College students are strapped for cash on a normal, average day of the year. Which means we are doubly strapped for cash when the need to buy Christmas and Chanukah gifts arises. Winter activities like ice skating and hot chocolate (or just our usual shopping/handles-of-vodka ways) are sucking up our funds and now we need to buy 30 gifts for every member of our sorority…it’s not pretty.

But what some of you may not realize is that instead of working overtime 3 weeks straight to save up enough to get your parents, your boyfriends and all your bff’s something nice, you could just sell your old stuff that you never use and make enough to do all your holiday shopping and maybe pick up a pair of those awesome boots you’ve been eying in the Macy’s catalog…

Sell Your Clothes
We all have those sweaters that we leave in the box in the basement marked “winter,” swearing year after year that we’ll wear it next time the season rolls around. I know it’s hard to get rid of clothing (especially seeing how everything comes back in style in, like, 2 years), but if you haven’t worn it in the past year, it needs to go. And there are plenty of people willing to buy it from you. Google local consignment shops and bring in all your stuff. They won’t take everything, but if you have clothes that look like new with a recognizable label, your chances are pretty good. And earning 20 bucks a pair for that stack of jeans that you’ve been trying to fit back into since senior year of high school really adds up.

Sell Your Books
Instead of selling your books back to the bookstore and walking away with pocket change, put them on Amazon. You’ll make back at least 50% of what you paid for them and you can get rid of them all (unlike the bookstore where you lug all 10 textbooks to that joint and they tell you only 2 of them are eligible to be sold back). Plus, Amazon only charges you when your book sells, so if it doesn’t, it’s no change out of your wallet. And since everyone has registered for their next semester classes, the overachievers among us will already be online looking to secure all their books before winter break.

Sell Your Gold
We’ve all seen the commercials with some creepy dude begging us to put our “unwanted gold” in an envelope and send it away to some stranger. Yeah, it seems like a total scam but that ish is legit. The price of gold has gone up, so now is the best time to gather up those ugly bracelets you got for your Bat Mitzvah, Sweet 16, or you just “borrowed” from your mom in high school and never returned and sell them! If you don’t trust the mail-away places, there are plenty of local jewelry stores that will buy your gold back. I sold 2 old bracelets (that were way ugly and just took up space in my jewelry box) and walked away with $300! That’s enough for a bunch of gifts and a little somethin’ for myself!

Sell Your Miscellaneous Crap
Ebay and Craigslist are the best things to ever happen to a hoarder. I have 200 beanie babies, 30 of those pointless glass figurines, and dozens of collector’s edition Barbies still in the boxes. Let’s be honest: our kids aren’t going to want our old beanie babies someday when they can get a Webkins complete with an online profile (and, despite how much we hoped they would accumulate worth over the past 10 years, Beanies are no collector’s item). It’s time to log on and sell those suckers.

Making a seller profile on Ebay is super easy and cheap (postings cost less than dollar) and listing on CL is even easier! Those old speakers you never use, the plastic storage bins your mom had delivered for your dorm room, jewelry that’s been sitting in a bin on your desk…. you might think no one will want your old crap, but you’d be surprised. Your trash is someone else’s treasure; someone who is up late on a Wednesday night surfing Craigslist for the exact limited edition Garcia Bear you’re hawking. Get that stuff listed and you’ll have extra money in your wallet….FAST.

Do you guys have any other suggestions for ways to make some fast cash?

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Start making some money on those used books.

That doesn’t mean you have to throw in the non-recyclable towel. There are so many things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and give back to Mother Earth. Here are some tips to help the planet and inspire your peers to do the same:

1. Skip the single serving snack-packs. Get a big bag and make your own single-serving portion in a small plastic bag when you’re on the go. Wash the bag out when you’re done and do it again the next time. It’s that easy.

2. Chill out with the AC. Tons of college students keep their AC’s running just because they can. That’s not cool! (Note: yes, the pun was intended.) Don’t act like a monkey when it comes to the environment. Leaving your AC running while you’re out hurts the planet regardless of whether or not you’re paying the bill.

3. Turn off your computer. I know, I know. It’s so tempting to leave your AIM on all day long so your friends can leave you little messages and see which classes you’re in, etc. BUT (there is always a “but”), it’s better for the planet and your computer if you just shut it off when you leave.

4. Buy used books. Not only is buying new books bad for the environment (because it supplies a demand for deforestation), but it’s also way more expensive than buying used books. Plus, used books may already have tons of helpful notes scribbled in the margins, which will help a ton come finals.

5. Take notes on your computer. Bring your laptop to class and take notes on it instead of in a notebook. Not only will you save on paper (again, good for your wallet and the environment), but if you’re anything like me, you’ll have much more organized notes.

6. Bring your own cup. It’s really easy yet so many people don’t do this. Have a mug in your bag for coffee when you make a stop before class. Just because you need to stop at Starbucks doesn’t mean that you have to use one (or two) of their paper cups with the logo on it. And if you do need to wear the logo, buy one of their mugs and use that each time. (You can also carry your own container for water from the fountain, sodas, or whatever else you drink.)

7. Avoid the bottled beer. When you’re out at the bar buy anything but the bottled beer. Beer on tap, for example, gets put into big pint glasses. The bar washes them and reuses them. Your Corona Light, however, ends up in the garbage and who knows whether or not your local college bar recycles. (Editor’s Note: It most likely does not.)

8. Read your school newspaper online. In fact, read all your entertainment online. You can get newspapers, magazines, entertainment, and even books online these days. There’s hardly an excuse to buy print media, especially considering the fact that it drains our resources from the planet.

9. Ask your teacher about email. When I was in college, it was totally acceptable to email my professors my homework assignments and papers. Many teachers prefer grading things online and not having to deal with shuffling papers from classroom to classroom. Don’t print out anything you don’t need to (class syllabus, assignments and review sheets included).

10. Buy used. This applies to more than just your books. It applies to your clothes, your furnishings, your bike, your car…everything. A lot of people think that they can’t have a leather coat and also be Green, but that is not true! Used things have already been made; it’s worse to let them go to waste than to not use them at all. Keep that in mind before you buy anything brand new again.

It can be hard to have a positive influence on those around you in college, but believe me it’s much better to try to do the right thing and hope people follow than to just follow. Lead by example and show everyone else how easy going Green can be.

But, my friends, I’ve discovered a better site; it has all the gloriousness of craigslist but has been tailored to fit the college student’s needs — umarkt.com. Created to fill the void of an online marketplace for us, Umarkt helps to find roommates, housing and even sweet rides. It’s totally free and all you have to do is register to use it. Not many schools are listed yet, but they encourage users to add theirs.

So check it out!