6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Make Extra Money During the Recession Raking Leaves, Thrifting, Dumpster Diving, Gardenin

Josh PetersonBy Josh PetersonLos Angeles, CA, USA Thu Jan 29 06:00:00 EST 2009 saving money photoiStockREAD MORE ABOUT:Cut the Clutter Dumpster Diving Get Recession-Ready Green On A Budget Penny Pinching RecyclingThe recession is just awful. Suddenly, everybody is pinching their pennies. Having been a poor college student for almost my entire adult life, I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to making extra money without actually having to get a job. I've used all but one of these methods to make extra money, so I'll vouch for their validity. As an added bonus, these activities are also ecologically friendly.Raking Leaves/Mowing Lawns with a Push Mower/Shoveling SnowWhat the Work EntailsGoing door to door looking for clients. The best way to find a client is to look for an overgrown or leaf-swept lawn or an unshoveled walk.Why It Is GreenIf you use a rake, a snow shovel and/or a push mower, you'll be doing the planet some good. Most lawn care services drive around in trucks and use gas-powered mowers and leaf blowers. You can even advertise yourself as the eco-friendly lawn care service.Does It Make Money?Yes. I did this growing up. On snow days, me and my "business partner" could rake in about 30-50 bucks each. We raked leaves for a couple of local businesses as well. But it is very hard work.Thriftingwhat the Work EntailsGoing to thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales to find deals on various collectibles, then reselling those items to collectors who will pay top dollar for them. This is only ideal if you know what things are actually worth. I used to be the purchasing manager for a comic book/game shop and turned away gads of sad-eyed kids holding third printings of "The Death of Superman."Why It Is GreenThis may be the least green activity on the list, depending on how much driving is done and how the items are sold. If you live in a big city, you can probably get away with finding items locally and selling them locally. Dealing locally isn't so bad for the environment, and you get to meet new people who may share the same interests as you. It might be more difficult to make money locally in smaller cities and towns. You might have to do all your dealings through the mail or drive out of your way to find flea markets. That could make thrifting a bad financial decision for you anyway. Take a look at your situation and figure out what works for you.Overall, thrifting is a good way to keep items out of a landfill. If you go to a garage sale and find a copy of Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo and you know that the game is worth some money, you can sell the game to a collector who will keep it in good condition, extend its life and keep it out of the dumpster.Cars have an average value based on the "blue book." Every collectible has its own trusted resource: Beckett for baseball cards, the Overstreet Guide for comic books, Troll and Toad is a good reference point for most nerdful activities and video games. There are people who collect handbags and folks who collect Beanie Babies and folks who collect toy soldiers. These all have their own price guides.Unfortunately, I am only knowledgeable in areas of nerddom. Ebay is probably the best source for finding the market value of things. Use eBay template until you can glom onto what resource is the most trusted for the exact hobby.A few subtips for eBay:1. If a million people are selling the item and no one is buying it, you're not going to be able to sell it either.2. You can use the prices on eBay to check prices and still deal locally.3. It might sell for a lot on eBay, but the item might not have much worth locally. For example, An LA-based concert may yield thousands of collectible T-shirts. They will be easy to find in LA and not worth much in Southern California. Their value may be inflated on eBay due to demand in other areas of the world.Does It Make Money?It can. I know a few people who do this as a side business. You have to be very hip to what's collectible and what's not. Otherwise, you are just throwing your money away.GardeningWhat the Work EntailsPlanting a garden in your backyard, tending to it and selling the food.Why It Is GreenLocally grown food is better for the environment than food that's transported in from thousands of miles away. This food should also be grown pesticide/herbicide free.Will it Make Money?I've never actually done this. I assume it works. A lot of people sold sweet corn in my Iowan home town, and they did it every year. I'm assume they did it every year because it made money. Also, it will offset your food costs. So it can, at least, save you money.Having a Garage SaleWhat the Work EntailsGoing through your stuff and determining what items you can sell for cash.Why It Is GreenFor the same reason that number two is green, but your garage sale will probably be an at-home, localized event.Will it Make Money?If you don't consider the money you spent on the items you are now selling, you can claim a profit.RecyclingWhat the Work EntailsFinding pop cans and other recyclable materials like scrap metal and taking them to the recycling plant or scrap metal dealers.Why It Is GreenIt puts materials back into the supply chain, so they can be reused to build new things.Will It Make Money?Yes. The price of scrap metal is pretty high right now. I used to have a job cutting scrap metal that my boss sold for money. I made money just cutting and loading metal. That means my boss was paying me and still making a profit. There is money to be made. Recycling pop cans may not make you as much money. If you are only recycling your own soda bottles, you probably paid a deposit and will end up breaking even, minus your time and gas. But if you are not afraid to dig around in dumpsters or go door to door asking for pop bottles, you can make some money.Dumpster DivingWhat the Work EntailsDigging through dumpsters for materials that can be resold or recycled.Why It Is GreenYou are saving trash from going into the landfill and reusing or reselling it.Will It Make Money?Yes. You'd be surprised what people throw away. This was a popular way of getting furnishings for my college pad. Blockbuster Video used to throw away all their old DVDs. (I don't know if they still do.) My friends and I would raid their dumpsters—after finding out what nights they did this-and sell the discarded DVDs at various shops around town. You can also pull scrap metal and pop cans out of the dumpster. NOTE: This is highly illegal in some places. You can be arrested for trespassing. Ask the property owner's permission before raiding a dumpster.