If you are like me, you can’t stand working for somebody else. You also can’t stand trading your time for money. With a little thought and a little effort on your part, you can begin to supplement your income and maybe even eventually be able to quit your job. (TIP: This article is not targeted toward those with large amounts of debt or children.)

First, you have to be honest with yourself.

  • What are your skills/talents?
  • What interests you?
  • How hard are you willing to work?
  • How hard are you willing to THINK?
  • How much money is enough?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can start brainstorming. At first, you’ll notice that it is hard to get the lemonade stand out of your head. Our generation has become so conditioned to be brain-dead academics that it is often hard to think creatively. Eventually, some fresh ideas will start to percolate. When this happens, start writing. Take your best idea and pour into it every ounce of your effort and ingenuity.

Here are a few examples of the fruits of brainstorming which have worked for me:

  • Ebay. I no longer do it because of how expensive it is, but I made thousands of dollars selling items on Ebay. I acquired 90% of all the items I sold from Goodwill and garage sales. People were getting rid of great stuff for very little, so I seized the opportunity.
  • Do other work while on the clock at a job where you aren’t doing active work. I worked in my library’s media center. My only responsibility was to help people as they needed it, so I used this time to find more deals for Ebay as well as brainstorm other ideas to make money. I realized that I was overlooking books as a possible way to make money. The next day I went and bought a management textbook at Goodwill for 3 dollars and sold it for 70 dollars on Half.com.
  • I realized that posting blogs on Myspace was making me no money whatsoever. That is why you are reading this site today. So far I have made a few hundred dollars simply doing what I was doing anyway.
  • My most bizarre idea and my most recent success is running yard sales for people. They pay nothing up front, and we split the profits. Again, several hundred dollars.

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. ~Bertrand Russell

Grab your pen and paper and put on your thinking cap. Good luck.