The Sunday Telegraph
Money and Jobs
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01
05­10­2008
General Consumer
52 Per Year
667692
14
ArticleId:
17643369
A degree of flexibility
can carry rewards
Online surveys
are an easy way
for students to
pick up extra
cash, writes
Daniel Noctor
M
any students struggling with university
fees let their debts
mount, and for some a parttime job is not enough to pay
the bills. Little wonder, then,
that some are willing to resort
to alternative measures.
According to research by
Abbey, half of students at university are so desperate for
money that they are prepared
to sell their possessions, while
almost three-quarters are prepared to cut down on entertainment and going out.
Selling items on eBay or
other auction sites might be
an easy way to make cash, but
once students have run out of
possessions to sell they may
take more drastic steps.
Abbey’s report discovered that
5 per cent of students would
consider undergoing medical
trials if it meant they could
stay afloat financially.
However, there are other
ways to raise money and Steve
Shore, Abbey’s director of
banking, says that the best
course of action is simply to be
careful with money and plan
ahead to avoid ending up in
such difficult circumstances.
He adds: “The majority of
students living on a fixed
income may find the coming
months tough with the price
of essential goods and services such as food and energy
continuing to rise.
“Students more than ever
will need to set themselves a
strict budget and should
ensure that they are shopping
around for the best deals.”
This advice does not just
apply to buying food and other
essentials, but also to financial
products, such as the choice
of student bank account.
However, with freshers’
events around most universities now in full swing, these
good intentions may not be so
easy to fulfil.
Students with money in
their accounts for the first time
and no parents to tell them
how to spend it often find
themselves spending vast
amounts in the first half of
term, only to come unstuck
later in the year.
Steve Burford, the managing director at the student
finance website wealthystudent.co.uk, believes students
need to find imaginative ways
to balance the books. He said:
“Ideally you want to find a
good part-time job as a source
of income, but there are other
ways to bring money in.”
There are plenty of ways to
swap your time for other people’s money, especially with
internet access, and Burford
recommends filling in online
surveys to boost income.
Many websites offer vouchers, special student deals and,
There’s nothing
better than
getting paid to
go to the pub
in some cases, money in
exchange for feedback.
“Most offer some sort of
reward system where you can
accrue points and redeem
them,” says Burford. He recommends pureprofile.com
and the Student Panel (www.
opinionpanel.co.uk/students).
The latter is a student-specific-
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Page 1 / 3
The Sunday Telegraph
Money and Jobs
Edition:
Date:
Type:
Frequency:
Circulation:
Page:
01
05­10­2008
General Consumer
52 Per Year
667692
14
ArticleId:
17643369
site that every student can sign
up to through their university.
“You’ll be sent emails alerting you when a survey is available,” he says. “You have to
accrue points and eventually
you’ll get some Amazon
vouchers, which are as good
as money for a student.”
Mystery shopping also provides an interesting alternative. There is a chance that
participants will have the
opportunity to enjoy free
nights out in bars or restaurants, stays in top hotels and
flights around Europe, and get
paid for it — all in the name of
market research.
hours and they are free to take
part in mystery shopping
assignments that suit their
lifestyle best. There is no pressure to take part in any mystery visits; shoppers simply
log on when they feel like
doing a mystery shop. It’s free
to register and they can start
shopping straight away.”
ONLINE
Dos and don’ts for filling
out Ucas applications
telegraph.co.uk/education
“Mystery shopping will
appeal to anyone who enjoys
shopping and dining out,
earning a bit of extra money
and giving their feedback,”
says Kelly Hunt, a marketing
executive for Retail Eyes, a
British-based mystery shopping company.
Retail Eyes (retaileyes.co.
uk) works with many of the
country’s largest retailers,
helping to evaluate their customer service.
“As mystery shoppers, students can earn extra cash by
doing the things they like and
being paid to buy the products, food and drinks they like.
There’s nothing better than
getting paid to go to the pub
and have your food and drink
paid for. We also have a variety
of assignments where mystery
shoppers purchase and keep
clothes, get to stay in luxury
five-star hotels, flights to
Europe and even membership
at health clubs.”
Although such rewards are
rare, most of those who sign
up might get a chance of a free
meal occasionally. More usually, the role involves purchasing items at different shops
and filling in questionnaires.
Another advantage is that
students can schedule assignments so that they don’t clash
with their lectures. Hunt says:
“There are no contracted
h
h
f
k
This cutting is reproduced by Cision UK Ltd. under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings), digital
reproduction or forwarding is permitted except under license from the NLA, www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, www.cla.co.uk (for books and magazines) or other copyright body.
Page 2 / 3
The Sunday Telegraph
Money and Jobs
Edition:
Date:
Type:
Frequency:
Circulation:
Page:
01
05­10­2008
General Consumer
52 Per Year
667692
14
ArticleId:
17643369
DANIEL JONES
‘IT’S DIFFERENT,
IT’S INTERESTING
AND IT SUITS
MY NEEDS’
CHRIS Sheldrick, a secondyear student who is
president of the geography
society at King’s College
London, says that he finds it
hard to strike a balance
between studying and
earning some extra money.
However, he boosts his
income by participating in
mystery shopping
assignments and paid
online surveys.
“I chose it because the
work is different, interesting
and works around my
needs,” the 20-year-old from
Wimbledon says. “The pay
isn’t bad either.
“I tend to fill out around 10
short surveys a day across
different websites.
“I can earn up to £2 a day
for doing this, which
eventually builds up.
“I make close to £30 per
month, enough to subsidise
my travel expenses, which
are astronomical in London
and I’m getting meals and
nights out paid for, saving
me even more. I am
reimbursed for all of my
travel expenses on top of
being paid too.”
He adds: “I’ll continue as
long as I’m studying. Its fun
to do, no job is ever the
same and I like the perks
offered to me.”
This cutting is reproduced by Cision UK Ltd. under licence from the NLA, CLA or other copyright owner. No further copying (including the printing of digital cuttings), digital
reproduction or forwarding is permitted except under license from the NLA, www.nla.co.uk (for newspapers) CLA, www.cla.co.uk (for books and magazines) or other copyright body.
Page 3 / 3