Making Money

I created this make money page as a way for people to make money both online and locally within the Cedar Rapids Iowa metro area.

Below is a list for its a lot easier to spend money than make it in the USA :)

1) day job

It can be at a large corporation like what my current day job is at a publicly traded Big Tech frim with stock options and lots of other perks and benefits. I mostly worked at small employer's under 100 employees before my current job. I think some peoples long term goal is self employment I have a page all about that. I know for me my day job is 80% of my current income. Active duty income. Here is a page about Career info.

Work at VenuWorks & other part time gigs...

You have to work 2 events a month it pays under $10 an hour but it can get you money and some work plus you get to see events. https://www.creventslive.com/p/jobs/part-time

Getting a 2nd job

might offer something of value but I am not sure over the long trem its the best thing to do.

2) rental income

I owner occupy a rental duplex. If you own property you would want it so that it makes you money. I have a page all about my duplex experience and the economics behind it. But you could also own a fourplex or tiny home or some other place that either saves you a lot of money or ideally makes you some money. Right now even in Iowa if you got a 2 bedroom rental unit If your in Cedar Rapids that is a least 1k in rent a month now, that area was always a low cost of living area too. You would need some capital and credit to get this started. But you can get 1st time home buyer loans and FHA loans etc.. Semi-Passive income

3) micro service & Online business / side hustles

micro service

This would be for some sort of in person on site service business that would be a one person operation that could be done like cutting grass or cleaning homes have an active income unlike rental or investment income.

I have been doing web design, tech support and all kinds of other things to make some money since high school. I have a page all about self employment and not working for the man ;)

Online businesses & Websites

Multimedia content producer aka YouTube channel and drop shipping Print on Demand T shirts etc. I have worked on a number of these sites and so far I have not hit gold or made much money hopefully at some point I will have a site that can be worth it and make some money. I would like to net 1K a month in online income in the next 36 months

Writing Blogging etc..

I have been doing this for years but it has not been very profitable so far but I am in it for the long game :)

Side Hustles

You could also put apps like DoorDash or Uber and other things like that you are beholden to a corporate app with no recourse or rights etc but you can get paid now and set your own hours etc... I had a buddy that did DoorDash for years he had a 20 year old paid off car and would drive all over delivering food he liked the freedom and flexibility I felt like it was a lot of waiting around and driving

4) Dividend Investing & other money options

I am going to cover passive ways to save money save on fees and get more cash back to you :)

Dividend Investing

You can invest with two various types of dividends. One would be The monthly dividend company NYSE:O REIT those are taxed ordinary income but I've had that company and invested in it since I was in high school and just keeps growing. Then I have AT&T NYSE:T and other index investment funds as my other one for dividends.

Banking

I have a page all about Local bank HYSA... High-Yield Online Savings Accounts Cash back credit cards and money other things to do with saving money from a finance banking side of things https://www.cjflynn.com/e/bank

5) Micro Misc. Income

Collecting cans bottles & scrap metal

Basically those cans bottles get you $0.05 each, but you're also helping clean up the environment so that does count for something and if it's easy in along the way, might as well do it.

Can Shed

Website https://www.canshed.com/ they have locations all over Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa.

Marion Iron Co

They will buy scrap metal it really depends what you have and what the market rate for it is. 319-377-1527 https://www.marioniron.com/

Flipping things at Stuff Etc or eBay

Finding things for free and or selling off stuff. You no longer need to stuff etc. And maybe eBay if it's worth it. But I took 4 folding, chairs and sold them for $6.50, a piece at stuff etc. I have plenty of other things that I can just dump there and get 40% without having to do shipping or any other work besides dropping it off. I live near lots of low income housing with people getting evicted and stuff getting kicked to the curb I tend to take a few things that tend to be good for flipping and look nice nothing too big to move etc.

https://www.shopstuffetc.com/

info on how to do it.

https://www.curbalertblog.com/

https://www.freecycle.org/

https://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/search/zip#search=1~gallery~0~0

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/cedar-rapids/free/

Find Your Unclaimed Property Held by the State

In Iowa you can go to this website they also have a booth at the Iowa State Fair https://www.greatiowatreasurehunt.gov/

Focus groups & mock trails

These are really kind of hit or miss. I've done some online. I've done the Vernon research group. It's interesting and it pays somewhat well for a few hours of work. Anywhere from $50 to well over $100, but it's somewhat hard to get on these groups and they're pretty selective on who they'll take.

mock trails

I have worked with both of these groups they do Jury consulting and I have been in one before and I enjoyed it

https://www.decisionswon.com/

https://wilkinsresearch.net/

This is the local options I did these for a number of years its been really hit or miss but since COVID I have mostly done zoom ones from other companies

https://www.iowaopinionpanel.com/

https://www.vernonresearch.com/

Here are some more options that I have tried but have not made any money from yet

One of the few reason I use Facebook is that I have found some good groups and sign ups that have made some easy money mostly under $20 each time for not much work like under 15 minutes mostly pay out in amazon gift cards which is fine with me.

https://member.insight.rakuten.us/

https://www.probemarket.com/

https://userresearch.google.com/

https://adlerweiner.com/participate-in-market-research

https://app.respondent.io/r/cjflynn-aa7fa13f814a

https://www.sidehustlenation.com/consumer-research-companies-online-focus-groups/

Election poll workers & Real Jury Duty

My mother did this for a number of years when I was growing up. Here is some more info about this

https://pollworker.iowa.gov/

Precinct election officials are paid $225 for election day this amount may depend on the location you are based out of.

https://www.vote411.org/

https://www.powerthepolls.org/LWV

https://www.brennancenter.org/series/poll-worker-rules-and-constraints

Jury Duty

you get a meal you get your base pay if you are working most places and you just give up your jury duty pay. I've done a county criminal case and that's where you get the meal. The civil ones you do not. I think it's something like $30 a day. Is the base pay for jury duty?

https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/jury-service

Betting

Sports Betting has gotten really popular in Iowa

you can use apps and make hedges with the bets so you should be able to make some money if you play your cards right :)

Another odd app that I found is https://www.healthywage.com/ you can bet if you will lose weight

Mystery Shopper

I have done Mystery Shopper work myself in the past and it was OK I used https://www.second-to-none.com/iowa-mystery-shopper-jobs/ I think they a have some sort of partnership with Hy-Vee I got a free meal out of it and somewhere around $20.

https://www.marketforce.com/become-a-shopper

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mystery-shopping-scams

https://mspa-global.org/