Earning Extra Cash in a Pinch

Hello Fellow Broke Galaxians,

You may need extra cash . . . and soon!!!  There's so many people on the Internet yelling at the top of their lungs that you need to buy their system to make money that I don't know where to turn. I thought I would share my experience with AirBnB and let you know that the hype about this company was all true--they really do deliver on their word.

I was in this situation last year when I was minimizing all my expenses and still needed extra money to pay off my credit cards so I could get out of debt faster. I pulled out all the stops to reach my goals. After selling everything I could, I knew I had to find another way to bring in some quick cash. That's when a friend told me about renting a room on AirBnB. This brought in the money needed to put me over the edge of paying off my debts. It was extremely easy to sign up.

You can find them here at https://www.airbnb.com/

Once you've signed up, clean up your room, take some pictures and voila--you may have another stream of income. You don't have to have a 4-star residence to rent a room, many people just need somewhere to stay while working in town or vacationing and they're looking for a good deal. I've had both kinds of people contact me and I've stayed at an AirBnB when attending a workshop.

Once you have signed up, cleaned up your space, take pictures and post it.

PHOTO TIPS
1. Not everything needs to be in the photo. Crop out items that are messy.
2. Use an editing program (preferably free) to create the best photograph. I use Picasa, but that is discontinued and I suppose I will have to move on to another program.
3. Take photographs in the middle of the day when it is light, but overcast. This will give you a softer light and not produce hard shadows. You'll want to show your home in the best light possible.
4. Be honest. Don't take photos of the bear that passed through your yard 5 years ago. If the bear doesn't visit nightly, don't post the picture of it. People want to see exactly what they're getting.
5. Take a photograph of each room that will be available to your guest, as well as any amenities (deck, hot tub, patio set).

AFTER YOU'VE SIGNED UP
Walk through your home and decide what you will pack away and what you will leave out. This protects you and your guest as well.

It's important to ensure your family's safety, so check locks on all areas of the house that will not be available to your guest. It's great if the visitor can have a separate entrance with their own bathroom, then they will be able to enjoy privacy and safety as well.

Play up any interesting features the home has to offer. This may be your biggest selling point. My home was a log home with a totem pole out front and many guests wanted to feel like they were truly on vacation.

MAKING YOUR GUESTS COMFORTABLE
One of my guests told me a horror story of how they stayed with a family and the father told them under no certain terms were they to mix with the family. Their room was a small little hovel at the top of the stairs and once they came into the house they were expected to stay in the room. Wow! It's important to find out all expectations before you leave on a trip.

Make guests feel as comfortable as possible. Since it is considered a bed and breakfast, provide some kind of breakfast. This doesn't mean you have to feed them a 4-course meal. You can provide coffee, some drinks and some quick breakfast snacks. Either way, it's good to communicate with your guest beforehand and ask them what they would like. Some wanted a special tea and some were happy with whatever you had on hand. Asking will help you keep your expenses as low as possible, but not to the point where your guest has a bad time and doesn't feel welcome in your home.

ALTERNATIVE IDEAS ON AirBnB
If you don't want to rent your home, consider offering an experience on AirBnB, such as a hike or bike ride. Sometimes people want to do something fun, but they don't want to go on a guided tour with 15 other people. As a local, you will have experience in the area and may know the best fishing spots or hiking trails. Some people even offer cooking classes. There may be something that you're good at that someone wants to learn so put your hobbies to work for you to earn some extra cash.

One of the good points of AirBnB is that they handle all the money. If there's an issue or complaint, they work hard to resolve it. In the end, I enjoyed my experience as a host and as a guest.

So, go forth and save $$$.

Peace Peeps,
Broke Girl