Millions of us are stuck at home right now. If your finances are strained, here are some ways that you could get money fast.
Get free money
The government and some banks are giving it away. Here are some ways you might be able to get your hands on some money – and fast!
Check these websites: you might be able to get Statutory Sick Pay, Universal Credit, or Employment Support Allowance, or you might be able to claim a grant through the Covid-19 Self-Employment Support Scheme.
You can get up to ₤100 simply by switching banks. First Direct and Raisin have bonus offers now, but they’re constantly changing. Check what’s available from different banks when you’re ready to switch.
Sell what you have to get money fast
Old stuff
We’ve all got things lying around that we don’t need. It might be that suit in the back of the wardrobe, the blender in the cupboard, or the old mobile phones in the drawer. The lockdown is a great time to get some money for them.
Gumtree, Ebay and Craigslist are well-known sites for selling almost anything. If you don’t want to list things online, Music Magpie will buy your pre-loved electronic devices directly. You won’t get as much money, but it’s fast and easy!
Art, craft and design
If you design and make things, or if you’ve got stunning photos languishing on your phone, you can sell them online too!
You could sell your handicrafts on Etsy (you can currently get good money for fabric masks), while Shutterstock and Alamy are two places to sell photos. If you use an iPhone, you can sell them photos straight from your phone with Stockimo.
If you know how to design eye-catching art, Zazzle will sell products with your designs in exchange fora 15% commission. Upload a design, and they’ll put it on the site. When someone orders something with your design on it, Zazzle prints it and ships it. The customer gets what they want, the platform sends you money. Simple and fast. What have you got to lose?
Attention
Your attention is valuable. Neobux pays you to watch ads, while Mistplay on Android pays you to play games. You won’t get much, but it’s worth a try.
Personal information
Personal information is valuable. It’s important to make sure you understand the implications of selling it: you can’t get it back.
Qmee’s browser plugin tracks your searches in exchange for cash rewards, while opting in to the Brave Browser rewards you for tracking your browsing. On Upvoice, you get gift cards for letting the plugin track the ads you see.
Do you know how to use the camera on your phone? Shoppix will pay you for sending them photos of your receipts, so you can get some extra money from your grocery trips!
Ipsos Media Cell gives you money for letting them track everything you hear: the radio, TV, or anything that contains audio. Install their app on your phone for a month, and they’ll give you a £20 voucher. You get another £10 a month to keep it installed. It’s a confirmed way to get money fast, but think carefully about your privacy: do you want them listening in?
Opinion
There are thousands of sites like 20 Cogs and Swagbucks where you get money for filling in surveys. It doesn’t take much know-how, it’s easy, but it’s not fast. Slice the Pie will pay you for reviewing up-and-coming music.
If you’re a bit more technical, try Respondent.io, Usertesting, or uTest, which pay more for a professional opinion. You need basic technical literacy, but if you know how to use a web browser, you’re qualified to have a look.
Expertise
Even under lockdown, if you have the correct skills, you can transcribe audio, become a freelancer on Upwork, or answer questions on Just Answer.
It only takes patience to review phone calls at Humantic, or get a bit of money for repetitive tasks on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.
Rent out what you have
You can’t rent a room in your house on Airbnb or Spareroom during lockdown, but you can get money from your empty parking space on Parklet or Just Park. You can even apply to Car Quids to put advertising on your car.
Get money, don’t lose it fast!
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to get money fast. Protecting that money is just as important. Here are some tips:
-
Create a separate email address to sign up for websites
-
When you earn money, withdraw it ASAP. If the site shuts down, you’ll lose everything stored there
-
Spend gift vouchers ASAP. They could expire, or the retailer could close down
- The sites listed here have good reputations, but beware of any sites asking for money up-front – it could be a scam
-
If you make a lot of money, don’t forget to declare your income to the tax man!
