The Ultimate Guide to Making Extra Money in 2026

There are more ways to earn extra cash than ever before—but figuring out which opportunities are actually worth your time can be tricky. This regularly updated guide covers the best online and offline side hustles, from surveys and web searching to delivery driving and selling second-hand goods.

8/18/20264 min read

Online Side Hustles

1. Paid Online Surveys

A popular way to earn in your spare time. Research companies constantly recruit new members to answer surveys and test products. Some surveys pay up to £3 ($5) each.

Top platforms to try: Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, OnePoll, Y Live, Freecash, Opinion Outpost, YouGov, 5 Surveys, Prime Opinion, PrizeRebel, Marketagent, InboxPounds, Valued Opinions, i-Say, LifePoints, Pinecone, Toluna, Survey Junkie, Attapoll, and Maru Voice.

➤ See our full guide to paid survey sites

2. Get Paid to Search the Web

You already search every day—why not get paid for it?

Qmee.com rewards you for searching on Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay. Install the browser extension, and sponsored results with cash rewards appear alongside normal results. Click them to collect. There's no minimum payout—our first withdrawal was just 72p to PayPal.

➤ Sign up to Qmee for free

3. Online Market Trading

Trading involves risk, but can be lucrative if done wisely. Platforms like eToro let you invest with as little as £/$10. The CopyTrader feature allows you to follow and copy top-performing traders. Start with a $100k virtual portfolio to practice risk-free.

Risk warning: 50% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Only trade real stocks without leverage. Your capital is at risk.

➤ Visit eToro

4. Start Your Own Website

Create a passive income stream by launching a website. With Bluehost, you can set one up in under 20 minutes for very little cost. Monetise through ads, affiliate marketing, or products.

➤ Start a website with Bluehost

5. Review Websites & Apps

UserTesting pays everyday people $10 (£6.50) per 20-minute website or app review. TestingTime also pays for reviewing products and services.

➤ Try UserTesting
➤ Try TestingTime

6. 'Get Paid To' (GPT) Sites

Complete offers, watch videos, or play games for cash and vouchers. Popular options include Swagbucks, InboxPounds, User Interviews, and Toluna.

7. Publish a Kindle eBook

Anyone can publish on Amazon's Kindle store. Price your book £1.49–£6.99 and earn 70% royalties. Non-fiction that solves a problem sells best. Invest in a professional cover and encourage reviews. Once live, it generates passive income for years.

8. Affiliate Marketing

Promote products via your social media or website. Join the Awin network, grab your affiliate links, and earn commissions on sales (tracked for up to 90 days).

➤ Join Awin

9. Become a Clickworker

Clickworker.com offers micro-tasks like data entry, web research, and form filling for businesses. Get paid via PayPal for the tasks you choose.

➤ Try Clickworker

10. Gig Work on Fiverr

Sell micro-services ("gigs") starting at $5—from writing and translating to voiceovers and prank calls. Add extras to boost earnings. You can also resell gigs on platforms like Upwork for a profit.

➤ Explore Fiverr

11. Review Music for Cash

Slicethepie pays you to review unsigned bands and artists. Payments are in USD, but anyone can sign up.

➤ Try Slicethepie

12. Tutor Students Online

Create online courses on Udemy for passive income, or offer one-to-one tutoring via Superprof and MyTutor. Expect £10+/hour.

13. Start Freelancing

If you write, design, or manage social media, find flexible remote work. Check our freelancing guide for starters.

14. Create YouTube Videos

Join the YouTube Partner Program and earn ad revenue. Success depends on virality, watch time, and niche.

15. Get Paid to Watch Videos

Swagbucks and InboxPounds pay you to watch adverts and viral videos. One of the easiest ways to earn from home.

Offline & Real-World Side Hustles

16. Make Deliveries

Use a bicycle, motorbike, or car to deliver food with Deliveroo—flexible hours, up to £16/hour. Also contact local takeaways directly.

➤ Sign up for Deliveroo

17. Mobile Phone Recycling

Recycle old phones and devices for cash. Check our phone recycling guide for the best companies.

18. Claim Tax Back

Students working part-time often overpay income tax. Use our student tax refund guide to calculate what you're owed.

19. Cashback Shopping

Earn money on purchases you'd make anyway. Top Cashback, Quidco, and Swagbucks are free and offer the best retailer selection.

➤ Try Top Cashback
➤ Try Quidco

20. Part-Time Job

A steady income stream. Use our student job search, local classifieds, or CV Library.

➤ Upload CV to CV Library

21. Sell Course Notes

Upload your notes to sites like Stuvia. You get paid when other students download them.

22. Sell Second-Hand Textbooks

Buy cheap at year-end and sell high just after freshers' week via campus ads or Amazon Marketplace.

23. Enter Competitions

Join the "compers" community. Follow competitions on social media and enter free giveaways—no risk, potential big rewards.

24. Buy & Sell Domain Names

Register domains for ~£4 via GoDaddy (or free with Bluehost) and resell premium names on Sedo.com for profit.

➤ Search domains on GoDaddy
➤ List on Sedo

25. Mystery Shopping

Agencies pay you to visit shops and restaurants and report on performance. Check our mystery shopping guide for reputable agencies.

26. Print on Demand

Create custom designs for T-shirts, mugs, and hoodies. Use Printify or Printful—they handle printing and shipping. No upfront stock needed.

27. Be a Film Extra

Earn £60–80/day appearing in movies or TV shows. Apply via casting agencies (check their cut first). See our extra guide.

28. Sell Old Games, DVDs & Blu-rays

Declutter and earn via MusicMagpie (instant payout), eBay, or Amazon Marketplace.

➤ Sell to MusicMagpie

29. Sell Photography Online

Upload images to Adobe Stock or Getty Images. You get paid whenever someone uses them.

30. Rent Out Your Parking Space

Advertise on Parklet or JustPark if you have an unused space in a busy area.

31. Babysitting

Earn £11+/hour. Create a free profile on Care Babysitting. You'll need a basic DBS check in the UK.

➤ Join Care Babysitting

32. Pet Sitting & Dog Walking

Earn ~£10/hour. Join Care Pet Care and Tailster to find local jobs.

33. Get Paid to Walk

Sweatcoin rewards you with PayPal credits and gift cards for steps. Also try Macadam (use code YDBF5X for 1,000 bonus points). Combine with local errand apps like TaskRabbit.

34. Charity Fundraising

Work on commission (~£20 per sign-up) for charities. Check Wesser for opportunities.

35. Rent Out Your House for Filming

TV and film producers pay well for location shoots. List your property on Film Locations.

36. Rent Out Your Body (Life Modelling)

Earn money as an art model (clothed or nude). Check RAM (Register of Artists' Models) for opportunities.

37. Sell Your Old Clothes

Use eBay, Depop, or Vinted to turn your wardrobe into cash.

38. Sell Stories & Videos

Sell interesting footage or stories to newspapers (e.g., The Sun) or shows like You've Been Framed (up to £250). Or self-publish on YouTube.

39. Find Property for Investors

Source below-market-value properties and connect with time-poor investors for a cut of the sale. Network at local landlord events or LinkedIn property groups.

Final Tips for Success

  • Diversify – combine multiple methods for steady income.

  • Be consistent – small efforts add up over time.

  • Avoid scams – never pay to join a survey or gig platform.

  • Stay safe – don't share sensitive personal information unnecessarily.

With so many opportunities available, there's no shortage of ways to boost your earnings. Choose a few that fit your skills and schedule, and start making extra money today!