經濟形勢不好，銀行存款不給力，是否讓你覺得心塞？美國心理學協會發布的一份調查報告顯示，資金壓力正在影響全美民眾的健康。這項研究還表明，飽受金錢壓力困擾的不僅是低收入家庭，富人同樣無法幸免。

即便你擁有一份全職工作，額外的收入也可以減輕你的資金壓力。《我老婆辭去了工作》(MyWifeQuitHerJob)博主史蒂夫·周就以從事全日制工作的同時，成功創立兩家帶來六位數收入的公司而聞名。

無論你是在尋找創業啟動資金，還是想進行新投資，或是希望爬出堆積如山的債務，每個月幾百到幾千美元的外快都能改變你的生活。在起步階段，你或許可以進行這樣的嘗試：

1. 開展服務業務

開展服務業務不需要太大的人際關系網，很強的網絡影響力或大筆日常開支。最簡單的方法，就是告訴你現有關系網中的人們，你正在提供什么服務，并請他們幫忙傳播。

AppSumo公司的諾亞·卡根正是這一理念的鮮活例證。他想看看自己能否從零開始，在24小時內掙到1000美元。最后，他創立了一個成功的牛肉干訂購公司，并把它交給他的一個學生來經營。

你可以借鑒他的想法，提供送餐、自由寫作或在線營銷等服務。首先撰寫一份吸引人的宣傳郵件，給自己打出招牌，并在幾日內開始試營業。

2. 投資房地產

對于那些已經資金緊缺的全職員工來說，當房東并不總是具有可操作性。不過你可以在另一個國家買個小套間或小房子，作為度假旅行用的短租房。它們的價格往往更便宜，即便你不在當地的時候得雇傭房地產中介來管理房客。

投資商業地產也十分賺錢，甚至不需要大額預支出，也能帶來一筆可觀的被動收入。在 Realty Mogul這類網站，僅需5000美元，你就能投資商業地產。這里的交易都會經過審查，非常可靠，你還能發現在其他地方找不到的高端房屋。

3. 提供網絡資源

你可以發布在線電子書或網絡課程，分享你的專業知識來幫助他人，并同時獲得被動收入。我自己的電子書《100天的成長》（100 Days of Growth）最后帶來的收入比我的日常工作更多。這需要做大量的前期工作，不過一旦完成，幾乎不費什么工夫，你就能維持銷量。

如果你不擅長寫電子書，也可以發布視頻課程或是開設培訓項目。我不止寫書，還在ContentMarketer.io上開設了一個訓練營，幫助我的客戶在10周內掌握內容營銷的技巧。

4. 業余時間開網店

開設自己的網店，建立客戶群體，這個目標值得贊揚，但你得身兼多職。你需要研究產品，尋找生產商，做好營銷工作，想好如何完成訂單。另外，也別忘了還有客戶服務和退貨退款等著你處理。

與其如此，你不如直接在亞馬遜銷售產品，打響名聲，而不必扮演這么多角色。一些賣家的產品甚至直接從亞馬遜的物流中心發出，都不必自己經手。

5. 加入共享經濟

通過共享經濟，每月入賬幾百到幾千美元并不難。你不僅可以在Airbnb上出租空余的臥室或地下室。還可以在Turo上出租你的汽車，自己騎車上班或與人拼車；也可以在Cameralends出租你放在家里的攝影器材；或是在Spinlister上出租滑雪板和自行車，在Sailo上出租帆船，等等。

如果你打算利用Airbnb出租，不如考慮出租整套房子，這樣帶來的收入會高得多。利用這個機會，你可以去看望家人，或者出去度假。

6. 舉辦獨家活動

舉辦活動也可以掙錢。不一定是那種數千名觀眾、供應商和大牌嘉賓齊聚一堂的大活動。相反，根據你擅長的話題，比如黑客式營銷（growth hacking），建立一個免費的MeetUp小組，舉辦免費的活動。

在擁有了一批忠實的受眾后，你就可以邀請著名嘉賓出席活動，收取入場費用了。在附近的賓館租一個高檔的小型會議室，舉辦一場廣受歡迎的獨家活動，為精彩的活動內容收費，借機吸納新的小組成員。

7. 憑借業余愛好獲得報酬

看看你在空閑時間都做些什么。跳傘愛好者（像我一樣！）可以獲得培訓資質，并在周末跳傘。你可以做你喜歡的事情，同時掙到外快。問問當地的酒吧，看你是否能幫他們組織機智問答活動，或是每周當幾晚的招待，順便消遣或與有趣的人聊聊天。

即使你不想在網上做太多事情，只想放松下來網上沖浪，也可以通過在UserTesting等網站上測試網頁、提出建議來獲得收入。

所以，出發吧。展開你的想象力，大家一起掙外快！（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正

審校：任文科

Is your dwindling bank account impacting your health? The American Psychological Association(APA) released a survey showing that money stress impacts Americans’ health nationwide. And, as it turns out, the wealthy are also stressed about money—not just those in lower-income households.

You can eliminate some of that financial stress by earning extra income, even if you have a full-time job. Steve Chou of MyWifeQuitHerJob famously started two six-figure businesses while continuing to work at his day job.

Whether you’re looking for cash to launch your startup or make new investments with, or dig out from mounting debt, a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month can change your life. Here’s how to get started.

1. Start a service business.

Launching a service business can be done without a large network, an online presence or much overhead. The easiest way to start is by telling people in your existing network what you’re offering and asking them to spread the word.

Noah Kagan from AppSumo nailed this concept. He decided to see if he could earn $1,000 in 24 hours, starting from scratch. He ended up founding asuccessful beef jerky subscription business that he gave to one of his students to run.

You can steal his concept, with a business like dinner catering, freelance writing or online marketing. Start by crafting a killer outreach email to get yourself up and running in just a few days.

2. Invest in real estate.

Becoming a landlord isn’t always practical for those who are employed full-time and already strapped for cash. But you can look at buying a condo or small property in another country as a vacation getaway instead. The price tag is typically cheaper, even when you hire a local property management group to manage renters while you’re away.

Commercial real estate can also be a lucrative way to invest and earn passive income, even without a large down payment. Get started with a site like Realty Mogul, and invest in commercial real estate for as little as $5,000. You’ll get vetted deals and access to high-end listings you wouldn’t otherwise find.

3. Launch an online resource.

Share your expertise by launching an online ebook or course to help others while you earn passive income. My own ebook, 100 Days of Growth, ended upgenerating more income than my day job. It was a ton of up-front work, but once it was ready to go, it took minimal effort to maintain and to keep up with sales.

If writing ebooks isn’t your strong suit, launch a video course or bootcamp instead. I didn’t stop at books — I also launched a content marketing bootcamp throughContentMarketer.io to help my clients master content-marketing abilities in 10 weeks.

4. Leverage the power of Amazon.

It’s always an admirable goal to launch your own online store and build a customer base, but you’re also talking about wearing many different hats. You need to research products, find a manufacturer, market your site and figure out how to fulfill orders. Don’t forget about customer service and refund requests.

Instead, you could sell a product and develop a presence directly on Amazon AMZN -0.61% without the need to take on so many roles. Some sellers even have their products shipped directly to Amazon’s fulfillment center and never touch the product itself.

5. Join the sharing economy.

It’s not hard to nail down a few hundred to thousands of dollars a month by leveraging the sharing economy. But it’s not just about renting out your spare bedroom or basement on Airbnb. Rent out your car on Turo and bike to work or carpool instead. Rent out your camera equipment lying around your house on Cameralends, your snowboard or bike on Spinlister or your sailboat on Sailo.

And if you are going to rent on Airbnb, consider helping your revenue skyrocket by renting out your entire house instead, and using the opportunity to visit family or go on vacation.

6. Host an event.

You can make money hosting events without aiming for thousands of sign-ups, vendors and high-profile guest speakers. Instead, form a free MeetUp group on a topic you’re knowledgeable about, like growth hacking, and run free events.

After you secure a loyal following, charge for an eventwith a reputable guest speaker. Rent out a small, upscale conference room at a nearby hotel, and grow your new MeetUp by hosting exclusive, sought-after events that charge a premium for fantastic content.

7. Get paid to do what you’re already doing

Take inventory of what you’re doing in your free time. People who love skydiving (like me!) can get certified to teach and do jumps on the weekend. You get to do what you love while earning extra money at the same time. Ask your local bar if you can help run its trivia night, or bartend a few nights a week while hanging out and getting to talk to interesting people.

Even if you’re not interested in doing much but relaxing and surfing online, you can earn money by testing websites and recording your opinion with a site like UserTesting.

So, get out there. Use your imagination to start a flow of extra income today.