Between your SoHi, Chipotle and The Woods habits, all the money you made this summer might seem like it's seeping into a black hole. So for those of you looking to put some weight back in your wallets, kick back for a minute and jot a couple of notes down. Without further ado, here are "Five Ways to Fund Your Weekends."
1. Sell your old or useless textbooks online. Yes, it's true. You don't need every book you buy, especially after the semester ends. In other words, those textbooks in your closet are basically paper gold. So grab your phone, snap a pic of the cover and post your item for sale on Amazon. For the truly entrepreneurial, look for dirt-cheap copies of popular texts online. With good timing and a bit of luck, you can sell these back to the bookstores at prices that far exceed what you paid for them.
2. Share your wisdom with high school students. From finding the right college to navigating the application process, figuring out one's future can be stressful for any high school student. So how exactly does teen stress translate to funding your bar tab? Simple - join the site Chalky and become a professional mentor. You can choose what you want to help with, but most high school students on Chalky are seeking insights about the basics: college essays, major choice, campus life, etc. The site is currently in beta, but it's set to launch officially soon. Join now to stack up badges, points and more before the masses. When it officially takes off in the coming weeks, you'll be able to get paid for a piece of your mind.
3. Sell your skills in the digital marketplace. Calling all people with creative talents: Pad your bank account and your portfolio by finding freelance jobs online. While there are countless places where prospective clients post job listings, the biggest names in e-freelance are sites like Elance and oDesk.com. So whether you're a writer, designer, developer or marketer, there are tens of thousands of jobs just waiting for you and your talents.
4. Clean out your closet. How many of your old favorites have gotten zero love lately? Like those dust-covered books in your closet, your infinitely expanding wardrobe is a virtually untouched goldmine. To cash in on your extra textiles, head to a site like Dresm, PoshMark or ThreadFlip.com and begin listing your unwanted items.
5. Get crafty and sell your creations on Etsy. Maybe you're a paddle-painting prodigy, an embroidery expert or a borderline master woodworker. Whatever your craft, you can turn it into cash by selling your goods on Etsy. The way this site works is simple: You create your own online shop, fill in a profile, add product pictures, prices and bam, you're ready to go.
Now, put this paper down and go make some money.
