Easy Side Hustles that will pay for a holiday

This cost of living crisis has been going on for so long that I can’t really remember life before! I do know that we managed to travel a lot more than we do right now. But things have changed and we need to make small changes to make sure we still enjoy life. Here are my favourite Easy Side Hustles. A small amount of time spent each day can really add up. For me, I feel like I need to travel, so I like to ensure that I can earn enough to do this.

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Cashback

Starting with the easiest one, Cashback. Most things that you purchase online can earn you cashback. Some bank cards will earn you cashback. I earn cashback on some purchases with Monzo, I know other banks do offer some accounts that earn it too. It’s also worth signing up for Cashback sites such as Topcashback, Quidco and Swagbucks. They all have various offers at times and it’s worth a click to check.

While we’re talking cashback – one of the easiest side hustles is Airtime rewards. Sign up and use my code F6NREBLY to earn £2 when you spend within 7 days. This one won’t make you a millionaire but it will give you money off your phone bill! Sign up, connect your cards and that’s all you need to do. Once you reach £10 in cashback it can be converted into credit against your phone bill. Some smaller phone companies don’t use this yet like Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile or Voxi, but all the big ones do. And they all have different agreements so not everyone gets the same.

Another one I like to use is JamDoughnut. Sign up using my referral code OQJP to earn £3 bonus when you use the app for the first time. You can purchase gift cards to use in loads of places. Once the pot reaches £10 you can withdraw to your bank account. I often use it for my food shop and when we eat out. Loads of shops are on there including Starbucks and Primark. Instantly purchase the gift card and redeem it immediately.

Receipt Scanning

This one costs you absolutely nothing. It’s one of those very easy side hustles, just remember to ask for a receipt when you shop. Shopmium is great, they have lots of items on the list that you can claim money back on branded items. Sometimes they have special offers where you can claim back the entire cost. It’s so simple, check the list to see if you have any items you can redeem, scan the item and photograph the receipt. The money will be back in your account in a few days.

I’m also a big fan of the Amazon Shopper Panel. You might have to wait a while for acceptance on this one but once you are accepted it’s easy money. Scan 10 receipts a month – any receipt – and get £5 in an Amazon gift card. Opt into ad verification and you can earn another £2 a month. Occasionally surveys pop up that take a minute or 2 for an extra 50p here and there. Nielson IQ is also similar with the waitlist and a little more time-consuming but still very worthwhile. Photograph your receipt, scan your shopping with your mobile and build up points to exchange for gift cards.

Surveys

Survey sites are another very of the easy side hustle. Lots of different apps to use on your phone. It can be a bit tedious at times, especially if you get screened out of the surveys but worth persevering.

• AttaPoll – Generally quick and easy surveys. They don’t earn lots for each one generally a few pence here and there but if you aimed to do enough surveys to earn £2 a day that’s £60 a month, which adds up to £720 a year. Not bad going for just sitting on your sofa. Sign up using referral code PEEEY to earn 40pjust for signing up.
• Swagbucks – The same site that offers cashback also offers surveys. It’s worth playing around on the site and finding out how to make a little money here and there.
• YouGov Surveys. These are a little longer but you are much less likely to get screened out of these – You can’t withdraw until you get the balance to £50 though.

Those are the 3 I tend to use the most, although I am signed up to so many I’d be here all day listing them! I do think surveys are the epitome of Easy Side Hustles UK. There’s nothing to pay out to start, it takes minutes and requires no knowledge.

Playing Games on your phone

Now this is one of those that sounds too good to be true. I love playing games on my phone to switch off for 5 minutes or to pass a bit of time. I came across Mistplay ages ago, in fact, I dismissed it as one of those things that sounds too good to be true. It does actually work though, sign up, choose a new game from there and reach levels to earn gift cards. Again, Swagbucks also offers games to download and earn points. Mistplay vouchers can be spent but Swagbucks also lets you change it to Paypal vouchers which can be withdrawn to your account.

Matched Betting

A little bit like the idea of getting paid to play games the idea of guaranteeing a win from betting sounded mad. It took me a long long time to actually look into it properly even though my friends had dabbled in the past.

I came across an Instagram account about saving money and found an article on her site which sparked my interest a bit more. I signed up for Outplayed after looking up a few recommendations I tried a free trial and made a bit of easy tax-free cash. The tutorials on the site make it super easy. Once you have finished the free trial you can sign up for a monthly fee. I was reluctant to do this at first and kept dipping in and out – but once I did, I made back the fee plus more in a matter of days.

Switch Bank Accounts

Loads of banks have offers for switching accounts. Keep up to date with the offers and check if the conditions suit your circumstances. Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert is a great place to start, and the Snoop app is good too. Some offer up to £200 at times to just switch over. If you want to make a quick £20, sign up for Zing using this link, spend £5 or more in one transaction before the 28th of August 2024 and you’ll receive £20 in your account within 30 days. Even better, if you then invite a friend and they do this, you’ll receive another £20 too… you can earn up to £400!

Pet Sitting / Dog Walking

If you’re an animal lover this is a great one. There are a lot of websites out there that you can sign up for and offer your services. I’m signed up with Rover.com for cat-sitting, I can choose the area I want to travel to, choose the hours that I’m open to work and fit it around my life. The same goes for dog walking, you can even stipulate which dogs you are comfortable with and how many you’d be able to walk. If you sign up to Rover using the above link you will receive a £15 gift card once you complete your first booking.

Making things to sell

If you’re crafty why not use you’re skills to make yourself a little bit back? Not everyone can make things and make them well but lots of people love to have unique items. Whether it’s sewing, jewellery making or creating pieces of art, if you have a passion, harness it and make yourself a little extra. If you have a knack for digital design you can sell digital products too. You can sell your items on sites such as Etsy with a small fee for selling and advertising.

Sell the things you don’t need

You know how the saying goes: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This is so true. I have sold things through sites such as Vinted that I no longer wanted and got snapped up. And vice versa, I’ve dropped onto some right bargains that someone no longer wants. The kids have sold toys on Vinted too, and larger items I’ve sold through the Facebook marketplace. A car boot is a good option if you have a lot of things and just want rid. And of course, eBay has long been a favourite for a lot of people, but they do still charge a fee.

Write a Blog

Now this one is not a get-rich-quick thing – I’ll be honest it can sometimes be frustrating. If you like writing and have lots of knowledge in a subject start writing, eventually you will be able to monetise it with ads shown on your site and it can become a passive income. As I said, it’s not exactly one of the easy side hustles, but if you are writing, after time all it will need is a little upkeep. Ads and affiliate marketing is where the money is made through a blog, but if you have a passion, get going and eventually, it could be making you money without really thinking about it.

Rent out your driveway

This is especially good if you live near a venue. Lots of people can be looking for somewhere to park and there has been a rise in people renting spaces on driveways. We’ve used them before when we’ve been to Wembley and Manchester. Booked online, the person renting gets the directions sent to them, there is zero effort required by you just to vacate the space. I’ve seen some charge as much as £100 for a day’s parking.

Embarking on a side hustle journey can be a fulfilling and financially rewarding way to fund your dream holiday. The key is to choose something that aligns with your interests and fits into your schedule. By leveraging these side hustles, you can not only cover the cost of your next holiday but also potentially discover a new passion or a steady source of extra income. So, start exploring, take action, and watch your holiday fund grow—your next adventure awaits!

Let me know how you get on, I’d love to hear some stories about how much you’ve made and what you’ve afforded with the extra money. Do remember to check out the laws regarding tax on the extra money you make and how to report it correctly though.

Becky x

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