Ways to Make Extra Money

There are many reasons that people find that they want or need to make some extra money. Some people find that their income does not cover their essential outgoings and they need to bring in some extra cash to make ends meet. Others may have fairly well paid jobs but want to make extra money for a specific event such as a holiday, a house, or a wedding.

We will look at some ideas for bringing in extra money.

Sell Up

If you only need extra money in the short-term or need a specific amount, think about whether there is anything you could sell to raise the money. Do you absolutely need a car or could you just as easily get the bus?

Go through your home and weed out books, DVDs, clothes, CDs – anything – that you don’t need anymore. You can sell these goods in a number of ways, for example:

• At a car boot sale
• To a specialist shop
• On specialist websites
• On generic auction sites such as eBay

There is a large demand these days for items such as vintage clothes and retro kitchenalia.

Find a Second Job

The most obvious tip for making some extra money is to find a second job to supplement your income. There are plenty of opportunities out there which will fit around nine-to-five work.

Alternatively in some roles it may be possible to concentrate your efforts and take on overtime in your current job.

Second job ideas include:

• Waiting tables in a restaurant
• Serving drinks or collecting glasses in a bar
• Working in a cinema, bowling alley or similar leisure outlet
• Saturday or Sunday shop work
• Supermarket work

After you have already worked a full week, you are likely to be tired and it is likely that you may feel like doing nothing less than going to another job. It’s a good idea to cut yourself some slack, where possible, when it comes to a second job. Try and find something that you enjoy to an extent. For example, working in a restaurant where you get along with all the staff, or working at a bar which plays your favourite kind of music.

Work from Home

Getting a second job doesn’t have to mean going out to work necessarily. There are jobs available which mean you can work from home. However, caution needs to be exercised as there are many scams around.

The types of roles involved include:

• Web researching
• Telephone services
• Freelance work such as book-keeping, graphic design and writing

More Tips for Making Extra Money

• Use a cashback credit card (which you pay off in full each month – this is a must!)
• Shop through cashback sites
• Become a mystery shopper
• Take in a lodger
• Recycle your old mobile phone – many companies pay for unwanted mobile phones
• Reclaim bank and credit card charges
• Do market research – online or traditionally
• Make money from hobbies and skills – for example painting, sewing or fixing cars
• Take on babysitting
• Charge for ironing or cleaning services
• Become an artist’s model for life drawing classes
• Volunteer for medical research trials