Guest Author - Cate Brizzell

What would an extra $200, $300 or even $500 a month do for your family's bottom line? Would you be able to save more for retirement? Pay off debt? Finally replace that broken-down second car? Fix the roof?

For most families, another $2400 to $10,000 a year would make a huge difference, including the possibility of one parent or spouse being able to reduce work hours and spend more time at home, thereby saving daycare and commuting costs, stretching the family dollar even further.

But how do you go about bringing in that extra cash, especially if you're on a fixed paycheck?

The answer is to simply get creative. Pretend your boss just told you that you have to come up with an extra $500 a month. Would you cut expenses, bring in another client, change materials, or adjust work processes? Chances are you'd find a way to get it done.

Go through the same process with your personal finances. Sit down with a blank sheet of paper and figure out how to come up with an extra $500 a month. Write down any idea that comes to mind. You might want to divide your ideas into two columns: Cutting Expenses and Extra Cash. It's most likely you'll find your extra income by combining ideas from both categories.

Make it easier on your brainstorming by breaking down your monthly goal into weekly or daily amounts. Earning an extra $125 a week or $25 a day seem much easier to achieve than $500 a month. If decide to break it down into daily amounts, quickly look at what you're already spending each day. Can you find $25? Or even half that? A typical on-the-go business lunch plus coffee in the morning will run you upwards of $12 to $15 these days. Cutting expenses is always the fastest way to extra income.

If you find you've already cut your expenses as far as you can go and still live reasonably comfortably, start thinking of ways to boost your income. Is there a service you can perform that others need? Again, be creative. What do you love to do? Do you know anyone who says "I wish I could be like you and do that, but I just don't have the time/talent/knowledge."? Contact that person and offer your services, either for a free or in exchange for something you pay for (thereby cutting that expense out of your budget).

For example, I enjoy pretty landscapes but don't like to garden. I have a friend who loves to garden. She plants most of my gardens each spring in exchange for my help with her business and website. Another person I know will make photo scrapbooks for busy moms who just don't have the time to get their pictures organized. She creates beautiful albums for them, leaving room for her clients to write their own captions and stories. She'll earn anywhere from $100 to $200 per album, plus the cost of supplies. Talk about doing what you love!

Another way to boost your income is to take on a second job. I have one friend who picked up a morning paper route near her home. She loved it. She would get up before dawn, grab a coffee, and drive her route. She used to tell me it was the only time of the day she could enjoy peace and quiet! To her surprise, she would earn upwards of $1000 a month, with several generous tips during the holidays. Another example: my brother is a teacher who loves the outdoors. He works some weekends as a fishing and hunting consultant at a large outdoor equipment retailer. For his young family, the extra money goes a long way. My brother gets to do something he enjoys--for free--without going far from home.

Look around your home. Are there things you could sell online or at a yard sale? Consider having more than one sale each year, just to get rid of larger items you've accumulated. Typical garage sales can bring in anywhere from $200 to over $1000. Help others get rid of their clutter by offering to sell their items on eBay, for a commission. Clean houses, write freelance, set up some regular babysitting jobs, do landscaping and yard work, perform odd jobs...the possibilities are really endless!

The bottom line is this: everyone could use some extra money. Instead of saying it can't be done, think of it as a challenge or a puzzle that you need to solve. Get creative and engage your brain in ways you can get it done. And then choose your best idea and put it into action! If that doesn't work, or you finish that task, move on to the next best idea. Set up a competition among family members or friends to see who can earn the most each month.

And don't forget to make a plan for what you'll do with all that extra cash.

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