Almost every one of us on earth has a little or a lot of spare time in our lives, so why not spend it making some extra money? Who does not like an extra metaphorical cherry on their cake?
There are many options available not just in the UK but in the world to make money in your spare time, and here we have highlighted just a handful of ideas to help point you in the right direction:
1. DIY gift making
If you enjoy arts and crafts and love making anything from small trinkets to large furniture pieces, then you can earn money while enjoying your hobbies. This is a great trend to get into as more and more people prefer handcrafted and customized personal gifts these days, more so with the rise of Pinterest. You can then sell your items online with Etsy.
2. Meal prepping or selling food from your home.
If you like cooking and have the magic in your hand that can make people crazy about your cooked food, why not start selling it. As soon as we all get back to work, people may find themselves without much time to cook lunches or dinner, so you can start a meal prep side hustle. You can also sell biscuits and cookies if you have the baking touch.
Seeing as this is selling food, you will need to get registered and, although not compulsory, apply for a food hygiene certificate. The Food Standards Agency has put together a handy, easy-to-follow guide here.
3. Scrapbook making
Many people are obsessed with their memories and good times and want to preserve them as much as possible. This is where scrapbooking can be a great idea to capture these happy moments. If you enjoy crafts, why not offer a service to design them? You can make good money by offering them a service for scrapbook making and selling on Etsy.
4. Rent your belongings
You can rent out your stuff which you are either not using anymore or do not use often. Someone may desperately need to use something that they cannot afford to buy or need not use more than once. We have a carpet cleaner as well as a petrol hedge timer that we do not use that often and rent out every now and then. You can also rent your car or bike!
It is very easy to rent out a product: You can either put an ad on social media or use an online service such as Rentez-Vous or Rentnotbuy
5. Pet walking/minding
If you are a pet lover and you like spending time with them, you should consider earning money through either walking, minding, or even grooming them. If you enjoy it that much, why not consider starting a dog walking business?
6. By selling your skill
If you have any skill or talent which you can sell, then you must go for it. You can sell many skillsets, from writing, drawing, and designing all the way through to writing a song bass line or singing – There is a market for almost everything! You can list your different skillsets on a site like Fiverr alongside a price you deem fit for your offering.
7. Start your own YouTube channel
Whatever your genre, whatever your niche, whatever the length of your videos, YouTube has a viewer for every category. YouTube pays to the host of the YouTube channel based on view count on their videos, due to the ads they serve – The longer the video and the higher the view count, the more ads can be served, thus more money can be made. Being a YouTuber can be a great utilisation of spare time.
8. Online surveys
Many companies and platforms are available that conduct online surveys, such as Prolific, iSay, and Swagbucks. They payout for error-free and accurate survey responses. I usually earn about £95 a month through Prolific alone which equates to about 50/ 60 surveys (they take anywhere from 15 seconds to an hour)
9. By using mobile apps that offer rewards
Many apps, specifically designed for Android and iPhones, pay you for watching videos, surfing the web, or taking short surveys. There are fitness apps, too, where you follow the instructions and if you successfully cross its milestones, you get rewarded.
You can earn money by using these apps in your spare time, such as on your commute to and from work – That is if you do not drive or cycle, of course.
10. Rent any spare parking spaces
If you are not using your parking spot, then that land you have is of no current use. By renting it out to someone for parking, you can earn money through it. It is an extremely easy way to make money because you do not have to do much about it: just create a listing on a site like Justpark.com or Yourparkingspace.co.uk and start renting out your unused spots.
11. Sell your old stuff
If you have anything that you know you are not going to use anymore, do you need to keep it? Especially for items that you can sell and get any amount of cash in return. If you have anything from an old cell phone, DVDs, books, or even clothes in good condition which are of no use for you, then sell them. You can sell your stuff on either Facebook or Depop.
12. Direct selling
Many companies, such as Avon and Herbalife, offer money if you are direct selling for them. Companies choose the MLM method of selling as they can make direct contact with their end or expected customers, without the need for large overheads. They use a bunch of people to conduct “their job” for them.
So, if you have the gift of the gab, why not try your hand at direct selling?
13. Deal with antiques/collectibles
If you are a fan of going to boot fairs and charity shops and have a keen eye for collectibles/antiques, then it is time to use your passion for earning money. There is a global market available for antiques and collectibles goods, and people are ready to pay large amounts for the right goods.
Why not go one step further in your research and use a website like Antiquetrader to find what people are actively seeking.
14. Through playing games
Many console, PC, and Smartphone-based games offer money when you cross a certain level. Nothing could be better than this as you are essentially earning money while entertaining yourself. If you play games in your spare time, why don’t you switch to competitions to make money online while playing?
15. Rent out any spare rooms in your house
If you have any extra room in your house and do not use it very often, why not rent it out. There are many students in search of an affordable place to stay. You can also offer breakfast if you want and list the room on Airbnb. Set the price for rent according to your interest and away you go.
There are plenty of other options available to make money, such as a wedding planner, babysitting, census distributor, data entry, gardening, and so the list goes on. If you find one that you love or one that brings you more money than anticipated, you may find yourself looking for help. If so, you should check out this amazing article detailing what to do, should your side hustle turn into a full-time home business!
James Banerjee is an Account Director who graduated from the University of Kent in 2014. He works in SEO on clients such as HSBC UK and Nestle and he has a keen interest in personal finances and money-saving advice.
