Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
10 fun ways to make quick cash
Isobel Lawrance
30th Jan 2023
10 fun ways to make quick cash
January feels like the longest month of the year for a multitude of reasons. Not only is it cold, dark and gloomy, but the weeks between pay checks seem to last a lifetime. Plus, many of us are still trying to recover from the financial blow of Christmas and New Year.
Luckily for you, here at MoneyMagpie we have hundreds of ways to make money. From ways to make money from your shed, to selling unwanted items, there are plenty of ways to get some extra cash in your pockets.
In this article, we have compiled some of our favourite, fast ways to make money. Here are 10 ways to make quick cash.
- Sell clothes online
- Online surveys
- Market research and focus groups
- Sell books, CDs, DVDs and more
- Busking
- Rent out your parking space
- Sell your laundry
- Mystery shopping
- Dog walking
- Be an extra
Sell clothes online
Is it time you had a good clear out? Why not bring the spring cleaning forward a few months and have a wardrobe sort out? Clearing your wardrobe out can not only help you identify items of clothing you haven’t worn in a long time, but it can make you some good money.
Buying second hand clothing is gaining popularity. Not only do you get more for your money by buying pre-loved items, but more people are concerned about the environmental impact of fast fashion and want to reduce their environmental impact.
Technology has bought with it plenty of great websites upon which you can sell your clothes. Depop, Vinted, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and many other sites allow you to sell your clothes. We recently spoke with Melissa Watts, a Yorkshire resident who makes an average of £100 per week selling items online.
You can read her case study here.
If you don’t have any of your own clothes to sell, however, all hope is not lost. You could start earning on the side by buying and selling second hand items for a profit. If you live somewhere with plenty of good charity shops, you may be able to make some quick cash doing this.
Charity shops are a treasure trove of brilliant clothing items. People often have more money than sense, donating items they have never even worn, some brand new with tags, some worth a good whack of money. Selling charity shop clothing for a profit could be a lucrative income, or it could top up your income.
Here’s our full guide on how to make money selling charity shop items for a profit.
Online surveys
It’s no secret that we are huge fans of completing online surveys to make some quick cash. Now, we understand – some survey websites pay you pennies for lots of your time, and don’t seem worth it. Other sites time you out constantly, or kick you out mid survey, meaning you receive no reward.
However, there are also some great websites out there, which reward your greatly for your time and opinions. We have an article which reviews many survey websites, giving our honest opinions on each. You can read this here.
We all have opinions – so why not get paid for them? With the cost-of-living crisis in the forefront of all our minds, earning some extra cash from the comfort of your own home for giving your thoughts on a particular topic is a real winner. We highly recommend People for Research (PFR), who reward you for your valued opinions.
The average incentive is £50 per hour, but can range up to £100 or more – it’s tax-free and won’t affect any benefits you claim, so just think of it as a nice bonus! Most incentives are paid via bank transfer, meaning you get paid directly into your bank account.
PFR are currently recruiting people to take part in research regarding the cost of living. You can find out more here.
If you are a student or have recently graduated, The Opinion Panel Community is a great place to start. If you are aged 13 to 30, your opinions are highly valued. You can earn up to £5 per survey and as much as £70 for longer online and in-person discussion groups. You can earn anywhere from 50 to 500 points (50p to £5) per survey. There are also some slightly different research opportunities available that pay up to £30 for a series of surveys!
Find out more about The Opinion Panel Community here.
Market research and focus groups
On a similar note to completing online surveys, undertaking market research and taking part in focus groups is another fun and easy way to bag yourself some quick cash.
Market research involves the gathering, then analysing information on consumers. This helps businesses understand what products people want, who will buy them, and for what price.
You could undertake the research yourself, helping different industries understand their customers. Or, you could help the businesses by completing surveys, questionnaires and interviews, giving your opinions about their products and services.
Find out more about taking part in market research here.
Focus groups are a method of conducting market research where companies gain insight into consumer opinions and behaviour through a planned discussion with a pre-selected diverse demographic.
Focus groups can be online, in person and over the telephone. Sometimes you may be required to discuss a topic as a group, as a pair, or even individually with a researcher.
They can pay decent money, too. Take Part In Research pays between £40 and £250 per session!
You can find out more about taking part in focus groups here.
Sell books, CDs, DVDs and more
As technology moves on, the need for DVDs, CDs, cassette tapes and more dwindles for many of us. For others, however, collecting these items is a hobby – a hobby which could make you money.
There are plenty of ways to sell your items, with the internet providing a plethora of places to sell anything from old video games to vintage books.
Is your home filled with unused ‘stuff’? Perhaps your book shelf is over flowing with books you haven’t touched in years. You may even have a cupboard full of old DVDs and videos, even though you no longer have any means of playing them. You may even keep video games that are no longer something you’d play in your spare time.
If this sounds like you, why not have a clear out? You’d be surprised at how much money you could make. You could even sell old textbooks from your school or university days!
Here are some useful links to get started:
- Make money selling old CDs, DVDs, video games and books
- Make money from your old books
- How to make money from your old CDs
- Sell CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games and books
Busking
Do you enjoy playing music? Perhaps you and your friends get together to jam out from time to time. Well, you could easily make money from this.
From the bustling streets of London to the city that never sleeps, buskers can earn decent cash for exposing their talents on the streets. In extremely busy areas, you could make £200 for a few hours of work.
Busking is not just playing music, either. There are many ways to ‘busk’. Whether you sing, play music, can juggle, do gymnastics, are a talented acrobat or even a clown, there are loads of ways to make money. You could even be a ‘statue’!
However, there are rules you need to follow when you start busking. You will need a busking licence and will need to know the laws. Find out more about making money busking here.
Rent out your parking space
Having an off-street parking space is something that you might take for granted: being able to park your car off the road for no extra charge, safe and sound by your house. Yet it’s a highly-prized luxury that thousands upon thousands of people in the UK don’t have, being forced to pay daily or monthly charges for parking permits from their local council, or struggling to find somewhere to park their car when they’re out and about.
But did you know, you can rent out your space to earn some extra cash? Last year in the UK, the total gross revenue from driveway rentals came to £27,279,631, with London-based renters making an average of £1,691 a year, and those outside London making £874 a year.
It’s easy to do, you get paid quickly and you’ll be earning without having to do anything. This is a super easy way to make quick cash. Find out more here.
If you don’t have a driveway, garage or parking space, you could also make money from your home. From renting out your home as a film set to making money from your shed, there are plenty of easy and fun ways to earn money. You can find loads of ways to do this here.
Sell your laundry
Selling your underwear, socks, tights and shoes can be a lucrative money maker. Although it isn’t for everyone, there is a huge market out there, with people willing to pay big bucks for your laundry, both clean and dirty.
People are willing to buy dirty underwear, socks, and even worn-out shoes. How much you make then is pretty much up to you although you have to bear in mind that for people to take your prices seriously, you have to consider what is reasonable with regard to your competition. The more you sell though, the more you can demand.
Marketplace sites allow you to set your own prices and, despite charging a membership fee, most do not charge commission. The Kinky Boutique sells underwear from £12 to £250 while Sofia Gray sell knickers for up to £5,000! This can be a seriously high paying way to make quick cash!
It can all seem a little daunting, but don’t fear. You can read our full guides below.
- Weird ways to make money: Sell your knickers
- Can you live off selling your old socks?
- Sell your shoes and turn a profit
Mystery shopping
Mystery shopping is another way to make money that we absolutely love here at MoneyMagpie. In fact, we love it so much, we even wrote a whole eBook about it. You can download it for free here.
Nowadays, all industry sectors employ mystery shoppers – retail, automotive, financial services, hospitality, property, call centres, public services, travel, and even the voluntary sector – so there’s a huge range of work available.
Mystery shopping isn’t just about literal shopping. You may be asked to try out restaurants, stay at hotels, watch films or even phone a call centre to trial their customer service. Sometimes the cost of your food, stay or travel is re-imbursed, and sometimes you are paid extra on top! This is definitely a fun, different way to make quick cash.
Find out more about becoming a mystery shopper here.
Dog walking
There are three reasons dog walking is a great way to make money. One, you make money as just stated. Two, you can get out, get exercise and fresh air. Three, you get to hang out with dogs all day! If that’s not a serotonin boost, we don’t know what is.
Particularly in cities, there’s a lot of demand for dog walking services, and it’s well paid too. More people than ever got a puppy in the first lockdown – but now many are back in the office and have less time to walk their pooch.
Some people have even given up their day job to set up a full-time dog-walking business! Dog walking is becoming a very popular way to make money on the side in the UK and it’s not surprising.
Some people charge £10 – £15 per dog that they walk, per hour they walk them! So, if you walk 4 dogs per day, twice a day, you could be making £120 a day. That’s £2,400 for four weeks work (assuming you only work Monday to Friday).
So, if you are a dog lover and have a flexible schedule, why not try this out?
Be an extra
You don’t have to be a super talented actor who graduated top of the class in drama school to be a film and TV extra.
An extra is a ‘background artist’ – they’re the people you see milling around in all kinds of scenes on TV and film. You might be a WW2 soldier one day and a cafe customer the next!
If you’re interested in film and TV, working as an extra can be a fascinating and exhilarating experience. Plus, it is incredibly flexible, and something that can be done around part-time jobs or studying.
Productions will also aim for a diverse group of people. No matter your age, gender, race, or whether you have a disability – extra opportunities are there for everyone.
However, it isn’t always glamorous. You often have to work for long hours, with early call times, and wrapping late. If you’re prepared for this, go along with a lot of patience and a can-do attitude it can be a great way to supplement your income!
Check out how to become a film and TV extra here.
Ask your money-making questions
The Magpie community is full of savvy money savers and makers – and now’s your chance to ask your burning questions!
The new MoneyMagpie Messageboard brings together the Magpie community, MoneyMagpie team, and vetted experts to make sure your essential money-making questions get answered.
Take a look here and register to post a new thread or reply.
Do you know of any other ways to make quick cash? Leave them in the comments below!
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