4 side hustle ideas to make some extra money

A recent study has shown that almost one in five Brits has no savings, and if you’re among those looking to save some money for a rainy day, you’re probably wondering about the best way to do so.

Particularly if a higher-paying full-time job is out of the question, or you don’t have the time for a permanent part-time position, a flexible side hustle could be your way forward.

Regardless of your location and skills, there are ample opportunities out there to earn some extra cash. And with so many places to look online for your side hustle, from pet sitting sites to eCommerce platforms, quickly getting the cash boost you need won’t be beyond the realms of possibility.

1. Become an Uber driver

If you’re one of the roughly 40 million people in the UK that hold a full driving license, you may be able to capitalise on this by becoming an Uber driver. The main benefits of this particular side hustle are flexibility and pay. Workers can choose exactly when and where they work. And with full-time drivers taking home around £565 a week, you could earn a significant amount from working just a fraction of these hours.

If you are already interested in driving jobs, you can become an Amazon Flex or Just Eat driver. The average payment is 17 pounds per hour, and you can manage your time when you want to work, so it is a perfect side hustle. As a “Just Eat” driver, your responsibilities include picking up food orders from restaurants, ensuring the food is secure and adequately packaged, and delivering it to the customer’s address within the specified time frame. You would need to have a valid driver’s license, access to a vehicle or bicycle, and a smartphone with the “Just Eat” driver app installed. For an Amazon Flex is much simpler. All you need is a valid drivers licence and to install the best Amazon Flex block grabber app to get started.

It’s also incredibly easy to become an Uber driver—all you need to do is fill out a simple form on the company’s website or Facebook page, and take a short training course. That said, there are certain requirements you need to meet, such as being over 21, possessing sufficient driving experience, and having a Public Carriage Office (PCO) approved car. This means your vehicle must meet stipulations like being a 2006 (or, for London drivers, 2008) model or newer, and being in good condition. If your own car doesn’t fulfil these criteria, or you simply don’t want to use it for work purposes, companies like Hirebrid specialise in hiring out PCO-licensed cars, with aspects like servicing and repairs included in the price.

2. Rent your possessions out

If you’re reluctant to sell your stuff on eBay or Gumtree, you could always rent them out instead. This is the ideal way to make a quick buck on any rarely-used items gathering dust around your house, with minimal effort required. Sites like Zilok and Fat Llama let you list (almost) anything to rent for free, from cameras and musical instruments to bikes and game consoles.

Alongside your physical items, you may also want to consider renting out your home. The most obvious way to do this is by letting people stay in a spare room, with the now ubiquitous Airbnb allowing you to list your rooms fuss-free, and receive payment within 24 hours. But it’s not just your property that’s rentable, It’s also possible to temporarily forego your driveway, garage, or parking space for some cash. Indeed, you can make up to £200 a month this way.

3. Babysit/petsit/housesit

While you might think jobs like babysitting are the exclusive domain of teenagers or students, there are a lot of opportunities to mind other people’s kids, pets, or homes as a working adult, and you can make some decent money from doing so. The beauty of these types of jobs is their flexibility, enabling you to take on assignments as and when you need to, while babysitting and petsitting, in particular, can be incredibly rewarding.

Gone are the days where you have to actually know somebody who needs a child, pet, or house looked after, or rely on local notice boards in libraries. There are now numerous sites dedicated to babysitting, petsitting and housesitting services, which allow you to register as a minder in almost no time, before completing a short vetting process to get started.

4. Take online surveys

Eager to divulge your opinions on topics like politics, the latest iPhone, or your favourite holiday destinations? Then you might be able to make some money by signing up with a market research company. These organisations will always need public opinions to shape marketing campaigns and ensure their clients are targeting the right people with their products, and are willing to pay for people’s viewpoints. You don’t need any qualifications to take part either, so anyone can do it.

To secure some extra income this way, you can either take online surveys or join focus groups. For the former, you need to sign up to an online survey website like Swagbucks, Toluna, or OnePoll, and you’ll soon get questionnaires arriving in your inbox. To join a focus group, you will have to sign up to a focus group website such as Take Part In Research or Focus Groups UK. However, unlike online surveys, you’ll be limited to only being able to attend a few a year—though you will get paid more per session. Both have the potential to make you hundreds of pounds over a twelve-month period.