IT is time to fight back against the cost-of-living crisis by making extra cash.
Last week our Squeeze Team gave you some incredible tips on how to slash bills, track down unclaimed money and feed the family for less than £1 per portion.
11
11
Today, as part of a new two-day series, they share 30 ways to boost your income — many of which you can do without even leaving your sofa.
1. BE A NOSY NEIGHBOUR
MAKE cash by carrying out easy checks while out and about in your neighbourhood.
The Shepper app pays £4 to £11 for quick jobs such as inspecting empty properties, looking out for graffiti and monitoring queues.
Make £600 a year on one or two tasks a week
2. SNAP AS YOU SHOP
ARMED with a smartphone, earn easy money when you hit the high street, by taking snaps of menus and shop displays then chatting to sales staff for apps such as BeMyEye, Easyshift, Field Agent and MobEye. Make it fun by treating it like a scavenger hunt and earn around £3 to £11 per task.
Make £1,000 a year on four or five tasks a week
3. BECOME AN ARMCHAIR CRITIC
STOP shouting at the telly and get paid for your opinion on everything from last night’s soaps to upcoming shows. Earn around £1 to £3 per survey when you sign up with The Viewers, or up to £40 for a group discussion.
Make £240 a year by answering a couple of surveys a week
Most read in Tips
4. GROW SEED CAPITAL
SELL plants on Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor. Cuttings from common houseplants sell for a few quid each, those from rare plants like Monstera deliciosa variegata fetch up to £140.
Make £300 a year by selling 100 cuttings
5. GET CASH FOR QUESTIONS
EARN anything from a few pence to £4 for online surveys. Try i-say, run by Ispos, Ylive, Prolific, Crowdology, Curious Cat and Qmee. Carer Anna Lykova, 39, made almost £4,000 in 18 months taking surveys through Qmee.
She spends up to seven hours a day answering questions but you can do it on your commute or while watching TV. Anna, of Tipton, West Mids, said: “The surveys are interesting and pay quickly.”
Make £2,000 a year by doing a few hours a day
6. TURN WAGS TO RICHES
ANIMAL lovers can register with sites such as Tailster and Rover to walk dogs or keep them company while their owners are at work. Earn about £10 per walk. Or feed a neighbour’s cat.
Make £2,080 a year, for four walks a week
7. CASH IN YOUR TRASH
DON’T bin it, list it. Those old cables and remote controls lurking in a drawer can be sold as spares on eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. People will also buy job lots of loo roll tubes and gin bottles to use for crafts.
Make £10 for a bundle of leads
8. SEARCH FOR SWAG
MAKE Swagbucks your go-to website to pocket reward points that can be turned into gift vouchers, while you search the internet as usual. The Save The Student website estimates you could earn points worth about £300 in six months.
Make £600 a year by using the internet as normal
9. DIAL UP YOUR FUNDS
SELL unwanted phones when you upgrade. Sellmymobile.com tells you where to get the most cash.
Make £100s, depending on your handset
10. BOX CLEVER
OLD packaging is worth money. Consumer expert Martyn James, of online complaints service Resolver, said: “If you have old iPhone, Macbook or other boxes left over from expensive gadgets, sell them on eBay. People buy them to increase the value of tech items they sell.”
Make £4 for iPhone box
11. KEEP THE RECEIPT
NAOMI WILLIS, co-founder of the Skint Dad blog, said: “Scan your receipts with apps such as Shoppix, Huyu or Storewards and earn tokens or rewards.” Companies buy the information to track consumer trends.
Make £52 a year by scanning 20 receipts a week, worth 5p each
12. SELL KIDS’ STUFF
FLOG kids’ buggies, clothes and toys that you no longer need. Holly Mackay, of the savings and investment website Boring Money, said: “I recently earned more than £200 by selling lots of the kids’ old toys on eBay.”
Make £1,000 a year tax-free by selling old buggies, toys and clothes
13. MAKE HOBBIES PAY
WHATEVER your skills, from DIY to embroidery, earn by uploading video tutorials to help others. The website Teachable matches you with students and you set the price for your course. You will need a good smartphone and a tripod to record your videos.
Make around £3,600 a year after fees if you sell a course for £100 to 40 students (site takes around 10% commission)
14. DRIVE PROFITS
EARN up to £100 a month by turning your car into a mobile billboard. The website CarQuids lets motorists rent out this advertising space. But do just remember to check with your insurer or leasing firm before doing this.
Make up to £1,200 a year
15. FUND YOUR BEAUTY HABIT
IF you have unused fragrances or beauty products you can make money by selling them on second-hand sites, even if they have been opened. Empty perfume bottles from major brands are also in demand. See eBay for going rates.
Make up to £5 per item
16. FASHION FORWARD
NAOMI WILLIS said: “Make cash from the clothes you no longer wear. Try apps such as Depop, Vinted and Preloved.”
But beware selling fees and postage costs. Designer brands and high-street names usually sell best. You could offer bundles of items such as babygrows.
Make £400 a year by selling three items a month
17. FREE CASH FOR SHOPPING
MAKE cashback websites your first port of call whenever you buy anything online. Sites such as Topcashback.co.uk and Quidco.com pay back a percentage of what you spend every time you click through their links and shop online. Boost earnings by referring friends.
Make £345 a year on your normal spend (figure is based on average earned by Topcashback users)
18. PLAY CARD TRICKS
EARN cashback or rewards with certain bank cards. The American Express Platinum Everyday credit card pays five per cent on purchases in the first three months, up to a maximum of £100 cashback, then 0.5 per cent. Pay it off in full each month to avoid interest.
Make £100 if you spend £2,000 in first three months
19. GRAB A BANKER’S BONUS
HOLLY MACKAY said: “Switching bank accounts is a way to get extra cash.”
HSBC is offering £170 to those who move to its Advance account and pay in £1,500 a month. But check T&Cs, as some require you to move over direct debits or pay in a certain sum a month.
Make £170 with HSBC
20. CHECK YOUR BENEFITS
ANNA STEVENSON, of the charity Turn2us, said: “Don’t miss out on grants or discounts. Many on low incomes don’t realise they may be entitled to these, or free travel.”
Use the benefits checker tool at Turn2Us.org.uk to see if you could claim.
Make £100s, depending on your circumstances
21. CLAIM FREE CASH
THE Government has boosted the Household Support Fund by £500million. It gives local authorities money to hand out to those struggling with living costs. Check your council’s website to see if you qualify. You will need to be on a low income or benefits.
Make £100s, depending on where you live
22. TAKE IN A LODGER
IF you have a spare room, earn up to £7,500 a year without paying a penny in tax by taking in a lodger through the Rent A Room scheme. Many websites provide long-term and short-term rental options. Airbnb is best for short stays, while sites such as Spareroom and Moneytofriday.com are good too. You can charge more than £7,500 a year — but you will pay tax on it.
Make up to £7,500 a year tax-free by renting a room for £625 a month
23. RENT OUT YOUR DRIVEWAY
“IF you have off-road parking, rent it out through websites such as Justpark, Yourparkingspace and Parklet,” Martyn James said. It may be in demand if near a station, city centre or sports ground.
Make £1,800 a year if you live in a high-demand area
24. LEASE YOUR LOFT
MAKE the most of any spare storage space. Martyn James said: “Have you got an attic, basement or garage? You could rent out storage space through Stashbee or Storemates.”
Rates vary, so do research. Sites will usually suggest a price based on your location — typically half the cost of commercial storage space locally. They will usually add 15 per cent on top, which the storage seeker pays, so it is free to list and rent out.
Make £600 a year if you’ve got a medium-sized loft
25. BAKE EVEN
KEEN cooks can boost their income by baking cakes, bread or other dishes and selling these via social media, or by word of mouth. Get a food hygiene certificate first. Start off by selling your cakes online or at a local food market.
Make £1,560 a year by selling four cakes a week
26. PASSION FOR FASHION
IF you have a designer handbag, wedding dress or other desirable items, earn money by renting these out through websites such as Hurr or By Rotation. You need to pay for cleaning and postage. Some rental sites will make offers to buy your clothes from you.
Make £300 a year by renting a posh wedding dress six times a year
27. DRILL DOWN SAVINGS
LEASE the contents of your garden shed or cupboards on Fat Llama. Power tools, bikes, sewing machines and gazebos can all bring in money.
Make £600 by renting a bike 60 times a year
28. DRIVE YOUR WAY TO SAVINGS
RENT out your car and turn over a tidy profit. Naomi Willis reckons you could earn up to £650 a month. Best sites are Getaround.com, Karshare and Turo.com. Always read the T&Cs. But this could considerably add to your annual mileage, as well as the wear and tear. And check with your insurer.
Make £7,800 a year by renting a newish car 20 days per month
29. STEAM YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS
ONE person’s chore is another’s passion. There is satisfaction in getting creases out of a white shirt — and you could make money from it. Advertise as an ironing service to neighbours, in shops and via websites such as Nextdoor.
Make around £10 per 20 items
30. SELL YOUR SNAPS
IF you have a decent camera on your phone, you could sell photos via the Stockimo app.
Make 80p to £80 per picture sold
11
11
11
11
11
LOFTY IDEA TO CHARGE
MUM of three Cassie Cooper, 39, earns £30 a month renting part of the family’s loft and a parking space in their driveway. The furniture marketing consultant, from Darlington, Co Durham, said:
“Like many families, my husband and I have been feeling the pinch.
11
A friend had a small flat and no storage and asked if she could pay me a tenner a month to store her Christmas decorations and winter clothes in our loft. That has come in handy over the past three months.
I’m taking on another friend’s boxes next week for a tenner a month as well.
We also have a driveway that can fit three cars. We offer a parking space on it for a tenner a week and have four people on a waiting list.
If renting out loft space, make sure items you take are in plastic, lidded boxes or secure cardboard boxes. Create a neat space and write out an agreement for when the person will collect them.
Have an agreement for car space use, too, and ask for the money up front.”
TAX FREE?
YOU can make £1,000 tax-free each year from April to April, on top of your standard tax-free personal allowance of £12,570, by selling your products or services.
This covers everything from dog walking to flogging your second-hand clothes.
You don’t need to let HMRC know. If you earn more than this you need to register to be self-employed, fill in a self-assessment tax return and pay income tax and national insurance.
GIVE ROLL PLAY A GO
CHARITY volunteer Sally Raynor, 44, from Helston, Cornwall, makes around £60 a month selling cardboard tubes on eBay to crafters. Mum-of-four Sally said:
“Like most people I’d put the cardboard tubes from loo roll, and from used cling film, kitchen foil and Sellotape, into the recycling bin.
11
When a friend told me she was selling those tubes to her craft groups, I was gobsmacked.
She challenged me to give it a go because I was moaning about not having enough dosh to top up the electric meter.
I have a daughter who lives with a disability and we need every penny.
I started collecting used cardboard tubes from neighbours, local clubs, pubs and restaurants. Also, I gave local cleaners a bag to collect up tubes they would normally throw out.
I sell them in small or large job lots on eBay or Facebook, to crafters, design students, designers, artists and even nursery carers. Gardeners also use them to protect their new plants.
I sell ten tubes for £4 plus postage. Most people just don’t think about turning rubbish into a bit of real money.”
GROW YOUR SAVINGS POT
ANIMAL care assistant Laura Foxley, 35, from Edinburgh, is making extra cash selling items – especially plants – that people throw out. She said:
“I love gardening and was surprised how many people had plants and pots they wanted to get rid of on free sharing app Olio. Some of the plants look dead and need tender loving care, or people are moving and don’t want them.
11
If you go and collect them you won’t have to pay a penny. I have snapped up vegetable seedlings, succulents, houseplants and garden shrubs. I just repot them, add some fertiliser and give them love so they come alive.
I also stop whenever I see gardeners at work and ask if I can have any plants they are pulling out.
I grow seedlings and am nurturing succulents from cuttings.
Also, I use recycled pots or old plastic containers that I paint with free paint that I get on Olio.
I use the app to snare free furniture and clothes people are chucking out, which, after a bit of upcycling, I can sell.
I have made more than £275 in the past the three months by turning free plants and old furniture into cash.”
IT PAYS YOU TO HAGGLE
PERSONAL assistant Amanda Williams has made £380 in six months by switching banks and haggling down prices of mobile phone, internet and other contracts. Amanda, 33, a mum of two, from Plymouth, said:
“I wanted to change bank accounts but First Direct offered me £20 for simply opening a current account with them, so I did that.
11
If I move all my banking to them using the current account switching service, I will get £150. If you Google ‘cash bonuses bank account openings’ you will see what other deals are out there.
Eight months ago, I printed off all my bills and realised I could make money by swapping providers and asking for cheaper rates or loyalty discounts.
I cut my internet from £40 a month to £19.99 and that £20 saved has helped buy more fruit and vegetables for the kids. I rang my mobile phone provider and saved a fiver a month by changing my plan. I swapped my car insurance and, instead of paying £70 a month, now pay £45.
I also swapped my credit card to one charging zero per cent for 12 months , saving £120, which goes to paying off the debt faster.
I do these checks monthly and each month will find a new way to save.
I also do surveys and am paid to be a mystery shopper, even while lying in bed.”
