So you want to see Queen Bey on her Renaissance World Tour and Taylor Swift through all her Eras on the main stage…but you’re still a broke college student. We’d all love to follow Bey’s advice to quit our jobs, but we have to afford concert tickets somehow and still pay our bills. Here’s a list with side hustles and flexible jobs that won’t break your soul or budget and will help you save up the cash you need to see your favorite artists IRL.
Babysitting has been a tried and true side hustle for teens and students for decades for a good reason. The work is easy to find, usually pretty easy to do, and babysitters often get paid in cash. Your college’s job board is a good resource but you can set your rates and advertise yourself on sites like Care.com. Give yourself a major leg up on the competition (and educate yourself) by becoming CPR certified.
Freelance
You can find someone willing to pay you for help with graphic design, copywriting, editing, Photoshop, and more on websites like Fiverr and Upwork. If you’re a student in creative services these gigs can also provide more work to include in your portfolio.
Deliver Food or Groceries
There are tons of websites like Instacart, Shipt, UberEats, or DoorDash that make grocery shopping or food delivery an easy side gig to pick up. You will most likely need a bike, scooter, or car but apps make it easy to set your own hours and you get to keep 100% of the tips you make.
Pet Sit or Walk Dogs
If you’re an animal lover, pet sitting is basically a dream job. College students with flexible schedules are perfect candidates to help pet owners take their dogs for walks, show cats love and attention, or even feed a turtle or hamster. You can use third-party services like Rover or check out the local ads and job boards at your school.
Fill Out Surveys
Taking surveys is one of the easiest and least time consuming ways to earn extra cash. Websites like Swagbucks and SurveyJunkie will pay you to take market research surveys about products and services. You’ll have to take a lot of surveys to earn enough for your concert tickets but this is a great side hustle for anyone with limited time.
Sell Items Online
Whether it’s furniture you don’t need anymore, clothes you never wear, or thrifting to find products to flip, you can sell secondhand items online via eBay, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, or even Amazon. You will be responsible for packing your items and the shipping costs.
Drive for a Rideshare Company
If you have a car and feel comfortable driving strangers, driving for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft is a great way to earn tips on a schedule that works for you. Many drivers earn between $15 and $25 per hour. Important considerations are the cost of gas in your city and choosing working hours and ride locations that account for your personal comfort and safety.
Donate Plasma
If you’re not afraid of needles, you can earn between $30 and $60 per session by donating plasma. There are a few limitations - in most cases you can only donate twice a week and you are not eligible if you have certain medical conditions, have low iron levels, are taking certain medications, or have recently traveled to a destination with high Ebola or Zika virus infection levels. For a full list of terms and conditions and to find a blood center near you, check the American Red Cross website.
There are side hustles for every budget, schedule, and comfort level. Whether you use your extra money to pay your bills or join your fellow BeyHive members for the Renaissance tour, we hope you found something in this list to help reach your financial goals!
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