Making money online can be brilliant. It gives you flexibility, freedom and a chance to top up your income from home.
If you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year from side hustles, you need to let HMRC know using the trading allowance. Keep simple records of what you earn and spend, even if it is just a spreadsheet.
Be careful of scams. Real opportunities will never ask you to pay to take part, and anything that sounds too good to be true usually is. Stick with well-known companies or ones that come recommended by real users.
£10 sign-up bonus available.
Swagbucks lets you earn rewards in your spare time by answering surveys, watching videos, and playing simple games.
If you fancy giving it a go, new users can get a £10 bonus when they join.
See how Swagbucks works
Here are 20 ways people in the UK are earning genuine money online.
Quick and easy ways to make money online UK
These are the simplest ways to start earning right now. They will not make you rich, but they can add up to a few hundred pounds a year and are quick to try.
1. Take online surveys
Sharing your opinions is one of the easiest ways to earn from home. Many surveys pay between 50p and £3 and take only a few minutes to complete.
Start with Swagbucks for a £10 welcome bonus, then try LifePoints, YouGov and Opinion Outpost.
Many readers earn between £100 and £200 a month while watching TV.
Read next: Best paid survey sites in the UK
2. Get paid for searching the web
Sites such as Qmee reward you for using their browser extension and clicking sponsored results while you search.
You earn a few pence at a time, but there is no minimum payout, and you can withdraw straight to PayPal.
Read next: How to get paid for searching the web
3. Watch videos for cash
The WeAre8 app pays you small amounts for watching adverts and answering short questions. Ten videos could earn a couple of pounds. It is easy money while scrolling on your phone.
Read next: All the ways to watch ads for money
4. Grab free money offers
Plenty of companies give out bonuses to attract new users. You can get £16 cashback from Quidco or £10 from Swagbucks for signing up.
We once turned an evening of sign-ups into £70 in bonuses.
Read next: Free money offers you can claim today
Creative ways to earn
If you have a skill or hobby you enjoy, these ideas can turn it into income. They take more effort but can build into reliable money makers.
5. Start a blog
We started Skint Dad at our kitchen table to share how we managed on a tight budget, and it became our full-time job.
You can set up your own site easily with Bluehost. Write about what you know, such as saving money, cooking, or family life.
Blogs can earn through adverts, sponsorship, affiliate links or selling your own digital products.
Read next: Affiliate networks UK
6. Use social media for affiliate marketing
You do not need a huge following to make money. Share honest product recommendations on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.
Join Amazon Associates or AWIN, and you will earn a small commission each time someone buys through your link.
7. Sell crafts on Etsy
If you are creative, open an Etsy shop and sell handmade cards, prints or personalised gifts. Take clear photos and promote your shop on social media. Many sellers start small and see steady growth.
8. Create videos on YouTube
If you enjoy explaining things or sharing your life, YouTube can be rewarding. You can earn ad revenue once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.
Even small channels that have been monetised can earn between £100 and £300 a month.
Check out our YouTube channel and read how to make money from YouTube.
9. Publish an eBook
Writing a short guide or story can bring in passive income for years. Self publish through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and earn royalties each time someone buys your book.
Buy and sell ideas
If you like hunting for bargains, these ideas can turn small finds into profits.
10. Flip items online
Buy low and sell high. You can find deals at car boot sales, charity shops and online marketplaces.
We once bought a bike for five pounds and sold it for thirty. It is all about spotting what others overlook.
Read next: Best things to buy and sell for profit UK
11. Become a reseller
Buy return pallets or ex-catalogue stock cheaply and sell individual items online. You can even find deals on police auctions.
Start with one small batch and see how it goes. One reader spent £200 on returned Amazon goods and made nearly £500 in a week.
Read next: How to start reselling in the UK
12. Flip domain names
Buy website addresses that you think might be valuable later. Register them for a few pounds with 123 Reg and sell them when demand grows.
13. Sell things online without stock
With drop shipping, a supplier sends products directly to the customer while you handle the shop and marketing. Research suppliers carefully and choose a niche, such as homeware or pet products.
Read next: Shopify drop shipping guide
14. Start a clothing business
Sell vintage clothes or design your own. Use print on demand sites so you do not need to keep stock.
Read next: How to start a clothing business
Teach or share your skills
If you are good at something, there is usually someone online who wants to learn it.
15. Online tutoring
Teach school subjects, music, or practical skills. Tutoring pays between twenty and forty pounds an hour and can fit around family life.
Read next: How to become a tutor and teaching English online.
16. Test websites and apps
Companies pay ordinary users to test how their websites work. You record your screen and talk through what you see. Sites such as UserTesting, Userlytics and IntelliZoom pay about $20 for a twenty-minute test.
17. Enter competitions
Comping can be a fun hobby that actually pays. Enter free giveaways through sites like Loquax or Prize Finder. We have won everything from toys to holidays by setting aside ten minutes a day.
Read next: How I have won twenty thousand pounds entering free competitions
Extra ways to earn
These smaller ideas are easy to do in short bursts and can bring in regular bonuses.
18. Test products for cash or freebies
Join product testing panels such as The Viewers, Toluna Influencers and Home Tester Club. Sometimes you get paid, other times you keep the items. We have received snacks, toiletries and small gadgets for free.
Read next: How to get free products to test and keep
19. Sell unwanted gift cards
Turn unused vouchers into cash by selling them on resale sites like Cardyard. You usually get eighty to ninety per cent of the card’s value, which is better than letting it expire.
20. Join cashback and receipt apps
Earn a little every time you shop by using TopCashback or Shopmium. Some pay welcome bonuses, and you can even earn by photographing receipts. One reader saved more than three hundred pounds in a year this way.
Read next: Best cashback and reward apps
How much can you really make online
Your results depend on how much time you give it. If you focus on two or three good ideas, you could easily earn £200 – £500 a month after a few months.
Some people turn this into a full-time income through blogging, reselling or YouTube. Even an extra fifty pounds a month can ease the pressure on bills.
The key is to treat it like real work. Be patient, set small goals, and stay consistent.
Skint Dad says:
Do not try to do everything at once. Pick one idea, give it a proper go, and when it starts to work, add another. That is exactly how we started, one evening at the kitchen table, and it changed our lives.
Saved a few quid with our tips?
If Skint Dad has helped you spend less or feel more in control of your money, you can support the site with a small contribution.
- Why free museums, parks and libraries matter more than ever for families on a tight budget - 11 December 2025
- How banks spot gambling harm and why it could help protect your money - 11 December 2025
- Grab a free Costa iced latte in supermarkets this week - 10 December 2025
Tigerlilly says
I wish I could get help with money I’m really struggling to feed my children I’ve been doing these surveys etc but isn’t enough to feed 3 children
Naomi Willis says
Surveys will unfortunately not make enough to replace a household income but can help supplement it.
Please can I suggest you get in touch with Citizens Advice who can give you support and free impartial advice about your finances.
flora.coleman@hotmail.com says
Thanks for the article, I have been trying to sell my photos online for the past two years with no real luck, only got some photos stolen and never got paid :(.
Ray Payne says
Almost all of these 13 ideas that you have given are effective because I myself have made income from online using some of the methods used here.
In my opinion, this article is very important for newcomers.
Thank you very much, Naomi Willis.
Sylphina Angel says
Thank you Ray! I’m a newbie so I will try to use some of these ideas as I really want to make some money online to help with my bills.
Sylphina Angel says
Is it possible to use these combined methods and earn £1000 per month?
Patrick says
Love the ideas. I myself tried making money online, finally I’ve found Paidwork, an app which makes it possible to earn money from the most trustful partners there are in different fields. You can play sponsored mobile games, fill surveys or watch videos. All of these methods earn you real money that can be withdrawn to PayPal. Paidwork is a safe app, it has millions of users and great amount of positive reviews.