The Best Ways To Make Extra Money
Extra money is something that everyone could always use. Especially for college students. Getting your degree is expensive. Paying for tuition, textbooks, food, transportation, and other bills can become overwhelming. During college, your education becomes your priority and oftentimes there isn’t much time left for anything else. Even if you do work a part-time or full-time job, you’re most likely making just enough to cover your expenses. These tips will help you earn extra money and help reduce your money struggles throughout your college years.
1. Selling clothes and accessories
This is the way I have made a lot of money with little effort. Apps like Poshmark, Depop, and Mercari allow you to sell things that you already have in your closet. If you’re anything like me, you most likely have a lot of shoes, clothes, and accessories that you no longer use. Those items just take up space in your room but could be sold in order to help you make a profit. Whenever you have free time, I recommend going through your closet and sorting out the things that you no longer wear. My general rule of thumb is to get rid of things that I haven’t used within the past six months. After you have your collection of things to sell, you need to download and sign up for one of the apps I mentioned.
I recommend uploading what you’re selling on all three apps so that your items have a better chance of selling. To upload listings, you simply take pictures of the item on your phone. You then write a brief heading and description of the item and the condition it’s in. Viewers can then see your item and buy it if they like it. Once the item is sold, the app emails you a shipping label that you print out and attach to your package with the item in it. You can choose between paying for the shipping or having the buyer cover the fees. Once the buyer receives the item, you can request to have the earnings directly deposited into your bank account. Other apps, like LetGo and OfferUp, have similar concepts, but buyers meet up with you in person to buy items from you. Whatever app you choose ensures an easy way to make money off of items that you already own.
2. Ride-Sharing Apps
If you have a car, signing up to drive for Lyft or Uber is a great idea. These apps pay drivers to drive passengers to their destinations. Passengers can also tip, which adds to the income you earn from driving. If you live in a busy city, this can be a great side hustle. If you enjoy driving, this can be a perfect job for you. You can drive around in the comfort of your own car while listening to music or making conversation with your passengers. The advantage of working for these companies is that you set your own schedule. You can easily drive whenever you have free time to do so. This is perfect for busy college students who might have a few free hours in between classes or their other job.
3. Food Delivery
Some people might not feel safe driving others around in their car, which is perfectly understandable. If this is the case, working for a food delivery company might be another option. Apps like Postmates, Uber Eats, and Door Dash employ people to pick up food from restaurants and bring it to people’s homes. These apps have become very popular and more customers are using them than ever before because of their convenience. This is a great thing because the companies need many delivery people to keep up with the demands. This is also an option if you don’t have your own car. You can use your bike to complete deliveries. These jobs share the same advantages as working for Lyft or Uber. You set your own schedule and can also earn tips.
4. Babysitting or Nannying
Babysitting is another great way to earn money with an occasional job that works with your hectic schedule. I recommend asking friends, family members and coworkers if they know of anyone looking for a babysitter. Let everyone know that you are available to watch their kids. Tell your parents to tell their friends or coworkers that you’re in the market for babysitting gigs as well. If you can’t find anyone you know, websites like care.com can match you with people who need child watching services. If you are looking for a more stable income, nannying is also a great option. Being a nanny is when you consistently take care of the same kids and help out the same family with a set schedule. Childcare is a good source of money and can often be very fun also if you enjoy kids.
5. Pet sitting
Pet sitting is a great alternative if you don’t enjoy being around children, but are more of an animal lover. Pet owners are always looking for someone to watch their dogs while they’re away. Owners with busy schedules might also be looking for someone to simply walk their dogs when they can’t. Just like for babysitting, I recommend using word of mouth to find potential jobs. However if you can’t find any, the app Wag helps you find people looking for dog walkers. This can also be a very fun and simple job, that allows you to spend time outdoors with pets.
