So, you blew all your summer earnings within your first couple weeks back on campus. Remain calm and do NOT text mom and dad to transfer money… yet.
The beginning of the school year is perhaps the harshest period that your bank account will experience. Frantic online shopping, daily coffee runs, swinging by the campus bookstore for just one more hoodie… The cash in your account will inevitably meet its demise. But fret not, because there are foolproof ways to rebuild your bank account, and you can start now!
1. Start a coin jar or piggy bank
Scavenge through your car, your wallet and dirty laundry to collect all the loose change you can find. After a couple weeks of saving or whenever you feel as though you have sufficient funds, bring your loot to the nearest CoinStar, usually found in local grocery stores. While it may be tempting to pick the cash back option, be aware that the machine will be taxing you a whopping 11.9%. Translation: if you dump $10 of coins into the machine, you will only get $8.40 back in cash. Don’t get duped! Instead, choose the untaxed gift card option. You can opt to convert your coins into a shiny new gift card to Starbucks, Sephora, Amazon, Nike and more.
2. Sell unwanted clothes
If you’re like me, you packed five pairs too many of black leggings and now you don’t have any drawer space. Instead of buying yet another set of Rubbermaid drawers to accommodate your excess wardrobe, snap a pic of what you don’t want and upload it to Vinted.com. Price the denim shorts that don’t fit right at $8, the old yoga pants you don’t wear anymore at $9, and the new-with-tags tank top that doesn’t look as good as it did online for half the retail price. When someone likes your item they will pay for shipping and all you have to do is package it up, attach a label and drop it off at the nearest post office.
3. Take the note taker position you keep getting emails about
You might be getting emails from your professor seeking a note taker for one of your classmates with a learning disability. Email them back confirming your interest ASAP! If awarded the position, you will simply be expected to attend class (which you are already doing), take sufficient and legible notes (which you should already doing), and then upload them online as you are instructed (which takes less than a minute of your time). At the end of the semester you will be compensated for your services by the office of Disability Services, just for being your studious self. Bonus: it feels great to help out a peer in need!
4. Create a Care.com account
If you like and/or are interested in babysitting, walking dogs or cleaning houses, Care.com will be your savior. Make an account, write a little bit about yourself and add a profile pic and you will be in business. If you look hard enough, you can find a family who needs an occasional date-night sitter or someone who needs a dog walker during your free block. Of course, you should always be careful around strangers; I recommend requesting grabbing a coffee with a potential client prior to meeting them at their house. By meeting in a public space you can ensure your own safety.