Alright, I want this post to be real and honest. There are tons of posts out there about how to earn money as a broke college students. TONS! I’ve looked at them. I’m sure you’ve looked at them. And I’m getting really sick of seeing the same things. In particular, I’m getting tired of all of the ones out there saying “do surveys and get paid!” Everyone knows those are mostly scams right?
Anyway, I wanted to round up a few things I do to earn extra money as a college student. Currently, my income comes from my full time job. Yes. A full time job that I balance alongside school. I know. I’m insane. However, I do have a few ways to earn some extra cash. And they are 100% legit.
Blogging
So I’m assuming you’ve already heard about this one. And I’m going to be very forward with you and admit that I don’t actually make any money from blogging. For the last ten months, I’ve been doing this for free.
Now, there are ways to earn money while blogging but none have worked for me thus far and I’m honestly not too interested in utilizing any other methods. I use google adsense, but I haven’t gained any income from that. I used to use amazon affiliates, but they cut me out of the system since (again) I wasn’t making any income.
I included this here because it IS possible to earn income with a blog. It just hasn’t worked for me. And that is OKAY! I enjoy blogging. I enjoy having my website and creating content. If you really invest and work hard, you could create a blog to earn money. That is why I listed this here.
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Listverse
If you’re interested in making money by doing a little writing, this is a good way to earn some extra income. Listverse is a site that hosts an innumerable amount of lists showcasing 10 items, ideas, perspectives, theories, etc. To enter, you just need to submit a list of ten things. That’s it!
Now, I recently sent in a list to listverse but got rejected. It happens. I’m assuming it was due to the topic not being “enough” in their niche. They are looking for the bizarre, weird, conspiratorial type articles. Some of their top articles are: 10 more Terrifying and Disturbing Creatures, Top 10 Codes you aren’t Supposed to Know, and 10 Events Surrounding September 11.
There’s been quite some controversy in regards to listverse. Some say its a scam. Others say that the $100 is just clickbait. I haven’t been scammed (yet) by Listverse, but I do wonder if their offer is legit.
There are a number of other reputable sites that offer you coin for submissions. Honestly, I recommend just looking around and trying some out.
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Fiverr
There have been a lot of running jokes about Fiverr or sites/apps like Fiverr. Fiverr is a site where you can offer a service to others for a fair price. For example, you can offer your ability to code a website, write a business plan, photograph a wedding, or create a business card for someone, etc. The list of opportunities on Fiverr are endless.
Fiverr isn’t a get rich quick kind of thing. However, it’s pretty useful for people who have skills and services to offer as well as for those who may need the service. You determine what you do and your own time frame. You also remain completely in control of how much you charge for the service.
Guest Posting
This is a really good way to get paid while putting your work on the market. Though this is typically for writers or for people who want to build up a portfolio for their written work, anyone can partake in this. There are thousands of websites in need of guest posters. Some websites only do it for free, others will offer a small compensation for posting on their site.
Three really big ones include Listverse, Buzzfeed, and the New York Times. These three have specific topical requirements for their sites and not all of them offer money in exchange. The goal to earning through guest posts is to establish yourself first and keep a look out on sites that offer guest posting.
I’ve been sending out guest posts to different sites for awhile now. My goal is to compile a portfolio of work that can be referenced for sites that I submit to for compensation. This also isn’t a get rich quick kind of ordeal, but it certainly helps!
Publish a Book/ ebook
This will be one of the most time consuming ways to earn money. Creating a book or ebook takes…awhile. Not to mention, you have to pay some hard earned money to actually seal the deal with your book. (For example, I paid the Library of Congress in order to have my book copyrighted on paper).
Ebooks, and books in general, are a good source of passive income. Once it’s published, you’re done! The money comes in as the book sort of stands for itself. Now, there is some marketing involved. If you don’t market that baby, you won’t see anything in your bank account.
Again, this isn’t a “get rich fast” kind of thing. In fact, publishing a book doesn’t necessarily mean anyone will buy it… most books don’t sell more than 200 copies. And that’s the hard truth.
If you’re interested in this option, I have a few posts about it that you can look into below.
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Etsy/online selling
For artists and crafters out there, Etsy is an amazing site to sell your handmade items and art. I don’t have an etsy account or store, though I’ve considered it. My niche tends to lean towards written work rather than art. Though, I’ve contemplated dabbling a bit in a few arts to potentially sell online.
Etsy is one of the largest arts and crafts online stores in the worlds, but there are a number of others to utilize as well. Shutterfly, Stock images, Shopify, and Redbubble offer similar services where artists can sell their work online and get paid. Again, I haven’t personally partaken any of these avenues, however, I’ve considered it.
If you’re a talented artist looking to get some extra cash, this could be a good option for you!
Skillshare
I love skillshare! It’s amazing! Skillshare is an online site where you pay to take classes. The classes are about twenty to thirty minutes each and are all taught with videos. Of course, every teacher is unique and there is a wide variety of classes to take.
The reason skillshare is on this list is because you can become a teacher on skillshare for free! You sign up, put up your videos, market it, and start rolling in the dough. Most skillshare teachers report making about $200-$300 within their first month.
Skillshare is a great way to make extra money. The hard part is figuring out what you can teach and creating the videos for your class. The more professional, the better!
I haven’t personally been a teacher on skillshare, but I am interested in doing it. I’ve wanted to make an ecourse for some time now. The problems I am currently running into are lack of ideas, time, and money for better equipment.
Donate plasma
This one is one of the easier ways to earn quick cash. I have a few friends who donate plasma when their funds are low. Recently, my mother has gotten pretty into it too. I’ll admit that I’m a little nervous about doing it. It isn’t necessarily that needles freak me out, but I’m worried it’ll hurt. I also moved recently (see my post on that here) meaning that I am unsure of donation centers near me.
A few downsides to donating are: a fear of needles, fear of blood, most centers put the money on a visa and do not give it to you directly, you cannot be pregnant, received a tattoo within the last year, have any dire illness, etc. The list of “unacceptable conditions” is pretty long. On the bright side, if you check out and aren’t afraid of the process, you can go up to twice a week and receive some good money for it!
These are the ideas I came up with for how to earn extra income. They’re not “perfect” and they don’t necessarily promise income. However, they are all good ideas and certainly something to look into.
Being a broke college student is a legit trope. It’s a problem we feel and attempt to conquer. It all comes down to using our wit and intelligence to combat the “broke” characteristic.
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:
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Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know any good Chicago restaurants you’d like me to review and try!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $9.99!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.
Thanks again