Making Extra Money

[FrozNlite]

So my current university part-time job is sweet. It's easy as hell, the epitome of hourly flexibility, and pays decently. I was told I could potentially work it full time these few weeks off during winter break before the semester starts at the end of January, and had been benching on such for quite some time.

Turns out, there's not much for me to do right now with half the staff of graduate students and researchers out of town. Which means I'm averaging about 30 hours/week at best.

Regardless of working the job 30 hours a week or 40, it doesn't pay enough to really cover everything I'd like. Okay, it funds the necessities and then a little some, but I'm financially ambitious like most people in a capitalistic society, and thus am looking for alternative (and legal) forms/methods of income that aren't actually another job, but just little things I can do whenever I damn well please to make some extra spending money.

I've done online research into this for a week now, and have been vastly disappointed in what I've found. Most options that sound promising (reading emails, doing surveys, other random pomegranate) are, like we've all thought, either completely a scam, mostly a scam, partially a scam, or actually can produce profit, albeit at a high risk/time/effort cost. Aka not worth it. The only promising venue I've found is Elance, for doing outsourced online freelance work, which, while being legit, isn't a guarantee of getting paid work because you're competing with thousands of people around the globe, many of which are usually more qualified than someone like me.

My question to Southperry: is there any answer to this quandary? Do you use/know of any legitimate methods of making a little extra money on the side, here or there, whenever you need? Is there anything out there, or should I quit wasting my time looking and dabbling and just find another flexible hour part time job?

[Loose]

I take drawing commissions and make/sell comics for some extra cash, though that requires being able to draw decently.

[Imitazion]

getting a job where you choose to make money is pretty hard, so I would recommend getting a secondary part time flex-job.
it's a whole other story if you don't care about how legitimate it is(I work for ~$25/hr in weekends, making some extra moolah)

[Worthyness]

you can try eBay merchanting. It's like buying and selling on basilmarket except you get real money instead. Doesn't really require much and it can be profitable on some occasions. It's the equivalent of finding junk, restoring it, then selling it for profit.

Otherwise, turn something you're good at into a profit. Or find another job that you want to learn about or that has benefits liek employee discounts like a store clerk or cashier :D

[Seanny]

Useful Blog (one thats not 'Lol all about meee') + google adsense?

[Myles]

I'm signed up to loads of pomegranate and I get free stuff in the post sometimes.

See if stuff like this is in your country and sell it on?

[Untradeable]

Plasma Donations? (If your country supports that and there's a clinic around your area and you dont hate needles)

[Myles]

Plasma Donations? (If your country supports that and there's a clinic around your area and you dont hate needles)

If like the UK, gays can't donate blood.

[Untradeable]

If like the UK, gays can't donate blood.

I believe its the same here sadly. Stupid rule imo.

[Katie]

Plasma Donations? (If your country supports that and there's a clinic around your area and you dont hate needles)

I didn't think they paid for this. At least I know the Red Cross doesn't, since I'm an avid donator.

Everything I was going to mention was illegal so I guess I'm no help. Oh oh oh... you could sell your sperm!

[Myles]

I didn't think they paid for this. At least I know the Red Cross doesn't, since I'm an avid donator.

Everything I was going to mention was illegal so I guess I'm no help. Oh oh oh... you could sell your sperm!

Pretty sure gays can't donate sperm either. Lemme read up on it...

[Untradeable]

I didn't think they paid for this. At least I know the Red Cross doesn't, since I'm an avid donator.

Everything I was going to mention was illegal so I guess I'm no help. Oh oh oh... you could sell your sperm!

Oh, Im not taking about the Red Cross, Alot of Biopharmaceutical Companys have Plasma Donation companys that will buy your plasma for use in making medicines, Usually, if qualified, you can donate twice a week, with around $20 the first donation of the week, and anywhere from $30-$40 dollars for the second donation for the week, Its not bad if your strapped for cash, all you do is sit there while they remove the plasma with a centrifugal machine, and put it back in with a substitute plasma with your original bloodcells, then you collect your money and leave! Takes around half an hour.

[Myles]

Also, look around your place of living for ANYTHING to sell.

Use the "have I used this in the last 6 months/is it really important to keep" rule, and eBay anything that isn't.

EDIT: Try freecycle and similar websites, then eBay the crap you get!

[XTOTHEL]

if your job "pays decent" and you're getting 30 hours a week, shouldn't you look into where you can cut budget? Is rent/food your biggest spenders?

[Katie]

Oh, Im not taking about the Red Cross, Alot of Biopharmaceutical Companys have Plasma Donation companys that will buy your plasma for use in making medicines, Usually, if qualified, you can donate twice a week, with around $20 the first donation of the week, and anywhere from $30-$40 dollars for the second donation for the week, Its not bad if your strapped for cash, all you do is sit there while they remove the plasma with a centrifugal machine, and put it back in with a substitute plasma with your original bloodcells, then you collect your money and leave! Takes around half an hour.

oh? Hmmm. I think I should look into this. I get harassing phone calls constantly because they want my blood/plasma (I'm O-). I should charge for my crap!

[Untradeable]

oh? Hmmm. I think I should look into this. I get harassing phone calls constantly because they want my blood/plasma (I'm O-). I should charge for my crap!

Yeah, if your healthy enough to donate blood, you should be more than healthy enough to donate plasma.
http://www.donatingplasma.org/
That should help you locate some plasma donation centers.

[Katie]

Yeah, if your healthy enough to donate blood, you should be more than healthy enough to donate plasma.
http://www.donatingplasma.org/
That should help you locate some plasma donation centers.

Well hot damn. That website took me to a place near me that pays $300 a month lol. I don't know if I could handle being stuck that many times. How crazy.

[Untradeable]

Well hot damn. That website took me to a place near me that pays $300 a month lol. I don't know if I could handle being stuck that many times. How crazy.

Yeah, I got sick of having to get stuck 8 times a month, and in addition, they have to prick a finger to draw some blood to test for certain factors as to weather or not you can donate that time. Its annoying, but if you absolutely are strapped for cash, or dont mind that sort of thing, Its pretty nice, and it can somewhat save lives, because it is used to make medicines for people.

[FrozNlite]

I believe its the same here sadly. Stupid rule imo.

That is the law here, unfortunately. As much as I'd still like to go for it, an extra $20-30 at the expense of legal issues later on down the line is pointless.

if your job "pays decent" and you're getting 30 hours a week, shouldn't you look into where you can cut budget? Is rent/food your biggest spenders?

I've already cut what I can in my budget. Rent/food are big spenders, but they (mostly) can't change. Rent is what it is for this next semester, where food I could cut some, if I want to live on canned soup and PB & J every day. Which I'd rather not have to do.

Ultimately the desire to make extra money stems from my personal wants. I want to break into fashion journalism, and a fully realized passion for fashion is an expensive one, with said adjective perfectly describing my taste for things in life in general. Now yes, can I afford expensive everything as a college student? Hell no, which is why I'm cheap as hell with everything except my clothes. And I've even made cuts/delays to some goals of mine with that, and I'm still having trouble finding funds for other things.

I feel like I might try out Elance, but like I said in my OP, I'm doubtful of even getting a job.

[Retalion]

I'm not sure how legal it is over there (or anywhere for that matter), but editing makes good money. Again, I'm not sure how it is over here, but where I'm from, there are tonnes of international students, many with sub-par English skills (and as that thread a short while ago points out, perhaps some with lots of money and forged transcripts/SATs/grades? Iono). Editing their work before they hand it in is good money. I'm not even talking about writing it for them (which of course is plagiarism and illegal), I'm talking merely correcting their English so that their paper has a correct flow and the grammar is comprehensible. In general, that pays 1-2 cents per word, so roughly $5/page, depending on formatting.

Last semester, some business students had me look over their final report for some business writing course. Their reports were 17 pages each, and I was paid $50 for each. It took me 1 hour to go through each of them, so that was an easy $50/hour there. The good thing about a "job" (though its not really that, I just do it on the side) like that is that its VERY flexible. Do it when you have time, tell them you can't when you're busy. Additionally, its decent pay for what you're doing. The problem is of course finding people that need the service, or having a method for the people who need this service to find you, but according to my beliefs, doing a good job is the best advertisement, so you do a good job, and they'll tell their friends, and etc.

In general though, there should be places that need editing (or places that SHOULD need editing. I see spelling mistakes and grammar errors on ESPN all the time), and having a good grasp of English is all it takes to make some money. It should also be a somewhat relevant job for you, considering your interest in fashion journalism, as when you go into that field, you'll eventually have to be able to write fluently anyways, so it would be good practice.

Good luck in finding a way to make money!