Ways to make money when you are starting over

Starting over is not something you do in a couple of minutes, days or weeks. It can take months before you get everything under control and it might even take years to repair the 'damage' of whatever made you start over. One thing that can help smoothen things out is money. Even though money does not make you happy, it can help you get on your feet and buy you the time you need to recover. So how do you make money, especially when you lost a job or haven't had an income at all?

Work
The fastest way to earn money is to work. Get a job, try to work more hours, start your own business, whatever makes you happy AND whatever is available at the time. Sometimes a parttime job can be a great solution. Work means making money and losing time that cannot be used spending money. That is kind of win-win.

Sell
Nowadays, there seems to be a market for everything. Sell whatever you can live without. You might think that you don't have anything to sell, but you'll be surprised about what other people want to buy. Think clothing, dvds, gadgets, kitchen materials, shoes, etc. It will not make you rich, but it will provide you with some extra income and more space, which is also worth something.

Take online surveys
Online surveys offer cash or gift cards for your efforts. This is also something that will not make you rich, but it can help pay the bills or allow you to buy gifts without actually having to pay for them.

Participate in clinical studies
If they include overnight stays, the rewards can add up to thousands of dollars/euros. They are supposed to be safe, however, you must be able to leave your home for a day and a night or more. You can also participate in smaller studies, which do not require overnight stays.

Of course, there are many other ways to make some extra cash to get you back on your feet. What would you do (or not) to make some extra money?  

Starting Over

10 years ago, I had it all. My whole life in front of me. A warm loving family, a good set of brains and great looks. Of course, I still have the brains and the looks, but a lot has changed since then and I am now at a point where I have to start over. There are many things I would not do the same way again, I've learned a lot and know that I still have a hell of a lot to learn.

The title of this blog, Living More With Less, is more relevant than ever to me. I will talk more about my financial situation later on, but the fact of the matter is that I'll have to learn to live a lot more with a lot less. That thought sometimes really scares me, while at other times it is actually inspiring. Let's just hope that most of the time, it will be the latter.

Just a short message for now, to find out if I'm alone out there or not ;-) Did you every have to start over at some point in your life? And how did you manage to do that?