The General Election will be held on Thursday 4th July 2024. Many people don’t realise that elections are more than a chance to cast your vote — they are an opportunity to make money!

When you vote in any election, you’ll have noticed the poll clerks overseeing everything.

However, have you ever considered making a bit of extra cash as a poll clerk yourself? Can you make yourself free for the whole day?

If so, you can earn around £250 for a day’s work in a polling station. It’s a quick and easy money-making idea and ideal if you are retired or a student.

• Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?
• What’s Involved?
• How Much Can I Make?
• How Do I Apply?

Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?

Anyone is eligible to act as a poll clerk, providing they are over 18, literate and numerate and not have worked for a candidate standing in the current election. You must also have the right to work in the UK. There are some things you need to declare on your application form too, including whether you are a member of a political party, you’re an active campaigner in the elections, and if you’re a close relative of a current candidate. This may not go against your application chances, but it must be declared.

The only other requirement is that applicants must be on the electoral roll – if you’re not, you really should be. Not being on the electoral roll can damage your credit rating!

If you’re not on the electoral roll you can register to vote on the Government’s official website. You can also find your local Electoral Registration Office by clicking here. Alternatively, give your local authority a call. 

What’s Involved?

As a poll clerk, you are there to set-up the polling station and make sure correct procedure is followed throughout the day, including after voting closes.

Your duties include checking people are eligible to vote, checking and marking electoral numbers, stamping and issuing ballot papers, and, crucially, making certain that votes are cast in secret and put into the ballot box. For the first time ever, all in-person voting requires photographic ID at all polling stations in the UK for Parliamentary elections – so you’ll need to have a good eye for faces, because you’ll be checking voters’ IDs to confirm their identity.

You answer to the  Presiding Officer, who is the official in charge of a polling station.

It’s a long day, usually from early morning (usually 6am) till at least 11pm when the voting finishes.

You can also apply to help count the ballot papers in the evening, but be aware that this is, as you can probably imagine, pretty frantic work. You’ll need to be able to work well under pressure and also focus in busy environments.

For more information on the duties of a poll clerk, and the requirements to become one, look at the Handbook for Polling Station Staff here.

How Much Can I Make?

The amount you earn varies from council to council so it depends on where you apply.

You should be getting at least £150 for the day and councils who pay the most will offer £250 or more.

To find out how much your local council pays, simply visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’. For a list of local authorities in England and Wales, click here.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you have worked at a polling station on at least two other occasions, you can apply to become a Presiding Officer, which means more money! (For example, a Presiding Officer in Herefordshire makes over £350 while in Merton, London, it is £430. 

There are other roles available which may not require you to be available for the full day. Bristol Council has some great videos and leaflets describing the different job roles and expectations.

How Do I Apply?

Usually, poll clerks have worked for their local council, but this experience is not a prerequisite. Most councils and local authorities have information on how to become a poll clerk on their website. Either visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’, or simply Google ‘become a poll clerk’ followed by your town, city, or council. For a list of council websites, click here. 

Alternatively, you can call your local authority and ask for the Elections and Registration Office, or send them an email telling them that you’re interested. They’ll send you a form if they need clerks. Don’t leave it until a week before an election to apply because the positions will probably already be filled – it’s better to apply sooner rather than later.

Some local authorities recruit all year round so you can keep applying and be put on a waiting list for the next election.

If you are selected as a poll clerk you will attend a training/briefing session and then be sworn in the day before the election.

On Election Day, a Presiding Officer oversees the whole station and will supervise and instruct you.

Have you ever made money as a polling clerk? Do you have any other good money making ideas? Let us know in the comments section below – we love to hear from you!

The post Make money from the General Election – be a poll clerk appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Making money doing nothing…imagine that!

To be able to sit back, relax, put in no effort and still see the money coming in might sound like a fantasy, but there really are ways you can make money doing nothing.

Alright, we’re not promising you can earn a full-time income while you lay back on the sofa and watch TV all day, but there are ways to earn a bit of extra cash which require very little of you.

Read on for our 10 ways to make money doing nothing…

• Bed testing – get paid to sleep on the job!
• Get paid to queue
• Get paid to download an app 
• Make money testing food
• Make money listening to music 
• Make money house sitting
• Make money by not wasting money
• Make money waiting for deliveries 
• Make money being a friend – seriously!
• Get cashback for shopping online

1. Bed Testing

Can you imagine getting paid to sleep?

That really would be getting paid to do nothing.

And, unbelievably, some lucky so and so’s get to do just that!

Bed testers get to test out a whole range of beds, from budget to super luxury, and then report back on the night’s sleep they’ve had.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a pretty difficult job to get because of the competition for such a position, but there’s no harm in keeping your hopes up.

If you’re looking for a bed testing job and are willing to brave the competition, keep your eyes on big companies which, for whatever reason, will have/need a lot of beds. It might be a hotel chain or a superstore like John Lewis, or look out for bed making companies themselves, particularly those who supply to hotels.

It’s not impossible to become a bed tester, so why not give it a go?

Could you imagine? Well, we can always dream (although, unlike some, we won’t be getting paid for it!)

2. Get Paid to Queue

Have you ever been told you don’t get paid to stand around and do nothing? Well, here’s a job that actually pays you to do just that.

You can get paid to stand in queues (otherwise known as ‘line sitting’).

You’ve seen the long queues as people wait in line to be the first to get their hands on the latest Apple product, even staying the night during relentless rain.

Chances are there’s some damp soul in those queues who would rather pay someone else to be sat there.

There are also people with work or family commitments who are eager to get the latest iPhone or the newly released concert tickets but are unable to, or those who are too ill or have disabilities that make queuing for long periods impossible. These people too may be willing to pay you for queuing for them.

Whilst popular in the US, not many people are aware of ‘line sitting’ in the UK so you may have to introduce the concept whilst you’re drumming up business.

You’d be able to set your own price, either at a fixed rate or an agreed amount per hour/half hour.

For example, you could charge a fixed rate of £100, or agree on £12 an hour.

The amount you make will depend on how much people are willing to pay and how often you get the work.

Advertise your services on Fiverr, Gumtree and on any social media platform you use.

3. Get Paid to Download an App

How would you like to get a £5 Amazon voucher just for downloading an app onto your tablet or mobile?

All you have to do is keep the app active on an Android device for a week.

This is what MobileXpression offers.

It really is money for nothing. Most sites like this offer vouchers rather than hard cash, but it’s often for a universal online store like Amazon which means you can easily spend them.

If you like to earn for downloading apps you should also check out Nielsen Online Panel. You won’t get paid for downloading it, but you will be automatically entered into a monthly prize draw to win £250 – so there’s potential to make a LOT of money doing nothing.

4. Make Money Testing Food

If you’re a foodie and think you’ve got a refined sense of taste, this one could be for you. Research companies employ food testers so that they can get views on their food products.

After tasting the food you’ll be asked for your feedback – this might be as part of a focus group or you might simply just have to give it a score in a questionnaire.

You’ll get a palette cleanser in between each food sample, such as a cracker and water, so you’re ready to go for the next taste.

Tasting sessions last around an hour or two, but if you’re taking part in a focus group it may take longer.

It’s a great way to supplement your income, with the potential to earn between £5-£55 depending on whether you’re just completing a questionnaire or if you’re taking part in a focus group.

Click here to find out more about getting paid to test food.

5. Make Money Listening to Music

Another great way to make money doing nothing is to listen to music.

Ok, you have to review the music as well, but still, it’s a fun little money maker!

Slicethepie.com gives you the chance to earn money writing reviews of music produced by aspiring musicians who are trying to get their tunes out there.

It’s not a way to earn big money by any means; you’ll only be earning a few pennies per review. But if you like listening to music and giving feedback then a little bit of money is better than no money at all, right?

6. Make Money House Sitting

Imagine making money doing nothing whilst relaxing in a luxurious home. That’s what house sitting can offer.

House sitting is a growing phenomenon, many people who own more than one house are away for long periods of time for business trips.

Such people often prefer to have a trusted house sitter take care of the house than leave it at the risk of burglars or squatters.

Often it might involve pet sitting, so if you’re an animal lover then looking after an adorable pooch or feline won’t feel like work at all.

It’s not a way to earn lots of money; pay for long-term house sitting starts at £10 a day. That said, it’s a good way to save on some of your day-to-day living costs – just think of how much you could save on rent, utility bills, food etc. whilst you’re house sitting.

Click here to find out more about house sitting.

And if you want to make your own receipts, and are not doing it through a housesitting site, you can use a receipt template so it still requires little effort.

7. Make Money by Not Wasting Money

This one might sound like a cheat, but really, not wasting money is doing nothing – and you can save a lot of money by doing this.

To begin with you can try to negotiate a little more in everyday life. Over time the little savings you can make by being frugal/cheeky will really add up and, at the end of the day, why pay more than you need to?

We have a great article here on how to save money by haggling. There really are two prices in the world – one for those who negotiate, and one for those who don’t.

Equally, there are plenty of ways many of us waste money which we could easily cut down on. For example, do you really need to buy that cleaning product or do you have products in your home that will do exactly the same job?

Do you need to buy the most expensive brand, or will a discounted brand be just as nice?

Are you shopping around for things like your current account or your energy bill? Or are you just accepting the prices you’re given?

Find out more about making money by not wasting money here. 

And don’t forget to sell on and recycle things you no-longer need. For example, did you know you can get money for your old phone?

Don’t throw it away, find out how much you can make by reselling and recycling here.

Not wasting money means you can save more – and that makes your cash word hard for you. Savings rates are looking good right now, so the more you can squirrel away the better.

8. Make Money Waiting for Deliveries

This really is how to make money by just hanging around!

It’s similar to house sitting, but it’s an easier and quicker way to earn money than staying in someone’s home for a long period of time.

We all dread those horrible time-windows given to us by delivery companies or the plumber when you need something fixed. Sometimes you really are expected to wait in the whole day!

Well, some people are willing to pay you to sit in their house and wait instead.

Pay can actually be quite good, you can earn between £8-£10 an hour, and you really are doing nothing but waiting! It’s ideal for people who can work remotely from a laptop or for students looking for some extra cash,

Look out for potential jobs – or advertise your sit-in business – on places like NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace and even Gumtree.

9. Make Money Being a Friend

Yep, you really can earn money being a friend.

Sometimes, people want to be shown around a new area, while others want someone to go to the movies with. Some want a workout buddy and some people even want a wingman!

To get started you should sign yourself up to Rent a Friend.

You don’t have to pay anything, only people looking for a friend have to pay to sign-up.

If someone likes your profile and wants you to be their friend, you can charge £5-£30 an hour for your time, so there is good money to be made.

It’s a really good way to make money doing nothing!

Click here to find out more about making money being a friend.

If you have a caring personality, you can also look for local befriending services. These pay you to visit people in their homes to provide company for a few hours a week, and you might help with a few basic chores like the washing up or making lunch. You could also be asked to run errands for people, like taking them to hospital appointments.

10. Get Cashback

Cashback sites are such an easy and straightforward way to make money. By joining a cashback site, you’ll get a bit of money back on everything you buy.

All you have to do is sign-up (absolutely free) and shop through the cashback site’s portal. It’s exactly the same as online shopping any other way, but they’ll be able to track where you make your purchase so both they and you can get paid for it.

Two of our favourite cashback sites are Top CashBack and Quidco, both of which are absolutely free to join. If you know a friend who already uses cashback sites, remember to ask them to refer you and you’ll often both get a bonus for your sign up!

You really are getting money just for shopping as normal – why wouldn’t you sign up?

Read more about cashback sites here.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post 10 Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Swiftonomics Explained

Make Swift Money: Rent a Room

Make Swift Money: Rent Your Driveway

Make Swift Money: Make Friendship Bracelets

Offer to Pet Sit

Make Swift Money: Get Social

Make Swift Money: Grab a Promotional Job

Swiftonomics Explained

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is already a billion-dollar tour: with an average audience of 72,000 each performance, that’s around $17million EVERY PERFORMANCE. Over 4.3million tickets have already been sold in the US since the start of the tour – and now she’s going worldwide. Now, of course most of that is profit for the venue and for Taylor Swift – but the knock-on effect of sellout events at venues with tens of thousands of people has a macro-impact on the local economy around each stadium.

There will be an estimated $5bn (yes, BILLION) of consumer spending worldwide thanks to Taylor’s tour. This covers everything from hotels to taxis and other transportation, to restaurants and hospitality venues, even to merchandise. When Swift comes to town, the local economy booms.

This isn’t an entirely new thing – the Rolling Stones used to be ‘the only show in town’ with everyone talking about it, hotels fully booked, and the local hospitality industry thriving. But in today’s world of social media, the megastars are truly huge – it’s not just Taylor, either. The Beyonce Effect is credited with a noticeable and traceable 9.7% boost to Sweden’s economy in May 2023.

So, how can you make the most of being near to a Taylor venue in the coming months?

Make Swift Money: Rent a Room (Or Your Whole House)

Accommodation is at an absolute premium for Taylor Swift tour locations, and you can benefit from it. Whether you want to offer your spare room to a couple of people or can escape elsewhere to let them hire your whole house for a few days, it’s one of the quickest ways to make a LOT of money.

Even better, doing this when you live in a stadium town (or an area with a large concert venue) means you could rent your room or house on a regular basis whenever a big-name star comes to play or a sporting fixture is on. Platforms such as Air BnB are the obvious route for anyone planning to regularly rent out their space for concert goers, but if you want to start off with just the Swifties then it’s worth promoting on your social media platforms to let friends and friends of friends know that you have a space available.

There are some risks to renting out your whole house – you won’t be able to control noise or damages – but you can get a much higher fee for doing so. Advertising through a platform like Air BnB or Booking.com also gives you some protections from difficult customers. The flip side of this is staying in the house and renting out rooms – you need to put up with disruption to your usual routine, but can ensure your guests are well-behaved. There is a security issue letting strangers into your home, so secure valuables out of sight and try to not be alone in the house with your new guests.

Rent Your Driveway

Parking is always at a premium in cities anyway, and prices easily bump up when a popular act like Taylor Swift sells out the biggest venue in the area. Make the most of it and rent out your parking space for some quick cash!

Use a platform like JustPark or Park Let to promote your parking space. These platforms take a small fee of a booking, but make it really easy to reach thousands of people looking for parking in your area. Again, this is particularly ideal if you have a spare space and live near to a stadium as you could make cash every time someone big comes to perform. Check the rates for parking closest to the stadium, by hour and overnight, and set yours a little lower to make sure you look like a good deal!

Make Friendship Bracelets

This is a very specific Swift money maker! Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) will make and exchange friendship bracelets with each other at her concerts – even with people they’ve only just met! But for those who haven’t had the time, a last-minute option to buy some friendship bracelets will be a lifesaver for them.

Friendship bracelets aren’t too time intensive and the raw materials (usually cotton thread and alphabet beads) isn’t expensive either. You can make a LOT of bracelets with a small amount of thread, and add any beads or buttons you have stashed in your craft collection.

When you’ve made them, promote on a platform like Etsy or eBay, as well as on your local NextDoor and Facebook groups. If you’re really savvy, talk to local businesses near to the venue to see if they’ll let you sell from their premises if you give them a small percentage – or see if a restaurant or pub want to run an offer giving free Swiftie bracelets away on the night to each customer and buy from you in bulk!

You could also find ways to make other related Swift merch but be VERY careful about breaching any copyright (for example, don’t use her image or artwork from her album on anything). You can, however, use words – so making banners for people to hold up at the event, or tote bags that refer to being a Swiftie from (X town you live in) are a couple of ideas to start with that could make you money without getting you tangled in copyright infringement cases.

Offer to Pet Sit

Of course, Swiftonomics isn’t just about the increase in visitors to a town where she is playing – there are loads of fans who live near you, too! You could make an easy £20-£50 for a night of pet sitting in your local area. The amount depends on how many pets and the time needed – a cat that needs to have a quick visit and be fed might be £10 while two large dogs in need of an evening walk and sofa cuddles while their owners are out could be £50.

Post on your local online groups like NextDoor and Facebook groups to find out if people need your services. If you can put in some leg work, you might find you can manage a few pets in one night – visiting three cats for a feed and litter check, plus walking a couple of dogs, for example. If you want to be a sitter more regularly, check out our article on how to become a pet sitter and make extra money while enjoying the benefits of being around animals.

Get Social

Make the most of a true phenomenon coming to town and get busy on your social media. Follow the crowds, interview them, find out what they’re most excited about – and find the most dedicated Swift fan in the crowd. This is particularly ideal if you’re a social media influencer (or want to be one) making money from your social content, because it’s the type of video and photo media that could quickly go viral.

If you want to be a TV presenter, it’s a great calling card to practice your interview skills, too! And local TV and newspapers will also be on the lookout for unique photos and clips of the huge event that is a Taylor Swift circus (and the Swift fandom) which could net you some cash, too.

Find a Promotional Job

You’re not the only one who wants to make the most of Swiftonomics and earn extra cash while she is in town! Your local restaurants, pubs, bars, and shops will want to take advantage of the huge increase in footfall. Offer your services for temporary promotional staff – handing out flyers with exclusive offers, posting on local social media about deals, and helping businesses tap into the Swift crowds.

These are just some of the ways you could make money with Swiftonomics – can you think of any others? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section!

The post How to Make Swift Money: The Power of Swiftonomics appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Flaming Grill, of Greene King pubs and restaurants, recently launched a survey that revealed just how much Brits believe in banter. However, there are some things we don’t like to be teased about, regardless of who is telling the joke!

Over 20% of respondents said that a joke about finances was in their off-limits lists, as were intelligence, love life, and fashion sense coming in close behind. Almost one third of millennials said that their usual response to banter is to reply with a sarcastic remark, while only 79% of those aged 65 and older laughing it off instead.

There were a few things people did agree on: the line not to cross includes jokes about mental health, physical appearance, and gender or sexuality, with the majority of respondents saying they’d avoid jokes about these topics. But when it comes to grilling your friends, 12% said there is nothing off-limits.

So, how does this all tie in to a chance to win £3,000? Greene King have decided to award a lucky customer voting for their favourite one-liner response with the cash prize! All you need to do is vote for your favourite one liner that you’d like to use to banter with your friends and family, and the winner will walk away with £3,000.

Hurry – the competition closes on Tuesday 7th May 2024. Full details and entry here.

The post Win £3,000 for a Joke! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

With recovery slow after the huge economic impact of the pandemic, and current global upheaval disturbing markets, PLUS the cost of living crisis, it’s easy to see why many people are worried about their jobs, while others know it could be time to change careers to secure their future.

Here are some professions you should consider if you’re looking for a change:

• Adult Social Care
• Architects
• Programmers and Developers
• Plumbers 
• Drivers
• Got a question about employment?

1. Adult Social Care

Adult social care is a bigger employment sector than the NHS – and yet there are around 152,000 open vacancies. This number reduced slightly when the Government introduced the Health and Care Worker Visa, but with strict immigration laws in place now, the number of open vacancies remain open as retirement living centres, residential carers, and those working with adults with learning or physical disabilities in independent living homes cry out for support workers.

You don’t need qualifications to get started in many adult social care professions, as training will be provided. Hours can also be more flexible if you want a part-time job, and others might offer accommodation with the role as a live-in carer. If you’re compassionate and like people, adult social work could be for you. Most jobs will require a DBS check – it is worth registering for the annual check update to ensure your DBS is always up to date which makes moving jobs much easier.

2. Architects

This is one of those long-game professions that will pay off big time. Training to be an architect takes seven years – but the end result can be a healthy salary of £80,000 or more.

You can train solely on a university course, or take an architect apprenticeship which gives you work experience and a salary to learn ‘on the job’. Starting salaries for fully qualified architects are around £30,000 quickly rising to £75,000 or above, particularly in London and other metropolitan areas.

Architects are in demand as the UK tries to keep up with the need for more housing as well as improving city centres with public architecture that is accessible and provides pleasant surroundings. It is the type of job that will always be needed, even as we move into a digital age – computers can do the drawings, perhaps, but the vision and skill required will always be human-focused.

3.Programmers and Developers

Software developers and computer programmers are in increasingly high demand as world digitisation shows no sign of slowing down. Companies that previously had openly spoken against tech developments like AI are now investing in the UK and crying out for staff – such as Microsoft’s new centre for AI, which is opening in London soon.

It might seem that getting a computer job while we’re teaching computers how to run without our input is putting yourself out of a future job, but that won’t be the case. AI is a tool that will always need human input at some stage – and we’re still very early stages in the technology development. A software developer starting salary is around £26,000 but can quickly and easily rise to well into six figures for those who show they can handle complex scripts and have good problem solving skills.

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4. Plumbers, Bricklayers, Construction Workers

Professions that can’t be automated, like plumbers and construction workers, are in dire need of new recruits. A recent study by Checkatrade revealed over a million new recruits are needed in the trades to fill the huge skills gap the industry currently faces.

Some of the problem is recent changes to UK immigration law, which has eliminated a large portion of the potential workforce from qualifying and taking up vacancies. Schools are also not promoting the possibilities of apprenticeships to their students, while parents are worried about the stigma of taking an apprenticeship instead of following a university-based further career path and that it might limit their child’s financial opportunities.

These fears are unfounded: the average salary for a qualified contract plumber in the UK is £31,000 – and self-employed plumbers earn around 8% more. Bricklayers can expect to start on around £20,000 rising quickly to an average £46,000. Carpenters and joiners earn an average of £37,000 a year rising to over £50,000 with experience. These salaries also rise considerably if you take further qualifications and specifications, such as being able to operate heavy machinery.

5. Drivers

Logistics companies and local courier services are crying out for drivers. The pandemic saw so many businesses turn to online ordering and delivery – and most have kept it in the years since. Food delivery, for example, is a popular way for many people to earn some extra money on the side a few nights a week – and there are always vacancies because it’s a service that is in constant demand.

There is a national shortage of bus and coach drivers, which impacts travel infrastructure. Since the pandemic, there has also been a shortage of national and international HGV drivers. In response to this, the Government is considering relaxing the age rules from the current minimum age of 21, to allow for recruiting drivers from a wider age range.

Professions in driving don’t have to be something that takes you away from home for a long time – such as bus and coach drivers working relatively regular shifts in a local area on a salary around £30,000 a year. However, if you are prepared to drive longer distances, the salary can be significantly higher: an HGV driver can earn upwards of £50,000 a year.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post 5 Professions Desperate for Workers appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We appreciate that flea markets and charity shops are not exactly as glamorous as London’s Oxford Street, yet the shopping experience can be even more rewarding when you find the perfect pieces. All it takes is an eye for good brands a little entrepreneurial flair and you can make some great profit on the resell value of each item.

• Before You Start
• Collectable Items
• Designer Brands
• Books
• Sports Equipment
• Cookware
• Old Tech
• Furniture
• How to Flip Thrift Items
• More Ways to Make Money

Before You Start Flipping Thrift Items

Before you start buying thrift products there are a few things you should consider. Firstly, check on websites like eBay to see for what value a similar item sells in that condition. This way you can decide whether it’s worthwhile buying it in the first place.

Secondly, check for irremovable marks or sensitive materials that require dry cleaning; this will only use up more of your profits. Finally, work out any additional expenses of that product including shipping fees and what platforms to use for reselling it.

One of the most difficult parts of flipping thrift items is finding the right items that have a strong demand. To help you out with this, we’ve created a short list with some of the most profitable thrift pieces:

Collectable items

Be it an old branded toy that is no longer manufactured or a limited-edition comic book, there will always be a market for collectible items.

In some cases, passionate collectors are willing to pay large amounts of money for a special item. Other collectables to look out for include rare vinyl records, like Beatle’s 1968 White Album or vintage board games. It doesn’t have to be very old, either – think of limited edition themed Monopoly games, for example. The rarer an item is, the more valuable. As long as you do your homework on some of these categories, you might be able to make some big bucks

Designer brands

Although not always an easy find, designer items are most likely to sell quickly and for good profits, particularly if found in pristine conditions.

When it comes to aspirational lifestyles, there is a huge demand for pre-owned items that show a certain status or belonging to a group. So, if you find any type of designer bag or attire that has a decent condition or can be improved, it will most likely be worth purchasing.

High-end designer bags such as Chanel, Hermes or Dior might be difficult to find, but be on the lookout also for mid-range designer items, such as Kate Spade or Kurt Geiger.

Books

When it comes to books, other than the collectable first editions, there are two main types that it’s worth keeping an eye out for – popular book sets and university textbooks. The Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings book sets sell on eBay for around £50 depending on the condition. Also try to find a bargain price on one of the classic and timeless book sets, like Little House on the Prairie, they can be a great investment.

Although most university textbooks update their editions each year, most changes are only minor, while the structure and main content stay the same. While lecturers use the latest editions, they often encourage students to buy the older versions due to their smaller prices and almost identical content. However, even second-hand textbooks can sell for £30 a piece depending on the edition.

Sports equipment

When people take up a sport, it oftens feel like breaking the bank. Most professional sports equipment is quite expensive. For example, a new pair of Latin dance shoes for women sells for over £100 in stores!

As long as the item is in good condition and can be re-used, you may find a lot of eager buyers for pre-loved sports equipment. You can even sell it in sets – a football, trainers, and uniform for example – ideal for new sports enthusiasts. These can be great items to sell, just make sure that the shoes and clothes don’t have unpleasant smells that cannot be removed from a wash.

Cookware

Many charity shops sell cooking equipment. Have a good rummage and do your research – you’ll find things like iron pans, Pyrex, or even a rare vintage pottery find will fetch a pretty penny!

Cast iron cookware, for example, can be bought from thrift shops for a fiver and sold on websites like eBay for £20-£30. Vintage retro designs are increasingly popular, too – and often end up in charity shop piles.

Old Tech

Another category that might have not crossed your mind is old tech equipment – old laptops, iPads, iPods, old play station consoles, etc.

You’ve got two choices here: buy broken items and break them up, to sell for the different components. Or, you can repair them yourself and sell as a complete product. It all depends on your skill level and time availability.

Start by looking around the house! We all have old phones or broken tech we’ve stashed in a drawer somewhere. Make sure you wipe any hard drives and put things back to factory settings before selling.

Vintage games consoles

Look for vintage computers and games consoles, too. You’ll be surprised how much these can fetch! A pristine, working-order Nintendo 64 could easily fetch you upwards of £50, more if you have games, too. Other tech, like Super 8 camcorders, can also be picked up for next to nothing and sold to collectors for a LOT.

Furniture

Some of the furniture from thrift shops are made out of high-quality materials and some can even be classed as vintage pieces. With those items, you can just try to resell them as they are because there are a lot of people that refuse to pay large amounts of money for new furniture.

For more basic furniture pieces, if you are a creative individual and enjoy DIY projects, you can get inspiration from platforms like Pinterest and redesign the entire piece. That new and unique item can be the exact missing element for someone’s room, and they might be willing to pay hundreds for it!

How to Flip for Cash

When you’ve decided what you want to flip, it’s time to get started! Trawl your local charity shops – and online shops like Oxfam – to find bargains. Sometimes, you’ll need to go back to the same shop a few times before you find a gem.

Visit car boot sales, antiques fairs, and flea markets, too. Here, you can haggle on the price even more so be ready to go in on a low offer and negotiate to an agreed price. Never feel swayed to pay more than you think something is worth – be ready to walk away!

Prepare your item for sale

Clean the item up – you might need to make minor repairs, too. Take great photos: use natural light wherever possible, or for smaller items set up your own light box. The difference between a good and an average photo is reflected in the final price you get!

Consider upcycling

Some items, like furniture or clothes, need more than a basic clean up. However, this is where the real profits can be made! Turn something into another – such as an old and broken chest of drawers into a garden planter, or a large old shirt into a dress. This increases the appeal and means you can charge a lot more for it, too.

Set clear terms

Whether you’re selling on eBay, local Facebook groups, the NextDoor app, or Gumtree, set out the condition of the item very clearly. Be honest! You’ll come across ‘tyre kickers’ who want to view a product then try to knock the price down. Don’t let them waste your time: lay out the condition of the item and the terms of the sale (such as ‘buyer must collect’) in the product description.

Promote your items

When you’ve got a few items to sell, consider creating a brand for yourself. This will help you market your items across social media channels and online. You can even create your own website using something like Wix or WordPress if you want to turn this hobby into a full-time career!

Register with HMRC

If you’re making consistent profit from flipping thrift items, this counts as a business. Anyone earning over £1,000 a year from hobbies like this must register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return by January 31st every year.

More Ways to Make Money

Flipping thrift items is just one way to make money in your spare time. Check out these articles next for more ideas!

• Have a Tech Spring Clean and Sell Your Stuff for Cash
• 7 Crazy Money-Making Schemes That Could Actually Work
• EBay Selling: 20 Handy Tips to Make More Money
• How to Make and Sell Online Courses for a Passive Income
• 6 Ways to Make Money From Your Postcode

The post How to Make Money Flipping Thrift Items appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

There are times in our life when we wish we could make money through some of life’s simple pleasures… like walking! Whether it is a passive income, or a main source, there are many ways you can make money walking.

We take a look at some of the ways you can go about this.

• Walking apps
• Task work
• The human sandwich
• Tour guides
• Dog walking
• Walking clubs

Walking Apps

An easy way to earn money by walking is to get one of these free apps – all have some decent rewards. These, you can add to your phone and earn while going about your daily business. Getting to the rewards really takes some mileage mind, so this is in no way a primary income source.

• Charity Miles
• Sweatcoin
• BetterPoints
• Winwalk

The post Get Paid to Walk appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

If you’re on a low income, or certain benefits, you can get a Cold Weather Payment from the government, as hundreds of postcodes in England and Wales will receive £25 over the next two weeks. 

What is a Cold Weather Payment?

The post Cold Weather Payment Available Due to Current UK Freeze appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We have been talking about cashback sites for years. Often a useful way to make some extra money, we are shocked by how many of our readers still don’t use them. One of our team uses them to do her full Christmas shop and the credit she uses to buy gifts. So this is real money.

The idea of a cashback site, is to get cash reward when you click through from them to buy goods or financial products. 

Websites such as HyperJar, Quidco and  Curve offer cashback on a variety of goods and services, from mobile phones to car insurance and bank accounts to broadband. 

You can be paid cash from some websites when you spend with them, and potentially make £100s a year. They work by sending you to the company through a cashback site, which you then get paid for. You can make as little as sums range from pennies for groceries and small purchases to over £100 for some mobile and broadband contracts. 

SOME EXAMPLES OF CASHBACK SITES we can personally vouch for 

Curve are one of the easiest cashback services. Firstly you get £5 simply for joining up and secondly it is so easy to use.

HyperJar are one of our personal favourites as offer Cash-back on any spend made on the card. Whether it is groceries, clothing, housewares, restaurants, travel, DIY, cinema tickets… they have gift cards for just about everything, everytime you purchase one HyperJar will put some cash back into your HyperJar Wallet (up to 20% of the cost of your gift card) instantly after your purchase. You need to very slightly alter how you shop, but the rewards are worth it.

Top Cashback is free to use: it also offers a premium version which, if you sign up, will charge up to £5 of what you earn each year and boasts thousands of high street names as well as smaller online sellers. They say you can earn up to £345 cashback per year, which you can withdraw straight into your bank account, Paypal or load up onto gift cards.  

Quidco is also a free service, this time offering a premium version which costs £1 of your monthly earnings: again, it offers work with thousands of popular and lesser-known retailers. As with Top Cashback, you can withdraw the money into your bank account, Paypal or convert it into gift cards, and the average earning reported is £300 a year. 

Rakuten is a newer cashback site. They have 500 retail partners and offer a free service where you can again transfer your cashback into your bank account. They also offer ‘Rakuten Points’ instead of cash back, which has extra value when buying items on their site. £1 of cashback coverts to £1.20 worth of points which you can spend on gift vouchers, movies, Rakuten TV, eBooks and audiobooks.  

CHOOSE A CASHBACK WEBSITE 

Register with one or more cashback sites. As we’ve detailed above, many sites are free to join but some charge an annual fee, sometimes for a premium version of the account which affords you more opportunities to earn cash back. 

LOOK FOR DEALS 

Search the website to see if your favourite retailers/financial services firms are offering deals on the products and services that would suit you personally. 

CLICK THROUGH 

Click the link provided by the cashback site instead of going direct: this way, you are using the cash back site as the referral source, and can earn cash back from the click. Oh, and if you’ve used the site before, make sure you DELETE YOUR INTERNET COOKIES before clicking through, so the cash back site will see that your click comes from their source. 

COMPLETE PURCHASE 

The retailer will then send the commission to your cashback site and pay a percentage of the money into your bank or PayPal account. With many of these sites, you could need to reach a cashback threshold before you can withdraw funds: each site has their own rules, so check before you use them. 

MAXIMISING CASHBACK SITES 

CASHBACK FREEBIES 

TopCashback and Quidco, as we’ve said, have offers that make you free money for completing surveys, entering prize draws or even obtaining price quotes from comparison websites. 

RECOMMEND A MATE 

A lot of cashback sites offer you a bonus if you recommend a friend by sending an email using the website’s dedicated referrals page. The email will contain a link to the cashback site with a code to confirm it was you who gave the recommendation. Remember, you won’t be rewarded yourself until the referred friend earns a certain amount of cashback themselves, so make sure to let them know they need to shop once they’ve signed up. 

LONGEVITY 

There are long-term benefits of signing up to a cash back site, for services such as internet and car insurance. The following sites for example, offer these rewards: 

• AA car insurance £15-£20 per policy 
• Asos 1.3%-6.8% of purchase’s cost 
• BT broadband £34-£97.75 per package 
• Currys 0.75%-18.75% of purchase’s cost 
• JD Sports 1.3%-17% of purchase’s cost 
• O2 mobile £5-£85 per contract 

Do check whether credit card, mobile phone or insurance providers are registered on cashback sites before entering into a contract with them.   

HOLIDAY CASHBACK 

This is a nice one: you can book your holiday through a cashback site, and there are some great deals available on flights and hotels, and then car hire, travel insurance and airport car parking.  

GIFT CARDS 

If you want to withdraw funds as a gift card with a specific retailer rather than have it put into your bank account, you will get a top-up on your cashback: there is a large list of retailers that offer gift cards. 

HIGH STREET CASHBACK 

Quidco’s ClickSnap app has a wide range of offline cashback deals, which are pretty simple: buy the product first, then upload a photo of the receipt. You can also earn offline cashback via TopCashback’s in-store cashback scheme. The cashback will automatically appear in your account whenever you buy something with the card you registered.  

CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS 

You can earn extra cashback on your online purchases by paying for your goods with a cashback credit card, which pays you back a percentage of what you spend on them. As with all credit cards, do try and pay off your balance in full at the end of the month in order to avoid interest.  

WATCH OUT FOR… 

CASHBACK WEBSITE FEES 

Some sites offer free signup or a premium site and don’t require upfront payment, but some of the lesser-known websites might charge you a fee to sign up, or require you to clock up a certain amount of cashback before you can withdraw your funds 

COOKIES 

Whenever you surf the internet, a cookie (information about the sites you visit) trail begins, so you have to make a new cookie trail between the cashback site and online retailer in order to earn the money: do this by deleting your internet cookies BUT make sure you’ve saved any important information you have stored on your computer that would normally be autofilled for you: passwords and logins, for example. 

SHOP AROUND 

Cashback sites CAN offer you better deals than elsewhere, but make sure before you sign up, because it isn’t always the case. You may get the same or an even better deal from non-cash back sites, so compare prices before you use the service. 

LATE PAYMENTS 

All of the above can mean it takes time for the money to appear in your account: it’s not always instantaneous. So if payment just isn’t turning up when you think it should, use the site’s official cashback claim link.  

A final note: if you’re starting out, Quidco or TopCashback are two of the bigger sites and are a great start if you’re thinking of getting into these cash back sites. Good luck! 

The post Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

This has led to many towns and cities across the world offering funding schemes to newcomers who are willing to relocate to their area to live and work. Intriguing to know, particularly if you’re looking to move to: 

USA 

Various places in the US are offering payment to remote workers who would consider relocating. 

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is offering remote workers a grant of up to $10,000 to move to and work in the city. You can find out more at Tulsa Remote, where new residents can find out about working spaces and access to networking events. You will be able to choose to receive your money in one lump sum or over the course of a few months, to support you during your setup. 

Topeka, Kansas, has a Choose Topeka scheme to recruit new residents and young professionals who, if employed by a Topeka business, could receive a grant of $15,000. Furthermore, remote workers can receive $5,000. Applicants must be able to prove they have rented or bought a property in Topeka that will serve as their main residence. 

Spain 

Some small Spanish towns have suffered a population decline as young residents have increasingly chosen to move to larger cities. This has led Spain to offer incentives to new foreign citizens, encouraging them to live and work in there. 

Ponga is a small village with only about 500 residents in a mountain region of northern Spain. Ponga is offering young couples €3,000 to move there for five years, with an additional €3,000 per child you bring or have while there. 

A Xesta is an even smaller population: only 100 residents, and also in northwest Spain. There are about 125 vacant properties for rent, and it’s a low rent too: you’d pay only €100! 

Further east, with 130 residents, is Griegos, which is offering work and three months of free rent to newcomers, then rent of €225 per month and an extra €50 for each child aged between 4 – 18. 

Greece 

Greece has suffered a steady decrease since 2010 with no signs of slowing. To combat this decline, the island of Antikythera, northwest of Crete, has introduced a plan to pay families to relocate there. The scheme was organised by the Greek Orthodox Church on the island. 

New residents will receive a home, some land, and be paid €500 every month for the first three years they live there, to encourage long-term plans of their new residents. The island is quiet and rural, with the added benefits of the amazing Greek weather and sandy beaches, which could be just what you’re looking for! 

Italy 

Italy is suffering the same rate of population decline as Greece. It, too, is exploring ways to breathe new life into shrinking towns and villages.

Candela is a small town in south-eastern Italy with around 2,700 people. It’s renowned for being safe, clean and boasts some truly remarkable classic Italian architecture.  

Candela is offering single people €800, couples €1,300, and families €2,000 to move there. To be eligible, newcomers would need to rent a property in Candela with the plan to live full time, and also to secure a job that earns at least €7,500 per year. 

Elsewhere, some towns in Sicily want to offer newcomers the opportunity to purchase a property for €1, in return for which, the resident will have to renovate the property and pay a security deposit of around €5,000, which will be paid back after you’ve completed renovations. 

Chile 

Through Startup Chile, foreign businesses are encouraged to apply to one of three programmes – Build, Ignite, and Growth; all aimed at different levels of business. 

Build is for new startups and is a four-month programme helping to launch a new business with $14,000 funding and a one-year residence visa.  

Ignite offers $30,000 and Growth is aimed at more mature businesses, offering $80,000 funding. All programmes provide access to coworking space, mentoring and investors. 

So if you want to be paid to live abroad and if any of the above tempts you in, click those links and read on. One or more of them could offer you the life-changing opportunity you’ve been craving. 

 Also, if you are retired and reading this – how about you read our guide to making money in your retirement here. 

The post Get paid to live abroad appeared first on MoneyMagpie.