In a college environment, it can be hard to budget.

Being away from home can make it challenging to stay on top of spending habits. College towns offer students so many new experiences away from home that are costly.

Some students have found new ways to make money on the side. Below are some side hustles that students have started to not only earn spending money, but also for fun.

DJing

On a campus where nightlife is very much alive, music is a big part of the social scene.

Many bars like Cool Beans and LiterBoard have nights dedicated to karaoke and Singo. The Cotton Eyed Joe does line dancing, and sometimes there will even be live music right on the Strip.

One of the biggest and most popular music choices on a night out, however, is a DJ. Will Mehring is a junior double-majoring in finance and music business who also DJs on the side.

“I was going out and hearing DJs play the same music over and over again and I thought to myself: ‘I can do a lot better than this,’” Mehring said. “So, I drew upon my lifelong love of music to start crafting my style as a DJ.”

Each week, Mehring spends roughly 25 hours working and perfecting this hustle. Not only is he playing gigs around town on the weekends, but he is also organizing playlists, finding new music, getting inspiration from other DJ sets or just practicing his material.

“I really don’t have a problem balancing it all because there is so much free time available to us as college students,” Mehring said.

Like any other hobby, Mehring watches others who have been doing this for longer to help him get better and figure out what works well for him.

Mehring says that this job has elevated his college experience and that his music appreciation has helped his journey.

“Getting paid to play wonderful music, dance and connect with others is the dream, really,” Mehring said. “Through this ‘side hustle,’ I have gotten into contact with other local DJs, met business owners, partied with students and, my favorite, met music lovers that take the time to compliment the DJ.”

Nails

Nail salons can be expensive for college students on a budget. A nail appointment in the state of Tennessee has an average cost of around $42. Adding on designs and upkeep, it becomes costly.

Some students have realized this and decided to find an easier path. One student, Sara Gilliland, has started her own nail salon in her dorm with her roommate.

Gilliland is a freshman nursing major who has been doing her own nails since she was in the 8th grade. Other students in her dorm found out about her skills and came to her for help.

“They asked if we would do them and they would pay. We said yes and did them happily,” Gilliland said. “Then one of those friends convinced us to start an Instagram for our nails and we did.”

Soon, through word of mouth, Gilliland and her roommate were being flooded with DMs from other students asking for nail appointments. They both try to take four to five appointments per week in their dorm.

“Weekly, we each spend around 10 hours doing nails,” Gilliland said. “It varies per week, but since we started, we have had a steady flow of clients either new or returning every four to six weeks.”

Gilliland and her roommate balance their work by remembering to take time for themselves. Whether they have a social obligation or a big exam coming up, they make sure to never book during a busy period of their lives.

“It really has made me respect small businesses even more and has given me perspective into what a busy life with work and other things will look like later in life,” Gilliland said. “I think this has been a great learning experience for us and it makes us some extra money.”

Reselling clothing

Thrifting and reselling have been gaining popularity for many years, with online stores such as ThredUp and Depop making it easy to shop sustainably.

On college campuses, a new app called Raide has also allowed students to rent clothing items. Some students, however, have started their own business in reselling.

Miguel Kirby is a freshman majoring in nuclear engineering who resells streetwear and shoes and has begun his own brand as well.

“I was inspired by stores like Plugged In, Kixsy and 96′ Kickz,” Kirby said. “I wanted a project that could unite my passion with diverse communities in Knoxville.”

He created his clothing site on Instagram, Archive Apparel, inspired by Christian-based brands such as Godspeed. He uses this as his outlet for reaching customers who are interested in his stock.

“How it actually happened was I ordered a bunch of streetwear for myself, and I felt like I could sell some of this stuff, so I went to a nearby store to sell it and gained a 50% profit margin,” Kirby said. “After that, I knew it was something I wanted to do.”

Kirby puts about 10 hours per week into this business, doing various things such as sitting in auctions, promoting and actively selling. Balancing three other jobs, he sometimes finds it hard to fully commit.

“It’s hard to be honest, with working three other jobs,” Kirby said. “I got into a routine of school first, work second, then business; so every free moment I have, I spend buying new inventory or doing analytics on what sells versus what doesn’t.”

Even with his busy schedule, Kirby enjoys exploring this passion and being driven by it.

“It allowed me to truly experiment in my creativity to start my own clothing line,” Kirby said. “We have our first drop coming early-mid March, and we archive our love for streetwear and Jesus into one collection.”

Permanent jewelry

Reagan Murphy is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism who helps run a permanent jewelry business as a side gig. She was approached by her old teacher and offered the position.

“She takes care of everything administratively, and I only have to go and actually set up and work with the customers,” Murphy said.

The business is run as a pop-up shop. A big clientele that Murphy and her teacher discovered are chapter houses within the Greek community.

Murphy learned how to do permanent jewelry through the founder of the business and is now able to weld bracelets and jewelry despite going into this business as a novice. She puts around five to six hours a week into doing pop-ups around campus.

“I’m the only person that goes out and does jewelry from the business, and so sometimes I have to figure out ‘would I rather go and make money, or would I rather go to a football game,’” Murphy said. “It’s hard because I want to have fun with my friends, but I also want to help this take off.”

Murphy finds her ideal audience as she goes along. Off the bat, she began by targeting young adults and teenagers. One of the things she markets to the Greek community is a “charm bar” style of work.

“It’s given me a fun outlet to be creative and connect with the community while also making some side cash in the process,” Murphy said.