Living off 8p noodles? Always waiting for your student loan to drop into your account? Or scrambling around your pockets for loose change for the bus?
Managing your money at Uni is one of the hardest parts about the experience so we’ve put a few ideas together to help you on your way.
Get a part-time job
Let’s get the boring and most obvious one out the way first. easiest way to generate some extra cash. University cities and towns are full of bars, cafés and endless other opportunities for occasional and part time employment. Hand out your CV anywhere you can and get some face-time with decision- makers, or look at sites like e4s.co.uk for part-time jobs in your university town or city.
Do some freelance work
Doing some freelance work not only brings in some extra money it also lets you build up your work experience before you look for a job after Uni. It’s a great way to meet new contacts as well. Just make sure you register as self-employed on gov.co.uk as you will be liable to pay income tax.
Enter competitions
Entering comps on an industrial scale has to be a pastime you actually enjoy, otherwise you’ll get fed up when you see, ‘better luck next time’. But if you do win, you could win big, like a trip for two to somewhere exotic with all expenses paid. Read Student Money Saver’s guide to the pros and cons of ‘comping’ to see if it’s for you.
Become a tutor
Using the knowledge that you have gained from your own studies why not pass that on and earn around £25–£35 an hour.
Review music for money
You can use sites like Slicethepie.com or MusicXray.com to sit back with a drink and listen to music so if you love music and don’t mind writing some short reviews, then this can be a nice little money maker. You could make up to £40 a month!
Do promo work
Becoming a brand ambassador is a great way to earn some good money. This can be anything from handing out food samples in town or supermarkets to doing live demos of the products. For more info on how to become an ambassador contact companies like Mash Staffing, Beautiful Minds or ID Staffing.
Become an extra
For the attractive amount of around £60–£80, you can use sites like beonscreen.com to become one of those random people lurking in the background of a scene.
Make money on YouTube
If you see yourself as the next Zoella, YouTube can be a real money maker. It’s a bit of a mystery on how much you exactly you get paid but it’s thought that for every 1,000 views it’s between £1 and £5, meaning that if you get 50,000 views a month you could be generating around £100.
Start a blog
If you have something to write about and you think it would interest people you could set up your own blog. As the site’s following grows, you can monetise your traffic using advertising and affiliate networks like Google’s AdSense, Affiliate Window and the Amazon.co.uk Associates Programme.
Become a mystery shopper
There are around 50,000 mystery shopping trips carried out every month in the UK, according to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), and the demand for mystery shoppers is growing. You’re required to complete reports after your trip and they normally have to be thorough. The prices for a job can range from a few quid up to £100 or more. Go to websites like Marketforce.com and Mysterydining.net for more information.
