The financial markets got you in the dumps?  It seems to be affecting everybody around me.  Over the past few weeks, I have noticed some of my co-workers getting antsier as the hours pass by.  They keep checking the value of their accounts… keep checking their text message alerts to find the latest news on Wall St… constantly looking news clips from CNBC.com… And as they do, I watch the expression on their faces.  They appear to get lowlier and lowlier each time.

I am not sure if it is the internal optimist in me… but I refuse to let this financial crisis get me bogged down.  As much as I love finance, I seldom watch CNBC and I tend to stay away from Bloomberg.com. I figure if I intently followed the markets or read analysts predications… I’d just about drive myself to the kooky house.

Besides, I have about 20… 30 more years before I retire.  So I am sure by that time the markets would have rebounded.  And for those who have a shorter time to retire, I sincerely hope that your financial advisor cautioned you to sock your nest egg away into low risk, guaranteed return accounts long before this financial mess even began.

But even amidst this unstable economy, there are still a few things we can do to bring in a little extra income.

1 – Become a mystery shopper

Qualifications – Ability to read and write in English, have a reliable internet connection and an email account

Mystery shopping is fun. You can get free stuff… plus you pull in some extra cash while you are at it.  Mystery shoppers have cool jobs.  They are James Bond-ish in their ways.  They duck and dive around clothing racks and grocery aisles to spy on employees.  They get paid to lie, act, and be chameleons.  Well… it is not exactly like that but can be fun.  Volition has the most comprehensive list of reputable mystery shopping companies.  Plus they have a list of other things you can do to get paid.

2 – Become a online instructor

Qualifications – Have a master’s degree or doctorate, have some professional working experience or expertise, internet access

There has been an explosion in the number of educational opportunities that are offered online.  Some schools operate completely online… while others have a mix of online and ground opportunities.  Most brick and mortar schools offer some online classes and many offer complete online degree programs.  Some schools allow instructors to develop their own curriculum and some already have a pre-developed curricula.  You can find some great online teaching advice here.

3 – Become a freelancer

Qualifications – have a talent or skill that others need

Freelancing is big business.  Freelancer work as independent contactors provide a variety of services to their clients.  Services can range anywhere from financial consulting to website design.  Freelancers select their own jobs, set their own hours, negotiate their own pay and work at their own pace.  There are many sites that connect freelancers with clients.  Some of the more popular sites are GetaFreelancer, Elance and Guru.

4 – Fill out a job application at Target

Qualifications – ability to lift 50 lbs

Aside from the paycheck, the great thing about working at Target is that employees get a ten percent discount… plus tuition reimbursement, home buyer’s assistance, adoption assistance reimbursement, discounts at Sprint, Dell and FTD and other benefits.