There are many ways to earn money in today’s economy. Many of us have already heard about many of them. Of course everyone knows about being a cashier, or a warehouse worker. But there are also many different career paths many of us wouldn’t even think about. And a lot of them are actually very lucrative! Let’s take a look at some of the strangest things people are willing to pay you to do.
1. Become a professional sleeper
And let’s start with a strange one. Sleep is something all of us (hopefully) partake in. So it might sound weird that someone would actually pay you to sleep. But there really is a demand for “professional sleepers.”
One party that’s really interested in your sleep is the mattress industry. How else could they check if their products are effective without having someone actually test them? Now this does include some work, considering that you have to fill a survey about the mattress after you wake up, but still. Sleeping to earn money is basically the perfect passive income, but there’s an even better way to do it.
Since the effects of sleep on our bodies are still fairly unknown, there is a lot of possible studies to be done. Because of that, many scientists will actually pay you to “partake in sleep studies”, which basically means that you will just get to catch some Zs while they monitor your body. And it’s not even that rare, you can actually apply yourself, even on pages like Craigslist or Indeed. Also, it pays surprisingly well. One University once paid about $3,000 dollars for a one-night study.
This is definitely an offer you should not sleep up on. For the first time, even when you snooze, you don’t loose.
2. Eat your way to success
Do you like food? Of course you do! Everyone does. So why not turn the thing you love into an income stream. There are many different ways one can earn money while stuffing their mouth.
You could go the most straight-forward approach and just earn money by eating the most food in the shortest time. There are many contests on this type of stuff, many of which pay very good prize money. The biggest one of them, the Nathan’s hot-dog eating contest, has the grand prize of $10,000 for the eating champion. And all the food you eat is free, so that’s another win.
Another way you can earn by eating is food tasting. While it pays a little less, it’s still about the same thing. Many food companies need someone to test their products, and that someone could be you. Sometimes it’s just reviewing the taste of a chocolate bar, and sometimes you might get a full 2-course meal. The possibilities of food testing are truly limitless.
3. Become a friend for rent
You heard that right. People are actually willing to pay money to have someone be their friend. And while this profession does reveal some truly sad things about our society, at least the pay is nice. There is actually a site that allows you to register as a possible friend, called Rentafriend.com. There, you can sign up as a potential rentable friend.
Being a friend for hire can entail many different tasks. Some people want to enjoy some sports, while some may like to hike around in nature. There are those, who want to go clubbing, and those who just want to talk in a calm coffee shop. Just imagine what you would want to do with a friend, and it’s probably something you can get paid to do.
Just be careful, since you are technically being paid to hang out with strangers, so make sure to stay safe.
4. Don’t flush money down the toilet
This one can be a bit gross. There is a fair bit of demand for human stool, if you know where to look for. Many people are affected by some diseases of the digestive track, and there is a lot of research trying to find possible cures. This research includes studying stool samples, and the micro-flora contained within them. Because of this, stool samples, especially from some selected individuals, can be a very valuable resource.
Frankly, there are a lot of ways to earn money using your body. This one probably takes the cake though. But worry not, because the payment isn’t as dirty as the job. Based on your stool quality, the amount you donate and who you donate it to, you can earn up to $1,500 every month. That’s a lot of money, considering you’re literally selling your shit.
5. Get paid to wait in line
Have you ever gone to see a new movie, or buy a brand new phone, and the line seemed to stretch for eternity? Well, many people do. And for some, it is a better option to hire someone to wait for them. Depending on what the line is for, people can pay a hefty sum for someone waiting instead of them. Some people reported being paid $80 an HOUR just to wait in line.
Now while this job might not be really physically straining, it’s a real challenge of your patience. Be sure to be properly prepared for this job, because you might be standing in that line for a while. But hey, at least you can catch up on a podcast you wanted to listen to, or finish that audiobook. You’ve got time to spare.
6. Lose pounds to gain pounds
Did you ever think that you could earn money by losing weight? Because you can. On the site Healthywage.com, you can set a weight loss goal and wager some of your money. If you then finish your goal, you will get paid, based on the goals you set. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to lose some weight, because it might just be the push for you to finally achieve your goal. Now that there’s real money on the line, you can get a lot more motivated. You might also use it to lose the weight you gained from all the eating contests you won.
7. Become a guinea pig
And lastly, let’s look at another way you can technically sell your body, this time, it’s for science (and money).
Many research group need to test something. Be it a physiological phenomenon, a marketing strategy, or a new type of medication, there’s always a demand for human subjects. Depending on the type of testing, and the amount of it you do, you could get paid quite handsomely. Yes, you could simply complete a survey once in a while to earn that small bit of money, or you could make it basically your full time job, which could make your income even into the six figures!
