The best and worst side hustles (my honest experiences)

Side hustles are a fantastic way to earn extra income in your free time each month. Even if the extra earnings aren't significiant amounts, every little helps to achieve your long-term financial goals and give a sense of financial freedom.

Various side hustles will appeal to different people - everyone has different amounts of free time, unique skills and preferences, and goals of how much extra cash they want to be making.

Over time I have tried various different side hustle methods, and discovered the pros and cons of each, which I would like to share with you so that you can choose which ones to incorporate in your own personal finance journey.

10. Mystery shopping

Mystery shopping is a flexible way to earn extra income by completing small tasks for business. These tasks often include checking product displays, reviewing customer service, or trying out new products. Most tasks involve visiting a store, taking photos, and answering short questionnaires through an app.

So many people online rave about mystery shopping as an extra source of income, so it may seem surprising that I have rated it lower down on my list of favourites.

This is simply because of where I live - there are not many supermarkets and shops, so the opportunities for mystery shopping are limited. This can be a great source of income if you live in a more urban area with more opportunities on some of the mystery shopping apps.

Some of my favourite mystery shopping apps are Roamler, Shepper, and Field Agent.

• Roamler - offers small tasks like  photographing supermarket shelves, checking product displays, or mystery shopping at retail stores. You are paid per task, and the rates vary based on complexity and time required to complete the task.

• Shepper - more inspection-based, rather than just mystery shopping. The app brands you as a Shepherd, sent out to inspect products. The jobs are often quick, but require attention to detail. Location-based jobs on Shepper seem to be quite concentrated around Birmingham, with others dotted around the country

• Field Agent - offers quick retail audits, product trials, and mystery shopping. Jobs are usually short, mainly involving taking photos, answering questions, or testing a product. Often includes 'buy and try' jobs where you are reimbursed for a product and paid for your time. Sign up here using my referral code 2edpvxr to get started.

  
  

9. Survey apps

There are so many survey apps out there. I have found that many exclusively offer long surveys that want lots of your personal information, then they lag and crash, or payout an insignificant amount of money for your time invested.

Higher up on my list of favourite side hustles are Google Rewards and Amazon Shopper Panel, so this number nine entry is for other survey apps that I still use, but perhaps more infrequently than those other two.

• Eureka - offers surveys of various lengths and compensation, and offers for downloading apps and completing tasks within them. These mainly include downloading a game and playing it up to a certain level, with rewards for certain achievements along the way. From personal experience, I have found that the surveys tend to take longer than the advertised time, but some of the shorter ones are worth the time required for the payout you get. They also offer a 1p daily poll bonus and 2p daily video bonus. You can cash out your total using PayPal or as retail vouchers once you reach a balance of £4. Sign up using my referral code SS95WZ to receive a free 80p sign up bonus!

• Vypr - this survey app offers a range of 'steers' each day, where you answer a single multiple choice question about a random topic. None of the questions ask for any personal information. Most steers are worth 10 points, but there are occassionally steers available for 40 points or more. There are usually many steers available and they are so easy to complete when you have a few minutes of free time. You can cash out your balance once you reach 10,000 points which is worth £5. This app is so quick and easy to use, with no risk of the survey crashing and you losing out on earning.

• Attapoll - offers a surveys with a range of time requirements and compensation. Some are definitely worth the time for the reward, while others are not. Also offers rewards for downloading games and playing to a specific level, and for other online tasks. You can cash out your balance once it reaches £2.50 through PayPal or as a variety of retail vouchers. Sign up using this code YVMQP for a free 40p when you create your account!

• Qmee - allows you to cash out earnings above 1p. Qmee offers a range of survey types and lengths, with varying compensation for each. They also offer a range of cashback and retail offers. They also have gaming offers on their online browser version. Sign up here for an extra free 50p reward when on your first cash out by PayPal or gift card!

8. Matched betting

This is a side hustle method that I used to make use of, but no longer utilise. It is one of the more complicated and time-intensive methods compared to some of the others on this list.

Matched betting is a way of making money from free bets and promotions offered by bookmakers to encourage you to play. You place two bets that cancel each other out - one for the outcome to happen (a back bet), and one for it not to happen (a lay bet), thus locking in a profit no matter the outcome. Thus, matched betting lets you turn those free bets into real, withdrawable cash. A big bonus is that all of your earnings are tax-free!

How it works:

1. Sign up for a matched betting site - I used Oddsmonkey. They help you learn the process, and have spreadsheets of data available showing current offers from bookmakers, and the best back and lay bets to place to maximise earnings.

   
   

2. Find a sign up offer from a bookmaker, eg. 'Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets'

3. Place your qualifying bet - deposit money to place a back bet (eg. Arsenal to win) with a bookmaker such as Betfair, Ladbrokes, Bet365 and more, and a lay bet against the outcome (eg. Arsenal to not win) on a betting exchange like Smarkets or Betfair Exchange. This will result in a small loss (usually £1 to £2).

4. Use the free bet - once the free bet is credited, repeat the process, but this time you are betting with free money, not your own. Again, place a back bet on the bookmaker's site, and a lay bet on a betting exchange. You will make a guaranteed profit, usually beween £15 to £25, but this will depend on the value of the bet placed and the odds it was placed at.

5. Repeat this with other offers - once you have completed the sign-up offers, you can keep making money through reload offers for existing customers. Some bookmakers also have casino offers that you can take advantage of for extra earnings.

If you follow each of these steps with a good attention to detail, this method is technically risk-free even though it may seem like it involves gambling.

I created a spreadsheet to track my earnings as this can become quite confusing once you have multiple offers running simultaneously.

I tried matched betting for two months, earning just shy of £500, but decided that in the long run it was not one of my favourite side hustles that I wanted to use every month. It is fairly time-intensive and can become quite overwhelming with the number of emails that you receive from all the different bookmakers you create accounts with.

7. Cashback apps

I always try to remember to use a cashback app on all shopping as this is such an easy way to save on money that you are already needing to spend!

My favourites to use are Quidco, Cheddar, TopCashback, and Airtime Rewards:

• Quidco - offers a range of cashback offers. Has a compare feature where you can see cashback offers for varius households bills, such as car insurance, broadband and mobile deals. It can take a while for companies to approve your cashback and for it to arrive in your account. You can submit a claim form for any missing or unpaid cashback, which Quidco will review on your behalf. Quidco have a low minimum balance of £1 to withdraw your saved cash to your bank account. Sign up here for a free £20 reward once you've earned £5 cashback through Quidco offers!

• Cheddar - this connects to your bank card for automatic cashback deals, which is so helpful for saving time searching for deals, or realising that you have forgotten to use a cashback app once you have placed the order. They offer a range of cashback deals on travel, groceries, eating out, fashion, fitness, and more. They also offer cashback if you purchase a giftcard to use for your purchase, which is mainly for supermarket deals. Cheddar have a low minimum limit of £5 for withdrawing your balance to your bank account. Receive a free £2 when you join and use code FJEUVPX and purchase your first gift card for cashback!

• TopCashback - offers cashback on your everyday spending, with a large range of cashback offers. The rewards are paid out as cash, vouchers, or British Airways Avios points. There is no minimum amount to withdraw your earnings balance. The only downside is that TopCashback exclusively offers cashback deals for online shopping, not for in store. Sign up here for a free £10 sign up bonus when you earn £10 of cashback savings!

• Airtime Rewards - this app allows you to earn cashback automatically, without having to manually search and select an offer to use. This cashback is then used to save money off your monthly phone bill! They offer regular cashback offers on retail spending, travel, days out, but also extra rewards for buying refurbished technology through Reboxed and mobile insurance through Protect Your Bubble. They have recently expanded their range of mobile providers, now covering providers such as O2, Vodafone, 3, EE, Virgin Mobile and more. The only other downside is that you need a minimum £10 cashback savings to withdraw your balance, which is higher than these other cashback apps. Sign up and use code R3FW8L8P for a free £2 when you make your first purchase within 7 days!

6. Bank switches

Lots of banks offer a cash incentive to switch your current account to theirs using the Current Account Switch Service. These incentives typically range from £100 to £175, if you meet certain conditions, like switching all direct debits and paying a certain amount in to the account. This is a create side hustle for earning a quick lump sum of cash!

I created a new bank account to use for switching so that I didn't have to move my main current account. Some of the offers require that you transfer a standing order. For this I created a standing order to Hospice in the Weald for £1 per month, and use this to meet this requirement.

The only downside to this method is that you need to read the terms and conditions of each offer very carefully. Many UK banks are owned by a parent company, and the offers will be limited to one incentive per banking group, for example, if you have completed the RBS offer, you cannot also take advantage of the Natwest incentive. You also want to be careful of the fee schedule for the bank account you are switching to. This isn't a problem if you have another switch lined up for straight afterwards, but you don't want to be left paying a fee as this will eat into your profits.

I use the Money Saving Expert page on their website to find the best current deals as it clearly shows all of the details of the deal.

5. Dividends

Dividend investing isn’t the fastest route to long-term wealth compared to growth-focused strategies, but for me, it’s about more than just maximising returns.

I use Trading 212 to invest in dividend-paying stocks. The payouts aren’t huge right now, but there’s something incredibly satisfying about getting the dividend payment notification. Even if it’s only a few pennies, it’s proof that my money is quietly working for me in the background.

I reinvest every dividend that I receive straight back into my portfolio, helping to slowly grow my holdings without any extra effort. Over time, those reinvestments can compound, boosting both my income and my portfolio value.

For me, it’s a low-pressure way to explore investing, learn the ins and outs of dividends, and stay engaged with the markets — all while building confidence for bigger, long-term strategies.

I chose Trading 212 because it is beginner-friendly with a simple interface, and offers commission-free trading. It lets you buy fractional shares, allowing me to test different strategies with small amounts of money, becoming familiar with buying and selling shares, and allows me to track my portfolio without worrying about fees eating into my small gains.

Similar brokers include:

• Freetrade - commission-free investing, offering fractional shares and a simple interface for beginner investors.

  
  

• Webull - offer lots of features, with advanced charts, research tools, and zero-commission trades. Sign up, deposit, and earn cash rewards from £50 up to £3,000!

  
  

• InvestEngine - specialise in low-cost ETF investing, offering both design-your-own and managed portfolio options. Create an account and receive a bonus of between £20 and £100, or between £100 and £200 for a business account!

  
  

• Robinhood - commission-free platform, popular for stocks, ETFs, and crypto. Get a free bonus of between $7 and $175 of stock from Apple or another company of your choice when you create an account!

  
  

These platforms all have slightly different features, so it's worth looking into which works best for your investment goals.

These platforms all have slightly different features, so it’s worth looking into which works best for your goals — but Trading 212 remains my personal favourite for ease of use and exploring dividend investing.

4. Reselling

Reselling is one of the most flexible side hustles out there. There is no upfront cost to get started, you can begin with items you already own and scale up as you gain experience. I focus on three main platforms, each with its own strengths:

• eBay - used my millions of people, so you can reach a huge audience and sell a wide variety of items. You can set auctions or fixed prices, send and receive offers, and promote listings for more visibility. EBay have removed selling fees on most categories of items, increasing how much you will keep from each sale.

  
  

• Vinted - ideal for selling clothing and accessories. Super quick listing process, low selling fees, and bundle offers to increase sales volume. Vinted's audience is smaller than eBay, and the range of items you can resell is smaller, but it can be great for items that fall within this niche. Join Vinted to get started selling your unwanted items.

• Facebook Marketplace - I find that this site is the best for bulky or high-value items that would be expensive to post. It is free and easy to list items, local buyers collect in person, and you avoid shipping costs entirely. You will need to communicate with buyers more than on the other platforms, mainly to arrange collection of the item. The profit margins can be much higher as most items are paid for in cash, so you pay no fees on sales.

Reselling can be so flexible - you can put in as little or as much time as you like and experiment with different platforms. While it takes effort to photograph, list, and manage sales, it can quickly add up to a meaningful source of extra income.

3. Amazon Shopper Panel

Amazon Shopper Panel is a simple way to earn a little extra in Amazon credit each month.

The app offers two main earning methods:

• Short Surveys – quick surveys, typically with between one and three questions, usually pays around 45p each. They don't ask for personal information and don't lag and crash without rewarding you for your time. They’re easy to complete and a nice way to earn a small but steady stream of credit. Surveys are ad hoc, but you can expect at least a few every month. Your balance is transferred to your Amazon account as a voucher at the end of each month.

  
  

• Receipt Scanning – allows users to upload up to ten receipts per month of a £5 Amazon voucher. However, this feature is currently closed to new applicants and has been for a while now.

While this is definitely not a get rich quick method, it is reliable and very low effort, and works well alongside other methods.

2. Google rewards

Google Rewards is another low effort survey app that will consistently add a little to your monthly side hustle earnings.

Offers ad hoc surveys which usually consist of one to three questions, with one question paid 8p, and longer surveys compensated more generously. Some questions are based on your recent search history, but they never ask for personal information and you don't need to worry about the app crashing and not paying out.

You can withdraw your balance direct to your bank account once the total exceeds £2.

1. Credit card cashback

This is a newer method for me but is already my favourite side hustle by far.

It is so easy and simple as it is completely automatic. You get paid for spending money that you were already going to spend. Just switch your usual payment method for a cashback credit card. Use the card for your everyday purchases such as groceries, bills, travel, and earn a percentage of each transaction back as cash or rewards points.

I use a card that pays 2% cashback up to £15 per month. I have it set as my default card on Apple Pay and use it for all everyday spending.

You can use other cashback apps like Quidco, Cheddar (use code FJEUVPX), TopCashback, and Airtime Rewards (use code R3FW8L8P) alongside to maximise rewards on your spending.

Make sure to research how credit card works and the terms and conditions of your chosen card before using, and ensure that you pay off the balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.

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