With streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and the new services like HBO Max and Disney+ rolling out seemingly every month, it can be easier to lose track of all of the time wasted watching the TV shows and movies available at your fingertips.
In college, it seems like we are constantly running out of time. And since college is becoming more expensive than its ever been, it’s only fitting that we try to find ways to maximize our free time. Have you ever thought about taking up a side hustle?
A study conducted by Finty calculated how much you could earn if you worked the hours it would take to watch every season of many popular TV shows on the various streaming platforms. With it all laid out like this, it starts to hurt a little when you consider how much money you may have lost with all those hours spent watching Breaking Bad or Friends.
For example, popular side hustle or part-time jobs for college students include being a server at a restaurant, working retail, or tutoring. According to the above study, in watching the entirety of the show The Office, you could have made $1,142 tutoring, $395.85 being a server at a restaurant (not including tips!), or $693.55 working retail. Maybe think of that the next time you sit down for a binge-watching marathon.
The charts in this study also indicate which part-time jobs might be the best use of your time because they will pay you the most for each hour you work. For example, using The Office again, in watching the entirety of the show you could make anywhere from the above-mentioned server wage to the $1,507.35 you could make freelance writing.
We’ve all heard the joke that in college, you can really only pick two out of the three: good grades, social life, and enough sleep. For many, we know that having enough money is also a very important concern. Hopefully, these numbers and figures encouraged you to realize that even cutting back on binge-watching a couple of hours a week and picking up a shift or some freelance work can really make a difference in the long run.