Free Money Finance shared 7 great ways to earn extra money, and asked others to share their tips for making extra money. I commented on that post and said that I earn extra money by donating blood plasma. I thought I’d take a moment to share my plasma donation experience here on Money Wise Pastor.
Donating plasma is a fairly easy (but not painless) way to earn extra cash AND help save lives if you don’t mind getting poked with a needle. The amount of money you can earn varies depending on where you live and the need.
At the plasma donation centers in my city, you can donate plasma twice a week and earn $50 ($20 for the first donation and $30 for the second). The amount that is paid varies by location and company – some pay more and some less. In addition, my plasma donation center frequently offers bonuses like an extra $10 on your fifth or eighth donation in a month.
If I donate plasma twice a week, I can earn an extra $200 a month (or more depending on the bonuses) – that’s $2,400 a year. If my wife does it too, we’d earn an extra $5,000 a year. Pretty good money for a little bit of discomfort and time…not to mention the fact that you’re saving a life too.
How Plasma Donation Works
Plasma is the pale yellow liquid portion of your blood that can be easily replaced by the body. It consists mainly of water and proteins, which help your body control bleeding and infection.
Plasma donation centers will collect your plasma, pay you for it, then sell it to drug companies that create blood protein products that can be used to help hemophiliacs, burn victims and others.
To donate plasma, you must be between the ages of 18 and 65, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. You can donate up to twice per week and make anywhere from $160 to $250 a month (depending on what your local plasma center pays).
You must pass a medical questionnaire, physical examination, and blood test before being approved as a plasma donor.
When you donate plasma, you recline on a table that elevates your head and knees. You get hooked up to a blood pressure machine and get poked with the needle that draws your blood. That needle is connected to a tube that draws the blood out of your body into a plasmapheresis machine which separates the plasma out of the blood, then cycles the blood back into your body.
I’ve done this for over a year now. Aside from being poked, it’s fairly simple. It takes 60-80 minutes to donate, and you can read, pray, listen to music or a podcast, or just daydream while you are making your donation.
The plasma donation center is located 10 minutes from my office, and I often go during my lunch hour.
I bring my laptop and typically use that time to check email or get caught up with the snail mail that has accumulated on my desk. I also like to read books or review my personal growth development plan and track my progress toward my goals.
It’s all stuff I need to do anyway, so I figure I might as well get paid a little extra while I’m doing it. It definitely isn’t for everybody, but it works for me.
I dedicate my “blood money” for “Daddy dates” with my five kids. Other people I know use it to support a missionary, sponsor a child, or help a friend in need.
Have you ever donated plasma, or is it something you’d consider doing sometime? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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