BOSTON, MA--(MARKET WIRE)--Oct 27, 2008 -- One clear result of the economic downturn, as made evident by declining retail sales, is that consumers are keeping their wallets shut. As the holiday season approaches, consumers will be faced with the hard choice of scaling back or finding creative ways to pay for gifts. Here are five easy ways for people to earn cash in their spare time -- all without leaving the comfort of home:

• Cash in Unwanted Electronics - Gazelle (www.gazelle.com) offers a fast, safe, practical way for people to get cash for selling back their used consumer electronics such as laptops, cell phones and MP3 players. With the average household containing about 24 unused gadgets, consumers can earn $122 on average for getting rid of their unwanted items via Gazelle.
• Crafting for Cash - With the right skills, crafting hobbies such as knitting, woodworking and jewelry making can become a serious cash cow. Sites such as Etsy (www.etsy.com), Big Cartel (www.bigcartel.com) and RedBubble (www.redbubble.com) make it easy for people to start their own online shop.
• Ventures in Pet Care - Consider pet sitting for friends or neighbors while they are on vacation. With average pet care services ranging from $50-$75 a day, taking care of Fido can be big business.
• Share Your Knowledge - For credential teachers or college grads with a four year degree, online tutoring is another money maker. Sites like Tutor.com (www.tutor.com) and Universal Class (www.universalclass.com) enable eligible people to sign up as paid online teachers and tutors. Some programs offer $20/hr.
• Look in the Closet - Instead of holding on to those dated designer duds and accessories, consider selling them online with the help of Fashion Spaces (www.fashionspace.com) and Our Threads (www.ourthreads.com).

With the current state of the economy and the holidays right around the corner, money is a concern for almost everybody right now. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average consumer still plans to spend $1,437 on everything from gifts to food to decorations this year. No matter the reason, there's no better time than now for cash-strapped consumers to find simple solutions for earning extra money.

ABOUT SECOND ROTATION

Founded in 2006, Second Rotation, the company behind Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), is committed to providing an easy, fast, and safe way for consumers to get cash for selling unwanted electronic(s) or to recycle them responsibly. To date, thousands of consumers have used the service as a way to clean out closets, get cash and help out a good cause. In addition, gazelle.com empowers consumers to avoid time consuming and risky online experiences associated with peer-to-peer selling. Consumers can rest assured that all personal information is thoroughly removed from their item while benefitting from conveniences like free shipping and packaging. Based in Boston, Second Rotation is led by a group of consumer Internet veterans from companies like eBay, BuyerZone and Fairmarket and is backed by venture capital firm Venrock.

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     Colleen Wickwire
     SHIFT Communications
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