5 Ways To Make Money During College and Post-College
During college financial stress was a major issue for me. I was obsessed with graduating without debt and making sure all my expenses were covered. While my parents assisted in a major way, there were things I felt obligated to pay which included but not limited to housing, food, and transportation. I went to school in Queens, New York which was not cheap at all. The cost of living in New York City is an arm, a leg, and a thigh. To say the least, I was always worried about money and trying to figure things out ways to survive. I did not feel comfortable asking for money, so I did multiple things to produce income. My focus was flexibility because I was still a full time student and any job that require a big time commitment would not be possible for me since I still have other activities on campus I was responsible for. Below you will see some ways I made money. Some of the post have referral/affiliated links which means if you choose to click and use the service I would be slightly compensated. I would not mention these things if I did not use it.
During college from my sophomore year until I graduate and a little after, I worked as a Marketing Rep for Insomnia Cookies. If you do not know what Insomnia Cookies is, it is a store that sells cookies, milk, and in some locations ice cream (yummy, right!). I would work approximately 4-5 hour shifts on different days depending on whenever my schedule was free. Some of my responsibilities involved covering event where Insomnia Cookies was a sponsor for the event, reaching out to local businesses to inform them about insomnia, and passing out free samples in different areas.
The store also have a part-time/full-time position for delivery drivers/bikers or you can apply to work in the store; however, a big focus for me was flexibility so being a Marketing Rep was perfect for me. Delivery drivers or bikes, specifically in New York City, has such a great opportunity to benefit from not only a paycheck but a great tip.
Pay: 15/h up to 5 hours low stress job and very flexible – approximately $75 a week ($15 is minimum wage in NYC)
Advantages: It is a fun job and you get a free cookie per shift; moreover, it is flexible and a great work environment.
Disadvantage: If you are not a social person, you might think it is hard or not as fun.
I have been doing this for about a year, and it is a good way to earn money. Disclaimer it is not a lot of money and you get paid anywhere between $0.05 – $0.70 per survey with a $2.00 automatic transfer to your PayPal account. It takes a few seconds and it is GOOGLE so you know it is legit.
Advantage:
- It usually takes 10-15 seconds. Then, I get approximately 15¢ which is nothing huge, but I believe everything cent counts.
Disadvantage:
- It is sporadic and not frequent. It also is not a lot of money, but it is not anything that will cause you stress.
3. DePoP
DePoP is described as “a peer-to-peer shopping app”. In my opinion it is like Instagram in terms of having visually attractive photos. However, unlike instagram, the goal is to get people to purchase what the item being styled. DePoP allows you to sell the item at any cost and takes a 10% commission from the total cost of the listing. If you are someone worried about understanding shipping logistics, the app provides the option to ship through the app and the cost can either be absorbed by you as the seller or transferred to the buyer. Because “free shipping” is always a highlight for most buyers, a great marketing + finance strategy is to include the cost of shipping with the cost of your actually listing. For instance let’s say a shirt is $15.99 and cost of shipping is $5.00, instead of making it a separate charge simply post the listing for $20.99 and market it with ‘free shipping’.
Advantages:
- Highlight: there is money sitting in your closet, especially if you’re not using old items. (Popular items such as Adidas, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger sell quickly)
Disadvantages:
- It might take some time for your items to sell if it is not a trendy or popular item.
4. Poshmark
Poshmark is another peer to peer app that equips you with a platform to sell clothes, jewelry, and other items. Similar to DePop, high quality brands sell quickly. If you have a Louis Vuitton bag you no longer want, this is a great platform to do just that. I will also shamelessly add my referral code QUEENEA to save $5.
Advantage:
- Ease of use
Disadvantage:
- Possible disadvantage of is the length of time is t takes time for the items to sell, especially if it is not a famous name brand.
Ebay is …..eBay. Need I saw more.
More selling stuff. Electronics are great item that sell quickly.
