Boosting your full time income

londoner01

I work full time in an office (and sometimes up and down the country). I'm working my way towards a higher responsibility / higher pay job but it's a slow process and I don't think much is likely to happen in the next 2-3 years at least.

In the meantime, I would like a way to boost my income that can work around a full time job. In an ideal world if I could find a way to make an extra £100-£120 a week (gross) that would be fantastic and bring me right in the pay bracket where I wish to be.

My feeling is that to make any relatively "substantial" amount of money with relatively few free hours, I have to play to my strengths and also choose options that have only small costs attached to them.

Here are the things I have thought of, I was wondering whether you have any other suggestions, and any advice on whether one option is more viable than the other.

- translations (I speak three languages although one considerably less well than the other two)
- private tutoring (but I have no specific qualifications)
- conversations in my mother tongue (online)
- proofreading

Basically anything that is online, flexible, doesn't require a lot of set-up costs (and ideally, set up time, but I can work with that if it pays well! ).
I will look into decluttering but other than the odd books and DVDs I don't think there is much.
I'm up for doing any sort of idle clicking / competition style thing but not if they require buying as I tend not to shop with big brands other than supermarkets.

I would have about 8 hours per week on work during remotely sociable hours (so if I were to do any tutoring or similar), and about double if I could work whenever convenient / while doing something else.

Any inkling as to which avenue it is best to invest my time in? I know it's a vague questions, but if you want to share your experiences, it'll help me shape mine... Thanks!

Charityworker

I'm also sitting in an office 5 days a week and wouldnt mind knowing the answer to this one.

londoner01

Mmm. So far I have spent yesterday evening registering with several survey websites and made about £3.30 on them (panelbase gives you £3 just for joining), but obviously they don't count as in the bank until they're paid out. Considering I've had a YouGov account for close to four years now... They're probably hardly worth the electricity they cost but could be a good use of idle evenings / slow lunch breaks at work.
It's really not the right way to go about trying to up my income, but my freelancing options (translating / tutoring etc) require a lot of time investment and thinking time in getting it just right, so I want to concentrate on one and I'm taking my time to pick.

Another idea I've had looking at all the rent-a-room, rent-your-car type threads, which normally make me think in despair "If only I had a spare room"... do you reckon anyone would rent a games console??? We have both an Xbox 360 and a Wii which we don't use regularly, but are not keen to get rid of because we do get some good times out of them. They were freebies with past phone contracts so any money that we make out of them is a good extra, but would anyone actually rent them??
Someone else has had the idea before me (see site) but I wonder whether it works for them at all! :P Any MSEite tried it before?

killerpeaty

Hello!
I have two things to say to this so if you don't like one, then maybe you'll like the other?

1) Online surveys should be something you do in spare time, time you would otherwise be sitting in front of the telly or browsing the internet. Not something you should set aside time for, think of it as a way of occupying yourself and getting a couple of pounds as a side affect. : ) It is a lot more attractive in that sense. Though I have to say I've been very happy with my general experience with surveys.

2) While I am not an expert in these things, but I am told it may be possible to get a genuine online job via gumtree http://www.gumtree.com/part-time-jobs but please look into any job you see, so many of these may be scams.

JayneTay

I do the following at the moment:

1. Direct Sales - good earner for not many hours (but you have to work at it). Can do it at night.
2. Private Tutor - good money for not many hours (but you have to wait for the jobs to come) - I'm not qualified but am experienced so my price reflects that. Can do it at night.
3. Crafts - good earner for me but I put alot of effort in to it. Can do it at night.
4. I feed peoples pets while they are away - okay money however its not steady money. Can do it at night.

Hope that helps somewhat!

Jayne xx