Top 10 Unusual Methods to Earn Money from Gross Habits

Many of us were repeatedly told as children, 'Stop biting your nails' or 'Don’t pick your nose.' While kids might not grasp it, the reality is that the human body can be quite unpleasant, and it’s generally wise to hide our unsightly habits to maintain a positive social image. Most people eventually outgrow these gross behaviors by adulthood, or at least keep them private. Usually.

However, there’s a strange allure to the repulsive, and for a select few, there’s also fame and fortune to be gained from embracing the stigma. Here are ten instances where people have turned gross habits into income.

10. Turning Bowel Movements into Profit and Purpose

A particularly harmful bacteria known as C. Difficile affects nearly half a million people in the United States each year. Symptoms include severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps, which can sometimes be life-threatening. Antibiotics are typically used to treat the infection, but they don’t distinguish between harmful and beneficial bacteria. As a result, around 2,000 types of gut bacteria, many of which are essential, are destroyed during treatment. To make matters worse, C. Difficile is notoriously hard to eliminate and can return even after antibiotic treatment. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

Fecal microbiota transplants involve extracting the beneficial gut bacteria from a healthy donor's stool and processing it into a pill for patients suffering from C. Difficile. This method helps restore the gut's healthy bacteria and combats the infection. However, not all stool samples qualify. Only 4% of potential donors pass the strict medical screening, making high-quality donations rare and valuable. Donors can earn $250 for five weekly samples, totaling up to $13,000 annually.

However, the motivation isn’t solely financial.

Mark Smith, co-founder of a fecal transplant company, shared, 'Most of our donors contribute three to four times a week, which is fantastic. Each sample can help three or four patients, and we make sure to inform donors about the impact they’re making.'

9. Earning Money by Gaining Weight for Scientific Research

In 2012, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis proposed an unconventional idea: get paid to gain weight. Their study on weight-related diabetes and hypertension required observing participants as they gained weight. Volunteers were instructed to consume an additional 1,000 calories daily from fast food to achieve this. Since the study aimed to understand the development of these health conditions, participants risked worsening their own health, justifying the inclusion of hazard pay.

Participants who achieved the goal of increasing their weight by 5 to 6 percent over three months were rewarded with up to $3,500. While it might seem like an easy task, the men and women involved in the study quickly found it far from enjoyable.

Dr. Samuel Klein, the project's lead researcher, explained, 'This isn’t pleasant for them. Consistently overeating every day for an extended period is no simple feat.'

One participant echoed this sentiment, stating after just two weeks, 'I could barely catch my breath.'

8. Turning Unusual Talents into Artistic Success

In the late 19th century, a boy named Joseph Pujol discovered an unusual ability during a family swimming trip. While in the water, he felt a strange, cold sensation in his stomach. Alarmed, he rushed ashore to a private spot and witnessed liters of water exiting his body through his rear. His doctor dismissed any concerns, and Pujol forgot about the incident until years later when friends urged him to replicate the act. It was then he realized this wasn’t a one-time occurrence. He could intentionally draw in air or liquid and release it at will. From that point on, he began honing his unique skill.

Eventually, he showcased his unique talent as a performer under the stage name Le Petomane, captivating audiences with his extraordinary acts. He entertained crowds with a variety of sounds, each described vividly for his fans. A soft, subtle sound was compared to a bride on her wedding night, while a loud, messy one was likened to the same bride two weeks later. A prolonged ten-second sound mimicked a dressmaker tearing fabric, and he even replicated the blast of a cannon with a powerful burst.

A journalist described the audience's reaction: 'People were literally writhing with laughter. Women, tightly bound in corsets, were carried out by nurses stationed in the hall by the clever manager.'

Later in his act, he used his talent to smoke two cigarettes simultaneously. For his grand finale, he played famous melodies on an ocarina using a hose that directed his unique ability to produce wind for the instrument. Le Petomane became a sensation and, at one point, was the highest-paid performer in France. He continued performing until after World War I, eventually retiring to live as a baker. He passed away at the age of 88.

After his death, a Parisian medical school requested to study his remains to understand how his body performed such feats. His family refused, stating, 'Some things in life must remain sacred and respected.'

7. Achieving Success Through Overeating

Everyone enjoys food, but occasionally, we indulge a bit too much. When our appetite exceeds our capacity, overeating can lead to stomach discomfort, blood pressure spikes, and fatigue, not to mention the regret of overindulgence.

However, some individuals embrace this challenge and excel at it. Joey Chestnut, one of the world's most renowned competitive eaters, has set records and won competitions globally. His achievements include consuming 32 double-patty hamburgers in 38 minutes, 74 hotdogs in 10 minutes, and 413 chicken wings in 12 hours.

His overeating skills have paid off handsomely. In 2010, Chestnut earned $218,500 for his eating abilities. Despite his success, he admits it’s not always easy. After breaking the hotdog eating record in 2018, he remarked, 'It’s not pretty, bro. There have been some double-flushers.'

6. Earning Money Through Burping

Belching is considered a sport, with the current record for the longest burp standing at 1 minute, 13 seconds, and 57 milliseconds, unchallenged since 2009. While it’s a unique competition, it’s not typically lucrative. To make money in this field, one must be in the right place at the right time. For a few fortunate women, that opportunity arose in St. Louis in 2014 when a soda company sought actors for a commercial, with the primary requirement being the ability to burp convincingly.

A Craigslist ad offered $750 per actor, along with complimentary drinks and snacks on the filming day to help induce the required burps.

The ad stated, 'Burps of all sizes are welcome, from soft, subtle ones to loud, thunderous belches.' Fortunately, no prior acting experience was necessary.

5. Making a Career Out of Popping Pimples

While experts advise against popping pimples at home and recommend over-the-counter treatments or consulting a doctor for a sterile procedure, many of us ignore this advice. Despite the risks of scarring or infection, popping zits can be oddly satisfying. Unlike other entries on this list, this isn’t a niche career. Thousands of professionals, known as dermatologists, are paid to perform this task.

Dermatology is not only a highly lucrative field, with an average annual salary of $345,000 in the United States, but some doctors, like Dr. Sandra Lee (also known as Dr. Pimple Popper), have taken it further. She runs a YouTube channel showcasing challenging or intriguing dermatological cases, amassing over 6 million subscribers.

When asked why people are drawn to the often-gross content on her channel, she explained, 'It’s a mix of fascination and the inability to look away, similar to witnessing a car accident. There’s also a sense of satisfaction in the resolution, as if something unwanted is being removed, leaving the skin purified.'

4. Earning Cash for Your Saliva

Researchers seeking genetic breakthroughs traditionally identify individuals with a disease and compare their DNA to those without it. This process can be labor-intensive, involving locating, communicating with, and collecting DNA samples from subjects. Alternatively, some companies maintain extensive DNA databases with donor information to trace ancestry, but building a diverse global DNA library is challenging, as people rarely volunteer their DNA for free.

Companies like Genos and DNASimple address this issue by paying for saliva samples, specifically for the DNA and associated data they contain. This helps match researchers with suitable donors more efficiently. DNASimple offers $50 per sample, while Genos provides genome sequencing for around $500 and pays $50–$200 if your DNA is used in a study. Though not a full-time income, the demand for DNA is growing. DNASimple recently secured a $200,000 startup loan, reflecting the industry’s expansion.

While some criticize the idea of paying for research participation, Sharon Terry, CEO of the Genetic Alliance, noted, 'Some may oppose mixing commerce with health, but it’s already prevalent. The difference is that patients rarely benefit financially, while others profit significantly.'

Perhaps it’s time to capitalize on a valuable resource we never realized we had—our saliva.

3. A Unique Job Opportunity: Professional Finger Licker

While licking your fingers after a meal is often considered impolite, for a brand that has long celebrated 'finger-licking good chicken,' it’s a mark of pride. Kentucky Fried Chicken recently launched a campaign to find the world’s most skilled finger licker to star in their new ad series. Their tweet asked, 'Have you ever licked your fingers and thought, ‘I’d look great doing that on a billboard’?'

The campaign invites aspiring professional finger lickers to tweet using the hashtag #KFCFRYERME, along with a 280-character explanation of why their finger-licking skills deserve the spotlight. Unlike many entries on this list, this opportunity could still be yours.

In a follow-up tweet, KFC added, 'For heaven’s sake, please keep it appropriate.'

2. Making a Living by Regurgitating

No one enjoys vomiting. The acidic taste, partially digested food, and unpleasant odor make it an experience most people avoid at all costs. What goes in should ideally stay in, but for one man, regurgitating became a unique talent he discovered as a child while hiding coins from others. He realized no one would think to search for valuables in his stomach. Over time, he mastered the ability to bring back almost anything he swallowed.

He turned this skill into a successful career in entertainment. Stevie Starr has showcased his talent on shows like America’s Got Talent and late-night programs hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman, as well as during live tours. He swallows objects like light bulbs, coins, thumbtacks, and billiard balls, but his act goes beyond mere swallowing. He elevates his performances by swallowing a cup of sugar followed by water, then regurgitating the sugar completely dry. He also swallows numbered coins and lets the audience decide the order of their return, sometimes retrieving two at once. His performances aren’t limited to inanimate objects—he’s even swallowed live fish at the start of a show and brought them back unharmed at the end.

While vomiting is typically a miserable experience, watching someone like Mr. Starr perform this feat is worth every penny he earns.

1. Earning Money as a Bathroom Scout

Everyone needs to use the bathroom, often multiple times a day, and sometimes urgently. When in an unfamiliar city or neighborhood, finding a clean, accessible restroom can be a challenge. Is there toilet paper? Is it free? These questions become critical when you’re in a hurry, and without guidance, you might end up in a less-than-ideal situation, like a questionable gas station or an unsanitary roadside spot.

Fortunately, knowing the location and condition of nearby bathrooms is a valuable service, and some apps are willing to pay for this information. For example, Toiletfinder offers $20 for restroom reviews and $100 per week for regular contributors. Writers remain anonymous to avoid judgment from friends and family (after all, what’s wrong with discussing restrooms?). Reviews include star ratings and GPS coordinates, helping others find suitable facilities quickly. Apps like this have cataloged and reviewed hundreds of thousands of bathrooms worldwide.