Thankfully, you can do a lot of that work in your spare time. Here are some of the best ways to make some extra money, ranging from the super-lazy to the intensely-engaged. Here are some options, sorted by how much effort you want to put in. The best money-making techniques are the ones that require the least effort, right? Try to sell them before you donate them.

Offload it to a neighbor or on Craigslist. Post it on Craigslist , eBay , Amazon , Etsy , or wherever else you plan to sell your stuff, and walk away. Maybe you've got a few boxes lying around, or maybe the camera crew from Hoarders is knocking….

If you live in a major city or metro area, renting your room can bring in serious money. For example, I live in Washington DC.

I could have rented my place to tourists for enough to pay my monthly rent and then some while I visited friends or family out of town.

Dear Lifehacker,With Airbnb becoming illegal in New York, other cities considering the same, and…. Parking spaces lease for good money on Craigslist. You can also sell your hair. It may sound strange, but natural wigs and weaves all come from somewhere.

Sites like Hairwork and Online Hair Affair both specialize in hair auctions. You can also list your hair on eBay. Jokes aside, eggs and sperm will net you a tidy bit of money as well. This Wikipedia article and this FAQ from Johns Hopkins both do a great job of explaining the process.

Men have it a little easier, but the returns are lower. Similarly, candidates are tested and screened, so be warned: Perhaps the most low-effort way to make money is to monetize something you already do.

If you enjoy shopping, for example, consider becoming a mystery shopper , or someone paid to shop in retail stores and report on the service you received and your experience in the store. Competition can be fierce and sometimes you have to pay up and then be reimbursed for the things you buy and your time, but there are success stories.

If you love photography, you can sell or license your photos. Flickr makes it easy to license through Getty Images , or you can sign up with a stock photo site like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto and sell your photos there. Love listening to music? Slicethepie will pay you not much, but still to listen to review new music. You might be surprised how much work and research there is for a real person to do on the internet. For more like these, check out our guide to simple online tasks that can make you extra money in your spare time.

Yes, many "online jobs" promising quick riches and little effort are really scams. Errands are never an enjoyable task and they almost always seem to take longer than they should. List your services on sites like Elance or Freelancer. Plus, they avoid you having to work for free just to get started. Both sites have opportunities for writers, developers, designers, marketers, and more. Got a job that's totally boring but pays the bills? But don't use it as an….

Cut down on competition and offer your services to people in your neighborhood—people you actually know and can interact with in person. If you work from home, this can be even easier: Offer to rake leaves, cut grass, or shovel snow for your neighbors. Here are a few you can start with:. Everyone has something they can teach to someone else, and tutoring students or teaching your own class is a good way to make some extra money teaching someone something you love.

Take on multiple students and you have a pretty steady revenue stream. You can offer your services on community message boards or through Craigslist, or you can sign up and get certified on sites like Tutor. As an example, I once applied for a technology job at a community college where I used to live, and the school looked at my resume and instead asked if I wanted to teach some of their continuing education classes in science and computer technology instead.

Odds are you have a skill you know well enough to teach someone else, too. Keep your expectations realistic. Finally, here are some money-making methods that will take some real effort and dedication.

In return, they can pay back handsomely, but you have to put the energy into them to get the returns. Before you get started with some of these, make sure you have a bit of a passion for them:. Starting a blog, by itself, is not a good way to make money. However, the keys to a successful blog have been the same for years: The problem is, now that I …. Banner advertising and affiliate programs can bring in a good amount of money.

Check with your favorite retailers and see if they have a program you can sign up for. Again, it may not be enough to live off of or it might, depending on what you build and how popular it gets! Depending on the amount of time and energy you have to put into some of these, you may be thinking you should just get a second job. Whatever you choose, make sure you pick something that matches up with the amount of time and energy you have to offer, and maybe even lines up with your passions.

You may find that your passion for writing, for example, leads to a lucrative career blogging on one of your favorite productivity sites see what I did there? Photos by Andrej Vodolazhskyi Shutterstock , Jen , Heather , Benny Wong , Rachel Mathias , Caro Scuro , Chris Schuepp , and Craig Dietrich. Video Skillet Two Cents Vitals Offspring Apps. The Complete Guide to Making Money in Your Spare Time.

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Earn extra cash: 21 easy ways to make money

Make Money in Your Spare Time Doing Simple Online Tasks Yes, many "online jobs" promising quick riches and little effort are really scams. Automate Your Most Annoying Errands with These Tools Errands are never an enjoyable task and they almost always seem to take longer than they should. If … Read more. How to Start Freelancing Without Quitting Your Job Got a job that's totally boring but pays the bills?

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11 ways to make money from home including how to get paid for watching telly

The problem is, now that I … Read more. Plan Your Free Online Education at Lifehacker U: Spring Semester Your education doesn't have to stop once you leave school—freedom from the classroom just… Read more. Alan Henry alanhenry novawerks. You may also like. Recent from Alan Henry 31 Redirecting to the Lifehacker store in. You are leaving a Gizmodo Media Group, LLC website and going to a third party site, which is subject to its own privacy policy and terms of use.

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