With household budgets already stretched to their limits – a recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey revealed that the average weekly household spend rose to £554.20 in the year ending 2017 – it’s no wonder that individuals from all walks of life are looking to supplement their income. As a leading cash for clothes service, we make it simple for people wishing to earn more to make money from their unwanted clothes. In addition to offering free collection from anywhere in the UK and quick payment within 24 hours of valuation, our blog is stocked full of helpful hints to help you make and save more money.
Following on from our recent article on making extra money as a student, we thought we’d widen the net and provide our top tips for all who want to earn cash quickly and conveniently in their spare time, even if they’ve already got a full time job.
1. Switch to save more
Making the most of what you’ve already got is something we’re always keen to promote as an established recycler of unwanted clothes. Whatever the size of your current savings pot, making funds go further is where it counts. Unfortunately, the majority of savings accounts come with pitiful savings rates but with a bit of research you can increase the interest you earn and start saving even more! MoneySavingExpert.com makes finding the best savings accounts with the best rates simple. Visit their top savings accounts guide, which is updated daily for your convenience.
The same theory applies to your current account. You can in fact earn up to £150 for switching to a better bank account as well as reap countless rewards by sourcing the right type of account for you. Free cash, vouchers and regular bonuses now come as standard across many bank accounts, with banks and building societies always willing to offer more to gain your valuable custom.
2. Don’t forget those credit cards
Making your credit work harder is another must for making the most of the facilities already accessible to most. You may think that your credit card is there to help you spend more, not save more, but with the right products you can not only limit the interest you pay on transactions but earn hundreds of pounds per year from each and every purchase you make. Cashback credit cards are certainly where it’s at, and with the best deals you can earn up to 5% cashback as well as embrace a no interest cost.
3. Get rid of those unwanted clothes
Your wardrobe could be harbouring a gold mine, and thanks to our cash for clothes service making extra cash in your spare time from your old clothes is easy. There’s an art to donating and recycling your old clothes, and here at Genie Recycling, we’ve got the process down to a tee to make it even more profitable and seamless for our customers.
Getting started couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is request your free Genie collection pack - which will be posted out to you within one business day - and return it with your unwanted clothes inside at your convenience. All Genie packs can be collected for free from anywhere in the UK and we recycle and pay cash for all brands, types and designs of clothes, footwear and accessories. All we ask is that all the unwanted clothes you supply are in good condition and clean, although there’s no need to iron or fold them when packing. Payment for your unwanted clothes is also quick, with payments processed within 24 hours of valuation taking place. We currently pay 50p per kilogram, this is however subject to the condition and weight of the clothing provided.
Want to know more about our cash for clothes service? You’ll find lots of information on our website about the entire process, whilst our Customer Support Team can be contacted on 08432 897 442 to discuss any queries you may have.
4. Remember, it’s not just clothes that turn a profit
Your wider home may be brimming with money makers, so if you don’t use it, why not rehome it? For a price of course! Gumtree, eBay and Facebook Marketplace all provide simple ways of selling unwanted items. Facebook in particular offers an excellent route to selling unused, second hand goods within your local community. Better yet, unlike eBay, there’s no fees to pay meaning you keep 100% of the profit.
Many individuals make hobbies out of selling unused items from around their homes. After your home has been successfully decluttered – check out our guide to cutting the clutter for more tips – why not move onto sourcing items for sale and keep buying and selling to turn a profit.
5. Party on down and get paid
Want to have fun and make more money from your free time? Then becoming a part time party consultant could be a great second career move for you. A role as a party consultant gives plenty of opportunity to earn extra money and you can do so at your own rate with complete flexibility over how many parties you book. This hugely flexible way of working means even the busiest of bees can work around their schedules, party and get paid.
There are a number of companies offering party consultant positions to the right people, so you’ll have all the guidance and support you need to hit the ground running. Stella & Dot and The Body Shop both offer commission based roles as well as additional bonuses and incentives. You can get started for as little as £120 as a Body Shop party consultant or £198 as a Stella & Dot consultant. The starter kits provided by these companies and similar give you all you require to book and organise parties as well as demonstrate products. Fashion and beauty product selling not your thing? Usborne Books provides similar opportunities for those passionate about literacy and learning. As an Usborne Organiser you’ll be able to create your own pop-up bookshops selling their vast range of books at home or within your local community.
6. Become a freelancer
You don’t have to learn new skills or explore new business ventures to earn extra money in your spare time. Capitalising on the skills and qualities you already use in your full time job may be the way to go. Self-employment is on the up, in fact, the UK’s freelance economy has grown by 25% in the last nine years. With Brexit approaching more and more businesses are looking to fill the skills shortages they have in-house with experienced and qualified freelancers.
Getting started as a freelancer is something you can do in your spare time. LinkedIn is a great platform to make the business connections you need to source freelance opportunities. Setting up your own website can also be done for free or at very little cost to promote your skills and experience to all the right people.
7. Trade in your tech
With technology continuously evolving it’s no wonder that most of us have games consoles, computer games, laptops, tablets, smartphones, CDs and DVDs gathering dust. Use your spare time and the UK’s top trade-in sites to declutter and make extra cash quickly. It’s not the first time we’ve mentioned trading in your old tech as a great way to make money. This little tip can be used all year round however, not just when you’re trying to make extra money for Christmas. Don’t want to lose your treasured DVD or CD collection? Go digital and rip the films and music they contain to your laptop or desktop computer.
More of a bookworm than a gamer? You can make money from your old books too thanks to sites like WeBuyBooks and Ziffit. Simply enter the ISBN to see how much you can make from each title. If you have quite a few books to shift, becoming an Amazon seller may be your best route to bigger profit margins. With Amazon you can list up to 35 books per month for free or pay a flat rate subscription of £25 per month if you need to sell more than this. Amazon will however charge you 75p per book and 15% of the total price paid, including postage, for the privilege.
8. Don’t forget your rubbish!
It’s not just unwanted clothes and other household items and tech that help you maximise the cash you earn at home. People will actually pay cash for your rubbish with loo roll tubes and empty perfume bottles all commanding a price, particularly within the arts and crafts community. Selling in bulk is the secret and eBay already has an established market for rubbish sales. Shirt buttons sell for an average price of 22p each, coat hangers go for 58p each and glass coffee jars command a high price of £2.94 each on average. New football programmes are the biggest sellers. With an average price of £6.08 each, there has been 111,898 bundle sales of new football programmes in the last three months alone.
The possibilities are endless when selling your old rubbish, with pine cones, jam jars, wool odds and ends, champagne and wine corks, glass ramekins, plastic milk tops, newspaper supplements and even can ring pulls all great sellers. eBay isn’t the only place where crafty people come together to buy such supplies. Gumtree, Preloved, Facebook Marketplace and dedicated Facebook groups are all options for rubbish selling.
9. Pen your story for pounds
Got an interesting story to tell? Don’t share your treasured tale for free, get in touch with a magazine or newspaper and sell your story to the highest bidder. Take A Break is just one publication that’s built on user submissions. They pay up to £2,000 for readers’ stories. Real People has a similar pricing strategy. Submitting your story is simple, just fill in an online form at Take A Break or Real People and a member of their team will be in touch if your story is the right fit. Your story doesn’t have to be an epic tale either; smaller, more light hearted stories and tit-bits have their place too. Many publications pay £20 or more for star letters. Picture submissions can also earn you up to £100 if published.
10. Rent something out for cash
You don’t have to wave “goodbye” to your belongings for good. Renting them out for cash is just as profitable. Thanks to the government’s Rent a Room Scheme you can now earn up to £7,500 per year tax-free by taking in a lodger. Becoming a resident landlord doesn’t come without its responsibilities however. Like any landlord, you are responsible for keeping your property in a safe and good condition. Finding the right lodger for you is an important part of making the Rent a Room Scheme as profitable and successful as possible. SpareRoom and Gumtree are great for advertising your room to rent. Whilst MondaytoFriday offers a convenient solution for those looking to provide weekday-only accommodation.
Renting out your stuff for cash doesn’t have to stop there. Storage and parking spaces are in high demand across the UK, whilst renting your house out as a film set could earn you between £500 and £2,000 PER DAY!
11. Share your opinion online and off
It seems everyone has an opinion about everything so why not get paid for what you think? Companies of all sizes are always on the lookout for feedback, and use online survey sites and focus groups amongst other channels to gauge what consumers think. Face-to-face focus groups are the most profitable, with individuals paid up to £160 per session for attending. Joining a market research agency is highly recommended, although all agencies restrict their users to just one or two focus groups per year.
12. Start house, pet or plant sitting
House sitting is becoming a popular way of earning money and there are more and more agencies popping up that connect house sitters with those looking for a little help. You can earn up to £30 per day plus travel expenses for pet or plant sitting, whilst house sitting in another part of the country or the world could give you and your family a free summer holiday. It’s win-win!
