When finances become strained, making extra money in addition to your regular job can be really helpful. The extra income can be used for Christmas spending, paying for a holiday, getting out of debt and many other things. In this article, we are going to discuss some ideas you can use to make extra money.
Sell your unwanted belongings
Often, people overlook their unwanted belongings as a way to make more money. However, you can sell things you no longer want or need to make some extra cash. Take a look in your loft, under your bed and in drawers around your home for any old games, tech or furniture you don’t want. Clothes can also sell well, especially if you have some unused designer items. You can list your items for free on multiple selling websites; others might take a small amount of commission off the sale price. If you live with other people in your home, you could offer to help sell their belongings for them at a price or sell your children’s old toys or books. You might be surprised how much money you can make when you start listing things. Always take good quality photographs and give lots of detail in the description. To avoid scammers, never send out items without first receiving payment. You should also be careful when people come to collect items, and never hand anything over without payment.
Switch your bank account
Switching your bank account can be a hassle, but it can make you money at the same time. Many banks offer monetary incentives to customers to encourage them to switch their current accounts and use them as their main bank. If you look around at the options, you could make an extra £200 just for switching your bank. Doing this doesn’t take too long; you can usually use the switching service that automatically changes most of your payments. However, some conditions are in place that you must meet to be eligible for the £200 or whatever the bank is offering; make sure you read the terms of these before switching to check if you’re eligible for the new customer bonus. If you’ve had debt in the past, you might find it hard to switch your bank account as certain rules will be in place. If you’ve had an IVA in the past, you can use an IVA checker to check the status of your IVA and if it will still impact your credit score.
Rent out your space
People will often look for driveways to park their cars or garage spaces to store belongings such as motorbikes. Driveways can be very valuable if you live in a central location or near a train station or event venue. If you have a spare room, drive or garage space, you could rent this out to make additional income. If you have a spare room, you can get a tenant to move in with you to help you pay your bills and expenses. It's important to get advice before renting out a spare room or any space you own. It could impact your tax and benefits. Always do your research to avoid any potential issues in the future.
Use your interest to make money
If you’re a keen gardener or love pets, you can use these interests to make some extra money. Ask your people in your local neighbourhood if anyone would like their lawn mowed or their pets walked for a fee. These extra small jobs won’t feel like work if you enjoy doing them in your spare time. Eventually, you could build up a large enough customer base to do your hobby as a full-time job. Alternatively, if you enjoy crafting items, you could set up your own shop on websites such as Etsy. If your products become popular, you could consider expanding and setting up your own business.
Making extra money takes some thought, time and effort, but it can be done if you put your mind to it and dedicate yourself. The easiest way to get started is to sell any items you no longer use and switch your bank account if you meet the requirements to get the new customer incentive money.