Last week, we talked about saving money and welcoming Spring on a budget. However, wouldn’t it be nice to have a little additional money as a cushion during the spring months? This week I’ll point out a bunch of great ways to make some money when warmer weather rolls around.

Spring cleaning, for me at least, is an ongoing adventure. I try to focus on one area or job per week. (Last weekend, I waged war against my closets and drawers. I’m not sure who was victorious, but I came out with two whole large trash bags full of clothing for Goodwill.) While Spring cleaning will give you more space and lessen the clutter in your home, it is also a great opportunity to make some money on the side. Here are a few easy ways to do it:

Host a Yard Sale

Here are some general ways to make your yard sale successful:

• Use sites like Garage Sale Tracker to advertise your sale for free. With this site, you can even add images for free and change your date at no additional cost.
• Be sure to be organized and ahead of schedule. Think about things like pricing, duration, sorting, labels, etc. well before the big day.
• Place some music that will entertain your crowd.
• Sell drinks and baked goods to keep your potential buyers sustained. Don’t price these too high, however, as the main focus should be selling your stuff. Selling food and drink is just another way to help move the product.
• Be prepared with various change including plenty of singles, fives and tens as well as quarters, nickels and dimes.
• Check out these tips from Want What You Have and these tips from Frugal Dad for preparing a truly successful yard sale.

Or, you could take yard and garage sales a step further and…

Be a Garage Sale Planner

Would you consider yourself to be an expert garage or yard sale planner at this point? Well, many people out there are most certainly not, and these people could probably use your help in organizing the most effective and lucrative sale possible. Whether you charge a fixed rate or a percentage is up to you, but you can help people with the basic legwork needed, i.e. advertising, to create a successful yard sale.

Sell Unwanted Items Online

Wondering what to do with the leftovers from your yard sale? You don’t have to dump them in a donation bin just yet. Treat the internet as an extension of your yard sale. You can post items on Craigslist, Amazon or Ebay and barter with people online much like you would at a garage sale. Here’s a great tip from eHow:

Do not put a category of items as a bulk item. For example, if you have designer purses, list each one individually versus trying to sell the lot together. Create an individual listing for each purse and sell each individually. It helps to boost views to your other items listed by mentioning them and posting a link or two.

Do Some Yard Work for Others

Looking to pick up some extra cash by extending help to the people of your neighborhood (or even the people of a nearby neighborhood)? There are probably plenty of people close by who could use the services of someone with a lawn mower, for example. Or maybe an elderly neighbor needs help with planting flowers or tending to a garden? The possibilities for picking up a low-commitment outdoor job in spring are many and varied. Check out a few ways that you can find an odd job for Spring:

• Odd Job Nation: use this self-proclaimed “ultimate resource for today’s growing army of part-time opportunists” to look for an odd job that’s available in your area.
• Craigslist: browse Craigslist to find people who are offering one-time and part-time job opportunities.
• Local Small Garden Operations: have a green thumb? Take some pictures of your impressive garden and bring them to a local small gardening operation in your area. Ask them if they need seasonal help.
• Sell Your Produce at Farmers’ Markets: gather what produce you have grown and sell it others. All you have to do is go to your local farmers’ market and seek out the Market Master. This person will be able to tell you about rules, laws and fees and help you to get started with selling. You could also try calling City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce to find out how to contact the Market Master.

Be a Dog Walker

Anyone can be a dog walker. All you really need is a passion for animals and the desire to get a bit of a workout. While some people do this as a career, you can definitely get a temporary job walking dogs. Head over to DogWalker.com for some excellent advice on getting started.

Here are a few things to think about before you begin:

• Be sure to research city guidelines for dog walkers in your city.
• Set a price list that you will stick to when you offer your services.
• Decide how long the walks will be and if you’ll include anything else (i.e. basic dog training).
• Put together some references (people who know that you are great with animals).
• Get some start up supplies like a pooper scooper, dog toys, dog treats, business cards and flyers.

Sell Your Hair

Spring is a great time for fresh starts, so why not consider getting a dramatic haircut? With temperatures hopefully on the rise, you won’t necessarily need tons of hair to keep your head warm. If you have 10 or more inches of hair to spare, you could consider selling your hair for a profit online.

What are some other strategies that you can think of for making some extra money during Spring? We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks for being a Tip Hero!

Additional Sources: eHow and Financial Highway

Photo credit: sneakerdog, jo-h and Kristine Paulus