5 ways to make cash for summer

Five Alternative and Easy Ways to Get Some Cash

Summer vacation is a highlight of the academic year – too bad it lands at the skint end of your Student Loan. That doesn’t mean game over, though: here’s how to make money in a hurry. Summer term can be brutal: Student Loan and savings are a distant memory, but exams or essay panic leave you with little time to top-up wages. If that sounds painfully familiar, there’s a fix. In fact, there are more ways than ever to make money quickly and flexibly from home.

Up-sell to turn a cheeky profit

Up-selling involves selling things for more than you paid for them. The simplest way is to grab
pound store or second-hand bargains, then list them for sale at a profit. You don’t even need to
leave the house to get stock: one student famously made £30k selling clothes on eBay , many of
which were cheap second-hand items she found … on eBay.

• Hit pound shops, but look for limited editions: they can be worth far more than a quid
  once they sell-out in store.
• Savvy sellers grab seasonal or limited Primark stock, then list it for sale online.
• Look for students offloading set texts and other uni essentials for cheap (you could up-sell
  them to next-year’s intake instead).
• If you’re a sewer, crafter or can DIY, search for unwanted items in need of some love: get
  ‘em cheap – or for free – then upcycle for extra profit.

eBay , Etsy , and Amazon are good for reaching more buyers – just keep an eye on seller’s fees or
postage costs when pricing up your items. For free listings, try Facebook , Shpock or Preloved .

Get renting

Up-selling can be a sweet deal, but the downside is having to replace stock to keep turning a profit. If that’s not for you, rentals are worth a look: you can earn cash repeatedly from a couple of items, plus you can use stuff you’ve got around the house:

• Designer clothes/accessories or fancy dress outfits
• Kitchen kit: think niche gadgets on a try-before-you-buy basis, or even extra pots, pans and plates for special occasions
• Out-of-hours printer access
• Your bike, roller blades or, if you have one, your car
• Sports or hobby gear
• High-end gadgets (camera, musical instruments) or gardening gear.

There’s almost no end to what you can loan out – but if it’s something valuable make sure you’ve got a damage clause in place so you’re not left out of pocket if the worst happens.

To find punters near you get notices up around campus and in corner shops, get on forums, and generally get the word out!

The Instagram flash sale

Got an Insta account? You could be sitting on a gold mine – and finding out takes almost no effort! Brooklyn photographer Daniel Arnold tested this out a couple of years ago, when he posted: “For one day only I am selling 4×6 prints of whatever you want from my Instagram archive for $150 each.” Bosh: 24 hours later, he’d made 15 grand.

Now, Arnold’s a well-known street photographer which obviously helps – but if you’ve got the pics, it could be worth a shot. Just make sure you’ve got permission to sell photos that include other people, trademarks or private property!

Sell your bod (in the good way!)

With so many folk pitching photos to stock libraries like Alamy and EyeEm, demand for models is on the up as well – which is where you come in! Forget any hang-ups about not looking like a catwalk clothes horse: close-ups of hands, feet and hair, as well as regular people doing normal things, are all trending. Hook up with local photographers and it could be a win-win for both of you.

Alternatively, stalk the Ugly Models Agency facebook page: the name’s an ego killer, but they often post call-outs for ‘normal’ people to feature in ads, articles, films and photo shoots.

Make your own freelance gig

Whatever your talent, there’s a way to cash-in on it! Forget zero-hour contracts and stingy wages: going it alone means more profit and less hassle.

If you want to stay local

Get the word out about what you’re offering: dog walking, child minding, cleaning, removals, DIY, sports/hobby or academic tutoring… you get the idea. Knock on doors, post flyers or take out a classified in the local press or on gumtree.

If you want to go global

You can teach just about anything (music, languages, hobbies) online though video messaging or blog tutorials. Got design, social media or voice-over skills? Try sites like Fiverr or fivesquid.

There are loads of ways to build up a business empire but if quick cash is what you want, use the skills and kit you’ve got to hand to get started without the faff. Good luck!

Guest blog by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student – the UK’s largest student money advice site.