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Melbourne Student’s Creative Side Hustle Challenge to Earn $1,000 in a Week
Ruby Corbett, an 18-year-old university student from Melbourne, has gained significant attention online after announcing her quest to make $1,000 in just one week. To fund a short trip to Singapore with her best friend, Corbett set her sights on earning extra money without tapping into her savings.
Striving to overcome her “broke uni student” status, Corbett embarked on various side hustles while maintaining her regular job. Her approach has been diverse, involving everything from hospitality gigs to unique tasks found on platforms like Airtasker, where users offer and accept small jobs.
Side Hustle Ventures
Among her ventures, Corbett successfully sold a damaged iPhone for $150. She has also picked up multiple hospitality shifts through the app Supp and completed various tasks on Airtasker that have helped her nearly reach her financial goal.
"I have tried a wide spectrum of tasks," she stated. "This includes distributing flyers, collecting items, and even helping someone uncover a cheating boyfriend." The latter job, which involved creating a Tinder profile to see if he would match with her, earned Corbett an unexpected $23.
In addition, she recounted other tasks, including:
- $31 for taking out and bringing in bins,
- $35 for delivering a parcel near her gym,
- $120 for conducting letterbox drops.
While some tasks could take hours, Corbett noted that many were relatively quick and accessible for anyone looking to earn extra money. She has so far made about $785, and she is optimistic about hitting her target with a final wave of letterbox distributions before her challenge concludes.
Balancing Work and Study
Currently, Corbett is pursuing a double degree in international relations and law. Alongside her studies, she also works part-time as an office assistant at a real estate agency and juggles two hospitality roles, which don’t always offer consistent hours.
Her creative ventures have inspired intrigue on social media, prompting comments from users about how lucrative these simple tasks can be. “Are you kidding me? $30 to take out bins?” one surprised user commented.
Community Engagement and Advice
Other Australians chimed in with their suggestions for easy ways to make money. Common themes include:
- Completing short tasks like disposing of leaves,
- Selling unwanted clothing on platforms such as Depop or Facebook Marketplace,
- Engaging in market research and surveys,
- Signing up for delivery services like Uber Eats or DoorDash.
Tim Fung, CEO and founder of Airtasker, expressed his enthusiasm for seeing users like Ruby harness the platform’s potential for earning additional income. “It’s remarkable how many people are looking for help with everyday skills, whether it’s dog walking or delivery services. It’s about recognising the value in your abilities," Fung stated.
On completing her challenge, Corbett expressed her plan to continue exploring side hustles, acknowledging that university life can be financially taxing. She advises others interested in following her lead to apply for as many tasks as possible to build a robust profile.
“The key is to apply for everything within your capabilities,” she stressed, highlighting that the odds of securing multiple jobs increase through persistence. “I think it’s an efficient way to make money. It has certainly worked for me.”
With Corbett’s inspirational journey, many young Australians are now exploring creative avenues to boost their incomes, proving that even simple tasks can lead to significant earnings with effort and determination.
