7 ways to find unclaimed money

Nowadays, we could all use a little bit of extra cash. However, many people have no idea that unclaimed money is waiting with their name on it. In state treasuries alone, 1 in 10 people are owed money from places like banks, former employers and unclaimed tax refunds. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you might be eligible for free dough.

1. Did Your Bank Recently Close?
Once a financial institution fails, the FDIC takes over and is responsible for paying insured deposits and the liquidation of remaining assets. If you did not claim your funds when the bank closed, you still can. “If your bank was never bought out by another bank, there is likely money out there for the bank account holder or power of attorney,” says Marcia Keppy, an unclaimed property expert and asset protection specialist. You can search for unclaimed funds in your name at www2.FDIC.gov/Funds/Index.asp.

2. Did Your Credit Union Fail?
When a credit union with federal insurance is liquidated, the National Credit Union Administration’s Asset Management and Assistance Center is responsible for paying the share accounts to members. Due to uncashed checks or incomplete addresses, some of the money remains unclaimed. If you think the National Credit Union Administration may have funds in your name, contact its Asset Management and Assistance Center at 512-231-7900.

3. Do You Have an FHA-Insured Mortgage?
Then you might be eligible for a refund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Find out if there’s a refund for you at HUD.gov/Offices/HSG/comp/refunds/index.cfm.

4. Are You a Former Employee of a Company That Went Out of Business?
If a company you worked for went belly-up, you may still be eligible for any pension earned while you were there. When a company goes out of business, the pension plan is generally transferred to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). “The company should contact the former employees, but it just depends,” says Keppy. If the company doesn’t reach out to you, you can check the Missing Participants service at PBGC to see if any money is owed to you at https://Search.PBGC.gov/mp/mp.aspx.

5. Did You Not Receive Your Tax Refund Earlier This Year?
If you have not received your tax refund, it could be due to an incorrect address. There could be other reasons as well. “If you recently got a divorce or a close family member passed away, the IRS could still have an unclaimed tax refund on file,” says Keppy. Visit IRS.gov to claim it.

6. Could You Possibly Have Unclaimed Property in Your State?
Over $32 billion in unclaimed property is currently being safeguarded by state treasurers and agencies. Unclaimed property refers to accounts in financial institutions and companies that have been inactive or had no contact with the owner for over a year. It includes savings or checking accounts, uncashed payroll checks, certificates of deposit, stocks and more. Every U.S. state has unclaimed property programs that help find the rightful owners. “If you’re over 40 or if you’ve moved often, you’re more likely to have unclaimed property,” says Keppy. Also, if your parents have passed away, be sure to check their names. Go to MissingMoney.com to do a free search for money that might be due to you.

7. Do You Qualify for Government Benefit and Assistance Programs?
If you’ve been affected by a disaster or disability, need help with child care or health care, or require tax or living assistance, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the government. Go to GovBenefits.gov and search for specific benefits or take a questionnaire to find out which program(s) you may qualify for.

Traits that billionaires have in common

Want to become a tech titan or hedge fund tycoon? Up your chances by dropping out of college or going to Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs.

Are billionaires born or made? What are the common attributes among the uber-wealthy? Are there any true secrets of the self-made?

We get these questions a lot, and decided it was time to go beyond the broad answers of smarts, ambition and luck by sorting through our database of wealthy individuals in search of bona fide trends. We analyzed everything from entrepreneurs' parents' professions to where they went to school, their track records in the early stages of their careers and other experiences that may have set them on the path to extreme wealth.

Our admittedly unscientific study of the self-made members of the Forbes 400 yielded some interesting results.

First, a significant percentage of them had parents with a high aptitude for math. The ability to crunch numbers is crucial to becoming a billionaire, and mathematical prowess is hereditary. Some of the most common professions among the parents of Forbes 400 members (for whom we could find the information) were engineer, accountant and small-business owner.

Consistent with the rest of the population, more American billionaires and near-billionaires were born in the fall than in any other season. However, relatively few of them were born in December, historically the month with the eighth-highest birth rate.

Of the 274 self-made tycoons on the Forbes 400, 14% either never started or never completed college. The number of precocious college dropouts is highest among those who forged careers as technology entrepreneurs: Bill Gates of Microsoft (MSFT), Steve Jobs of Apple (AAPL), Michael Dell of Dell (DELL), Larry Ellison of Oracle (ORCL) and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.

Forbes 400 members who derive their fortunes from finance make up one of the most highly educated sub-groups: half of them have graduate degrees. Roughly 70% of those with M.B.A.s obtained their master's degrees from one of three Ivy League schools: Harvard, Columbia or the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

Goldman Sachs (GS) has attracted a large share of hungry minds that went on to garner 10-figure fortunes. At least 11 current and recent billionaire financiers worked at Goldman or one of it subsidiaries early in their careers, including Edward Lampert, David Tepper, Daniel Och and Leon Cooperman.

Several Forbes 400 members suffered bitter professional setbacks early in their careers that heightened their fear of failure. Pharmaceutical tycoon R.J. Kirk's first venture was a flop--an experience he regrets but appreciates. "Failure early on is a necessary condition for success, though not a sufficient one," he told Forbes in 2007.

According to a statement read by Phil Falcone during a congressional hearing in November 2008, his botched buyout of a company in Newark, N.J., in the early 1990s taught him "several valuable lessons that have had a profound impact upon my success as a hedge fund manager."

Several current and former billionaires rounded out their Yale careers as members of Skull and Bones, the secret society portrayed with enigmatic relish by Hollywood in movies like The Skulls and W. Among those who were inducted: investor Edward Lampert, Blackstone co-founder Stephen Schwarzman, and FedEx (FDX) founder Frederick Smith.

© Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Parents Had Math-Related Careers

The ability to crunch numbers is typically a key to becoming a billionaire. Often, mathematical prowess is hereditary. Some of the most common professions among the parents of American billionaires for whom we could find that information were engineer, accountant and small-business owner.

© Brooke Slezak/Getty Images

September Birthdays

Of the 380 self-made American tycoons who have appeared on the Forbes list of the World's Billionaires in the past three years, 42 were born in September--more than in any other month.

© iStockphoto

Tech Titans Who Dropped Out of College

Forget everything your guidance counselor told you: You don't have to go to college to be successful. Close to 15% of the self-made American moguls on the Forbes 400 never finished college. Many of the list's drop-outs made their fortunes in tech, including Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Michael Dell (Dell), Larry Ellison (Oracle) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook).

Skull and Bones

Several current and former billionaires rounded out their Yale careers as members of Skull and Bones, the secret society portrayed with enigmatic relish by Hollywood in movies like The Skulls and W. Among those who were inducted: investor Edward Lampert, Blackstone co-founder Stephen Schwarzman and FedEx founder Frederick Smith.

© Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Goldman Sachs

A stint at investment bank Goldman Sachs is a prime credential for achieving greatness on Wall Street. Of the 61 tycoons on our list who derive their fortunes from finance, at least six cut their teeth in Goldman's investment banking, trading, or asset management divisions. The company's crown jewel: its "risk arbitrage" unit, which launched the careers of billionaires Edward Lampert and Daniel Och, as well as former billionaires Tom Steyer and Richard Perry.

Get Paid By Riding Your Own Car

How it works

Here's the basic premise of the "paid to drive" concept: A company seeks people -- regular citizens, not professional drivers -- to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big ad plastered on their car. The ads are typically vinyl decals, also known as "auto wraps," that almost seem to be painted on the vehicle, and which often cover a large portion of the car's exterior surface.

The car owner is then compensated, usually a few hundred dollars per month, which is essentially a "rental" payment for letting the company use that space. In the past, there's also been a "free car" version of this concept. The company provided the driver with a new, prewrapped car. In this situation, the drivers usually didn't get any cash; their payment amounted to the free use of a new car. However, companies quickly discovered that giving away a bunch of free cars didn't make economic sense, so few still take this approach, says Drew Livingston, president of Free Car Media in Los Angeles.

What does the company get out of this type of ad strategy? Lots of exposure. The auto wraps tend to be colorful and eye-catching and attract lots of attention. Plus, it's a form of advertising with a captive audience, meaning people who are stuck in traffic and can't avoid seeing the wrapped car alongside them, Livingston says.

The companies usually select drivers who live in desirable locations such as high-traffic, urban areas. A company's ideal driver can vary depending upon the target demographic they want to reach, according to Brandon Clarke of DrivenMedia, a Phoenix-based advertising company that specializes in creating branded vehicle campaigns for clients. For example, a tech or electronics company may seek drivers who live on or near college campuses, so as to gain exposure with the college crowd.

The vehicles in these programs are often equipped with GPS tracking devices, so the companies can make sure the drivers spend sufficient time in the desired areas.

'Paid to drive' primetime

Paid-to-drive programs were very popular five to 10 years ago. Gas was cheaper, and people were spending more time on the road. There were plenty of Web sites devoted to these programs, including many fee-charging sites that acted as a middleman and promised to connect willing drivers with companies seeking vehicles for their ads.

Then, fuel prices spiked and people weren't spending as much time in their cars, Clarke says. At the same time, online advertising became the rage.

Current opportunities

Still, there are opportunities out there, if you know where to look.

Livingston says his company's client companies still have plenty of campaigns running nationwide. Business slowed slightly right before the recession but returned when the economy started going south.

"Consumers are seeking ways to make money, while companies are cutting back on spending for television campaigns and looking for more affordable advertising strategies," Livingston says.

On average, Livingston's clients put about 800 to 1,000 wrapped cars on the road.

Like other similar companies, Free Car Media serves as a matchmaker. Interested consumers register at MyFreeCar.com and then are notified when they meet the criteria a client seeks in potential drivers.

Drivers are paid an average of $700 to $900 per month, with campaigns usually running a few months long. Drivers use their own cars which are fitted with the wrap. "They don't actually get a free car," Livingston says. "But the monthly payment is generally enough to cover their auto expenses like car payment, gas, etc., for the month, so that's where the name comes from."

It doesn't cost anything for drivers to sign up, and Livingston warns people to avoid any sites that do charge a fee.

"There are a lot of unscrupulous companies that want to charge you $20, $30 or more when you can get this information yourself for free. I get calls on a weekly basis from people who are upset because they were scammed," he says. Livingston says that anyone who is directed to his site after paying a fee to another service should demand a refund.

Adding to the confusion, many of the sites -- legitimate and questionable -- have very similar names, often some variation of the words "free" and "car." So it's important to check out the Web site carefully, watching for any mention of fees or membership costs.

Finding drivers

Clarke says his company puts a lot of effort into recruiting brand influencers, or drivers who are a perfect fit for the client's target audience.

"Recent engagements have focused on family-oriented and consumer driven advertisers who are generally trying to create awareness within a specific region among active moms with active families," Clarke says, adding that busy soccer moms would make perfect driver candidates for these campaigns. "With active families being such a coveted demographic, incorporating their vehicles is ideal since they're getting tremendous exposure parked in the pick-up line at school, at the Saturday morning soccer games, etc."

There are important criteria for driving candidates. "Background, driving record, employment verification, personal interview, as well as having mandatory minimum auto insurance coverage are part of the vetting process," Clarke says. "We're also looking to incorporate an online personality assessment tool and a short online defensive driving course."

Interested drivers can sign up for opportunities at Drivenmediaonline.com. "We compensate drivers within a range of $300 to $500 per month, with incentives and other engagements that allow them to earn more," Clarke says. "Our typical campaign lasts three to six months, with the time frame and vehicle type being the primary factors for determining their monthly compensation."

5 ways to save $500 every month

Challenged by the current financial crisis and recessionary woes? While the world is watching Wall Street, many of us are struggling to preserve our own checkbook on Main Street.

There doesn’t appear to be a quick fix for the economy, but there are some things you can start doing today that will have a real impact on your personal finances as well as the health of the environment.

We’ve found five easy changes that you can make which will save you $500 or more each month, all while helping to conserve energy and reduce waste.

1. Share a ride: Save $50.

Car-pooling can save a boatload of money, and you don’t have to own a new model hybrid to realize the savings either (although it would be a big plus).

Let’s say your current vehicle gets a fuel mileage that’s middle-of-the-road for today’s averages or about 23 miles per gallon. Let’s also assume that your daily two-way commute is 40 miles per day, five days per week.

At today's gas prices, your average cost of solo driving is about $94 per month. However, if you share the task of driving to work with just one other person, you could save as much as $50 each month. Commute with three people and your savings will go up to more than $60 per month.

Here’s how:

Locate available commuters at work through the use of email lists and company bulletin boards. Check with your neighbors and friends to see if you can coordinate scheduling. In addition, see if your employer will allow you to work from home one day a week or stack your schedule to work 40 hours in four days instead of five.

2. Go with a lower flow: Save $48.

The average American household runs four, eight-minute showers per day, requiring about 20 gallons of heated water at the rate of 2.5 gallons going down the drain per minute per person. Instead of turning the main water valve off on your kids when eight minutes are up, you can reduce the water output from your showerhead to save on energy costs.

Here’s how:

Install a newer low-flow showerhead to reduce your hot water consumption to 1.59 gallons or less per minute per shower. If you’re concerned about sacrificing water pressure, don’t be. Today’s efficient low-flow showerheads preserve water and pressure by mixing air with the water flow. They’re also easy to install yourself, so there’s no need to hire a professional.

3. Brown bag your lunch: Save $60

Buying your lunch every day during the workweek can seriously dent your budget. Even when exercising frugality, the average cost of a meal and drink comes to at least $6 per day or $120 each month.

According to the U.S. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, bringing lunch to work costs about 45-50 percent less than buying it. That means you can pare down your workweek lunch expense to less than $15 per week.

Here’s how:

Buy only what you’ll consume during the workweek to avoid wasting food by the weekend. In addition, select a variety of sandwich fixings, whole grain breads, and ready-to-go fresh fruit and vegetables to avoid boredom. Rinse and reuse sandwich bags to reduce waste and save even more. Alternately, tote your lunch in glass or reusable containers whenever possible. Use a cloth bag or a shopping bag that’s easy to reuse.

4. Wake up, smell the coffee: Save $98

Wake up, smell the coffee, and save almost $100. However, do it in your own kitchen. If you begin your daily grind by picking up your morning brew from a coffee shop, you’re spending about $2.45 per day for most foamy concoctions, more if you typically go for super-sized or signature varieties. The second cup to get you over the afternoon hump brings this spending figure up to $98 each month.

Making your coffee at home will run about $0.12-0.28 per cu -- small beans compared to store-bought. Assuming the higher end of that estimate calculates to just $1.40 per week or $5.60 each month. For that sweet price, you can afford to take a refill to the office in a reusable travel mug ($11.20 per month) for a later pick-me-up.

Here’s how:

Invest in a no-frills coffeemaker ($15 and up), if you don’t already own one. Coffee prices vary, but even fair-trade, organic coffee can be found for less than $15 a pound. The cost of a splash of milk or flavored creamer is minimal. Keeping the disposable coffee cup out of landfill: priceless.

5. Stay home for dinner: Save $252

Stay home for dinner and save $252. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American households spend an average of $3,034 a year on take-out food and dining at restaurants. Curbing this habit will not only save you money, but will also reduce the amount of plastic and Styrofoam containers being tossed into the trash.

Here’s how:

Plan meals ahead. You should know what’s for dinner before lunchtime rolls around, or you’ll be more likely to pull out the take-out menus. Also, take advantage of leftovers from home-cooked meals by freezing them for another night’s meal. However, you may be able to realize even greater savings.

For instance, if there is more than one person in your household taking coffee and a bagged lunch each day, or carpooling to work, then the additional contributors will increase your monthly savings.

You can also feel good about the fact that these simple strategies are good for the environment. For each money-saving action you commit to undertake, you’ll be helping to reduce energy and disposable waste every day. And, if you can save this much each month doing it, just imagine the effect your actions will have year after year.

Living Healthily on Without Spending Much

Health Care

It's possible to save on health care, but skipping regular checkups and screenings to avoid an insurance co-pay isn't one of them, said Dr. Thomas J. Weida, professor in the Penn State College of Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Those checkups and screenings are meant to look for health problems that, if nipped in the bud, will cost a lot less to treat than if they're allowed to get worse. "It's almost like a leak in a pipe," Weida said. "It usually doesn't go away by itself, and it can only get bigger. It's a lot easier to treat things earlier than later."

Strategies that Weida suggests for cutting health-care costs include:

• Discuss switching to cheaper medications. "If they're on chronic medicines, they should have a talk with their doctor about switching to cheaper alternatives or cutting back on dosage or number of pills," he said. "I'll often try to work with patients to see what I can get for them on these $4 prescription lists that some chains offer."
• Stay out of the emergency department. "That chews up a lot of money," Weida said. "Having an established family doc is critical to doing that. If you go into the emergency room with a cough, bringing up yellow mucus, you're almost always going to get a chest X-ray. I may treat you but say, 'Hey, if you're not getting better in a few days, give me a call and maybe we need an X-ray.' That's because I have the benefit of follow-up."
• Treat colds and flu at home. "A lot of what we see are colds and viruses and flu and things like that," Weida said. "If that is following its usual course with you, then you probably don't need to see the doc on that. Come see your doc if you are experiencing worse symptoms or different symptoms."
• Call for advice. "Sometimes just a phone call asking the doc handles the question," Weida said. "We do a lot of advice over the phone."

Diet

Cutbacks can be made in the food arena, too. "You can eat healthy and still stay on a budget," said Bethany Thayer, a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "It just takes a little bit of extra planning and a little bit of extra thought."

Thayer's advice includes:

• Prepare more of your own food. "Make as much as you can from scratch because the prepackaged foods are often the most expensive," she said.
• Have a plan at the supermarket. "Don't go to the grocery story hungry, and go with a list," she said. "These things can help you stay on track."
• Take advantage of seasonal produce. "Produce that's in-season is going to be a little bit cheaper than off-season produce," Thayer said. "Also, when buying perishables, make sure you're only buying what you're going to consume. If it's on special but you buy more than you'll consume, you haven't really saved any money."
• Stockpile non-perishables. Thayer suggests stocking up on canned foods when they're on sale. "Fruits and vegetables can sometimes be cheaper because they'll last longer than the fresh," she said. "Buying food in bulk is good if it doesn't spoil before you use it."
• Buy inexpensive sources of needed nutrients. "Beans are a very inexpensive source of protein and fiber, and very versatile," Thayer said. "There are many varieties of beans, and you can do many things with them." Popcorn and oatmeal are inexpensive grain options, and nonfat dry milk is a cheap source of dairy and "a great thing to have on hand," Thayer said. "It's inexpensive, and it's got shelf life. You just mix it up when you need it."

Exercise

You don't need a pricey gym membership to keep fit, said Michael Esco, an exercise physiology instructor at Auburn University Montgomery in Alabama.

"The thing people need to realize is for general health, physical activity is what's recommended," Esco said. "That's any bodily movement that results in energy expenditure. For health, we don't really have to go to the gym."

To keep physically fit on the cheap, Esco recommends that people:

• Buy a pedometer. A simple device, which can be bought for less than $20, can spur more activity. "Studies find that just by wearing the pedometer, people walk an extra mile to two miles a day," Esco said.
• Get a jump-rope. "It's a less-expensive device that can really get your heart rate up," he said. "You can achieve a comparable workout to what a gym would give you."
• Buy a bicycle trainer. The equipment turns a regular bike into a stationary bike and can be tucked away when not in use. "For $100 or less, you can have a stationary bike with a bike you've just got laying around," Esco said.
• Use your own body weight, or cheap alternatives, as resistance. "People can go a long way doing push-ups, sit-ups and body weight squats," Esco said. Heavy cans of vegetables, bottles filled with water or sand and inexpensive elastic bands also can provide weight resistance.
• Purchase a physioball. "You can do all sorts of exercises with these balls: push-ups, crunches, squats," Esco said. "Those are also cheap, less than $40."

5 of the Best Work-From-Home Jobs

Web Designer

Working as a Web designer requires a good grasp of graphics and design. As a Web designer, you'll spend hours in front of a computer keyboard as you work with the day-to-day creation and maintenance of websites. A Web designer must be able to handle several tasks at once, have excellent communication skills, display the ability to work in a team on large projects, and be prompt in delivery of promised work.

Though there is no absolute minimum of education required to work as a Web designer, the business is highly competitive, so those with associate's degrees or higher in Web design or a related field will have better chances of advancement. Having a great deal of relevant work experience on your resume will help you stand out from the crowd, no matter the degree you hold.

Salary: Web designers made an average of $71,510 per year in 2007. (Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Bookkeeper

The job of a bookkeeper is to keep track of financial records. This requires minute attention to detail, a good working knowledge of financial matters, and the ability to put it all together into reports and spreadsheets. Bookkeepers might also handle payroll, manage multiple accounts, order items, and generate invoices.

Bookkeepers must have a strong knowledge of computer software as well as an understanding of financial industries. Training on the job is essential to keep up with constantly changing laws and procedures. While a high school diploma is required for entry positions, some higher-paying jobs require an associate's degree in finance or accounting. Certification is not required, but is helpful for advancement.

Salary: $31,560 was the median salary a bookkeeper could expect in 2007.

Computer Programmer

Writing, testing, and maintaining computer programs is the primary job of the computer programmer. They are responsible for creating programs that instruct computers to perform a specific task. The exact nature of the work depends upon the employer. For instance, writing programs for air traffic controllers is very different from writing financial programs. Computer programmers must have sharp attention to detail, the ability to work with multiple programming languages, and the desire to see a job through from start to finish.

A bachelor's degree is required for the vast majority of computer programming positions, though an associate's degree might be enough for some entry-level jobs. Continuing education is required in order to keep up with new advances in computer technology.

Salary: Computer programmers made a median salary of $68,080 in 2007.

Customer Service Representative

Being a customer service representative requires good communication skills, the ability to think creatively, and a great deal of patience. Customer service representatives work as the point of contact between the customer and the company and are often asked to deal with complaints or resolve problems. Customer service representatives who work at home must be proficient with computers, have a dependable phone line and fax machine, and be knowledgeable about company products and procedures.

The competition for good customer service representatives is very strong, so although only a high school diploma is required for some positions, an associate's or bachelor's degree in sales and marketing is recommended. Speaking multiple languages is a plus.

Salary: $29,040 was the average take-home pay of a customer service representative in 2007.

Medical Transcriptionist

The job of medical transcriptionist involves a lot of listening and typing. Medical transcriptionists listen to doctor's notes on a headset and type out the information, editing for clarity when necessary. Their duties might include medical discharge orders, autopsy reports, referral letters, consultation notes, and the like. The medical transcriptionist must have a good working knowledge of medical jargon and the ability to convey information with the utmost accuracy.

To become a medical transcriptionist, an associate's degree or one-year diploma from a medical transcriptionist training program is recommended. Being familiar with medical jargon is a plus.

Salary: Medical transcriptionists brought home a salary of $31,250 per year in 2007.

While these jobs are traditionally office jobs, modern technology can allow you to perform all of these jobs from home. More companies are realizing the numerous benefits from allowing their employees to work from home. Education and career training is available for the jobs that will feed your desire to work from the comfort of your own home.

Web Designer

Working as a Web designer requires a good grasp of graphics and design. As a Web designer, you'll spend hours in front of a computer keyboard as you work with the day-to-day creation and maintenance of websites. A Web designer must be able to handle several tasks at once, have excellent communication skills, display the ability to work in a team on large projects, and be prompt in delivery of promised work.

Though there is no absolute minimum of education required to work as a Web designer, the business is highly competitive, so those with associate's degrees or higher in Web design or a related field will have better chances of advancement. Having a great deal of relevant work experience on your resume will help you stand out from the crowd, no matter the degree you hold.

Salary: Web designers made an average of $71,510 per year in 2007. (Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Bookkeeper

The job of a bookkeeper is to keep track of financial records. This requires minute attention to detail, a good working knowledge of financial matters, and the ability to put it all together into reports and spreadsheets. Bookkeepers might also handle payroll, manage multiple accounts, order items, and generate invoices.

Bookkeepers must have a strong knowledge of computer software as well as an understanding of financial industries. Training on the job is essential to keep up with constantly changing laws and procedures. While a high school diploma is required for entry positions, some higher-paying jobs require an associate's degree in finance or accounting. Certification is not required, but is helpful for advancement.

Salary: $31,560 was the median salary a bookkeeper could expect in 2007.

Computer Programmer

Writing, testing, and maintaining computer programs is the primary job of the computer programmer. They are responsible for creating programs that instruct computers to perform a specific task. The exact nature of the work depends upon the employer. For instance, writing programs for air traffic controllers is very different from writing financial programs. Computer programmers must have sharp attention to detail, the ability to work with multiple programming languages, and the desire to see a job through from start to finish.

A bachelor's degree is required for the vast majority of computer programming positions, though an associate's degree might be enough for some entry-level jobs. Continuing education is required in order to keep up with new advances in computer technology.

Salary: Computer programmers made a median salary of $68,080 in 2007.

Customer Service Representative

Being a customer service representative requires good communication skills, the ability to think creatively, and a great deal of patience. Customer service representatives work as the point of contact between the customer and the company and are often asked to deal with complaints or resolve problems. Customer service representatives who work at home must be proficient with computers, have a dependable phone line and fax machine, and be knowledgeable about company products and procedures.

The competition for good customer service representatives is very strong, so although only a high school diploma is required for some positions, an associate's or bachelor's degree in sales and marketing is recommended. Speaking multiple languages is a plus.

Salary: $29,040 was the average take-home pay of a customer service representative in 2007.

Medical Transcriptionist

The job of medical transcriptionist involves a lot of listening and typing. Medical transcriptionists listen to doctor's notes on a headset and type out the information, editing for clarity when necessary. Their duties might include medical discharge orders, autopsy reports, referral letters, consultation notes, and the like. The medical transcriptionist must have a good working knowledge of medical jargon and the ability to convey information with the utmost accuracy.

To become a medical transcriptionist, an associate's degree or one-year diploma from a medical transcriptionist training program is recommended. Being familiar with medical jargon is a plus.

Salary: Medical transcriptionists brought home a salary of $31,250 per year in 2007.

While these jobs are traditionally office jobs, modern technology can allow you to perform all of these jobs from home. More companies are realizing the numerous benefits from allowing their employees to work from home. Education and career training is available for the jobs that will feed your desire to work from the comfort of your own home.

10 Part-Time Business Ideas that earns big

Baker

Man does not live by bread alone, or so the saying goes. But if anyone checked the sales of some of the best independent bakeries around the country, they'd be astounded. In 1994, Jim Lahey started Sullivan Street Bakery after several years experimenting as a home baker. Today, his company, which has about $6 million in annual revenues and about 90 employees, is a New York City bread-baking institution. Lahey has a word of warning, though: "Knowledge of cooking is much greater than 20 years ago," he says. "The market is more competitive and if you want to develop a cottage industry, the product better exceed expectations."

And if you want to jump on one of the hottest trends nationally—cupcakes—you might even find yourself selling upwards of 2,000 a day, an amount that New York's famed Magnolia Bakery easily exceeds. At $2 a pop, you can do the math, even for your home-based business.

First steps: Break out your market. Are you going to make muffins and cupcakes or bagels and baguettes? As with most food businesses, you'll need a state license in order to sell to the public. If that seems daunting, you can start by selling to friends and relatives or at local bake sales.

You also need to decide how much space you'll need. If you outgrow your home kitchen, consider renting space in a professional kitchen.

Time needed: Baking is a time-consuming business, so expect to devote 10 to 20 hours a week on it for part-time work.

Average sales: $41,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Blogger

It's true that few bloggers make enough to earn a living—most make nothing at all. But if you can write well about a topic you're passionate about, you may develop a following, and with enough page views you can start bringing in revenue from ads. Pick a narrow topic that you're intimately familiar with and that has a well-defined audience. For example, a site that covers the world of digital SLR cameras in minute detail has a more natural audience than a broad technology blog; likewise, a general restaurant review site may elicit yawns, while a blog chronicling the seafood shacks of New England could attract a cultish following.

First steps: Begin writing and start participating in online communities where people interested in your topic hang out. Start for free on a platform like Blogger or WordPress.

Time needed: Prepare to spend at least a few hours each day writing. Keep a regular schedule to make sure your blog doesn't get stale.

Average sales: $24,335, based on Economic Census data.

eBay Seller

Yard-sale mavens who already spend weekends trawling for hidden treasures can resell what they salvage online, on eBay or other sites. Pick a niche that interests you and that you have some expertise in and monitor what already sells online so you can set prices accurately. If you know your vinyl, buy old record collections in bulk and resell the gems individually online. From books to electronics, you may be able to find resalable items out on the street on trash night or given away for pennies at moving sales.

First steps: Set up a shop on eBay or other e-commerce sites and begin to build your seller rating. It's free to list items on many e-commerce sites, though eventually you may want to invest in your own Web site, advertising, or premium services.

Time needed: Expect to spend several hours a week finding inventory and listing it for sale.

Average sales: $22,196, based on Economic Census data.

Floral Designer

Turn your love of flowers and colors into bouquets and arrangements for occasions that vary from weddings and bar mitzvahs to confirmations and dinner parties. About one-third of the estimated 87,000 floral designers are self-employed, according to the Labor Dept.

First steps: Community colleges, vocational schools, and private floral schools all offer courses in flower design. You'll need to find a source for flowers, too. If you don't live near a flower wholesaler, a growing number now sell online. This is a supply-intensive business. You'll need a workshop space, refrigeration system, and some means of delivering your goods to clients.

Time needed: Three to 20 hours per week.

Average sales: $21,700, based on Labor Dept. data.

Jewelry Designer

It's probably easier than you think to turn your love of bling into cash on the side. About half of all jewelry makers in the U.S. are self-employed. You can sell online or to thousands of brick-and-mortar retailers.

First steps: You'll need design flair, manual dexterity, and attention to detail to get started. Technical and vocational schools offer classes on basics; community colleges also offer courses on design. A clean, well-lit workspace is necessary. Be sure to design pieces in a variety of price ranges. You'll probably spend $500 to $2,000 for materials, from beads and wire to gold and silver to cloth and wax, plus tools like a vise, pliers, and jigs.

Time needed: Evenings and weekends.

Average sales: $30,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Pet Sitter

Love animals? Opportunities abound in the pet care industry. Consider walking dogs during the day, grooming or training pets on weekends, or boarding animals overnight. Even if you're not equipped to keep others' pets in your home, you can offer to wash and groom animals at clients' houses, or check in on their pets at their home while they're away. Owners often need someone to watch their pets on weekends and holidays, so pet care can be an easy business to start if you work during the week.

First steps: Start by caring for your friends' animals and get referrals through them, because trust is key for people placing their pets in other people's care.

Time needed: You can get started working on weekends and evenings.

Average sales: $22,183, based on Economic Census data.

Photographer

The barriers to starting a photography business virtually disappeared with the dawn of affordable digital SLR cameras and software like Photoshop. If you're skilled in taking great pictures, pick a niche and build a business around it. You might want to shoot weddings, bar mitzvahs, or corporate events. Or consider family or individual portraits. You could even set up a small studio space in your home. Consider what services you'll offer clients beyond just taking pictures—can you build a Web page to showcase the photos of their event as well?

First steps: Put together a portfolio of your existing work to show potential clients.

Time needed: For event photography, expect most gigs to be on weekends or evenings (galas, for example). You may be able to arrange portrait appointments on a more flexible schedule.

Average sales: $26,259, based on Economic Census data.

Translator or Interpreter

Those who speak more than one language have a ready skill to turn into a part-time business. You can get work translating documents or as an interpreter over the phone or in person. Focus on an area you have some deeper knowledge in. For example, if you have a legal background, angle your business around translating legal documents.

First steps: Get a certificate proving your proficiency from the American Translators Assn. and/or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Time needed: Translation work can be done from home on your own schedule, but be prepared to meet client deadlines.

Average sales: $21,541, based on Economic Census data.

T-Shirt Vendor

Launching a T-shirt business is about as American as apple pie and your first paper route. Take the Life is Good guys, Bert and John Jacobs, who started out in 1989, selling their shirts door to door, at street fairs, and from the back of their van. Today, the company has about $100 million in annual revenues. T-shirt design is a hotly competitive market, however, and it should go without saying that the barriers to entry are low.

First steps: Create a catalog of design ideas, or simply one good one, like the Jacobs brothers, whose smiling stick figure captured the national mood. You need to decide if you will invest in the manufacturing materials or use a third-party designer, frequently known in the trade as a publisher: Lots of these exist, from CafePress to T-Shirt Monster. Using a publisher is cheaper, but you have less control and you'll be handing over most of your profits. On the other hand, investing in your own equipment, including a heat transfer press, can be expensive: $500 to $1,000. Again, this is an intensely crowded and competitive industry.

Time needed: Nights and weekends.

Average sales: $48,000, based on Economic Census data.

Web Designer

If you're adept at coding and have an eye for sharp design, you make be able to make a business making Web sites—especially if it's something you already do professionally. Begin by building sites for friends and contacts to accumulate a portfolio. Focus on a niche, like designing pages for bands or restaurants, where you can develop a name for yourself in the community and get referrals from your early clients. Decide whether you want to build a one-time site for clients or take on the responsibility of updating and maintaining it, and bill appropriately.

First steps: Set up your own Web site with a portfolio of your work.

Time needed: You can make your own hours as long as you meet client deadlines—which may mean pulling some all-nighters.

Average sales: $42,104, based on Economic Census data.