Many of us wish to live a summer like we see in movies. We want a summer filled with spontaneous road trips, countless nights out, and never having to worry about our cards declining at the mall. In reality, most of us will struggle to afford our daily trip to Starbucks. Even with that summer part-time job, we find ourselves running on E all too quickly. Not to worry! There is several ways to make some extra cash to keep yourself on the go all summer long.
As a disclaimer, I was not paid to mention any company below. These are my own tips to help you make a couple bucks that I have gained from my own personal experience.
1.Sell Your Old Clothes
If you have a ton of clothes you never wear, selling your clothes is a great option to get a couple extra dollars to buy more! There is a couple different options on where you can take your clothes. You can take your treasures to a local second hand store and see what they will take your items for, or you can sell them online. In my experience, selling them online is a better option because you can decide how much your items are worth instead of just getting a couple dollars from a store. To sell locally, try Facebook's built in Marketplace feature. From listing there, you can sell to those in your general area and make money the same day. I have made 15-20 dollars per item of my name brand clothing. Alternatively, you can use selling and buying apps like Mercari to list your item nationally. When someone purchases an item, put it in an envelope, tape on the prepaid shipping label and wait to get paid!
Extra tip: List your items on more than one site, that way they receive more visibility.
2. Test Websites and Apps with UserTesting
UserTesting is a website that connects Companies with regular people who want to make some extra money. Companies come to UserTesting when they want real customer feedback on the design, layout and functionality of their website or app. When you sign up, you will provide information about yourself, and tests that fit you are presented on your dashboard. You will be asked to attempt to preform tasks on the website in question, and talk out loud your thought process. This will help the company know what can be improved or changed about their site to better the experience. You will be paid typically 10 dollars a test, which is deposited to a PayPal exactly one week from the time you take it.
Extra tip: Leave the website open on your computer. Your dashboard will automatically refresh and ding when a new test is available. Tests are filled up quickly, you do not want to miss an opportunity to make money!
3. Earn Money Back with Swagbucks!
Swagbucks
has many notable features for earning you money, but I will only be
speaking about one. Swagbucks offers a percentage back for online
purchases by going through them first. To take advantage, create an
account, and go to shop. From there, click the online store you want to
buy from and Swagbucks will take you directly to their site! They will
track your purchase and then reward you in "swagbucks" which can be
traded in for amazing gift cards and payPal!
Extra Tip: Swagbucks has other ways to earn like taking surveys, watching ads and using their search engine!
4. Make Coupons your Best Friend
There are several different apps for finding great coupons! Try to search and find which one works for you. You can also sign up for emails from your favorite stores and restaurants. They will often send out coupons and you'll also be notified about sales. If they have a rewards card, signing up for that would be a good idea too. If it's a place you frequent often you will be racking up the points in no time. Getting a rewards card for gas stations will help you get cents off per gallon and you'll more than likely score some free snacks. Holla!
Extra Tip: Several fast food and restaurants give free food upon downloading their apps so it makes it worth the try.
5. Don't Spend What You Don't Have To
Do you really need a ventisized coffee at Starbucks? Do you really need more underwear from Victoria's Secret? Just because your eliminating costs doesn't mean you have to skip out on things entirely, but there are ways to cut down on spending. If it can wait, then don't get it this instant. If you know your going to throw it away after you drink half, get a smaller size. Just because you have the money doesn't mean you should spend it. Save up for the things you really want to do, and stop spending on things you don't need.
Extra tip: Before you go somewhere with friends, decide a reasonable amount of money you need for the trip and take out cash. Leave your debit and credit cards at home, or only bring one for emergencies. Once you spend your cash, your done! It will make you more cautious of just how much your spending when you see the money leave your hand.
If you keep these tips in mind, you'll be sure to have a summer of great memories. Keep in mind that not everything costs money though. Spend a day by your pool, go for a picnic, or go hiking at the park! Some of the best memory making activities don't cost a dime.
