More and more of us are on the lookout for ways to make a little extra money, be it from a part-time job or wagering money. The chances of a promotion don’t come around all the time, and it can be a hard market to find a new job in. The cost of living is rising, so after our usual bills, there quite often isn’t always anything left over for holidays, luxury items or even just saving for a rainy day. So being able to do something else from home is such a bonus. It is one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place, as it allowed me to earn an income while working around my family commitments.

But what other ways are there? We can often see articles around and they will say things like completing surveys for some extra cash. But, been there; done that. The money that you can earn is pennies, and it takes a while to earn enough to be able to access what you have accumulated. So what about some ways to make real money from home? Here are a few ideas for you.

Matched Betting

If you have yet to hear about matched betting, then you have been missing out. You can easily add hundreds of pounds to your income every month by participating in some ‘safe’ online betting – and when I say ‘safe’, I mean that it isn’t even gambling at all really. By signing up to a reputable website and managing your finances carefully, it is perfectly possible to make money through matched betting. Plus, the more experienced you become, the more you’ll be able to make. So it could be worth looking into if you’re looking to make a couple of extra hundred pounds per month.

Trading Online

I have been consulting with my husband on this as he is more of a pro at this than I am, and does trade in stocks and shares quite frequently. But a site like eToro could be a good place to start trading. It is the world’s leading online social trading network and it has over 6 million registered members from all over the world. The idea behind eToro is to revolutionise the way people access the financial markets and make their trading experience more social, transparent and enjoyable. Which to me, sounds so much better, as it makes much more sense to me than other trading that I have come across.

eToro seems much more accessible than other platforms too. Take Jay Smith, a.k.a Jaynemesis, as  an example. Even at the ripe old age of 28, he is one of eToro’s Popular Investors. He’s a pretty normal guy, that was working in the gaming profession and did get to travel the world doing so. In fact, his experience in gaming and competing could have helped to prepare him for trading, as he will need to make quick decisions and keep a level head during stressful times. Jay mainly trades cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and Tech stocks, simple because this is what he knows most about.

Jay says that he chose to use eToro because it is a community driven platform and he found the whole thing simple and easy to use. It is surprising just what you can get after spending a couple of hours per day on the interface can do. Many of Jay’s friends and family have opened up an account on the platform as they are seeing his success with it all. So it could certainly be worth looking into if you’re looking to perhaps completely work from home, not just have a side income.

Problem Solve For Companies

If you are quite technical or have an analytical mind, then there are opportunities to earn money by selling your skill set to companies. If they have a problem to be solved, then you could be the one to help them solve it. The cash is by no means guaranteed, of course. But if you can find one that works for what you can offer, then the potential to earn can be in its thousands. You could sign up with a network like Idea Connection to find out a little more about it.

Join Research Groups

Believe it or not, there are networks online that you can join, that will pay you for your opinion. But it has more earning potential than completing a survey online. You can join research panels or groups to give feedback on things like adverts and TV programmes. So if you are happy to go to some research panels and be paid for your time, then you can earn around £70 per session. It isn’t lots, but one every couple of weeks will more than pay for some groceries, right?

Have you ever tried any of these methods of making / earning extra money? Would love to hear what you think.

*collaborative post