A Few Creative Ways to Earn Extra Money…

Want to get yourself a little panicked and depressed? Take a look at the receding list of jobs posted online, then read the news about the newest round of layoffs happening at XYZ organization. Add to that the holiday blues, and it could be said that this moment in 2008 could be the greatest collective “Depression” we’ve experienced in a while. Whether you are unemployed, or walking the line at your current job, it’s tough to find work right now.

But you already know that.

So, I’m here to propose an alternative response to all this recession depression. In the next few weeks, I’ll inform you about some creative options for earning an income. Some might seem a bit out there, but they exist, they are legit, and they’ll put some honest money in your pocket.

Substitute Teaching:
Education is a pretty recession-proof industry. And every school district has the need for substitute teachers. You don’t necessarily have to have any teaching experience, and you could work out a pretty flexible work schedule, since the demand for subs varies day-by-day.

What you do need to do is take a substitute teaching certification exam — a basic education skills test. In California, it’s known as the CBEST. It costs about $100 to take a computerized version of the exam on — site at a testing center in your area. Once you are in the system (they’ll do a background check, you’ll send in your college transcripts, and your fingerprints, etc), you’re on their roster as a fill-in teacher. And, if you’re a hit at the schools you work in, you’ll get called more often, and get noticed in the district. If you’re interested, it could potentially lead to a full-time teaching gig. Pretty cool, eh?

Participate in a Clinical Research Study:
I know what you are thinking: Weird and dangerous and Big Pharma sleazies! But, Clinical Research Studies are actually not the enemy when it comes to investigating new treatments. They are absolutely essential in making sure that new medications are safe and effective before they hit the market.

Clinical research studies monitor the effectiveness of new treatments on volunteer patients in a controlled environment. Before you scream and run away, just keep in mind that you can always be in the control group — the normal group. Which means, you pretty much just get monitored for being your normal healthy self. And you get paid for it! Sometimes these studies don’t even use any medication. They’re testing something like sleep devices and so all you have to do is just sleep on a nice Sealy mattress in an office for a few nights.

If you decide to participate, you’ll receive regular medical treatment from real doctors in a very safe environment. And, whether you want to believe it or not, you will actually be contributing to medical progress. If you want to learn more about Clinical Research Studies, visit the National Institute for Health Web site at Clinical Trials

Stay tuned for more ways to earn extra money!
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