IF you’re feeling strapped for cash after a costly Christmas, you may be desperately searching for ways to boost your bank balance.
The good news is, there are plenty of simple ways to earn some additional income.
There are plenty of ways to make cash from the comfort of your home
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, we’ve come up with 30 ways to make some quick cash in 2023.
1. Make the switch
A relatively simple way to bag up to £200 is by switching your current account to a new provider.
HSBC is paying £200 to those who make the move, while those who switch to First Direct and Halifax can get £175.
Transferring to a new bank should be easy and hassle-free, thanks to the Current Account Switching Service.
But make sure you check out the Ts and Cs which apply to find out what you need to do to be eligible for the free cash.
You may have to pay in a certain amount to qualify.
Also, be aware bonuses can take a few weeks to come through.
Earn up to £200.
2. Take part in surveys
Why not make a bit of money in your lunch break by answering questions and filling out surveys?
As a starting point, try free sites such as Swagbucks i-Say and PopulusLive.
Typically, surveys take around 10-15 minutes to complete
If you check in regularly, you could make around £5 an hour.
Payments are usually made via PayPal, or into your bank account, once you’ve reached a certain amount.
Steer clear of sites where you are required to pay to become a member, or this will cut into your earnings.
With a bit of discipline, earn up to £100 a month.
3. Sell your old tech
If Santa brings you a new phone at Christmas, seize the chance to flog your old one to bag yourself a bit of cash.
The amount you can earn will depend on the make, the model, the condition it’s in, and whether it’s unlocked or tied to a network.
But you could potentially earn hundreds selling an old handset.
According to mobile marketplace, Mozillion, you could get just over £300 for a three-year-old Apple iPhone, and more than £400 for the more recent Apple iPhone 12, while the Huawei P30 Pro, Motorola Razr could net you £200.
Mazuma and MusicMagpie are other sites which will recycle or re-sell appliances, often paying out more than you might anticipate.
You could make from around £200.
4. Sign up to be a mystery shopper or diner
Get involved in some mystery shopping in 2023.
This might involve popping into a store or visiting a restaurant undercover as a “normal” customer.
Your job is to ensure standards are being met.
Candidates are typically given between £5 and £20 to spend at a store.
That said, payments could be a lot higher, depending on the nature of the job.
Try sites such as Mystery Shoppers and Market Force to see what assignments are on offer.
Bag yourself around £20.
5. Take in a lodger
Taking in a lodger is a fantastic way to make some extra cash, as long as you’re ok with the idea of having someone living with you.
According to research from SpaceStation, you could make £144 per week this winter.
Under the government’s Rent a Room scheme, you can earn up to £7,500 a year from letting a furnished room in your home without paying any tax.
That said, breach this threshold, and it’s likely you’ll be taxed, and will need to complete a tax return.
Potentially earn £1,000s.
6. Cash in on cashback
Before making any purchase in 2023, check out the likes of Topcashback and Quidco, where you get rewarded with commission when you shop with brands on the site.
Retailers may offer cashback as a fixed amount, or a percentage of the price, anything from 0.5% to 20%.
The sites get paid for sending traffic to the store.
Typically, you can withdraw the balance to your bank account or PayPal account, though you may also be able to withdraw your balance as gift vouchers.
Note it can sometimes take months for the money to actually get paid.
According to Topcashback, members earn on average £345 cashback a year.
7. Move to a water meter
See if you can make savings by switching to a water meter.
As a rule of thumb, if you have more bedrooms in your property than the number of people living in it, you may well be able to bring bills down.
To find out if you could potentially be better off, check out the free calculator at CCWater.
Earn £100 over the course of a year.
8. Challenge your council tax band
If you think you are paying more than you should be in council tax, you can challenge your bill.
If you’re successful, you could get moved to a lower band, meaning you pay less.
You’ll also be eligible for a refund of the tax backdated to when you moved into the property.
Use the council tax band checker tool at Gov.uk to see which band you are in, and which band your neighbours are in.
If they are in a lower band, you stand a good chance of making a successful claim.
However, it’s important to note you may also be forced to pay more.
Potentially earn £100s.
9. Have a wardrobe clear-out
The new year is the ideal time to have a spring clean.
Rather than throwing clothing you no longer want into the bin, ask yourself if they might be worth selling.
Try listing unwanted items on sites such as Vinted and Depop.
The amount you make will depend on what condition the clothes are in, as well as any fees charged.
With Vinted, for example, you pay nothing as a seller, while buyers pay a small fee.
With Depop, you don’t have to pay listing fees, but you do face commission on things you sell.
Earn a few £100s.
10. Host a car boot sale
If you’ve done some serious decluttering, and can’t face the idea of listing individual items on various different online marketplaces, why not go old school, and host a car boot sale instead?
You may have to pay around £25 for a pitch, but you should soon recoup this in the money you make from flogging your stuff.
For local events, check out CarBootJunction.
Make between £100 and £150.
11. Buy and resell
While you’re at the car boot sale, have a dig around for cheap items which you think you could sell, such as computer games, clothes or Lego.
Be prepared to give clothes a good wash and iron, and other items, a bit of TLC.
You can then re-sell goods on eBay, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace at a profit.
Potential to earn £100s.
12. Earn rewards for exercising
Check out the new fitness apps which reward you for staying fit.
Sign up to the likes of Sweatcoin, and cash in your steps. You can earn almost a fiver per 5,000 steps you take.
You can then cash Sweatcoins in via Paypal once you’ve reached a certain threshold.
They can also be spent in the in-app shop on items such as sports shoes, Apple watches and yoga classes.
Take enough steps and you could earn around £5 a day
13. Dig out old vouchers
Many people will have vouchers lurking in the depths of their wallet, either earned through spending on retail reward cards, or gifted to them.
So why not dig these out to help you save on your shopping?
According to John Lewis Finance, on average, shoppers will have £57 in vouchers saved up.
14. Track down lost savings
There has never been a better time to check whether you’re the owner of a forgotten asset.
According to research by tracing service Gretel, there is an estimated £50bn unclaimed by Brits.
This includes money in bank accounts, as well as in lost pensions, investment funds and life policies.
A great starting place is the Mylostaccount site.
Simply input as many details as you can remember, then sit back and wait.
It could take up to three months to get reunited with your savings, but if you end up with a windfall, it will definitely be worth it.
Also check out the Government pensions tracing service.
Potential to earn £100s.
15. Check for leftover cash on travel cards
If you loaded money onto a prepaid travel card for a trip abroad in 2022, check if there’s any cash left on your plastic.
Rather than being at the mercy of high street buy-back rates, you can use your currency card to spend in the UK, both online and in-store.
According to FairFX, cardholders may have an average of £57.50 left unspent.
16. Sign up to do some dog-walking or pet-sitting
If you’re an animal lover, you can earn a bit of extra cash in your spare time by walking dogs or looking after pets while their owners are away.
There are plenty of websites and apps which make it easy to sign up, such as Tailster, Rover, Pawshake, and Cat in a Flat.
There’s also a good chance you’ll make a couple of furry friends along the way.
Earn from around £12-£15 an hour pet-sitting, and similar rates for dog-walking.
17. Become a self-employed delivery driver
If you’re looking to supplement your income, find out about getting started as a self-employed delivery driver.
All you need is a reliable vehicle, and to be registered with HMRC.
That said, if you already work full-time, you may need to seek your employer’s approval.
Earn from around £17.50 per hour.
18. Claim the Married Tax Allowance
If you’re married or in a civil partnership, make sure you get the Marriage Allowance.
It is thought more than two million couples aren’t claiming the money they are entitled to.
This lets you transfer £1,260 of your Personal Allowance (the amount of income each person is entitled to receive, free of tax, each year), to your husband, wife or civil partner.
It could reduce a couple’s tax bill by up to £252 in the current tax year which runs until April 5, 2023.
To claim, the lower earner must usually have an income below the Personal Allowance of £12,570.
Get up to £252.
19. Check if you’re eligible for any benefits
More than £15billion goes unclaimed from the Treasury each year, with an estimated seven million households missing out on benefits they could be entitled to.
This includes the likes of council tax discounts, pension credit and Universal Credit.
The help you are eligible for will depend on your circumstances.
To find out what might be available, try the EntitledTo calculator.
For example, Universal Credit starts from £265.31 a month if you are single and under 25.
Potentially get £100s
20. Turn your car into a billboard
Sign up to a site such as CarQuids and you could transform your reliable run-around into a moving billboard.
This involves you advertising brands on your vehicle with vinyl stickers.
The amount you get will depend on the make and model of your card, where you drive and park, and the type of ad.
Once a campaign comes to an end, the sticker gets removed, and you can sign up for your next one.
Also check out Drovo.
Earn up to £150 a month.
21. Hire out your bike
If you jumped on the biking bandwagon during lockdown, but now find your bike is mostly resigned to your garden shed, think about making some money by renting it out.
To find someone who is in need of some pedal power, try a site such as Spinlister.
With this app, you can set your own daily rate. You also get protection in case of damage or theft.
You could get around £200 a month, depending on how frequently your bike gets borrowed.
22. Rent out storage space
There could be cash in the attic, or in your basement, garage, shed or spare room, if you clear out the clutter and rent it out as storage.
Try sites such as Stashbee or Storemates.
Under current rules, you can earn up to £1,000 tax-free from your home, which includes renting out storage space.
Earnings will vary according to the size of the space available.
You may be able to net between £25 and £200 a month.
23. Rent out your driveway
If you’ve got a garage or driveway, but no car to park in it, you could make a quick buck by renting it out.
Check out websites such as JustPark, ParkLet and YourParkingSpace which do all the legwork for you, matching your space to a motorist who needs somewhere to leave their car.
Earnings depend on the level of demand for parking in your area, but could be particularly lucrative if you’re in close proximity to a train station or the city centre.
According to Which? you could bag yourself up to £200 a month.
24. Rent out your electric car charger
If you own an electric car, you can make some easy money by letting other people use your home charging point to charge their vehicles.
Put a listing on JustPark via its “JustCharge” feature, and electric car owners will be able to find you.
Also check out Co-charger.
Potentially earn around £20 a week.
25. Grow and sell plants
Green-fingered individuals can make a pretty penny by propagating and selling houseplants.
Simply buy small cuttings of a popular plant, such as a Swiss cheese plant, nurture them at home, and then sell them on at a profit.
Try selling on sites such as Shopify, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace.
Earn up to £30 per plant.
26. Teach your hobbies
If you’re a whizz at nail art or if you’ve got an eye for cake decorating, see if you can make some cash by teaching others how to do it.
To sell courses or classes, try a site such as online platform, Teachable, which matches students with experts.
You’ll need a smartphone with a decent camera, and a tripod.
Before signing to any site or platform, check for commission and other charges.
Also spread the word on the likes of Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Potential to earn £100s.
27. Cash in on competitions
Make money from the comfort of your own home by entering draws. Head to a site such as Competition Finder to track down the latest genuine, free competitions to enter.
You don’t want to get caught out by scams.
Seek out competitions where there’s an extra step to take, such as coming up with a joke or submitting a photo.
There may be a higher chance of winning as fewer people will bother to make the effort.
You could win £100s (though you may win nothing at all).
28. Put your home on Airbnb
If you’re going to be away from your property for a time, you could look to rent it out on Airbnb.
The key is finding travellers who want to stay in your home on the dates it is empty.
Earnings will depend on the size of your home, and how many days it gets booked for.
Potential to earn £1000s, but this will involve some legwork.
29. Refer a friend
There are some great schemes which reward you for recommending a friend.
With Octopus Energy, for example, if you are an existing customer and get someone you know to sign up, you will get a £50 bonus, and the friend will get £50, too.
Check around for other energy firms, TV and broadband companies offering similar incentives.
Earn up to £50 per referral.
30. Work as a cleaner
If you’re a dab hand at cleaning, why not don your marigolds and offer a cleaning service?
See if families in your local area are in need of some help.
Also tap up homeowners renting out their homes on a short-term basis, as they will often require a cleaner.
Advertise on Nextdoor and other social media sites. Also post fliers through doors on and around your street.
Earn from around £9 or £10 an hour.
