Making money without a job

LiveWire

I'm a college student soon to be on vacation, and in this economy I do not have much faith that Ill be able to find a summer job.

I am already selling plasma twice a week for a total of $200 a month. I've heard theres some money in taking surveys online, is this true? How lucrative is this? Or is it all just BS?

Any other guaranteed, non-traditional ways of making a buck?

TexiKen

Part-time jobs are still plentiful and are perfect for the college student who doesn't have to support anyone.
Don't psyche yourself out before even looking.

Plasma selling is fine, and if you live in an area that is used as a test subject area (like Austin), you can sell yourself as a guinea pig for new medicines.

Six

Grocery stores and fast food places are always hiring.

Elin

See if there is some kind of temp agency in your area. They still have grunt work that they will send you on.

Doxa

The surveys online are a scam/joke. You get paid pennies on the hour or you have to buy the product you're testing and it pays way less than the cost.

Usually there's something like grocery stores, temp agency, fast food, amusement park...

hell, if it gets real bad go back to basics and mow lawns or babysit

VisionOfClarity

You could sell your sperm.

Shogun

Pizza delivery places always need drivers or insiders. You can make some mad money delivering pizzas if you have the right vehicle for it. I squeezed thousands out of my car over a single summer and had a lot of fun doing it.

cooljammer00

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

You could sell your sperm.

Now, is it true that if you sell your sperm to a sperm bank, if some lady has a kid with it, you're liable?

VisionOfClarity

In most states no.

Added: See the Uniform Parentage Act

WildEEP

cooljammer00 wrote: »

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

You could sell your sperm.

Now, is it true that if you sell your sperm to a sperm bank, if some lady has a kid with it, you're liable?

Unlikely - they don't release your info. You are just Donor #234912.1.
Not saying that in some bizzaro legal case it didn't happen, I'm just sayin that its a bigger industry than you might expect and shit like that doesn't happen on random tuesdays.

Additionally you get a free sperm count out of the deal. Lets you know if your havin problems in that department (standard Dr. visit to test is 200 bucks - yay savings).

Bad part is that you can't have sex or jerk it for at least 3 days prior to donation.

cooljammer00

Pfft. Challenge accepted!

I had heard it was 2 weeks, so that's a bit of a relief. Not that I've done it.

And it isn't like they check your semen for anything but sperm count. All you'd learn was whether you had to wear different underpants. A real doctor could at least tell you if you had a disease. Although I suppose they would check your donation for disease anyway.

What's the point of anonymous sperm donations anyway? It's a much more interesting process on TV. Would they take semen from someone non-virile?

pengu

Selling stuff your body makes is probably not the most sound idea to making money for obvious reasons. To echo everyone else here, go for that part time job. Perhaps at a restaurant where you can also save on food bills by eating for free or at a significant discount. Otherwise, apply for grad school and maybe work as a research assistant or some such in the place you'll be for the summer.

Another much riskier option would be to take some money and invest in stocks and become a day trader. If you have the talent for it you can make quite a splash with the bank account, of course it's just as likely you'll end up losing all your money and just flop.

On a really far stretch, I've known people who made a decent living off of online poker. From what I heard it's stressful as nothing else, but, just throwing the idea out there.

exoplasm

My friend and I looked into sperm donation at one point. We had ideas of being like Genghis Khan (sp?). Turns out in most cases you need a college degree and all kinds of background checks and stuff. No one wants dumb, criminal kids after all.

mcdermott

pengu wrote: »

Selling stuff your body makes is probably not the most sound idea to making money for obvious reasons. To echo everyone else here, go for that part time job. Perhaps at a restaurant where you can also save on food bills by eating for free or at a significant discount. Otherwise, apply for grad school and maybe work as a research assistant or some such in the place you'll be for the summer.

I don't see why selling plasma or sperm is a bad idea...you produce more, so there's no harm. Still, I can't imagine the idea of being entirely unable to find a job. As somebody said, fast food is always hiring. And I mean always. As long as you can give the impression that you intend to stick around for at least a little while, you will probably be head and shoulders above most other applicants at your local fast food joints. Most people (including, quite possibly, yourself) will simply remain unemployed (even without benefits) rather than stoop to fast food.

Another much riskier option would be to take some money and invest in stocks and become a day trader. If you have the talent for it you can make quite a splash with the bank account, of course it's just as likely you'll end up losing all your money and just flop.

Now this is a bad idea. But you seem to admit as much.

On a really far stretch, I've known people who made a decent living off of online poker. From what I heard it's stressful as nothing else, but, just throwing the idea out there.

I'd love to see this idea and the previous idea go at it in a cage match for the Bad Idea Belt.

Szechuanosaurus

mcdermott wrote: »

Another much riskier option would be to take some money and invest in stocks and become a day trader. If you have the talent for it you can make quite a splash with the bank account, of course it's just as likely you'll end up losing all your money and just flop.

Now this is a bad idea. But you seem to admit as much.

On a really far stretch, I've known people who made a decent living off of online poker. From what I heard it's stressful as nothing else, but, just throwing the idea out there.

I'd love to see this idea and the previous idea go at it in a cage match for the Bad Idea Belt.

It's just not fair. If I was allowed to suggest throwing yourself in front of traffic to make an income off insurance claims my idea would win easily.

Six

Wow. Online poker? Day trading? These are some awful ideas.

I suggest you join a pyramid scheme. Mary from Alabama is making $4,000 a month!

Grundlestiltskin

I hear ponzi schemes are great too.

PaperPritt

This thread is going places.

Just go to the temp agencies in your area and make clear you will accept any job. Big + if you have a car. There's a reason they love non-qualified workers.

Dog

Six wrote: »

Grocery stores and fast food places are always hiring.

Scooter

Man, I used to have a coworker who spent most of his little free income on stocks, and he'd talk my damn ear off about the awesome company he'd be investing in and how much money he'd make.

The dude knew zip about the market, and it was a nice little feeling every time he lost everything.

Six

Scooter wrote: »

Man, I used to have a coworker who spent most of his little free income on stocks, and he'd talk my damn ear off about the awesome company he'd be investing in and how much money he'd make.

The dude knew zip about the market, and it was a nice little feeling every time he lost everything.

Yes, this.

It's also worth noting that the kind of investment capital you'd need to begin with in order to produce a comparable income - even with an extremely good return - to working at Burger King is significant.

If you already have that kind of money sitting around not doing anything, waiting for your magical summer of day trading, I'm not sure you'd be considering things like giving plasma as much as possible for three months.

Szechuanosaurus

Trading is itself costly anyway. You start out with $100, go to buy some shares, they go up in value a couple of points, you sell them for $20 profit and then the $150 selling fee kicks you in the ass.

Disclaimer: figures may not be factual, but from what I hear it isn't simply a case of buying low and selling high, you also have to make sure you sell high enough to cover all the associated fees. Which essentially means if you want to do anything besides buy some stock and sit on it until you die, you need to start off with a reasonably large amount of capital.

Smurph

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

mcdermott wrote: »

Another much riskier option would be to take some money and invest in stocks and become a day trader. If you have the talent for it you can make quite a splash with the bank account, of course it's just as likely you'll end up losing all your money and just flop.

Now this is a bad idea. But you seem to admit as much.

On a really far stretch, I've known people who made a decent living off of online poker. From what I heard it's stressful as nothing else, but, just throwing the idea out there.

I'd love to see this idea and the previous idea go at it in a cage match for the Bad Idea Belt.

It's just not fair. If I was allowed to suggest throwing yourself in front of traffic to make an income off insurance claims my idea would win easily.

I know some guys who make money by buying craptastic used cars for like $300, fix them up a little and sell them for $100-200 profit.

xeviq

You could scout out unused property and charge a finders fee to companies and people that would be interested in such properties.

Djeet

Smurph wrote: »

I know some guys who make money by buying craptastic used cars for like $300, fix them up a little and sell them for $100-200 profit.

This really successful marketing/branding guy I know made some bucks this way. He'd buy cheaper used cars and just wash them (sometimes he wouldn't even do that) and then write a really compelling ad to put in the classifieds. He'd regularly flip a $1K car for $2K.


So long as we're suggesting things like day trading and online gambling, why not be a craigslist hooker? :P

see317

Smurph wrote: »

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

mcdermott wrote: »

Another much riskier option would be to take some money and invest in stocks and become a day trader. If you have the talent for it you can make quite a splash with the bank account, of course it's just as likely you'll end up losing all your money and just flop.

Now this is a bad idea. But you seem to admit as much.

On a really far stretch, I've known people who made a decent living off of online poker. From what I heard it's stressful as nothing else, but, just throwing the idea out there.

I'd love to see this idea and the previous idea go at it in a cage match for the Bad Idea Belt.

It's just not fair. If I was allowed to suggest throwing yourself in front of traffic to make an income off insurance claims my idea would win easily.

I know some guys who make money by buying craptastic used cars for like $300, fix them up a little and sell them for $100-200 profit.

I knew a guy who did the same thing. Turns out, it had some unfortunate repurcussions.

As for assured ways to make some money, it's been said but swallowing your pride and getting a job at the local globo-burger is a good way to make a guarenteed check, which is something that a lot of these suggestions aren't.

Sam

farm gold on WoW

sell something that has an inflated market price

....or just get any shitty job. People always need painters, if you're on a campus you'll easily get hired at the cafeteria (free all you can eat yucky food, saves you expenses though)

VisionOfClarity

Djeet wrote: »

Smurph wrote: »

I know some guys who make money by buying craptastic used cars for like $300, fix them up a little and sell them for $100-200 profit.

This really successful marketing/branding guy I know made some bucks this way. He'd buy cheaper used cars and just wash them (sometimes he wouldn't even do that) and then write a really compelling ad to put in the classifieds. He'd regularly flip a $1K car for $2K.


So long as we're suggesting things like day trading and online gambling, why not be a craigslist hooker? :P

We had one killed and one mugged in Boston just this week.

xeviq

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

Djeet wrote: »

Smurph wrote: »

I know some guys who make money by buying craptastic used cars for like $300, fix them up a little and sell them for $100-200 profit.

This really successful marketing/branding guy I know made some bucks this way. He'd buy cheaper used cars and just wash them (sometimes he wouldn't even do that) and then write a really compelling ad to put in the classifieds. He'd regularly flip a $1K car for $2K.


So long as we're suggesting things like day trading and online gambling, why not be a craigslist hooker? :P

We had one killed and one mugged in Boston just this week.

Cars or hookers?

VisionOfClarity

Hookers, just search for "Craigslist Killer" and you'll find it.

Smurph

I was joking about the car flipping thing. It's a loser job that can maybe help someone make money off their hobby but will never replace even the shittiest real job. You have to realize the there is a good chance the guy you are buying from just did the same thing and is making profit off you. Also there are only so many people in the market for shitty <$1000 cars and your investment might wind up sitting in your driveway for 6 months. That and it only takes one car breaking down on the drive home to wipe out half your profits.

tl;dr: get a real job.

Psychotic One

Participating in medical studies are a great way to get easy cash. You usually show up for like a weekend and they give you drugs and run tests to see how you react and such. Then you get compensated, and sometimes very well, for your time. Down here in Phoenix I was registered with MDS for study participation.

underdonk

Six wrote: »

It's also worth noting that the kind of investment capital you'd need to begin with in order to produce a comparable income - even with an extremely good return - to working at Burger King is significant.

You can actually get into options quite cheaply. Of course it's insanely risky and you really have to know what you're doing to make a good amount of money, but it is possible.

Dman

Get a job, apply at every retail store and fast food place till someone hires you.

If you really don't want to work a normal job I hear the guy in the third panel makes a ton of money.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/9/8/carnival-delights/

Six

underdonk wrote: »

Six wrote: »

It's also worth noting that the kind of investment capital you'd need to begin with in order to produce a comparable income - even with an extremely good return - to working at Burger King is significant.

You can actually get into options quite cheaply. Of course it's insanely risky and you really have to know what you're doing to make a good amount of money, but it is possible.

This is true, but it's still horrible, horrible advice.

TL DR

Psychotic One wrote: »

Participating in medical studies are a great way to get easy cash. You usually show up for like a weekend and they give you drugs and run tests to see how you react and such. Then you get compensated, and sometimes very well, for your time. Down here in Phoenix I was registered with MDS for study participation.

Experimental medical procedures? How can I lose?

firewaterword

Six wrote: »

underdonk wrote: »

Six wrote: »

It's also worth noting that the kind of investment capital you'd need to begin with in order to produce a comparable income - even with an extremely good return - to working at Burger King is significant.

You can actually get into options quite cheaply. Of course it's insanely risky and you really have to know what you're doing to make a good amount of money, but it is possible.

This is true, but it's still horrible, horrible advice.

Seriously. As great as (I hear) leveraged investing is, this is the last thing the OP (and most everyone else) should be doing. And as Six mentions, you'd have to be talking ten to twenty thousand dollars of capital to get anywhere, even in the current insanity of today's market. I know we're mostly joking about this, but the last thing I want to see is a post in a month or two along the lines of "I owe Schwab/Scottrade/eTrade $26,000 - any advice?"

Anyway, the sectors taking a beating in this economy are not the same sectors as those looking for summer jobs should be concerned about (unless you're previous summer jobs included working in the Financial Services division of a massive insurer or something). Just hit the pavement and apply to all the food service/retail/odd jobs you can. I'm afraid guaranteed income without working a "job" is a fantasy, unless you've somehow got a trust fund or annuity or something.

I'd Fuck Chuck Lidell Up

so many places hire for summer jobs.

especially if there is a theme park in your area

walmart alone picks up like 30-40 more employees over summer

underdonk

firewaterword wrote: »

Anyway, the sectors taking a beating in this economy are not the same sectors as those looking for summer jobs should be concerned about (unless you're previous summer jobs included working in the Financial Services division of a massive insurer or something).

Ever hear of puts? Sometimes people seem to forget you can play both sides of the market.

Dog

as somebody who works in the financial world I have to say that even bringing up the idea of getting into the market in any capacity, considering the OP is currently making money by selling plasma, is some of the worst advice I've ever seen on the forums.

It's already been said but fast food is always hiring. Restaurants are always hiring people to wash dishes or bus tables. Apply for a job everywhere, and if that isn't working apply in more places (and bonus points for the medical stuff, theres good money for a student there!)

Shogun

Check out universities for all kinds of experiments besides medical stuff too. At UTK the econ department does experiments almost daily. Depending on the experiment you can earn $40-80. I can't say what its like in your area but it could still be easy extra money.