Let's face it, we're in a recession and times are tough. Everyone could use a little extra cash. What most people never consider are those time tested, good old fashioned, rustic jobs. I spent a couple of winters in the northwoods of Minnesota, and seeing as how employment options in that part of the world are about as desirable as lockjaw, I began to explore the more traditional methods of making money. One which proved very lucrative was wood splitting. I'll admit that I got a little lucky on the timing, cutting firewood during the peak of the friendly price gouging of our OPEC neighbors, but still, there was money to be made, and I made it.

But then I came back to the deserts of California and lost all hope of making money the old fashioned way that I had gotten used to. Or so I thought. Many people think that in order to make a little extra cash they have to go out and get a part time job at a Starbucks. But this simply is not true. There are a wealth of unusual, quirky jobs that makes one scratch his head in wonderment to consider if such a thing is still done. At the top of the list, my favorite:

Gold Panning

That's right, you heard me. I'm talking good old fashioned, time to head down to the family stream with uncle Cletus type gold panning. Believe me, when I first considered the notion of gold prospecting to make a little extra cash, I thought it was the most ridiculous notion since the invention of the pet rock. But then I started doing some research and I realized very quickly that the society of gold prospecting is alive and well in the American public. This quote was taken directly from an article in ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, at the end of a gold panning tutorial: “In conclusion, don't let anyone tell you that this country's rivers and streams no longer contain gold. Every year winter storms bring more to the surface, continually renewing nature's supply. It's all there for the taking, and the gold pan is still the best way to find it!”

I've since done a lot of research into the potential of gold prospecting for a little extra cash, and have actually been surprised by the results. Apparently gold panning is legal on virtually all land controlled by the Federal Bureau of Land Management, which is quite a lot of land. I live smack dab in a big city, San Diego, and still am only half an hour's drive from an old gold mining town on the edge of BLM land. From the research I've done, the experienced panner in a good location can hope to make over $100 a day worth of gold, which probably has increased all the more with the large increases in the price of gold.

Still not convinced? I don't blame you. Telling your date that you pan gold on the side for a little extra is not always the best way to impress. But then again, when offered in a casual, confident, entrepreneurial fashion, that could be the thing that sets you apart from the rest whose lack of vision has wound them up down the street at their local McDonalds 25 hours a week.

Getting Creative

What you're looking at, friends, is a Star Wars Stormtrooper mounted as a stick shift knob. Dismantling a bobble head doll and spending a quite a few hours in the shop, I managed to mount it to my Honda Accord, transforming an otherwise dull, commonplace vehicle into the pride and joy of my creative mind. And now that I've gained the skill of stick shift knob modification, which I do say is probably quite unique, I'm devising strategies for widespread production, or at least to all my friends. And though the idea may or may not make me the extra cash I need, the mentality behind it is sound.

During the economic crisis, though many of us have been drastically effected, some people have still continued to thrive. Chances are, these friends of yours who have a little more disposable income than most, they have things they wish would get done but haven't had the time or money to have it done the right way. But you, having that rare initiative and hard working spirit, might be able to create a mutually beneficial arrangement. This is how I envision the conversation going. “Hey Mike, remember how you always said that you wished you had the time to tear out that old tile and put in wood flooring? It turns out I'm looking for a little extra work right now. Why don't you hire me to do it for you?”

With the advent of the internet, and the overwhelmingly vast wealth of tutorials and how-to guides available, take some time to ask your well-off friends if there's any work they could use done around their house or business. Though it might mean going online for a few hours to learn how to rip up tile and replace it with wood flooring, it can still be done, and you can do it cheaper than the tile company's $20 an hour employee. Plus, since you're doing it for a friend who's helping you out by hiring you, you'll obviously do a very good job, right? That's the sale's pitch anyway. I guarantee you won't be turned down. This is good old-fashioned, friend-helping-friend business. And though it won't make you rich, it should still help get you the extra few hundred bucks you need.

Sell Your Junk!

Let's face it, people still love garage sales, and you still don't need that Total Gym you've never used (Well maybe you still need it but you're still not going to use it). And with the advent of Ebay and Craigslist, you have no excuse. Just get it done.

Join Online Communities that Benefit You

There are numerous ways to make money online; one is through the networking of like-minded, local individuals. In the past, people have had to do their own networking, infiltrating places like Myspace and Facebook to find those individuals you might be able to form a mutually beneficial relationship with. This process is time consuming, or was in the past. Servana is an online community that does automatically what ordinarily was a long and laborious process. At Servana, persons are already networked locally-based on the services they offer. So not only do you get to blog and interact with like-minded individuals who are just fun to know, you can even hire one another's services, especially for jobs that ordinarily have no forum. My case is the perfect example. With my newfound stick shift modification skills, I can offer my service to anyone in San Diego, giving my friends a welcome relief from my constant prodding.

There are other websites, such as Craigslist, which provide similar possibilities, but Servana was designed specifically with the idea of linking like-minded, local individuals together to interact through seeking and selling a vast array of services. Though we are obviously biased toward Servana, us being the creators and all, we encourage you to use all the forums available that can help you network and find jobs.

Benji