With two years first hand experience of financial depression being a student, I feel I could probably offer some credible advice for students needing to make some dollar, fast (ish) to keep up with their busy social lives. Starting my University experience with a substantial amount of wages in which I had saved up to prepare for the expected shudder of social events that are often compulsory if you wish to settle yourself int the student way of life, and then watching in panic as it vastly dissolved into minus figures as my first batch of rent cruelly snatched it away before I could enjoy any of it. Over this time, I have made a mental list of all the ways I could milk some money out of various household objects, or living situation, providing a temporary escape from the dreaded student overdraft.
Ebay
A widely popular website for people of all ages and backgrounds, Ebay.co.uk not only offers objects stemming from categories such as Jewellery and Beauty, to Sports and Leisure but usually at a fantastic price. This website is known for its ticket selling, aswel as CD’s and DVD’s, providing customers with cheap prices for objects which are normally much higher. Ebayer’s have the chance to either buy their objects immediately, or participate in an online auction in a bid to win the wished for object. For students, this site is a perfect chance to sell any unwanted objects. The easy steps in which it takes to set an account up, and upload their objects for sale, it is a quick way to get a bit of pocket for that pair of shoes in which you will never find the opportunity to wear. However, beware, this website c be incredibly addictive, and some students have been known to join Ebay n an attempt to sell their unwanted items, and gain some money, but found themselves entranced by the never ending list of items available on this site, and have awoken from their hypnotised state to find that they have somehow ended up purchasing several more pairs of shoes that they just could not resist for such a great price, placing themselves back to square one.
Amazon
The worlds largest online retailer, Amazon is very similar to Ebay, with many categories, it is extremely likely that you find anything you could ever want on both these websites, whether it is a mouse shaped cheese grater, or a poster of your favourite band to elegantly stretch over your dull student walls. Like Ebay, customers have the chance to sell their belongings online, providing another opportunity to gain money from that sweater your aunt knitted for you last christmas, and somehow made its way to the bottom of your wardrobe. Amazon is known for its extensive book selections, and therefore, if , like me, you are in the sort of university course that expects you to complete extensive reading and analysis of an estimated five novels per week, you can imagine how the books pile up at the end of the semester, making Amazon your online best friend for not only getting rid of the fire hazard that has been plaguing your room, but make money on it too. Be careful though, make sure you do not need what you are selling in the future, you might find yourself having to look for that book you thought you no longer need to look at ever again.
Envirofone
A broken phone, is unfortunately one of the hazards of being a student. It is accustomed that you are not a fully fledged student until your beloved phone breaks and you are sent in to a deepened state of mourning, for a day or so, until you realise that you have found an opportunity to get the latest new phone with the best camera, and the new Facebook Application (because, lets face it, even though it is boring, we are all slaves to Facebook) But how will you afford this new phone? Parents? Overdraft? Wages? Whichever way you manage to collect the funds, a paying contribution could actually be the broke phone itself. After playing a beloved child of yours for a substantial amount of time, it is only fitting that you should pay it one last tribute, and send it to phone heaven, and get some money for it! Although there are many phone recycling sites, Envirofone is a personal favourite of mine, and believe me, I have had to send two or three poorly phones to this site, in return for a bit of cash, and a positive side to my waking up and finding my beloved Tocco Lite swimming in a puddle of water. All you have to do is fill out the form online which gives you an estimate of what you will be paid in return for your phone, when your envelope arrives, you say a solemn goodbye to your old friend, and send the envolope back, with the phone. Your cheque will come within a week or so.
Living Social.com
In the risk of sounding soppy, living social.com is the love of my life. Obviously, it is not, but its close. Every morning, I wake up, look at my phone, and I have received another beautiful awakening from this website, providing me with incredible deals in Leeds, from Resturaunts, bars, hair salons, fitness classes, and anything you can think of. I can not remember a day in which I did not look at my daily email from Living Social, and sighed in surprise. Okay, so its not going to give you an around the world trip for fifty pence, but it really does have the best deals, especially for a student who has to scrimp and save for just the phone bill every month. Todays offer? Almost £250 off a Teeth whitening treatment, amazing or what?
Flyering/Ticket selling
A great quick money maker for students, is flyering, or selling tickets for a student club night in their city. Only a few hours standing around, handing out artistic pieces of card, promoting a great club night to passing strangers may sound boring, but it is mostly always paid, and is hardly rocket science. Plus, you get to meet, and work with lots of different people. In my first year, I handed out flyers for F.U.E.L, and also sold tickets for a Headphone disco night. It involved a lot of talking to strangers, trying to keep an enthusiastic personality even after being rudely told to ‘bog off’, but it really does earn you some quick cash, and you can mostly choose your hours too. The people you will work for will understand and appreciate that you are here to study more than anything, and will therefore work with you to suit your needs, aswell as theirs. Plus I ended up handing out flyers with a really nice, chatty guy, who, after hours spent vulnerable in the snowy kiss of the cold, we ended up going for a lovely hot chocolate afterwards.
Written by Charlotte Owen, Leeds Metropolitan University.
The Student Channel 