Could you use a little extra money? Well you are not alone. The still stagnant economy has left many Americans with no other choice but to pick up a part time job. But we have other ideas! If you are looking for creative ways to earn some extra money, use these tips and money making ideas to bring cash in for bills or just for fun.

Here's how to earn extra money:

Recycle metal. One of the easiest ways to make quick money is recycling. Simply save any metal objects, and take the items to a metal recycling center where they will pay you cash. Common metals with a higher value are copper (from plumbing) and aluminum (such as soda cans, foil, etc.). All items that contain metal can be recycled, this includes all household appliances, furniture, knick-knacks, etc.
Get Worms. Go out after sunset and find big night crawler worms. This may sound like an odd way to earn extra income, but most fishing or tackle shops will buy them from you. If you find this very successful, consider farming worms to increase the amount you can sell.
Take surveys. Many cities have market research panels that pay people to taste test, or try out certain items or foods. Search your city for these "panels" and you could be rewarded with an easy and fun way to earn money.
Start a shopping service. Instead of just shopping for yourself, try shopping for others and getting paid for it. Send out flyers advertising your business and wait for people to call you with their shopping lists.
Sell items on auctions site. The online auctions sites such as Ebay.com and Etsy.com have become a great means for earning additional income. You can sell anything from refrigerator magnets to cars on Ebay. And Etsy is for those who would like to sell hand-crafted items. Both sites can be a quick and easy way to generate extra cash.
Sell some books. There are a variety of websites that now pay consumers for books. This includes novels of all genres, paperbacks, and hardbound books as well as textbooks. They must be in good condition and must be on the list of tomes that the company needs.
Gather old jewelry. Gold is a commodity that is always valuable. Even broken necklaces and bracelets are worth cash. You can take these pieces to your local pawnshop and get the “scrap” metal price for the gold, other precious metals, and gems.
Be a tutor. There are students that struggle each day to grasp the subjects taught in school. Use your knowledge and skills to help by teaching these pupils in a tutoring business on the side.

Start a cleaning business. Even in this economy there is a need for housekeepers. You can offer to clean homes for a reasonable fee to consumers in your area. To gain more attention, offer services that others do not such as ironing clothes, washing laundry, and organizing spaces while you are there, then charge a small additional fee for these special jobs.

Try computer repair. If you are skilled at troubleshooting and fixing home computer problems you may be able to make extra money with this knowledge. People are always in need of a technician that can quickly fix computers and laptops. Advertise this service through flyers, business cards, and word of mouth in your town.
Become a substitute. Local schools are often looking for help. Substitute teaching can add 3 or 4 days of additional work to the week.
Do what you know. Do you have the ability to do or make something unique? If so, then you can use this to make extra money. This can include hobbies such as sewing afghans. You can sell the items that you create on websites like Etsy.com.
Write online articles. If you enjoy reading or writing in your free time, try writing articles for different websites and get paid when they get published online. Many companies will hire writers with little experience but that possess a strong ability to write. Composing a sample to submit with your application is a good idea.
Use your blog. Believe it or not, blogs can be used to make extra cash. If you have your own blog, you can increase traffic to your blog and make money by putting advertisements on the side of the page. A free program like Google AdSense pays you every time that someone clicks on one of the ads. Also, there are many sites that pay you money for every post that you make on their blog. However, most of these sites require long waiting times and don't allow for rapid-fire blogs. Check out some of the links below to get started with writing articles for money or Google AdSense.

Now you have some great ideas on how to make extra money. While these ideas do not take the place of full-time jobs, they can provide you with opportunities to make a little extra money on the side!