4 Ways To Make Extra Money From Home

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4 ways to make extra money from home

Making extra money from home doesn't have to mean a second job or a major time commitment. Over the years I've tried and tested dozens of different methods - some brilliant, some a complete waste of time - and these four approaches are the ones that have genuinely worked for me and continue to work.

None of them will make you rich overnight, but done consistently they can add up to a meaningful amount of extra cash each month without taking over your life.

1. Online surveys, paid tasks and user testing

Getting paid to share your opinion or complete simple tasks from your phone or laptop is one of the most accessible ways to earn extra money from home. There are dozens of platforms available and the best ones are genuinely worth your time.

Streetbees pays you to complete tasks and share your thoughts on everyday life - things like photographing your shopping, answering questions about current affairs, or logging what you ate for dinner. Quick, easy and surprisingly enjoyable.

Roamler sends you on mystery shopping style missions at local shops and supermarkets - tasks range from checking shelf displays to photographing product placements. Pay ranges from a couple of pounds to £25 per task.

BeMyEye works similarly to Roamler - you complete in-store checks and audits during your normal shopping trips and get paid per task completed. Get started using invitation code 0rg1zy, which gives you a £1 bonus once your first mission is completed.

Prolific is one of the best survey platforms available - it pays well compared to most, the studies are genuinely interesting, and payments are reliable. It's used by academic researchers so the surveys tend to be more thoughtful than typical market research ones.

Respondent connects you with paid research studies - interviews, focus groups and surveys often paying significantly more than standard survey sites, sometimes £50 to £100+ for a single session.

UserTesting and Intellizoom pay you to test websites and apps and record your screen and voice while you do it. Each test typically pays around £8 to £10 and takes 15 to 20 minutes.

YouGov, Qmee and Swagbucks are all worth adding to the mix for filling spare minutes - none will transform your income alone but together they add up. For a full breakdown of what you can realistically earn, can you really make decent money from online surveys is worth reading first.

2. Selling online

Selling things you no longer need is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to make extra money - and once you get into the habit of it, it becomes second nature.

eBay is still the best all-round platform for selling almost anything - clothes, toys, electronics, collectables, household items. Children's toys sell particularly well, especially if you photograph them clearly and price them fairly. I've sold all sorts of things on eBay over the years - just this year alone I've made £900 from a ruthless clearout of our attic and sheds - and my tips for eBay selling will help you get the best prices. It's also worth knowing that eBay is now free for private sellers which makes it even more worthwhile.

If you make things - jewellery, art, crafts, candles, digital downloads - Etsy is the natural home for handmade and creative products. I started selling handmade cards and jewellery on Etsy in 2012 and sold for several years, and my husband Ben now runs an Etsy shop selling downloadable shed and garden office building plans. For more on this, how to successfully sell handmade items locally and online covers everything you need to get started.

If you're upgrading your phone, don't just trade it in at the shop - you'll almost always get more by selling it independently or comparing prices across the leading online mobile recyclers first. The difference between the best and worst offers can be significant, particularly for recent model iPhones.

For clothes specifically, selling clothes online covers the best platforms and how to make the most of each one.

3. Matched betting

Matched betting is the most lucrative method on this list if you're willing to put in the time to learn it properly. I made thousands of pounds from matched betting over two years, working in my spare time around family and my other businesses - you can see the full breakdown in my income reports on the blog. It's not gambling - it's a mathematical technique that uses free bets and promotions from bookmakers to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome.

It sounds complicated but there are platforms that guide you through every offer step by step. I used Profit Accumulator and it was invaluable for getting started. You can make money matched betting from home with just a laptop and a small starting bank.

My full matched betting story, including how much I made each month, is in my matched betting blog - including why I eventually stopped and what I'd do differently. It's not for everyone, but if you're comfortable with numbers and have a few hours a week to spare, it's hard to beat for income potential.

Outplayed Matched Betting

4. Cashback sites and refer a friend schemes

This is the easiest and most passive of the four - you're essentially getting paid for spending you'd do anyway.

Cashback sites give you a percentage back on purchases made through their links. I've earned well over £1,200 through TopCashback in my first three years alone - and significantly more since - purely from switching broadband, renewing insurance, buying clothes and booking travel via the cashback portal rather than going directly to the retailer. It takes seconds to activate and costs nothing. My TopCashback review explains exactly how it works, and my list of UK cashback sites covers the best options available.

Refer a friend schemes are another brilliant source of easy extra cash. Many banks, apps and services pay both you and a new customer when they sign up using your link. Here are the ones I'm currently running with active referral codes:

My best refer a friend schemes UK page keeps the current best offers updated with even more referral codes, and my free money UK guide lists 30+ sign-up offers worth over £600 in total.

Receipt scanning apps like the ones in my list of apps that turn UK receipts to cash also fall into this category - you're photographing receipts you'd have anyway and earning small amounts back. They won't change your life but they're genuinely effortless.

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Where to start

If you're new to making money from home and not sure where to begin, I'd suggest starting with cashback and refer a friend schemes as they require no effort to set up, then layering in surveys and selling as you get comfortable. Matched betting has the highest earning potential but also the steepest learning curve - my matched betting beginners guide is a good starting point.

For the full picture of what's possible, 60 ways to make money online at home in the UK covers everything from quick wins to longer term income streams.

Before you go...

If you want to see how much it's realistically possible to earn from home, my annual income reports show exactly what I've made each year and how. And if you're looking for ideas that fit around a full time job, how to make extra income while working full time has plenty of practical options.