Ideas by C Crawford
- Work a full-time or part-time job at somebody else’s company.
This is probably the most obvious option. Somebody else does all of the legal bits and you get paid for your efforts. - Work overtime at your current job.
Ask if there’s any opportunities for overtime and if not, why not take on a small second job? - Ask for a wage rise.
Yes, it sounds scary, but, if you believe you deserve more money at work, then tell your manager. The worst they can do is say no so why not give it a try (I would definitely only suggest doing this if you are deserving / hard working). → How to Ask for a Pay Raise? - Become self employed (in a specific trade).
There are multiples different ways for you to work for yourself.
This way, you will be completing tasks / jobs yourself and any payment received for said job, you will keep. - Own a company.
Set up your own brand or company. It is more than likely that you will need to invest quite a bit of money before you will start making it back. Although you are making money for yourself, most examples of successful companies involve a CEO / owner who outsources labour. - Do online surveys.
This is not likely to make you a billionaire. However, if you are looking for a little bit of cash here and here you can find plenty of companies online who will pay you (sometimes in store credits / gift cards) to complete surveys for them. - Matched betting.
PSA: I am not saying you should go and do this I am just saying it can turn a pretty hefty profit for people. Anyway, matched betting is a hobby that in a way, takes the risk out of gambling. At time of writing, it is currently legal in the UK. It’s a pretty confusing topic if you’re not aware of how it works but basically you place two opposing bets that cancel each other out and make sure the odds mean you’ll make profit. You need a little pot of cash to get yourself started but if you’ve got the money to start and the time to invest then it could definitely be worth it. - Make a website.
If you have something you’re passionate about or a skill you have naturally, why not make a website to promote it. Not only might you get sponsored by companies if it does well, you can also get affiliate links from lots of brands. Getting an affiliate link means if people use the link from your website specifically, the brand will know and you will get some commission. This may take a bit of work / effort to get an audience built up for your site. - Switch bank accounts.
Many banks (in the UK at least) will offer you a cash gift in exchange for you moving your current account from another provider to them. For example, ABC bank will give you £100 if you switch
your current account with another bank to their current account. Most of the time you need to have direct debits / standing orders set up already to qualify for the money but it’s a good way to make a little bit extra where possible. - Refer your friends.
Although it’s not technically making money, referring your friends to different companies can get you some credit / vouchers. For example, at the time of writing, if you refer a friend to Uber and then they take a trip, you qualify for £3 off your next ride – just for suggesting the service to them! - Taxi people.
Speaking of uber – you could drive for Uber (or a local taxi company) in your spare time to make some dosh! If you’ve got a carand don’t mind letting strangers into it it might be worth investing in
becoming a taxi driver and then earning the money back. You will more than likely have to apply, and be approved, for a taxi licence but if you have some free time it could definitely be worth it. - Clean windows.
You probably need to put a little bit of money into this to get yourself the right tools, but, once set up you can go around your neighbourhood / estate to see if anyone wants their glass cleaned for
a bit of cash. - Design things.
If you’re a talented graphic designer (or are just good with technology and have an eye for colour etc) then you could make some good money by becoming a freelance graphic designer. If you
keep your options open you could be helping companies with all their different aesthetic needs. You can advertise your service on a website like Fiverr, promote yourself on your social media or you could pop yourself on LinkdIn or another website for skilled professionals. - Do jobs for family / friends.
If someone you are close to mentions a task they dont want to do (for example, ironing or cleaning out the garage) then why not suggest you do it for them in exchange for money. - Invest in property.
This is another one of those “need money to make money” type suggestions. But, if you’ve got a wad of cash saved up in a bank account and feel like it’s not really doing anything, purchasing and
selling / renting out property could be a real money maker. You canhire companies to take care of the legwork and you just hand the money over. Or, save a bit and do it yourself – hey, it could be fun! - Change savings accounts.
Research shows that most people chuck their money into one bank and then leave it there. DONT. You should always be on the lookout for better deals. Nowadays, high street banks not only have
to compete with each other but also with online banks. So even if the economy isn’t in the best shape (oo-er!) there will be deals out there.
Big banks have a tendancy to lower your interest rate in old/untouched savings accounts. Yes they have to let you know but they are aware that most people won’t bother properly reading the letter,
or, they’ll read it but not bother doing anything about it. Many people have all their accounts with one bank even though they could get a great current account deal with 123 bank and a lovely savings account rate at ABC bank. Do not be afraid to split things up (if you want more reassurance that everything will be okay then look into the FSCS that the UK gov. Introduced a little while ago) - Invest your savings.
We’ve talked about investing in property and changing your savings around. But, you could also invest into stocks and shares. A lot of people are afraid of this as it’s always labelled as risky and it is!
But that’s the joy of it. Many people these days make a better return in stocks and shares than they do in regular savings accounts. Plus-with lots of companies you can give them your lump sum and they’ll do all the investing, that way, you don’t need to do all the research yourself. (However I am not legally allowed to advise this or give any advice actually so I would say just make sure you’re protected in some way and that you are confident in any decision you make.) - Join a focus / survey group.
Companies will often advertise that they are looking for people to take an in-person survey or to do interviews. You can get a smallcash reward for doing these, Google where to find them. - Mow lawns.
If you live in a neighbourhood / estate where most people have gardens, why not knock on some doors during summer-time and see if anyone wants their lawn mowed. They most likely have their on lawn mower that you can use and if you charge a low rate, you should get some happy customer. - Sell yourself.
It’s not as bad as it sounds. Lots of art clubs use life models for their classes. They will more than likely give ADULTS a bit of cash to take their kit off so if your confident in your body and can sit still for really long periods of time, why not see how you like it. - Sell yourself online.
Again, not nearly as bad as it sounds. There’s a website called Fiverr where people can pay you anything from about £4 to do random tasks. You get to say yes or no but it could be anything as
simple as cracking an egg over your head or singing them a song. It could be a funny way to top up your monthly earnings. - Sell your stuff.
Ever look through your files of rare comic books or your record collection and think “I really need to sort through this and get rid of some stuff”? Well, now is the perfect time. In the past everyone’s go to solution is ‘give it to the charity shop’ which is great as it helps out a lot of people. However, if you need some cash, why not sell it on to someone else for cash. You can sell your things on Ebay or Gumtree, or, facebook now have their marketplace section so you can sell locally on there if you wanted! - Become a tutor.
If you are skilled at / qualified in a certain subject, why not become a tutor. It could be maths, english, it could even be an instrument. Lots of parents want their child to take on additional
hobbies and this could be a great way to bring in some extra money each month. Plus, you get to work on your own schedule. - Invest in collectors items.
This is another one of those ‘need money to get money’ type of suggestions. Coins, stamps, comic books and instruments are all things that people collect. Loads of people make money by keeping an eye out for rare items on Ebay, in auctions and local shops. If you’ve got something limited edition / rare, you can probably resell it for a higher price than you paid for it. - Deliver newspapers.
Probably not a job that’s as popular as it used to be, but, if you local newsagents need a new delivery person why not put yourself forward. You won’t make a killing but you can get a little side hustle going. - Start a youtube channel.
We’re seeing the rise of social media stars across all platforms. There’s constant brand deals being shoved down our throats and a huge portion of youtube videos are sponsored. Sound good? Then you can start building up your social media platforms to get a bigger audience. Pay attention to what is on the instagram trending page, twitter moments, youtube recommended page. This will give you a good idea of what is popular currently. Cash in on this and hopefully
you will see your engagement increase. Once you’ve got a big enough following, you can reach out to companies (or wait for them to come to you) to arrange a brand deal. - Start a podcast.
Much like starting a youtube channel, creating podcasts has a very popular way for people to make an income now. Lots of people like to listen to podcasts whilst driving, cooking, bathing. If you’ve got an interesting topic (or know some cool people who might agree to guest star) why not start a podcast. There are multiple platforms you can stream it; youtube, apple podcast, etc. - Refurbish / resell vintage things.
Charity shops are usually pretty smelly places with the odd gem but mostly unflattering clothes and really unpopular DVDs. However, every once in a while you hear a magical story about a woman who paids 14p for a dish in her local Oxfam and it turned it it used to belong to Henry VIII. I’m not saying this will happen to you, but, it might be an idea to keep an eye out for items that can turn a profit. - Write a book.
You can write a book (or an E=Book) and sell it online. Poplar E-Books can be anywhere from 500 words to 50000 words. If you are passionate about a subject, or just know a lot about it, why not put some energy into a book. Hopefully you’ll enjoy writing it if it’s on a topic you love, and, if it does well, you’ll make some money from it. You can self-publish or use sites like amazon to help
you publish. - Become a photographer.
Having a camera is a necessity for a lot of people these days. Most people use their phone but a lot of households also have a digital / DSLR camera. If you’ve got a good eye for photos then why
not offer your service to weddings / local businesses / online to people for a low rate – you can advertise yourself as a ‘amateur photographer’ and make a few pounds. - Sell a T-Shirt.
Got a bit of an arty flare? Apply your skills and release custom designs! Websites like Redbubble and Teespring allow you to sell your design on their site on a range of merchandise like t-shirts,
jumpers and hoodies! Again, promote your work on social media and hopefully the money will come in quick. - Wash cars.
You could charge your neighbours a few quid to wash their car for them. They might say no at first but if you’re persistent hopefully they’ll feel sorry for you and agree. Pro-tip: don’t offer to do this on a rainy day. - Sell your old clothes.
If you’re going through your wardrobe and feeling overwhelmed, don;t worry. You can quickly sell items online through websites/apps like Ebay, Depop and Vinted. Just snap a few pictures and upload a description and wait for the pounds to roll in. You can of course donate your clothes to a local charity shop but if you need the cash there are multiples ways for you to get some. You can also use Facebook marketplace for this, or, if you have a good social media following, maybe one of your followers would like an item of yours and you can advertise it for free! - Become a social media manager.
I’d say the majority of young people know their way around most of the social media sites floating around these days. Why not try becoming a social media manager for a company who needs a little bit of help. Sure, a lot of places will want someone qualified, with a degree or some form of qualification. But, if you spot a smaller local company with some dodgy tweets of a wonky website, why not reach out and see if they’re looking for someone to help them re-vamp. - Rent out your home.
Sites like AirBNB will show your home on their site to people who are looking to rent somewhere out. If you’re going on holiday, or going travelling for an extended period of time, why not look into renting out your place. You could make a decent pot of cash from this, especially if your place is close to transport links in a city, or, has some quirky detail to help it stand out. - Give advice to a small business.
Keeping knowledge and wisdom to yourself is a bit selfish really, isn’t it? And if you could make money to help other? That’s a winning combination right there. If you’ve got a qualification or are well skilled in a certain field of expertise, why not contact / look for a small business who might need some help. For example, if you know all about interior design, and a new cafe is opening down the road, why not be a bit brazen and find out if they want to pay for you to have a look over it and give your opinion on what could be improved. - Walk dogs.
Does what it says on the tin. Advertise your services on facebook groups / in the window of the local corner shop. You can make some cash in hand and get to spend time with some fur friends – what’s not to love. - Animal sit.
See above, but, the difference is, if you have a neighbour / family member / friend who is going on holiday and is considering putting their dog in the kennel, why not offer your services. I’m pretty sure they’ll only agree to this is they know you quite well, but, why not offer to stay at their house/go round everyday to feed and spend time with their animals in exchange for money.Baby sit.
See above, but, the difference is it’ll probably only be for a few hours. Charge a competitive hourly rate and set yourself up with some returning customers and you can have a great little business
going. - House sit.
See all above but it’s just an empty house that you stay in. You will most likely need a prior relationship with the house owner for them to trust you to do this but you can definitely make some money by house sitting. - Buy and sell domain names.
Kind of like buying and selling stocks. You can purchase domain names in a lot of places, one website to do so would be GoDaddy. Once you’ve purchased a domain name, it’s yours, for a certain length of time anyway. Then, if demand for that domain goes up, you can make a bit of money from your purchase. - Stickers on your car.
Companies will pay you to put an advert on your car. It could be a little logo or a huge slogan. Easy way to make some money for doing barely anything at all. - Act as a mystery shopper.
Some companies will pay you to do this and some companies will give you a voucher for the business. For example, you could get a £100 voucher to pizza hut to go and have a meal and then review the service / restaurant. - Be part of a clinical trial.
So this isn’t for the faint hearted (literally, you will likely have to pass a medical exam), but, you can get paid for taking part in clinical trials. “What does that involve?” I hear you ask. Well it’s easiest to do your own research because I might not cover everything. But the basics or it are you will complete some tasks for some medical students / doctors / researchers, it could be, taking a tablet everyday for a month, or, living in their accommodation for a week while they observe you doing things, once you have done what they ask, they will compensate you for your time and effort. The amount you get can vary massively so always weigh up whether it is really something you want to do. - Be part of a research study.
Researchers will pay you for information. They may want you to track your diet for six weeks or track you exercise for a month. Whatever it is, they will pay you. You just need to work out if the
amount of effort is worth your time. - Test apps and websites.
There are multiples websites / apps that will pay (in cash or gift cards) for you to give opinions / reviews on apps and website.
Usually it’s a small cash amount for quite a bit of effort but if you’re stuck it might be a great idea. - Test products.
Some websites will send you products for free to review them. Once have done so they will give you a small cash reward for doing it. Not all of them give cash amounts, but, sometimes it’s nice to get free stuff anyway so why not give it a go. - Sell products on Etsy.
Stress-knitter? Skilled painter? Why not sell your wares. Of course you can use websites like Ebay and Gumtree, but, Etsy is avery well respected site offering mostly hand-made goods. The items
on there are usually quite expensive but why not make some money of things you already have / are making. - Take part in contests / giveaways.
There are countless times I’ve been given a receipt in a shop with a red circle around some offer or competition. Half of the time the cashier will half-heartedly tell you that you could win and you should enter but nobody ever does, right? Wrong. The winnings are often fancy holidays or big cash prizes. You can’t win without playing and most of the offers are free to enter as long as you provide an email address so why not try your luck. - Become a transcriptor.
Find yourself lying in bed listening to music or watching youtube videos most nights? Well, why not get yourself some additional funds by listening to audio and typing up what is said in the clip. There are loads of websites that will pay you to transcribe videos for them, like GoTranscipt, or Rev. The pay really isn’t great from these companies, and you will probably have to pass a test / review before they give you any work but it’s money for a pretty easy task. - Sell old university books.
Those things are expensive. Like, wow. Sell them online or to friends to try and make some money back from them. - Become a mentor.
You do not necessary have to be ‘qualified’ in a certain field to be an expert in it. Many people have worked in a niche / specific field for years and have extensive knowledge on the subject. You could advertise yourself as a mentor in the subject and offer guidance/advice to people who are just getting started in your industry. - Become a DJ.
Most bars these days have their own resident DJ, plus, music festivals are a huge business. If you’ve got a knack for the decks why not rent yourself out to a local bar and get a bit of money doing what you love. - Online gamble.
There are thousands of websites that have different slot games / bingo games / poker games etc for you to play. You can sign up (always try to sign up using a deal to get free money / games) and
deposit your funds to play. THIS IS GAMBLING. You could win big or you could lose. It’s risky business and there are places to go for help if you find you can’t stop playing. - Gamble in person
As above but in person. There are casinos all over the UK. Again, please be careful if you are choosing to gamble your money. It can become very addicting and there are places to get help if you’re struggling to stop.
These are 55 ideas for how to boost your income or create a small side job for yourself.
You can find more information on each of these methods online – go get that bread! If you try any of them out and have some feedback for this guide, let me know, I’d love to add your thoughts.
