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26 Totally Flexible Ways to Make Money in College Without Dropping Classes
Working through college is one way to reduce the amount of debt you’ll have after graduation. You know, make some money now and take out fewer student loans. Big. Win.
But finding a job with decent pay that’ll allow you to schedule shifts around your classes and extracurriculars can be harder to find than a healthy taco bar. And maybe you’re not too keen on flipping burgers at your local fast-food joint.
Well… have you thought about ditching the demanding work schedule and finding flexible work instead? You’ve got options, after all.
If you’re looking to boost your income this month, we’ve got just the thing for you.
From quick gigs to smart side hustles, check out these 50 easy ways to make a quick buck — there’s something for everyone.
From part-time jobs to apps and websites that let you make money online from your dorm or apartment, you have plenty of options that won’t cut into your study time.
If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.
It’s too good to be true, right?
But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.
Want to try real-estate investing without playing landlord? We found a company that helps you do just that.
Oh, and you don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars, either. You can get started with a minimum investment of just $500. A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.
Through the Fundrise Starter Portfolio, your money will be split into two portfolios that support private real estate around the United States.
This isn’t an obscure investment, though. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolios — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You can earn money through quarterly dividend payments and potential appreciation in the value of your shares, just like a stock. Cash flow typically comes from interest payments and property income (e.g. rent).
(But remember: Investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since 2014, dividend and principal payments are never guaranteed.)
You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.
Bottom line: HealthyWage will literally pay you for losing weight.
Not only are you getting more healthy, you’re also making some money. How’s that for motivation?
Here’s how it works:
Depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it and how much money you put on the table, you could win up to $10,000!
Read here about other ways you could get paid to lose weight.
Need a fun, flexible way to earn money while also meeting lots of new people?
Try driving with Lyft!
Demand for ride-sharing has been growing like crazy, and it shows no signs of slowing down. To be eligible, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a year of driving experience, pass a background check and own a car made in 2007 or later. You can drive days, nights or weekends — it’s up to you!
Don’t have a lot of spare time outside of studying?
Check with the dean of your college or university to see if your school offers incentives for getting good grades. Some actually offer cash bonuses to college students who maintain a good GPA.
From medical tests to market research, being a test subject can be an interesting, educational and — above all — lucrative way to spend your time.
Here are two resources to help you get started:
Keep an eye out on campus for opportunities at your university, too. These are usually quick gigs that could yield $10 to $20 for less than an hour’s work.
When you were in high school, you had no idea how much money textbooks cost, did you? Ouch. You know you can earn a little cash back for selling your textbooks at the end of the semester.
But you can go beyond that — and actually start profiting from textbook sales.
Instead of relying on your own collection, buy textbooks online from sites like eBay and resell them on a site like BookScouter.
Before you shop, you can look up a book’s ISBN on BookScouter and find out how much it’s worth. That way you’ll only buy books you know you can sell for more than what you pay.
Profit margins aren’t huge on textbook reselling, but if you can average $5 per book and sell five per day, you could earn $750 each month. That’s a solid side hustle!
If you’re a fan of friendly competition, start recruiting team members to join you on Ibotta, a free app that’ll grant you cash back on just about everything. Yeah, if you’re 21, you can even earn cash back from the bar.
If you’re not yet an Ibotta member, go ahead and sign up. Once you upload your first receipt, you’ll earn a $5 bonus.
Then start building your team. You can refer friends and earn a $5 bonus. The more team members you have, the more shopping bonuses you’ll likely accrue. Can you say passive income? Plus, Ibotta ranks your earnings against your friends, which turns saving money into a friendly competition.
Just think how much you can earn if you get your whole dorm or sorority involved!
Are you looking for on-campus jobs? Have you ever considered becoming a tutor?
Look for programs through your university or specific departments where you could get paid to work with other students.
For more flexibility, consider becoming an online tutor. Through a platform like Wyzant, you can browse tutoring jobs and set your own rates.
State treasuries throughout the U.S. have billions in unclaimed funds. Just sitting around! Waiting for you to come play lost and found.
Check for your unclaimed money with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Click your state on the map, and it’ll redirect you to your state’s appropriate search site. (Beware: There are several look-a-like sites out there. Be sure you’re searching legitimate ones.)
If you want more steady work and income that offers the flexibility you need to get to class and rest after pulling all-nighters, look online.
Not sure where to start your search for a remote gig? Turn to ZipRecruiter. Or, check The Penny Hoarder’s page dedicated to work-from-home jobs.
Because you don’t yet have a degree and aren’t seeking full-time employment, we suggest looking into these jobs:
Freelancing is a wonderful, flexible way to make money on the side. You set your own rates and your hours. It also can be a great way to gain experience and connect with potential employers before you even graduate.
Whether you’re a graphic designer, a writer, an editor or a computer programmer, you can find virtual gigs through platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and other freelance websites.
Maybe you love crafting, but you simply don’t have the time to knit scarves, quilt blankets or cross-stitch sassy sayings to sell. Well, here’s some good news: You can make money simply selling craft kits and supplies.
Look for supplies, kits and patterns at thrift stores and garage sales. Find good deals, and resell these items to crafters on Etsy.
Have you heard of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk?
Create an account, and start performing “human intelligence tasks.” These tasks range from answering surveys to transcribing interviews to creating spreadsheets. You can pick and choose what you want to do.
Are your friends always asking you to do their hair? Put it in a French braid or a fancy knot?
Well, you can get paid to put your skills to use — on horses.
You’ll find some small shows in the fall and winter months, but spring and summer are the most popular.
And because the work happens almost exclusively on the weekends, you should have no problem fitting it around your class schedule.
Odd jobs and side gigs are an awesome way to earn extra money without committing to a full-time job or fixed schedule.
Sure, you could always find work the old-fashioned way — have your parents ask their friends if they need help with anything. But modern technology and our infatuation with the sharing economy have made gigs a much more effective way of earning a living.
Use an app like TaskRabbit to connect with people in your area who need help with cleaning, assembling furniture or installing a new faucet.
If you’re not as handy around the house, you can use Instacart or Postmates to deliver groceries and takeout orders to people who don’t have time, resources or ability to do it on their own.
The Papa app connects college students with senior citizens who need a little extra help in their day-to-day activities. Along the way, it provides companionship — and a steady side gig.
“The two loneliest generations are older adults and college-age individuals,” Founder and CEO Andrew Parker told us. “… By connecting these distinct generations, we are able to break down barriers and form real relationships.”
These part-time positions are only available to college students. Beyond that, no specific experience is required, but students studying nursing, medicine or psychology get bonus points. Other requirements for Papa Pals include a reliable four-door car and appropriate car insurance. All applicants must be able to pass a thorough background check, and the approval process takes between two and 10 business days.
Papa Pals make between $11 and $12 an hour, and additional compensation is provided for gas and tolls. The app is active in select cities in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Do you watch “Jeopardy!” or “Wheel of Fortune” every evening and feel like you’d crush the contestants?
You can be part of these shows more easily than you might think, and it can be a cool way to boost your budget.
Get started by going to your favorite show’s website.
Listen, we know it’s tough out there. But there’s no shame in asking for help.
These companies make it easy to help yourself and your bank account.
Class-action lawsuits are a simple way to make some extra money on the side.
Heck, you’re probably already part of a class-action suit you don’t even know about. They come up more often than you might realize.
We share open settlements from Top Class Actions, so keep an eye out.
To file a claim, you’ll usually just have to fill out an online form. Some settlements also require proof of purchase of a relevant product or service.
How much you get depends on how many claimants are part of the case settlement and the amount of the settlement. You could get anything from free tuna to a check for $5,000 from California hotels.
You know when you order a package through Amazon and receive it the same day? It’s not magic — it’s your friendly Amazon Flex delivery partner.
As an Amazon Flex delivery partner, you’ll deliver goods to consumers via Amazon.com, Prime Now, AmazonFresh and Amazon Restaurants.
Amazon Flex says you can make $18 to $25 an hour as a Flex associate, though that’ll depend on how much you’re able to deliver. It processes payments on Tuesdays and Fridays through direct deposit, so you should see your money on Wednesdays, Saturdays or both.
One of the biggest perks of this part-time gig is that you get to set your own schedule, using the Flex app to claim delivery blocks (or shifts) you want to work.
To qualify, you’ll need a phone with the Flex app and a car. If you’re delivering Prime Now orders, any car will suffice; however, if you’re delivering for Amazon.com, you’ll need a four-door midsize sedan or larger. In some areas, bikes are acceptable.
The program recruits in various areas across the country based on need. If you don’t find your city on the list when you go to sign up, you can always join the waitlist.
You know that feeling when you find a $20 bill hiding in the pocket of those jeans you wore last week? Yeah, that’s the feeling of a lucky day. The Lucky Day app is just like that.
You could win up to $10,000 playing digital scratch-off tickets or even a whopping $100,000 in the daily lotto. You’ll also have a lot of chances to win gift cards to cool places like Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin and Target.
It’s all free to play, with no in-app purchases. The company has already awarded more than $3 million in prizes to winners since 2014.
No, it’s not guaranteed money, but it’s a fun way to pass the time when you’re just sitting around and, who knows, you could hit a big one!
If you have a smartphone and a photographer’s eye, making money may have just gotten a lot easier. Oh – you’ll also need access to marketable scenery.
An app called Foap lets you turn your smartphone photos into cash.
Here’s how it works:
If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket — all for about five minutes of work. Pretty cool, right?
Who isn’t obsessed with with true-crime podcasts these days? “My Favorite Murder,” anyone?
If you want an insider look at what happens when a case hits the courtroom, you can serve as an online mock juror through a site like eJury.
As a mock juror, you’ll review evidence including documents, videos and photos. The fate of the mock-innocent, or mock-guilty, could be in your hands. The goal? Help the lawyers prepare for the real thing.
You can earn $5 to $10 per case.
Living that minimalist lifestyle is all the rage right now, so why not use this mentality to your advantage?
Start taking a good hard look at your belongings. What do you actually need? What can you make money from?
Ready, set, purge.
If you need to wrangle your budget, it may be time to consider a savings challenge. Our 10-Day Savings Challenge will teach you how to make your money work for you with a high-yield savings account, stop overpaying on Amazon, earn money for trying out apps or watching movie previews and more.
Whether you want to look after school-aged kids on Saturday nights or help tired parents after school, you can find opportunities to use your child care experience to earn cash.
Look within your circle of friends and acquaintances first, as parents are more likely to trust someone they know. Ask friends if they know anyone else who could use a few hours to themselves, whether it’s to grocery shop or simply to head to the gym.
You can also let parents find you through Care.com. Rates on the platform will vary by city, but the average rate for babysitters in 2017 was $16.20 an hour, according to Care.com’s 2018 Cost of Care Survey.
Get paid to browse through your phone by signing up for a website called KashKick. You could get paid for things like answering survey questions or downloading and playing a game (any time of year) — up to $100 in your first month.
Ready to stop worrying about money?
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