How To Make a Bit of Extra Money

As I've just spent the best part of three years as a penniless student and I know that a lot of my followers are students or wouldn't mind getting their hands on a bit of extra cash, I thought I'd share some of the ways that I use to make some extra pennies whilst waiting for pay day. Now I'm not saying that you're going to become millionaires overnight but if you follow some (or all) of these tips then you'll soon start earning a few extra bob to put away into your Mulberry fund. Any money that I make with any of these methods, I put away in a savings account and it soon adds up!

eBay
Everybody knows about eBay although I'm sure most of us prefer to buy on there as it's so easy to use. However, it's just as easy to sell! You can even do it through the eBay app on your mobile phone now. I usually wait for a free listing weekend or start items at 99p. Of course, there's always the risk that you won't get as much for an item as you would have liked but I like to think that 99p is better than nothing for an item that would otherwise just be clogging up my wardrobe.

Mystery Shopping
When I've mentioned mystery shopping to people before, they've always been really interested in it and want to know more. Yes, you do get paid to shop! I'm signed up with GFK, Retail Eyes (now Shared Insight) and Retail-Maxim. These sites will list assignments that are available in your area and it's a first come first served kinda deal. I don't get regular assignments; sometimes I can go for months without one but then get three in one day! It's a good idea to think about the location and how much you will be spending on getting there. The average payment for assignments is £9 - £14 and doesn't include travel expenses. For example, I once had two £14 assignments in Southampton, so this was worth me paying £5 to get to Southampton. I've also had three assignments in three different towns while up here in the Midlands, so I paid £5.50 for a day saver on the bus and completed all three in the same day so I didn't have to buy three separate bus tickets. It's best to plan these so you don't end up paying more to get there!

Cash4Clothes
Every so often I'll have a sort out and I end up with bags and bags of shoes and clothing that I don't want and that I don't think will make any money on eBay. Instead of wasting my time trying to sell it, I take it to my local Cash4Clothes place which pays 50p per kilogram. So far, I've made £28 in two trips from old tshirts, pyjamas, shoes that have never really fitted and cheap blankets that I used as curtains in one of my student houses. It's not a lot of money, so it's better if you wait until you have a couple of bags full (I usually fill the big IKEA bags) before you go. Have a look on Google and see if there's a place like this in your local area. Some will even pick up the items from your house so you save in petrol/bus fare.

YouGov
I've been using YouGov for years now. The site is really easy to use and it's a great and easy way to earn a bit of money. Basically, you sign up, fill in a few surveys and then once you hit 5000 points, which is the equivalent of £50, you get a cheque in the post. It might take a while for you to reach payout but don't be put off! Doing one survey every so often will take up no time at all and before you know it, you'll be there. I've had two cheques from them so far and I'm almost at 5000 points again. Most surveys are worth 50p, some £1 and some are even £1.50. There's also prize draws every month so you could be in with the chance to win even more! If that all sounds good to you, sign up here!

Skimlinks
If you've got a blog, you can make a bit of extra money through that too, using affiliate links. There's a number of different companies you can go with, but I've been with Skimlinks for almost a year. Basically, every time someone clicks a link on your blog and it takes them to another site, Skimlinks keeps a note of it and you get paid a tiny amount for each one. Everytime someone clicks a link from your blog and then makes a purchase, you also get a tiny percentage of that. It takes a couple of months for the payments to go through but I now get paid from them every month. It's really easy to do, you just need to put the code on your blog and Skimlinks does all the hard work for you!