On- and off-campus jobs aren’t the only ways to make some spare cash while in college. There are plenty of other options for those who want more money, but don’t have the time to pick up a job.
FREELANCE
Now that you're in college, you’re receiving knowledge and experience related to your field of study that many don’t normally have. It’s this knowledge and experience that people will pay for. Are you good at computers? Event planning? Photography? Writing? Designing? If you’re good at something, then your services might be worth money! Put the word out, and you may be surprised to find some interested potential clients.
DONATE TO BIOLIFE
Donating your plasma to BioLife could save someone’s life, and you get paid for your donation. BioLife donors spend a little more than an hour about twice a week donating plasma. Frequent plasma donations to BioLife can earn donors a couple hundred dollars every month—a great way to make some money. Muncie’s BioLife facility is located off McGalliard Road behind Best Buy.
HOUSE, PET OR BABYSIT
These jobs usually aren’t too difficult, and you’ll still be able to have free time. Wouldn’t it be nice to get paid to hang out with a dog or to look after someone’s kids? According to Care.com, the average rate for babysitters is $16.25 an hour. Sign up for Angie or Rover for opportunities to watch and care for animals in the Muncie area.
TUTORING
Just like in high school, many students need extra help with their classes. Whether you reach out to old friends from high school that might need help with passing their algebra classes, or your peers in your college classes, you can get some extra cash by tutoring.
BECOME A MICRO OR NANOINFLUENCER
Social media provides people a platform to show off our talent and passions. Do you like makeup and fashion? Cooking? Gaming? Make a TikTok profile or YouTube channel and post about it. You have an opportunity to turn your skills into fun and/or informative entertainment that will be seen by hundreds, even thousands of people. More importantly, you might make money from this through partnerships with brands or monetizing your posts. While this is a challenge, many have fun trying to reach this level. Brands like Poppi, Red Bull, and more love to partner with college students and microinfluencers and give them free products.
STREAM VIDEO GAMES ONLINE
In a similar vein, people love watching other people play video games. If you have the skills, time and personality, you may come to find that people will donate money to you for their entertainment. Get big enough and you may even receive a sponsorship. It’s a fun way to turn a hobby into a side hustle.
MAKE AND SELL ART
Every now and then you might find people in the Arts and Journalism building selling homemade pottery and crafts. If you’re not a part of one of these clubs, you can still make a profit off your art. Etsy and local craft fairs like the Minnetrista Farmers Market are great places to sell your work, but don’t be afraid to post a picture on Facebook or Instagram — see if friends and family are interested as well.
DOORDASH
Do you enjoy cruising around town and listening to music? Doordash might just be the next way to make money! Signing up is easy, all you have to do is go to the Doordash website and select where your location, email address, ID verification, and Social Security number. Afterwards you are given a Dasher Activation kit, and from there you are able to make your own schedule, choose what orders you want to accept, and start earning some extra cash! Similar platform like Instacart and UberEATS have a similar process to sign up as well.
