This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
We understand college can be filled with penny-pinching, so we compiled a list of simple side hustles that can add some padding to your budget.
- Let your strengths bring in the big bucks
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Here’s one rule to follow: Don’t do anything for free. If you’re good at something, then transform it into a personal business. Are you a grammar whiz? If yes, then charge by the page or by the word to edit someone’s work. Maybe you’re a hair and makeup guru. Offer bookings for makeup and hair appointments for events like sorority socials. It’s important to understand that your skill has value and can be positioned to others as something they want or need. Remember, not everyone has the skills you’ve developed. Make sure you charge what you’re worth based on skill level and experience –– don’t let anyone lowball you.
- Turn cruising around into cash
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If you own a car, there are plenty of opportunities open to you to choose from. You can sign up with official channels and become a driver, but you can also pick up extra cash when you’re headed somewhere and can take a few people along with you. Many campuses have online social media drive boards where hoards of people are trying to catch a ride to visit home for the weekend or just need a ride somewhere specific.
- Check out campus opportunities
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Campus opportunities are a great way to accommodate working hours into your schedule without having to think too hard about transporting back and forth from classes to work. It’s a great idea to seek campus jobs with good benefits, flexible hours and opportunities to do homework on the job. RAs have to deal with a lot, those poor souls. But their housing is also covered, so they don’t have to pay rent. They typically work 20-hour weeks but keep in mind that since they live with their residents, the hours system may work a bit differently. Other campus jobs include working at computer labs where hours are relatively flexible, and you can take on more if you want and desire to make more money. A lot of times, you’re sitting at the computer without any work to do. Might as well do your homework and kill two birds with one stone.
- Seek out local community opportunities
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One of the oldest side hustles in the book is getting out in your community and offering services such as babysitting, housesitting and petsitting, among others. Nowadays, instead of hunting down flyers for people in need of services, sites such as Facebook and Care.com cut out the hard part and let you connect with job opportunities more quickly. Whether you’re walking a few neighborhood dogs or housesitting for a family on vacation, you’ll be able to scoop up some local opportunities that can turn into long-standing gigs.
- Be your own boss
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Companies such as Mary Kay provide different business opportunities, so do some research and find the one that fits you! You can build your business while receiving the encouragement and empowerment of those already hustling within the brand. It’s important to make sure to always fully understand the requirements and benefits before committing your time to a business opportunity, but they can act as an additional source of income.
These are just a dip into the pool of ideas of side hustles out there. Here’s to being boss babes!