What it’s like to sell used underwear for money
When Student Loans aren't big enough, some students turn to sex work to make money. We spoke to a student about what it's like to sell her used underwear...
Credit: Nana_studio – Shutterstock
During her degree, Jenny* was struggling to make ends meet, leading her to look for a way to make money quickly.
She decided to sign up to a fetish site, selling her used knickers in order to cover the cost of necessities.
We spoke to Jenny in 2016 to find out what this was really like.
Selling worn underwear as a student
Credit: ruzanna – Shutterstock
Jenny told Save the Student that she signed up for the fetish website out of sheer financial desperation:
It was a struggle to pay for my rent, bills and food out of my Student Loan, maxed out overdraft and the income from my part-time job.
Her rent alone was £4,500 a year, while her Maintenance Loan came in at just £3,300 a year, meaning she had to find an extra £1,200 a year just to cover her rent. On top of this, she also needed money for food, transport and course costs.
She initially had to pay up for a £15-a-month subscription to a fetish site, but it wasn't long before she made her monthly fee back as customers began lining up to buy her worn underwear. She said:
Almost immediately I was contacted by individuals who were after some of my 'products', and I quickly saw that there were a lot more options than just underwear.
Many members were also selling custom photos and videos, other items of worn clothing, and other more personal items (almost every type of bodily fluid seemed to be in demand).
When we spoke to her, she was making £100 a month selling one or two pairs of used pants a week. She added that she could make more money by offering webcam shows, but didn't feel comfortable showing her face so she'd decided to stick to selling knickers for the time being.
Jenny said she had also needed to refuse various weird requests, including a 'humiliation' video based on the client's own religion and selling her faeces in person.
Why are students taking risks to make money?
It's no surprise that Jenny, like thousands of other students, found it difficult to stay financially afloat at university.
According to the results of our Student Money Survey, some students are taking risks to make money such as by gambling or doing sex work.
The average student needs to find an extra £582 each month as the Maintenance Loan often falls short of covering living costs. So, with Student Loans struggling to keep up with the rise in rent and living costs, students are forced to look for alternative ways to make money.
*Jenny's name has been changed.
For lower-risk ways to earn cash, check out our top ways to get free money.
