Looking to make a little extra cash, and don't feel like working the night shift at the local pump and go? Then do what people have been doing for centuries: Sell your body.

Not by putting an ad on Craig's List for lonely housewives, but by literally selling your body, only without having to die, or risk jail time. According to a post by our friends at CouponSherpa.com, "At this very moment, you may very well be sitting on a gold mine of secondary income."

So if times are really tough, all you have to do is some research, and you can find plenty of people willing to pay you good money for stuff you've been giving away for free for years...

1. Blood
Blood is one of the oldest, easiest and probably most-practiced ways to pimp your bod. Paid blood donations are less common these days, but there may be hospitals and blood banks in your area that still offer cash. Stay on the up and up, though. The black market blood trade (Craigslist, etc.) is not only illegal, but could get you sucked dry by a web-crawling vampire. You may also consider donating to your local Red Cross, which can always use your help.

2. Plasma
Profiting from donations of your plasma (a component of your blood), requires more legwork. After you find a collection center and get successfully screened, you’ll sit through a 90-minute procedure in which your blood is drawn, separated from the plasma and then returned to your body. Since you’re keeping the red stuff, go-getters can sell their plasma as often as every 48 hours for around $35 a pop.

Most places that take “donations” are owned by pharmaceutical companies that resell your plasma. You can find a plasma bank in your area at BloodBanker or BioLifePlasma.

3. Platelets
Hawking your platelets isn’t for the squeamish. If you can stand a relatively long date with a needle, you’ll help transplant patients in dire need of the platelets’ blood-clotting abilities. You'll also earn around $50 bucks for your time. Learn more about donating platelets at Donate-Blood.com.

4. Hair
Do you have a beautiful mane that’s about to get cropped off for summer? Before you make an appointment with your scissor jockey, consider there’s still a huge market for human hair. Check out this great post on Wisebread and learn how to maximize your profits.

5. Sperm
Nearly every struggling college male has at least considered donating sperm when facing another week of Ramen Noodle dinners. Before you get too excited (no pun intended), note that sperm banks have extremely high screening standards. The vast majority of applicants don’t make the cut, but those selected are compensated handsomely for their, ahem, hard work.

Expect to earn between $50 to $200 per session. Remember, however, that “cheating” on the bank will lower your potency and disqualify your donation. As a result, regular visits could put a serious cramp in your social life. Search SpermBanker for a list of donation sites in your area.

6. Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are potentially very lucrative, but probably the most dangerous of these options. Human guinea pigs can make some serious coin and help advance medical research, but you also may experience some serious side effects.

If the concept of possibly turning into an X-Men worries you, do your homework and learn as much as you can about the test. Talk to the doctors, discuss potential reactions and make sure you’re 100-percent clear on the process before getting started. Visit FDA.gov for background information and ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing trials.

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