1001 Ways to Make Money If You Dare (51 page)

313 REMEMBER ANNIVERSARIES AND SEND GIFTS.
Outsourcing is hot these days, and it doesn't have to be out of the country. Once someone realizes that they can pay other people to handle different aspects of their life, it's hard to stop. Take advantage of this by keeping track of anniversaries for someone and sending out gifts.

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6

Be a Star

With the advent of the Internet and reality television, just about anyone can be a “star” nowadays. However, you can legitimize your celebrity by actually contributing to the artistic community. Unless, of course, your idea of an artistic contribution is to star in an online reality show.

314 GO ON A GAME SHOW.
If you're planning a trip to the Los Angeles area, you can enter to strike it big on a game show. The downside is that you may not get on the show (and if you do, you'll be forced to fist-pump Howie Mandel or tell a witty story in three seconds to Alex Trebek) but you may be selected and win big. Visit your favorite game show's web-site for details on how to become lucky contestant number three.

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315 APPLY FOR THE GENIUS GRANT.
Are you wicked smart? Prove it. Apply for a MacArthur Fellowship and you could get $500,000 in “no-strings support” from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Visit
www.macfound.org
to find out if you qualify and to apply.

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316 TRY OUT FOR A REALITY SHOW.
Desperate enough to humiliate yourself on national television? Audition to join the cast of a reality show. You can drink to excess, have your sex life broadcast to millions in that creepy night-vision green, and fight with other cast members without repercussions. Some pay, some don't, but the ones that don't will at the very least get you a paid trip to where the show is filmed, or possibly a six-month rent-free stay in a crazy house like the reality-TV host monkey, MTV's
The Real World
.

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317 SHOOT YOUR OWN YOUTUBE PILOT.
These days, YouTube allows you to do more than just watch a clip of Two Girls, One Cup. Series like LonelyGirl15, whose first “webisode” premiered in 2006, have caught the attention of millions and have inspired TV spin-off series internationally. So gather some friends, grab a camera, and film your pilot. At the very least, you'll be a celebrity in your own mind.

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318 MAKE A DOCUMENTARY.
Actual and pseudo-intellectuals alike enjoy documentaries — whether they're about cute but endangered penguins or the problems of the American medical industry. If you can find financial backers, pick the issue du jour and film a “docu.” You could end up being that Oscar winner who provides a much-needed bathroom break for those watching at home.

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