How College Students Can Make Extra Money During COVID-19
With businesses shut down and few options for finding local jobs, college students are left with fewer ways to earn a living. As most college students need a steady income to stay afloat, this can cause insurmountable stress in an already stressful situation. Thankfully, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel because you can still earn extra cash during the pandemic.
Become a Tutor
Class is still in session for many elementary and secondary school students. Plenty of these students are having a difficult time adjusting to online schooling, which can cause their marks to plummet. You can be that much-needed mentor in their lives if you start tutoring online. There are many great online tutoring job websites that can match you with students of all ages in any subject without the need for an education degree. If you speak one more language, you can also tutor foreign or immigrant students that need to practice reading comprehension.
Become a Freelancer
Freelancers are business professionals that offer up their skills for a price. For example, a photographer could independently market their skills and talent to attract clients who want their services. Freelancing isn’t limited to photography, and it isn’t even the most popular or sought-after industry. Copywriting, blog writing, digital art, and website building are high in demand, and clients typically won’t care about your education level as long as you can produce quality work. Get started by signing up for websites like Fiverr and UpWork to browse for future proposals.
Save Money With Couponing
Have you heard the saying, “every penny saved is a penny earned?” Although you aren’t exactly earning money at the grocery store, you can save hundreds of dollars per month by making the right choices. That doesn’t mean you have to eat ramen and drink water for the rest of your life; you just need to be savvy on what you buy and when. One way to save money is by only buying food that’s on sale, in season, or can store for a long time. Sometimes changing where you shop can save you money, so avoid expensive grocery stores like ACME and Fresh Market.
Donate Plasma
During medical shortages, blood and plasma become priceless resources, but few people are donating. While you can and should, donate blood, you won’t receive payment after the donation. However, if you donate plasma, you could make $1,131 extra over the course of a year from 13 donation sessions. Plus, you’ll save a lot of lives. Plasma is necessary for treating liver diseases, bleeding disorders, and several types of cancers. It’s possible that one plasma donation could save over ten people with life-threatening issues, including COVID-19 sufferers.
Join a Delivery Service
One of the few industries that continue to boom is delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats. Since most of us are required to stay inside to hold out the pandemic, more and more people are switching to ordering food instead of grocery shopping. Not only does ordering out support small businesses, but it can help your wallet, as well. As a delivery driver, you can set your own schedule, which is perfect for students who need to cram for an exam. Even with the “no contact drop-off” option, you’ll still be interacting with people, so wear a mask at all times.
Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
Most of us have a lot of clothes, jewelry, or electronics laying around the house that we barely use. However, they can be useful if you flip them for some cash. Start looking through your closet for outfit pieces you no longer wear or serve no purpose. A good trick to determine what to keep or sell is to ask if you’ve worn or used an item in the last 3 months. If not, ask yourself again if it’s seasonal (like a winter coat), a specialty item (blender for cookies), or giftable. Items that don’t pass this test should be sold immediately unless they hold sentimental value.
