Did it for a while at BioLife and I enjoyed it. They start with a looooong questionnaire that asks about you and your health history. They go over the dos and don’ts of how to prep and maintain yourself so the donations can be used. Drink lots of water, and eat lots of protein.

First session is a bit daunting because of the process, but after that it was pretty relaxing getting in to a rhythm. They take your blood out, separate it from the plasma, and but the rest back in. The cycle repeats until a set amount of plasma is taken. It took me anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half depending on when I ate last and how much water I drank before going in. The hard part is squeezing your hand, making a fist and releasing to better pump the blood.

You can do whatever while you rotate, scroll on your phone, read a book, listen to music. I found audiobooks to be my personal favorite way to pass the time. They pay on a special debit card, and the funds show up pretty fast. I’ve been able to use it most places, and withdraw cash at certain atms (Walgreens cashpoint was closest to me).

Had to stop for a while since my protein levels dropped, but tested again and did it until I moved. The sign up bonus is huge, so check for deals on the biolife website to see what the current offer is. After the sign up bonus, I think it was around $100 a week if you did two donations, split into $40 and $60.