Lifestyle

5 Ways To Make Some Extra Cash When You're A Broke AF College Student

by Hicks Crawford
Denni Van Huis

Just because you're a student, it doesn't mean you don't have expenses. There are student loans, rent and, of course, partying expenses. In other words, having some extra cash can never be a bad thing if you're a student. In fact, you'll probably need to earn some extra money in order to survive.

Luckily, there are numerous ways you can get your hands on some extra cash. All you need to do is to add some organization to your lifestyle.

When you're a student, you have to make a lot of tough choices. You have to choose among good grades, a social life and sleep. You can only have two out of the three.

Plus, you need to find the time to earn more funds. Basically, if you cut out your social life, you'll have more money, but you'll also be deeply dissatisfied with your life. So, here are some tips on how to earn and save money as a student:

1. Become a freelancer.

The first thing you can do to boost your finances is become a freelancer. There are websites you can use to get a job, like Upwork or Craigslist. So, make sure you put your skills to good use.

There are jobs for web designers, graphic designers, video and sound editors, writers, translators, etc. In other words, there is always something you can do, as long as you can convince people you're the right person for the job.

The problem with this arrangement is you are still new to the platform. People have their doubts when they make deals with someone who has no reviews of past business transactions. So, make sure you have a few blogging accounts to display your writing. If you're a graphic designer, post your drawings online.

To land your first job, you'll need a quality portfolio.

2. Sell your stuff online.

You must have items you're no longer using. Try and sell those things. Additionally, if you know how to craft your own accessories, ornaments or other mundane items, you can sell those as well.

Open up accounts on eBay, Amazon and Etsy. Upload photos of your products. Just make sure you use a high-quality camera, and ascertain what would be a realistic price. Find the keywords for your products and use them in the titles, meta descriptions and product descriptions.

Also, if you want to save money, you should consider purchasing products from these platforms as well. There are various ways to save expenses when you shop online like this. The key is to go after items that are unnoticed, since they probably have lower prices, but the same great quality as the bestselling items.

3. Sell your hair, blood or sperm.

If you don't have any crafting skills or items you want to sell, you can always rely on your body to produce sellable goods. All you need to do is find a local clinic that is willing to buy either your hair, blood or sperm.

Sure, it's not really a conventional way to earn some extra cash, but a lot of people don't shy away from taking such an approach. You don't need to do this all of the time. But if you're in a tight spot, it's good to know your options.

4. Do online surveys.

They're really tiresome and mind-numbing, but they're effective. An online survey is one of the surest ways to get emergency funds, or at least get discounts for particular stores. Do some thorough research of survey websites you can trust. You can easily get manipulated into doing several surveys for no financial compensation.

Go through lists and see which websites are usually mentioned. Soon, you will have a list of trustworthy online sites.

Get some energy drinks and coffee, enter your productive mode and spend a night doing these surveys. This way, you can finish this unpleasant task quickly and get on with your fun life.

5. Use coupons for discounts.

Lastly, if you want to save money, try to use all the coupons you have. Try to get new ones when you deplete your stash. Stores are constantly trying to incentivize shoppers by giving them good deals and discounts during particular periods.

You can use specialist coupon sites such as Groupon and Crowdsavers to find and use new coupons for online shopping. Save your money, and once you have the golden opportunity to get something at a great discount, go on a shopping spree.

When you shop for groceries, organize those trips with your friends. Make trips to stores where you can get better deals if you buy in bulk. All it takes is some good strategizing and shopping tactics. Once you make them a part of your routine, you'll be surprised at how easily you can function on a tight budget.