General Cycling Discussion - How do you offset large purchases?

Right now I'm a broke college student/full time cook and I'm looking to get a new bike. Something that is sturdier for the daily commutes I'm doing. Aside from spending the time to save up paycheck to paycheck I am looking into ways to acquire money in alternative means. In bike related ways if possible, and in the hopes of learning new things.

In another thread they talked about flipping bikes for extra money, and one person said he even gave motorcycle lessons to offset the large purchase of the oh-so wonderful bike.

Essentially, doing something proactive to start paying off the bike.

Are there things within the bike world my fairly limited knowledge could do to scrape some extra cash? Learning is what this is all about, so I'm not afraid of a challenge. Oh, and I may just put up a lemonade stand unless you got a better idea :)

You could cater some Frat parties.

man *****

Catering is possible but a little out of reach. I don't know frat people.

man ***** ? what?

I do believe the ***** rhymes with door. :eek:

In what subjects do you excel? Tutoring? More work hours? Not much you can do as a student that won't interfere with school. Got anything you could sell? That's all I have for you.

Develop some awesome cooking recipes (if you have not already done so) and sell em.

~United Bank of Ma & Pa
~Student Loans (just don't miss any payments later)
~Sell your supple flesh to wealthy cougars

blood plasma donations usually pay.

Flipping bikes would require tools to fix them up to make a decent profit. Maybe OK if you already have the tools, but with college + full time job it doesnt look like you have time to do anything more than dream about what you will do when you finish college.

Dumpster dive. Saves you money and builds your hipster cred at the same time.

~Sell your supple flesh to wealthy cougars

+1


~Student Loans (just don't miss any payments later)
Chris - haven't you learn anything from the last borrowing bubble? It's the people who don't pay that get bailed out so do take student loans and do NOT pay them. The more you can borrow the more will be forgiven to you. That's the real American story.

Roadside Pharmaceuticals




as one of my students calls it... (Granted, It has not worked out so well for him as I know his probation officer better than I know his parents)

selling drugs makes decent money. you can deliver them on your bicycle.

Think of all the health care bills you will be saving in the future. ;)

Chris - haven't you learn anything from the last borrowing bubble? It's the people who don't pay that get bailed out so do take student loans and do NOT pay them. The more you can borrow the more will be forgiven to you. That's the real American story.

Let's see if I understand the choices correctly:

a) let other people pay off my loans, or
b) move sandpiles back & forth for a few years in the killbot factory to get the [paltry] GI Bill

[High-fives own forehead] I sure picked the wrong route! http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/kopfpatsch.gif

If I had it all to do over again, I'd've sold my supple flesh to weathy cougars. (Just be careful of the ones who never exhale their cigarette smoke.)

Dumpster dive. Saves you money and builds your hipster cred at the same time.

Snap! I was thinking the same thing. Volunteer and eat at the local rescue mission, mow lawns, clean houses, clean windows, walk dogs or pick up animal crap.

I'm loving the suggestions everyone. Roadside pharmaceuticals and wealthy cougar are top of my list :P

I'll start the plasma up again, did it for a while about a year ago just didn't keep regular with it cause of laziness lol.

Dumpster dive for bike parts? or other stuff to ebay off?

AndrewP, I agree flipping bikes would require tools but I figure once tools are acquired they're sort of with you forever. Also, the ability to repair is useful not only for this situation but for just my own bikes wellbeing. I may look down that path but, like you brought up, I am limited.

It would be great to have this develop into something I can do that will benefit me not only now with money but also in lessons that can be applied elsewhere. Any suggests on that front? How to make things, how to turn metal into gold. stuff like that.

Also, while at work today someone said to attempt ebay trades... but that seems kinda weird and possibly not worth it unless I can find good deals on stuff I can turn and sell again.

Unfortunately there's not a whole lot of ways to make money on a bike outside of being a professional. You could get creative and check in with some local businesses to sponsor you, e.g. "Pay me X and I'll wear this jersey with your logo" make a legitament business case for how long you ride and where and an estimate of how many people might see you and they might consider it.

Honestly though, if you want a bike now, slap it on a credit card. Apply for a new card with one of those gimmick 0% balance transfer intro rates for 6-12 months and transfer the balance. Put NOTHING else on the card and pay it off over the promo rate period. They're useful tools if you're not a moron about handling them.

Sperm donation. (You're probably just giving it away for free, amirite?)

if you live in a historical discrict. learn about and then a bicycle tour stopping at various locations along the route. there is a guy that does it in my city and he teamed up with the local bike shop for rents. there you go you can earn extra money and get in good with the bike shop.

OH, and student loans will be helping. I'm not sure exactly how much yet... have to wait for book prices. Should do a good chunk tho. :]

I do enjoy the sponsor idea but it doesn't seem like it would work. I mostly ride on the edge of town, or around largely populated areas(just cause it's safer). I'll look into that a little more with some googling and see what I might come up with, ask the LBS' when I head in to see what's new.

Credit card was and is still a huge draw for me. I'll peek around the net and see what I can come up with. I've never had one, and have told myself to not get one many times but I know I can manage if I'm able to keep ONLY that purchase on there. (Shouldn't be hard, they scare the poo outta me)

lol. u is rite. Do they accept napkins?

Start a bistro in your apartment, there are thousands of people in every city looking for a decent and filling meal for five dollars or less. Start making packed lunches for friends, others will find out, and soon you'll have regulars on lunch break and the stoners on the block in your apartment everyday; you can even make deliveries on your bike to shut-ins and offices. Just don't let the FDA find out...

i dunno, you guys are coming up with some creative ideas, i like to keep it simple. if i spend money, i just avoid take out for a few weeks. pack my lunch every day, dont buy beer when I go to the grocery store and most recently, i've discovered that riding my bike to work a couple of times per week saves me a couple of gallons of gas per week. funny how that works. doesnt take long before that stuff adds up.

Oh christ, just work at your studies and job and buy a used bike you can afford. You're way over thinking this.

In all seriousness: College student? Why not bike around a bit selling something?

And I don't mean drugs or anything, either. I mean grab/make a simple bike trailer, strap a cooler on it, throw some weather-appropriate treats in there with some stuff to keep them the right temperature, and go sell 'em.

OH, and student loans will be helping. I'm not sure exactly how much yet... have to wait for book prices. Should do a good chunk tho. :]

I do enjoy the sponsor idea but it doesn't seem like it would work. I mostly ride on the edge of town, or around largely populated areas(just cause it's safer). I'll look into that a little more with some googling and see what I might come up with, ask the LBS' when I head in to see what's new.

Credit card was and is still a huge draw for me. I'll peek around the net and see what I can come up with. I've never had one, and have told myself to not get one many times but I know I can manage if I'm able to keep ONLY that purchase on there. (Shouldn't be hard, they scare the poo outta me)


Thinking about this stuff in terms of balancing the books with college loans or credit card debt even if it is only indirectly applied to the bottom line is just sheer stupidity. I'll say it again stupidity. Idiocy.