7 Ways to Earn Extra Cash From Home

Despite being in isolation we seem to find ourselves as busy as ever. But what if we could keep ourselves occupied while earning a few extra pennies in the meantime? Belle spoke to Shon Alam, founder of Bidwedge, to get his tips on generating cash from the comfort of your own home…

Use your creative crafting skills

If you’re planning to spend time on a craft you can get materials delivered. Whether you want to create with yarn, wood, paper or recycled materials that you have at home, if you find (or already know) that you’re creating something people will buy, there are lots of places to set yourself up as a seller. Start by checking out: Etsy.com, Shopify.co.uk, Folksy.com, Notonthehighstreet.com

Setting up a Facebook page and showing your items on Pinterest are also great, free ways to showcase your crafts.

Get books back in circulation

For book lovers losing any book is difficult. Be pragmatic: review your bookshelves and decide which books you’ll re-read or pass on to friends or family. If you’re honest, the rest are simply decoration and you can sell them. 

Amazon is the obvious place to start. You will need to register as a seller (have your mobile, passport / driving licence and payment card ready). Ensure you can post what you are offering for sale or get everything ready for when you can.

Alternatively, try We Buy Books or Music Magpie.

Clearing cupboards

If you are clearing out cupboards and find items worth selling, eBay is the obvious place to go. As a seller, you need to be responsible about the sending, ensuring you adhere to social distancing at the Post Office.  You can make items ‘buyer collects’ however this is best only if the person is local (avoiding unnecessary journeys) and you can hand over the item using the distancing guidelines. 

Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are also handy places to list things. You may not make as much money as most people buy locally, so you are limited by geography but, again, it is usually buyer collects, which means you can arrange a safe way to make the exchange which could mean a speedier sale.  Just do be sure you adhere to the social distancing at the point of exchange.  For example, can they pay you online and then collect from a designated spot where you can leave it well in advance?  Of course, always wash your hands before and after any exchange.

Do you have anything vintage?

Again, when clearing drawers and shelves, we all have those vintage items that we have received from family members in bygone years or bought at a boot fair when feeling a bit Arthur Daley. They might not be worth taking to Antiques Roadshow – perhaps they are dented or missing a bit – but they are almost certainly worth something.

VintageCashCow will buy your vintage items for cash! It’s so simple. You put everything you want to sell in a box (during the isolation period, they are offering a free home collection service so you don’t have to leave the house), they then value it and offer you a fair price within 48 hours.  No haggling and – more importantly – no dodgy dealings.  They will even explain their valuation. If you accept their offer they will send you a cheque or transfer the money on the same day. Any unsold items they will return for free! What are you waiting for?

Cash in foreign currency

Whether you’re a frequent traveller or just go abroad for an annual holiday, there’s little doubt that, when clearing drawers that you haven’t looked in for months, you will find bits and pieces of currency that were too small to change up post-trip.  How can you get this exchanged easily?

At Bidwedge, you create a free account, state the amount of currency you have and they will tell you the price they will pay for your currency. If you agree, post your currency to Bidwedge and the agreed amount will be paid direct into your bank account. There are no additional fees, postage is free, and all transactions are insured.

Bidwedge’s Currency Buy Back is currently available for Euros and US Dollars and starts as low as 10Euros or $10.  

Screen time

If you’re spending time on your PC or other devices us some of this time to make a little money.

Surveys are popular choice. Although they don’t pay that well the only resources you need are your device and your opinion. Be careful to pick legitimate sites and ones that don’t waste your time and pay very little.  Try YouGov, Prolific, LifePoints and Swagbucks as a starting point.

You can even earn cash just by changing your browser! Look at qmee.com.

• Have you got any tips for generating spare cash from your home? Comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page.