EXCLUSIVE: Blood money! College student, 20 tells how she shamelessly funds her $150-a-week retail therapy addiction by donating PLASMA, raking in more than $3K by visiting clinic twice a week
- Carisa Barker, from Salt Lake City, Utah, makes $280 a month from donating her plasma, raking in $3,360 in a single year
- The 20-year-old Weber State University student uses the cash to fund her shopping addiction, spending $150 a week on clothes, shoes and beauty items
- Barker told DailyMail.com: 'I would absolutely recommend it to people who are short of cash and want to go shopping'
- She continues: 'I donate plasma twice a week. It's just a little bit of extra money that I can spend that I don't feel I worked very hard for'
- Plasma is the yellowish fluid in blood which remains after the white and red blood cells and platelets have been removed
- The liquid consists of water, salts, proteins and enzymes and is used in medicines that help people suffering from burns, shock and trauma
- Barker added: 'It makes me feel good to know that I'm helping people. I plan to keep donating'
A self-confessed shopaholic has raked in more than $3,000 donating her plasma in order to fund her expensive retail therapy habit.
Carisa Barker, 20, has spent the last year visiting a clinic twice a week to donate the protein-rich liquid found in blood in exchange for cash to bankroll her shopping sprees.
The student and part-time nanny, from Salt Lake City, Utah, makes $280 a month from donating her plasma, raking in $3,360 in a single year.
The Weber State University student exclusively told DailyMail.com: 'I would absolutely recommend it to people who are short of cash and want to go shopping.'
Carisa Barker, from Salt Lake City, Utah, makes $280 a month from donating her plasma, making $3,360 in a single year. The 20-year-old Weber State University student uses the cash to fund her shopping addiction, spending $150 a week on clothes, shoes and beauty items
Barker admits she hits the mall about three times a week. She estimates that she spends around $600 a month on clothes, shoes and beauty products. She said: 'I'm a shopaholic and I would shop every day if I could. I usually go three or four times a week
During the donation process, called plasmapheresis, the blood is removed from Baker's body, the plasma is collected and the remaining blood components are returned to her body
She added: 'I donate plasma twice a week. I get $20 the first time and $50 the next time.
'It's just a little bit of extra money that I can spend that I don't feel I worked very hard for.'
Plasma is the yellowish fluid in blood which remains after the white and red blood cells and platelets have been removed.
The liquid consists of water, salts, proteins and enzymes and is used in medicines that help people suffering from burns, shock, trauma and other medical emergencies.
While blood donors are not offered money in exchange for their donations, plasma collection centers across the country offer payment in return for plasma.
Barker, who is studying communications, is a self-confessed shopaholic and admits she hits the mall about three times a week.
She estimates that she spends around $600 a month on clothes, shoes and beauty products.
She said: 'I'm a shopaholic and I would shop every day if I could. I usually go three or four times a week.
'Clothes and shoes are my favorite things to buy and I also love beauty products.
'On each shopping trip I only spend about $50 but that adds up to $150 a week.'
The Weber State University student told DailyMail.com: 'I would absolutely recommend it to people who are short of cash and want to go shopping'
The college student began donating plasma last summer after a friend suggested it as an easy and fast way to make money. The process takes an hour and a half each time at BioLife Plasma Services in Layton, Utah (pictured)
Barker continued: 'If I see something that I like or there's a discount or a good deal, I'll just buy it.
'I feel powerful knowing that I have the money and I can buy stuff.'
She began donating plasma last summer after a friend suggested it as an easy and fast way to make money.
The process takes an hour and a half each time at BioLife Plasma Services in Layton, Utah.
During the donation process, called plasmapheresis, the blood is removed from Baker's body, the plasma is collected and the remaining blood components are returned to her body.
She said: 'One of my friends does it and she took me with her one time. I just kept doing it. I do it as often as I can which is usually twice a week.
'It takes about an hour and half each time I go.
'I go in and complete a survey to make sure I am feeling well that day, that I have no tattoos or piercings.
'They screen you and take your blood pressure and temperature.
'It takes them a while to pump the blood out and put it through the machine.
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Barker added: 'My plasma is used to make medicines for people with rare diseases. 'It makes me feel good to know that I'm helping people. I plan to keep donating'
'The machine separates the red blood cells from the plasma. Then they put the blood back into my body.
'As long as I eat a lot of protein before I go and stay hydrated, I feel fine. There are no health risks that I know of and my parents are fine with me doing it.
'My plasma is used to make medicines for people with rare diseases.
'It makes me feel good to know that I'm helping people. I plan to keep donating.'
Although friends have asked Baker to curb her shopping habits, she admitted she can't see a time when she won't indulge in retail therapy.
She said: 'My friends have told me to stop shopping but I can't. I live at home and all of my money goes on shopping.
'I would save a lot of money if I stopped but as long as I have money that I can spend, I'm going to keep doing it.
'If I was ever at a point where I didn't have money, I would stop.
'Shopping is my biggest expenditure but I also spend a lot on travel.'
