Bringing in extra cash comes down to three questions: What can I sell? What can I do? What am I entitled to?
Most of us are feeling the pinch and who wouldn’t like a little cash boost to make ends meet or pay for a treat now and again? There are plenty of ways to do it and sometimes all it takes is the decision to get ourselves better off.
What can I sell?
Don’t have a Rembrandt in the attic or an antique sideboard in the living room? No worries. What we think is old junk is often a little treasure to other people.
- Sell unwanted stuff: Clothes, gadgets, furniture, and books can sell on sites like Vinted, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.
- Trade in tech: Old phones and tablets can fetch a fair price through trade-in schemes.
- Resell or recycle: Some companies buy CDs, DVDs or electronics for cash.
- Make and sell: Turn hobbies into income — handmade jewellery, crafts, or art can sell well on Etsy or at local markets.
- Share your space: Renting out a spare room or parking space can bring in regular income (just check your tenancy or mortgage first).
Tip: Keep a record of what you earn and any costs — these count towards your taxable income.
For the right people with the right gear, selling stuff can boost the bank balance. Check out Quids in! top 10 tips for selling online here.
What can I do?
Our time and skills are worth more than we might think. From side hustles to short-term jobs, there’s always something we can do to bring in a bit extra.
- Pick up extra hours: A few shifts at a local pub, café or shop can boost our income. If we’re jobhunting, the free Quids in! Job Readiness Quiz can help with tips on CV writing and finding work online.
- Sell what we make: Creative? Sites like Etsy and Folksy make it simple to reach customers, or we could start closer to home with local markets and fairs.
- Work with animals: Animal lovers can turn their passion into profit too. Dog walking and pet sitting are in high demand — and websites such as Rover, Tailster and Pawshake help match carers with owners.
- Care for children: For those who prefer looking after little humans, Care.com and Childcare.co.uk list babysitting and childcare jobs with built-in safety checks.
- Delivery work: If we’ve got a car or bike, delivery work through Deliveroo, Uber Eats or Just Eat offers flexible hours and quick pay.
- Earn online: Or for something simpler, online survey sites such as Swagbucks, Ipsos i-Say and YouGov pay small rewards for sharing opinions.
- Seasonal or one-off jobs: Extra work at festivals, events or even as a film extra can be fun as well as profitable.
If our earnings from these activities add up to more than a certain amount in a year, we’ll need to register with HMRC. Thinking of going self-employed? The section below explains how to keep things above board.
Keep it legit
When we start earning extra money, even small amounts, it’s important to keep things above board.
If we earn more than the trading allowance for side earnings or go over the personal allowance for tax-free income, we’ll need to register with HMRC and declare what we earn. After that, we’ll only pay tax and National Insurance on profits above those limits.
If we’re on Universal Credit or other benefits, we should let the DWP know about any extra income. Universal Credit is designed to let us keep more of what we earn, but exactly how much depends on our circumstances — check the latest rules on GOV.UK.
What am I entitled to?
Every year, billions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed — money that could be helping people like us. A quick check could make all the difference.
Try a free benefits calculator to see what we might be missing out on. Local councils, energy companies and charities also offer grants and emergency help for people on low incomes.
If we’re starting work or becoming self-employed, some benefits might still carry on for a short time to help us adjust. Anyone on a relatively low income should do a benefits check – it’s so easy. Check out our Benefits page here.
There are also grants and other help available for those of us on low incomes, especially pensioners. Local trusts, energy companies and local councils can all help.
