Can You Really Be Gainfully Unemployed?

Recently, I heard the term "gainfully unemployed" and wondered what it meant. On the surface, it seemed easy. After all I know what unemployed means, but it was the "gainful" that had me stumped. It took a few moments, but then I realized that we often talk about people being either gainfully employed or unemployed. However, the truth is that there are many of people out there who have lost their jobs but have used their time being out of work to find other ways to earn money - thus gainfully unemployed.

With the job market being so tough for the past couple of years, many people have been forced to re-think they way that they view employment. It used to be clear - you work for person or company in exchange for job security, a steady paycheck and benefits. The trade made sense. Now, however, the trade doesn't look so good. For one, job security is a thing of the past. No matter how good you do your job, you could still be laid off, downsized or otherwise out of a job. Because of this, no paycheck is a sure thing and fewer companies offer benefits.

There are some people who even find that working for themselves is more secure and more lucrative than working at a traditional job. For example, working several side jobs can offer more security because they diversify the income stream. If one of those side jobs ends, it's not such a big deal, because you still have two others to provide some income until you can replace it.

If you've thought about leaving the traditional workforce and joining the ranks of the gainfully unemployed, here are a few ways you could try to make or save money:

Arts and crafts - Assess your talents. If you are especially crafty or love to knit, consider selling your goods on a website like Etsy, renting a booth at a craft fair or even teach a how-to class. Since you aren't spending all of your time working all day, you can devote more time and energy into turning your hobby into a money making venture.

Grow your own food and sell it too - Look around your area and see what your options are for growing your own food and even selling your wares to others. For example, if you had the time and space, you could grow a garden, keep bees or catch fish. In my local area, the crabs are plentiful. After spending a couple hours crabbing, I could sell two dozen for a nice bit of change or take them home and have a crab feast for free. Either way, you can save a lot of money on your grocery bill.

Temporary work - Depending on where you live, there are different types of jobs that are seasonal. If you live near a tree farm, they may hire temporary help before the holiday season, or if you live in a resort area, there may be lots of summer work. Doing part-time, or even full-time temporary work is a great way to earn some money without being committed to a job for a long period of time.

Manual labor - Painting houses, baking-for-hire or doing handy man jobs can be a great way to earn some money. Dog walking and other jobs can also be a lot of fun. Depending on your skill level and your social network, you may find that you can make enough doing these jobs to take care of your bills.

Freelance work - If you have a specialized skill, you might be be to do it on a freelance basis. Writers, web designers and others do it all the time. All you have to do is figure out what you have to offer and market your skills. Even if you don't make a ton of money at first, when combined with other income streams, it can really add up.

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