Everyone knows that a student loan isn’t enough to comfortably live on. Living on Ramen and forgoing nights out is an option, but it’s not very fun. If you want your university experience to be a good one, you need to get more money, which means either taking a loan out of the bank of Mum and Dad, or making the money yourself. Most will recommend getting a part-time job – but there are other easier ways of making a quick buck if you don’t want to dedicate all your time to work and study. Here are some of side gigs that you can try that can help pay through college:
Tutoring
College is expensive and you have to find ways to fund yourself or earn something extra. Hanging around with friends is fun but what if you could skip two or three days a week and spend a couple of hours tutoring other students or kids who could benefit from your knowledge. Advertise on college boards or in local mom and pop stores and you’d be surprised to get a lot of interest from your school town.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a site that allows users to offer their services for a minimum price of five dollars. You get to choose the task, which could be anything from writing someone a review to singing someone a song. The fact that you can pretty much get paid for doing anything on Fiverr is what makes it so appealing to students. Of course, someone has to want to pay for the services your offering and you have to be willing to follow through in order to get the money. It also helps you build up your resume and expertise which might be very helpful in getting the interview for a full time job post-college.
Photography
If photography is something you have always enjoyed, it could very well be a side gig that pays for your passion. You can sell your photos online through the various photo downloading websites. Stock photography websites often pay between 15 and 50 cents per photo sold, but there are others who would pay more. Always a good idea to check out on the latest websites and how your innovative photography can bring in more bucks. This can be a long-term gig that you can carry on even when you have a full-time job.
Sell old books
All those first-year books gathering dust on your shelf that you no longer can be exchanged for money. You can sell them back to the university, or you can put them up for bid online. Some people will even pay for old revision notes when cramming for an exam.
Sell your clothes
Not all of them! However, selling a few items could earn you some extra money if you’ve hit hard times. There are second-hand clothes websites and social media swap for sale pages where you sell local and not have to pay for postage. People generally reinvent themselves going to university, which can mean never wearing half their wardrobe again. Instead of binning these clothes, flog them.
Start a university society
University societies can be based around anything. If you have an original idea, run with it. If it has enough supporters and is accepted by your Student Union, then you will be able to start recruiting people to join. Have a joining fee could earn you some money (just don’t overcharge – remember these are your fellow students).
Invest in stocks
Putting your money into stocks is a gamble and if you do make a return, it’s usually a slow one. However, if you invest in the right things, it can be a fantastic moneymaking scheme. Some investments will offer a higher return than others. Consider new technologies like wind power and social media that are currently booming. Try monitoring the costs of oil. Even if it’s not until the third year that you make your return, that’s more money in your pocket that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Don’t invest more than you are willing to lose. It might be your first lesson in investing and money management. A life skill you’ll appreciate learning way earlier than most others.
Sign up to extra agencies
All movies and TV programmes need ‘extras’ – those actors that sit about in the background pretending to drink tea and not saying anything. Being extra requires no acting experience and can be well paid. You will have to sign up to an agency first who will pass you onto any production that might need you. Sign up to multiple extra agencies in order to increase your chances of being picked.
Surveys
A popular venture amongst students is filling out online surveys for money. There are many sites that will pay you small amounts per survey including Swagbucks and Crowdology. Many of the surveys don’t require knowledge – you’re pretty much getting paid to give your opinion. It’s time consuming and different sites will have different conditions, but if you’ve got a few hours to kill and want to earn some money for not really doing a lot, online surveys are the way to go.
Sell your hair
At times there are some easier way to make money but if you have what it takes. Need to get your hair trimmed? Did you know that there are sites willing to exchange your locks for money? This hair will in turn be used in a wig or hair extensions. The greater the length of hair that you’re willing to give away, the more you may be able to earn from it. Of course, there are requirements so you must make sure that hair you’re giving is well-groomed.