The holiday season is coming up, Black Friday is approaching, and maybe that is the day you like to get all of your holiday shopping for friends and family done. You’ve got it all planned out and know exactly what it is you want to get for everyone who is special to you, there’s just one problem: your holiday gift plans and your bank account just do not agree.
For many (even those who are not college students) being tight on funds can be a huge stressor, especially during the holiday season, a time when gift-giving is so prominent. Of course, while we can probably all agree that the whole meaning behind the holiday season is not monetary or materialistically measured at all, it is still always a great feeling to do something nice for those you care about.
So if your bank account is low, and you just can’t seem to scavenge up enough funds to carry out these gift ideas, what all can you do, as a college student, to help get you through the struggles?
In 2012, USA Today published an article naming off 10 unique ways college students can make a little extra money. While some of its money-making methods are just not realistic for us all, I went through the article and picked out a few that I thought could actually be helpful for students here at Ohio University. Here’s what I found:
1. “Become a research subject”
How many of those repetitive emails do we receive in a semester asking for participants in different research studies going on around campus for different majors? Sometimes these may take up a good amount of time and effort; however, if you’re looking for a little extra money, they are easy and no-strings-attached ways to do so.
2. “Do odd jobs for people”
Whether it be mowing someone’s lawn, tutoring, helping somebody with homework, cleaning a friend’s house up after a party, or whatever, there are plenty of “odd” jobs that always need to be done and can help you earn a little extra cash for the holiday season.
3. “Buy something and sell it for more”
Do some research on some different products that may be in high demand at the moment, purchase these products, and then try and sell them to friends or local people in the area for a price a little higher than what you bought it for to make a little bit of an income.
4. “Perform on the streets”
I know it just as well as everybody else … OU is filled with hundreds of extremely talented people. If you have a talent that you feel is unique or worthy of viewing, show it off. Court Street is constantly crowded with students and townies, alike; so take your talent up there and try to “wow” people for a little extra money.
These are just some of the quick ways that USA Today came up with in order to assist college students in making fairly easy money, and there are plenty of other ways that this can be done, as well. If none of these work out for you, try thinking of your own unique ways to make money.
You’d be surprised at how far a little bit of time and effort can get you.
Bri Shaniuk is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you gain extra money for holiday gifts? Let Bri know by emailing her at bs714714@ohio.edu.
