New Income Sources
Another way to bring some extra income into your life is to get a second job. What you can do is to look at ways to earn a little additional money on the side. This might be something simple like babysitting or gardening. Think about the skills you have or things you like to do.
It may not feel like it to you at this moment but the problem for many people is that they have plenty of money but not enough time. People who are working long hours for a good salary often want to offload the time consuming jobs like ironing, gardening, cleaning, dog walking or even cooking. Some of these may be easier to do than others depending on your working hours.
The biggest problem is that there are lots of people who want the services and lots of people who wouldn't mind doing the work for a little extra money but neither side knows the other exists. Or they don't know how to contact them.
This is where you can step ahead of the crowd by simply getting yourself known. You can put a card in your local newsagent's window or in the local supermarket. You can get leaflets or flyers printed quite cheaply and either deliver them yourself or have them delivered for you with the local paper. Let people know what you do and how to contact you and you'll soon find there's plenty of scope for earning some extra pounds for clearing your debts or saving.
And remember, you're not looking to create a job for life here, or a new career. You're simply seeking to make a little extra to help out your finances. So if you could earn an extra £50 a week from a few evenings babysitting, a few hours tutoring or a weekend gardening then it could be a real boost to your finances.
And the best thing is that you could find your little bit on the side turns into a neat little business. If you do a good job, you'll find word of mouth spreads and you'll get extra customers. You may find you have too many to cope with. Then you can get someone else to help you. They do the work and you take 10% of whatever they earn for finding the customers. You've provided the customer with the service they wanted at an agreed price, you've given your helper some extra money at a fair rate and you've saved them having to find their own customers. Everyone wins. And you start getting paid without having to do any work.
To give you a head start, here are some ideas, but the list is certainly not exhaustive:
- Babysitting
- Gardening
- CV writing
- Audio typing
- Proof reading
- Ironing
- Cleaning
- Book-keeping
- Filing
- Legitimate multi-level marketing (MLM) programs – possibly Candle or Tupperware parties
- Life coaching
- Tutoring for students (maths, English, music etc.)
- Bar work
- Dog walking
- Consultancy (use any of your knowledge or skills)
- Handy man/woman
- Odd job man/woman
- Teaching English as a Second Language
- Retail work (especially during peak periods such as Christmas)
- Takeaway delivery
- Lift service
- Courier services
- Exam marking
- Pet sitting
- House sitting
- Selling on EBay
- Card making
- Personal shopping
- IT Support
- Hairdressing
- Create a website and sell a product that you make in the evenings
It can be easiest to simply get a normal part–time job with a local shop or business or even through a recruitment agency. Again it depends on your skills and experience and the amount of time you have free. This may be a better way to get a fast, dependable income as doing things yourself can be more haphazard and can take a while to get established.