After the holiday season — also known as shopping season to shopaholics everywhere — your wallet may look slimmer than ever. Add a new school semester with all of the expenses that go along with it, and you may be thinking it’ll be one of those semesters when you live solely on ramen noodles. To top it all off, keeping a steady job in college can be difficult. But don’t worry. There are better ways to keep from starving than selling your left arm on the black market. Here are six out of the ordinary ideas to make money that will help keep your piggy bank full and your body parts intact.
Sell handmade items on Etsy
If you love doing arts and crafts and want to get paid for it, you should definitely consider opening a store on Etsy, a worldwide marketplace where individuals can sell handmade items, as well as antiques. However, handmade items go far beyond physical items and can also include digital downloads, such as templates, clipart and prints. Etsy’s commission is reasonable at $0.20 per listing and 3.5 percent per item sold, and the main benefit of selling through this website is that it appears more trustworthy to buyers. Professionalism goes a long way in running an Etsy shop. Invest in a respectable logo — perhaps barter with a design-skilled friend — and have business cards to include with each purchase. Make sure to market your shop and items through various channels, such as social media, Google and Etsy. Bonus: Opening and maintaining an online store is equivalent to running your own business and will look great on your resume.
Get a freelance writing job
Put your amazing writing skills to good use by doing some freelance writing jobs. The best part about this kind of work is that you get to decide what you want to write about. So, whether you’re a fashionista or a foodie, you can write content you’re passionate about. Some websites you can find freelance writing gigs are oDesk, Textbroker and Elance. Keep an eye out though, some individuals do not understand the value of well-written work and will pay peanuts for articles. So, unless you’re an elephant, you should avoid these types of jobs and look for work that offers more competitive pay. Bonus: If you prefer to write at your own pace, consider starting a blog. Find a topic you’re passionate or knowledgeable about and create a blog using free templates from websites like Blogspot, Wix or WordPress. Not only is this a great way to practice your writing skills, but you can also make money through ad revenue. Cha-ching!
Sell your clothes
If your closet is getting a little crowded, consider selling your gently used designer clothing on the Internet. Websites like Poshmark and ThreadFlip allow you to sell your clothing directly to others. Both websites also have Android and iPhone apps to make uploading photos quick and easy. Poshmark offers a commission of $2.95 for sales under $15 and 20 percent for sales over $15, while ThreadFlip’s commission rate is 20 percent for all sales. Also, ThreadFlip offers a full service option where you send your clothing in a prepaid package, and they take care of the selling process for you. With this option, you make slightly less in commission, but you don’t have to worry about the hassle of selling and shipping. Each website has its own perks, so pick the one that works best for you. Tip: Make sure to style and photograph your clothes as outfits and in a way that shows their best qualities.
Sell stock photography
If you have a camera and an eye for photography, then put it to good use by selling stock photos on the Internet. Some people make their careers out of selling stock photography online, while others just use it as a way to sell pictures that they took for fun. Figure out what kind of photographer you want to be and what kinds of images are in high demand, and you’re well on your way to creating desirable stock photos. Some great websites to sell stock photos are iStock, Shutterstock and Flickr. Each one has its own application process, so make sure to choose the website that works best for you. Remember, you don’t need to be a professional to take a great picture, and most stock photography websites offer free tutorials. Bonus: If photography isn’t your thing, many of these websites are also accept illustrations and video and audio content.
Use mobile apps that reward you for shopping
This one is for you shopaholics: now, you can get paid to shop. Shopkick is a mobile app available for both Android and iPhone that allows you to earn “kicks” for visiting stores, purchasing products and scanning items. These kicks can then be redeemed for gift cards or products from your favorite stores, like Amazon, Starbucks, Target and Best Buy. A similar app is Ibotta, which is also available for Apple and Android phones. Ibotta gives you cash rebates for items you buy, from milk to movie tickets and everything in between. Rebates can range from a few cents to a few dollars and can quickly add up after a trip to Walmart or Publix. Another iOS and Android app that gives you rewards for shopping is Receipt Hog. All you have to do is take photos of your receipts, and you will receive points depending on how much you spend; these points can later be redeemed for rewards. Tip: Be patient; it may take some time before you can redeem your prizes. These apps are better used as a supplemental source of income rather than a primary source.
Get paid to go to the gym
Pinch yourself if you want, but you’re not dreaming. You can get paid to go to the gym with the iOS and Android mobile app GymPact. Through the app, you commit to exercise for 30-minute intervals one to seven times a week, earning $0.50 to $0.75 per workout. All you have to do is check in at the gym, and your phone does the rest, timing your workout and checking your location at regular intervals. If working out at the gym isn’t your thing, that’s OK too. When you keep your phone in your pocket or on an armband, GymPact will utilize your phone’s accelerometer to count your workout wherever you are. Of course, there is a catch. If you don’t meet your goal for the week, you have to pay an amount that you predetermined — a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $50 per week. GymPact is a great way to keep up with your New Year’s resolution and earn some extra cash. Bonus: You can also earn money by committing to track your meals and eat more veggies. Food logging is tracked and verified through GymPact’s partner, MyFitnessPal, while your veggie pact is verified through pictures you take and upload to the app. However, make sure to keep up with it, because, just like GymPact, breaking your healthy eating pact means that you’ll have to pay up.
Sometimes you have to think outside the box when it comes to making money in college. These six ways will help you make some extra cash to keep both your wallet and your belly full.
Ashley Figueroa is a senior communication studies major.
