Flexible ways to make money online in the UK

There are more options available than ever to make quick and easy money flexibly.  

These are all things that I’ve tried to be able to save some extra money or pay for costs I haven’t budgeted for.

To be clear – these are not passive income ideas or high earners.  But they are easy and some are even interesting.

Studies – Prolific

Speaking of interesting, while some online surveys are dull as dishwater, Prolific really stands out for me.  They are “studies” created by universities and can be thought-provoking, especially the ones where you are trying to figure out what their research hypothesis is.   

Most work out at below minimum wage but you do get some high earners (with bonuses!) and can quickly rack up a good bit of pocket money.  You earn cash directly – no vouchers – which you can cash out for free into your PayPal once you earn £5.

As a example, I’ve done 60 studies since joining in May 2020 (it’s October now) and earnt about £70.  Most take about 10 minutes.

I’d recommend it to anybody, even people who are not too bothered about making some extra money, because it doesn’t feel like work.

The downside is that the studies can feel few and far between.  You can set up some email notifications, but most studies get filled up quickly.  Studies can be taken on a phone, tablet or laptop.  I’d definitely recommend keeping the page open when you are on your laptop anyway and installing a special plug https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/prolific-assistant/ocfncbnofopjedoepmekajbgdenadepp in that stridently announces when a new study is available (although maybe not if you work in an office!).

Surveys – I-say

I am usually sceptical of surveys – particularly ones that are focussed on answering questions about your shopping habits for hours on end (and then getting screened out). 

I-Say was a pleasant surprise.  If you do get screened out, you tend to get a little bonus payment.  There is also a steady flow of surveys (two or three a day).  Rewards are paid out in vouchers for retailers such as John Lewis and M&S – you can even get pre-paid mastercards.  I was surprised by how quickly they rack up.

Market research

The rates for market research are much higher, about £60-90 for a couple of hours work.  They are however more difficult to get and are less flexible than surveys.  

Angelfish offer opportunities relating to topics like food, family life and TV viewing as well as bonuses if you refer a friend to a study.  Email notifications come through when gigs are available and you can also browse their site.

User Testing

You can make decent money testing out apps and websites for companies like User Testing.  Rates are typically about £20 for a 20 minute task.  There’s a “entrance test” you need to pass to set up a profile. You need to record yourself speaking your thoughts as you test out the site/app, which is a bit weird but you get used to it.  

It’s quite common to get screened out so you need to invest some time in finding gigs you can do.  There are also sometimes technical issues but the helpdesk are good at sorting them out.

I appreciate all of these options because of how flexible they are.  Often when I’m getting to the end of the month and have either overspent (or over saved) I’m able to stay in the black with a bit of time doing one of these things. 

Selling your clutter online

The majority of my extra income actually comes from selling things I no longer need on online forums such as Gumtree, eBay or Vinted.  I like Gumtree because it doesn’t involve any posting (you don’t even need to leave the house) but with only your local neighbourhood as a market it’s sometimes harder to sell things.  It’s been great for bulkier baby items like cots and garden items.  

I know a lot of people also have success buying from charity shops and then selling for a profit online, especially through Amazon FBA.  I prefer not to do that because I don’t spend much time in shops or have much spare storage space, but it does seem to work well for some.

If there are other flexible ways that use to you earn some extra money, I’d love to hear in the comments below.