5 Safe and Legal Ways to Make Money Online as a Student
As a college student, you’ve probably found yourself in this situation: You have money to spend and no way to spend it. Whether you’re trying to build up your savings, or you just want to buy the latest video game, being a student can make earning extra money tricky. Luckily, there are plenty of options out there that don’t require you to find an off-campus job or take on additional coursework. These five safe and legal ways to make money online as a student will help you supplement your income and reach your financial goals sooner rather than later.
1) Survey sites
Participating in online surveys is another great way to make money online. Here is my list of top ten survey sites. There are two ways you can go about doing them: either sign up for each website separately, or sign up for an account with Survey Junkie and complete surveys there. It will take some time to set up each site individually, but once you’ve got one site going, it will be much easier for you to start additional sites.
2) Selling your data
If you aren’t thrilled about advertising companies gathering information about your browsing habits, there is an alternative way for you to make money online. You can sell your own information, like your browsing history, or even text messages from your phone, on sites like eBay. Though it may seem creepy at first, it’s actually not that bad of an idea—and sites like eBay make it very easy to do.
3) Earn cashback on every purchase
Sign up with Ebates and earn cashback on every purchase you make online. Signing up is completely free, easy, and there are no obligations. Just shop normally, leave Ebates open in your browser while you shop (it’ll track your purchases), then cash out at $10 per month when you reach $25.
4) Sell your unwanted items online
Take it from millennials—we’re more likely than previous generations to have a stockpile of belongings that we don’t use or wear. Whether you’re cleaning out your closet, decluttering your basement, or tidying up your kitchen cupboards, sell what you no longer need on sites like Etsy, eBay, or Poshmark. You can also try peer-to-peer platforms like FancyHands and Fiverr.
5) Freelance writing gigs
Freelance writing is one of many viable options for earning extra cash as a student. Read more about how students can make money with freelance writing in our post, How Students Can Earn Extra Cash: 5 Freelance Writing Gigs for College Students here on Scholly. These jobs can range from writing articles on websites (like Scholly), or other companies that hire freelance writers.