Hi Todd,

I too am on limited income as i'm on disablility. I joined and group in my area called FreeCycles. It's a group that you can ask for things from others and get it for free, you just have to go pick up the item. Also you post things that you would like to get rid of (like a garage sale but free) I have seen things posted such as computers, printers, clothes...etc. So maybe you can get a computer??

Also maybe you can sell books? I have a friend who sells through Amazon and makes a few bucks per month. Good luck to you with writing.

Nicole

If you have extra credits here, you could sell those.

Any gold  or silver items you don't want anymore? There are many places where gold and silver is purchased.

Sell items you don't want anymore (EX. electronics, books, dvds etc.) on sites like ebay, amazon.com or half.com

Have a garage sale.

Donate blood. Some places give $50.

Any elderly neighbors you could do odd jobs for? Moving furniture, mowing grass, shoveling snow,  raking leaves etc

Donate Plasma.. Check with the Yellow Pages or a nearby college campus for the closest plasma collection center, blood bank or blood collection facility. There are more than 400 for-profit plasma collection centers in the United States.  Eat something two hours before donating plasma and drink lots of water to avoid feeling light-headed,  Plan to spend a few hours at the center the first time you go. Prospective donors are questioned about their health history and circumstances that may put them at risk for being HIV positive. You will also be asked if you've had any piercings or tattoos within the last 12 months. You'll undergo a physical exam, be screened for drugs, and be asked to sign waivers.  Allow time for your medical history to be reviewed each time you return. After the initial visit, donating usually takes 30 minutes if there is no waiting line.

see if you can find a local university that offers this (look up past auctions):

https://uaauctions.arizona.edu/

yes, those laptop prices are real. you can test anything one day prior to the auction. i once got a pIII laptop there for $2.50 (two dollars, not two hundred).

You can try a site called Amazon Mechanical Turk online. It allows you to do simple tasks for money. It is based through Amazon, so it's legit. I've been doing it for a couple of months, have earned around $60, and have had no problems whatsoever with any of the tasks or transfer of money to my bank account.

Some of the tasks may pay only $0.10, but they are quick and easy, and these can certainly add up, even if you do it occasionally!

www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

Before you buy a netbook find somewhere you can try typing on it.

The very small ones I cannot type competently on (my SO, who has larger hands, can--so it isn't just a hand-size issue).  I would NEVER want to try writing on his.  I type 70+ WPM (on a good keyboard) and I end up hunting & pecking on that thing.   I simply need a slightly larger keyboard.  The larger eeePCs netbooks are just barely large enough for me to use decently; the smaller ones are NOT.

Can you do yardwork?  It's spring--maybe you can set up lawn mowing for some people? 

Take a part-time job in the evenings until you've saved enough?

((((((((((((((( I joined and group in my area called FreeCycles.))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I love freecycle, it works great in my town.  I have a frend who lives in another state and told me his sucks.  People have a lot of money in his town but they are greedy and the only things offered are broken junk.  They don't want to take it to the dump so they offer it free.  He is so jealous of me cause we have a great freecycle.

May I ask, if you have a computer why do you need a laptop?

A long time ago I couldn't create on a typewriter or computer.  I had to do it by hand.  You can change too if you try.

If your problem using the computer is just poor typing, have you tried software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, which lets you talk into the computer to create documents? I've used it and it works really well.

My son and his friends donate plasma for $70/wk (2 donations)--they chat, watch movies, and drink juice.

frugalscholar.blogspot.com

Check to see if any local consignment shops are accepting clothing. Recently, we have had a few local consignment sales dealing mainly with children's clothes and I was able to make over $400 in the past two months on clothes my children have outgrown.

Hi Todd -- I just wanted to mention that you might find a great deal on a laptop at a place that fixes computers.    Here in our city, we found out we could get an awesome deal on a PC at a local place that fixes them.    They also sell used/refurbished laptops and I feel like thats the best place to get a good system because they fix them and often stand behind them with a warranty of some kind on parts.   

One of my favorite ways to get extra money is to collect cans and take them in for money to recycling centers.    Last time I went they were paying 60 cents a pound but sometimes it is less or more.   It adds up a little here and a little there.   People in my family know I collect cans so they give me theirs and I also find them on my walks.    We don't drink many sodas but I still end up getting about $8 or $10 each time I take a few bags of cans.

If there are any market research companies in your area (check the yellow pages), you can sign up to do focus groups for them.  The ones I've done have paid $50-75 for a couple of hours and it's sometimes fun, trying a new product or testing something.

If you don't currently use coupons when you shop, you might try that. This past week I had $12.30 in coupons and then went to a store that doubled them(up to $2) and ended up saving almost $20. That's $20 in my pocket for something else I want/need. The best coupons are usually online for things you will actually use(ie. coupons.com). It might take a while to save up but, I actually just read that computer prices(especially notebooks and netbooks) are expected to drop another 20-25% within the next six months. Just some things to think about. Hope this is some help to you.

    Todd,

       you could always do "Dog Sitting " that is a big money maker. People would rather pay someone then to have to Kennel them.

                                  dolores H.

  All my books on my shelf are mailed out in 2 days !

Someone already mentioned market research.  I have done that a few times.  Check out craigslist in your area as well.  Check freebees category for items you may need and  jobs for market research opportunities.  Also, depending on where you live,  extra work on a film.

Among other things.. check out consignment shops... when I was a teenager and all about fashion :) my friends and I used to sell our sold/out of season clothes at consignments shops to get cash.

Ebay, Amazon.com, Half.com.  If there is a local university they might have other research opportunities.  My old roommate got paid a couple hundred bucks to sleep in a univeristy lab for a couple of nights for a study. 

Dog walking pays $12 a hour around here. People are gone from 7 am and dont return until 7 pm so need someone to walk the dog. Not so much now but esp. in winter they can't get home before dark to walk Fido.

In the summer, there are house sitting jobs when people leave for a few weeks on vacation.

And definitely let elderly neighbors know you are for hire. They have trouble with normal stuff like changing lightbulbs, rolling the garbage can to the curb and rolling it back, raking their lawns,  pulling weeds, cleaning gutters. They need help with anything that requires climbing a ladder or a strong back.