The life of a student can get hectic since most students are juggling a few things at once like their classes, extracurricular activities, work, friends, and maybe a little fun. Of course, you still need to pay for necessities like rent or a car note. It is not uncommon for college students to worry about their cash flow. In fact, a survey showed that 70 percent of college students worry about money one way or another. The following are four things a college student can do to get some extra cash.
Use Your Phone
Smartphones are a great way to make some extra money if you are willing. Some applications like Gigwalk pay you to do simple tasks like taking a picture of your dish while eating at a restaurant. Most of these jobs do not pay much, but those who are anticipating a money problem might benefit from an additional stream of income.
It might be a good idea to download a budget application, too. This is not a way to make money, but it is a tool to help ensure that you are on top of your finances as much as possible.
Your Car Can Put in Some Work
You have a car, meaning that you have a valuable asset as long as you let it work for you. A number of sites out there will give you an opportunity to make money with your car. For example, RelayRides lets you rent out your car for about $10 an hour. Of course, you can also do little things on sites like TaskRabbit where you can offer to do some errands for people like buying groceries.
Your car also be a taxi for people. Many college students do not have a car and will pay you if you give them rides. Talk to your fellow students to see if anyone wants to hire you as their driver from time to time. You can also check out opportunities such as Uber where you can make a steady amount of money as you act as people’s cab driver.
Smart Loan
There are times when you might need a little more money than your side job can provide. Emergencies might put you in a bind, which means that you have limited options. At this point, you might want to consider getting a loan or asking your job for an advance.
Many companies, such as those that will allow you to get payday loans in San Antonio, Tx, offer loans where you can get the cash you need within a matter of hours and without having to have your credit checked. This option is ideal for those who might have a bill due in a short amount of time like a car note or rent. It is quick money to hold you over until your next paycheck. Of course, it is important to pay the loan off quickly to avoid letting the loan incur more interest than necessary. Be sure to budget yourself by doing small things like avoiding eating out or going out until the loan is paid off.
Use Your Talents
There is no doubt that you have a talent or two somewhere up your sleeve. These talents can make you some money, too. For example, a site called “italki” connects you to people around the world who want to learn English. You can be a tutor and improve your own language skills at the same time.
There is another site called fiverr where you can get paid for all sorts of things, from drawing a personalized picture for someone if you’re an artist or something as strange as prank calling a friend. People get paid $5 per task, but the prices can go up if the job get a little more complicated.
Hopefully, these ideas help you get some extra cash when you need it. We’ve all been there, and so just take one of the ideas, apply it and see the green come in.
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.
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