Moonlighting is back! 10 valid ways to earn more money than you are now.

No, it’s not the 80s television show with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd (though I loved that show), but it’s a trend. I’m talking about people who are taking on second and third jobs, or working doubly hard at making an extra income online.

Technically, you could say that I’m a moonlighter. I own an internet marketing company (my “main” gig), blog on a total of 4 sites (soon to be 5 or 6) for extra cash, and help my cousin out at her dog grooming parlor 4 days a week. Yes, I’m a busy girl.

Now, my situation might be a little different, and set up for different reasons, but the bottom line is that while America is staring down the barrel of a recession gun, we’re discovering that we need to bust a little hiney to get things taken care of.

I have a friend who works for a PR firm, and holds a pretty decent position as a PR Specialist. She’s got some pretty big name clients, and she works very hard. She’s taken on a second job working at a video store to help a friend and make some extra cash.

I have another friend in the fire department who works at a paid fire company, mows lawns for the village cemeteries, and works at an ambulance corps.

My own father works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, puts in at least 15-20 hours of overtime (voluntarily), and is looking to get involved in some online ventures.

Now, we’re all people in fairly good health, no child support or alimony payments to deal with, and fortunately (for this situation), have no children under 18 to raise. But if you look at the majority of Americans, most people are dealing with at least one of the above situations, and are having a super hard time making ends meet.

The thing that kills me is that in a time where people are so desperate to get that extra few bucks for food on their tables or gas in their cars, this is when make money scams seem to multiply like bunnies. People are getting ripped off, and even going to jail over innocent attempts to make some extra cash!

Moonlighting is a necessary evil for the majority of the population at times like this, and desperate times call for desperate measures sometimes. But it’s important that we don’t lose our work ethics (ie. work for what you have, don’t hunt the easy way out, don’t be lazy) when we get into this. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. If it promises you a total lifestyle change, it won’t deliver. You need to put in the time, effort, and sometimes hard work to get the payoff. Here are some ideas for moonlighting options that are viable, genuine opportunities to supplement your income:

• Waiting tables/bartending. Starving artists/actors have done this for decades to pay the bills while waiting for their “big break”. Get hired in a higher-end place and you could make a couple hundred a night.
• Start blogging. Yes, it takes a minimal financial investment (domain registration and hosting can start at $80 a year if you go with a company like GoDaddy) but there are tons of great resources out there on how to make money blogging, plus it can help you relieve a little stress by getting things off your mind.
• Take on a teaching gig. If you’re a professional, you might be able to approach local colleges or educational institutions and ask to be able to provide a class on your expertise. Check out job listings first, of course, but if you think you have a shot at even doing a 6-week course, go for it. You could also approach libraries or your local chamber of commerce and offer to set up a course and charge an enrollment fee.
• Become a driver. Limo services and taxi companies still operate pretty heavily, especially during wedding season for limos, but all year round for taxis. You can almost always get some flexibility in a schedule with this kind of part-time job.
• Summer’s here. Be a camp counselor, a swim instructor or other exercise class leader (get your fitness requirements in, too!), offer to take care of pets for friends and neighbors going on vacations, or grow flowers and vegetables and peddle them around the neighborhood for less than supermarket prices.
• Go retail. Almost all retail stores are losing their college kids for the summer, and need to fill in part time slots. You’ve got the best chance there is right NOW to get in there, and you can keep the job well after the fall if you’re there first.
• Find local theaters and playhouses. These places typically run shows nights and weekends, and may need people to sell tickets or refreshments, and to be hosts to guide people to their seats.
• Work security. Depending on the state you live in, there are varying requirements that need to be met to be a security guard, but most companies will train you, even if it’s only part time. I took the course one time and here in NY, it was basically a 16-hour course with an exam at the end, and once I passed, I could go work with pretty much any security company. Since usually this is to watch the grounds of a business or office 24 hours a day, there will inevitably be places that need you during your “off time” from your regular job.
• Take notes. If your full time job has you working 2nd or 3rd shift, seek out receptionist and office admin positions during the day. There are tons of them that are only looking for someone for a couple hours in the mornings, and the side benefit might be that your “main job” pays a differential for working 2nd or 3rd shifts instead - so see if that’s a possibility too, as it will get you more money there, plus open you up for other jobs only available during the daytime.
• When all other avenues are exhausted: There ARE companies out there that will pay you to telecommute from home. You can be an order taker, a call center support person (they’ll forward the calls to your phone for whatever time period you agree to work), a moderator for forums, a “live support” online help chat support tech, or something along that lines where you can set your own hours and work as little or as much as you like.

Whatever you do, please just go with your gut instincts on the whole “work at home” or “make thousands in 4 hours a week” type stuff. It’s just not worth it.