January can be a tough month for our finances. Not only is a long stretch between being paid before Christmas to your next pay date in January, but there’s also that post-Christmas squeeze many of us feel at this time of year. Top this off with it being deadline day on January 31 to complete and pay your tax return if you’re self-employed, and it’s no wonder many of us could do with a cash boost!
If you are looking to make some extra cash, there are plenty of ways you can go about this you may not have thought of before. We’ve compiled a list that may help you. Just remember that if you do take on any self employment endeavours, then you will need to inform HMRC and complete a tax return.
Hold a yard sale
The trend is popular in America, and seems to be something more confined to traditional car boots over here, however they can be a very effective way of clearing out unwanted goods whilst making extra cash. The added plus being no need to haul your stuff into a car or pay entry fees!
This is something we tried during a recent decorating project, whereby we noticed just how much unwanted furniture and goods needed getting rid of. We made a sign advertising a yard sale would be taking place the follow Saturday, and left it outside our home for the week leading up to it.
On the day of the sale, we had a queue of cars lined up before we had even had chance to set up, and it was extremely busy all day. Someone from the local TA even turned up at one point to buy our unwanted garden reeding to use for an assault course!
In the end we made just over £80, which for stuff that’s been laying around the house for years we had absolutely no use for, isn’t bad at all. One man’s trash and all. It’s also a great way to get to know your neighbours, some of whom we had never spoken to despite living opposite them for years yet popped over on the day to support us.
Top tips: Check the weather forecast first, label the prices in advance, have change for your customers and be prepared to haggle as after all some money is better than none when it’s items you want rid of.
Get on Gumtree
Have you seen Grimsby’s Gumtree page? People are selling everything from drum kits to houses so if you have the odd item to sell which doesn’t warrant a larger sale, then it might be the place to try as it’s free.
Some people are also offering items free to anyone who can collect, so if you fancy yourself as a wannabe ‘Delboy’ it might be worth a try if you can find the right products to sell on.
Some successes on the site include selling a bike left by a previous tenant in a property rented, which he didn’t want and nobody could get rid of for £30.
Get Freelancing
If you have skills in areas such as writing, design, photography, IT or even legal knowledge there are many freelancing sites which you can earn money from.
Whilst there are many to choose from, the one which built the largest client base on was Upwork. To use the site, you need to fill in a profile listing your skills and your hourly rate. You then browse job listings and bid on them by writing a proposal and dropping in examples of previous projects you’ve completed to show the client what you can do.
It’s not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme by any means, however you can earn a decent amount of money if you work hard and pitch yourself to the right clients. It’s also got the added benefit of being on the internet meaning clients come from every nation which adds interest to your resume next time you’re in a job interview.
Sell your old phone
When you upgrade or change your phone, it’s easy to stick the old one in a drawer somewhere never to see the light of day again. However you can make money by selling your phone through a variety of websites.
Mazuma Mobile is just one such website which offers users cash, a cheque or Argos vouchers in exchange for their old handsets. Obvious points to note include making sure it’s yours to sell in the first place, and removing all data before posting it off.
