Four Ways to Pocket Extra Cash In College
If you’re anything like me, you know the struggles of being a broke college student. Between tution, housing, and car insurance, the bills can pile up. You're buying the $1 ramen and cut down your avocado toast consumption to 2x's per week, but you need some other ways to scrape by without more student loan debt. Here are four tips and tricks I’ve learned on how to save money as a college student:
1. Look for free events
Many universities are filled with free events that offer incentives for attending. Depending on the event, you can score anything from free food to free clothes! It is also important to look for raffles during events, as some of them can offer large-scale prizes, like laptops or headphones. Not only does attending events give you great food/gifts, but it is also a chance to network and meet new people in your community. A great place to start is the Financial Education Workshops held by the Louis Maygarden Center at the University of West Florida. Simply put, how can you pass up free pizza?
2. Try to find temporary jobs
Trying to maintain a job while in school can be extremely difficult. Personally, I find it is nearly impossible to work 40 hours a week while being a full-time student. For those that feel the same way, it might help to look for temporary work positions! There are many companies that will hire employees to simply work for a week to a month. This can be a great opportunity if you don’t have plans for spring or winter break. In some cases, companies will even offer positions where you create your own schedule and work whenever you can (usually with the requirement of working at least once a week). Target occasionally offers positions like this and is where my friends currently have temporary positions.
3. Use resell websites
If you live near your school, it can be a great chance to look at reselling websites that are based in your area, a great example being Facebook marketplace. On these websites, they can cater to your location and show you listings that are near you. The perfect time to scout these websites is after a semester ends, which tends to be when upperclassmen graduate and move out of their dorms. You can score excellent necessities for a great discounted price. Last year, I was able to pick up a TV for 50 bucks!
4. Sell your textbooks
Textbooks can be insanely expensive, with the majority of them being over $100. It can also be a hassle to have them sitting around your room with no good use after the semester is over. In these cases, it is a good idea to sell your textbooks! Many colleges offer a textbook buy-back program that will give you money to take the textbook off of your hands. If your college doesn’t offer this, try to sell your textbooks on Amazon. I have always purchased my textbook second hand and I have been able to save hundreds of dollars!