From time to time, everyone finds themselves in need of a little quick cash, especially when trying to pay for school. In case you need a few easy bucks for the electricity bill, late-night pizza or your mom’s birthday present, here are a few resources you may not have tapped into yet.
Contribute to scientific research: If you feel like you’re just bursting with knowledge and opinions and that the world is missing out in its uninformed state, you can get paid to participate in research surveys. They are sponsored regularly by student groups or at times through grant-funded studies that pay brilliant students such as yourself for filling out a questionnaire. Experiments are also always ongoing in the psychology department by its grad students. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? You could be the guinea pig of a revolutionary experiment, maybe even become famous and get a bit of money from it.
Donate your body: On the other hand, if guinea pigs aren’t your scene, you can also receive money in exchange for your bodily substances. The first and easiest commitment is at the Seramed Biocenter at 1901 W. 18th. They will pay you for plasma donations: $20 for your first donation and $30 for your second donation. Hours for first-timers are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Remember to take a photo ID with current address and your Social Security card. The second, slightly scarier option is for women to donate their eggs to help infertile couples. Donating pays $2,500 for nonsmokers ages 21-32, which is great money but a bigger deal than blood. For more information, call OHSU at (503) 418-5333. The good thing about these options is that you can get some extra funds while helping others.
Better than a hangover: It’s the morning after the big bash, and now the previous party spot is a disaster. If it’s your place (condolences) then you are obligated to clean up anyway. If it’s not your place, it’s a much-appreciated gesture to help repair the damage the morning after. Little do the hosts know that instead of having genuine empathy for their situation, you just want the deposit money from the drink containers. By getting up early and collecting all the cans and bottles laying around, you can be sure to secure yourself ten or twenty bucks, depending on the size of the party. Then, as everyone else surfaces to a blurry consciousness and steps onto the sticky floor, you can say, “Well, I did my part by picking up stuff. Can you guys scrub the kitchen and re-hang the screen door? Great party, see ya later!” and walk out the door with a garbage bag full of loot and a clear conscience from your valiant effort to help out. DISCLAIMER: Use common sense with this one; make sure not to piss anyone off by taking their cans without asking.
World Wide Web: All right, maybe the parties lately haven’t been worth the effort. Either your hosts now keep a close watch on you after the first time you escaped with the goods, or you discover the lack of deposit on red plastic cups, or you are just looking for a less-disgusting way to make money. The next resource to turn to is the obvious technological addiction for many people today: the Internet. There are several Web sites that can hook you up in various ways.
A lotta surfin’: Alladvantage.com is a site that pays you for the time you spend on the Net while viewing the ads of its sponsors. This company does actually pay people, even if it takes awhile to accrue a significant amount. You may have also heard rumors about a way to speed up your earnings with programs that simulate continuous mouse movement, but they are against the rules.
Play the stock market: Similar to Alladvantage.com is coolwallstreet.com, which is much more entertaining. It is a simulated stock market, based on real stocks. The way it works is that you download its advertising bar and watch it while you are on the Web, which earns you CoolWallStreet Dollars (CWS Dollars). You use these to buy and trade for stocks, based on the real stock market prices. If you make enough profit online, you can use your CWS Dollars to bid on real money and prizes in an online auction. In my experience with this site, it was very cool at first to watch my stocks, until the stock market plunged to a near-Black Tuesday simulation. So, I’m still working on getting enough profit to get into the auction, but the stock market is looking brighter now.
Get lucky: An even easier site to take advantage of is Luckysurf.com, which is a free lottery. You pick seven numbers for a daily lottery to win $1 million. The only obligation is to register and click on an ad to enter your numbers. The site is backed by Lloyd’s of London brokerage firm and will send you an e-mail with the drawing results. The odds of winning this one might not be that great, but put it in your bookmarks, take a minute every now and then, and you never know what might happen.
One man’s waste is another man’s want: Finally, a more sure-fire way to earn money over the Internet is on the famous eBay.com. Take a look around your room and survey any stuff that you might be able to pawn off for a couple of bucks. It’s amazing to discover the variety of items bought and sold on eBay, from concert tickets to clothes to a box of envelopes. Everything can be sold. A word of caution: Not only can you possibly become addicted to eBay and uncontrollably sell things you might need in the future, but it is also extremely tempting to bid on the incredibly good deals you stumble across. Don’t forget that this is an attempt to earn money, not spend it.
In conclusion, you probably won’t become a millionaire from these sources, but hey, every little bit helps. The whole college experience is not only about hitting the books, but also learning how to be street-savvy and make the most of your resources. So go get that cash you’ve previously worked so hard to earn!