Odd Jobs and Ways for College Students to Make Extra Cash

College students are notoriously broke. In search of money, many students will come up with crafty ways to create a cash flow. The best way to make some money is to think about what people are in need of most and how you can supply it to them. Since students don’t have a lot of money to spend, the services or products might go for small amounts, but revenue will add up. Since you are living in close confines, don’t gouge fellow students, loyal customers are the best customers. Due to the insular nature of some college campuses, the needs for some products are in high demand. Here are some ideas to help students in need of some entrepreneurial inspiration.

1. Before a holiday get items that correspond with the theme and sell holiday grams, candy for valentine’s day, mini pumpkins around Halloween, chocolate santa’s for Christmas, etc.

2. Transcribe class notes or hand written papers to typed format and sell them.

3. Throw parties and charge admission by the cup.

4. Deliver pizzas for the local pizza place.

5. Sell Avon or Mark products. In an environment where you are living amongst possible customers, the amount of time you would expend on selling will be greatly reduced.

6. Put up a poster in the faculty areas and the local supermarket advertising babysitting service.

7. Participate in focus groups or studies, usually found on Craigslist or sometimes through the school you attend.

8. Offer hair-blowing and hair styling services for formal events or for those who are folliclely challenged.

9. Buy products in bulk at Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club and sell items individually. Cans of sodas, condoms, cigarettes by the pack or loosey’s.

10. Return your empty ink cartridges to Staples or OfficeMax for free computer paper and sell it at a discount. However much you sell it for it is 100% profit.

11. Be a DJ at parties – You get to go to all the great parties and make money while being there.

12. Become a notetaker – Take notes for a fee for those students who don’t want to go to class or for the student’s who don’t take good notes.

13. If you have a large DVD collection, rent out your DVD’s. Students won’t have to travel far to pick them up and return them. Develop a system in which you are sure that they are going to be returned.

14. Offer tutoring services in a subject in which you excel whether it be at campus or in the community where your school is located.

15. Cab Service/Designated Driver for those times when people need a ride. It’s better than calling a local cab company.

16. Some people hate to do research – instead have them pay you to do the research for them.

17. If you work at a store offer your employee discount for a small fee. Instead of offering a 20% discount, offer a 15% discount and keep the 5% difference as income.

18. If you have a single, rent out your room. Change the sheets, take out anything of value that can be easily taken and clearly specify when you need your room back.

19. Start an ironing service, if someone needs something ironed they can pay you a small fee to do it for them.

20. Arrange a clothing sale among your dorm mates, have each girl donate 2 or 3 items that are in good condition, attach names to everyone’s pieces and hold a swapping party, for each piece of clothing traded, charge a $2 to $5 fee for each item swapped. Get shopping bags so that people feel like they went shopping and provide music and some drinks.

21. Write for Associated Content.

22. Do online surveys that compensate you for your opinion.

23. Get rolls of quarters and when people need change for laundry, offer them change at a charge of 50cents, it’s a small amount for convenience and small enough that it won’t deter customers.

24. Get day old pastries from a bakery and have a bake sale.

25. Sell books to people that are taking the same class that you already took, they will give you more money than the bookstore will and they will be buying them for less than they would at the bookstore.

26. If you have a lot of frequent flyer miles trade them for items you need.

27. If you are artistically inclined create posters for sororities and fraternities for a fee. Stock up on inexpensive art supplies to minimize costs.

28. Offer to sell items on craigslist and ebay for people who want to sell items but might not have the time or skill to sell their stuff.

29. Host weekly games and charge a small admission, provide refreshments and a good atmosphere that will make it worth the admittance fee.

30. Create a dry cleaning service where you pick up and drop off dry cleaning for a small fee. Talk with a local drycleaner about giving you a discount for frequent business. To cut down on time and cost, do bulk pick ups and deliveries once a week.