With the economy in a somewhat precarious position and not looking likely to improve for some time to come many people are looking for ways to make extra money and boost the coffers. Here are a few money making ideas that you could consider.
Take Online Surveys
This can be quite a lucrative way to make some money with very little effort. Simply sign up with one or more online survey companies and they will email you regularly with surveys to complete. Surveys generally take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete, although some may take longer and require you to participate in an online panel, or discussion group. Rewards vary but the most I have received was £10.00 for a live discussion which took an hour. The best survey sites I have come across are pineconeresearch.co.uk and opinionworld.com; I have received payments from both of these sites.
Write Reviews
Writing reviews can also be another good money spinner. Sites such as ciao and dooyoo will pay you for reviewing anything and everything under the sun. As well as earning for writing the review, you will also be paid a small amount (generally 1 or 2p) each time someone reads and positively rates your review. Most review sites operate an additional incentive whereby the best reviews each month will receive extra financial incentives.
Write a Blog
If you enjoy writing and have a way with words then why not get paid for it? Set up your own blog and make money by allowing companies to advertise on it. You can get started for free too! Services such as Blogger or Blogspot are not only free, but are easy to use so you’ll be up and running in no time. If you set up an account with Google Adsense uses special technology to target your blogs with relevant advertising. And, as well as making money from advertising you can boost your income with affiliate links too.
Get Crafty
If you’re good with your hands why not have a go at making something to sell? Themed gift baskets and hampers are always popular – particularly come Christmas time. You could even have a go at making your own gift cards. And for those of you who can cook up a storm in the kitchen, try your hand at cakes, cookies and truffles. Then set yourself up with a stall at local craft fairs and fetes and start selling your wares.
Have a Clear Out
You know the old saying, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? Well why not have a good clear out and get rid of all the unwanted items you’ve got lying round the house. Spend a day going through closets, cupboards, wardrobes, the loft, the cellar and the garage. Then pick a date and have a garage sale. Put flyers up around the neighbourhood advertising the sale. Or have an auction! For larger items try Ebay or Amazon.
Shop!
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But yes, you could actually earn money as you spend. Cashback sites work by using affiliated links. So, every time you buy a product through the link on the cashback site you earn some money! Basically, what happens is that when you buy through an affiliate, the retailer in question pays the cashback site for introducing you as a new customer and then the cashback site passes that payment on to you. The majority of sites cover stores and services that customers use in their every day shopping.
Advertise on Your Car
You could get paid for advertising a company’s products or services on your car – up to £1500 in some cases! The obvious down side to this is that you have to drive around with advertising slogans emblazoned across your car but if you can get over that then you’re home and dry! Company branding will be professionally applied to the surfaces of your vehicle and will generally remain in place for the duration of that particular advertising campaign. You will have to meet certain driver requirements too. Depending on the type of ‘wrap’ you could earn from £100 for a part wrap which covers the door panels and part of the side wings up to £220 per month for a full-wrap which will cover your entire car except the windscreen.
Deliver Phone Books
This is seasonal work but can be very lucrative. You will need a reliable car with plenty of room and not be averse to being out in all weathers! You’ll also need a good general level of fitness as a lot of walking is involved and you will be lifting and carrying heavy telephone directories. You will generally have a pretty short time span in which to deliver the books and some phone companies will actually make random checks to ensure that their products have actually been delivered. Pay varies but it tends to be around £100 for 1000 books.
Rent out Your Driveway or Garage
If your driveway or garage is not in use then why not rent the space out. You could make up to £10000 a year! Of course £10000 is at the very top end of the scale and the amount of income that you will make depends on your location and how successful you are in renting the space out. Check out www.parklet.com for full details and see how much you could potentially make.
You could also rent out your garage as spare storage space too – companies such as spareground.com won’t even charge you to advertise your space!
Rent Out Your Spare Room
In the UK you could make up to £4250 tax free each year by renting out a spare room. And you don’t even have to rent it out full time – www.mondaytofriday.com is a website dedicated to putting people who need somewhere to live near work during the week with people who would like to rent out a room but want their home to themselves on a weekend. Alternatively you could consider foreign students on an exchange visit if you just want something short term.
There are literally hundreds of ways that you could earn a few extra ££s – hopefully something here has given you some inspiration to get cracking and put some extra pounds in your pocket.