How To:

1. 1

   Have a garage sale. Turning your home into a temporary storefront is easy and liberating. Free up storage space and get rid of unwanted “junk” by clearing out your attic, basement and closets. Then sell! For more tips on running the best garage sale ever, read: How to Have an Epic Garage Sale.

2. 2

   Rent out a room. Sites like Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner make it easy for homeowners to rent out a room (or the whole house) to travelers. Turn that spare bedroom into a heap of cash, and meet some cool folks along the way!

3. 3

   Install solar panels. Many utility companies offer rebates and renewable energy credits to homeowners with solar panels. For example, in Massachusetts (and many other states) you can actually sell your energy back to utility companies in exchange for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs).

4. 4

   Rent out your storage space. You know those friends you have that live in a really cool loft apartment in the city? They don’t have anywhere to store their stuff! Ask around – chances are some of your apartment-dwelling friends have a car or some sports equipment they need to store. That empty space in your garage could be pulling in an extra hundred bucks each month!

5. 5

   Host parties and sell goods. Whether you’re raising money for a good cause or encouraging a friend’s new business, there’s always a reason to throw a party and sell some stuff. Plus, everyone loves a party!