Have you considered "donating" plasma to raise cash flow?

[swampwiz]

These articles discuss how the desperately poor sell plasma to earn a few bucks:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/poor-sell-blood/403012/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/blood-money-the-twisted-business-of-donating-plasma/362012/

So at $60 a session, which can be done twice a week, there is the ability to raise about $6K per year, tax-free, treated as 1099 income.  This could add up to a lot of cash over the years that could go to erasing student debt - or even, to some extent, raising cash during one's college years so as to erase that debt before it even gets started - or otherwise just quicken the path to FIRE, so it would seem that the type of Moustacher that would "dumpster dive" would do this as well.

[gooki]

And here I am happily doing it for free.

[nnls]

I feel like twice a week wouldn't be very good for your health.

I donate every 2 weeks as in Australia you can not donate more often that this. I don't get paid for it though

[Moonwaves]

I think it's a good thing to do and if you get money it's a bonus. I donate blood and get €20 a go. Did it for free in Ireland, here they offer money (not for the blood, but as compensation for costs incurred - important legal distinction here) so I take it. Blood donations here are restricted to four times a year for women and six for men. €80 a year is €80 a year, it won't get me FIREd anytime soon but every little bit helps. You do have to take the time into consideration though - for high earners the hourly rate (especially if you end up sitting in a waiting room for an hour) might make this a less attractive money-making scheme than it at first appears.

Would love to do plasma as well but my veins aren't suitable. I'm also on the bone marrow donor list and if I ever get called for that would definitely at least start the process (and like to think I'd go through with it to the end).

I've heard that offering money for donations doesn't actually improve the numbers donating and may in fact worsen them. For me, it's one of those civic/human duty type of things: if I'm able to donate, I will and I don't really understand why everyone who can doesn't do it. There are so many exceptions and so many reasons you can be excluded that the pool of people who can do it can be a lot smaller than you would think. I went with a group from work once and of five of us only two were actually able to donate on that day.

[Moonwaves]

Oops, double post.

[mustachepungoeshere]

I've heard that offering money for donations doesn't actually improve the numbers donating and may in fact worsen them. For me, it's one of those civic/human duty type of things: if I'm able to donate, I will and I don't really understand why everyone who can doesn't do it.

The Red Cross introduced a program in Australia last year where irregular donors received text messages when and where their donation was used.

Donations doubled when the program was trialled in NSW because it helped casual donors feel more connected with the people who received blood products.

[I'm a red panda]

Plasma "donations" take way too much time.  I donate whole blood when I can (I'm usually anemic).

I still don't understand why they pay for plasma, but whole blood is given freely.

[Davnasty]

it would seem that the type of Moustacher that would "dumpster dive" would do this as well.

You really can't get over the fact that wealthy people eat food from dumpsters, can you :)

I don't sell plasma, only whole blood donations at the moment. While I can't honestly say I wouldn't consider it, I definately wouldn't do it twice a week, more like once every 2 weeks max. If I were actually going to do it I'd do a bit more research on the safety of frequent donations and the facilities first.

[Morning Glory]

I am excluded from donating blood for people so I give blood for quality control at my work. I get paid an extra $20 or so for my time, which is usually before work or over lunch break when I am there anyway. The money gets added to my paycheck so it doesn't add up to much after taxes, etc.  I see it as doing something to help people and the money is just a bonus. I have participated in a couple of non-invasive research studies too.

[Rosy]

These articles discuss how the desperately poor sell plasma to earn a few bucks:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/poor-sell-blood/403012/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/blood-money-the-twisted-business-of-donating-plasma/362012/

So at $60 a session, which can be done twice a week, there is the ability to raise about $6K per year, tax-free, treated as 1099 income.  This could add up to a lot of cash over the years that could go to erasing student debt - or even, to some extent, raising cash during one's college years so as to erase that debt before it even gets started - or otherwise just quicken the path to FIRE, so it would seem that the type of Moustacher that would "dumpster dive" would do this as well.

Tried once - years ago, turns out they wouldn't accept me for medical reasons. I'm apparently a weakling:), they will not take my blood either.
... and I second Dabnasty's approach - safety first - frequency and safety of facilities are important.

But, I made a bit of money as a participant in medical research here and there.

[sol]

When I was a kid we had an old lady family friend who donated plasma every week to raise funds.  She would occasionally eat cat food, too.  I think the free donuts at the donation center were also part of the incentive.

[Michael in ABQ]

I sold plasma several times about 7-8 years ago to try and bring in some extra cash.

I believe the rate was something like $20-25 the first time, then $5 higher if you donated again within the same month. I don't think I ever did it more than twice a month and it was only for a few months. I think there was a sliding scale of payments and basically the more you weighed the more you could sell and the more you were paid. I was around 160 lbs back then so I think I was towards the upper end of the pay scale, there might have been one higher. A woman weighing 120 lbs for instance probably would have received about $5 less. I would leave my office job dressed in business casual clothes and drive to the donation center which was in a pretty sketchy area near downtown with a lot of homeless around. About half the people in the waiting room looked like they were homeless or close to it.

The actual donation took about 30 minutes but realistically it was around an hour by the time you checked in, waited to be called, answered a few questions, etc. It's a larger gauge needle than you would normally be stuck with for a blood draw or IV so it did hurt a bit. Also, it was uncomfortable feeling the cold blood return back into your body. Basically they drain some of your blood, it goes into a machine that separates out the plasma portion of your blood, then they pump the remainder back into your body - which has now cooled down to room temperature.

I had deployed a couple of years before and one of the things they did was give us vaccines for smallpox and anthrax. The anthrax ones hurt like hell. It felt like a flu shot at first and then 5 seconds later it felt like someone punched you in the arm really hard. There are 6 anthrax shots in the series and they are spaced out over a few months but you need the first three to actually be immunized. This was back in 2004 and some people filed a lawsuit against the DoD claiming the anthrax vaccines were making them sick so they were halted shortly after I received the second dose. When I was donating plasma they had a special program for anyone who had the anthrax antibodies where they would pay $100 and you would immediately go to the front of the line. I believe you could make about $500 a month with that program. Unfortunately because I only got two shots instead of three, I wasn't eligible. If I had been I probably would have done that for a while.

At the end of the day $25 +/- wasn't really worth it since it took about an hour-and-a-half total with the extra commute and I could really only do it on the way home from work which took away a big chunk of time with my family in the evening. 

[Indyfella317]

I always think of this story when discussions of selling plasma/donating blood comes up. Incredible.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MensHealth/football-fan-paying-tickets-saved-fatal-disease/story?id=10109129

[cats]

I think doing plasma donation to raise money makes way less sense than dumpster diving (or buying food from the "imperfect"/near sell-by date shelf at the grocery store), assuming you are gainfully employed.

I saw this article a while back about a professor who donated plasma, because he had huge amounts of debt to pay off:

https://longreads.com/2017/02/09/a-shot-in-the-arm/

In his case the payments went down after the first visits, so eventually he would have been making about $275/month assuming 8 donations.  Assuming the actual process takes an hour, that's about $35/hour, which sounds great until you also consider that it was a long drive for him to get there (so more time gone) and he had to pay for gas/maintenance on his car.

Hopefully he is an extreme case and most donors are going to centers that are at least conveniently located.  However, it's still a time sink if you're doing it 2x/week, as I believe most centers are only open during normal business hours, so it takes away from time you could be spending at your normal 9-5.  Certainly I would find that taking off for an hour or more 2x/week would disrupt my productivity.  I suspect that I would also feel some physical after-effects that might impact my ability to do my day job.  I give blood a few times a year and it's not unusual for me to feel a bit weak in the days following.  No way would I want to be dealing with that on an ongoing basis.

Dumpster diving or buying imperfect food however, is a whole different ballgame.  First, you are going to spend some time on food procurement regardless, so it's unlikely that dumpster diving/shopping selectively is going to take you much (if any) extra time.  Second, the hours are more flexible and more likely to mesh well with a full-time day job (dumpster dive in the evenings or at night, work during the day).  Finally, if you use your eyes, nose, and common sense to properly evaluate the "subpar" food, there is really no risk to health beyond what you are incurring when you buy pretty food at full price in the grocery store.  In contrast, plasma or blood donation does have a definite (if small) impact on health, which will increase with frequency of donation.

I considered plasma donation briefly when I was in college but when I looked into some of the details I decided my time would be better spent picking up the occasional babysitting gig and working holidays at a grocery store.

ETA: I just want to make clear I'm not opposed to plasma donation and I donate blood myself several times a year (for the cookies!).  I just don't think the payments are enough to make it worthwhile to me as a source of income.  I do it b/c I know it can save lives.  If someone offered me $50 or $20 I would certainly take it but I don't think it would really encourage me to donate more often than I currently do.

[Prairie Stash]

so it would seem that the type of Moustacher that would "dumpster dive" would do this as well.

I have done multiple free (20+ I lost track) plasma donations that were received by a childrens hospital, I was a match for awhile. In certain treatments a match is the difference between a child recovering quickly or being bedridden from a partial match. Would you donate to help save a life? The recovery time can be a major relief if it allows a person to undergo a more aggressive treatment plan.

I've also recently done a paid clinic. Its exactly the same, one of the nurses from the free clinic I knew well is the nurse at the paid clinic, its great seeing a familiar face. I turn on a show on my smart device and watch TV for 40 minutes. I also chat with other regulars, catch up on their week and its generally just a big coffee break with some TV watching thrown in. Pretty much what I did at the other clinic.

So if I can do it for free, or get paid, what would you do? Either way I'm donating, having a plasma shortage is actually a problem in the health care system, people requiring treatment can't afford to wait. The current solution is Canada imports plasma from the USA, a little known fact about the plasma industry.

In no way do I think "this behavior is borderline mentally unbalanced" (swampwiz on dumpster diving) when it helps save the lives of people around me.
https://blood.ca/en/blood/recipient-stories

All the videos in the link are true stories of people who benefitted from donations.  Do you think people should altogether stop or do you prefer mocking them while they provide a societal need?

[swampwiz]

In no way do I think "this behavior is borderline mentally unbalanced" (swampwiz on dumpster diving) when it helps save the lives of people around me.
https://blood.ca/en/blood/recipient-stories

All the videos in the link are true stories of people who benefitted from donations.  Do you think people should altogether stop or do you prefer mocking them while they provide a societal need?

I did not say that folks that do this are mentally imbalanced; quite the contrary, even if done for financial reasons, it is simply an exchange of a little bit of pain - and a very slight risk of unknown health problems in the future - for a guaranteed cash flow.  And of course, folks who truly donate are true humanitarians; an old colleague of mine was a big man (played linebacker in college) and type O-, and so the blood banks were always calling him to come in.

What I meant by association was the super-Moustacher attitude of leaving no stone unturned in the quest for cash flow.  I figure that anyone who would dumpster dive (I still contend that it really takes a really deep level of "badassity" for someone with plenty of disposable income to dig around in the trash for food; I'm sorry) would be the type of person to do this much more sanitary activity.

[I'm a red panda]

What I meant by association was the super-Moustacher attitude of leaving no stone unturned in the quest for cash flow.  I figure that anyone who would dumpster dive (I still contend that it really takes a really deep level of "badassity" for someone with plenty of disposable income to dig around in the trash for food; I'm sorry) would be the type of person to do this much more sanitary activity.

Plasma "donation" takes a lot of time.  Mustachian isn't just about as much money as possible. There is a huge value on time.

I don't dumpster dive; but for some people with a regular route, it takes near zero time. And it isn't just a monetary payoff, but an environmental one. (Granted- plasma is life saving; but I don't like that it is a for profit industry, which is why again, I give whole blood when I can.)

[Milkshake]

I donated plasma A LOT in college for some easy cash while I studied.

Pros:
-You sit for about an hour and get paid to read, study, listen to music, netflix, whatever. My place had free Wi-Fi.
-Sometimes they do decent monthly bonuses ($100 in just two donations!) and raffles so you can come away with something cool.
-You're saving people's lives.

Cons:
-It hurts a little every time, more than donating blood. Hurts really bad when the newbie misses your vein or goes all the way through it. Remember, they have to stab through the same holes as last week, and they aren't fully healed yet.
-You get permanent scars that make you look like an ex-addict.
-The standard rate (at the time) was $25 your first visit, $35 your second. You had to go twice a week to get the max.
-It really does take a lot out of you. You have to drink tons of fluids and hearty meals to make up for the donations you're giving. If you don't or forget, your next visit will HURT, and take forever (once took me 2 hours), because your veins are contracted from dehydration.

Overall, I got enough bonuses to eventually buy whatever stupid gadget I wanted from amazon and it wasn't coming from savings. But I don't think I would do it again, because the hourly rate is only decent, and coupled with the effort and mild continuous discomfort, I can find better ways to help people.

However, if I found out I was a perfect match for someone, or became disabled and found this was the best way for me to help people, I would do it again.

*ETA, If you donate blood, use any kind of drugs, or cannot pass a physical, you cannot donate plasma.*

[netskyblue]

I did once in college.  I BARELY weighed enough to qualify, and my blood pressure is so low, the machine kept turning off and it took hours. 

Now, I can't donate whole blood for medical reasons, and I'm unaware if I can donate plasma, but my weight and blood pressure haven't changed, so it renders it not worth it for me. 

[robartsd]

Plasma "donations" take way too much time.  I donate whole blood when I can (I'm usually anemic).

I still don't understand why they pay for plasma, but whole blood is given freely.

They pay for plasma because it takes more time. It doesn't work out to a great pay rate for a well compensated professional, but there are many low wage jobs that it does pay better than.

I've only donated for free (sometimes there was some swag, always had juice and snacks provided, but never money). Whole blood donations took about half an hour (including certification, prep, draw, and recovery). The few times I donated plasma probably took about an hour total time. I've also donated platelets, but that can exceed 2 hours with a needle in you if you're donating multiple units (I think up to 3 units are allowed in some circumstances).

[Milkshake]

Plasma "donations" take way too much time.  I donate whole blood when I can (I'm usually anemic).

I still don't understand why they pay for plasma, but whole blood is given freely.

They pay for plasma because it takes more time. It doesn't work out to a great pay rate for a well compensated professional, but there are many low wage jobs that it does pay better than.

They pay for plasma because it's broken down into proteins before it's given to people. It becomes a medicine. When we signed waivers at my donation center it was classified as "research", just like paid drug studies.

Donating organs for cash is illegal, and donating whole blood for cash results in high levels of people lying about bloodborne diseases. Thus, pretty much every hospital refuses paid blood.

https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/22/paid-plasma-not-blood/

[Prairie Stash]

In no way do I think "this behavior is borderline mentally unbalanced" (swampwiz on dumpster diving) when it helps save the lives of people around me.
https://blood.ca/en/blood/recipient-stories

All the videos in the link are true stories of people who benefitted from donations.  Do you think people should altogether stop or do you prefer mocking them while they provide a societal need?

I did not say that folks that do this are mentally imbalanced; quite the contrary, even if done for financial reasons, it is simply an exchange of a little bit of pain - and a very slight risk of unknown health problems in the future - for a guaranteed cash flow.  And of course, folks who truly donate are true humanitarians; an old colleague of mine was a big man (played linebacker in college) and type O-, and so the blood banks were always calling him to come in.

What I meant by association was the super-Moustacher attitude of leaving no stone unturned in the quest for cash flow.  I figure that anyone who would dumpster dive (I still contend that it really takes a really deep level of "badassity" for someone with plenty of disposable income to dig around in the trash for food; I'm sorry) would be the type of person to do this much more sanitary activity.

In that case, its really not much different than any side hustle. A plasma donation averages $20-30/hour (no tax either) from the time I leave home to the time I return. The effort required is slight, much less than a regular job. I don't think its particularly badass at all.

Would you want a part time job that pays $20/hour that you can set the schedule for? You can skip any time you want, but there's a cap on how many shifts you get. You can quit any time and get rehired when you decide. Its the perfect job, you control everything about it and the boss can't say anything. The only question is the pay, do you find $20/hour sufficient? For watching TV I find it a very reasonable amount of cash.

I don't experience any symptoms from plasma, I had more problems from whole blood. With whole blood my workouts for two days suffered (also had to be careful with alcohol, much easier to get drunk), with plasma I bounce back instantly. With whole blood I noticed a rebound where I was super energized for a week, I miss that part, its the same effect as blood doping. My rule of thumb is to stop doing it if you experience problems. As a regular I will complain if I get a bad insert, that person will either improve, get fired, or allow someone else to do the insert. Since I don't need the  money I don't need to put up with incompetency at the clinic, it hasn't happened yet though.

Doing it as a hustle is entirely different than being forced by necessity. The linked articles were very biased in that respect, they would have found the same with any job they took to pay rent.

[JustK]

I did it several times last year, and if the place offers good "new donor" incentives, it can be worth it to do a few times.  For me, the first several donations were compensated at $50 each.  After that, the place I went only gives $20 for the first weekly donation, and $45 for the second (so, you can make $65 a week, total).  They also have monthly incentives and rewards if your donate x number of times.

It wasn't bad.  The staff was very nice and professional, and the donors were just average people like me.  (I had envisioned some sketchy folks, but of course the screening process is so rigorous that it wasn't like that at all.)  I earned about $400 on a Visa gift card, which I still carry in my purse for an emergency. 

I stopped doing it because the donation center isn't near my house, so it wasn't worth it to drive out there for $20, and because I had a couple experiences where I almost passed out.  (I used to donate in the morning, and a couple times I hadn't eaten enough beforehand, or the wait to get screened and started was so long that I needed to eat again, so toward the end my blood sugar dropped suddenly.)  The staff was great about it, though.  Propped my feet up, put ice packs on my neck, and I still got paid!  :)

If the place were closer, I would do it more regularly.   

[ambimammular]

There was a place called Pracs in my college town that tested name brand drugs against their generic counterparts. They tested with mainly men, non-smokers of healthy body weight etc.

My DH did it a few times. They would check you in on a Friday night and you'd be on lock down at their facility through Sunday morning. You'd take the med and they'd measure the concentration in your blood stream over the whole Saturday. For one of the studies draws were every 15 min for the first 4 hours, then every half hour for the next 4, then every hour through the evening. Then you'd do the same thing on the following weekend, just taking the other type of pill.

They paid awesome money. Guys could study or watch their huge selection of recent movies. Or they'd have game systems. Pracs claimed they paid for lots of engagement rings.

I did a three month study, where I had to switch to a particular brand of birth control because they wanted to see how medication X interacted with it. I also had to keep a journal of how their med x affected me. I do know that some people had horrid side effects and had to drop out of the study. You only got paid if you made it through all three months. It fucked with my memory, and it took me a long time to figure out that was what was happening, because it fucked with my memory. As a college student giving presentations and writing papers at the time, it was probably not the best choice for my grades. But I did get $3500. 

[FrugalOliphant]

I tried to donate once in college for Spring Break money.  Wanted to get in and out quickly so I arrived about 15 minutes before they opened.  There were already around 20 people in front of me and it became clear this was a regular source of income for these people  They all new each other and were catching up.  One guy had uncleaned, bloody stitches in his ear with no bandage.  They wouldn't let him donate bc of his dirty wound - I don't think the poor fellla was all there.  Another guy immediately and annoyingly began to befriend me.  Then tried to get me to tell the donation center that he referred me, bc then he got an extra few bucks..  I'll never, ever go back to another donate for pay center.  It was a horrible experience.

Oh, and I was unable to donate due to high blood pressure.  My guess is the unsettling atmosphere of the place made me nervous.

[Civex]

Not sure why so many people think this sketchy, or are against it.

In college I donated twice weekly for ~18 months; I think it was $30 the first donation and $50 the second. I would average over $30/hour for my time and could study or just listen to music and relax while I was there-easily covered my groceries each month. They replace the plasma taken with NS, so you aren't dehydrated-though I did feel a little tired after. I was running 20-40 miles a week, working part time, and taking a full course load and didn't really experience any ill effects-one time I was turned away because my HR was too low and one time I went for a run immediately after and bled through the wrap they placed. 

A lot of times I see people looking for a side gig to make a few hundred bucks a month, and always wonder why they don't just go sell plasma. Easy money and it is used to make immunotherapy medications. Win/win.

[Civex]

There was a place called Pracs in my college town that tested name brand drugs against their generic counterparts. They tested with mainly men, non-smokers of healthy body weight etc.

My DH did it a few times. They would check you in on a Friday night and you'd be on lock down at their facility through Sunday morning. You'd take the med and they'd measure the concentration in your blood stream over the whole Saturday. For one of the studies draws were every 15 min for the first 4 hours, then every half hour for the next 4, then every hour through the evening. Then you'd do the same thing on the following weekend, just taking the other type of pill.

They paid awesome money. Guys could study or watch their huge selection of recent movies. Or they'd have game systems. Pracs claimed they paid for lots of engagement rings.

I did a three month study, where I had to switch to a particular brand of birth control because they wanted to see how medication X interacted with it. I also had to keep a journal of how their med x affected me. I do know that some people had horrid side effects and had to drop out of the study. You only got paid if you made it through all three months. It fucked with my memory, and it took me a long time to figure out that was what was happening, because it fucked with my memory. As a college student giving presentations and writing papers at the time, it was probably not the best choice for my grades. But I did get $3500.

A friend of a friend (male) supposedly pretty much used PRACS as a source of income in his early twenties and ended up sterile....pretty sure I went to school in your college town hah. I tried out for one study and was disqualified because my heart rate was below 50; in hindsight I am a bit glad I was turned away.

[ambimammular]

Wow, yeah, your poor friend! Pracs is closed now. They went bankrupt. I wonder what kind of trouble they got into.

[swampwiz]

I tried to donate once in college for Spring Break money.

So IOW, you were exchanging your plasma for blood alcohol? :)

[Nederstash]

This thread reminded me of my once failed attempt to donate blood... I very nearly fainted. Then my mother got sick and I just couldn't stand the sight of hospitals and needles and all that machinery anymore... so I quit. But that was a few years ago, so I'm going to give it another try.

I've just looked up a few different kinds of donations you can sign up for - full blood, plasma, platelets, stem cell and bone marrow (or is it stem cells through bone marrow? I can't figure that out. Anyone know?). None are paid - all the websites explicitly say it's considered altruistic and voluntary. Also, they need the money badly enough for research and such.

Anyway, I've just signed up again, see if I can keep standing this time. Thanks everyone in this thread!

[ambimammular]

This thread reminded me of my once failed attempt to donate blood... I very nearly fainted. Then my mother got sick and I just couldn't stand the sight of hospitals and needles and all that machinery anymore... so I quit. But that was a few years ago, so I'm going to give it another try.

ambi's DH here: For years, that would happen to me. I have one really prominent vein in my left arm and they'd always draw from that one. Some time later, I was getting my blood drawn again and mentioned getting dizzy and light-headed. She pointed to that prominent vein and said "I bet they draw from that one, don't they?" She then explained that if you draw from the wrong one, it has that effect. She chose a different one and all was well. I don't know the details of which is which, but it might be worth it to have the conversation when you go.

[Gone Fishing]

I probably gave 6-8 times in college.  The center was 50 miles or so away.  The first couple times I carpooled with others.  After that I rode my motorcycle to donate.  The ride was great so I didn't count it against my time, and only cost me about $2.00 in gas.  One time, I layed my bike on the way there due to some damp sand on the road.  I rode back home, patched up my bloody hand then hopped back on the bike and got there in time to donate and get my $25.  My roommate at the time and still good friend, reminds me of this occasionally.  I guess it quite literally met the definition of grit.

I'd still do it if there was a center locally, but the closest one is 45 miles away, and I no longer have a 70 mpg bike.  The center is also in a rough part of town, and doesn't have the best reputation.

[Morning Glory]

This thread reminded me of my once failed attempt to donate blood... I very nearly fainted. Then my mother got sick and I just couldn't stand the sight of hospitals and needles and all that machinery anymore... so I quit. But that was a few years ago, so I'm going to give it another try.

I've just looked up a few different kinds of donations you can sign up for - full blood, plasma, platelets, stem cell and bone marrow (or is it stem cells through bone marrow? I can't figure that out. Anyone know?). None are paid - all the websites explicitly say it's considered altruistic and voluntary. Also, they need the money badly enough for research and such.

Anyway, I've just signed up again, see if I can keep standing this time. Thanks everyone in this thread!

Ooh, my work gives an extra week of PTO if you give bone marrow. Too bad I am excluded (lived in UK during mad cow disease scare)

[Mesmoiselle]

I did it 6ish years ago here in Kentucky when I was between jobs and therefore had nothing better to do while I was studying for a licence that would get me a really good job.

I think it was $55 a week ($20 the first time, $35 for the second of the week). But the price varies heavily on the supply. The economy round here wasn't great, because it had apparently been $75/week the year prior.

I ran into a couple problems:

• No point in going if I was on menses. My protein level was too low. (so may as well say most women can only go 3/4 weeks a month
• A handful of occasions where I'd be "politely" harassed. People just wanting to talk to me or straight up chat me up even though everything about my body language said I wasn't interested. I could tell them to politely fuck off, but we're all packed by sardines so then I'd be doomed to sit next to a person I'd just pissed off
• Quality of lab techs was inconsistent.
• how quickly you'd be seen was entirely inconsistent. Show up at 6am or expect to wait 2-6 hours.
• oh yeah, it's not cash based. They give you the equivalent of a gift card with 20 different rules on it to cheat you out of your money. you couldn't use it as a debit card, essentially, you could withdraw cash from it exactly once per week. If you used it for multiple transactions, it'd charge something absurd like 25c per charge. This just screamed taking advantage of the poor and uneducated?

I stopped after about 6 months because I'd gotten my job, they'd dropped the pay scale another ten bucks due to high supply, and a lab tech managed to make me cry by sinking that 17 gauge into my arm it's full length after digging around for 3 minutes before moving it to my other arm. I nearly screamed but managed to bite my lip in time. Considering I'd requested they just move to the other arm after the first minute of digging,  I left with a feeling that I was just some sort of plasma giving cow rather than a person.

6 years later, I still have scars in my elbow pits from it. At least the scars point out where the lab techs should draw is the silver lining.

Edit add: Read some other replies. The Pay For Places, the plasma isn't for a good cause. IT's for cosmetics or some other commercial reason. Kinda makes me glad I don't wear makeup. "Mmm. Bob from 12B makes a great eye shadow."

There were also occasions where I was turned away after hours of waiting for high blood pressure, low iron, low protein.  I changed my diet partway through by becoming vegan, my blood pressure started noticeably dropping from one visit to the next. They joked a few times before I stopped completely that they may have to start turning me away for LOW blood pressure. I wasn't mustachian yet, but I just valued the time spent driving, waiting (possibly getting turned away) dealing with a cramped controlled enviornment the actual event and driving home far more than the money they were paying me. It was better to just sign up for an extra shift at work by a long shot.

[Nederstash]

I did it 6ish years ago here in Kentucky when I was between jobs and therefore had nothing better to do while I was studying for a licence that would get me a really good job.

I think it was $55 a week ($20 the first time, $35 for the second of the week). But the price varies heavily on the supply. The economy round here wasn't great, because it had apparently been $75/week the year prior.

I ran into a couple problems:

• No point in going if I was on menses. My protein level was too low. (so may as well say most women can only go 3/4 weeks a month
• A handful of occasions where I'd be "politely" harassed. People just wanting to talk to me or straight up chat me up even though everything about my body language said I wasn't interested. I could tell them to politely fuck off, but we're all packed by sardines so then I'd be doomed to sit next to a person I'd just pissed off
• Quality of lab techs was inconsistent.
• how quickly you'd be seen was entirely inconsistent. Show up at 6am or expect to wait 2-6 hours.
• oh yeah, it's not cash based. They give you the equivalent of a gift card with 20 different rules on it to cheat you out of your money. you couldn't use it as a debit card, essentially, you could withdraw cash from it exactly once per week. If you used it for multiple transactions, it'd charge something absurd like 25c per charge. This just screamed taking advantage of the poor and uneducated?

I stopped after about 6 months because I'd gotten my job, they'd dropped the pay scale another ten bucks due to high supply, and a lab tech managed to make me cry by sinking that 17 gauge into my arm it's full length after digging around for 3 minutes before moving it to my other arm. I nearly screamed but managed to bite my lip in time. Considering I'd requested they just move to the other arm after the first minute of digging,  I left with a feeling that I was just some sort of plasma giving cow rather than a person.

6 years later, I still have scars in my elbow pits from it. At least the scars point out where the lab techs should draw is the silver lining.

Edit add: Read some other replies. The Pay For Places, the plasma isn't for a good cause. IT's for cosmetics or some other commercial reason. Kinda makes me glad I don't wear makeup. "Mmm. Bob from 12B makes a great eye shadow."

There were also occasions where I was turned away after hours of waiting for high blood pressure, low iron, low protein.  I changed my diet partway through by becoming vegan, my blood pressure started noticeably dropping from one visit to the next. They joked a few times before I stopped completely that they may have to start turning me away for LOW blood pressure. I wasn't mustachian yet, but I just valued the time spent driving, waiting (possibly getting turned away) dealing with a cramped controlled enviornment the actual event and driving home far more than the money they were paying me. It was better to just sign up for an extra shift at work by a long shot.

Yikes, that all sounds horrible! I hope I'll have a better experience than that... I'm not waiting 2 hours! I've got stuff to do!

[Nederstash]

This thread reminded me of my once failed attempt to donate blood... I very nearly fainted. Then my mother got sick and I just couldn't stand the sight of hospitals and needles and all that machinery anymore... so I quit. But that was a few years ago, so I'm going to give it another try.

ambi's DH here: For years, that would happen to me. I have one really prominent vein in my left arm and they'd always draw from that one. Some time later, I was getting my blood drawn again and mentioned getting dizzy and light-headed. She pointed to that prominent vein and said "I bet they draw from that one, don't they?" She then explained that if you draw from the wrong one, it has that effect. She chose a different one and all was well. I don't know the details of which is which, but it might be worth it to have the conversation when you go.

Thanks, I'll ask about that next time!

[Milkshake]

Wow, I don't know what kind of third world plasma centers some of you have been going to...

I used Biolife and they were always clean, their staff wore white lab coats, and the equipment was packaged in individual, sterilized bags. The other donors were clean and we didn't talk to each other. From signing in, answering their quick questions about whether you donated blood or went to Africa since last time, and getting your finger pricked and tested, it took ~30 minutes to get to a donation bay.

From there the time just depended on how hydrated you were.

They did give me the cash on a Visa Debit card, but you got a pin and could withdraw money anytime. The card had a few ATMs around the city that allowed for no-fee withdrawls of your cash. Usually I just used the card like a credit card to buy stuff.

Edit add: Read some other replies. The Pay For Places, the plasma isn't for a good cause. IT's for cosmetics or some other commercial reason. Kinda makes me glad I don't wear makeup. "Mmm. Bob from 12B makes a great eye shadow."

I don't know where you got this information, but it's not true. If you have a source though, I would love to read it.

www.prod.biolifeplasma.com/downloads/biolife-press-kit.pdf

"The therapeutic protein albumin, derived from plasma donated at BioLife Plasma Services, is used in hospitals across the United States to treat trauma and burn victims, as well as patients suffering from shock."

[Michael in ABQ]

My dad receives Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy (IVIg) treatment for a disease similar to MS that is made from blood donations. Not sure if it's specifically plasma. I do know that his monthly treatment has a sticker price of about $15,000 for basically a couple of IV bags. I'm not sure how many people have to donate blood/plasma/etc. to make one bag of that medicine but I imagine it's a lot.

How Does It Work?
Immunoglobulin is part of your blood’s plasma. It has antibodies in it to fight germs or disease. When people donate blood, this part can be separated out. Then it can be given to you through a vein in your arm, or IV. If you get IVIg, it can help strengthen your immune system so you can fight infections and stay healthy.
Liquid immunoglobulin is taken from the blood plasma of donors who are screened to make sure they are healthy. The plasma is tested for serious infections like hepatitis and AIDS. The plasma is purified before it's used for IVIg therapy.

[swampwiz]

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grifols-study-suggests-repeated-plasmapheresis-may-reduce-bad-ldl-cholesterol-levels-while-increasing-good-hdl-cholesterol-levels-in-some-individuals-142630836.html

Of course, it was funded by a firm that relies on plasma donation for its product, so perhaps it should be taken with the same grain of salt as the studies showing that tobacco is actually "healthy".

[PennySaved75]

I donated plasma for years when I was in college.  Plasma center was right off campus, easy walking distance.  Used to read or study while I was donating.  Made about $20 per week (this was late '70s). I considered it easy money. A few times I got rejected because my red blood count was low or blood pressure too low.  I went so often that it left a dimple size hole in the skin in the crook of each elbow.  Sometimes people notice this and ask me about it.

[chaskavitch]

I went for a year or two in college as well.  The donation place was right next to campus, so I'd go over lunch or on my way home.  I'm on the lower end of the pay scale by weight, but it was still $25/$35 for the 1st and 2nd donation of the week, I think.

I think the waiting room generally took the most time, but I was usually there just over an hour (again, if you're dehydrated it takes FOREVER).  The staff were nice, and the only time I had a problem was my very first visit.  Something was wrong with the stick, so the return cycle just built up under my skin until someone fixed it.  Freaked me out, but I felt bad not coming back, because they can't use it if you don't go at least twice (or something like that).

I don't do it now because I don't have nearly enough free time.  I'd much rather spend my time with my family than reading at a donation center.  If you're single, and you don't have the time/desire to pick up a second job, it's not bad.  An extra $200 a month is nice.

[SimpleCycle]

I've looked into it, but it seemed like too much time and difficulty for the money.  The ones here are far from downtown and not in the best neighborhoods.

[Bobberth]

A friend on my dorm floor needed beer money and was going to donate but wanted someone to go along with them. I had a job but decided to go along to see what it was. Discovered I have a freakish non-fear of needles (I've had some freak out that I watched them insert the needle the entire time) and it was money to sit there for an hour so I started going regularly and used the time to study for the hour. This was 1995-96 when I started and I want to say it was $10 for the 1st donation of the week and $35 for the second. My Grandfather always said, "8-5 puts bread on the table, the after 5 shuffle gets you ahead," so I was determined not to sell my body to live off of. Being the mid to late 1990s I was stupid and invested all of the money into REITs that were yielding 12%-15% and reinvested the dividends. Come 2008-09 I sold most of those REITs for funds to purchase rental properties. I wonder how the beer worked out for my friend?

Now I use my non-fear of needles to donate blood as often as possible.

[robartsd]

(I've had some freak out that I watched them insert the needle the entire time)

I've know others that like to watch the needle - I can never look!

[GreenSheep]

-You get permanent scars that make you look like an ex-addict.

Anyone who knows anything about IV drug use would recognize that the scars are not those of an addict. I sold my plasma for a couple of years while I was in school, and I have a scar on each arm, but they look nothing like the track marks you see in addicts or former addicts. So if this is stopping anyone out there, it probably shouldn't. Nurses, lab techs, phlebotomists, doctors, etc. can tell that you don't have the scars of an addict.

In general, I found it to be a good trade of time for money back then, but I wouldn't bother now unless there were really extenuating circumstances.

[CindyBS]

I've just looked up a few different kinds of donations you can sign up for - full blood, plasma, platelets, stem cell and bone marrow (or is it stem cells through bone marrow? I can't figure that out. Anyone know?). None are paid - all the websites explicitly say it's considered altruistic and voluntary. Also, they need the money badly enough for research and such.

Anyway, I've just signed up again, see if I can keep standing this time. Thanks everyone in this thread!

My son got a bone marrow transplant last year.   What is transplanted is the stem cells that create blood cells - call hematopoietic stem cells.  These cells can be from bone marrow, umbilical cords, or blood from the donor.  The everyday term for this is bone marrow transplant, but that technically only applies to people who get the stem cells from marrow.  All hematopoietic stem cells transplants (HSCT  or just SCT) take stem cells from the source (live donor or umbilical cord) and then the stem cells go into the space in the bones of the recipient and become their new marrow.  The recipients' old marrow (often diseased or not functioning) is killed by high dose radiation, chemotherapy or both.  HTH

Also, my son has a very weak immune system and gets frequent transfusions of IVIG.  Many cancer patients get this - it is plasma and antibodies.  My son's oncologist says they pool the donations from 10,000 people in a giant vat to get a wide range of antibodies for the recipient.  It is done like a blood transfusion.

[khangaroo]

When I was about to go through my debt-free journey, I donated plasma to get some extra income. I wrote about it here:

http://khang-nguyen.com/?p=406

It was decent money, especially the first few times, but the main reasons I stopped:
- Concerned about my long-term health as it made me awfully tired after each donation
- Time consuming, it was nice to read/watch a movie but I could probably be doing something more productive
- Scarring/collapsed veins. I'm sure this was very rare but I always had the irrational fear in my head
- A little paranoid. A part of me thought they were taking more than they said they would in terms of antibodies or whatever. I'm just probably paranoid and a conspiracy theorist.

Honestly, I would encourage against it because of the health implications - I don't believe there have been any long-term studies so we don't really know the affects later in life.

[robartsd]

When I was about to go through my debt-free journey, I donated plasma to get some extra income. I wrote about it here:

http://khang-nguyen.com/?p=406

It was decent money, especially the first few times, but the main reasons I stopped:
- Concerned about my long-term health as it made me awfully tired after each donation
- Time consuming, it was nice to read/watch a movie but I could probably be doing something more productive
- Scarring/collapsed veins. I'm sure this was very rare but I always had the irrational fear in my head
- A little paranoid. A part of me thought they were taking more than they said they would in terms of antibodies or whatever. I'm just probably paranoid and a conspiracy theorist.

Honestly, I would encourage against it because of the health implications - I don't believe there have been any long-term studies so we don't really know the affects later in life.

The better hydrated you are when you go in, the better it is for you and the faster it goes, but you're right that it is time consuming for the money unless you're doing something that would be taking up your time anyway while you're there.

[wenchsenior]

This is a slightly related question:

How do you find out your blood type?  I have no idea of mine or my husband's...is this something I should know?

[Prairie Stash]

This is a slightly related question:

How do you find out your blood type?  I have no idea of mine or my husband's...is this something I should know?

I found out the first time I donated blood. I think you should know.

My SIL and brother had incompatible blood types, its a bothersome thing that is screened for during pregnancy. There is treatment, don't be worried. This falls into the good to know category of information that doesn't affect most people.
http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/risk-factors/blood-incompatibility