Claire Muller – University of Sydney, Australia

Hey Guys!

So, I wanted to talk to you guys about the different ways you can earn money whilst you are abroad, if you want to earn a little extra pocket money or you aren’t able to get a more ‘stable’ job, such as a waitress, but still want to earn a bit of money. I’ve included a few options in this post in order for you to get a better idea of the options out there.

1. Tutoring

The 1^st option is to tutor young children in a particular class. For example, I speak fluent French and decided to tutor children who needed help in French. Thankfully, in Sydney, there is a French international school and when I published an ad, I got a response back from a lady who wanted me to help her son in Math and French. The good thing about tutoring is that you are in charge, therefore you can set up your own timetable and define what your hourly pay rate is.  Once you start to set up a network from word of mouth, the money will be flowing in (although it might take some time).

Here are some links to set your profile up or you could go through an agency: Gumtree & Superprof

2. Psychological Studies

The 2^nd option is to take part in psychological studies. At the University of Sydney, they have a website where you can sign up to take part in these studies. The pay rate is usually $20/hour and the study could last between 1 hour to several hours over the course of a few weeks and focus on a range of different topics. You get to pick when you do the study, so if you have an hour to spare during the week, you can take part in that. It’s actually a win/win situation for both you and the research, as they also need participants to take part in their studies and finding them can sometimes be a challenge.

Here are is the link to sign up to the SONA systems website of the University of Sydney: SONA Systems

3. Babysitting

The 3^rd option is to become a babysitter, taking care of younger children. You are able to set your own hourly pay rate and once a network is formed, you will have money flowing in (much like tutoring). You are able to go through an agency if you would like or go through an advertising website like gumtree or other babysitting websites. You won’t really be able to set your own timetable as much as you would like because sometimes you have to suit your time to the parents.

Here are a few links to look into if you want to go down this route: Find a babysitter, we need a nanny

4. Small Jobs here and there

The 4^th option is to do small jobs here and there, where you get cash in hand. A few examples of small jobs would be gardening, cleaning, repairing or building something. If you have skills that might be of use to someone else, you can utilize them and get paid for it. You are able to set your own timetable and your hourly pay rate.

Well, that’s all the options I have for you today. The websites I have linked above are reserved for Australia only, however, there should be similar websites in other countries. I find that these options are a lot better than trying out the online survey route (which honestly is pretty much a scam). So, tell me how it goes if you tried one of these options and if you have any other ones that could be useful to someone else, please share!

See you soon!

Claire