How to Make Extra Money in Los Angeles

No matter what they say they do for a living, almost everyone in Los Angeles is an actor and is thus in constant need of a little extra cash. LA is the "perfect storm" for miscellaneous money-making ventures, which litter the city. If you're disciplined, persistent, and a little lucky, you can eke out a living without a real "day job" and with no real talent to speak of.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Poverty
• Desperation

1. Become a background extra for movies and television shows. Register with Central Casting and you could make $50 to $200-plus a day.

2. Audition for a game show. It's difficult to get on a major-network show, but you can still win thousands of dollars on a smaller channel, like GSN. Go to the show's website or to Craigslist to see when and how to audition.

3. Go on a game show run-through. If you can't be a contestant on a game show, you can still get paid to participate in a practice "run-through" for a show that is trying to get picked up by a TV network. The pay is similar to background extra work, but the hours are usually much less.

4. Be in a game show audience. Again, you don't have to be a contestant to earn money from a game show. Some of them pay for you to be in the audience. Some large shows, like "1 vs. 100," might pay you to be in the audience with the chance of getting in the game if there is a need for more people.

5. Get into a focus group. National companies and television studios conduct focus groups to collect opinions about their products or shows. Classified ad sites like Craigslist or Backpage often include listings that typically pay $20 to $150 and last two to four hours, but some could take all day.

6. Recycle. California charges a fee called the California Redemption Value (CRV) on many recyclable beverage containers, but when they're taken to recycling centers, the fee is refunded. A plastic grocery bag of aluminum cans, for instance, can earn you between $1 and $2.

7. Sell your music and movies at Amoeba Records, the largest music store in the area. They buy not only CDs and DVDs, but also music and movie cassette tapes and vinyl LPs. Betamax and eight-track users, you're on your own.

8. Visit the Los Angeles Craigslist and look under the "Gigs." You can find a variety of money-making opportunities, although make sure they are in tune with your "moral compass."

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful of what is promised in classified ads. If it sounds too good to be true, well, you know.
• Craigslist has a specific section for "adult gigs." If this is your cup of tea, have at it; if not, stay far, far away.

Resources

• Craigslist
• Backpage.com
• Amoeba Records

[Franceshanna01]

on 10/5/2008 I Love LA! Wooooooooooooooooo!

[LD72]

on 1/10/2008 Now that's thinkin outside the box. Thanks for the great ideas.