Christmas is coming! In whatever form your festive season comes, money is tight for many and it’s hard not to feel stressed at the thought of covering those Christmas costs. Making a few pounds on the side over the next month or two will help take a little bit of the pressure off… We’re here to help!
We originally put this blog together when Covid restrictions were in place, so becoming a mystery shopper or a live art class model weren’t options at the time. What’s helpful about that is that is all the tips we’ve covered are extra earners you can carry out from the comfort of your own home!
It’s an oldie but a goodie! And because people can’t get out to shop, there’s actually never been a better time to go through your house and see what you don’t want or need. Someone else might be looking for just that item!
Whether you’re clearing out clothes, furniture, jewellery, old collections from sporting memorabilia to teddy bears, games consoles, DVD’s, mobile phones… your old ‘junk’ could really be someone else’s treasure/Christmas gift! There are many specialist selling sites now, so as well as considering your ebay or Gumtree account, be sure to do some research into other platforms you could choose to sell through such as Music Magpie or Vinted. You could pick up a few extra pounds from reaching the right audience direct.
Well funnily enough this one is our favourite! You may have decided to keep hold of your old car a little longer after the MOT extension announcement earlier this year, but whether it’s finally come to the end of its days, or your travel methods have changed, there couldn’t be a better time to get rid of your old wheels. Scrap prices are high and we can collect your car from anywhere in the UK.
An instant quote will give you a guaranteed price, and if there’s any time left on your vehicle tax you’ll get another pay out with that money returned too.
Not in the literal sense of course! We’re referring to a skill that you might take for granted that could actually make you a little, or even a lot of money!
Maybe you are a dab hand at carving, drawing, pottery, jewellery making, baking – wrack those brains and fish out that tool – you could be making money from your hobby and selling the items you make online. Check out sites such as Etsy to sell your items.
Your skill may be something that enables you to provide a service online – helping an individual or business with writing, graphic design, music composition, photography or any other special skill you may have to offer. You could use Facebook or other social media sites to spread word of your skills but one of the official sites we’ve seen recommended is Fiverr where you can post adverts for your particular skills.
When cash-back schemes first started many people were sceptical, but they continue to make people money and as long as you follow some simple advice (see Money Saving Expert’s guide to using cashback sites) you could potentially get back hundreds of pounds in a year and let’s face it, a lot of that could be from your Christmas shopping alone! Check out Top Cash Back or Quidco and watch the money roll in!
It may sound small fry, but some of us have a significant amount of coins stashed around the house… whether they are carefully collected in a specific bottle/piggybank/swear jar (!) or you have little piles of coins around the house depending on where they have been fished out of pockets and handbags. It can all mount up!
Why not do a coin sweep in the house, or even get the kids to do it as a game! You may well find it adds up to a healthy sum. Some large supermarkets have coin converters that give you shopping vouchers, or you can save it for a bank trip.
While you are searching the house keep your eyes peeled for old bank notes and foreign money that could be swapped. The Bank of England is the best place to go for advice on swapping old bank notes and if you have old foreign currency there are services such as Left Over Currency. If you’ve come across current foreign currency, rather than hanging onto it ‘just in case’ you could exchange it back to sterling to help out this Christmas – we suggest checking Money Saving Experts comparison service for the best rates.
We don’t mean you have to take on a lodger. If you’ve recently got rid of your own car, or you are lucky enough to have a spare parking space, driveway or garage, whatever your situation, space sells! Many people have to travel to work in areas where there is limited parking or wish to park near more convenient travel options such as train stations. There are plenty of online sites that will help you make money off your space, you can try Parklet, Your Parking Space, Just Park or Park on My Drive.
It’s not exciting and it’s not strictly generating money, but it is saving it! Whether it’s getting round to cancelling memberships you’re not using or reducing your subscriptions, a family can save hundreds of pounds a year from a simple review of their finances. Once you’ve taken a look at the individual costs you can get rid of or reduce, you may run out of steam, why not try a service such as Look After My Bills – they automatically move your bills onto the best tariffs – saving you money without you having to lift a finger!
Most people don’t mind filling in a quick survey if they get to share their opinion and/or perhaps improve their customer experience in the future… well you can actually get paid for doing it! There are sites set up to help businesses with survey responses and by filling them out online you can earn cash or gift vouchers. Perfect for Christmas! There are so many sites that offer this opportunity but here’s a few to get you started: Prolific, Swagbucks and Curious Cat App.
Hopefully that’s given you all some inspiration, you might even enjoy making some extra cash for Christmas!
Wishing all our blog readers a wonderful a festive season.
Please remember that all self-employed income should be declared to HM Revenue and Customs.
