But the advent of e-commerce makes it easy to miss the fact that you could be being paid for things you never knew could earn you any money.
What you might know, however, is that you can be paid to do things you’re doing anyway. And what you almost certainly won’t know is that you can earn extra money engaging in some of the stranger activities below.
Here are eight of the weirdest money-makers we at MoneyMagpie.com could find.
It’s a surprising trade – and a controversial one – but it has been on the rise in America and the UK over the last few years, largely thanks to the internet.
That would help pay toward the cost of having a baby, wouldn’t it?
This might sound weird, but professional mourners – or moirologists to give them their official title – have been in practice for well over 2,000 years.
Sometimes people die without many family members or friends left. In this case, people will pay you to come along as a respectful way of ‘making up the numbers’.
It’s a job that’s not for everyone, you’ll be around people at their lowest moments.
Yes, there are people out there who will pay you a fee to be their ‘friend.’
Whatever the person wants – whether it be someone to show them around the area, to go the cinema with, a workout buddy, an instructor or even a wingman!
If this sounds like an interesting way of making money you should sign yourself up to Rent a Friend.
Sometimes people just need a hug.
That’s certainly the driving philosophy behind the ‘professional snuggler’ industry (that’s snuggling by the way, not smuggling if you were thinking we’ve gone over to the dark side!).
There are people out there, often older men, who wish to snuggle up to someone to watch a movie and who are happy to pay someone to do so.
It’s strictly to be seen as platonic and in no way sexual, and many professional snugglers have a background in holistic therapy.
Roadkill collectors find, remove and dispose of the motorway’s unlucky victims and provide a service to the more squeamish among us. Namely, dealing with the tragedies of dead badgers, deer and even dogs.
While roadkill collectors in the UK are unlikely to find a moose or a bison on the side of the road as in the US, they do have to enjoy driving as they spend the majority of their days combing roads for collisions.
While some cleaners are paid per hour they work, others are paid per animal removed.
In Farnham, 2016, the role of a roadkill cleaner was advertised at £7 an hour (it would obviously pay more now), with the proviso that the successful applicant would be able to work in all weather conditions and have a strong stomach.
Look on the bright side: at least you won’t be competing with many people for the job!
Despite huge scientific progresses, we still haven’t found a cure for baldness so wigs, hair extensions and hair pieces are still in high demand.
You’ll need at least 6 inches of hair and it must be clean, healthy and shiny – any damaged hair will not be accepted.
If you’ve got an unusual natural hair colour then you can get more for it, although remember to speak to a wig seller to find out the price before cutting your hair. It’d be awful to lose all that hair only to find out you don’t like the price!
“Struggling to find time to clean your garden? Feeling the strain of an injury/health issue? Or maybe you’re just tired of the constant family arguments about whose turn it is, whose pet it is, etc?”
So begins the PAWServices page on professional poo scooping.
Offering weekly, fortnightly or monthly deals, this canine-loving company will clean up your garden. They will also sanitise and deodorise the area where pets have been making a mess.
If you love dogs and you like getting down and dirty with nature, then this could be the job for you.
Dog waste is a breeding ground for nasty diseases such as Salmonellosis, and is also a nightmare to clean off the carpet. It is one of those services that will never go out of business.
As reported by the Express in 2014, you can make a killing cleaning up after other people’s pets – Tim Stone, 54, managed to earn an incredible £56,000 a year by charging £28 per month for four visits!
