It can feel almost impossible to make some extra cash to boost your finances but it doesn't have to. Getting financially savvy can take as little as 15 minutes a day. We’ve got a whole host of tricks and reader-tested tips for you to try. Whether you have a spare quarter of an hour or a whole year, these suggestions will hopefully help you build up your funds!
Take on seasonal work
Find jobs according to the time of year – not just at Christmas. During local and national elections, councils hire thousands of temporary staff to do a variety of jobs including delivering polling cards, working at polling stations and counting votes. Exam seasons sees hundreds of jobs open to invigilators who are paid to sit in exam rooms. Most major job sites including Indeed or Reed advertise exam invigilator jobs. The gigs are temporary but easy money-makers.
Create merch
If you’ve got a bit of creative flair, let it out via Merch by Amazon where you can sell T-shirts of your own design. Simply create a design, upload it and write a description. Then, via their ‘print on demand’ service, Merch by Amazon will print shirts to order, ship them and handle customer service. It requires effort but not too much. You can do the same with socks, mugs and iPhone cases on US-based website Teespring – but, be warned, they take a cut of your sales.
Sell your space
Media companies are always on the lookout for ordinary homes for photo shoots and as locations for TV shows and films - bonus points if you have unusual features, like period decor. Apply via The Location Partnership or Location Works. Be aware, it can be stressful but you’ll be paid generously.
Adopt the 30-day rule
This trick requires some self-discipline but it does work. It works like this: if you see something you want to buy, you have to wait 30 days until you can do so. This will stop you from buying things you don’t want or need, and eliminate that hit of instant gratification. It will quickly become a habit and your spending will drop dramatically.
Make your own lunch for £100
Challenge yourself not to buy lunch every day for a month. With busy lives it’s easy to reach for a pre-made sandwich or salad at the supermarket or coffee shop. It’s also easy to forget just how much it costs. Each £5 lunch adds up. Make sandwiches at home or take dinner leftovers to work and it’ll feel worth it when you have an extra £100 by the end of the month.
For real-life stories to inspire thriftiness, expert advice to keep your finances on track, challenges to change your money habits and save thousands, and easy to follow tips to save without sacrifice, check out Take a Break's Super Savers.