Last updated: Dec
5th, 2011
Feature by Rebecca Rutt
There are lots of ways
to generate some extra income outside the 9-5 grind and with just a few simple
steps you could see the pounds rolling in. We've picked out our favourite ways
to make some easy cash.
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
·
Using a website like
mylostaccount.org.uk (http://www.mylostaccount.org.uk/)
can help you access old accounts. The website is free to use and covers all UK
bank andbuilding society accounts. All you need to do is to go
to the website and type in your details.
Money made: £600 found
in an old savings account
Claim tax credits
It's always worth
checking that you are receiving all the tax credits you are eligible for.
The handy website
turn2us.org.uk (http://www.turn2us.org.uk/default.aspx)
will do this for you for free. Simply enter your details and it will work out
what you should be entitled to and tell you how to claim these.
Money made: For
example if you're over 60 you can claim for a free bus pass for travel during
off-peak times.
Review your savings
If you've had the same
savings account for a while it might be worth shopping around for a new
account. For example, the Northern Rock Saver Reward instant-access account
will give you 3.11% on an initial deposit of £1,000.
If you have a lump sum
you are prepared to lock away for 12 months or longer, then a fixed-rate
account might be best. However, if you haven't yet used your ISA allowance for the current tax year
then this sort of account should be the first home for any savings. You can
save up to £5,340 each tax year as cash in an ISA and this will not be taxed.
Money made: You could
make about £35.50 over a year by switching £1,000 from an old 0.10% interest
account into the Cheshire
Become a 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 or
mystery-shoppers.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.
Money made: For a
day's work expect to get around £20 and extra benefits like a meal for two
thrown in.
Use cashback credit cards
If you pay off your
credit bill in full each month, a cashback credit card could be the way to go. These offer
you money back on purchases in certain shops or on goods such as petrol. For
example the Santander
Money made: With the
Capital One World Mastercard you'll get 5% cashback for the first three months.
If you spend £1,000 on the card during this time you'll receive £50 back.
Use Cashback sites
You can earn even more
money from shopping online. Cashback 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 and quidco.com.
Money made: Most
cashback sites offer an average of 5% on purchases, so if you use them and
spend £200 you'll get back £10. This won't be instant and the website vary with
the timing on this but most take between one to three months to return the cash
to you.
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.
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.
Money made: One small
bedroom could make you around £289 a month and this rises dramatically if your
home is in London
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 a website where you can advertise your space free of
charge and let frustrated drivers get in touch.
Money made: 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.
Online selling
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.
If you don't want to
pay eBay's fees than websites like preloved.co.uk or gumtree.com offer the same
service but you'll have to arrange payment and delivery on your own.
Money made: eBay
estimates the average British house has about £450 worth of unwanted items that
could be sold on the site.
Car boot sales
If you'd prefer money
in your palm instantly, a car boot sale is the place to go. Thousands of people
flock to car boot sales every weekend, with pitches costing about £10 a day but
don't expect to walk away with hundreds. Customers go to carbootsales to get a
bargain and won't buy from you if you've overpriced your goods. To find out
where to flog your booty, check out Carbootjunction.com.
Money made: The
average car boot sale table will make around £50 for a day but this is totally
dependent on the quality of the stuff you're selling.
Recycle old mobile phone
If you've given your
house a de-clutter there are bound to be lots of unused mobiles lying around.
The price you can get varies a lot across websites, so use a comparison website
like mobilephonerecycling.co.uk to find out where you can get the most cash
first.
Money made: Recycle
your old iPhone 3GS (16Gb) for £130.07 with envirofone.com
Switch bank accounts
The high-street banks
are crying out for our custom and many offer cash incentives to new customers.
Switching is an easy process and the bank should be able to move over all your
direct debit accounts automatically.
Money made: First
Direct and Santander
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 learning different musical instruments or a foreign language why not
put these to better use. Prices vary but you could make around £60 for three
hour-long sessions a week.
Money made: £20 per
class
Surveys that pay
The web 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.
Money made: With
Yougov you'll earn around 50 points per survey you take part in and when you
reach 5,000 point you'll get a £50 gift voucher.
0 Response to 'Make up to £2,500 on your weekends'
Post a Comment