Money Anxiety: Creative Ways to Alleviate Financial Stress

If you’ve lost your job in the last few months, you’re likely dealing with a layer of stress you had no way of planning for -- and searching for a new position doesn’t do much to alleviate your anxiety. Hunting for jobs is tough and comes with a lot of rejection, which can be overwhelming for many of us. It’s OK to wait for the right opportunity to come along, but there are always bills to be paid and life to be lived -- money is simply a necessity of life.

 Fortunately, you have options. You can make extra income even without sending out resumés. There are many ways to make ends meet if you tap into the skills and resources you have at hand. Take a look at these tips from Meridian Counseling.

 If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the job search process, the uncertain times we’re living in or simply life itself, know that it’s healthy -- and potentially life-changing -- to reach out for help. Meridian Counseling specializes in marriage and family services, and we can help you find a healthier and happier path. Begin your journey to better emotional wellness by contacting us online or calling (323) 332-9905.

 

Bookkeeping

 More and more people are starting their own businesses these days. According to a report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the United States is home to 27 million working-age people who are starting or running new businesses. All of those entrepreneurs are big picture thinkers and need help when it comes to day-to-day tasks like bookkeeping. And that’s where you come in. As a virtual bookkeeper, you can do some of the more menial tasks such as updating financial records, creating financial reports, double-checking records, logging financial records, and putting debits or credits to their appropriate accounts.

 You can make about $20 an hour bookkeeping and you don’t even have to be good at math to do it. If you have internet access, decent computer skills and the motivation to learn, you have all you need to get the job done. If you’re a novice, look into online virtual bookkeeping tutorials that will give you the basics to make sure this is something that you’d be interested in.

 

Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

If spending hours behind a computer screen punching in numbers sounds like your idea of torture, pet sitting and dog walking is another $20 an hour gig that gets you out and about. There are animal lovers just like you all around your neighborhood who need your help when it comes to their four-legged friends. Pet sitting is a relatively easy job where you check in on animals, feed them, walk dogs, scoop cat boxes… basically whatever you agree to upon hire. Plus, every time you walk a dog, you’re getting the powerful combination of the therapeutic nature of animals with that of fresh air, sunshine and exercise.

 

Renting out Spare Rooms

 If you have a spare room or, even better, a guest house, put it to work by listing it on Airbnb and other room share sites. Room shares are much cheaper than hotels, which is why thrifty wanderlusts from all over the world use them when traveling. You don’t even have to do this full-time -- just make sure your space is available during festivals, conventions and throughout the holidays. It takes a minimal investment -- you’re expected to provide those things one would expect at a hotel such as toilet paper, soap and towels. Plus, you’ll get to meet new and interesting people who generally don’t stick around for more than a couple days. Depending on the desirability of your area, you can even make money just adding a tent to your backyard. However, you’ll need to check city laws.

 

Selling Handmade Items

Do you have a secret talent for making soap? Can you alter thrift store finds into modern masterpieces? Or perhaps you have an affinity for woodworking? Whatever it is you make, there are people out there who prefer the warmth and heart of handmade items over big box buys and they are ready and willing to hand over their money. Selling handmade items takes startup capital for the products, but listing your items on sites like Etsy only costs around 20 cents to publish to an already active marketplace. You can also leverage your social media presence and take orders directly with payments through PayPal, Venmo, or Google Pay.

 

Teaching Music Lessons

 If you have a gift for music, there’s nothing more special than sharing your skills with others. Giving music lessons is rewarding in many ways. According to Payscale, the average hourly rate for a music tutor is around $50 per hour. It may help to have a few starter instruments (that is, whichever one you play), and a teacher’s guidebook. 

 

Selling Used Clothes

 Do you have a closet full of clothes you never wear anymore? Use your camera and a tape measurer and turn last year’s coat into cold hard cash. People buy used clothes for tons of reasons. First of all, it’s cheaper than buying off the rack. But an even better reason is the sustainability factor. It takes a lot of resources to make clothes. In fact, it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make one pair of blue jeans. When people buy secondhand items, it also keeps textiles out of landfills where their decompensation releases more CO2 into the atmosphere. In the end, their ethical shopping choices can be your side source of income. How cool is that?

 

Mind you, you should only list gently used items in great condition. Be thorough in your descriptions and communicative with buyers. Whether you’re selling on eBay or Poshmark, having good ratings increases your exposure and sales.

 

Driving Rideshare

 If you have a license and a car in good condition, you can make around $16 an hour driving for rideshare companies in your city. It’s a popular gig because it’s flexible. You can start and stop whenever you want. Be sure to take advantage of surge pricing by working on days when there are a lot of out-of-towners such as festivals and conferences. You’ll meet interesting people from around the world while making top dollar. And whenever there’s downtime, you simply hang out and read a book until you get a new request. 

 

Self-Publishing eBooks

 If you have a story to tell, take this time to sit down and finally put it to paper. You can self-publish your books through Amazon and reach readers directly without having to go through a publisher. According to Author Earnings, there were 485,538,000 ebooks sold on Amazon by 20,000 unique publishers. The secret to success? First, write what you know. Second, reach out to other writers and rewrite your story based on their critiques. Then, rewrite it again. And again. And again until you know in your gut it’s ready to publish. When you spend time on a story and it’s from your heart, people will want to read it.

 

Be Future-Focused

 Boosting your income with sidelines is smart, and if you play your cards right, your new enterprise could even become your primary source of income. To that end, many entrepreneurs find it in their best interest to start an LLC.

An LLC allows you to take advantage of pass-through taxation, which basically means you avoid being taxed twice — something other entities must endure. It also provides personal asset protection and if you expand your business to take on a partner, it can grow with you. On top of all that, it’s easy to set up. Skip the attorney and visit ZenBusiness’s homepage, and in a couple of quick hours you’ll be ready for all the future holds!

If you’re between roles and aren’t having luck in the job hunting game, you can make ends meet with cool gigs like driving rideshare, selling your gently-used clothes, teaching music lessons, pet sitting, dog walking or bookkeeping. If you have room to spare, rent it out on Airbnb for good money. With time and persistence, you can self-publish your books electronically and sell them through Amazon. Or maybe you fancy yourself a maker; you can sell your goods through marketplaces like Etsy. Find some ways to make what you love into a money-making venture, and you may build your own business and never need to job hunt again.

 *** Written by Adam Cook for Meridian Counseling

Adam Cook is the founder of Addiction Hub, which locates and catalogs addiction resources. He is very much interested in helping people find the necessary resources to save their lives from addiction. His mission is to provide people struggling with substance abuse with resources to help them recover.