40 easy ways to make money quickly
There are more ways to make extra money than ever before. That's great, but knowing where to invest your time can be tricky.
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.
How to make money online and from home
These are the best ways to start making extra money today.
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Matched betting
Matched betting works by taking advantage of free bets offered by betting sites and 'matching' them at a betting exchange. This removes the mathematical risk as you are betting both for and against an outcome.
You can then squeeze out the free bet, which can be as much as £100. Multiply this by all the betting sites there are, and you could be in profit by a few hundred pounds.
Lots of readers have genuinely made £100s at home from this technique. It's completely legal, tax-free, and anyone over 18 in the UK can do it.
We walk you through how to make your first profit (using a real example) in this gem of a guide to matched betting.
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Online paid surveys
A popular way for people to make money online is to fill out online surveys in their spare time. Research companies are always recruiting new members worldwide to answer surveys and test new products.
For a few minutes of form filling, you can quickly make a couple of quid which is paid as cash or rewards. You can bag up to £3 ($5) for some surveys.
A few good ones to try are: Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, LifePoints, OnePoll, Freecash, Pinecone, Toluna, Opinion Outpost, YouGov, Prizerebel, Marketagent, InboxPounds, Valued Opinions, i-Say, Survey Junkie, Attapoll, Opinion Bureau, Maru Voice, Y Live.
Update: See our full guide to the best paid survey sites.
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Searching the web
Interested in how to make money fast by doing what you already do online? This has to be one of the easiest methods of making money online.
Qmee.com rewards you for searching on Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay. Install a simple browser extension and sponsored results will show alongside your normal search results.
Each Qmee result has a cash reward attached. If you are interested, simply click on it and collect your reward. You can also complete surveys to top up your earnings.
The best thing is there is no minimum to cash out. Our first one was just 72p wired to our Paypal account. You also have the option to donate it to charity.
Sign up now for free and start earning from your own searches!
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Online market trading
Investing in the stock market isn't necessarily an easy way to make money but it can be lucrative if you learn to do it properly. By the same token, all trading involves risk so only ever invest what you can afford to lose.
Today there is no need to fund the yachts of Wolf of Wall Street style stock brokers. You can do it all yourself with the help of online market trading platforms.
Having spent many hours researching this new opportunity, I've been using the popular platform eToro.com.
eToro is fully regulated and has over 25 million users worldwide. They featured in the BBC Two documentary "Traders: Millions by the Minute" and sponsor several Premier League football clubs.
One of the unique things on eToro is the CopyTrader feature. This lets you see, follow and copy the investments of other top-performing traders.
Start with a virtual portfolio where you get $100k to practice trading without any risk.
Example virtual portfolio
The minimum amount to start making real trades is £/$10.
Follow our complete guide to trading on eToro. You'll learn a great deal about various investments and industries.
Please be aware that all trading involves risk. eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers real asset ownership and high-risk leveraged 'CFD' products. 51% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Therefore we suggest you only trade real stocks without leverage. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. You must be over 18.
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Start your own website
Interested in generating passive income? You need a website. It's the way to make money while you sleep.
Starting a website with Bluehost takes less than 20 minutes, costs hardly anything and can be done by an 82 year-old.
It only takes a bit of plugging on social media to get your first visitors, and there are plenty of ways to monetise your site.
Save the Student is just one example of a successful website. Started at university by Owen Burek, it has since grown to serve over 1 million visitors a month.
Read Owen's step-by-step guide on how to create a website in 20 minutes from home. It's really one of the best assets you can have.
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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 and apps. 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.
TestingTime is another site that pays you to review websites and apps, as well as new products and services.
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The 'Disney Vault' secret
To keep demand high across generations, Disney Studios restrict the supply of some home release classics. Physical blu-rays are locked away in the 'vault' for 8-10 years before being released for a short time.
Buy them in this window at normal retail price, and you can turn a nice profit when they go off sale for another decade or so.
For example, in 2011 you could buy Beauty and the Beast on Blu-ray 3D for just £24.99. In just a couple of years it was on Amazon for a staggering £74.99!
Importantly, not all Disney releases are subject to the vault and only the true classics will maintain such demand.
Right now there are just 2 titles out of the vault which I would recommend snapping up. They are Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray and The Lion King Diamond Edition Blu-ray.
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'Get Paid To' sites
Similar to making money from online surveys, GPT sites reward you in cash and vouchers for completing various offers or activities online.
The most popular sites today include User Interviews, Toluna, Swagbucks and InboxPounds.
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Make deliveries
Own a bicycle, motorbike or car? What about a Smartphone? That's all you need to make extra money by delivering food or people whenever you have some spare time.
Sign up to delivery specialist companies like Deliveroo which are always on the hunt for new riders. They allow you total flexibility to work when you want, delivering food from restaurants to the customers' door. You can make up to £16 an hour.
Double-up your opportunities by directly contacting local takeaways and bigger chains like Dominos to see if they have any delivery jobs going.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Tutor students online
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.
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Sell your photography
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.
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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.
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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.
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Pet sitting & dog walking
If babies ain't your thing, then maybe animals are. Pet sitting is big business.
Most students have some free time during the day when pet owners are at work and worried about their pets at home.
You could earn around £10 an hour for looking after someone's pet or walking their dog (and keep fit!).
Join both Care Pet Care and Tailster to find pet sitting and dog walking jobs near you.
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Make money walking
Walking dogs isn't the only way to make money from getting those steps up. Paid-to-walk apps are now a thing.
Sweatcoin rewards you with PayPal credits, gift cards and free stuff in return for steps. They share insights with health providers and insurers, but promise not to sell your personal data.
Maximise your earnings by using the app with local jobs that involve walking. Have a look on TaskRabbit which lists local paid tasks and errands in your area.
More traditional ideas to make money from being out and about include being a tour guide, distributing leaflets or being a human billboard.
Whether you're already all about the step count or looking to exercise more, getting paid to walk is good motivation and a great way to make extra money.
For more paid walking apps and ideas, walk this way...
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Charity fundraising
Ok, so this job takes a certain kind of person, as you'll have to take a lot of rejection and be persistent.
But if you are bubbly and personable this could actually be a great money making idea. You normally get paid commission on new sign ups (typically around £20).
Have a look at Wesser for current opportunities.
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Rent out your house for filming
TV and film producers are always on the hunt for houses to film in. A scene for Coronation Street was filmed in the student house one of the Save the Student editors lived in!
Not only can you make good money, but it's crazy seeing your own place on TV. Start by looking at Film Locations.
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Rent out your body
If you are comfortable taking off your kit then why not try life modelling? Get paid to sit in the buff while budding artists capture you in frightening detail.
Have a look at RAM, an organisation dedicated to life models.
You could also get involved in paid clinical drug trials, but be aware of the risks involved.
Never do anything you are not comfortable with, no matter how much money is offered.
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Start freelancing
Perhaps you enjoy writing, reading books, graphic design or managing social media accounts in your spare time.
There are endless freelance jobs that require certain skills or just time that someone else might not have.
Freelancing is very flexible and you can work from home for clients around the world with just an internet connection.
Get started and find jobs with our freelancing guide.
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Sell your old clothes
When it comes to clearing out your wardrobe for money eBay has long been a favourite. Online auctions are a sure-fire way to turn that sleeveless jacket into hard cash.There are lots more second-hand platforms which make it even easier to sell your unwanted clothes online, including apps like Depop and Vinted.
Discover the best marketplaces with our guide to selling clothes online along with tips on how to make money selling on eBay.
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Sell your stories and videos
If you have an interesting story you could try selling it to the papers or a viral social media brand. You will need at least one photo and ideally a video.
One of the Save the Student team was unfortunate enough to have a pigeon smash through their window at university and sold the story to The Sun for a tidy £50.
Some national TV programmes like You've Been Framed will also pay you up to £250 for funny footage. Or just publish it yourself on YouTube with ads...
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Create YouTube videos
According to recent stats we now watch more videos on YouTube than searches on Google.And with the YouTube Partner Program you can profit from making and uploading videos. You will receive a percentage of the advertising revenue per 1,000 views.
Depending on how successful you are (virality, watch time, subscriber base and topic) you can make a lot of money. There are plenty of examples every week of YouTubers making it their career.
For more tips read our guide to making money from YouTube.
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Watch videos
If creating videos sounds like hard work, getting paid to watch videos online has to be one of the easiest ways to make money, ever.
Swagbucks and InboxPounds are the most popular websites. They literally pay you to sit back and watch things like adverts and videos hoping to go viral.
If watching videos is your thing and you want to make money from home, head over to our full list of ways to make money from watching videos.
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Find property for investors
We all know how much money there is in property, but on the surface you might be thinking this market is off-limits.
Truth is, lots of people make a great deal of cash by sourcing suitable properties for wealthy investors who are time poor.
The trick is to find properties below market value (BMV). Avoid estate agents and instead flyer your area with your contact details offering to buy houses for cash.
Then approach property investors with an offer to pass on details of cut-price properties in exchange for a percentage of the sale value.
Most cities have monthly networking events for landlords and property investors. Track these down, sign up, put on your best clothes and go along with lots of business cards. LinkedIn property investment groups are also good places to make initial contacts.
As you might imagine, this isn't necessarily a quick way to make money. But once you've got a few investors in your phone book it can prove to be very lucrative in the long run. If you're interested, I recommend reading this book.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
Update. We're increasingly being asked about how to make money from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Don't rush into buying Bitcoin to make money and be prepared to potentially lose all the money you invest. Read our Bitcoin guide which explains everything you need to know.
We've also got 53 small business ideas to help you make money in the longer term.
