Vinas and coffee go together like pool days and magazines. Like besties and froyo. Coffee obsession predates even the #PSL hashtag, and we all know that habits can’t be broken overnight. I’m a strong believer in budgeting based on your personal priorities, which means you don’t have to give up that daily latte if you don’t want to! After all, holding coffee is like holding a cup of warm happiness, so finish that frapp and get inspired on ways to make paper for beans:
MONETIZE YOUR HOBBIES
You could shift your budget to make it work for you, but earning pocket money has become more accessible than ever thanks to companies like Etsy, Poshmark, Wag and TaskRabbit. It’s all too easy to downplay your hobbies and skills, but they can translate into some serious purse coinage.
If you’re great at crafting or calligraphy, stop procrastinating on that Etsy shop you’ve been kind of sort of thinking about opening for years now. It’s probably one of the best income streams you could open up because it has the potential to triple as a party conversation topic and line on your resume.
If you have an eye for photography, take stock photos and sell them. Seriously – here are some sites you can sell them to! Enlist your friends and pets as models, or just take some eye-catching laydown or food shots.
If you happen to be yoga savvy, have some friends over for living room yoga and wine for a modest $5/pop. Or, if you don’t have the fitness chops of an exercise instructor but would like to do the same thing, just pop on a Blogilates or Tone It Up Youtube workout for the same effect.
PARTICIPATE IN SURVEYS
Did you know you can get paid to eat? Not even kidding – if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tragon Corporation runs taste tests. My personal favorite was dark chocolate.
There are also facilities like McCormick in Maryland, Schwan in Minnesota, and Northland Labs in Illinois. Also consider reaching out to your local university – they could be running departmental studies that you may fit the profile for.
The opportunities are out there if you just poke around on the Internet a little! Try FindFocusGroups.com or search the keywords “paid study” and “market research” on Craigslist.
SELL YOUR JUNK
Remember that part in the Gilmore Girls reunion where Emily goes on a mission to throw away all the things that don’t bring her happiness? Well, I’m not suggesting you get that extreme about it – but we all have a few things we could stand to get rid of. Why not sell some old clothes or books for cash if it doesn’t bring you as much joy as your coffee fix will?
You could take your clothes to the thrift shop or send them to ThredUp to see what they’ll take. If you enjoy putting your most entrepreneurial foot forward, you might enjoy the fun, social vibes of apps like Poshmark. They literally make every shopping category a party where sellers and buyers can interact with each other, share products, ask questions and offer trades. Other alternatives include eBay, Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, Tradesy and Snob Swap.
BECOME A PART OF THE GIG ECONOMY
Did you know that according to findings from an Adobe study, as many as 81% of traditional workers they surveyed said they would “be willing to do additional work outside of [their] primary job if it was available and enabled [them] to make more money”?
Welcome to the gig economy. This includes the driving people do for Uber and Lyft, the tasks they carry out for Thumbtack, the projects they fulfill on UpWork and Freelancer, the dogs they walk on Rover – you get the gist.
You can pick up a few shifts at your own convenience by signing on with these companies doing whatever it is that makes your skill set shine. If you’re an animal lover, try pet sitting with DogVacay. More into humans? Sitter City and Urban Sitter have your back. Got a talent for graphic design? Help other people’s businesses shine by designing logos. Or sell your designs on T-shirts through sites like Zazzle and CafePress. Like driving but don’t like people? Be a parking valet for Luxe. Deliver food for Postmates if it’s in your city. The possibilities are as endless as your love for coffee.
RENT OUT ANYTHING YOU CAN
Do you live in a neighborhood that gets super crowded on weekends? Rent out the extra parking space in your driveway! If you don’t mind strangers crashing with you from time to time, rent out a room in your apartment on Airbnb. Or rent out your bicycle on Spinlister. Or your car on Getaround.
As you can see, there are more than just a handful of ways to make pocket money. Get creative, have fun, and enjoy that afternoon cappuccino – and maybe even a cake pop if you want to splurge. With all this extra cash floating around, you can even treat your vina to a cup, too!
(Feature image via pintrest)
VINAZINE 