By Debra Maslowski
This month was the first month ever that I made enough money from my soap making to pay the rent. Yay! I wanted to be totally self-sufficient, but it seems like in this day and age you need a handful of jobs just to pay the bills.
Some people can’t hold down a full time job due to health issues, kids, elderly parents, or other reasons. So I came up with some ideas for those who want to learn ways to make extra money, but want to do it as naturally as possible.
30 Natural Ways to Make Extra Money
- Raising Chickens – If your municipality allows it, you can make money selling eggs from your chickens, the chicken meat, baby chicks, and manure. Be sure to check your local health codes before you start. (Don’t know how to raise chickens? This guide has awesome reviews!)
- Raising Goats – Again, if you can, goats can provide income from milk, cheese, kids, goat meat, and manure. One of the students where I work at the local agricultural college is making goat’s milk ice cream and selling it to his friends. (Learn how to get started.)
- Making Soap and Related Products – You can make good money making and selling soap, as well as hand cream, bath crystals, insect repellent, and more. I do it all summer at the local tailgate markets. You can easily sell these products online too. People are always looking for natural body care products.
- Growing Herbs – I grow my own herbs naturally, and then sell the plant starts, dried herbs, and herbal products. No chemicals here!
- Grow Vegetables – Grow some organic vegetables and set up a road side stand. You’ll have the locals flocking in.
- Plant a Fruit Orchard – Fruit takes a bit longer than veggies and is more labor intensive. But, if you have the space, you can set up an organic pick-your-own fruit orchard. I drive 50 miles out of my way to go to a pick-your-own apple orchard that I like.
- Sell Gemstones, Rocks, or Fossils – Have a love of geology? Cash in on your rock collection. You can have a sale like a yard sale or take them to local markets.
- Massage – You do need a license in some areas, but massage can be very lucrative as a natural business.
- Knitting or Crocheting – One of the markets I go to has a woman who crochets soap scrap bags, a perfect compliment to my soaps. Another has a team of knitters who make jar koozies, those things that go over a pint jar and look like socks. They sell like crazy!
- Keep Bees – If you can have them, bees can provide you with honey, wax, propolis, and even education into the bee world. We have several people nearby who profit from this. (Just be sure you know a little about beekeeping first so your bee colony thrives!)
- Natural Mixes – I make camping mixes, herb mixes, and baking mixes all from scratch with natural ingredients. They sell very well at the markets.
- Recycling Clothing – This can be anything from selling clothing at consignment shops, to opening a thrift store, to adding embellishments to existing clothing and selling it.
- Make Compost – When I lived in an apartment and had pots for all my plants, I purchased compost from other people. (Learn how to make compost in about 30 days so you can start making money quickly!)
- Make Pet Products – You can make natural dog or cat food blends, natural treats and specialty diet blends. I would rather buy from someone who does it naturally than buy commercial food and treats.
- Kids Projects – Organize some cool kids projects, like making natural clay dough, and charge a nominal fee.
- Landscaping and Tree Service – Several people in my area offer natural landscaping services for those looking to improve their lawn and landscape without chemicals.
- Telecommuting – While the actual job may not be natural, saving money on gas and other things can be.
- Consulting – Again, this can be naturally-based or not, but can be operated from your home saving gas, time, and money.
- Babysitting/Daycare/Eldercare – You can open your home to toddlers or the elderly and do it all naturally. Check on building codes, licensing, and such before you start.
- Dog Walking/Pet Care – How much gas does it take to walk a dog? None! Save the planet and make money at the same time. Offer pet care services using natural products.
- Farm Share – You can set up a farm share. Contact your local farmers to see what crops are offered and when they will be available. Charge a fee based on what you can sell for how long. CSA’s, or Community Supported Agriculture, is done much in the same way, but you’ll be getting your produce from several farmers and you’ll do the distributing.
- Sewing – Do you know how to sew? You can make money from mending, making custom bags or skirts, or make what you want and sell it online.
- Baking/Cooking – If you have access to a certified kitchen, you can do baking or cooking for people who can’t do their own or don’t have the time. One small business I know of, Red Radish in Black Mountain, NC, does just that. They make meals for busy people and have expanded into catering, which could be another income maker.
- Writing – There are many companies out there that pay people to write.
- Organizing – What I wouldn’t give to have someone organize my home for me!
- Wedding Planning – Brides-to-be pay a fortune for wedding planners. Advertise as natural or herbal and you’ll have a unique position.
- Landscape Consultant – I have many people who have asked me to come and take a look at their yards. I could be making money at it!
- Web Designer – In the beginning, I paid for someone to design my website (and probably still should). I do my own now, but I know that if I paid someone, it would be updated more often and would probably look more professional.
- Grow Bamboo – In many areas of the country you can grow bamboo. Yes, it can get away from you if you’re not careful, but with regular trimming of the canes for fishing poles, garden stakes, and craft items, there shouldn’t be any problems.
- Collect Feathers – I have a friend who makes incredible wings from feathers. They are used as art pieces. I collect feathers from my chickens for her and any others that I find as well. They can be cleaned and even dyed naturally.
Have you made money by doing something naturally? Tell us about it!
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We have quite a few house plants- including succulents. I trim these and “start” them. you can find cute containers @ thrift stores and garage sales- transplant them and VOILA- add to your roadside veggie stand for sale! Lowes sells similar size plants for anywhere from 4-10 dollars!
Hi Debra. Thanks for these tips. I’ve only recently started taking my passion for herbalism and alternative medicine seriously, and am both excited and overwhelmed by the whole process. How did you become a “certified herbalist”? It sounds like you hit up the local farmer’s markets with the products you make. Does this allow for a steady income? I feel that with more and more people becoming interested in making and selling their own natural products, the competition is increasing. Do you find this to be true, or are you pretty successful in this area? Do you use any other avenues besides local markets to sell your products? Thanks for any advice / info you can provide! I appreciate it.
i thank u and appreciate the money making ideas. thank u so much. i love to write and would love to one day write for a living and to make natural products for our natural bodies. God bless you!!
Hi. Love your ideas for making money naturally. Thought I would politely mention that collecting feathers from non-game birds is illegal. I am sure your friend knows this since that is part of her business. My kids have been studying birds and told me this. lol They pick up bird feathers when they find them and asked me if someone would actually report it to the police. Not sure what constitutes a “collection”. It was a fun discussion.
Hi. I love this article. Great ideas. Can you please tell me the name of the guide/book for raising chickens? The Amazon link isn’t working for me. Thank you.
Thank you! I just opened up to energy healing and have been dabbling in crystal energy and medicinal herb tinctures….this was reassuring to think maybe I am on the right path!!
I have been making bath and body products and using essential oils….I give classes to spark interest with…..also give vegetarian and vegan cooking classes….in summer I sell extra produce we don’t need. Have started selling Young Living Essential Oils and working towards my certification.
A lot of great ideas Dorothy! Thanks for sharing!
I love anything natural, I love Mediterranean cooking, and love to learn about gluten free baking.
I also have access to natural Argan oils and cactus oil.
Looking for partner or adviser. Thank you
Gluten free cooking is a big deal right now Fatima. You should do well in that area along with the others you mentioned. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips. I’m planning on using some of the recipes to sell items at an upcoming craft show!
Way to go, Marge! Craft shows are great place to start. I do a few a year along with one tailgate market during the summer.
How would you start a consulting business? My husband is always giving someone advice on how to do something. We really could use some extra income. Thank you, Gail
When I got started in landscape consulting, I put the word out through local ads and flyers. I don’t do much, but word of mouth helps. Depending on the type of consulting, he could advertise in local papers or magazines, or even with companies that do similar work if they are willing. Check around, Gail, and ask similar places. I was able to post my flyers at a few nurseries around town and got some good results out of it. I also give talks to garden clubs and tell them I’m a landscape consultant. I get a few jobs a year out of that.
I like to make soap . . . and body butter . . .and chapsticks . . . . how much would I sell it for?
Hey Bonny! It’s hard to tell what to charge because there are so many factors that play into pricing. To start, figure out your costs. That would be your ingredients and your time. In general, if you pay $1.00 in materials, you’d need to charge $3.00 to make a profit. That isn’t always true. I’ve had to charge less for some things, like some of my soaps with more expensive ingredients and then some thins, like bath crystals, I make a lot more on. Check out what some places around you are selling similar products for and price accordingly. Don’t sell yourself short, price what things are worth.
Thank you for the ideas of how to make extra money as we need this information. I enjoy your articles.
Thanks Nancy! I hope a lot of people can benefit from this article.