This is how to make money from home in the UK
If you need to earn extra money online and you live in the UK then these 17 extra cash ideas are for you. All these can be done from home and around the kids.
If you have a smartphone or a laptop then you can start making money online straight away. Some of these ideas are slow burners and some are quicker to payout.
You could earn an extra £1k plus by doing just a few of these ideas. None of these need any experience but if you do have it, you can make more. And remember to consult professional accountants for self employed so you can get the most out of your gains!
This guide gives you 17 legit and legal ways you can earn money from home.
Earning money online tips and tricks
If this is your first time earning money online then there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Remember that some sites payout slowly so make sure you keep track of the sites you’ve worked on.
Many companies will ask you to work on their site and when it comes to the payout you need to actually log in and withdraw. There is no protection for you if your cash is stuck on a website that isn’t an official bank. Every time someone pays you make sure you transfer it to a bank account.
Set up a dedicated email address for just money making online. This makes it easier to find new paid gigs instead of having to go through your spam. Gmail offers free email accounts that you can set up quickly and link to your other Gmail accounts.
Don’t expect to get paid large amounts straight away. Make enough to withdraw the amount each time. If not then you’ve worked for free!
Some of these can turn into a career but some are just about making extra money so know what your end game is. Do you just need extra money or do you want to increase your income going forward?
Spend any gift vouchers straight away. Get paid in cash if you have the choice. Spending gift vouchers straight away means that there is less chance of them expiring or the retailer going under making the gift vouchers invalid.
Remember that if you earn more than £1000 then you need to declare this to HMRC through self-assessment. This means making sure that you are registered as self-employed even if you still have a job.
Check out what you need to do on the Gov.co.uk website.
17 ways to make money online in the UK
Trying to earn money around the kids isn’t easy and that’s why some of these ideas are great for earning extra income.
If you are looking for home-based jobs or ways to make money online then have a look at our posts below:
7 Typing Jobs From Home That All Mums Could Do – These are the best typing jobs that you can do at home around the kids.
Matched Betting Guide: Start Matched Betting from Home – Matched betting is a great way to make money from home but it does take time to understand.
101 Genuine Work From Home Jobs in the UK – These are jobs you can do at home around the kids.
Many of these ideas are entry-level and if you do have some experience then they can pay quite well. If you like the sound of some of these but feel like you may need some qualifications then have a look at Udemy and see if you can update your skills.
If you’re looking to top up your income then have a look at:
27 Ways You Can Make Money Fast Today From Your Phone
15 Money Making Apps That Are Free To Use
Income boosters that can change into roles
If you are looking to start a business online then there are some great roles you can do that are also flexible around the kids.
Before you start have a think about:
– Is there a need for your new business?
Is there a gap in the market? How could you fill it?
– How are you going to tell everyone about it?
Make sure that you tell your friends and family so they can tell everyone they know too.
Next build a website. There’s loads of YouTube channels on building a website but we use WordPress for ours.
Read about how we build our WordPress website here.
You’ll also need a:
A domain name: This is your www. name that people will search for. Try and think of a name that matches your business or that you think your customers will be searching for.
Make sure you check social media before you buy your domain. We buy all our domains from TSO Host as they are easy to use and search.
Web hosting: These are the people that will host your website on their server. You want a company you can trust.
We’ve used many over the years but TSO Host are a good place to start when you need your online store hosting*. You get 10% with TSO Host by using our code S4SM10%OFF.
– Start getting content on your site.
Make sure your copy sales and coverts. If you don’t think you have that skill then use a place like People Per Hour* or Fiverr*.
Think of it this way. Each task is going to either cost you in time or money. Which one would you rather give up for this task?
– Establish yourself as an expert.
Know what you are talking about and show people that you know. You can this by doing videos on YouTube or social media.
– Have an email campaign provider.
This is a great way to keep your customers involved with what’s going on and to let them know of any new services or products you are selling. Set it up early even if you don’t plan to email anyone. We use Mailerlite as they have great customer service and easy to build email templates*. (Remember to check the ISO website for GDPR guidelines.)
Then depending on which business below you decide to do will come with a few more costs.
1. Virtual Assistant
Being a Virtual Assistant means that you can perform all the nitty gritty admin jobs that a client needs remotely.
This could be any admin task and is normally a high paying job with no experience needed. You could be doing anything from scheduling social media to creating marketing images to just answering emails or amending spreadsheets.
A Virtual Assistant is useful for any size business, and as someone who’s worked both sides, as an employer and employee, most Virtual Assistants are very flexible and work on an hour by hour payment basis.
You don’t have to have any secretarial experience, as many Virtual Assistants specialise in something. Have you got marketing experience? Social media knowledge? Are you organised? Most Virtual Assistant can earn up to £25 an hour.
It’s really simple to become a Virtual Assistant, and set up takes about half an hour.
Find out how to become a Virtual Assistant here.
Get organised with The Virtual Assistant Essential Tool Kit.
Our toolkit is perfect for anyone who is looking to start a service based business.
This value-pack includes:
A list of Virtual Assistant essential tools
Invoice template (Word)
Time Card spreadsheet (Excel with pre-made formulas)
Invoice spreadsheet (Excel with pre-made formulas)
Blog post promotion spreadsheet (Excel)
Engagement questions for most niches (Excel)
Facebook schedule (Excel)
2. Typing jobs
There’s loads of typing jobs that you can do around the kids. This includes audio typing, transcription and captioning videos.
Don’t expect the money or clients to roll in. You have to actively find them. Using the content mills like Fiverr* and People Per Hour* as well as advertising your services across social media and in local groups will help you to get work but it can start slow.
Read more how to find typing jobs here.
3. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is when a store doesn’t keep any stock they are selling. When the store sells a product it gets it from another supplier and gets them to deliver it straight to the customer. This means the store doesn’t touch the product at all.
The biggest difference between dropshipping and a normal retail store is that no product is held by you which can be a plus when it comes to self-assessment.
Read more about how you can dropship from home here.
4. Blogging
There’s so many great reasons to start a blog. It can be a great outlay for your creative ideas but also a great way to make money online.
Whatever you are interested in you can bet that someone else is too. Have a think about what you like to talk about. What do you do in your spare time? What subject really gets you fired up?
It could be anything! You don’t have to stick to just one thing but trying to pick three or four is a good way to keep focused on your topic.
Read more about how to start a blog here and make money from it.
This is the only Blogging Toolkit you will ever need.
It includes:
Everything you need to start your blogging journey in the right way!
This has 15 value-packed templates which includes:
- SEO Checklist
- SEO Cheatsheet
- 100 Blog Post Ideas
- Blog Post Title Ideas
- Blog Post Creation Checklist
- Weekly Content Planner (Excel)
- Income Tracker (Excel)
- Accounts Spreadsheet (Excel)
- Invoice Template (Word)
- Affiliates Spreadsheet (Excel)
- Blog Stats Spreadsheet (Excel)
- Blog Post Analysis (Excel)
- Lead Magnet Ideas
- 17 Must Have Post Ideas
- How to Jump Start Your Mailing List Booklet
The Blogging Toolkit can help you start blogging by suggesting what to write and get you ahead on your SEO journey which can help you gain more free views quickly. We have also included an Accounts Spreadsheet and Affiliate Sheet which helps you keep track of your earnings.
Use our mailing list booklet to start boosting your email list and our lead magnet ideas to help get your audience to join.
This is for anyone who is using blogging to drive traffic to their website.
5. Data entry jobs
Data entry jobs are great way to earn money online. You can work when you want to around the kids.
Finding data entry jobs can be tricky to start with if you don’t have a portfolio already.
Start looking at the content mills like Fiverr* to build you portfolio and get reviews. Advertise on Facebook and even if you have to discount your services for a bit, having those reviews and feedback can help you get more clients.
6. Proofreader
This means that you get sent text or images and you check them for grammar or other mistakes.
This is a great job if you are great at spotting things that other people can’t see.
The scope of work is huge, from proofreading assessments to other people’s blogs or sales copy.
Income boosters
7. Matched betting
Matched betting allows you to profit from the hundreds of free bets and promotions offered by bookmakers. This isn’t illegal or under the table. All the bookies advertise these offers to entice new customers in.
Matched betting is a great tax-free way to make money from home by using the free bets that the bookmakers offer.
You can make some great cash matched betting as long as you go slow.
Read more about how we match bet from home.
8. Affiliate links
This means that you get paid every time someone clicks on a link that you’ve advertised.
You pick something that you like and really use and advertise it to people you know. The commission is low but if you sell enough you can make some good money.
9. OhMyDosh
Just like other cashback sites you can earn money by purchasing the products you would normally buy through OhMyDosh.
Unlike other cashback sites though, OhMyDosh* is completely free to use with no subscription needed for the better deals.
You can also earn extra by referring your friends and family to OhMyDosh. More on that near the bottom of the post. You receive £5 for every person you introduce to OhMyDosh* and as long as they complete the sign up you get paid and they get a £1 as a thank you for joining.
10. Pick My Postcode
Pick My Postcode, once called Free Postcode Lottery, is all about helping you to win big cash prizes with your postcode. It is 100% free to enter and by visiting Pick My Postcode daily you could win money.
What we love is that there really is no catch at all with Pick My Postcode. You sign up for free, tell them your postcode then check back every day to see if your postcode has been chosen. It really is that simple!
Join Pick My Postcode here for big cash prizes daily. It’s 100% free*.
You don’t have to pick any numbers. Your own postcode acts as a winning ticket and can be drawn at any time. It really is super simple and free to enter.
There are different pots of money to be won every day. The pot of money depends on if the money pot has been claimed from the day before. So the prizes range from £1 right up to £1000 and sometimes more.
11. Parking space
If you have space at the front of your house then it may be worth renting out your driveway. This is a great way to get money while you’ll not even in the house.
This works really well if you live near a local hospital, train station or city centre as parking can be very expensive. You could earn up to £200 a month as an active income.
There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind though:
Is the land yours and can it be legally parked on without a permit or ticket?
If the land isn’t yours, do you have your landlord’s permission?
Can your drive or parking space be used without a key or code?
You then need to think about how you are going to advertise the parking space. This could be through a selling site like:
Your Parking Space
Just Park
Park On My Drive
If you prefer to do it yourself then you need to think about a contract. You need something that clearly states that you are not responsible for the car while it’s on the drive or its contents. Please seek some sort of legal advice on this as you DO NOT want to get this wrong as if something happens they may be able to sue you.
12. Quidco and Swagbucks
These two may be cash back sites but they also offer you paid surveys and other ways to make money.
Quidco
Quidco* is a great way to save money. We’ve saved over £200 in the last few months and their site is really easy to use.
Use our link here and get a £10 cashback bonus when you make your first purchase on Quidco*.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks* is free to join and like Quidco you can save money while shopping online. The good thing about Swagbucks is that you can also earn money by watching videos, playing games and taking part in surveys.
There’s an option to download their SwagButton* for free which pops-up and reminds you about the cashback you could earn.
13. Reselling on eBay
It may be a crowded marketplace, but eBay is still the top place to sell.
You can sell anything! From your old clothes or furniture to homemade crafts and toilet roll inserts. (Yes, that’s a thing!)
I started by going through the house one room at a time and boxing up everything we know longer use.
Search eBay itself for inspiration. Someone’s rubbish is another person’s treasure, right?
Once I’d sold everything unused at home, I started to pick up bits and pieces from charity shops, school fairs or car boots that I thought would sell for profit.
If you have a good eye and like to haggle, then there is definitely money to be made.
14. Online surveys
YouGov* asks you to take part in easy surveys to earn points that then get turned into cash. You do 500 points but the surveys come thick and fast. They even email you to let you know that a survey is ready. They could be about anything from politics to the adverts you see on TV.
Prolific* offer great engaging surveys that help you earn cash while help move science forward. It’s free to sign up and you can earn more by asking your friends to join too. It doesn’t cost you anything. You do have to fill out quite a few forms though about what you like and what you do etc.
They only send you surveys that you qualify for. It’s worth being part of Prolific in case a survey does come up!
You can find other ones in this post about online surveys here.
15. Sell for free on Facebook
Sell any of your unwanted items on Facebook for free. There’s a whole marketplace dedicated to helping you sell. If you make craft items or anything personalised then Facebook is a great place to start too.
Related Posts:
- The Best Cashback Sites to Save £100s When Shopping Online
- 101 Genuine Work From Home Jobs in the UK
- Profit Accumulator Review: How to Make Free Money Matched Betting
16. Mystery shopping
Mystery shopping is a great way to make money online. They employ you to carry out a mystery shop and rate their staff, food or customer service.
You act like a real customer and when you give your feedback you get paid.
Start with these three companies first:
– Market Force
– Helion Research
– Red WigWam
17. Write an eBook
Writing an eBook is a great way to earn passive income. You only have to write it once and then sell it wherever you want. We sell ours on Amazon and on our own website.
18. Trade 212
This is pretty much like earning free money. All you do is add £1 to the app and you could get a free share of up to £100 which you can then cash out. There’s no tricks here as we have done this ourselves.
Trading 212 is a free trading platform that helps you to invest. The easy-to-use mobile trading app and website walks you through how to trade by getting you to answer some simple questions on your current knowledge of trading.
Use our free Trading 212 link here to make sure that you get your free share up to £100*.
Read more about how Trading 212 works and how to claim your free share.
19. Digital products
Digital products like online courses are a great way to make money if you have a skill to sell. There are plenty of people online who want to learn new skills and get help with their problems.
You can make digital products about anything. We sell digital products ourselves like our toolkits or day-out guides.
Start by researching what people are looking for and solving their problems. It could be an online course on how to start blogging or a Pinterest design that people can buy. It really can be anything!
You next need to think about how to advertise it as you want it to be as passive as possible. You want to make something that you only need to do once which is why a bundle or online course is the best thing.
Remember that you can not copy someone’s idea so please make it original.
you may prefer to sell it straight through Facebook or other social channels or on your website if you have one.
You could even sell your course on websites like Fiverr or Udemy that take a cut if your course is brought.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more money making ideas from home, including ways to freelance, start a blog or even earn from your phone, then head over to my making money section here on Savings 4 Savvy Mums where you’ll find over 30 money making posts dedicated to helping you earn more from home and become more financially stable as a family. There’s also tips in my Money Saving Mums Facebook group. You could also pop over and follow my money making Pinterest boards for lots more ways you can earn money from home; Money Making Mums and Working from Home Jobs for Mums.
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