Debt = The Status Quo for Americans

With the presence of credit cards, ubiquitous advertising, and even the current U.S. debt ceiling "crisis", it is no surprise that debt seems to be part of the American way of life. The figure below is more eye-opening than shocking, and more than anything it serves as motivation for me to avoid the lifelong debt trap.

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Extra income without work?

I ran across this article on Yahoo about Ways to Make Extra Income Without Much Work (link to article).

Now I can see why someone would rent out a portion of their home as a source of income.  I'm a huge HGTV fan and I love the show Income Property, which shows homeowners converting part of their homes into apartments and often earning enough rent money each month to cover their mortgage.  The idea of living rent/mortgage free is very appealing, and could make up for having to give up some my living space (that is, if I had a basement or 2nd floor, don't think I'm ready to go back to roommate living for a while lol).

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But one thing the article mentions that I had never heard of is rent out your car.  From liability issues, to maintenance costs, and even the stress of wondering where my car is while I'm not using it, I just don't think the benefit could be worth the  risks.  The article mentions car owners earning about $200 a month and can set their own rates, but it seems like they wouldn't be able to set their rates too high (otherwise people would just rent  from a regular rental agency).  Maybe I should research into this a little more, but for now, I'm not sold on the idea.

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Would you consider renting out your car? What are some other ways to make money without much work or effort? Let me know :)