Are you going on a mission trip this year? Maybe to Guatemala, Mexico or Peru?

If you’re already planning your next service trip and looking for ways to save up the money you need, you’re in luck! We’re bringing you part two of the Buckner Missions staff members' ideas for earning extra cash to put in your mission trip fund (check out part one here).

Provide a service

Are you good at cutting kids’ hair? Are you handy with a hammer? Do you scrapbook, or thrive on home organization? Think about what you’re good at doing for yourself – maybe you could do the same thing for others and earn some extra money. Here are a few other ideas:

• Repair computers
• Mow lawns
• Do oil changes
• Shovel snow
• Bake special occasion cakes
• Walk or groom pets, or pet-sit
• Tutor students
• Style hair for formal events
• Sharpen knives and lawnmower blades
• Edit cover letters and resumes
• Officiate local sporting events
• Babysit

Sell stuff you’re not using

Making money is great – even better if you can make money and de-clutter your living space a bit.

Books. If you have bookshelves full of college textbooks or novels you read and will never pick up again, take them to a local used bookstore, or list them on a website like Half.com or Amazon.com.

Clothes. Consignment stores are a great way to get rid of nicer clothes that don’t fit or that you’ve grown tired of. You can also sell through eBay.com or through a Facebook group dedicated to selling items in your town or neighborhood.

Gold and silver. While you’re going through your closet, check your jewelry box for gold or silver items that have been collecting dust. Sell your unwanted baubles locally or through a reputable online company.

Yard sale. If you and a family member or friend will be traveling on a mission trip together, combine your selling efforts by hosting a garage sale together. Ask people you know if they have items they’d be willing to donate to add to your merchandise.

Silly stunts

Locks for missions. “Before working for Buckner, I was going to Guatemala as an intern with Buckner and I had long hair, so some of my friends hated my hair and suggested that they would pay me to cut it,” said Jeremy Copeland, missions coordinator for Buckner Missions. “I then decided to have a ‘Locks for Missions’ event where anyone who wanted to cut my hair could pay to cut off some hair. I raised somewhere between $400 to $600 for my work as an intern.”

Mission-stache. Guys can also grow out their facial hair and offer to let the highest bidder determine how they should style it – maybe you’d agree to shave your beard into mutton chops and keep the style for $30 a day, or sport a Hulk Hogan-style ‘stache for an entire week for $200.

Rock-a-thon. Rock the day and night away in rocking chairs to earn money. This fundraiser is best done in a group, so get your mission team or youth group together to join forces and raise more money. Each rocker must seek out sponsors who agree to pay them per hour of rocking. Hold a movie marathon or set up several video game systems to pass the time.

Pink flamingo flock fundraiser. This will require an initial investment to purchase a "flock" of pink flamingo yard ornaments, but it's a fun and goofy way to raise money. These websites give great explanations, but in a nutshell, the members of your church or organization can pay the mission team to "flock" someone else's home. Individuals can also buy "anti-flocking insurance" from your fundraising group to protect their home from migrating flamingos.

What are the best mission trip fundraisers you’ve seen or heard of? Share your ideas in the comments.

Click here to see 10 more ideas for creative mission trip fundraisers. Buckner Missions can help you or your church plan the mission trip that's right for you. To learn more, visit www.buckner.org/missions.