Aquiring Money Making Hobbies

Everyone needs a hobby.  They keep us sane in times when we need an absolute break from the real world.  The options are endless from fishing, hunting, camping, collecting stamps/cards/antiques/beanie babies, biking, hiking, skiing, ATVing, etc...  Some of our hobbies are driven by the need for a fix.  We have a need to get away and be disconnected, or a need for speed and excitement.  While others are purely driven by boredom or pursuit of purpose.

What I'm proposing is that we consider the earning potential of our hobbies.  I for one have several hobbies that are not what I consider cheap, and do not earn me money.  They consist of equipment that loses value over time and requires expensive maintenance, insurance and fuel.  I really enjoy these activities though so I've made a commitment to continue enjoying many of these activities with my family because personally the value of the time with my family exceeds the cost.  But I've also made a commitment to pick up additional hobbies that create an earning potential and that might also generate new family experiences.

Some of these hobbies include cleaning up the basement and attic and holding a garage sale or continually listing items on eBay.  We've easily generated an extra $250-$400 a month through listing 10-15 items a week that we have lying around the house and have no use anymore. I've also begun investigating the earning potential of storage locker auctions.  Not only can you generate additional eBay merchandise but there's a small chance you might find something extremely valuable for very little investment.

My wife also participates as a sales person for AVON, Tastefully Simple and Lia Sophia.  She's able to generate additional income and enjoys the organization aspect of putting together the orders and seeing what's new.  She's also able to purchase the things she wants at her cost and pay for them with her profits.

If you like to perform yard and garden work then you can work on the side for others with landscaping or make money using the equipment you've purchased for your hobby.  If you like to work on cars then you can charge for simple maintenance or start-up a detailing business.  Sometimes you can even barter these services for parts or services.  I plow neighbors driveways in the winter because I enjoy running around on my ATV and my neighbors always jump to lend me a hand or a tool when needed for my projects around the house.  A friend of my is always helping others but built his own garage without paying for many tools or services because he cashed in on favors instead.

The idea is to continue to enjoy life to it's fullest but try and find a way to make them also pay for themselves or help others.  We don't have to give up our hobbies to save a dime if we are creative about.