Making Money on the Side

Wezoin

Currently I'm a student attending a local university. I have a job (working for that university), and will probably be hovering around 30 hours per week for the summer. I also would really like to move out in September, and so I've decided I should really find another way to make money to go with the money from my job. Ideally I'd like to make about $6000 over the summer, and 30 hours a week at my current job works out to $4320 for the summer (Before taxes are taken), I have another $800 - $1000 sitting in my bank account, so I'm really looking for an additional $1000 - $1500 over 4 or 5 months.

Student loans (OSAP) should cover my tuition so I'm not that worried about factoring that into the equation. I considered getting a second job, but feel that in all likelihood the scheduling issues that would arise because of that would cut into potential hours at my current job.

What I'm looking for is a way to make a bit of extra money in my spare time, that would allow me to keep my timetable fairly flexible. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Penguin_Otaku

I'll be honest. You can make bank if you get yourself certified as a Softball umpire with the ASA. It's an open book test and then you're on the list for umps for the summer league. I wasn't certified by made near 10-20 a game. It's easy money.

ASA Umps usually get 40 or so, depending on the size of the district and everything.

Wezoin

Lol, thanks for the suggestion.

I guess this is a good time to mention I have no sports ability/am not the most fit person in the world.

Reckless

Doesn't really take any to umpire, at all. But I guess a little prior knowledge of baseball wouldn't hurt.

My weekend gig is at a skydiving center. See if there's any around you and if they need any help grounds crew wise.

Penguin_Otaku

Umping? You stand behind the plate or out in the field man. You don't have to be fit.

Agreed that an idea of the game would be helpful, but you'll pick it up as you go. You might have one bad game, as I did, but then its cake from there.

MarcoND7

My sister made INCREDIBLE cash over the summer working for a spa company. She sold packages to people on the road and got 20 bucks for every package sold. What she made is unknown to me (secrecy between siblings), but she kept bugging me that it was easily more than three grandO_o. Wow. Those kinda jobs work well if you're a good convincer.

Burgu

I hear that a lot of kids these days sell drugs in college.

Just a rumor.

supabeast

My sister did really well working the night shift at the desk in a sleepy hotel. Easy work, paid well, and she could sit around all night doing homework. She made a lot more money stripping, but I guess that got old.

wallabeeX

What would help is to list your applicable skills that *could* net you cash on the side. We can list off all the odd-jobs you could get until this thread is dozens of pages long.

When I was in a similar situation in college, I advertised computer services to the local community that vastly undercut the competition in the area. Granted, it wasn't incredibly reliable income but $75 every week wasn't unwelcome. I ended up netting a job doing icon design that pulled down $750 in two weeks, so its' one of those "at the right place at the right time" kind of situations.

wallabeeX

And to respond to the drug selling idea without breaking forum rules too much -

I've never really seen this to be incredibly profitable in college. The risk is incredibly high, if you value your education and your criminal record, and the profit isn't worth it. Most college drug dealers are selling to friends and barely paying for their habit, let alone pulling down $1500 in three months. Keep in mind that's $120 a week, meaning whatever drug you're selling will have to be in fairly large quantities to see that return.

TL DR

wallabeeX wrote: »

And to respond to the drug selling idea without breaking forum rules too much -

I've never really seen this to be incredibly profitable in college. The risk is incredibly high, if you value your education and your criminal record, and the profit isn't worth it. Most college drug dealers are selling to friends and barely paying for their habit, let alone pulling down $1500 in three months. Keep in mind that's $120 a week, meaning whatever drug you're selling will have to be in fairly large quantities to see that return.

Especially if you aren't already familiar with a relatively large number of users and the substance you'd be working with, it's just not a good idea. Not to mention the loss of governmental aid.

Wezoin

Mostly computer/technical stuff. Decent with photoshop/office/almost any program out there that follows the standard patterns of most software. Strong english/writing ability. Right now the store I work in is a mixture of a book store/copy centre/graphics design place/clothes store for the university, and I work in every department, so I guess any skills associated with those. Also worked in a library before as a page. Good with customer service.

I'm thinking maybe I could rework my current job and pick up another one. Like work in the store on weekends and work checking gas meters on weekdays. (One of the guys I work with now took last summer off from the store to go check gas meters and apparently made $5500 per month doing it, hated every minute of it, but it was good money)

Pojaco

Tutoring is a goldmine, parents love having college kids help their kids with Jr. High math homework. Offer your services to people you know, make a classified ad, something. I pull down an extra $120 a week tutoring after I get off work (never longer than an hour each day).