Make Money Now by Sharing Things You Already Have - Green Idea

There is a huge movement underfoot around making money by sharing your stuff- earning green while being green!  While EBay and Craigslist were the originators of selling things online, the last few years have launched a whole new set of services that are more streamlined and appealing to specific audiences, while also making it easier to crowd-source use and sharing of existing gently used assets already available in your community.  See which of these services would work for you:

SkillShare - Teaching Others Things You Already Know
Have you mastered an art or skill that others often want to learn from you?  Why not create your own learning classroom online to help others out, while also bringing in some extra cash for your time and talent? 


Neighborgoods - Borrow What You Need and Share What You Rarely Use
Instead of buying that thing you really need right now, how about just borrowing it instead?  In most cases, you can "make money" by simply saving money and not charging big items to credit cards.


RelayRides - Share and Rent Cars With Neighbors
In major cities, where people don't even own a car to begin with, there's ZipCar sharing and rental service.  However, if you're in a suburb or remote location, there may not even be a car rental location nearby (I should tell you about my experience in South Dakota).  Maybe you have an extra car that you aren't using, but don't want to sell for those "just in case moments," and it could be earning you some extra cash.  Maybe you just need to "borrow" a car for a few hours but don't want to put your friends out- if so, this may be just the right thing for you.


Poshmark - Share, Buy, and Sell Your Clothing & Accessories
Rather than sending your worn-it-only once, or totally-last-season items to a local consignment shop or Plato's Closet, you can quickly and easily take a photo with your phone and list the closet items you're ready to part with for some extra cash.  Once you find a few people who share your size, it's like being able to raid your friend's closet and knowing that what you're seeing is going to fit and flatter your figure.

AirBnB - Rent Your Extra Rooms, Condos, and Homes
I've already shared how AirBnb made it easy for me to find a place to live in Australia, and if I had an extra room I could rent out, I'd totally list my own space because the people I've met through this service have all been great.  Some people use AirBnb to cover their entire rent and even earn extra cash by simply renting out their apartment while they travel.


Care.com - Earn by Caring for Others
Maybe you don't have anything to offer except your time, and you love helping and caring for others.  Rather than posting to local coffee shop boards, you can share your desire to help others by signing up with Care.com.  If you're looking for a last minute babysitter, weekend dogsitter, or elderly help, you'll be able to find people nearby who can help you out.  A few holidays ago we needed to find a home for our dog to live for two weeks because she wasn't doing well with a regular kennel situation- we were able to find someone on Care.com who cared for her for two weeks and for half the cost of a regular kennel.

Swap.com - Trade for videos, books, games, toys, and movies you want
 Similar to Neighborgoods, but at a national level for smaller items and items you may never want to have returned.  You can list your own, or through the valet service, have Swap.com professionally photograph and list your items for you.

Have you tried any of these services?  Do you know of any others that are great for making the most of what you already have?  Let me know in the comments!