17 of the Best Crazy Ideas to Make Money Legitimately

If you are always looking for ways to make money, I can assure you there are countless ways to do so. It helps if you are creative and open to crazy ideas to make money legally whether as a side gig or a full-time job. On a recent online forum, one user asked members, “What are the craziest ways you’ve heard of people making money?” The thread exploded with all sorts of suggestions that we share.

1. Sell Tumbleweed

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One person told of a friend who quit college and started a successful business by collecting and selling tumbleweed to Hollywood and TV studios who needed them as props. He took a van to the desert, collecting and storing tumbleweed in a warehouse.  Tumbleweed never spoils, and his initial business costs for gas, storage, and website were relatively low. According to this user, “The tumbleweed guy is a top tumbleweed provider worldwide and ships the tumbleweed in high demand globally.”

2. Summarize Articles

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One person explained that his job was to read and summarize newspaper articles to their boss. Although it was the only task he was hired for, this type of job is still in demand.  You need to quickly read and digest the text, break into down into key points, and include quotes from the author. One user shared, “An actual union job in the film industry is reading scripts and summarizing them in short book reports.”

3. Importing Trambolines

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A Norwegian moved to Texan, noticing every house with a garden had a trampoline, which was foreign to him and his home country. He began buying trampolines to bring to Norway, and they quickly sold out. Over time,  he became one of the only importers of trampolines for Norway and other European countries and became a millionaire. Many trampoline parks in Norway reflect their love for these things.

4. Sells Handmade Shawls

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One woman travels to Nepal annually and fills her luggage with handmade shawls, scarves, hats, and gloves to sell at Farmer’s and flea markets on the weekends the rest of the year. Although she is not rich, she works about two days a week and makes enough money to do whatever she wants.

5. Cyber Wallet Recovery

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One user shared that they had a background in computer science and experience in data retrieval and password cracking,  which came in handy when Dogecoin’s popularity was raging. He wrote a guide on recovering old Dogecoin lost wallets. He picked up clients in exchange who had lost passwords or corrupt files for a percentage cut, the industry standard for wallet recovery that he included in his contracts. He made thousands of dollars on every successful recovery, saying,   “The biggest one I ever recovered was a 19-letter-long password someone had lost. Although the work dried up when the price of dogecoin dropped, that recovery gave me the down payment on a house.”

6. Racing Horse Sculptor

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One brilliant hustle comes from a Dublin cabbie whose passenger was a sculptor. He would watch horse races, and when a horse won, he’d use social media to contact the owner directly with a digital mockup of a life-sized sculpture of the winning horse.  The people who own winning racehorses tend to be rich, including sheiks, oligarchs, millionaires, and billionaires. The user continued,” Every now and again, one of these owners would bite and spend €100,000 euros or more on a statue commemorating their animal’s win.” He sculpted two a year and spent the rest of the year enjoying life.

7. Hershey Bar Wrappers

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One person found a niche buying Hershey bars and rewrapped them into customized designs that celebrated birthdays, retirement, and corporate logos to be given at events. The user who shared the story said he became the richest guy in a wealthy town.

8. A Successful Candy Business

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One father noticed that the family quickly ran out of ziplock bags every week. His 10-year-old daughter was the culprit, mixing gummy bears and worms with Hispanic spices and chamoy, a savory Mexican sauce, and selling them at school for $5 a bag. She was bringing in about $100-$150 a week. He continued, “Now, she is about to turn 15, and I helped her build her candy business. She has candies in our city’s stores and is still expanding.”

9. Credit Card Rewards

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One person benefited by putting all his cash-paying customer’s bills on his credit cards and keeping the cash to pay off the credit bills promptly, building up his reward points for airfare and hotels. It worked for a while until the restaurant manager noticed that one employee’s card processing fees were rising, and he was shut down.

10. Finding Suitable Names

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In East Asia, it is common for kids to have secondary English names they use in English classes and potentially travel for business.  An English girl who helps wealthy Chinese parents gave their kids suitable English names in exchange for payment. She made a full-time business out of this.

11. Sell Unwanted Things

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A college student bought an old school bus, removed the seats, and drove around the affluent neighborhood off-campus, picking up unwanted items at the end of the semester.  She found usable flat-screen TVs, couches, computers, and tables discarded, selling them on Craigslist over the summer, and made a substantial amount of money.

12. Participate in “Just Another Lab Rat” Studies

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 One user participated in clinical research studies, applying on the website.” He participated in several studies.  In one study, he shared, “They took three pieces of my muscle in my thigh. The study was to see if the drug would help muscle growth in the leg that wasn’t getting any use. It was like $12k for one month, and I would do it again.” The websites tell volunteers the studies are typically safe, but they need to take 30 days off between studies they can apply for, and some people make as much as $28,000 per year.

13. Flushing Toilets and Picking Up Packages

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Those with multiple homes often need people to do some chores while away. Among paid chores for those who are away are flushing toilets and driving their cars several times a month. Additionally, the house requires work and deliveries, and someone would be paid to provide access to the home.  According to one user, he knows ” A wealthy family that pays a guy $50,000 a year to pick up their packages from outside and bring them inside.”

14. Panning For Gold

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Many states, including California, have legal panning for gold and often permit-free.  One user told of his friend who went through college by panning for gold. He said, “Although most days he made nothing, occasionally he would come home with a couple hundred bucks worth, and I think once he found a night worth over $1k.” Be aware that if you find gold and sell it, you typically will pay taxes at the capital gains if you hold long enough.

15. Maintain Tire Pressures On Fleets

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Someone touted a friend who became a millionaire because he figured out how to efficiently maintain the tire pressure of car fleets of big companies. The user said, “He randomly checked the pressure of some cars in the parking lot and provided them with a data-driven calculation of how much they could save on gas per car per year by just having the tire pressure regulated. He made a ton on commissions.”

16. Sleeping On The Job

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You can get paid for sleep studies. However, this is a different opportunity offered by a local office building owner who wanted someone on-site 24/7.  They hired a woman to enter the building in the evening when the maintenance finished their work.  She slept in a bedroom when the building was vacant until morning, when she would turn over the office to its employees. She claimed it was the least stressful legitimate job she ever had for full-time pay.

17. “My Secret to Making Easy Money”

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A person recalled a guy he knew who put an ad in the newspaper’s classified section that read, “For $10, I’ll tell you my secret to making easy money. Send $10 cash to (address) to find out how.” He went on, “Apparently,  there was no shortage of people who would send him $10, and he would instruct them to put a classified ad in the newspaper telling people to send $10 and how to make money.” Somehow, this rang a familiar bell of something my Dad told me about years ago.

19 Things What Generation X and Boomers Cherish Most of the Iconic 1980s

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Being nostalgic for when you came of age holds precious memories for people of those generations, Generation X and Baby Boomers, who miss those fun-packed experiences today. However, they have significant interest for those who came later and provide insight into what life was like in the 1980s. Looking back on the iconic trends of that era, perhaps with rose-colored glasses, people shared what they missed most of the 80s on an online forum. Walk through memory lane with us.

10 Things Everyone Should Have In Their House

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Creating a safe and functional living space is a top priority for homeowners. Whether you’re a seasoned homeowner or starting, certain essential items should be present in every house. These items contribute to the overall safety and well-being of the residents and enhance convenience and preparedness for unforeseen circumstances. From safety equipment to practical tools, incorporating these essentials into your home ensures a comfortable and secure environment for you and your loved ones.

10 Things You Should Buy That Will Increase Your Quality of Life

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We all strive for a better quality of life, where everyday experiences are enriched, and our overall well-being is elevated. Luckily, there are a variety of items available that can help us achieve just that. Making thoughtful purchases can enhance our daily routines, improve comfort, and boost our satisfaction.

18 Everyday Things From the 90s That Are Now Luxuries

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Had we only known that everyday things we were accustomed to daily might disappear or become a luxury, would we appreciate them that much more? With the advent of technology, we carry computers in our pockets, access a lifetime of entertainment, music. sports, and video games, and shop without leaving our couch while communicating with friends and family anywhere in the world.

These astronomical advances are a giant leap from before the Internet, but many things that were part of everyday life are now considered a luxury. On an online forum, people shared what they miss most today that was typical in the 1990s.

10 Outdated Things Boomers Always Keep in Their House and Use

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As time passes and technology advances, certain generations hold on to the familiar relics of the past. One such generation is the Baby Boomers, who often have a penchant for keeping and using outdated items in their homes. From landline phones to fax machines, vinyl records to VHS tapes, Boomers embrace these relics as a reminder of simpler times and a nod to their personal preferences.

 

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