Many people, especially college students needing extra cash, turn to plasma donation in their area for passive income. Pay varies from state to state, and even from city to city in one state, but the money usually is enough to keep people coming back as repeat donors.
Plasma donation is a process where plasma is separated from your blood and your blood then placed back in your body. Donating plasma can take anywhere from 45 min to up to 2 hours, depending on body weight and experience (the more you donate, the more “tricks” you learn, such as squeezing your hand super hard every 5 minutes to get the blood going faster, etc). Many plasma centers will allow you to donate up to 2 times in one 7 day period, and the procedure is relatively safe and a good way to make an easy $200 in extra cash every month for about 3 hours a week (often less).
There are definite pros and cons to plasma donations for money. First of all, you have to lose your fear of needles and be of basic health. Before donating, you will be asked numerous personal and health questions, such as your sexual and drug history, if you have any recent tattoos or piercings, and your sugar levels, weight, and general health will be examined. If you have a too-new tattoo or piercing, do not weigh enough (minimum weight is 120 lbs) or you have high levels of sugar in your urine sample, you will be rejected. To cover their bases, plasma companies will only take individuals at at least basic health and with little risk of carrying sexual or contagious disease.
Once approved for plasma donation, the process can seem a little daunting. You have to drink 2 cups of water prior to donation (plasma is mainly water and protein so donating it leeches water from your system and they don’t want you dehydrated) and on your first donation you can be in the chair attached to a plasma bag for a VERY long time. Depending on how much you weigh, you can expect to be in the chair for a long time.
You also will not be paid and released from the clinic until you can successfully prove that you aren’t going to faint on the sidewalk. Often to keep your sugars up you will be fed cookies or juice (as when donating blood) and you will be asked mundane questions prior to leaving to prove you are cognitive enough to get in your car. Depending on your condition when donating you can remain in the center recuperating for up to half an hour or more, but at least 15 minutes.
Also, since you can donate 2 times a week, this can eventually take a physical toll on your body. Some people who are unlucky enough to get stuck with inexperienced people have to be stuck with a needle numerous times before hitting a vein so they can begin donating. Some people after months of donating have “track marks” on the inside of their elbows and collapsed veins from all the sticking.
There are benefits, however, to plasma donation. First of all, the money. IN 45 minutes you can be walking away with $20 or more in your pocket, tax-free cash, and you can get $30 or more your second visit in the week. People who donate biweekly average $200 in plasma money. Also, the plasma goes to people who really need it, like burn victims to help build healthy tissue, and hemophiliacs to help clot their blood. So you possibly could be making money AND saving lives all at once.
It is important to recognize that when you go to your nearest plasma donation center, they WILL pry deep in to your sexual and personal life. BY LAW you must be as honest in answering their questions as possible, and they WILL weigh you and make you pee in a cup. To avoid the long process of trying to get approved only to be shot down in the end, tell them up front and be honest if you have hepatitis, HIV, a new tattoo, weigh under 120 lbs, etc. Odds are, they WILL find out anyway and you may not be allowed to apply again in the future. Also important is realizing that while many can donate biweekly, your body may not be able to tolerate it. Don’t place yourself at risk of getting post donation shock by over doing it. Your health is not worth the money.
Interested in plasma donation for money? Talk to people you know who are doing it, and call your nearest plasma center to find out how to get started. It may be a great way to earn some extra cash and save lives at the same time.
