Strangest Ways I've Earned Money

A friend and I talked about how there are many "alternative" routes for every more "traditional" career path. Until I made this list, I didn't realize how many times I've gone far off the beaten path.. and these are only the ways I thought worth writing about.

1 - traded an iPod for a friend’s CD collection; most sold for 5 or so but quite a few sold for more than $20-30

2 - filming an illegal showing of a boxing match with a hidden camera

3 - taking photos of local restaurants and businesses with my smart phone

4 - playing lifeguard for student pilots and working on a sailboat while waiting for my own flight training

5 - DJ’ng for Argentine tango events and performing with my Swedish partner for a Latino association (oh, did I mention that I’m Chinese..)

6 - climbing on top of shopping malls and office buildings

7 - sold a five dollar bill for over $275

8 - drove over 350 miles to film a guy talking

9 - getting my (fake) arm torn off for a music video

Black Keys / RZA "Baddest Man Alive" via YouTube

10 - stumbling upon a church event in Little Italy of New York City, where I won money as a minor (to this day I’m still not sure how legal that was..)

BONUS: I get paid to talk to foreign students; while we do “lessons,” we mostly pick topics of interest and discuss things like “why True Detective and Big Bang Theory are awesome shows?” or “what can Freakonomics teach us about the connection between drug dealers and Hollywood?”

How about you? What are some of the oddest ways you've made a buck or two?

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