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strange ways to make money

Get a Job as Santa Claus: Strange Ways to Make Money

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Strange Ways to Make Money
Christmas is only 24 short days away and you’ve likely already seen Santa in the mall for over a week. What you’ve probably not thought about is getting a job as a mall Santa. While it’s one of the more strange ways to make money, being a Santa Claus can be great seasonal work to help you get through the holidays with a little extra cash.

It may be a little late to apply to be a Santa Claus this year, however, if you plan ahead you can get a seasonal job as Santa Claus next Christmas. Usually you’ll want to start thinking about looking around and applying in July. You’ll need to be able to look and act the part (or transform yourself into Jolly Old St. Nick). If you don’t think Santa suits you you can also apply for the part of Mrs. Claus or one of Santa’s helpers.

Before you go applying to be a Santa next year, however, there are a few things you may want to keep in mind:

You’d better like kids: Well, duh. Kids are going to be crawling all over you, pulling your beard, and talking your ear off for two months. If you can’t put up with that, don’t bother to apply.

You’d better like Christmas: If you hate the crowds, craziness, and chaos that surrounds the season, don’t work as a Santa. You’re likely to sit in overheated, noisy crowded malls or party halls and you’ll have to put up with everything from kids who resent you because you messed up last year’s list to helicopter parents who nervously watch you to make sure you don’t make promises they can’t fulfill. If you don’t enjoy the season, you’ll crack before Thanksgiving.

Be ready for all kinds of questions: Kids will ask some personal, surprising things. It helps if you’re able to think fast on your feet to come up with creative answers that don’t blow the Santa mystique. Brush up on your Christmas lore so you’re ready for everything.

Stay in character: You have to be able to stay in character at all times. This doesn’t mean you have to be an actor, but you do need to always remember who you are and don’t say or do anything that Santa wouldn’t do.

Look the part: As previously stated, Santa is becoming more diverse, but most Santas are still in the traditional mold. You need to either have the look naturally or be good with wigs, fake beards, makeup, and padding. You’ll likely need to demonstrate your look at an interview, so practice now.

Know where to find work: You’ll find ads in the classifieds and on various job hunting sites. You can also call or visit the malls, stores, and civic groups around you to see if they’re hiring. Don’t forget party companies and temporary agencies.

Take courses on how to be Santa: If you need professional help to brush up on your Santa-ness , you can register for the International University of Santa Claus. You may also be able to find courses through your local extension programs, or there might be a retired Santa willing to take new students under his wing.

You’ll likely have to pass a background check: Because you”ll be working with and touching kids, most places will make you pass a background check before hiring you. If you have anything that will be a problem in your past, don’t bother to apply.

Santa work varies in pay. You may make minimum wage or significantly more. If you work with private parties, parades, or civic groups you’ll likely make more than at the malls. Pay also varies based on how much you look and act the part. The more you look and act like Santa, the more in demand you’ll be and the more money you can command.

Remember that if you want to be Santa Claus next year you’ll need to start looking early. Some malls put Santa to work as early as Halloween. However, it could be the greatest ways to make extra cash around the holidays.

Photo: T Dale Bagwell

Work With the Dead: Strange Ways to Make Money

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Working with the dead typically appeals to two types of people. Those who don’t like a lot of personal interaction in their work (the dead aren’t going to complain or engage in office politics, after all) and those who are compassionate and derive satisfaction from helping others through their grief. Either way, working in the funeral industry isn’t as depressing or creepy as you might think. It can be quiet, peaceful work and you can feel good that you sent others into the afterlife with dignity and respect. If you want to work with the dead, here are some job options for you.

Grave digging. You no longer need to labor for hours with a shovel. Most digging these days is done with a backhoe. You may not need to grave dig full time, either. Some cemeteries don’t have enough volume to keep a grave digger on staff full time. If you own a backhoe for another business like landscaping or construction, you may be able to work on an “on call” basis for a few cemeteries and help them out when needed. It can be a nice little sideline business for you.

Embalmer

You will be the one who prepares the body for burial by replacing bodily fluids with the preservation chemicals.

Cemetery landscaper

Mowing the grass, pulling weeds, and tossing out old flowers are all the job of the landscaper or caretaker. It’s quiet, peaceful, outdoor work that you may be able to combine with an existing landscaping business.

Funeral director

This job may involve everything from casket sales to arranging/conducting the service to comforting the family and friends. The director also usually retrieves the body from the place of death or the morgue and brings it to the funeral home for preparation for burial.

Hair and makeup artist

If you have a talent for hair and makeup, you can use that skill to prepare the dead for viewing. Beyond hair and makeup you may need some special skills in reconstruction, depending on the cause of death.

Casket/urn design and construction

There is a market for custom made caskets and urns. If you have strong woodworking skills, you can make a good income because custom caskets usually sell for more than their mass produced counterparts. You can design traditional caskets or biodegradable caskets for green burials. If metalworking or pottery is more your thing, you can design urns for cremated ashes.

Headstone artist

There are some cemeteries that still allow the traditional headstone or sculpture. If you are a stone cutter or sculptor, you can make money designing, inscribing, and personalizing grave markers.

Crematorium owner

If traditional burial isn’t for you, you might want to open a crematorium. Restrictions and requirements vary by state and it is a closely regulated industry so you will need special permits and inspections. As an operator of a crematorium, you may also be called upon to comfort the grieving family to conduct brief services prior to cremation.

Hearse or limo driver

If you like to drive, you can work for a funeral home as a hearse or limo driver. If you’re driving the hearse, you’ll drive the body from the place of death to the funeral home and then on the cemetery. If you drive the limo, you’ll drive the family members from the funeral home to the cemetery and then back to their home or hotel. This may not be a full time job. If you own an existing limo business, you can add funeral homes to your client list.

Janitor at a funeral home

Funeral homes need to be cleaned just like any other business, especially after a service. This can be a great way to get an introduction to the funeral business and see if it’s something you want to be a part of.

Some of the occupations above require some formal education. Embalmers, for example, usually have degrees in mortuary science and must be state-licensed. Funeral directors usually have degrees in mortuary science or funeral service and they usually serve an apprenticeship before getting a full time job. Makeup artists usually have some formal cosmetology training, although it may not be required; talent alone might get you the job. Other jobs such as janitorial work or grave digging may require no formal education.

There are also lots of emerging jobs in the funeral industry that are associated with the green burial movement. Some people are designing monuments for ashes that are then dumped into the sea to act as habitats for sea life. There are jobs designing biodegradable caskets. It’s an open and emerging field and there may be more jobs in the future that have not been identified yet.

Working with the dead isn’t scary or creepy. Unless you’re an embalmer or makeup artist, or you run a crematorium or funeral home, you’re not likely to have much contact, if any, with the bodies. You’ll just be tending to other aspects of the death ritual. If you want quiet work without a lot of office politics or gossip, this may be the industry for you.

Become a Movie Extra: Strange Ways to Make Money

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Maybe you’ve always dreamed of being in a movie but you took a boring day job instead. Maybe you just want to make a little extra money while getting to see the inside workings of movies and TV. If this is you, you might want to become an extra.

Extras are in almost every production. They are all of the people you see in the background of a movie or TV show. They make up the crowds and other people who fill up a realistic looking set. They’re walking on the street while the main characters fight the villains. They’re the other people riding the subway while the main characters are having a meaningful conversation. They’re the other diners in a restaurant scene. Extras are seen but never heard.

You don’t have to have movie star good looks for this type of work. Attractiveness doesn’t hurt, but since most extras are supposed to represent the diversity of a crowd, not everyone in the crowd is going to be drop dead gorgeous. You also don’t have to be a trained actor, but you do have to be able to take direction and do what you’re told. A basic knowledge of film terminology can’t hurt, but it’s not necessary.

Pay varies widely, depending on whether the film must abide by union agreements or if the production is free to pay its own rate. Generally you can expect hourly rates in the $7 – $9 range with daily rates ranging from $50 and up. It’s not a way to get rich, but if you can land on a recurring project like a TV series you can make more consistent money. However, even a production that’s filming in your area for two weeks can net you a nice side income if they need you every day. If you’re interested, here are a few things to help you along.

Never pay money: There are tons of scam artists out there offering to hook you up with an audition, listings of places that are hiring, or guaranteed work if you’ll only pay them a fee. Legitimate agencies and auditions don’t charge fees.

Find work: Some productions will advertise auditions in local media or on Craigslist if they are recruiting in your area. Others may set up walk-in auditions at the film site. Some may not even require an audition per se, they may just have people show up on set in the morning and place them accordingly. Most major metro areas have agencies that recruit extras. There are websites that list upcoming auditions (but remember, never pay a fee). If you want to look further afield or make a career out of being an extra, you should look in trade journals or join the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG).

Know what you’re responsible for when you show up on set: Do you have to bring your own clothes, or will wardrobe be handling that? Do you need to bring your own lunch/snacks? Can you bring electronics or bags, or is that a security risk? Are you allowed to bring a camera, or will it be confiscated? What time do you have to be on set and how long can you expect to stay? Know as much in advance about what you can and cannot bring and do so that you are prepared.

Don’t make a nuisance of yourself: This film is not about you. Your job is to be seen and not heard. Do only what you’re told to do. Don’t embellish or try to get more screen time. This behavior will not help you “break in.” It will only annoy the director and ensure that he or she never hires you again. Stay out of the way of the “real” actors and don’t try to get autographs or photos. If the actors offer, fine, but don’t be pesky. Don’t get in the way of the cameramen, electricians, or stunt performers, either. You don’t want to be responsible for broken equipment or causing an injury.

Be aware of the legal side of things: Many productions will make you sign a confidentiality agreement, as well as waivers against injuries or accidents. Make sure you read anything you have to sign and that you are okay with it.

Being an extra isn’t terribly hard work and it’s pretty fun if you’re into movies. It is tiring, though, and it’s a lot of work for very little screen time. However, if you’re looking to get your foot in the door as an actor or if you just want to see how a film is made, it can be your best way in. If nothing else, one day you can show your kids that you were in a movie.

Become an Art Model: Strange Ways to Make Money

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If you want to make a little extra money and you don’t mind people staring at you, you might consider becoming an art model. Models pose for art students so they can learn to draw the human form. Some models pose clothed and others pose nude. Nude models are in particularly high demand since fewer people are willing to sit naked in a room full of strangers.

You won’t make a fortune doing this, but if you get several jobs going you can make a decent side income. Typical rates range from $10 to $75 per hour and depend on several factors including the going rate for the area, type of modeling (nude or clothed), setting (classroom or private), intangibles that you bring (are you experienced, unique in some way, able to create excellent poses), and the medium (photography tends to pay more than painting or sculpting).

If you’re interested in this, you need to get your name out there. First you should contact all of the art schools, colleges, and community arts programs in your area and let them know that you are available to model. Some take applications on line and you’ll have to phone or visit others. The smaller the program the better the chance you’ll have of getting work if you’re inexperienced.

You can also contact artists directly. If you see someone doing work that you’d like to be part of, there’s no harm in contacting the artist and asking if he or she needs a model. Finally, you should attend as many openings, shows, and galleries as you can. At these events you can mingle with artists and others in the art world and make your desire to model known. It can’t hurt to have some business cards printed that you can hand out. As you gain more experience and renown in your area, you’ll probably find people calling you and asking if you’re available.

If you want to do this work, make sure you’re comfortable sitting still for long periods of time and that you can hold any pose for a while. If you choose to model nude, make certain you’re comfortable being naked in front of strangers. (And bring a robe to slip into during breaks.) You’ll also need to hone a repertoire of poses. Many teachers and students won’t suggest something to you; it’s up to you to come up with something unique.

Before you seek work, get straight with yourself about what will and won’t be allowed. Will you pose with another model? Can you stand it if you’re asked to pose so that you are touching the other model? Can the teachers or students touch you to move you into another position or will being touched freak you out? Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with and learn to say, “No” to anything bothersome.

Finally, always deal with reputable classes or artists. Don’t simply go to someone’s home or studio alone without knowing exactly what you’re getting into. Ads for models on sites like Craigslist may or may not be legitimate. If it seems weird or makes you uncomfortable, don’t go. At the very least, take someone with you and be prepared to walk if it feels wrong. Safety first.

The good news for aspiring art models is that you don’t have to be conventionally beautiful. You don’t have to be the next Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Artists need to practice drawing the human form in all its shapes and sizes. This means big noses, droopy rear ends, cellulite, wrinkles, and extra weight are all okay. Pregnant, older, and handicapped people are also welcome. As long as you don’t mind posing, can create an interesting pose and maintain that pose for a length of time, you can find work regardless of your physical attributes.

Bet on Your Grades: Strange Ways to Make Money

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If you’re in college, you know how hard it can be to find motivation to study. Enter Ultrinsic.com, a website that lets you “bet” on your grades. Here’s how it works: You set a target grade for a single course, multiple courses, or a semester’s GPA and then you lay down money “betting” that you will hit that mark. If you make the grade, you get your money back plus an amount that Ultrinsic also puts in. If you don’t make the grade, you lose your money. Ultrinsic reviews your official transcript to validate your wins and losses, so you do have share a good bit of personal information and you can’t cheat.

While some people call this gambling, Ultrinsic prefers to think of it as incentivizing students to study harder. It’s a way of rewarding students for hard work and giving them motivation to study. The idea is that if you have money riding on the grades, you’ll be more inclined to study to avoid losing your stake and to win the bet. Some even argue that it’s not much different from having a job. You work, you get paid. You don’t work, you don’t get paid.

Of course, many in higher education see it differently. Learning should be about learning for learning’s sake and not about money, some say. (But if you’ve ever been in college, you know that sometimes the joy of learning isn’t enough, particularly in courses that are boring.) The distraction of the bet might be counterproductive, too. If a student is too focused on the money, they may get too stressed or panic and jeopardize their performance.

There’s also the obvious problem of playing with money you can’t afford to lose or that could be better spent on books or food. Like any gambling addict, a student may find themselves placing bets they have no hope of achieving and losing money that is needed elsewhere. Even if you can hit the target you set, you have to remember that the payout will not come until the end of the semester. It’s not like betting on horses or playing poker where you’re paid immediately when you win. The payoff at Ultrinsic is many months in the future. If you need the money immediately, this isn’t the way to go.

So far, the site has avoided being shut down because it does not meet the standard applied to gambling websites. Gambling involves chance and luck; Ultrinsic is skill based. Because the students control whether or not they make the grade it can’t technically be called gambling, at least not as the law currently defines gambling websites. Even if there are factors beyond the student’s control (a vindictive professor, for example), Ultrinsic is not like roulette, slots, or blackjack where the player has no control over the outcome. However, there are many who argue that the site is gambling at heart and is only skirting a technicality in the law.

Ultrinsic is only available at select schools right now, but is expanding. It is also currently only available to undergrads, so graduate students are out of luck for now. It’s up to you to decide whether Ultrinisc is something you want to play with. It might be fun for one course that you know you have a reasonable chance of acing, but if you start betting on every course, every semester, you could be heading for trouble.

Refer Everyone to Everything: Strange Ways to Make Money

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Many businesses are willing to pay you to refer your friends to them. It’s far cheaper for a company to pay you for a referral than it is for them to advertise and discount in order to recruit new customers. Some companies pay you in cash, while others give you a credit on your bill. Some will give you free or discounted services, such as the landscaper who gives you a free weed treatment for every referral. However they reward you, referral bonuses add up to money in your
pocket. If you have a lot of friends who are willing to accept your referrals, you can make several hundred dollars a year or more.

What kind of companies offer referral bonuses? Almost any company that has competition in your area might be willing to offer referral bonuses. A quick look around my area turned up the following offers:

Cable/Satellite: Most providers around here offer either cash, statement credit, or free premium channels if your referral leads to a new contracted customer.

Employers: Several employers in my area offer bonuses to current employees if they refer someone for an open position and the referral is hired. It’s usually a cash bonus, but one employer gives extra vacation time.

Veterinarians: My vet gives my pet a free physical if someone I refer becomes a client.

Phone/Cell Phone: Many cell phone carriers or phone companies offer statement credits if you refer someone who signs a contract.

Rewards Programs / Survey Sites: Many sites will give you cash or “points” added to your account for your referrals.

Internet: Statement credits or cash are common bonuses given by Internet providers.

Contractors: Some will give you cash back if you refer someone who hires them for a job. If you’re currently in the middle of a project, the contractor may offer a discount or a credit good for a future project.

Banks: Some will deposit cash into your account if someone you refer opens an account.

Mechanics: Free or discounted services are common bonuses that mechanics offer.

Landscapers: A landscaper may offer free or discounted services.

Insurers: A discount on your policy or a credit on your bill may be offered if a referral takes out a policy.

Business Vendors: If your company has a relationship with a hardware manufacturer, caterer, janitorial service, water supplier, or any other supplier/vendor and you refer them to another company, your company may get some freebies. This isn’t necessarily money in your pocket (unless you own the business), but it may make you look good to the boss.

How do you capitalize on these bonuses? Most important, make sure you understand how the referral program works and what the person you’re referring needs to do to ensure you get credit. Some programs require your friend to simply list your name on the application. Others require that they list your account number on the application. Make sure the person you are referring has the information they need and that they do what is required so that you get the bonus.

Read the fine print so you know how many referrals you can make and still get credit. Some companies limit you to two or three referrals per year while others have no limit. Make sure that the referral is given at the time of initial sign up. Most companies won’t let you go back and say,”Oh, by the way, Joe Smith referred me.” If it’s not done at sign-up time, you’ll likely forfeit the bonus.

You don’t want to become obnoxious about referrals. Don’t hound your friends if they don’t want to use your service providers. Simply make them aware that you have a provider you like and that you would be happy if they would let you refer them. Don’t beg and don’t get upset if they choose to use someone else.

Ask your service providers and employer if they offer referral bonuses. If they do and you know of friends or family who are in the market for a specific service, don’t hesitate to refer them. You may score a bonus for your effort.