two day guides, with a class or two...during the float..
classes consist of primative fire making, cordage, and stone/flint knives, and then upon a second trip I offer to showw ppl how to use the cordage for snares and fishing....
The floating/guide/classes thing seems to have a great future at the moment...I know, I much more like that than mowing, or running a chainsaw..@ current prices I am not after profit in the floating bussiness yet...I plan by next spring to charge more than the $20 a day I do now..which breaks me even on gas and supplies...

ETA...I am doing these things, due to a lack of work in the mid-west USA..

[edit on 26-6-2010 by Doc Holiday]

I make money on the internet. It's by no means a "job", but I do profit from what I do. I've been unemployed for a long time, and searching for jobs has become incredibly hard, so I started looking for ways to make money online. It's a fact that 90% of new millionaires have created wealth on the internet. It is the only market where I constantly see nothing but encouragement and the message "You CAN do it!!" (rather than getting turned down for literally every job I apply for). I am not an idiot, and I am not going to see how millions of people are making money on the internet, and then not even give it a second thought, or just brush everything off as a "scam" or whatever, like most people do.
If you want info on what I do, you can PM me...

[edit on 28-6-2010 by elocin]

[edit on 28-6-2010 by elocin]

I buy and sell Extraterestrial materials, [Meteorites] as well as gems and minerals. I also make custom jewelry from rocks purchased or found on the ground. you would be surprised at the amount of good Jasper and agate to be had for free. Do some research about your local area and go rock hunting.

many areas have historic Meteorite strewn fields, where collecting can still be successful. Sell the stuff on E-bay, or to rock dealers at gem and mineral shows. The meteorites will always sell well if priced reasonably.

If you want more of a consistent income, and have or wish to learn a few basic skills, try this. Mobile RV Repair.

Buy a set of Books called RVIA [recreational Vehicle Industry association]
or see if you can find a used set. They run about $500......for the whole set, but are sold separately . Also the appliance manufacturers will send out manuals as well, often better books. Look online for Manuals, they are available for free if you look. WWW. bryantsrv.com has a ton of good info.

You will need basic knowledge of 12 volt D/C elect, 110 volt A/C
elect, plumbing, Lp Gas, etc.

It is not as hard as it sounds, and you could start just doing furnace repair only, or water heaters. You could learn waterheaters in less than a day, and just repair them. An average service call on a water heater is $50 just to show my face, and an hour labor $100, plus the parts markup...

Many jobs will make you more...

Roof reseals can be worth $1200 or more for a days labor. Materials run $200 or so. Remember many of these coaches cost upwards of $1,000,000 so a $1200 roof seal is no big deal to the cust.

You could learn how to seal a roof in an hour, its just hard work.

Knowing RV repair is also a great thing to have in your brain. RVs can be setup to live off the grid very easily. My 27' trailer is great for shtf times.

When you feel confident enough, just get van, Put some advertizing on it, a few ladders on the roof, etc. or even just work out of your trunk. In my state ins. or bond in not required for mobile RV service, although I have it. Get a business lic. for about $50. Advertise in the yellow pages, its spendy [about $225 mo.] but will make or break ya! You can get a state LP Gas Lic. cheap. Just an open book test in Oregon, No brainer if you can read.

You will need a cell phone, and a few basic tools. I purchased thousands of dollars worth of tools when I started this, and I rarely use any of them. Just a small tool tote, the basics, and a multi meter, and 12 volt light tester, and a manometer, does 95% of the work.

Wholesale Parts account is easy to get, and markups are surprising.

Been doing this for 4 yrs. now. I set my own hrs, pick and choose my jobs, and charge $80 to $125 an hour. The one big problem now is self discipline, and Tax time!! . You have to go to work when the phone rings!! Dang it!!

Please dont do this in Central Oregon! Or Portland Metro........

Here are a few tried and proven side income opportunities...

- Provide computer training to first time users (mostly the elderly). Also offer computer setups after purchase.

- Become a Wordpress guru. Its a free blogging/content management platform that is used by millions of people. Offer your newly found web design services to small businesses with no or low quality websites. U2U me for helpful resources.

- Do the American Picker thing. Hit all the thrift stores and yard sales in your area and resell items. (Nets me about 2k per month supplemental income)

Our crappy economy calls for innovation, put your brain to work and dont be afraid to borrow someone elses ideas that are proven successes.

[edit on 29-6-2010 by brainwrek]

reply to post by MrsBlonde


I alway wanted to aquire the tittie skin from breast reduction surgery, and make nice tittie skin wallets!

You KNOW they would be hot sellers. I had a doner at 1 point, but they havent had the surgery done yet so Im not sure about the project anymore....

There are tons of well paying jobs with housing and per diem available for the gulf cleanup right now. I'm amazed that there aren't more people taking these jobs, they can't give em away fast enough. There simply aren't enough people applying to fill them.

Outside of my main career, and we've been a one income household since we got married, we do several things to make money.

We own a large farm in Virginia. I live in Louisiana. LOL. No livestock, just veggies. The profit margin would be higher if I managed it myself. But the profit runs about 25k per year. With no govt subsidies.

My wife for whatever reason does Pampered Chef. Makes $600 a month and gets tons of free kitchen crap.

Wife also has a small cake making business out of our home. Makes about $250 per week.

We also converted both of our homes to solar and the Virginia Home has some wind power as well. Va generates an electricity surplus to the tune of about $150 per month. In New Orleans I could go off the grid, we generate about $20 per month in surplus.

I also provide items for auctions at fundraisers and charity events(golf tournaments, silent auctions, home shows, etc...) Selling sports memorabillia. If it's a trade show, I pay a girl $10 per hour to work it. Selling all kinds of stuff. Autographed super bowl tix with pictures of players, jerseys, autographed pics, lithographs, etc... Probably spent about $2000 for inventory. But this last show wee did about 4k in sales and ran about $2200 profit.

When I was a kid I used to go fishing for Croaker. I'd catch a couple hundred in a day. I'd then ride through Norfolk, VA selling the fish for a buck a piece.

Unemployed since April. Worked several years for call centers but it's hard to get back in since many are closing down.

Have been trying to work as an online travel agent. Which has cost me nothing to start up. Unfortunately I haven't made any money with it yet.

U2U me any work at home jobs that are not scams.

reply to post by Wyn Hawks


I am a caregiver for my disabled brother and trust me, the pay sucks: barely enough to live on and constantly under threat of losing it.

Caregiver jobs are chimera, the Mcjob of the 21st century. Too many business types get their noses out of joint every time they think of all that money wasted on useless old or disabled people. Most of the rich refuse to care for their own families when they are no longer productive, so what makes anyone think that there will be anything more than minimum wages for most caregivers?

Think about it: Americans talk up "family values" all the time as if they actually had some, but when push comes to shove, "family values" are the first things chucked because they cut into profits.

I am a plumber working for a large construction firm that has a big contract with the local Council to maintain its social housing in the area.

The money is fair but could be a lot lot more if I was self employed. However in today's economic climate I would rather have the job security that goes with being on the payroll.

Nevertheless, I can almost double my income by doing private work, thats where the real money is. Average about £1000 for a basic bathroom installation. Those come around maybe once a month? Other little jobs probably provide between an extra £50 to £600 a month.

Total tool cost is probably well over a grand, SDS, Jigsaws, Impact Driver, Hand Drill, Tube Benders, Blowtorch, are the main things...

If you have a little toolkit and a little knowledge you could do basic things like unblocking sinks and changing tap washers, you can buy various books for about £20 that will teach you the basics of plumbing. And people will pay for little jobs like that (even though most could probably do them on their own)

Then other things I do for a bit extra are collect scrap metal, buy and sell and occasionally gamble.



[edit on 29-6-2010 by KingDoey]

I work in computers related domains since 16 years now and things are not going well these days here in Quebec, like everywhere, there is no jobs or the offered salary is ridiculous.

With my extensive knowledge of computers and network, my logical choice to make money is over the internet. I started up like 6 months ago.

Finding programs that works and pay is a hell of a job but i managed to be succesfull with programs called PTC ( paid to click)

i made extensive research on the net about this kind of programs, 99% are scam. Beside the money investment i put around 200 hours in research, try, errors etc...

Basically what you do is clicking publicity in exchange of money.

It seem simple but its NOT, but it works for me here the info.

Startup investment : Around 400$

Work hours per days when setup complete : around 2-3 hours / 7 days a week ( more at the end of the month )

Paid me each month : in the first 2-3 month i reinvest a substantial part of my profits to buy upgrade and things but my setup is done since around 3 month now and i make a steady 2500-3500$ per month and it will be better in couples of months when i reach my targeted goal. it cost around 700-1000$ a month to sustain membership, refs etc..leaving around 1500-2500 profits each months for now.

I use 7 programs, i put you the links you can give it a try they are all free to join anyway.

Click here to visit site 1

Click here to visit site 2

Click here to visit site 3

Click here to visit site 4

Click here to visit site 5

Click here to visit site 6

Click here to visit site 7

Shall the gods of money be with you !

[edit on 12/7/2010 by B3lz3buth]

[edit on 12/7/2010 by B3lz3buth]

reply to post by MrsBlonde


True fact. Employers hire you and keep you because you are just smart enough to do the job they have, but not smart enough to start your own business. I would imagine anything in computers is tough to get into out of college...because the guy doing the hiring is probably thinking you might just take his job in a couple years.

reply to post by B3lz3buth


Thanks for the added links. I'll have to check them out and see if I can become the next Bill Gates.

In the past, my career has been sales, fine art, fine jewelry...but I have been out of "Sales" for 2 years.
Since then I have moved into my 31' motor home and I love it! For money, I do a number of things;
During hunting season, I put ads in the papers in hunting areas asking hunters for their hides and the animal's brain, I brain tan those hides (usually deer and elk) and make vests, halters, chaps, pillows, whatever... this makes me around $5000 per season.
I workcamp also, which are temporary jobs that usually last around 3 to 6 months. I work at an RV park or what not approx 15 to 30 hrs a week. My rent for a full hook up usually costs around 15 hours of work per week, and there are almost always additional perks and discounts that go along with that, ie: employee discount , reduced rate on propane, etc. Many of these jobs pay a wage as well, and are located in some of the most awesome and interesting places.
I also freelance write, but for the last year and a half, there are many mediocre writers out there driving the income down for that type of work. I am still making a residual income from internet content articles that were previously written, but not sold.
I am a bartender also. In this area, those jobs are hard to come by, especially since I am middle aged, so I just tell the owners I will work for tips only. That brings me between $75 and $200 per shift tax free, depending on the house.
I actually love my life since I quit paying a mortgage and dropped out of the rat race.
I do miss my hot tub, and my garden...but I have been able to have little gardens for the past 2 summers at my workcamp gigs, so all is not lost.
Excellent topic, OP and I will follow with interest!

I have to mention the Geneva Convention in this thread.


Art. 52. No contract, agreement or regulation shall impair the right of any worker, whether voluntary or not and wherever he may be, to apply to the representatives of the Protecting Power in order to request the said Power's intervention.

All measures aiming at creating unemployment or at restricting the opportunities offered to workers in an occupied territory, in order to induce them to work for the Occupying Power, are prohibited.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 23.

* (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
* (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
* (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
* (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 25.

* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.



[edit on 12-7-2010 by Erad3]

I got started doing engraving for sports memorabilia when my older sister kicked out her boyfriend who started the business. A couple of years ago, the engraver crapped out, so I had to buy another one, and a new computer. (The old one ran DOS, that's how old the whole setup was...)

New bottom-of-the-range engraver $3,500.
Used laptop that runs XP to push the software. (This engraver is basically a kind of printer) $450.
Enough brass plated steel engraving material to last a week $40.

I make about $500 a month, which augments the $900 I make as a caregiver for my disabled sister. Since the engraver is computerized, all the attention it needs is taking out plates when they're done and putting in a new one, so I theoretically have plenty of spare time, but I have to be home for the engraver and my sister, so I could really use another source of income that I could do at home for an absolutely minimal start-up cost that doesn't require advanced computer skills.

(I hate computers...)

Another great thread very timely to our times! Here is what I posted on a related thread:

"What a great and timely thread. This sort of thing helps to get the creative thought process going.

I lost 80 pounds and kept it off back in 2009 using a homeopathic formula and was so impressed with the results and I got an account with the manufacturer and started selling to others. I don't make a living at it yet but it brings in about $200-500 extra a month so far. Reason I bring this up is if something actually lives up to its hype it is easy to get behind it. I have tried to sell all kinds of stuff my heart was not really into and it never worked.

Of course it started with people we knew asking us how the heck we lost the weight, results are hard to argue with and we told them and I though hey I can help them do a good healthy thing make some money too. So it started there and they told friends and family and I now have a website that sells to people all over the country...

I also lost my job in February 2009 and we have struggled so I also do handyman work, yard clean ups, painting, and masonry work. I am trying to start a masonry heater business as it is environmentally sound and much cheaper to heat your home but initial cost is a big hurdle for folks right now.

I was thinking about doing Jewellery as I am also a silver smith and can cut and polish cabochon stones too but haven't done it in years. I thought it might not be viable since folks are tightening the belt right not however after reading this thread I think I might give it a shot.

Thanks for this thread it ought to be stickied IMO considering the times. Sorry to hear of your troubles I know exactly how you feel. Keep your head up and don't let it get to you stay focused and postive mostly and you will have what you need."

www.abovetopsecret.com...