💰 35 top paying sites and apps for making extra cash💰

If you've a computer or smartphone, there's a host of ways to boost your coffers – some are quick, others are slow-burners. You could earn £1,000s/week at home on your sofa, with no special skills needed.

This guide lists 35 (legit) ways to make money online. You can get paid just to watch videos, write, search on Google, sell photos, make your own YouTube clips and much more.

Get paid to click
Watch videos, play games and earn
Swagbucks

Swagbucks* is a fun survey site that pays you for completing short online tasks in virtual cash – you can then exchange this for real money, PayPal credits or gift cards to spend at Amazon, M&S and more. The site's huge in America, and here in the UK many MSE forumites are dedicated users.

Usually you get only a few points for registering, but newbies who register via this MSE Blagged Swagbucks* link will get bonus points worth £10 if they earn £5 (849 SB – we reckon about four hours' 'work') within 30 days of signing up. So that's a total of £15.

Tasks include filling in polls, watching videos and searching using its page instead of Google. Advertisers pay Swagbucks to publicise their wares or do market research, and the site passes a cut to you. The more dedicated you are, the more you earn, though every task pays a different amount.

For motivation, join other points-chasers in the forum's popular Swagbucking into 2018 thread. One committed 'swagger' from the forum, cally6008, says:

Swagbucks is one of several online earning sites I use, but it's one of my favourites. I know for a fact that you can earn £25 a month using the site, because I do so nearly every month!

• cally6008

How do I get my free £10?

See a full list of ways to earn Swagbucks

Quick summary
Who's it good for? People who want to grab quick cash for fun tasks
Typical earnings: £25/month
Payment method: Cash or Amazon voucher
Amount you need to earn before it pays: £3ish (depends on reward)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Swagbucks forum thread
Online survey sites
Earn up to £800/year to give your opinion
Willing to give views on Justin Bieber, washing-up liquid or politics? If so, it's possible to earn £100s a year, without any special skill or talent.

It's all about stashing cash by filling in online surveys. For a full rundown of 25 of the top free sites, see the Top 25 Online Survey Sites guide.

Get paid to google
Qmee

It's possible to get paid hard cash just for searching the web with Qmee*. It just involves downloading an add-on that sits on your internet browser. You then search online as you normally would on Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Bing and Tesco.

Qmee will show extra results or adverts alongside normal search results (see picture). Some firms pay Qmee to appear in these ads, and Qmee gives you a cut of the cash. If the Qmee result interests you, click it and you'll earn a few pence, usually 7p-15p (though searches can pay up to £1 each).

Forumite The_Jakal says:

I've been using Qmee for three weeks and I'm on £14 now.

• The_Jakal

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Folks with the patience to click ads for a few pence a go
Typical earnings: £5/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experience in the Qmee forum thread
Quick questions
What exactly do I have to do?

Can I boost earnings by repeating searches?

What does Qmee do with my data?

Why does Qmee sometimes pay for clicks to MoneySavingExpert.com?

Earn hard cash for fun tasks
Gift Hunter Club

Online earning site Gift Hunter Club doles out points for watching videos, doing polls, entering competitions and completing other easy tasks.

You can convert these into cash through PayPal or buy Amazon vouchers with your points. Just sign up and check the 'earn points' section. It shows the tasks available and what they pay.

MoneySavers reckon the site's fun, payment is quick and they earn a decent amount each week. Forumite mizzame says:

I made £10 in PayPal cash very easily last week, £8 the week before. Mainly from videos and easy tasks. My best earning site at the moment!

• mizzame

Aim to redeem your points on rewards giving better value
A £10 Amazon gift card costs 1,690 points. But 10 US dollars in cash (£8ish) via PayPal is 1,000 points, which can be better value, depending on the exchange rate. While Gift Hunter Club lists cash payments in US dollars, PayPal converts the cash into pounds.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Those already using Swagbucks who want to join a similar site
Typical earnings: £7/week
Payment method: PayPal, Amazon vouchers and more
How much you need to earn before it pays: £1.60ish
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Gift Hunter Club forum thread
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Get paid to watch videos, search & more
GiftHulk

Similar to Swagbucks above, GiftHulk pays for a host of web activities, including watching videos, answering polls and searching via its site instead of Google.

Many MoneySavers are fans. You get paid in Hulk Coins, which you then convert into rewards including Amazon vouchers (make sure you select vouchers in GBP, rather than US dollars).

Special codes give extra points – forumites post them in the GiftHulk thread.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Fans of fun web tasks
Typical earnings: £5/month
Payment method: PayPal cash, Amazon vouchers and more
How much you need to earn before it pays: Varies by reward
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the GiftHulk forum thread
Enter contests as a cash-boosting hobby
Use our 40+ insider comping tips
From cars to £20,000 cash, five-star USA holidays to £10,000 of Tesco gift cards, MoneySavers have won it all. It's all about 'comping', a potentially profitable online hobby for the lucky.

It's about systematically sourcing and entering hundreds of the right contests. To learn the techniques, see our 42 Comping Tips guide.

Grab FREE cashback
Get cash for clicks – no need to buy
Cashback sites work by giving you a cut of the cash they earn for channelling web traffic. Yet you don't have to buy anything to earn cash via these sites – they often pay you just for clicking links on the internet.

For example, Topcashback pays £2.20 for a Confused.com car insurance quote. Its free cashback section lists the top offers. For full info, see Top Cashback Sites.

Get paid to read adverts on your mobile
Qustodian

Free smartphone app Qustodian pays you to read adverts. Simply download the app, and plug your likes and dislikes into your profile. It then sends adverts matching your interests to your Qustodian inbox. You get paid cash when you view messages, respond to questions or watch videos.

It pays cash via PayPal or via BACS into your bank account when you earn £10. Forumites report the slow trickle of messages means it takes a while to hit this, so this app's just one for committed online earners.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Patient people with a smartphone
Typical earnings: £10 every six months
Payment method: Cash via PayPal or BACS
How much you need to earn before it pays: £10
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Qustodian forum thread
Quick questions
What's the best way to access the web on my mobile?

What does Qustodian do with my personal data?

Get paid for easy tasks
Earn by checking prices & snapping photos
Field Agent app

Ever fancied being a secret agent? If you’ve got an iPhone or Android phone, a free app called Field Agent could be your chance. When companies need a small market research task done, it's sent out via the app.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check prices in stores, take photos of products and pen reviews. It typically pays £4.50 per task, but can be between £2 and £10.

You're competing against others for jobs and won't get lucky every time, so don't get too excited. But it's well worth signing up in case they do come up.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? If you've got a smartphone, and can nip out to do quick tasks
Typical earnings: £10/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Field Agent forum thread
Quick questions
How do I get started?

How can I earn maximum cash?

Sell your photos to magazines & newspapers
Via Stockimo iPhone app and other stock photo sites

If you're a budding photographer (and take decent quality snaps), you can put them up for sale on 'stock photography' websites – where designers, newspapers and publishers buy pics. For most you need a proper camera, but we've also found an iPhone app that lets you sell snaps you've taken on your mobile.

This isn't a guaranteed money-spinner – some MoneySavers have reported making hundreds of pounds, others have ended up with peanuts. You'll earn a small amount each time someone buys your pics, but it can add up. There are some restrictions, eg, when photos include people or logos - see our need-to-knows for more info.

Got an iPhone? Sell your snaps via an app
If you own an iPhone 4 or above, download the free Stockimo app and you can upload photos taken on your handset to sell on Alamy's stock-photography site (Alamy owns the app). Stockimo's compatible with iOS 7 and above - there's no Android version currently, though see below for non-iPhone options.

Images sell for anything from £9.99 (for personal use) to £360 (for ads). You'll get 20% - Stockimo pays via Paypal each month you earn more than $10 (£7). A number of Twitter users have reported success with Stockimo, including Ann from Kent, who sold a photo of her cat for £15ish:

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

ann stevens
@a_n_n__m
@stockimo an excellent few days, 3 4s #perfectscore & my little cat Lola sold for $20 - happy days😸!

20:20 - 12 Feb 2017
25
See ann stevens's other Tweets
Twitter Ads information and privacy
Jamie from London sold his pic to a national newspaper:

Hey Stockimo - lovely to see my National Theatre puddle photo in the Guardian today!

Quick questions
How does it work?

What happens after I've uploaded my photos?

What type of pictures can I submit?

Can my photo be sold more than once?

Can I sell newsworthy images?

It's worth noting a few have reported glitches using the app and difficulty uploading photos - Alamy says it's looking into the reports but if you have any problems you should email [email protected].

Got a proper camera? You could make more cash selling via a website
There are lots of stock-photo sites out there. Here are some of the biggies:

Alamy – This is the parent website of the Stockimo app. As above, images sell for anything from £9.99 (for personal use) to £360 (for adverts), but selling via the site you'll get 50% of the sale price (students can get 100%). Payout's by BACS, PayPal or Skrill. You need at least $50 (£36) before you can request payment.
Adobe Stock – You get 33% of the sale price, with typical payouts of between $0.66 (46p) and $3.30 (£2.30) per photo. Payout's via PayPal or Skrill. You need at least $50 (£36) in your account before you can request payment.
Shutterstock – When you start you'll only get about 18p per photo. This goes up to 24p if your 'lifetime earnings' with Shutterstock reach $500 (£360). In some cases, you might get more though - potentially 20-30% of the sale price. Payout's by Payoneer, PayPal or Skrill. You need at least $35 (£25) in your account to request payment.
Stock photography need-to-knows
However you opt to sell your photos, bear the following in mind:

Most stock-photography sites only accept high-quality photos. With the exception of the Stockimo app above, most sites require you to use a good quality camera rather than a phone. Eg, Alamy's website will only accept images from DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras, or equivalent.
Commercial use requires 'releases' - editorial use doesn't. Stock photos can be sold for commercial (eg, marketing) or editorial (ie, journalistic) use. You'll have more opportunities to make cash if your photos are available for both, but photos containing people or property (including branding and logos) need signed releases to be sold commercially.
Check if you need a model release. Photos of people can only be sold for commercial use if they've signed a 'model release' that gives you permission to use their image (children need a parent/guardian to sign). Without a release, these photos can still be sold for editorial use, as long as they were taken in a public place – eg, if you submitted a 'breaking news' shot with people in the background. If there's any doubt, always ask permission.
Retain some control. If you upload photos of yourself, or friends/family with consent, it's worth going for the 'rights managed' licence option – otherwise you'll have little to no control over how your images are used (eg, you could star in an ad for haemorrhoid cream). See Alamy's page on understanding stock image licensing for more on the different types of licences.
Earn free Amazon vouchers
Job Spotter app
The Job Spotter app lets you earn Amazon vouchers quickly, just for taking pictures of job ads in windows.

You earn points for each job advert you submit. These are converted into Amazon vouchers that can be redeemed straight away – there's no minimum withdrawal limit. The jobs you spot are then posted on the Indeed website.

How does it work?

You’ll need to download the free app for Android from Google Play or for Apple from the App Store. There’s no app yet available for Windows phone users.

Next, create a profile by giving your email address and creating a username. Make sure you use your real email address, as this is where your Amazon vouchers are sent. Then simply take photos of job ads (eg, a ‘staff wanted’ sign in a restaurant window) via the app as you’re out and about, by following these steps:

Ensure your phone’s location services are switched on. This can be used by Indeed as proof that you're actually at the location.
Take a photo of the job advert. Ensure no people are visible in the image – the picture must only show job details.
Take a separate photo of the front of the store. Again, it must be a clear picture with nothing blocking out the name of the shop or restaurant.
Preview the images. Check the pictures are clear and then upload.
How many points do you get?
Photos you submit are reviewed by Indeed before being awarded points – anywhere from five points to 150 points.

You’ll get fewer points for a corporate chain than you will for a small or independent business, because the app says signs in small businesses are “more likely to indicate a current opportunity to get hired”.

There’s no way of checking how many points you’ll get for a submission before you make it as Indeed hasn’t revealed its points algorithm.

Former MSE Sam tested out the app earlier this year:

The fewest points I've earned for a submission is five – this was for a photo of a ‘staff wanted’ sign in my local shop of sandwich chain Pret a Manger, while I’ve earned up to 102 for photos in independent shop windows.

What are points worth?
Points are converted into a balance in your ‘Wallet’ within the app, which you can redeem at any point for an Amazon voucher.

One point is worth one US cent, which is converted into pounds daily. This means the balance in your app will always be shown in British pounds, as will any Amazon vouchers you earn.

How much could I earn?
MSE Sarah recently earned £6ish in just one lunch hour. Though it's worth noting this was in London, where there are lots of shops and restaurants. You can use the app across the UK, but your earnings may be lower if you live and work somewhere less built up.

Some of our forumites have done even better:

Another £18.15 in Amazon vouchers – walked up one side of the high street, back the other and bingo.

• FatVonD

Job Spotter was launched in the USA and Australia in 2016 and Indeed claims one user earned the equivalent of £5,000 in a year.

How do I redeem my points?

Are there any reasons my photo could be rejected?

See the full list of possible reasons for rejection

Earn free Amazon vouchers reporting derelict properties in London
YouSpotProperty

Spot an empty or derelict property in London or the home counties, and you could earn a £20 Amazon or M&S voucher if you're the first person to report it to YouSpotProperty.com.

What's more, if the development company behind the website goes on to buy the property, it will give you 1% of the purchase price – potentially £1,000s for a house in the capital.

It might sound too good to be true, but there have been big successes reported in the news. One woman earned £3,500 for spotting an empty house in Peckham and another got a whopping £6,500 for reporting an empty home in Hendon.

How does it work?
Once you've spotted a derelict house or flat, you need to fill out a form online at YouSpotProperty.com. It will ask for the address of the property, and any photos you're able to take of it.

If you're the first person to report the property, and it meets YouSpotProperty's criteria (privately owned, not up for sale and no planning permission applied for recently – see the full list below), you can choose a £20 Amazon or M&S voucher. It's normally issued within a month of you reporting the property.

If the company goes on to buy the property, you'll receive 1% of the purchase price. It's worth bearing in mind however, that a purchase can take time to negotiate and complete – in the past it's ranged from a few days to three years after the property was spotted.

What criteria does the property have to meet?

What is YouSpotProperty?
YouSpotProperty is run by property developers looking for houses they can do up and sell on at a profit. So the site's generosity isn't purely for altruistic reasons. However, it does donate £500 to a local charity in the same area as each property it buys, on top of the 1% cut it offers property spotters.

YouSpotProperty also says it wants to help improve neighbourhoods, as empty properties can be dangerous and bring down the value of houses nearby.

It can be difficult for individuals to get mortgages on derelict properties, meaning they stay empty for years. But the company has enough money in its 'property fund' to buy the houses outright and clean them up ready for people to live in again.

How big is this?
YouSpotProperty was set up in 2014, and since then it says about 2,700 vouchers have been awarded to property spotters. Only 42 people have received the 1% bonus for a spotted property being purchased (the largest payout to date was £10,000 for an empty property in NW2, London).

Quick summary
Who's it good for? People living or working in London
Payment method: Amazon or M&S voucher
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the YouSpotProperty.com forum thread
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Get paid to snap photos, count stock & more
Roamler smartphone app

Fancy getting paid to buy beer? Free app Roamler pays for tasks such as counting stock in shops, snapping menu cards in restaurants and even buying a beer to photograph how it's served.

As with Field Agent, when firms need easy market research done, it's sent out via the app. Roamler typically pays £4 per task, but it can vary between £2 and £10.

The catch is the app is invite-only in certain areas. Roamler's press office says it's pretty easy to get one if you monitor its Facebook page for hints on how (or you might get lucky if you request one).

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Smartphone users
Typical earnings: £10/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Roamler forum thread
Get paid for easy market research tasks
Streetspotr app

Billed as a ‘grown-up treasure hunt’, Streetspotr is another app (for both iPhone and Android) that connects market research clients with users who carry out small tasks. Some MoneySavers have pocketed £15 for buying a hot drink at a muffin shop, though most tasks pay about a fiver.

Other jobs could include photographing supermarket product displays or checking restaurant menus.

Streetspotr is a German company that pays UK users in GBP. As with most other location-based apps, the closer you are to a high street, the more jobs are likely up for grabs.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Town-dwelling smartphone users
Typical earnings: £10/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the earning apps forum thread
Get paid for small research tasks
Task 360 iPhone app

Fancy a change from the same old shop-based research tasks? Then have a gander at Task 360, an iPhone-only app from the people who brought you Field Agent above. You can download it from the App Store.

The app focuses on helping companies solve logistical problems, such as giving sat-nav firms info on new no-left-turn signs or checking billboard ads’ lights work.

It typically pays £5 to £10 for 15 minutes’ work. To bag the best jobs, check every morning before 9am, especially on Mondays.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? iPhone users
Typical earnings: £20/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: £10
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the earning apps forum thread
Get paid for small tasks in shops
Clic and Walk smartphone app

Another free app that pays you to complete small tasks in shops, Clic and Walk is available via the App Store and Google Play.

It's one of the lower-paying apps. While it's a French company you get paid in pounds – the amount for shop-based tasks is normally 5 euros so you'll typically get around £4.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Retail enthusiasts
Typical earnings: £3/month if you’re lucky
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: £3
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the earning apps forum thread
Get paid to test companies' websites
What Users Do

Companies are desperate to make their websites better places for people to visit, so user testing is big business.

Sign up to What Users Do and you can earn £5 for 15-minute website tests. These involve easy tasks such as trying to find something on a site or feeding back on a new homepage.

The company records your screen and voice, so you can feed back throughout the test. You need a computer with a built-in or separate microphone. But don't worry, your face isn't recorded, so you can still do it in your jim-jams.

Forumite kattybunny says: "It's a great website! I've earned about £500 with them since starting 10 months ago."

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Web enthusiasts
Typical earnings: £25/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the What Users Do forum thread
A serious remote-working job
Lionbridge

“Legitimate work from home job. Earn £££s!” Adverts in the back of mags pulse with promises, yet often the reality's disappointing or even dodgy. Yet one work-from-home job that MoneySavers have had more luck with is Lionbridge.

You usually need a degree to apply, but heaps of MoneySavers have been accepted. It says it usually has 150 jobs on offer at any one time, though occasionally there are no jobs advertised for the UK. It's well worth checking back though, as new jobs are posted each month.

What's the work like?
The web firm offers several part-time posts, most aimed at helping companies improve their search engine results. Tasks can include checking search results, gathering data and testing mobile apps.

You choose your hours and don't have to travel from A to B, perfect if you want to earn cash while staying at home with the kids. You must work a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 hours per week.

Forumite Ghost_2005 says:

It's a genuine work-from-home opportunity that pays real money. There are precious few of them, so if that's what you're looking for, it's a good opportunity. In the grand scheme of employment, there are better and more fulfilling jobs. In the grand scheme of home-working opportunities, it's a decent job.

• Ghost_2005

On the downside, others say it's about as exciting as a hangover on a rainy Sunday.

I can honestly say when I had the job I had never felt so bored. An hour's work felt like three hours. Be aware of what you're actually applying for - it demands concentration!

• daz501

Stay motivated with other forumites in the Lionbridge forum thread.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Those with a degree and a high boredom threshold, who want to earn cash from home
Typical earnings: £140-£200/month (depending on hours)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Lionbridge forum thread
Quick questions
What qualifications do you need?

How do you apply?

Got a top way to earn cash online that we haven't listed? Feed back in the Earn cash online discussion.

Grab free products for telling friends about them
Bzz Agent

While it doesn't pay cash, you can earn loads of free products through marketing company Bzz Agent. Forumites have grabbed everything from Vanish stain remover to E45 lotion and even electric toothbrushes.

The catch? As an 'agent', once you receive products, you must start "meaningful and authentic conversations" about them with online buddies and real-life friends.

Many MoneySavers are fans. Forumite Mummybaker says:

I have had steam generator irons, electronic razors, free cookies and all sorts. It's worth it – not much effort involved and they like you to be genuine about your thoughts.

• Mummybaker

See our Earn Freebies for Testing Products guide for more sites to sign up to.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? Social media fans who love freebies and aren't embarrassed to tell friends about new products.
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Bzz Agent forum thread
Quick questions
What exactly does this involve?

Is this just about spamming my friends?

Get paid to scan shopping receipts (invite-only)
Shop and Scan

Market research site Shop and Scan is a great way to give your finances a boost. Each time you buy something, you log on and scan the receipt with the specialist barcode scanner it sends you.

Forumites report Shop and Scan pays about £10 in points a month. You can then cash them in for vouchers, including Amazon, Next, Debenhams and Argos.

Shop and Scan's press office wouldn't confirm any details with us, as market research is a secretive area. So many of the tips here come from our forum users.

Forumite hedgesparrow says:

I would totally recommend Shop and Scan. I get £1.60 a week for scanning my barcodes. After six months, I still find it fun blipping the barcodes. Once your total's £10, you get a £10 voucher, which takes about six weeks, but is only an hour and half of my time.

• hedgesparrow

Quick summary
Who's this good for? It's easy money, but you must wait to be selected.
Typical earnings: £10/month.
Payment method: Vouchers, incl Amazon, Next and Debenhams.
How much you need to earn before it pays: £10.
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Shop and Scan forum thread
Quick questions
How do you sign up?

How can I max my earnings?

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Grab freebies in exchange for your views
Clicks Research

It's possible to earn masses of freebies from Clicks Research. The site doles out free products in exchange for feedback on whether they work. MoneySavers have blagged everything from anti-ageing creams to chocolate bars.

Respond at speed, as places fill up fast. Clicks Research says products are all safe. It just wants to know how to improve them. Once you've signed up, Clicks Research sends you invites via email.

Even if not selected, each time you take part in a survey it pays Clicks points (1-200 per survey). Once you've earned 2,500, you can exchange them for £25.

Quick summary
Who's this good for? If you've got time on your hands to give feedback on freebies.
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Clicks Research forum thread
Matched betting
Exploit online bookmakers' free betting offers
This is something we thought hard about before including. Yet as many who know exactly what they're doing make serious risk-free cash, we wanted to include it.

It's all about taking advantage of the offers betting sites run to encourage new players, usually involving free bets (eg, "bet £30 and we give you a free £30 bet"), and the fact different bookmakers offer different odds.

Thus, in some circumstances, by betting on all outcomes you guarantee a profit, whatever the outcome. However, this is complex and dangerous, and most people should run a million miles.

Don't ever contemplate attempting it unless you've done detailed research.

Here are the key points:

Warning! This is NOT about gambling. Gambling is not MoneySaving; the bookies always win in the long run (see Gamblers Anonymous). This is only about manipulating gambling introductory loopholes.

How much? With time and care, it's possible to make £1,000 over the year. Please don't go for it if you're desperate for cash. This is only for those with patience and who aren't under money pressure. Otherwise, you'll end up drawn into real gambling – and losing.

How do I do it? Read the Matched Betting Introduction and FAQs discussion in the Matched Betting board and the other sticky threads at the top. Remember it's an open forum – anyone can post. Just because someone sounds like they know what they're doing, it doesn't mean they do.

Earn money online from internet research
AQA

Internet companies such as AQA ('Any Question Answered', formerly 63336) are occasionally on the lookout for researchers. It works like this: a customer sends a text to researchers to ask the answer to a random question. The researcher – you – replies with an answer.

The beauty of this work is that you can generally choose the type of questions you answer, and the hours you work. Check for vacancies on the AQA site or on its Facebook and Twitter pages. You'll have to pass a test before you get an interview.

The site pays roughly 25p per question. Some can take just a few moments to answer, meaning that experienced researchers could rake in up to £100s – though of course, it depends how much time you're prepared to put in. Join the AQA discussion.

Got a top way to earn cash online that we haven't listed? Feed back in the Earn cash online discussion.

Reclaim lost assets and inheritance
Potential payback of £1,000s
There's BILLIONS of pounds' worth of unclaimed money out there. Whether it's yours or an unknown inheritance from a deceased relative, it can usually be reclaimed free.

Our Reclaim Lost Assets guide shows how to quickly check if you're in line for an unexpected windfall.

Flog what you've got

Do you have unused assets worth £100s or £1,000s? Stop hoarding, and declutter for cash. Here's some inspiration:

40+ eBay tricks 'n' tools. Our 40+ eBay Selling Tricks guide offers a crash course, from cutting eBay fees by tweaking start prices and using no-charge listing weekends, to adding extra pics with special tools. Plus there are tools to create multiple listings in advance and bulk-upload them.

Sell for free on Facebook. Local Facebook selling groups are fast rivalling eBay as the place to earn cash by flogging unwanted stuff. The best bit is there are NO fees. Our Facebook Selling guide shows how to find the right local groups and get the best price, plus make sure you stay safe.

Safely sell old gold for max cash. TV ads yell "sell old gold for cash". Yet many are kicked in the crown jewels as they get a fraction of the promised price. Amid the scrap, though, are shining examples. Our Top Gold Selling Sites takes you through it.

60+ more ways to boost your income
If you're looking to rake in a little more, our 60+ Tricks To Boost Your Income guide can add to the coffers. Here's a taster:

Become a mystery shopper. High street retailers are desperate to check their customer service is up to scratch, so mystery shopping agencies pay you to visit specific shops or restaurants to rate quality.

Send pics to mags. For example, Love It! magazine pays £50 for a shameful shot of yourself on holiday or even £50 for readers' shirtless fellas (Mrs MSE's been banned from sending 'em in).

Rent it – spare rooms, storage, parking spaces
The Rent It Out For Cash section of our Boost Your Income guide lists easy ways to earn extra from your property. Here's a taster:

Rent your driveway for up to £200/mth. Live near a city centre, airport, train station or football ground? It's possible to earn up to £200/mth or more renting out your drive. See Rent Your Parking Space for a full how-to and the top free-to-list online marketplaces.

Get cash for spare storage space. If you've unused space in a loft, garage or spare room, website Storemates lets you rent it out to others looking for cheap storage. See Rent Your Storage.

Rent out your home. Airbnb and other sites could help make you TENS of thousands of pounds from letting your home or spare room temporarily to holidaymakers – and some new tax breaks can really boost the gain. See Rent Out Your Home for a crash course in safely renting out your spare room or entire property for short periods.

Rent your spare room. The 'rent a room' scheme means you can take in a lodger to live in a furnished room in your home. It has a special exemption meaning you won't have to pay tax on the first £7,500 each year. See Take A Lodger and 20+ Airbnb Renting tips.

Give yourself a money makeover
Put thousands back in your pocket

While the average person earns just over £100 a day, taking a day to sort your finances leaves many a grand a year better off.

Always think in terms of annual savings – £15 a month doesn’t sound much but it’s £180 a year. Here’s some OOMPH! to get you going.

Owed £10,000s in PPI? If you've had a loan or credit card, check if you were mis-sold PPI. Don't worry if you don't have the paperwork, see the FAQs in Reclaim PPI for Free.

Proof from Steverandall1965:

You inspired me to claim. Put it off for ages, then downloaded the template, sent it off and got £12,225, no fuss or bother.

• Steverandall1965

Slash car insurance costs. You might be able to halve costs by combining the results of comparison sites. See Cheap Car Insurance for a full step-by-step guide.

Can you cut your mortgage cost? If you’ve decent equity in your house and aren’t locked into a deal, speak to a mortgage broker. See the MSE Remortgage Booklet: Instant PDF | Printed

Save £100s with a water meter. If your home has more or the same number of bedrooms as people, check our Water Meter guide. Helen Bevington tweeted: "Thanks to MSE, we've water-metered. Monthly DD down from £80 to £25." That's £660/year less.

Those are just the start. For a detailed checklist of over 30 quick ways to cut bills, see the Money Makeover guide.

Get paid to write and create content
Get paid to write
Textbroker

Always wanted to have a crack at the old writing game? Now's your chance. Textbroker pays for content for adverts, websites and newsletters. The company acts as a middleman between clients and writers, taking a cut from each piece sold.

Typical payments are £5 to £30 per article, and forumites have written about everything from sport and wildlife to finance and casinos. Some MoneySavers have suggested that article approvals can be patchy and it's often slow to accept new writers – a couple of things to watch out for.

We're not talking Stephenie Meyer's Twilight sums. But some forumites, such as Sinkorswim, are turning over a grand a year:

I've been with Textbroker for nine months, and have made over £1,000. It's a godsend, as I had to give up my part-time job due to a back problem. I got another job, but am reluctant to stop writing, as I really enjoy it.

• Sinkorswim

Forumite Farmers-wife says:

I have recently started with Textbroker as a writer. Six articles down and I'm hooked. As a stay-at-home mum and farmer's wife it's lovely to be doing something for myself. Getting praise for writing is doing wonders for my confidence.

• Farmers-wife

Quick summary
Who's it good for? People who enjoy writing and have high grammatical standards
Typical earnings: £50/month (if you're committed)
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays out: £9ish (pays in euros)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Textbroker forum thread
Quick questions
How do I get accepted as an author?

How can I earn maximum cash?

Is it worth pitching to papers and mags too?

Get paid to write, enter data & more
Clickworker

As well as paying for written content, Clickworker offers other jobs, including data entry, web research, product reviews and data tagging.

MoneySavers report there's heaps of work on offer. They've penned Groupon adverts, travel destination descriptions, flight adverts and fashion articles, to name a few.

You must complete a test before you can work, and most jobs require a score of at least 90%. You can earn between £2 for shorter jobs and £5 for longer ones.

See more tips to earn maximum cash

Quick summary
Who's this good for? People who can write winning adverts
Typical earnings: £20/month (note, it pays in euros)
Payment method: PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: €5 (£4ish)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Clickworker forum thread
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Earn cash from homemade videos
YouTube

We can't promise you'll earn £100,000 like the dad who uploaded “Charlie bit my finger – again!”, the clip of two cheeky brothers that racked up 825m views. Yet even if your YouTube videos don't become global phenomena, it's possible to earn a little extra each month through the clip-sharing site.

Before we get started, here's forumite sophie.christie's story for inspiration:

About two years ago I started a YouTube account. One of my videos started to do quite well and the site asked me to become a partner.

I started to receive a very low income from this. However, over the last year I've been posting new videos on birthday party tips. I have now have 80, and a daily income of more than £20. It's rising by about 10% each month.

• sophie.christie

How YouTube's partner programme works
YouTube's Partner Programme lets users take a cut of the cash from the adverts that run alongside their videos. You must apply to become a partner, but YouTube says anyone who regularly uploads original clips which get a fair amount of views should be eligible.

Earnings vary dramatically, depending on how many views you rack up and how much revenue the ads generate.

Quick summary
Who's this good for? People who enjoy making funny or specialist clips, and are a whizz with video cameras
Typical earnings: £60
Payment method: Cheque from Google Adsense
How much you need to earn before it pays: $100 (£75ish)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the YouTube forum thread
Quick questions
How can I max my YouTube earnings?

How can I become a partner and earn money?

How much can I earn?

Finally, ITV still pays £250 for funny videos selected to appear on You've Been Framed. No need to post a VHS tape – you can upload clips to its site.

Earn cash from your blog or website
Amazon Associates

If you've a blog or website, set up a free account with Amazon Associates, a scheme where you earn Amazon vouchers for linking to the site.

Just follow the steps to add links and banners to your website. When someone clicks on Amazon from your site and makes a transaction, it's recorded and you're paid 1-10% commission, which you get in the form of cash or an Amazon discount.

What you earn depends on how much you sell and what category it's in – for example, you get 1% commission from TVs and smartphones and 10% from watches and jewellery. (See a full list of payments.)

Though don't just fill your site to the brim with Amazon links. What works best is ensuring you've quality editorial content, then adding the links after.

Products bought by you personally won't count towards your commission, nor will anything ordered for delivery to your home address or paid for on your credit card.

Quick summary
Who's this good for? Those with a blog or site that they'd like to earn cash from.
Typical earnings: £25/month (depending on your site's popularity).
Payment method: Amazon credit and cash.
Amount you need to earn before it pays out: £25 for Amazon credit or bank transfers, £50 for cheques.
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Amazon Associates forum thread
Write a Kindle e-book
Earn up to 70% of the LIST price when you self-publish

EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey started as a self-published e-book – now's your chance to emulate her success. Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing tool lets you upload your own e-books instantly, for free. Every time the book sells, Amazon gives you up to 70% of the list price (excludes VAT).

While not a guaranteed money-spinner, e-books don't have to be Booker Prize contenders. If you're a specialist in a niche subject, from worm composting to roller-coaster riding, you could pocket a little extra each month.

If you need inspiration, why not try the NaNoWriMo campaign to write a novel in a month, which runs every November.

Quick summary
Who's this good for? Folks who want a bash at a bestseller, though money's not guaranteed
Payment method: Electronic bank transfer (see full payment details)
How much you need to earn before it pays: No min
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Kindle Direct forum thread
Quick questions
What's my cut?

How do you publish a Kindle e-book?

Is it worth paying for a professional editing service?

Get paid to review music and more
Slicethepie

Review site Slicethepie pays you for each song, fashion item, accessory or advert you rate. As you build up a reputation, you can earn more. Read the site's tutorials before you start.

Typically, a member willing to put in a couple of hours each night could expect to earn around £30/month, though forumites report this can vary. The amount you earn from each review differs depends on your 'Star Rating' – an overall a measure of the quality of your reviews – and the quality of that particular review.

You can also earn more by encouraging friends to sign up – you'll receive a bonus of 10% of their earnings so, if they earn $0.20 for a review, you'll get $0.02.

Quick summary
Who's it good for? You'll need a pretty open mind. MoneySavers have reported earnings slowing recently.
Typical earnings: You earn in dollars and get between $0.10 and $0.20 per review – forumites report monthly earnings of up to £30/month.
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: $10 (so, about £7).
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Slicethepie forum thread
Get paid to type up audio
Take Note

Nostalgic for the days of Mad Men-era typing pools? Transcription company Take Note pays typists around £8/hour to type up audio.

You need Microsoft Word, at least a C in GCSE English and must be able bash out at least 65 words per minute. It pays per minute of audio, and not minute of your time, so it's only worth it for super-fast typists (take a speed test to see how you measure up).

To apply, you take tests in typing speed, formatting and English language. You must sign up for at least two shifts per week, roughly six hours each (evenings and weekends are available).

I'm one of their freelance transcribers and so far so good – payment's been on time every month and it works out at £7-£9 an hour.

• cazmanian_minx