Student money hacks – the lazy student guide to earn money

Let’s face it, the cost to go to university is sky high nowadays. There are tuition fees, accommodation costs, gas and electric bills, food expenses and of course you need money for a social life! But not to worry – we’ve come up with a list of the top 10 tips to help you earn some money whilst completing your course, largely on your terms, and from the comfort of your own home. 

1. Online surveys and questionnaires

A handy way of earning a little more cash is by completing paid for surveys, questionnaires and forms whenever you want to take a quick break from studying. They’re often not very time consuming, nor do they require a whole lot of focus. The best part – you don’t even have to leave your bed or close down Netflix to do them. Depending upon the type of questionnaire or survey, rewards can vary – be that paid for cash, vouchers, or discounts. But every little can help. A few starting points can be seen below: 
 
www.lifepointspanel.com/paid/surveys 
uk.toluna.com/ 
www.swagbucks.com 
www.surveysavvy.com

Not only this, but you can actually get paid just by searching online. Websites such as Qmee or CashCrate provides you with incentives (be that cash or alternative rewards) by installing an add-on to the browse which may bring up some additional sponsored pages. 

2. Become a freelance writer 

Yes, it really is as simple as it sounds. If you’re passionate about a particular area of study; you feel passionate writing about sports or current news topics; you enjoy discussions within a specific magazine; or you love giving relationship advice for example, then this type of job might be for you. The beauty of freelance writing is that the writers largely work on a self-employed basis and can choose their specific working hours. Therefore, if you’re worried about balancing university life with a job, this can be an extremely accommodating career that may also give you some experience in a chosen field. The wages aren’t too shabby either; depending upon the job itself, freelance writers can earn around £17 an hour. 
 
As a starting point, we have listed a few websites to give you a deeper insight into the types of freelance writing jobs available and what they may entail: 
 
www.academicknowledge.com/ 
www.upwork.com/freelance-jobs/ 
www.freelancewriting.com/jobs/ 

3. Sell, sell, sell 

Not only does it help you organise and clean all those areas of the house that you’ve been dreading to tackle, it’s a really great way to earn some extra money. You can sell almost anything you feel that you’ve outgrown and have no use for: old clothes, never been used before makeup, CDs, cars, furniture, technology, art tools, DIY tools, games and gaming systems, sporting gear – you name it. 
 
Anything and everything can be sold either online or at a car boot sale. To help get you started, we’ve listed some of the best websites to give you a kick start. 
 
www.ebay.co.uk/ 
www.depop.com/ 
www.musicmagpie.co.uk/ 
www.gumtree.com/ 
 
HINT: On the other side of this – when you do want to treat yourself and purchase an item, websites such as Quidco can help you get cashback on your purchases. 

4. Become a social media influencer 

Becoming a figure in the social media scene is an excellent way to make money. The more traction you gain with your followers or subscribers, the more popularity you will gain and the more money you will inevitably make. Making YouTube videos on an area that you enjoy, whether that’s technology, sports, food, fashion, makeup – all of these areas can be a great starting point and will be more enjoyable and authentic if it’s based on what you’re actually passionate about. YouTube have an excellent programme in which you get benefits and make a profit depending upon your success and advertising revenue. 
 
Other platforms work in a similar way. For example, Instagram influencers can make deals with other companies – be that collaborations or promotional deals to earn extra money and widen their scope of followers. If that’s not your cup of tea, making your own blog can be a great way to exhibit a matter that you’re interested in whilst gaining supporter and making money from the readership you have.  

5. Become a tutor 

Tutoring can be done online and in a specific location that best suits you, but it’s a nice and easy way to earn money quickly and relatively easily. Use the knowledge that you’ve gained throughout your own personal studies to help others gain a better understanding of the subject. Talk about what you know and what you’re good at and get paid for it – don’t let it go to waste. You can earn as much as £25-30 an hour. Some useful websites are: 
 
tutorful.co.uk/become-a-tutor 
www.mytutor.co.uk/ 
www.firsttutors.com/uk/ 

6. Complete reviews 

Whether it’s a review on music or a review on websites or apps, giving your feedback with a cash incentive helps you bag an extra few pounds here and there for around about 10-20 minutes of your time. It allows you to have your say and give positive feedback too which is always a bonus. A few useful websites we found can be seen below: 
 
UserTesting.com 
www.musicxray.com/ 
www.slicethepie.com/ 

7. Babysitting

If you’re up for looking after a little one, playing a few games and tucking them into bed, then babysitting can be a really handy way to get some pocket money. Ask your neighbours, family and friends. Not only can it help someone else have a fun trip out without fretting about their child’s needs, or who to ask to help, it can earn you anywhere from £20 for a few hours in one day. And don’t just restrict yourselves to humans! Dog and catsitting can be just as useful and can be an awesome way to earn a little bit of extra cash (or even dog walking if you’re feeling a little more active and fancy a refreshing walk around the park). 

8. Invest 

Although it may not be for everyone, if you know what you’re doing, investigating in stocks can help you earn a substantial amount of money over a longer timeframe. There are a range of platforms available to meet everyone’s needs, but we do recommend doing your research before giving it a go to do your best to inform yourself of the risk of losses! A few sites to have a look around and explore are: 
 
www.plus500.co.uk/ 
admiralmarkets.com/ 
www.home.saxo/ 

9. Work as an extra 

Working as an extra doesn’t require too much effort and can take as little as half a day away from your studies for a nice sum of £70 for simply hanging out in the background. And let’s be honest, it is pretty cool being able to say that you starred in a film or TV show! If you have any contacts that may be able to recommend you, that can be a great place to start. If you’re struggling however, you can always look into agencies (they will offer a helping hand for a cut of the fee of course).  

10. Pass along your wisdom  

Similar to selling your goods, your knowledge at expertise at university can be something you can use to your advantage to earn some extra money on the side. You can hand down old textbooks to other students to gain back some of the money you spent on it. In the same way, you can sell your student notes relating to specific modules to give some of the newer students a head start. You can offer to proofread work to younger years and give some pointers that helped you maximise your marks.  
 
The simplest way of doing this is posting on social media/university forums or social media groups and letting students know of the cost. It’s a good idea to keep costs reasonable (for example if you paid £100 when originally purchasing a textbook, it may be an idea to sell it for between £30-£50 to encourage buyers). Alternatively, you can let others know by spreading this by word of mouth. If you’re looking for an official company to sell to, Amazon or Blackwell’s are great places to start, as they frequently look to buy back books of all kinds.