How to Make Extra Money in the UK: 93 Ways to Make Extra Cash

We’ll go into more detail on all of these, and more, in this post.

How to make extra money: UK edition

I’m always looking for new ways to make extra cash.

From work-at-home jobs to money making apps, there is always something you can do to bring in a little extra money.

That’s why I put together this post on how to earn extra money in the UK. I have over 90 ideas and counting here, including online and offline ways to make extra money in your spare time!

On to the full list:

Matched betting

As far as I’m concerned, matched betting is the fastest way to make decent money online in the UK. I made £1000 in my first three months doing this.

And before you scroll on by: it’s not gambling.

Matched betting is a way to make money from the free bet offers on bookie websites. You ‘match’ or balance your bets (for and against an outcome) to ensure you don’t lose money, and then the free bet is all profit.

Since all bets are carefully calculated and matched, you actually know how much money you’ll make before the game even ends.

I use the matched betting training service Outplayed, and it’s amazing. They provide all the tools and calculators to help you know what to bet.

You could make up to £40 this weekend with Outplayed’s free, no obligation trial.

Here’s a video that explains a bit more about how it works:

To try matched betting, you should be over the age of 18, a resident of the UK or Ireland, and have no history of gambling problems.

Learn more: “No Risk” Matched Betting – How Does it Work and is it Really Risk Free?

Focus groups

Focus groups can be an easy and interesting way to earn extra cash.

Focus groups are when you take part in an interview or group discussion about a brand or your consumer habits. Recently, most of these groups take place online – which saves you time and money.

The fees vary a lot, but as a rough idea, you could earn £50-£100 for half a day’s work.

Some companies to sign up with in the UK are Code 3 Research, Focus4People and Testing Time. Respondent often has focus groups and they are online only.

Learn more: Top Up Your Income With Focus Groups

Teach English online

If you’re wondering how to make extra money in the UK part time, without leaving home, teaching English online could be for you.

There are lots of companies recruiting online English teachers to work with students (usually in Asia) over Zoom or similar. 

You can earn anywhere from £10-£20 an hour depending on your experience and qualifications. All you need is an internet connection and headset!

You don’t necessarily need a teaching qualification. Depending on the school, sometimes just being a native speaker is enough.

That said, you can get an official TEFL certificate online pretty cheaply, and it will greatly increase your employment prospects.

Learn more: How to Make Money Teaching English Online in the UK (includes a list of places to apply)

OhMyDosh!

OhMyDosh! is an awesome money making site exclusively for people in the UK! You get paid to complete special offers and sign up for freebies and deals.

It pays very well, and fast too! You can start earning right away. Start with the offers in the ‘Lightening Payouts‘ section and you can have extra money in your account in just 3 days.

I made £20 within just 30 minutes of signing up to OhMyDosh and it has quickly become one of my favourite ways to earn extra money online 🙂 

Learn more: OhMyDosh Review: How to Make £20 in 30 Minutes!

Cashback

Cashback is a similar site to OhMyDosh!, where you get paid for signing up to special offers and free trials. The main difference is that you have to complete 15 offers before you can cash out.

This means it takes a bit longer to get your hands on your cash, but you should get a nice big chunk when you’re finished. The average payout is apparently just over £150!

For anyone familiar with 20 Cogs, Cashback is the new and improved version. You can still sign up for Cashback (and get your £5 joining bonus!) even if you’ve completed 20 Cogs!

Learn more: 20 Cogs Full Review With Proof Of Earnings

Freecash

Freecash is another site similar to OhMyDosh! There are lots of easy ways to earn cash online with this site:

• Sign up offers
• Downloading apps
• Playing mobile games
• Quizzes and surveys
• Free trials

One thing I like about Freecash is that the withdrawal threshold is very low, so you can get your hands on your cash quickly. PayPal withdrawals start at $5 and crypto withdrawals start at $0.50.

Work as an extra

TV and film sets around the UK frequently need extras for non-speaking background roles.

You don’t usually need acting experience, although you will need to be professional and keep a straight face!

TV extra work pays around £200 for a day’s work. But be warned – the days can be very long and boring!

Some sites recruiting for extras are Casting Collective and Extra People.

Learn more: How to Make Money as a Movie Extra [Side Hustle Case Study]

Test products and services

Testing Time is a site that pays you to test things! You can test out websites and apps, test physical products sent to you in the post, take part in surveys and focus groups (in person, online or on the phone).

You might not get very frequent opportunities on this site, but they are well paid when they come up. So it pays to be patient.

You need to complete all the screener questions, then wait for an email invite by when a suitable test is available.

The fees vary, but you can expect to earn around £4 for a short survey and £25 or more for a 45 minute focus group or study.

Payment is by bank transfer or PayPal, and it will be sent automatically 10 days after taking a test.

Learn more: Free PayPal Money UK! 15 Ways To Get Free PayPal Cash

Paid survey sites

Surveys are one of the most popular ways to make money online, and for good reason! You can do them any place, any time. I like doing surveys while watching TV.

Unfortunately a lot of survey sites are time wasters, but here are a few of my top recommendations to get you started:

Learn more: Ultimate List of Paid Survey Sites in the UK

Mystery shopping

Mystery shopping is a popular way to make extra money. You simply have to visit a shop, ask a few questions and complete a questionnaire afterwards.

I love mystery shopping because you often get good freebies! You should be reimbursed for anything you’re asked to buy, and you will usually get to keep it 🙂

Good UK mystery shopping companies to try include Market Force and HGEM (which specialises in mystery dining).

Learn more: Best Mystery Shopping Companies In The UK: Ultimate Guide!

Freelance writing

Are you good with words? Can you research and write quickly and effectively? There is huge demand for freelance writers in a wide range of fields, from technical writing to blog writing.

Freelance writing is a flexible way to make extra money online. You can set your own schedule and take on as much or little work as you like.

Beginners can sign up with one of the many content agencies out there to get started right away (see link below for details). If you have more expertise, you can pitch directly to relevant clients in your niche on sites like Upwork.

Learn more: Top Freelance Writing Jobs For Beginners UK: 20+ Best Websites

Social media manager

Every company needs social media these days, from the biggest conglomerates to family businesses and solopreneurs.

If you know your way round a social network or two, you can offer your services as a social media manager.

This could include creating and scheduling content, replying to DMs, and monitoring engagement.

The great thing about this side hustle is you can start with just one client in a few hours per week, and potentially scale it up over time into a full time gig.

You can find social media management positions on freelance marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr, or even just by identifying small local businesses that could use some help and pitching to them.

Design and sell printables

‘Printables’ are basically digital files that somebody can download and print at home. Designing printable products is a low-cost, low-risk way to start making money online.

Some examples of popular printable products are:

• calendars
• journals
• meal planners
• party/wedding invitations
• worksheets
• colouring pages
• art prints
• greetings cards
• gift tags
• party decorations… the list is endless.

You can sell your products on Etsy, or set up your own shop on Shopify or a similar platform. I would recommend Etsy for beginners though, because they already have great traffic so you don’t have to work so hard at promotion.

All you have to do is design the products on your computer and upload the digital file to Etsy (or your platform of choice).

The beauty of selling printables is that you can sell each file over and over again, with no extra effort or expense!

This free workshop will show you how to get started selling printables, even with no experience:

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a popular money making website and app.

There are lots of different ways to earn, including surveys, watching videos, playing games, paid to search, completing offers and more.

It’s not very high paying, but you can make a little bit of extra money while killing time on your phone. There’s a £3 bonus when you sign up!

Inbox Pounds

Inbox Pounds is a money making site similar to Swagbucks. The three main ways to earn are taking surveys, playing games and searching the web.

The site sends you emails with new money making opportunities, hence the name.

Tip: I recommend making a new free email address when signing up to Inbox Pounds (and other money making sites such as Oh My Dosh) because you will get a LOT of emails!

Sign up to Inbox Pounds here.

Website testing

Website testing is one of my favourite ways to make extra money from home, and it’s not very well known!

You get paid to explore a company’s website and answer questions about how easy it is to use.

The website I use most is User Testing. You can find other sites to sign up with at this link.

Website testing pays around £8 for a 20 minute test. It’s a great rate of pay, although be warned you might only get a couple of tests a week.

Run a T shirt business

If you’re looking for a way to make money online, how about designing T shirts to sell?

I’ve been selling T shirts on Merch by Amazon for about a year now, and I love it.

This money making scheme is called ‘print on demand’ which means I simply upload my design and write a description, and Amazon does all the rest: they print the shirt to order when somebody makes a purchase, ship it out and handle all the customer service.

You just need to fill in a short application form and sometimes there’s a bit of a wait. But once you’re accepted, you can sell T-shirts, hoodies, pop sockets and more on Amazon UK, US and Germany (no matter where you’re located).

Other sites to sell T shirts (and other products) online include Printful, Redbubble and Teespring.

Learn more: How to Make Money Selling T-Shirts Online (WITHOUT Any Design Skills!)

Chat line operator

Maybe not for everyone – but adult chat lines are one way to make money from home. You could earn up to £2000 a month!

Find out more in this interview with a woman who makes a full time income from home as a chat line operator.

Also see my full post on how to make money chatting online (adult and PG opportunities!).

Sell a story or tip to a magazine

There are countless magazines and newspapers in the UK that will pay you for stories or tips! The weirder the better, and you get paid more if you include a photo.

Fiona from Savvy in Somerset earned £200 for sharing a medical story. She has all the info in this post.

You can contact magazines directly with your unique story, or join the FeatureMe! group on Facebook where journalists post when they are looking for people for stories.

They typically pay £100-£600 depending on how unique your situation is, whether pictures are needed and so on.

Grab a free £5 with Cash App

At the time of writing (August 2023) it appears this offer isn’t working. I’ll update when it’s back!

Here’s another easy, one-off way to make a quick fiver! You can get £5 for free when you join Cash App, an app for sending money to friends.

For this one, you need to be a new user of Cash App and you’ll need a friend with the app too (they can be a new or existing user).

Download the app and enter referral code MKWNTHM when prompted. You need a referral code to qualify for the offer. You’ll get you’re free £5 when you transfer £5 to a friend within 14 days.

See full instructions here: Cash App Referral Bonus UK Tutorial

Learn more: How To Get Free Money In The UK (£200+ up for grabs!)

Be a paid companion

If you prefer to earn your extra cash offline, consider being a paid companion. This involves helping people with everyday tasks, such as shopping, help around the house, picking up prescriptions, or simply being a friend.

You’ll typically be working with elderly folk, people recovering from illness, or busy working families.

With the companiion app you can set your own hours and rates. You could earn from £15 to £25 per hour.

Sell old phones

If you’ve recently upgraded your phone and you have the old one knocking about, you can sell it for easy cash.

Compare My Mobile lets you quickly find out which site will pay you the most.

Task apps

I love task apps such as Field Agent, Roamler and Streetspotr.

These apps pay you to do small tasks around town, such as mystery shopping or checking product displays. You can often fit in small tasks on your lunch break or around a shopping trip.

They pay quite well, too – around £6 for a 15 minute job.

Boot sales

Car boot sales are a classic way to earn extra money in the UK!

If you have a lot of clutter to get rid of, boot fairs can be an ideal way to have a clear out while making cash. And you get it all over and done with by lunch time – with none of the hassle of listing items separately online and posting your goods.

This post has some great tips for a successful car boot sale.

Craft business

If you have a creative side, consider making money from your crafts.

You could sell at local fairs, ask local gift shops to stock your items, or sell online on Etsy.

Learn more: 16 Crafty and Creative Ways to Make Money

Online tutor

Several companies are currently recruiting for subject matter experts to help students one-on-one in subjects such as psychology, business, maths, biology, management and more! 

These include My Tutor and Superprof (both in the UK, and recruiting current university students to tutor younger students) and Course Hero (a US company recruiting graduates to teach uni students).

Drive for Uber

Uber drivers are entitled to the national minimum wage of £9.50 per hour – and in practise, average earnings are reportedly closer to £15 per hour. (Bear in mind you’re responsible for your own vehicle costs though.)

What’s more, it’s totally flexible. You can do anything from one drive a month, to driving full time.

So you can change your hours each week depending on your free time, and how much you want to earn.

Learn more: How Much Do Uber Drivers Make In The UK?

Honeygain

Honeygain is an app that pays for your unused internet traffic. Just download it and let it run in the background – you won’t even notice it’s there, but over time you are earning credits that you can cash out once you reach $20.

To speed up your earnings, you can download the app on up to three devices, and you also get paid to refer friends.

Users report earnings of between $5 and $30 a month. 

Claim your $5 bonus when you sign up with my link!

Sell your clutter

Want to make money fast? Selling items from around your house is one of the easiest ways to start.

There are so many places to sell second hand items, including:

• Facebook marketplace (no selling fees, fast turnaround)
• eBay
• Selling apps such as Shpock, Mercari, Letgo, Depop and Vinted
• Gumtree
• Local community groups (online or real life)
• Local newspaper classifieds
• Noticeboard in local shops

Wondering what you can sell to make money? Good items to sell include furniture, good quality clothes, toys and electronics. But I’ve seen people sell all sorts, including empty jam jars, toilet roll tubes (people use them for crafting!), old tech manuals and remote controls.

So you never know what people are willing to shell out for!

Run a reselling business

If you enjoyed selling off your clutter but you’ve run out of things to sell at home, how about starting a reselling business?

You can look for things to sell on for a profit in charity shops or boot sales.

Here’s an interesting interview with a woman who started a side business reselling used baby clothes after she had her first child. She made almost £8,000 in her first year!

Or, you could offer to help out friends who are decluttering by listing things on eBay for them for a cut of the profits. This lady makes an income doing just that!

Learn more: Make Money Selling Pre-Loved Baby Clothes

Cash for clothes

If you have piles and piles of old clothes to get rid of and can’t face listing them individually on eBay, take them to your local ‘cash for clothes’ place. These are usually small pop up businesses so search online for one locally.

They don’t pay masses – around 50p per kilo – but for older clothes that would otherwise go the charity shop, it’s worth a try.

Just remember to separate out any good quality/designer items that you could get more for selling separately.

Give feedback on TV

If you think you could feature on Gogglebox, you’ll LOVE The Viewers. It’s a market research company specifically about TV.

You can get paid to give your opinion on TV shows in focus groups, online surveys and reviews. It pays around £40 for an in-person focus group and around £10 an hour for online feedback.

Help train AI

Neevo is a website where you can make extra money online by completing small easy tasks, with the aim of helping companies improve their Artificial Intelligence systems.

The tasks typically include transcription (audio to text), recording short passages, tagging images and annotating text. Companies use this work to train automated chat-bots or develop video games, for example.

You simply log in whenever you have free time, and take your pick of the available tasks. 

The pay varies depending on the task (and your speed!), but many users report earning around £50 a month with this site.

Join Quidco

Quidco is a cashback site. You check it before you buy something online, click through from Quidco instead of going directly to the retailer’s site, and then you get free cash back into your Quidco account!

At the time of writing you also get a free £10 new customer bonus when you make your first purchase!

Switch bank accounts

You’ve probably seen all the bank ads offering great deals for switching. But it might seem like too much trouble to switch your main current account.

Check out this post which explains how you can make money switching bank accounts even without losing your main account.

These are usually limited time offers but there is often at least one offer out there for £100-£150 just to switch, and some people do this several times a year!

Rent out your gear

If you have any rarely-used items hanging around but you don’t want to get rid of them, you can rent them out for money.

Tools, lawn mowers, camera equipment and drones are all good things to rent for cash. Have a look at websites like Fat Llama for ideas.

Rent out your driveway

If you’re lucky enough to live near a town centre, station, football stadium, or other busy area – and you have a drive or private parking space – you can charge people to park.

This works out really well if someone needs to park during the daytime when you’re out anyway.

Rent out your car

Does your car just sit on the driveway half the time? You can rent it out by the hour, day or longer. There are several companies and apps that you can use, and they’ll even cover insurance. Here are some to take a look at:

• Hiyacar
• Turo
• Getaround

Learn more: 11 Smart Ways To Make Money With Your Car In The UK

Rent out a spare room

If you have an empty room in your house, don’t let it go to waste!

There are lots of ways to make money from a spare room, including renting on Airbnb, taking a lodger or hosting a foreign exchange student.

And you don’t even need a whole spare room. According to the calculator above, you could net almost £500 per month on Airbnb just offering a place to sleep in a shared room in London (such as a sofa bed in a living room).

Sign up to the government’s Rent a Room scheme and the first £7,500 you make each year will be tax free income.

Learn more: How to Make Money From Your Home

Airbnb experiences

You don’t even need to host guests in your house to make money on Airbnb!

With Airbnb experiences, you can earn money giving guided tours of your hometown, or leading activities such as a cooking demonstration, art workshop, or even pub crawl!

Learn more: 3 Clever Ways To Make Money On Airbnb Without A Property 

Sell advertising on your car

If you have your own car, you could make easy money by selling advertising space!

Car Quids is a company that pays you to stick adverts on your car. The ads peel off easily and don’t leave marks. You could earn up to £100 a month with little effort.

Set up an FBA business

FBA or Fulfillment by Amazon is a business model that lets normal people like you and me sell on Amazon, and collect a share of its multi billion dollar profits!

In a nutshell, you find a product to sell, and send it into the Amazon warehouse. Amazon handle the fulfillment (packing and shipping), and you get paid after it sells.

There are two main ways of sourcing products. You can buy up products on sale, to resell at a higher price on Amazon (this is known as ‘retail arbitrage’). Or, you can commission and import your very own products, finding a supplier on Alibaba.

This is an idea that can start as a small side hustle and potentially grow into a full time business if you keep reinvesting the profits.

Learn more: How To Make Money With Amazon FBA

Rent out your home for photo shoots

Film, TV and photography companies often rent out ordinary people’s houses as a location for a shoot.

They need all different kinds of properties, but you can earn a lot more if you have an unusual space – for example, a home decorated in a particular period style, a swanky or very modern house.

Here are some sites where you can submit your space for consideration:

• Amazing Space
• Lavish Locations  
• Shoot Factory
• The Beach Studios 
• Location Works

Start a blog

Blogging is a long term project rather than a quick and easy way to make extra money, but it can be SO worth it.

In my case, I was able to replace my full time office job salary with blog income after just two years (earning £2,000-£3,000 every month and growing). 

Bloggers make money in various ways, such as advertising, affiliate marketing (this is when you earn money for recommending products and services you use), sponsored posts, and creating their own ebooks or other products to sell.

It can be a lot of work upfront but eventually becomes a very enjoyable and flexible business that you can run from your laptop anywhere in the world!

Spot properties for sale

Property developers are always looking for ideal buildings to buy. If you walk pass an empty or derelict property in your area, you can report it on YouSpotProperty.com and potentially make a nice fee.

Transcription

Transcription is an interesting work from home job idea. Transcriptionists get paid to turn audio or video recordings into the written word.

You need to be a fast typist, but you don’t need any specific qualification.

See this list of companies offering jobs for freelance transcriptionists in the UK.

Angi app

If you have experience as a cleaner or handyman, you can use the app Angi (formerly Handy) to find extra work that fits your schedule.

Charity fundraiser

Otherwise known as the infamous ‘chuggers’.

You’ll need a thick skin and an outgoing personality for this, but there are always plenty of part time jobs going as charity fundraisers. The work can be either door-to-door or standing on the street.

The basic pay is low, but most companies offer a hefty commission or a bonus scheme on top of the base rate (which explains why chuggers are known for being so pushy) – so if you’re a confident salesperson, this could be a good source of extra income.

Wesser is one well-known company that recruits fundraisers for various charities in the UK. You can also find opportunities on the major job sites, such as Indeed.

Exam invigilating

Invigilating exams is a way to earn extra money in the UK around exam time.

All schools need invigilators to sit in exam rooms and ensure correct conditions. An easy, if boring, temporary job.

You can find exam invigilator jobs on most major job sites like Reed or Indeed.

Marking exams

Another way to make money from exams is marking. You obviously have to be qualified in the area you’re marking, so this is an ideal way for teachers to boost their income.

There’s also demand for qualified professionals (such as accountants) to mark industry exams.

Election worker

Local councils across the UK hire thousands of temporary staff at local and national election times. There are jobs delivering polling cards, working at polling stations and even counting votes.

This can be a good way to make extra money if you just need an occasional boost. Contact the Electoral Services department of your local council.

Sign up for a Curve card

Curve is an app and card that lets you combine all your different cards, bank accounts and loyalty cards into one! It’s a really great idea and so convenient as you only need to carry the one card with you. Plus, the app gives you cashback on selected retailers, and spending insights to help you budget.

You can earn £5 free simply by signing up for the free card with code N3M7934D and using it a few times.

To activate the bonus, you need to make 5 transactions totalling £5 within 10 days of signing up. 5 transactions seems a lot but you literally just use your Curve card in place of your usual debit card and the money is taken from your usual bank.

This is not an ongoing way to earn extra money, but it is a quick and easy way to get a free £5. Plus I think the card itself is a great idea!

Taskrabbit

Taskrabbit is an app that lets you do small odd jobs for money. The common jobs on the app are things like handyman services, removals, cleaning, assembling furniture and gardening.

Search engine evaluation

This is an interesting work at home job that involves online research to help search engines improve their results.

You have to take some training and pass a test to get started, but after that it can provide regular work.

Top companies to look at are LionBridge and Appen.

Babysitting or childminding

Not just for teenage girls! Babysitting is an easy way to get started earning extra cash, especially if you already have friends, family or neighbours with kids who you could ask.

Childminding could be a perfect way to earn extra money while you stay at home with your own children.

Again, perhaps start by offering your services to a friend who needs childcare while they go out to work.

You will need to register with Ofsted to work as a childminder, but not a babysitter. The difference depends on the age of the children, whether you work in your own home or theirs, and the hours you work. Check gov.uk for details.

Babysitting is not regulated, and you don’t technically need any qualifications if you’re just sitting for friends or people you know.

To find more work, you can sign up for an agency. Just be prepared that all reputable agencies will ask for references, DBS check and possibly additional qualifications such as a first aid certificate.

Deliveroo

Deliveroo drivers are in demand almost all over the country. You just need your own bike or other transport to get started.

Pizza delivery

The peak time for pizza delivery is evenings and weekends, making this a great way to earn extra cash around your day job.

I enjoyed this post from Stupid Is The Norm who makes £279 from delivering pizzas three night a week and suggests you can retire early by investing the extra cash!

Delivery jobs are usually just advertised in shop windows, so keep an eye out (or go and ask) in the shops near you.

Deliver leaflets

This is another common delivery job in the UK. You can often deliver leaflets on foot, so it could be a good alternative to pizza delivery if you don’t have a vehicle, and it’s more exercise too!

Find these jobs on Gumtree or other recruitment sites.

RedWigWam

RedWigWam is an online temp agency in the UK. They have loads of short term or one-off jobs, such as mystery shopping, temporary driving and cleaning jobs, and helping with special promotions in supermarkets.

Since they are mostly short term gigs, these are easy ways for you to make extra money around a full time job or the school run without too much commitment.

Modelling

Don’t be so quick to discount this idea – you don’t have to look like a ‘typical’ model to do this job!

If you’re more ‘interesting’ looking, take a look at Ugly.

Street performer

If you can sing, dance, or perform in any way, perhaps busking could be a way to earn some extra cash? You will need to check with your local council about licences.

Get some leaflets made up and it might even lead to private performance work.

Give out samples in shops

Lots of companies recruit part time staff to run special promotions in shops. This post has more info. I’ve also seen these jobs on RedWigWam.

Get paid to search the internet

Qmee is a smart little browser app that shows you special ads when you’re doing your normal Google searches. You can earn a few pennies for each ad you click on.

It’s low paying, but it does add up over time – and it’s so easy!

You can make extra money faster on Qmee by taking paid surveys, too. And the best thing about this one is you can cash out at any amount, so it’s perfect if you just need a couple of quid fast.

Get 50p free when you sign up with my link.

Sell old shoes on eBay

Don’t through out those old shoes. Believe it or not, there are people who pay good money for them – the stinkier the better! Here’s a great article on this.

I’ve heard of people selling second hand socks and other, erm, personal items of clothing too.

Car washing

Washing the car is one chore that a lot of people are more than happy to outsource!

You don’t need much special equipment, so if you need extra cash fast, get out knocking on doors and see if you get any takers.

VoxPopMe

VoxPopMe is a fun app that pays you to do short video questionnaires. Usually you have to record a two or three minute clip sharing your opinion on a certain brand.

Sell second hand books and DVDs

Books, DVDs, games and CDs – we all have piles of these around which could be turned into cash!

I like the apps Ziffit and WeBuyBooks. You simply scan the barcodes, and the app suggests a price which you can accept or reject. They’ll even come and pick them up from you if you have enough!

Learn more: How to Turn Your Old Books into Cash

Sell company names

Are you good at coming up with snappy sounding phrases? The website Squad Help pays you to think of company names.

You can either sell a name you’ve already thought of, or enter a contest to submit the perfect name for a particular brand. The contest prizes are usually $100-$500.

Dropshipping

This is an online business model where you set up an online store and arrange for products to be shipped directly from the supplier. Most dropshippers use Chinese suppliers from Ali Express or similar, because it’s so cheap.

This is an interesting way to start up an online shop without handling products and shipping yourself!

Proofreading

If you are the sort of person who always points out the mistakes in menus, blog posts and other reading materials, proofreading could be the side hustle you’re looking for!

Freelancing

Freelancing on the side of your day job is a good way to make extra cash if you have any skills such as writing, editing, coding, web design, translation, proofreading and so on.

There are really endless services you can offer. Think about whether any of the skills you use in your day job could be offered as a freelance service?

You can look for jobs or advertise your services on sites such as Upwork, People Per Hour and Fiverr.

Read this post for tips on starting out as a freelancer.

Dog sitting

Animal lovers can earn extra money as dog sitters or walkers! Look on Rover and Tailster for opportunities near you.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistants are online assistants who help out bloggers and businesses. This is an internet based job that you can do from anywhere in the world.

You can offer pretty much any service as a VA. Popular services include answering emails, research tasks, outreach, general admin, and so on. There are even VAs who specialise in Pinterest!

You can typically find Virtual Assistant jobs for individuals and small businesses on freelance marketplaces such as Upwork, while jobs with larger companies are advertised on sites like Indeed.

InstaGC

InstaGC lets you earn gift cards by taking surveys, watching videos and other easy online tasks.

Like Swagbucks, this is not a high earner so don’t get your hopes up, but it’s a simple and accessible way to get started earning online.

Get paid to share links on Pinterest

Did you know you can earn money by pinning on Pinterest? If you love using Pinterest for searching and sharing ideas, you will love this!

You can earn money on Pinterest by pinning products you love with affiliate links. This means that you earn a small commission if somebody clicks on your pin and buys the item.

I have a full tutorial on making money on Pinterest here.

Respondent

Respondent.io is a site that pays you to take part in online focus groups and interviews. These are usually longer, detailed surveys by phone or video chat.

Because of this, they pay really well – I have seen several opportunities that pay over $100 for a one hour interview!

It’s a US site but they are often looking for UK participants.

Respondent often look for participants with specialist knowledge, for example, people who work in a certain field, but there are lots of general opportunities as well if you keep an eye out.

Get paid to write music reviews

The website Slicethepie pays you to write reviews of new music tracks. It is quite low paying, but an easy and fun way to earn a bit extra if you love music.

Write book reviews

Maybe you’re more of a bookworm than a music buff? There are lots of websites that pay you to write book reviews.

Again, this isn’t a highly paid job, but the money can be an excellent bonus if you read a lot anyway.

Plus, free books! And an excuse to curl up with your latest novel all day!

Learn more: Get Paid To Read Books! 9 Savvy Ways For Bookworms To Make Money

Solve companies’ problems

On the websites Innocentive and Idea Connection, companies post problems they’re having and request members of the public to submit their ideas.

If they pick your idea, you can earn cash rewards.

You will have better luck with this if you have specialist knowledge such as engineering or information technology. And of course, you could spend time submitting answers without getting paid.

But if you come up with the winning solution, the reward can be tens of thousands of dollars! 

Get some shifts in a pub

No matter where you live in the UK, you are bound to have a local pub – and most pubs are frequently looking for new bar staff. 

Since most bar shifts are in the evenings, working in a pub makes a good second job in the UK because you can fit it in after your day job.

One or two evening shifts a week could make a massive difference to your budget.

Working in a bar can also be sociable, and fun! You’ll get to know a lot of people in your local community.

And if you don’t fancy pouring the drinks, pubs also need people out the back for washing up and so on.

Work in a shop

Another popular second job idea in the UK is working in a shop part time. You might think Saturday jobs in a shop are just for teenagers, but there’s nothing to stop you applying! 

A weekend job in a shop won’t clash with your 9-5, and many shops also need evening shift workers even if the shop is closed, for stocking the shelves and so on.

Most supermarkets now also hire people to work overnight for packing deliveries.

So whatever hours you work in your main job, you can probably find some shop hours to suit you.

Don’t forget that many shops hire extra workers in the run up to Christmas – a great way to boost your own Christmas budget, and perhaps score a staff discount for buying presents! Start looking in September or October.

Take in ironing

Ironing is an easy home business to start with little upfront costs. And most people hate ironing, so you’ll never be short of customers!

Advertise locally in area Facebook groups or just by putting the word out around your neighbours.

Deliver for Amazon

There are loads of different delivery companies out there, but Amazon Flex is known for being pretty flexible (as suggested by the name!).

This makes it a good option if you’re looking for a side income idea, rather than a full on job.

You don’t have to commit to regular hours. Simply use the app to view and select available ‘blocks’ when you want to earn extra money. The app shows estimated earnings and time needed to complete the job.

On the day, pick up your packages and deliver according to the information shown on the app.

To join, you’ll need access to a car or van, a UK driving licence, and a smart phone to download the Amazon Flex app. You’ll also need to pass a background check.

Customer service representative

There are lots of home-based jobs in the UK doing customer service by phone, email or live chat. Read this interview with someone who did it for 7 years for more info.

Life modelling

If you are wondering how to make a bit of extra money in the UK in an interesting way – and you are confident in yourself! – the answer could be life modelling!

Life models pose nude for artists and students. And you don’t have to look like a ‘model’ for this job – artists need models of all shapes and ages.

The purpose is for students to learn how to draw the human body, and there’s nothing sexual about the job.

You can find life model jobs on job sites, and websites such as Gumtree, as well as directly on art school websites.

But please put your personal safety first. Personally I would only attend jobs hosted at a legit college or art school, and stay away from positions listed by private individuals.

Sell videos from your phone

Take videos on your phone and upload to Newsflare. If they get picked up by a news source, you’ll get paid.

Good ideas for popular videos include anything cute (babies, kittens, dogs) and news coverage (such as protests or anything happening live in your area). Newsflare also post requests for videos on certain topics – check under the ‘Video Briefs’ section.

Learn more: How to Make Money Selling Videos From Your Phone

Sell revision notes

Here is a great side hustle idea for students, as suggested by my friend Anneliese, who made extra cash in her first year at uni by getting ahead of the course materials, writing up study notes and selling them to her coursemates.

Learn more: How to Make Money Selling Revision Notes

Sell unwanted Lego

If your kids have grown out of their Lego and you’ve got bags full of unwanted bricks, there are several sites that pay by the weight.

The best I found at the time of writing is Toy Exchange, paying £6 per kilo.

If you have any rare/discontinued sets or unusual pieces, you will probably earn more selling them individually on eBay.

Trade domain names

A domain name is a website address. For example, my site’s domain is boostmybudget.com.

Did you know domain names can be bought and sold, just like any other asset? Many people make great money by buying unused domain names at a cheap price and selling them on to businesses or bloggers who are willing to pay higher prices.

I buy all my domain names at Namecheap. They are very affordable and easy to use. You can sell your domains at specialist auction sites such as Sedo and Flippa.

Rent out your garden as an allotment

There are long waiting lists for allotments in many parts of the UK.

If you have your own garden and you could spare a patch, you could try renting it out as an allotment to somebody who wants to grow their own veg.

I don’t know of any websites specifically for this but I have heard of people doing it as an informal arrangement. You could try advertising on local community websites and Facebook groups.

You might get some free veg into the bargain!

Sell your wedding dress

If you’re a sentimental sort you probably want to hang onto it, but consider the fact that stylish wedding dresses in good condition can go for several hundred pounds!

So if it’s stuck in a box in your loft, perhaps you could trade it in for extra money instead.

You can sell your wedding dress on Facebook marketplace or Preloved, or take it to a specialist second hand shop if you have one near you.

Rent out wedding decorations

Another money making idea for those who’ve got married recently.

Many people shell out hundreds of pounds on specialist decorative items for their weddings such as china, centrepieces, easels, mirrors or silk flowers.

You could sell them for some quick extra cash – or, for ongoing cash flow, you can rent them out.

This works really well if you can provide a whole wedding themed set.

And you can also apply the same idea for other events, for example renting out themed decoration sets for children’s birthdays.

Sell gold items

I used to get really annoyed by those ads saying ‘sell gold for cash!’ because I thought, if I had piles of gold lying around, I wouldn’t exactly need extra cash!

But I have actually come across a few people who’ve used these services in real life so they shouldn’t be overlooked.

You don’t need piles of gold bars to sell – even a single unwanted wedding ring (ouch) or one small piece of jewellery could net upwards of £50. The key is to get quotes from several different places because they can vary wildly.

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FAQs on making extra money in the UK

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Tax and extra income in the UK

Do I have to pay tax on my extra earnings?

Remember that if you earn extra money in the UK, it is your own responsibility to register with HMRC and declare your side income.

However: there is currently a £1,000 tax-free allowance for trading income (which means small casual self-employed jobs such as babysitting, selling on eBay, and most of the things on this list), and another £1,000 allowance for property income (such as renting out a room on Airbnb).

You generally don’t have to submit a tax return or pay tax if you earn less than £1,000 in each of these categories.

But you may choose to register voluntarily in certain situations. For example, if you need proof of self-employment to qualify for Maternity Allowance or NI contributions. Please see the government website for more info or give HMRC a call if you have any doubts.

Another exception to this is matched betting. You don’t have to declare matched betting income, because it technically counts as gambling winnings, which are not taxed in the UK!

This is yet another reason why matched betting is one of my top recommendations for making money from home in the UK 🙂

Learn more about matched betting here.

How to register with HMRC and declare extra income UK

If you do earn over £1,000 in extra income in one tax year (which runs from April to April), you’ll have to register for Self Assessment with HMRC and declare your earnings in a tax return.

This is a lot easier than it sounds, so don’t let this put you off!

Just make sure to keep a record of all the extra money you earn. You can list this in a spreadsheet or notebook, whatever works for you.

Also keep track of any work-related expenses, such as a laptop, software or tools. You may be able to claim tax relief on these.

And don’t forget to put aside some of your extra income to pay your taxes – otherwise you will be in for a nasty shock when you have to pay it all at the end of the year! I transfer a percentage into a separate savings account each month, so I can earn interest on it until it’s time to pay the tax bill.

HMRC has a useful calculator you can use to estimate your self employment tax bill here.

Don’t worry about your main job finding out about your side job. They should not be notified when you register for Self Assessment. Any extra taxes you pay (or tax relief you claim on your expenses) is between you and HMRC.

Please note that I’m not a tax adviser or accountant. This section is based on my own knowledge and research on gov.uk. If you have any questions about paying tax on your side hustle earnings, please speak to HMRC or a professional for advice!

How to earn extra money UK: conclusion

Have you tried any of the ideas on this list? How did they work for you?

Do you have any other ideas on how to make extra money in the UK?

Please do share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. That way we can all help each other share the love and earn more cash!!!

At last count, this post contains over 90 ideas on how to earn extra money in the UK! I try to keep this post updated, and I regularly add to this list with new ideas as I come across them.

Why not bookmark or pin this post for future reference, and check back for new ideas.

You can also sign up for my FREE money making email course, to get daily money making ideas sent straight to your inbox!

Related posts

• Epic List Of UK Side Hustle Business Ideas
• Tax-Free Side Hustles in the UK: Legit Ways to Boost Your Income!
• How To Get FREE Money In The UK

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