Being a young college student working on your first degree can be really rough on your bank account. Holding a job at all can be stressful with a full load of classes and school work, let alone finding one with schedule flexibility and that pays above minimum wage. After the holiday gift buying and going out more with friends I'm sure a lot of us, myself included, are feeling the ding to our wallets; so I thought I'd share some of my experiences in staying afloat financially, college kid style.
1. Babysitting can be a great way to make some extra cash here and there for parent date nights or become a more steady job a couple days per week. Working for family or friends is usually the most convient way to go, but websites such as Care.com or Sittercity can be safe ways to put yourself out there to find families in your area who need child care. Perks to babysitting are that it is usually above minimum wage, average of $9 - $12 per hour, it can be fun and entertaining to run around and play with little kids, and when they go to sleep you get paid to sit around and study. But as forewarning, I have experienced a few devilish children that made babysitting a nightmare, so don't be afraid to turn down a job or family if it is just not worth it. And of course take precaution if using online sites such as the ones I listed; they are safe but it's the internet, just be smart!
2. Dog walking is something that I did for a bit in high school, and it proved to be an easy and relaxing after school job. It's a great job for dog lovers, it gets you outside for a few hours of exercise, and you can usually pick your own hours. Check around in local newspaper listings for dog walking gigs or see if there is a local business who hires out walkers for more high traffic work.
3. House sitting/pet sitting kind of goes along with the dog walking jobs, but it is more of a 24/7 responsibility. House sitting is more attractive to many families than using a dog kennel or "pet hotel" when going on vacations because it is usually cheaper and ensures that their animals aren't too freaked out by those big changes. I have had numerous house sitting jobs over the years for family friends and for people I have met online (always be careful with this!!) and make anywhere between $25 - $50 per night. I enjoy it, too, because it feels like a mini vacation for myself; getting away from your normal environment and relaxing in someone else's house isn't too bad. :) Plus, your life and schedule really don't change much and just as much study time is available as usual.
4. E-bay can be your best friend when you need some cash fast. Going through your wardrobe for those clothes you never wear, selling old textbooks from semesters past, and even selling giftcards to places you don't usually shop at are all things that sell really quickly on E-bay! Once you learn how to set up an account and start posting your items, the process becomes quick and easy with the money going straight to your paypal account or card, and with the benefit of a more uncluttered and organized space!
5. Selling wardrobe items to thrift stores is also a great way to sellback clothes for the more fashion forward and shopping savvy college girl. Depending on what is in your area, there are some great second hand chain stores such as Buffalo Exchange (in Berkeley on College Ave) or Plato's Closet that will take your name brand items to sell in their store in exchange for cash or store credit so you can find new treasures. The down side is that they may not pay as much for your clothes as the E-bay option might, but you can always just get a quote from one of the buyers there to get a better idea of what your pieces are worth.
6. Saving used cans and bottles to recycle once a month sounds kind of dirty and hobo-esque, I know.
But it is so easy to do, it's good for the environment, and hey, $20 - $40 extra bucks a month is well worth the small effort in my book! Check around for local listings of recycling centers in your area (in the Bay Area usually in shopping centers or near grocery stores) and start your bottle collection!
7. Work study positions are definitely worth looking into if you qualify for financial aid. When you renew FAFSA for the year, make sure to check the box pertaining to the Work Study option in order to see what is available at your school. How it works is places of employment on campus or businesses nearby work with government funding in order to pay their student employees. Your employer pays only part of your hourly wage, while financial aid pays for the other half. These jobs usually are at or around minimum wage, but the bonus is that many of them are low skill level and not entirely time consuming. For instance swiping library cards at checkout, stocking shelves in the bookstore or answering phones at the reception desk of an office on campus are all examples of the kinds of work study jobs found at UC Berkeley, and for the most part have quite a bit of down time where you can catch up on reading for a class and get some studying done. They are also going to be more flexible with your changing class schedules and can be a good resume builder for when you graduate.
Good luck and happy saving!
