Whether we want to admit it or not, summer is already half-way over, and we’re all scrambling to earn some extra cash before it’s time to head back to school. Even if you haven’t had a job all summer, there are some easy ways to use the remaining weeks to earn a little back-to-school cash.
Sell your old textbooks
If you didn’t already cash in on your textbooks at the end of last semester, this could be a serious source of revenue. Instead of selling them back to the bookstore for a quarter of what they’re worth, get more of your money back by selling them directly to other students on ebay, Craigslist, and your class Facebook page. (If you’re using Craigslist, make sure to follow their tips on how to be as safe as possible.)
Roll up your sleeves and get dirty
Make your parents proud and do some hard labor. (It’s really not as hard as it sounds). This can include painting, landscaping, housekeeping, and even pool cleaning. All of these are good-paying sources of income and easy side jobs you can do around a steady part-time or full-time job. Pool cleaning can be especially lucrative in these hot summer months! Try the old-fashioned way to see which neighbors need extra help: Go door-to door and post flyers in the neighborhood and local coffee shops. If you do a good job they’ll surely go to you again with any other maintenance they might need done.
Clean Out Your Wardrobe
Chances are you have at least a few outfits in your closet that never get worn and just take up space in your closet. Once you’ve weeded through them, cash them in at local consignment shop. Stores like Second Time Around and Buffalo Exchange may pay slightly higher for name-brand and in-season outfits.
Buffalo Exchange (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Pet-Sitting
Summer is the most popular time for long vacations, and a lot of pet-owners would rather have someone stay at their house to watch their pets than put them in a kennel. If you’re a pet-lover, it doesn’t get much better than getting paid to hang out with cute and cuddly animals! Find pet-sitting jobs by asking friends, family and neighbors for referrals. You can also join sites like Care.com to get matched with people looking for pet-sitters online.
House-sitting
Take advantage of summer vacation time. Even if your neighbors don’t have pets to watch, they will need someone to help take care of their home while they’re gone. Offering to drop in to collect mail and water plants every day should net you a nice little chunk of thank-you change.
Find odd jobs online (safely)
Several websites exist solely to hook you up with odd jobs. TaskRabbit has been around since 2008 and allows you to bid on odd job listings from moving help to grocery shopping. Gladlydo is a smaller, younger competitor to TaskRabbit, but unlike TaskRabbit, Gladlydo’s “doers” are 100% college students, so you won’t be competing against professionals when you’re looking for jobs.
GladlyDo (twitter.com/GladlyDo)
Audition to be an Extra
If you live anywhere near a major city, getting a job as a non-union extra is a serious option. Movies are always looking for local extras for one or two days at a time, and sometimes pay up to $200! This is a super cool option that could result in some awesome stories to tell. You can find national casting calls for extras on backstage.com, or search online for extras casting in your area to find local casting calls.
Image via latimesblogs.latimes.com
Sell your Study Guides or become a Tutor
Of course, you can always sell your Study Guides on Flashnotes.com, and starting this August, you’ll be able to sign up as a Tutor and receive notifications when students in your subject-matter specialties need tutoring help. As soon as September hits, your classmates will be clamoring for help in class, and you’ll be there ready to help them!
