16 Effective Money Making Tips to Survive Unemployment

With the global pandemic and lockdowns affecting almost every industry in New Zealand, a lot of people have found themselves suddenly unemployed.

When you are in between jobs can be stressful, uncertain and really affect your sense of security and self-worth.

Here 16 are effective and creative ways you can make money when you are unemployed to help you stay afloat.

1. Participate in market research focus groups & surveys

Did you know that companies will pay you just for your opinion?

Attending focus groups and filling in surveys for companies helps them to make products and services that sell so they are willing to fork out a lot of money to get information from consumers AKA you!

There are a number of websites and companies that specialise in surveys and market research which you can sign up for. When opportunities come up for focus groups or surveys that require input from someone in your demographic you will be invited to participate.

These types of surveys and focus groups usually don’t pay a huge amount and you will have to invest a lot of time to get the rewards but it is worth investigating if you want to kill time between interviews while making a bit of money.

Popular market research sites in New Zealand include:

• Nielsen’s Homescan


• Valued Opinions


• I-Say


• Prime Research


• Reid Research

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2. Investing in foreign exchange, stocks and cryptocurrency

Make your money work for you instead of you working for your money! If you have some cash in the bank why not use the time to learn about the foreign exchange, stock and cryptocurrency markets.

With new technology and apps, it is easy for anyone to become an investor and if you’re onto it you could seriously make some incredible gains.

Yes, it is risky so don’t put all your money in one place, diversify your holdings and always leave some cash in your bank. Keep an eye on trends going on in the world and in the markets and start buying and selling currency, shares and various cryptocurrency coins for a profit.

3. Deliver food

Signup to become an Uber Eats food delivery driver.

This industry is only going to grow. There is never any shortage of people who are too lazy to cook and want food delivered straight to their door (especially when all restaurants are closed!).

It’s easy to sign up, you can work when you want to and you don’t need to meet any specific vehicle requirements (like to become an Uber driver).

This is a great option to make a few extra bucks while you are in between jobs.

4. Mow lawns

I’m sure there are plenty of people in your neighbourhood who have a lawn that they would rather not mow themselves.

To get lawn mowing jobs you can sign up to become a tasker on Ezy Peazy, which is like Airtasker in New Zealand, and browse lawn mowing and other landscaping jobs.

Another option is to post in local community groups on Facebook or go old fashions and leave flyers in letterboxes letting your neighbours know you can mow their lawn for them.

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5. Babysitting

If you love kids and are a whiz around the house, babysitting or becoming a nanny could be a great option for you.

Baby sitting is an easy way to boost your income while helping out people in your community.

Ask around your network of friends and family, post in local community groups and let people know you are available to babysit their kids or take care of them after school.

If you really love children and see this as a longer-term solution, you could also explore the option of becoming a live-in nanny.

6. Dog Walking

Dog walking is a dream come true for any dog lovers out there and these days people are so busy they might not have time to walk their dogs themselves.

Put the word out in your local community that you offer dog walking services, browse tasks on EzyPeazy and start collecting new pooch clients (and pocket money!).

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7. Do the local Newspaper run

Get some early morning exercise, do something good in your community and make some extra money to tide you over.

Doing the newspaper run is a great way to help make ends meet during unemployment. You may like it so much you continue to do it even when you do find a new job!

8. Rent out a room on Airbnb

If you have a spare room in your house, list it on Airbnb and start earning some extra money to help pay your bills.

Airbnb is great for people who are visiting your home town or for short terms stays when people first move to your town or are in between houses.

If Airbnb isn’t for you could consider subletting your spare room to a permanent flatmate to help spread out your living costs.

Even if you are a renter yourself you could discuss options with your landlord to get a new flatmate.

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9. Start an eCommerce store

There’s no better time to become an entrepreneur than when you suddenly find yourself unemployed.

If you are tech-savvy you can utilise your newfound time by starting an eCommerce store. Build a website and an online store with WordPress and WooCommerce, Shopify.

If you are willing to put in some time and effort into learning how to build your own online store, it won’t actually cost you that much.The technology and platforms available to regular people today is so advanced that anyone can do it without having to hire a developer.

Research market trends and demand for online sales of products to select what you want to sell. You should also start a Facebook page and Instagram account so you can utilise social media advertising to target your ideal customers.

There will be some initial investment in your time, stock and online advertising. But start small and see where it goes!

You can make some nice pocket money and may even end up building a full-time profitable business all by yourself.

10. Resell Thrifted Items

Buying low and selling high is a simple principle that has generated incomefor people for as long as money has been around!

One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this concept is to go to your local thrift stores and sift through the junk to find the gems.

Thrift store items should only set you back $1 to $5. You can then resell your finds for a $20+ on Trademe, Facebook Marketplace or even on your own website (see point 9!).

You would be surprised by how much income you can generate by doing this!

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11. Sell Your Stuff

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

You might be sitting on a gold mine and not even realise it! You no doubt have collected a lot of valuable items over the years that you perhaps don’t use or need anymore.

Being unemployed is the perfect time to have a huge clear out and start fresh.

Go through all of your stuff from clothes, shoes, electronics,jewellery, appliances, homeware and books and identify what you can sell.

Take a bunch of pictures and start listing your stuff on Trademe.

Even if you sell 20 things for $10, that’s $200 pure profit right there!

You will be shocked at how much it will add up. Plus you are providing other people with amazing bargains and doing the environment a huge favour by recycling your belongings.

12. Buy & Sell Domain Names

Did you know you can flip domain names just like you can flip cars?

All you have to do is going to a website domain registration site like GoDaddy, purchase the cheapest domain names you think might be needed by a person or business one day.

Then all you have to do is wait for someone who needs it and sell it to them for a profit.

This one is a bit of a gamble, you might come out with nothing or strike gold. There’s not much to lose so it’s worth a shot!

13. Sign up to be an extra on movies & TV Shows

Want to be on TV? Well, you can!

This is a fun way to make some extra income while you are in between jobs.TV shows and movies are always in need of extras to fill up their screens, plus you don’t need to be a professional actor with experience to nab a role as an extra.

Shows like Shortland Street are constantly looking for extras to play sick patients, sit in waiting rooms or to just be walking in the background.

The pay is pretty decent, you will have a new experience and maybe even meet some celebs!

Agencies like BGT Actors & Models and Fresh Talent are great options to apply for to get started.

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14. Become a handyman

If you are an expert on DIY, a Mr Fix It and have a great set of tools,taking up work as a handyman is a great way to make money while you are unemployed.

You can decide what jobs you want to take, making it flexible and you can charge a decent hourly rate & call-out fees.

A great place to start is by signing up as Tasker on ezy peazy, browse through our selection of Handyman tasks and start applying.

You can also post in local groups, put an ad in the local newspaper or drop flyers into letterboxes to find work.

15. Get a job in hospitality

The hospitality industry is a great place to pick up casual work while you are unemployed to help make ends meet.

Cafes and restaurants notoriously have a high staff turn over and so are always on the lookout for new staff. Plus a lot of places will take you on even if you have little to no experience in the industry.

You can work part-time, evenings and weekends which can fit in nicely around your job applications and interviews.

Hospitality can be hard work, but it can also be a whole lot of fun and you are bound to make some amazing new friends.

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16. Pick Fruit

Picking fruit is a favourite way for travellers to fund their backpacking trip to New Zealand while they are here.

Now that all the foreigners on work visas have fled the country there is a shortage of people working as fruit pickers on our farms, meaning this could be a great option for you to make good money while between jobs.

The work is physically demanding, but it pays well and is seasonal(meaning it will end!).

There you have 16 effective money-making tips to survive unemployment.

Losing your job doesn’t mean you need to go broke. With a bit of creativity and thinking outside of the box, you can easily make money in so many different ways to help you not only survive but thrive in unemployment.