I'm looking for something external that uses my programming skills. A new job with a higher salary would be great, but that's not feasible for me right now.
I don't know why you want another 10-15k, or what your current situation is (though it sounds like you're a programmer making okay money), so this might not be useful advice, but you can get a surprising amount of mileage out of a good budget, with surprisingly few trade offs.<p>Cars are often huge money sinks. Also, people tend not to examine their housing situation for efficiencies (I have a number twenty-something friends in small towns who own houses with rental properties that cover nearly all their mortgages) - also, you can generally move closer to work and bike or take transit (assuming you're not a consultant and "work" is a fixed place); this goes back to cars being money sinks and commuting really being terrible. You can eat really well quite cheaply if you want to put in some time and make your own food (a bagged lunch over eating out at work could save you $1000 a year, and that's just one thing). Anyway, the Internet is full of useful tips to save money, but you can get a bunch done by just mapping out your monthly spending and looking for places to trim the fat. Maybe that won't cover the whole 10-15K you're looking for, but it's a good start.
<p><pre><code> 1. Build something on the side that creates recurring revenue
2. Build something on the side that you can sell for $10-15k
3. Build multiple things that, when combined, sell for $10-15k
4. Negotiate a raise at your current job
5. Start doing freelance work
6. Get lucky in the stock market
7. Get lucky in a casino
8. Get lucky in a lottery
9. Inherit some money
</code></pre>
Why do people in tech think we work in some magically beloved industry that has shortcuts to success? Oh right.. Aaron Sorkin movies.
Create a presentation on what non-technical founders need to know about programming, before they start a start up. Promote this webinar via facebook ads and make it 30 minutes long and packed full of super useful stuff. Then at the end point them to your blog with lots of helpful resources. Finally, mention that you are available for one on one coaching, for a select group of people (and have a web form using stripe ready for taking payment in exchange for scheduling a one-on-one call with you). Offer a money back guarantee as long as they demonstrate that they did the action items you suggested.<p>This will be way easier than building a SaaS app. Trust me.<p>EDIT: No idea why this is getting downvoted. Any insight would be appreciated.
"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now." - Chinese proverb.<p>"Don't end the week with nothing" - Patio11
<a href="https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/do-not-end-the-week-with-nothing" rel="nofollow">https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/do-not-en...</a><p>Start building something you can sell. It could be a book, an app, a SaaS. You might not (probability won't) get it to +$15k this year. That shouldn't stop you from beginning. If you make something thst <i>people are willing to pay for</i>, you should be able to EVENTUALLY get to +$15k (and more!)
It's not always easy/fun, but I've found that a) working like a fucking maniac (12+ hours a day), b) never turning down a chance to talk about a job, seem to help. You brothers girlfriends aunt wants a website for her garage sale this year? Yeah, not going to get you $10k, but talking to her, being awesome and giving some advice (even if you don't actually help, and do a "favor" by pointing her to ebay or something). You'll end up making a connection, and she might tell her wealthy relative about a really awesome developer (you). I've gotten a few well paying jobs this way. For me, it seems that not being a greedy presumptuous asshole seems to have paid off well. Also, did I mention working really hard?
I do not think that you have too many options. Part time job, develop an app, start a SAAS project, contract work. All of these things are easier to type as an answer to this question than they are to actually do.<p>If you cannot change jobs now, why don't you add to your skill set over the next year with the view of using these enhanced skills when you can look for a new job?
1. Switch to technical sales (typically you get a bonus based on the sales quota; downside is you travel a lot)<p>2. Post your resume and ask for 15k more<p>3. If you're not in the SF Bay Area, move there but note your cost of living will probably go up by 20k so you need to ask for $35k more than you currently make.<p>4. If you're in the SF Bay Area, see if your company will let you work remotely, and move to a state that has no income tax.<p>5. Marry/Date up (lawyer, doctor, programmer, executive :-)
Honestly it isn't that hard to save 7k and make an additional 7k. Do something mundane, like write a craer that assembles vote data on different issues in various municipalities in your state then sell it to a newspaper.
You might find a few ideas in this similar thread from last year:<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6390709" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6390709</a>