There are ways to generate income outside the 9-5 grind -
get busy in your free time and you could see the pounds rolling in. Moneywise
shows you how to make money with our top money making tips.
Austerity measures from the coalition government has meant
many people have had to tighten their belts. While sticking to a budget and
finding ways to cut back are advisable, with a little imagination and effort
you could find there are ways you can actually make money.
Moneywise has come up with 20 ways to make money during
austere times - some are easier than others but all of them could see you make
some extra cash.
Here are some ideas for you to consider:
Ø
Get your
money back
Ø
Make
money online
Ø
Rent your
stuff for money
Ø
Get into show
business
Ø
Sell your
unwanted items
Ø
Sell
yourself
OK, don’t misunderstand me by telling you to “sell yourself”.
It includes Mystery Shopping, Advertising your skills i.e. post an ad like “Hi my name is Manoj Kumar. I’m a
piano teacher. I’m ready to give online tuition on piano skills.”Volunteer for clinical trial, join the army
reserves etc.
OK, let me explain these tactics in detail
1.
Get
your Money Back :
·
Track
down old accounts: According to the
British Bankers’ Association, there is more than £15 billion sitting forgotten
in bank and savings accounts in the UK, with the average balance estimated to
be £600.
The good news is that tracing lost
funds has become easier with Mylostaccount.org.uk a free online service that covers all UK
bank and building society accounts. All you need to do
is to go to the website and type in your details. Visit this link for more information
http://bcove.me/59thdneb
·
Claim tax
credits
· Sort your savings
· Use cash back credit cards
2.
Make
money online :
·
Cash back
sites
You can earn even more money from shopping online. Cash back websites will
automatically pay you every time you buy a product or a service from selected
retailers, from your weekly groceries to switching your utility provider.
Websites include topcashback.co.uk, quidco.com and quidsinuk.co.uk
which offer 100% commission cash back. The top 5 cash back websites are
o QUIDCO.COM
o TOPCASHBACK.CO.UK
o RPOINTS.COM
o FATCHEESE.CO.UK
o
CASHBACKTOYOU.CO.UK
·
Paid for
surveys
The web
also offers a wealth of balance-boosting opportunities. Survey websites such as
Yougov.com, Panelbase.net and Toluna.com will all reward you for your opinions,
either through cash or reward vouchers.
Once
you’ve registered on the website, you’ll be sent surveys tailored to your
personal profile, ranging from 10p to £2 per survey.
· Earn from web research
Any Question Answered (aqa.63336.com), are often on
the lookout for internet researchers. Once a customer asks a question through
their mobile phone, it’s the researcher’s job to hunt out the answer and reply
online.
You can choose your own hours and the questions you
answer, and can earn around 30p for every question you answer correctly.
· Review music
Budding Simon Cowells amongst us should check out
soundout.com, a music website that pays users to review unsigned bands. The
idea is simple: you sign up, listen to a track, rate it and write an honest
review. You’ll get 5p per review, but the more reviews you make the more you
can charge – experienced reviewers can command 25p per song.
“If you’re a dedicated reviewer, you can earn some
decent pocket money, some users have earned in excess of £1,000,” says David Courtier-Dutton,
the founder of soundout.com.
1. Rent your stuff for money
Take in a lodger
While most of us pay a fortune for our homes, it’s possible to make your home make money for you.According to Santander, you could make as much as £289 a month from renting out a spare room. Under the government’s ‘rent a room’ scheme, you don’t need to pay tax on the first £4,250 you receive either, which means you could charge up to £354.16 a month without being lumbered with a tax bill.
Rent out a parking space
If you live close to a city centre, train station or football stadium and don’t use your parking space or garage, you’re sitting on a proverbial goldmine. Renting an empty parking place to a commuter or football fan could see you rake in the pounds.Parkatmyhouse.com is website where you can advertise your space free of charge and let frustrated drivers get in touch. A parking space in the West End of London, for example, can fetch £500 a month, while in a leafy suburb of Leeds a space could net you £100.
Rent your home to film makers
Hollywood can come to your home too, provided you have the right location. If you live in an interesting property, you could bag upwards of £1,000 a day renting your home to film and TV companies. Ideal locations must have large rooms, good parking facilities and understanding neighbors. Ordinary homes are wanted too.
2. Get into show business
Be a Film extra
If
you fancy seeing yourself on screen, film and TV companies are always on the
hunt for extras. You could make up to £150 a day and get the chance to meet
some famous actors. However, you will need to join an agency first.
Model your child
While
every parent thinks their child is a star, model agencies could think so too.
If you think your little one has what it takes, the first step is to contact an
agency to ask about their requirements. You will be asked to send in a head and
shoulders photo of your child, either by post or email.
If
your child stands out, you’ll both be invited for an interview, to assess if
your child is right for TV, photo or film. Depending on the child’s age, shoots
pay upwards £50 an hour, but bear in mind that agencies can charge up to 25%
commission.
3. Sell your unwanted items
Auctions
We’re
all guilty of hoarding items that "could come in handy one day". But
one man’s rubbish could be another man’s treasure, which is why online auction
website eBay.co.uk is so successful. In fact, eBay estimates the average
British house has about £450 worth of unwanted items that could be sold on the
site.
4. Sell yourself
Mystery shopper
If you're
longing for some retail therapy but can’t afford to hit the shops, why not earn
a few pounds as a mystery shopper? Websites such as Retaileyes.co.uk employ
mystery shoppers to drop in unannounced in shops and restaurants and rate their
experience.
After
you send in your feedback, you’ll be paid for your time and reimbursed for any
purchases you made. You could make up to £20 a day, and get a meal or a night
in a nice hotel thrown in for good measure.
Sell your skills
We all
have skills and talents so why not use these to make a few extra quid.
“If you
spent years of your life being marched to piano lessons, put the experience to
good use in adulthood by advertising your services in the local newspaper as a
music teacher, says Laura Howard in her book, CashQuestions.com's 100 Ways
to Beat the Credit Crunch.
"Just
three hour-long lessons a week could see you up to £60 better off, not to
mention the sense of satisfaction you will get. The same applies for
languages."
Clinical trials
for money
Volunteering
for medical experiments doesn’t just have to involve taking untested and risky
drugs. Some clinical trials are perfectly safe, such as sleep studies,
psychological tests and taste testers. Fit and healthy volunteers living in
London willing to donate their blood for clinical research, for example, could
be paid £60 a time.
But
remember, never sign up for anything you are not happy with – risking your
health for a few extra pounds is just not worth it. Go to Gpgp.net for
trials in your area.
Join the Army
Reserves
If you’re
brave and committed enough to sign up, the Army Reserves (formerly known as the
Territorial Army) is always looking for recruits. You would need to give up one
weekend a month, attend an annual two-week camp for basic training and be ready
to be called to active service.
Basic pay
starts at £34.41 a day, but can rise to £112.51. When you meet the minimum
yearly training requirement (27 days if you’re in a Regional Territorial unit,
19 days if you’re in a National unit) you receive an extra payment known as a
bounty. This increases as you spend more time as a Reserve, so within five
years of joining, you could receive an extra £1,600 a year. Go to
Armyjobs.mod.uk for details. But it's worth bearing in mind that you could end
up being deployed, making this a more serious option than the ones above.
