Use this list and discover new ideas to make money online and from home. Earn cash from walking, recycling, reviewing music and even searching the web.
We’ll update this page with fresh ways to make money fast, so go ahead and bookmark it.
Top ways to make money online and offline
[1] Babysitting
It’s a classic money-maker, and for good reason. You get paid to watch TV and not very much else – hopefully!
If you are wondering what to charge have a look at local babysitting ads. You can expect to be paid over £11 an hour even if you aren’t trained in childcare.
In the UK, you will however need a basic DBS check to look after small children, even if the parents don’t ask for one.
Create a free profile on Care Babysitting to find local jobs.
Our guide to babysitting walks you through the main considerations.
[2] Rent out your car parking space
If you aren’t using your parking space and live in a busy area then you might be in luck.
Advertise your space on Parklet or Just Park and earn extra money easily.
Check out our guide to renting out your parking space.
[3] Sell your photos
If you’ve got a good eye and a little creativity, try uploading your photographs to stock image websites. You’ll be paid if they are used by someone.
Good starting points are Adobe Stock and Getty Images.
Make more money by selling photo subjects that have fewer search results (less competition), but you feel have some demand.
Test them out in print yourself with free photo prints.
[4] Profit from your education
Becoming a tutor to other students is easier than ever. Until recently your market was limited to local face-to-face sessions, but thanks to online tutoring sites you can go global!
Udemy allows anyone to create an online course (on literally anything) and get paid forever more as users enrol.
For one-to-one tutoring, list yourself on Superprof and MyTutor.
Expect to earn upwards of £10 an hour. You don’t have to be highly qualified to tutor younger GCSE or even A Level students.
Get started with our guide to making money as a private tutor.
[5] Sell your old games and movies
If you are looking to make a quick buck, sell your old DVDs, Blu-rays and games. You’ll declutter your room and almost everything these days is digital or streamed anyway.
Expect to earn anything from 10p to £20 per item. The earnings can really add up if you have a large collection. See if your parents have any ‘clutter’ they’d be happy to see the back of too.
Sites like MusicMagpie will pay you instantly for sending in unwanted items.
For potentially more money (but more hassle), try eBay, Amazon Marketplace and Preloved.
We share more tips in our guide to selling DVDs, CDs and games.
[6] Be an extra
Ever dreamed of appearing in a movie or TV show? Apply to be a film extra and it could become a reality.
The pay isn’t bad either: £60-80 a day on average, and you hardly have to do anything!
There are lots of casting agencies that place willing extras. They make their money by taking a cut from your earnings, so always ask what that is before you take on work.
Head over to our how to become an extra guide for more advice and the best agencies.
[7] Mystery shopping
Today becoming a mystery shopper is easier than you think, and you can be rewarded handsomely.
There are dozens of agencies that pay you to visit all sorts of shops and restaurants to report on how they are performing.
We’ve reviewed the best agencies in our guide to mystery shopping.
Tasking apps are another form of mystery shopping, where you earn rewards for completing small local tasks. It can be a lot of fun too!
[8] Buy and sell domain names
A domain name is just a website address (eg. ‘savethestudent.org’ or ‘mysite.co.uk’) and there are lots of extensions (.com, .net, .co.uk etc).
They cost as little as £4 to register with GoDaddy.com, or even free with Bluehost packages.
Yet premium domain names can fetch £1,000s if not millions when sold on. In 2007 VacationRentals.com sold for a cool $35m!
Now you’re not going to come across anything like that, but you could still turn a quick profit with a bit of searching.
The trick is to find available domain names which have some commercial value. Snap them up and then list them for sale on a site like Sedo.com.
[9] Enter competitions
Entering competitions comes with no guarantees, but there is nothing to lose and a chance to win big.
A growing community of so-called ‘compers’ are making a good amount of money from competitions.
There are lots of different types of competitions and prizes. From online product giveaways and gift vouchers to big-money TV game shows.
Start by entering our very own monthly student competition. Follow @savethestudent to see when our next one is!
Then head to our active competitions page to enter other free competitions that we have found.
To boost your chances of making money from competitions, read our guide to entering competitions.
[10] Sell second-hand textbooks
One smart way to make extra money is to buy other students’ textbooks cheaply at the end of the year, then sell them just after freshers’ week.
This is when the new intake of students know that they need them, so demand and prices will be higher.
You can either advertise on campus or list them on Amazon Marketplace (they do take a commission on books sold).
Here are 29 other things you can sell right now!
[11] Sell course notes
If you don’t mind sharing your notes with other students, this is a good way to generate some extra cash.
There are several sites where you can upload your notes. When another student downloads them you get paid.
Sites like Nexus Notes and Stuvia are free for you to list your notes. They take a small cut of any sales in return for connecting you with customers.
You can submit handwritten notes but you’re likely to make more money if they’re typed up.
[12] Review music for money
If you love music, make it your business by reviewing unsigned bands and artists online for cash with Slicethepie.
Money you earn will be paid in $US but anyone can sign up and review.
To get started, head over to Slicethepie or see our quick guide for more info.
[13] Gigs on Fiverr
Fiverr is the world’s largest marketplace for people to make money selling small services (known as ‘gigs’).
What you offer could be absolutely anything. From writing and translating, social media posting, playing pranks and teaching to creating music, voiceovers and short video clips for people around the world.
The default price is $5 (hence Fiverr), but you can attach extra services to gigs for more money. Earnings can quickly add up and there are thousands of people making a really good living from the site. The key is to get a system in place which minimises the time spent on each gig.
There is another way to profit even more from Fiverr, for potentially far less work. How? By simply reselling gigs elsewhere.
For example, find a decent logo designer then reply to jobs on Upwork or local classifieds. A $5 spend can easily become $50+, and it’s repeatable! Just check with your designer that they are happy with this.
If you’re not interested in selling, there’s so much good stuff you can get done for yourself. Have a browse and get inspired!
[14] Part-time job
A part-time job is the obvious first choice for students looking to supplement their student loan. It provides a steady flow of income and valuable work experience.
But good jobs are not always easy to find!
Start with our student job search. Then check local classifieds and your university careers service for vacancies.
It’s also worth signing up with CV Library. This is a free service that matches your CV with suitable part-time jobs and career opportunities.
Read our guide to finding a part-time job for more tips.
[15] Cashback when shopping
This is a way to make money and save money at the same time. Cashback allows you to reclaim money from purchases you would have made anyway, whether it be 50% or 0.5% cashback.
There are a number of cashback sites which pay you the commission they otherwise would have earned.
We recommend signing up with Top Cashback, Quidco.com and Swagbucks which are free and offer the best selection of retailers and exclusives.
[16] Claim tax back
Many students work part-time or during the summer months, and others will be on placements or paid internships. If you are a student working during the year, you will probably be overpaying income tax.
Why? Simply because few students reach the personal tax-free income allowance each year. However, they are often put on an emergency basic tax-code by their employers meaning tax is being paid when it shouldn’t be.
To calculate how much tax back you might be due, see our guide on student tax refunds.
[17] Become a ‘Clickworker’
The Clickworker.com concept is based on ‘internet crowd-sourcing’ where businesses advertise specific, scalable tasks they need completing quickly. And for us, it’s an easy way to make money fast from home.
There are a variety of tasks, but most commonly they involve mindless data entry, web research or form filling.
You are paid in cash (via Paypal) for the work you choose to do.
[18] Mobile phone recycling
You can earn money and help the environment by recycling your old mobile phones and other unused devices. Ask your parents if they have any lying around too.
Head to our page on making money from old phones for the best companies to use and how to ensure you get all the cash quoted to you online.
[19] Affiliate marketing
If you have a social media following or a website, you can start making money immediately by promoting all sorts of companies, products, services and offers online.
Sign up as a publisher on the Awin network. Check their offers blog or browse the merchant listings to find something you think your followers would be interested in. Then grab your affiliate link and share it.
If someone buys using your link you’ll make a nice commission (can be within up to 90 days).
Learn more with our guide to affiliate marketing.
[20] Publish a Kindle eBook
If students are good at anything, it’s researching and writing. With the Kindle store, anyone can publish an eBook and make money on Amazon.
The Kindle app is now available on any device so your global market is huge!
List your book for £1.49 – £6.99 and you earn 70% of the sale. Considering Amazon is the ultimate selling machine (and remember, people are looking to spend), that is a fantastic deal.
The key to success with eBooks is to create value, and write non-fiction. Bundling information you have researched and compiled on a common problem (eg. ‘secrets’ to finding a job) and then presenting it in an easy to digest format (an eBook) justifies someone spending a few quid on it.
Have a professional cover designed so it stands out (browse these).
Once your eBook is live on the Kindle store, it’s important to get some reviews so it shows up higher in results. Encourage readers to leave an honest review at the end of your book.
The best thing about this lucrative idea is that once you’ve invested the time (say 20 hours), you’ll earn a passive income for years to come!
For more tips see our guide on making money from eBooks.
[21] Review websites & apps
Well, it seems like you’re pretty nifty with a web browser. So perhaps it’s time to turn pro and browse websites as a paid and fun job!
Introducing UserTesting – a platform that pays everyday people to review all kinds of websites. Each review takes around 20 minutes and bags you $10 (£6.50) via Paypal.
Simply sign up to UserTesting, complete a test review and look forward to receiving websites in your inbox.
We’ve also got 53 small business ideas to help you make money in the longer term.
