Nothing is quite as terrifying as being unable to work due to injury. Sadly, it’s a common occurrence for many people, especially those working physical jobs where injuries prevent you from being able to continue working.
In some instances, people aren’t able to earn money during injury recovery when a delay in workers’ compensation benefits or a lack of sick pay forces injured people to find other sources of income.
Of course, working with an injury limits the types of jobs available. Not only is it impossible to do much work involving manual labour, but you also may need to consider whether the work will make the injury worse or if it’s even possible considering the physical pain and possible side-effects of medication.
Fortunately, there are alternative options available for earning extra cash when you or a loved one are injured. The Internet has opened many new avenues of work that were previously unavailable, many of which don’t require much strenuous effort and can be done when recovering from an injury.
Worried about making ends meet after being injured? Here are four ways to earn extra cash while recovering from your injury:
1. Rent out a spare room
Obviously, the ability to rent out a spare room depends on the availability of space in your home, but if you have a free room that’s going unused then temporarily renting it out can be a good way to make some extra cash while you recover. Websites such as Airbnb have made it easy for property owners to rent out their spare rooms or basements to generate revenue.
Bear in mind there will be strangers coming and going from your home, which can be a rather daunting prospect, although many are friendly tourists simply seeking an affordable room during a trip. People living near major cities are more likely to make good cash from renting a room, but it’s possible to list a spare room anywhere in the country.
You can even look into hiring a professional service to take care of the cleaning. All you have to do is sit back, relax and recover from your injuries while making an earning from your spare room.
2. Consider seeking compensation
If your injury was caused by an accident at work or from someone else, there’s a chance you can seek monetary compensation for your injury. Personal injury attorneys will know whether you have grounds for compensation and if it’s worth pursuing as a claim.
With a good lawyer, you could receive a large cash payment to cover your medical fees and loss of earnings caused by the injury. Yes, they will take a cut of the compensation for their services, but the ability to secure a cash settlement from the at fault party while you recover can be very worthwhile.
Plus, in many cases, a personal injury lawyer offer a free consultation and work on a contingency fee bases. This means you shouldn’t have to pay a penny unless your case is successful.
3. Buy and sell online
Many people make a full-time income buying and selling products on the Internet like eBay, Craigslist and Etsy. Consider trying your hand at online buying and selling to see if you can make some profit. It helps to have an understanding of specific products, such as furniture, clothing, or electronics, as you’ll have a good idea of the overall value of products.
Also, check your local Goodwill, thrift stores, and flea markets to see if you can snap up some cheap bargains to flip online for a profit.
Etsy is another great website for selling handmade products, so if you have a knack for crocheting, painting or other crafts, then you could try selling them for extra cash.
Moreover, if you’re having to spend a lot of time resting as you recover, you could teach yourself a new craft with the eventual goal of selling it online. Again, the Internet has countless resources to learn stuff for free, so take advantage and start crafting things to sell.
4. Become an online consultant or writer
The Internet isn’t just good for selling products — you can also sell services as an online consultant. Again, you’ll need a useful skill that people are willing to pay for consultancy on, but most people have more skills worth selling than they realize.
For instance, if you’re a decent writer you could offer writing consultancy and coaching services online. Many people want to learn how to develop their writing skills and are willing to pay for it, so never overlook your ability to provide a good writing service.
Or maybe you’re better with numbers or have a background in finance. In this case, consider offering accounting or auditing consulting services.
All of these ideas are income generating options that can easily be done from from the comfort of your home. The amount of work required will vary on the level of service or product you offer, but in most cases you can expect to make some decent amount of cash while you recover.