One in six people may use a food bank this Christmas and Face Christmas Debt

Reading Time: 2 mins

A recent survey of 2,000 people carried out for charity, The Big Give, has revealed that 16% of people in the UK, almost 1 in 6, say they are considering using a food bank this Christmas. This number rises to 37% in London. Food is however only one way people get into debt at Christmas.

37% are worried they will incur debt over Christmas (56% in London) and the one in ten worrying about housing insecurity, rises to one in five in London. MoneyMagpie can lead help you find where to access debt help here.

More than 20% are worried about their mental health and almost half (44%) are expecting to find this Christmas harder to cope with than usual. (We have a guide on how to stop debt overwhelming you here.)

With the festive period being a crunch time for many, 26% feel they may need to rely on charities for essentials or support this Christmas.

In a time when the work of charities is more important than ever, thankfully, almost 47% of Brits are planning to donate the same amount to charity as usual over Christmas. However, 26% are planning to donate less, and around half of these people say it’s because their income has decreased.

A campaign organised by the Big Give and backed by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench, Russell Brand, and others aims to help. The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest Christmas coordinated fundraising appeal, is supporting over 900 charities to raise funds with the unique offer of matching any donations made during the week of 30th November – 7th December. 

Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, a charity supported by Marcus Rashford which redistributes surplus food said: ‘Many voluntary sector organisations are warning there will be an increase in need for their services over what is likely to be a difficult winter for many families.

Vulnerable communities will be hardest hit by cost of living increases and rising energy prices. We are hugely grateful for the support of the Big Give at this time when millions of families will be turning to charities and community groups for help getting food on the table.’

‘Some will rely on charities which will be further and further stretched as demand grows.’

‘That is why, for those who can, supporting charities is more important than ever. Through The Christmas Challenge campaign, they are offering to match any donation made to hundreds of amazing charities through  theBigGive.org.uk. That means whatever you can give will go twice as far.’

To find your nearest foodbank click here.

The post One in six people may use a food bank this Christmas and Face Christmas Debt appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Medical Crowdfunding: How to do it

Reading Time: 8 mins

Over recent years we have seen a surge of people in the UK crowdfunding their health-care for many reasons. Here at MoneyMagpie, we are going to take a look at how to run a medical crowdfunding campaign and all that it entails.

Not having access to certain treatments and not being able to access them quickly enough (especially in the pandemic, which now has a five year waiting list for certain procedures via the NHS) has meant that more and more people are having to go private – in spite of NHS efforts to stop this – by actually paying billions to private healthcare providers themselves.

Some procedures simply aren’t available. And, as our transatlantic friends know, this is not something affordable to a large number of people. Only 11 per cent of the UK already use private healthcare and most treatments aren’t available under basic policies, leaving a huge gap in both wealth and treatments.

The Guardian reported in July this year that the UK is actually heading towards a more two-tiered healthcare system and that the “growth of a more mixed healthcare economy, in terms of both NHS treatment carried out in private sector and self-payers, is starting to normalise the idea of private healthcare.”

 

Previous cases of crowdfunding

Last year there was a very high profile campaign of this nature for Azaylia Cain. The daughter of former footballer Ashley Cain, was diagnosed with a very rare Leukemia (AML) and after exhausting every treatment available in the UK, he and his wife were given the horrific news that they were out of options. They did, however, find a doctor in Singapore who might be able to help, so they set up a crowdfunder to get them over there (during Covid restrictions).

Although the story had the horrific ending of them losing their beautiful girl, the crowdfunding was successful and they raised over one million pounds. Giving them, in the darkest days of their life, hope.

The same could be said last year, when the family and friends of former Big Brother contestant Nikki Graham used Go Fund Me to get emergency medical intervention and treatment for her Anorexia Nervosa. Mental Health services are incredibly difficult to access via the NHS and much like the campaign for little Azaylia, Nikki’s loved ones were faced with a desperation to do all they could to save a loved one’s life, something many people are finding themselves facing and not knowing where to turn.

The sad thing that both these stories share is that both people were just too sick to survive and in spite of people’s generous donations, both people died. In spite of the horrific endings, both campaigns surpassed their targets and both people came close to getting the treatment so desperately needed.

These were both fairly high profile campaigns, including people with celebrity and large online followings. Not everyone, of course, has access to that so we want to look at ways to give your campaign traction.How to do it?

Medical crowdfunding is in fact no different to any other type of crowdfunding, and running a basic campaign for healthcare is the same as for anything. First of all we need to pick our provider.

 

Who to Choose?

Each has its own benefits.

Justgiving

Using a big platform like JustGiving allows you to access people willing to donate outside of your immedaite friends and family group. Donations go directly into your bank account and can be with you within 6 – 10 days.

Justgiving say: “It’s free to sign up and create a Crowdfunding Page on JustGiving and at the end of your campaign, we’ll send everything you raise to you directly, minus card-processing fees.”

The fee per transaction for donations made in GBP via debit or credit card is 2.9% plus 25p. They have however given the option for contributors to cover this fee themselves so it won’t come out of the final amount.

JustGiving have done away with a 5% fee taken from the donation. Instead, they are now asking donors to add a small tip on top of their donation to keep us running and improving.

Importantly you will recieve the fees even if you don’t hit your target.

GoFundMe

GoFundMe have the same fees as JustGiving and very similar policies. The main difference we can see is  that “GoFundMe organisers don’t have to worry about falling short of their target because, unlike many similar platforms, there are no deadlines, limits or penalties for fundraisers staying live. Fundraisers remain online until you turn off donations or remove them. If you choose to, you can leave your fundraiser active indefinitely and continue accepting donations even after reaching your goal.”

On JustGiving, you have to go in and manually extend.

According to London Medical Consierge; “Across the UK, over £15.5 million has been raised in GoFundMe’s ‘Medical Illness and Healing’ category since 2010, making it the site’s most heavily utilised fundraising category. The average total amount raised by a typical medical campaign in the UK is £3,100, with the average donation to a campaign being £41.”

Other, more specialist places, like Tree of Hope use the crowdfunding model, while reaching out for help on a case by case study. While technically a charity it is a specialist way for fundgivers to give to children via a crowdfunding type platform. Their website states that “Tree of Hope is the crowdfunding charity that helps children and young people with a disability or illness by supporting their families to raise the money they need to pay for specialist care that is not freely available through the UK healthcare system.”

 

best practices for successful medical crowdfunding

Gather your team

Even before starting your crowdfunding campaign, try reaching out to friends or family who might be able to join your team. You may be surprised to find how supportive and enthusiastic one or two individuals you already know are about your campaign. 

Also consider using social media to announce your search for help in running a campaign, as there are thousands of kind and helpful people among the masses who may be aware of the issue you’re raising money for. You may also make some new allies this way. 

However you do it, reaching out for assistance could net you the help you need in running a campaign, which is not a straightforward thing to do.

Be upfront

When drafting your pitch, it’s generally people issues and individual stories that people are interested to read about and support: be honest about the situation that you, or the person the campaign is about, find yourself in. Again, you’ll be surprised by the kind of support that will come in from friends but also unlikely sources, either from people who are aware of the situation or complete strangers who can sympathise.

Make it visual

Photos and videos support what you’re writing and break up large blocks of text, drawing the eye towards the stories of the people and involved. People are put off by huge swathes of writing but statistically, they’ll stay to read your text once they’ve looked at your photos. A short video or two to launch the campaign, or added along the way, goes a long way in presenting you or the subject of the campaign to the people you want to reach.

• Update your social media bios to show the campaign link and mention it in every tweet and post. 
• Post in the morning, afternoon and evening, and don’t be afraid to repost, because people are online at different times of the day.
• Sharing is caring: make sure your friends, followers and family know about your campaign through an initial announcement. 
• You don’t have to be aggressive with your posting as people will tune out: instead, post regularly and start conversations, so that people are reminded about your campaign. 

Update your campaign regularly

• After a strong launch, the campaign needs to gain traction: don’t assume the first announcement will catch everyone’s attention immediately. Assume people are busy and would like to be kept in the loop. Post a few pictures a day, mention anyone who donates if they want to be mentioned, consider putting out new video content at the beginning and end of each week, and update all donors regularly with news via email: get them to sign up for this. 
• Use a hashtag on social media so that people can click on updates and find your specific case and all its news. 
• Use your social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – to post updates and share the campaign around. Again, statistics show that sharing on social media builds a campaign like nothing else. 
• Retweet any news stories and tweets your campaign is mentioned in and create a press list of everywhere you’ve been mentioned, to show the story developing.
  

Consider throwing an in-person event

• Think of a physical place where people who may support the subject of the campaign would turn up. Let everyone connected with the person know that an event is happening using Facebook events. 
• The event could be free with a suggested donation, or a fixed price for everyone that goes towards the cause: you can offer to tag people on social media to show how they’ve supported you. 
• Have a payment point and the link to the campaign handy at the event so that people are always aware of the cause and how to contribute to it.
• Consider getting in touch with local organisations and services who may come to the event or offer their services for free: great advertising for them and if it’s for a cause, many businesses may consider offering things for free. 
• Contact the local media outlets to cover the event online and in local papers to raise even more awareness. 

Throw a post-campaign party

Your supporters will be keen to hear from you about how your campaign went. 

• Demonstrate your gratitude to all your supporters by holding a gathering after the campaign is over, to reward and thank your donors and let them know how far the campaign went: don’t be afraid to mention if you’re “not quite there” with the donations and need more help: you never know who may be keen to donate in person or after the fact.
• If the campaign subject is able to, have them attend the event to provide an in-person update about how they’re progressing and what may be needed to continue into the future. 

 

The Question of ethics

According to the medical journal; “Ethical concerns have been raised about medical crowdfunding, including implications for equity, resource allocation, medical decision-making, the promotion of non-evidence based therapies, platforms’ lack of transparency and corporate interests.” This means that medical crowdfunding actually implies a shortcoming in health service provision.

There is no firm evidence base for establishing answers to even the most basic questions, such as who is seeking funds, for what, where and why. Making it hard to see from existing research whether medical crowdfunding is a response to gaps in service provision, supports ‘queue jumping’ and how it relates to ‘medical tourism’.

However, what we ask is: is this really the problem of the people seeking the help?

 

Conclusion

In universal healthcare systems (like the NHS), medical crowdfunding is a feasible option when we need to finance alternative, complementary, experimental and scientifically poorly supported therapies not financed by the NHS or healthcare systems worldwide .

The post Medical Crowdfunding: How to do it appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

News: Paypoint Respond to Ofgem Regards Stakeholder Practise

Reading Time: < 1 min

Discussions have come to a head between PayPoint and energy regulator Ofgem, as the latter has suggested that PayPoint needs to update their practices for the benefit of their stakeholders.  Ofgem have published the financial news of a ‘Notice of Decision to Accept Binding Commitments’, relating to concerns raised in Ofgem’s Statement of Objections from 29 September 2020.

Ofgem has accepted these commitments to resolve their concerns, and PayPoint will implement the commitments with their stakeholders. 

The Board states that the commitments accentuate their goal of servicing and supporting their clients and the communities they serve: this adds credence to PayPoint’s claim that their strategy is to deliver fair and sustainable value to all their stakeholders.

PayPoint will update their stakeholders and public in their half-year results on Thursday 25 November at 9.30am. In short, PayPoint will be:

• Removing exclusivity provisions from pre-payment services from current and future contracts
• Offering contracts to energy suppliers, allowing retailers to use other payment providers and equipment when processing prepayment meter credits
• Donating £12.5 million to Ofgem’s ‘Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme’, which will divide funds to be used for supplying energy advice or energy efficiency plans for households.   

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News: Amazon’s Visa Cancellation and how to make a quick £20

Reading Time: 2 mins

As many of you will have seen on the news this week, top retailers Amazon are planning to stop the use of UK VISA cards on their platform from 19 January 2022. Many of us, however, won’t know how this will impact us if it goes through, or how it will affect our use of the site. Here MoneyMagpie offer some financial advise on what this means for us.

First of all, more importantly: 

How To Make £20 From The Change 

Amazon is offering £20 for Prime customers to change from Visa to a different payment method, and £10 for other customers. The ban won’t apply to Visa debit cards which are still to be accepted on Amazon.

Why The Change?

Amazon says Visa’s fees are overinflated and block low prices for their customers.

Visa retaliated by saying that its charges are competitive and shouldn’t make that much of a difference on prices and that Amazon are ill-advised to place such a restriction on choice. 

What This Means For You 

If you use a UK Visa card with Amazon, and do not have an alternative payment method from 19 January 2022 onwards, Amazon will require you to update your payment to a bank debit card, or you may not be able to buy things from Amazon in future.

Unfortunately this means that customers will no longer be covered by credit card company insurance for larger purchases, something that currently exists if any problems arise.

Will The Change Actually Happen?

If, before 19 January 2022, the two sides can come to an agreement that negates the necessity for the above action, the change won’t come into effect at all, but either way, Amazon customers will watch the developments with great interest over the Christmas and New Year period, as they may stand to benefit from the changes. 

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Make money collecting Funkos

Reading Time: 6 mins

Whether you’re into Marvel, Disney, Star Wars or Harry Potter, there is a Funko out there for you.

These big-headed characters live on shelves across the country but could yours be worth more than you realise? Like limited edition barbies and Lego sets, some Funkos have appreciated in value since they went on sale, and as most start at relatively affordable prices when first released these might be a great way to invest some spare pocket money.  

• What are Funkos?
• Which Funkos should you be buying?
• What are chase variants?
• How should you be storing your Funko Pops?
• What are the most highly valued Funkos?
• Does anyone hold a world record for their collection?
• A conversation with a collector

 

What are Funkos? 

Funkos are small collectable figurines in a variety of styles. First developed in 1998 by a toy collector, the firm got off to a shaky start before getting the licensing for Austin Powers bobbleheads. In 2005, Funko was sold on and by 2011 they had expanded their licensed range and began selling their Pop! vinyl range. Since then, they have introduced multiple new lines ranging from vinyl soda, mystery minis and Funko games – there’s something for everyone!  

According to macrotrends, the current value of Funko sits around the $0.89 Billion mark, so it’s probably safe to say they won’t be going bust anytime soon. Currently they hold over 1000 licenses to produce merchandise that appeals to both adults and children. Current CEO Brian Mariotti cites the companies’ ability to conceptualise a design in 24 hours and have it on shelves in 70 days as part of the reason that the company is so successful.  

 

Which Funkos should you be buying? 

If you’re looking for which Funkos to buy as investment pieces then there’s a few to look out for but it does depend on how you’re buying them. Whether buying them in-store or online there are things to look out for. Some figurines are limited edition and so making them more desirable to collectors – these include releases for comic cons, E3 and the Star Wars celebration. As these are for specific events, they are normally only available at the convention but you have an opportunity to snap up this year’s New York Comic-Cons exclusives online.  

 

What are Chase Variants?

Chase variants are limited edition versions of some Funkos – they could be in a different colour pallet, flocked instead of vinyl, a different mould, glitter coated and more.  These variants are shipped out at random making them highly collectable and often bringing higher than retail prices. These variants have a much lower press rate than regular funkos at just 1/6, so if you’re buying from a batch of 10000, there would be approximately 1666 chase variants. Whilst these are relatively low odds of getting one, if you do, you might be looking at a decent return on your money.  

 

How should you be storing your Funko pops? 

So, you’ve bought your Funko and you’re wondering what to do with it. Well, if you’re keeping it as an investment, as tempting as it is to take it out of the box – don’t! Not only does the box provide protection for the Funko, it also helps prove that it’s official merchandise or indicate whether it is a chase variant. For super rare Funkos it might even be worth investing in plastic boxes to keep them in for extra protection.  

 

What are the most highly valued Funkos?  

It is no surprise that the most expensive Funkos are also some of the rarest – according to the pop price guide, the most valuable Funko on the market is the 2015, metallic signed Stan Lee figurine coming in at $20000. However, as only 10 were released it is unlikely you’ll find one of these in your local charity shop.  

Coming in at $15000 is the Willy Wonka and Oompa Loompa Golden Ticket set. Only 10 of these were made with 4 being given out to competition winners and the other 6 sets being unaccounted for.  

Coming in third is the glow in the dark edition clockwork orange Funko values at $13,400. Only 12 were ever produced, leading to their high price point as the right collector would spend serious money to get their hands on one. PopPriceGuide believes that 6 of these limited editions pops were given to some of the biggest pop collectors at the time of release.  

If Disney is more your thing, you might want to look out for the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con edition of Dumbo. This happy little elephant was given a makeover for the convention, he features a painted clown face and with only 48 Funkos in circulation, these could bring you a big pay day. At $6000 these little elephants could bring in big bucks if you find the right collector.  

For £5000 you can buy yourself the Freddy Funko as Buzz Lightyear (glow in the dark addition). Released in 2011, this pop proved highly popular leading to its high resale price. But with only 12 produced, these are hard to get your hands on. 

 

Does anyone hold a world record for their collection? 

The answer is yes. The current world record holder is Paul Scardino, with over 5000 of these figurines. He started his collection in 2017 after receiving Hawkeye and Spider-Man from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War for his birthday. After his initial two pops, he began researching what other characters were available. Starting with the comic book line of Funkos his collection began to grow, before branching out into other lines that interested him. Whilst many of his Funkos are displayed without their boxes, Funko’s above a certain value are kept in their original packaging and an extra protective case. Paul is still collecting and hunting down new Funko’s with his collection ever increasing.  

 

A Conversation with a collector:  

Earlier this week at we spoke to Bhavin, a Funko Pop collector who has grown a collection of over 100 Funko Pops in the past three years.  

• How long have you been collecting Funko Pops? 

My daughter knows that I love Star Wars. About 3 years ago she saw one on sale and bought it for me. Then I picked up another Star Wars one on offer, followed by another. Before I knew it, I have over 60! 

• Why did you start collecting them? 

I love having them at work, I specialise in children’s vision, development and myopia so I get lots of interest and excitement from my patients. It’s a great conversation starter to build rapport with the kids. 

• Do you collect them for fun or think of them as a potential future investment? 

I collect them for fun but I think there is a hope that they will increase in value as an investment. I still have some of my Star Wars toys I had as a child in the 80s. Even though they have been unboxed and played with, they are now worth a lot of money as vintage collectables. I think that Funko Pops will probably have a value for collectors in the future. 

• Is there anything you look for when choosing your next funko? ie – limited edition 

I tend to buy the ones that I like from the movies and characters that I enjoy. I may watch one of the films and then look out for the character. 

• Which is your favourite Funko Pop that you own? 

My favourite is a gold Darth Vader and I have a collection of the child from the Mandalorian series. 

• What Funko would you most like to get your hands on why? 

There is no specific Funko, but I would like to get my hands on some of the earlier Star Wars releases, especially from the original trilogy 

 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Make money collecting Funkos appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

How to make money selling theme tunes

Reading Time: 5 mins

If you’re reading this, chances are you have an interest in composing and want your music to be heard – sharing it online could be the first step to making your dreams become a reality.

And not only could you have your music heard – you might be able to make money from it as well!

So, whether you’re creating music in your bedroom as a hobby or you’re a music student in need of some spare cash, selling theme tunes could be the way forward.  

• What you need
• Why should you start selling your theme tunes and music?
• How much can you make?
• How to get started

 

What you need: 

• Creativity
• Access to recording equipment or music composition software  
• Access to a music stock library  

 

Why should you start selling your theme tunes and music? 

Composition is a form of self-expression; it can help us express emotions in a way we haven’t before. It can also help us illicit emotions in others which is why music is so often used in film, tv and advertising. Music can support a scene in a film to make us feel sad, happy or indifferent, it manipulates you to relate to a character. The same goes for advertisements, often car adverts have upbeat music, with clear beats that accompany the car driving down open roads. These tracks draw you in and make the prospect of the car seem more appealing.  

Much of this music is pulled from stock music websites, and this music is submitted by a wide range of people from professional composers to amateurs – there is a marketplace for everyone. Stock music websites are always looking for new music in a wide range of genres from pop to electronica to jazz, find a niche and you might hit the big time.  

 

So how much can you make? 

Whilst there are not many published figures around earnings from selling music online, some people have spoken about earning around $30,000 (about £22,000) a year selling music on stock music sites full-time. Of course not everyone will make this much, and it will depend on the amount of commission stock music platforms take from you per purchase of your music.  

 

How to get started:  

To start with you’ll need some music notation software, this comes in many forms, some you can record into using midi keyboards, others you just click on the page to create the notes. Depending on whether you’re just getting started or if you’ve been composing for a while will affect your choice of composition software. If you’re just starting it may be worth sticking to free software to begin with as some of the professional software is quite pricey.  

 

So, what is music notation software? 

 Music notation software is similar to a word processor – as you input information, it translates this to the screen. Music notation software began to be developed in the 1980s to reduce the need to hand produce scores before taking them to be professionally engraved for mass production. This software allows individuals to input, edit and play back music they enter using a mouse, computer keyboard or a MIDI keyboard.  

The ease of being able to edit automatically allows for easy fixing of errors, reducing the need for paper manuscripts and therefore making the music composition process easier. The automatic playback ability reduces the need for advanced piano skills as you can hear all parts at the same time as well as having the option to hear each part individually. They come preloaded with different instrumental sounds and allow you to create a score for anything from a single melody line to a full symphony orchestra.  

Downloadable programmes like Musescore are a great place to start as a beginner as they offer in application tutorials as well as allowing you to share your music for commercial use. Unlike some other free downloads, there is only one version of musescore and it is completely free, the only possible issue is the sound quality of the pre-loaded instruments.  

Other free options include Noteflight. Like musescore it’s a notation software but it’s solely online so doesn’t take up any space on your computer hard drive. The free version is limited to 10 instruments only but they do offer various subscription-based models. Unlike Musescore it allows you to upload your scores instantly to an online marketplace where they can be purchased by other users, which would cut out the need for a stock music platform.  

There are multiple paid for options of music production software, some like Sibelius are similar to Musescore where you click your desired tune onto the screen and others like Garage Band, Cubase and Mainstage use a mixture of hand notation and recording in by midi-keyboard. These types of software can range from £85 for basic versions to £500 for complete versions used in professional settings. Depending on how serious you are, your experience level and how much money you are willing to spend upfront will affect what software you get.  

 

Finding a platform to sell on: 

Different platforms have different advantages, from one-off payments to smaller payments each time your music is used. From films, adverts, YouTube videos to podcasts: music submitted to these sights can be used for a variety of things. Imagine turning on the TV one day just to hear your music in the latest car ad. Not only are you getting your music out there, you are also earning on the side. There are many reputable websites out there to share your music on, most have an application process before they publish your music to make sure it fits in with their brand.  

Websites like AudioSparx run multiple music stock libraries so signing up with them would allow your music to be distributed on multiple sites at once. They pay out quarterly but only if you have earned $25 that quarter, which is worth considering. You can apply with just three tracks and work your way up to a larger portfolio.  

Artlist also provides royalty-free music for film and tv. Like most services, they check that your music is yours and yours alone and that it can be licensed for use globally. Unlike other sites, they do require you to have a high-quality electronic press kit. It is worth considering this as it may be an extra upfront cost if you do not already have an EPK.  

PremiumBeat is a similar service to Artlist but doesn’t require you to have an EPK, although it does require your music to be exclusive to them whereas other services do not require this.  

Before committing to one service, it is best to do your own research to see what works best for you, whether that’s exclusivity, regular pay-outs or a service to nurture your talents. There is a service out there for everyone. It is worth remembering you may not be accepted straight away but don’t let this discourage you. Keep creating, innovating and applying and hopefully one day in the future you’ll be hearing your music on the TV. 

 

So now you know the basics why not give it a go and try your hand at selling your theme tunes. You might be the next big thing.  

 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post How to make money selling theme tunes appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

8 Flexible Money Making Ideas for College Students

Reading Time: 3 mins

Everyone who has gone or is currently going through college will agree that college life is hard. It is even more complicated when you do not have enough money to afford personal expenses like study materials, food, etc. To earn some extra cash, some people take up jobs outside school. However, these jobs are not flexible enough to meet class schedules and keep up with social activities. 

You can earn a fortune as a college student, keep good grades, and still turn up in your social groups. Yes, it is possible. The U.S. Bureau of Statistics revealed that 10% of insurance agents earned over $127,840 in the past year, and that’s just one of the many ways. Here are eight other flexible ways to make money in college:

 

• Driving
• Sitting
• Study materials
• Referee
• Online surveys
• Tutorial
• Blogging
• Virtual Assistant

 

 

• Driving

If you are privileged to have a car, you are one step ahead to the financial freedom that comes at your convenience. How? You can register with ridesharing platforms like Uber, Lyft, and the likes. You need to meet specific requirements. For Uber, you must be at least 23 years old with three years of driving experience. The requirements vary from one platform to another. You can increase your earnings by also registering as a delivery person for vendors. In one ride, you can be carrying a passenger and a package simultaneously. 

 

• Sitting

People are very busy trying to make money. You can earn some cash by helping people who are trying to make ends meet. Sounds nice? As a babysitter, you can earn over $10 in an hour. If you spend the night, you can do the maths. That’s a lot of money to make in a day. You will also have the chance to study after the children have gone to bed. Besides babysitting, you can also house sit—living and maintaining a property while the owners are away. Pets are a good option too. You can get paid to walk or sit pets. 

 

• Selling Study Materials

If you are the library kind of person, then this one’s for you. When you spend hours in the library reading different books and understanding a course, you can make money off that knowledge. How? Curate everything that you have learned into a material that is easy to read and understand. Most of your mates are looking for easy ways to understand a course and they will happily give you their stipend for such valuable information. 

 

• Referee

As kids, a lot of us engaged in sports activities. If not, you might have picked up an interest in any sports while growing up. Do you know that most people are only concerned about the players, and no one cares about the referee? The referee is the number one person on the field, and the decision a referee makes cannot be overruled during the game. You can get paid to be a referee in the local sports centers around your school, and you can earn up to $25 in a game that will last an hour. That’s $100 if you oversee four games in one day. 

 

• Online Surveys

Online surveys do not give you much cash. However, you can do it in your free time – while eating or watching Netflix, in class while waiting for your lecturer or after lectures, on the bus, and anywhere else. 

 

• Tutorial

If you have strong knowledge about certain subjects, your mates will pay you to teach them. The number of people learning under you will be even more if you have good communication skills. People can even pay you extra to come and teach them in their houses.

 

• Blogging

We all have something that interests us. A topic that we can talk about for hours and hours. It can be anything – finance, health, music, movies, fitness, travel, food, games, anything. You can create a blog and start writing blog posts. Make your blog engaging and attractive, and more people will read it. The more people who read your blog, the more money you stand to earn. 

 

• Virtual Assistant

A lot of people need a helping hand, and they don’t mind paying for it. You’d be surprised how much a manager can pay you to read emails or how much a director will pay to remind him that he has a meeting by 2 pm. 

 

Last Word

There are a lot of opportunities available to you as a college student. These money-making options will not suffocate your academic or social life in any way. All you need to do is learn time management, and you are good to go.

 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post 8 Flexible Money Making Ideas for College Students appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Amazing opportunity: Make $65 for completing a few short phone calls

Reading Time: 2 mins

At MoneyMagpie we love money-makers, the easier and more convenient, the better, and oh boy do we have a great opportunity to present to you!

OneForma (part of Pactera EDGE, a global digital and technology services company) are looking for participants for their new RING project who will complete short phone calls (2-5 minutes) about certain topics from different devices or VOIP tools (mobile, landline, skype, zoom, etc.).

 

Why do they hope to achieve?

This project aims to improve the AI behind calls with automatic machines, so the quality and the experience is enhanced. 

 

How much can I make?

• You will be paid $65 for the 5 calls (Payment via PayPal or Payoneer). There’s also a referral bonus of $25 per each successful referral that you bring into the project!
• You will be working with an international team, for giant clients in the Tech industry
• You will get access to many other work-from-home projects for English speakers, from Translation to Transcription, Data collection or Internet Grading!

Sign up now

What do I need to apply?

• You are a native speaker of British English. All British regional accents are welcome: English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish.
• You will complete 5 calls with each call lasting 2-5 minutes; 2 calls per day, to be completed up to 2-3 days. Scripts will be provided.
• You will need to use at least 3 microphone types.
• No experience is needed!
• Work-from-home project

If you have little to no experience – participating in this project is a great way to build up your skills!

So what are you waiting for? Sign-up now!

Once you are registered, apply to RING project.

Please note this is a paid promotion from Pactera EDGE

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Amazing opportunity: Make $65 for completing a few short phone calls appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Work from home roles for everyone

Reading Time: 17 mins

Working from home has become the norm for many people post pandemic. For many, it looks set to be the future of their working lives too.

There are many benefits to working from home. Not only does it save businesses money on rent, bills and other costs, but studies have shown worker productivity has generally increased as a result.

According to the Chicago Booth Review, in an analysis of data collected through March 2021, it was found that nearly six out of 10 workers reported being more productive working from home.

In addition to these benefits, the increased accessibility working from home has bought means the job market has broadened for many.

Those previously restricted by location or lack of transport can now work remotely in a multitude of roles previously thought to only be doable in an office.

One of the biggest positives to come from the realisation that many roles can be worked remotely is that work has become more accessible to those with disabilities and other personal circumstances. It allows work to become more flexible and manageable.

Here at MoneyMagpie, our founder Jasmine Birtles recently received an email from a reader named Jenny, requesting work from home ideas. Like many others, Jenny’s current personal circumstances mean a work from home role is best suited to her.

As a result, we were inspired to create a list of easy, at home jobs and income opportunities suited to everyone, regardless of personal circumstance.

• Writing and language roles
• Creative roles
• Services

 

Writing and language roles

Proofreading and editing

If writing is not your favourite practice, why not read? You can make a decent sum of money proofreading and editing in the comfort of your own home. It is a financially lucrative alternative to writing new content all day.

There are many great websites on which you can do this. There are specialised websites which focus on proof reading and editing, such as Proofread Anywhere and Proofreading Services.

To get started, you need to have a computer or laptop, and a good internet connection. It is important you also have good understanding of spelling and grammar.

The pay can range up to £30 an hour on average, depending on your experience or the urgency of the deadline you may be given. Plus, it is fully flexible, and you can work when it suits you. So, if you find yourself cringing at spelling mistakes, or catch when people use the wrong grammar and punctuation, proofreading may just suit you!

If you can speak multiple languages, you are also opening yourself up to more proofreading opportunities.

Upwork, Proofreading Services and Proofread Anywhere are websites which specialise in proofreading jobs and are a great place to start. When you gain some experience, you may even advertise your services on a freelance basis, on websites such as Fiverr and Freelance Directory.

Become an eBook author

If you have a flair for writing, why not try your hand at being an author? It may seem like an impossible dream, but the rise of the internet and eBooks has allowed this dream to become a reality for more people than ever.

Writing and publishing eBooks, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, is far easier to achieve than trying to publish through a large publishing house. Plus, it saves you much more time and money!

So, what are the steps you need to take to write and sell your own eBook? Firstly, choose a target audience. Decide whether you are writing a book for children, young adults or adults and whether you are going to write a non-fiction or fiction book. From there, you can decide whether you are going to write about space, produce a classic fairy tale or even lose yourself in writing a gritty sci-fi novel.

The hardest part about publishing your own book is the actual writing part. This takes time and dedication; thus, it is important to be passionate about writing. A poorly written book, done for the sake of payment, is futile, as it could result in little to no buyers.

So, you have written your book. Now what? You will need to format the text of your book in the way you want it. Your font choice, font size and layout will need to be consistent throughout the book. You should also try to design or create a cover for your book to make it stand out.

It is then important to choose the publishing platform which suits you. Smashwords is free to use and links your eBook to other retailers and library networks. You will receive 60% in royalties if your book is purchased through a retailer website, and 80% in royalties if your book is purchased through the Smashwords store directly.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is also a popular choice. Again, it is free to use and you can make 70% in royalties from each purchase of your book. KDP also offers some free software to help you publish illustrated books if needed.

Kobo offers up to 70% in royalties also and is available in almost 200 countries. There are also no restrictions as to where else you are able to publish your book and can publish it on other similar websites. Some publishing sites may restrict you from selling your work elsewhere – always read the fine print!

Once you have chosen a digital publisher, decide a price point for your book. Start low and increase your prices as you grow and establish yourself as an author. According to The Money Snowball, pricing your book at around £2.99 will give you a strong profit margin of £2.09, and is a good price to start with.

SelfPublishing.com has a wonderful guide about how to write and publish your eBook from beginning to end. You can read it here.

Freelance writing

As a freelance writer, you will write and edit for publications and businesses. This could be for companies that work both online and offline. You could write for many types of publication and media, such as magazines, newspapers and blogs. You may even write content and copy for a company’s website or social media account.

Of course, it is entirely up to you which services you choose to offer. A good place to start is to create and write your own blog. This is the best way to showcase your writing talents if you don’t yet have a portfolio. It also allows potential clients to find you.

Once you have published a few pieces, you can create an online portfolio. This allows people to see the way in which you write and help you get hired!

To be a successful freelance writer, you will need a PC or laptop, access to the internet, and of course a good understanding of written language, spelling and grammar. The great thing about being a freelance writer is that most clients hire you based on your proven talent via your portfolio, rather than your work history. Therefore, it is not imperative to have any specific qualifications.

If you are a little rusty on your punctuation or just want a refresher on how to write in an engaging way, it may be a good idea to seek out a short writing course. FutureLearn is a great place to find free online courses.

Browser add-on Grammarly is also free and extremely useful. It is a built-in proof reading tool which automatically alert you to spelling and grammar mistakes.

There are hundreds of websites on which you can advertise your freelance writing services. Copify, Bark, Contently, Journalism.co.uk and YunoJuno are just some of the sites which can help you launch your freelance career. Online Writing Jobs is also a great hub to connect you to freelance work.

How much should you charge? It depends on how much experience you have as a freelance writer and how large your portfolio is. Small gigs could earn your £20-£30, and larger projects which run over a longer period of time could land you £200-£300. The more you write, the more you can charge!

Transcribing and translating

Companies worldwide are always seeking out people to transcribe audio. Whether it be transcribing an interview, a television show, or even a brand’s marketing video or advert, there is always work to be done in this field. Every day is different, and you will often be asked to complete tasks such as captioning videos or film.

If you are fast and accurate when you type, this may be perfect for you. However, it is not essential, and you will likely build up your speed with experience. You will also need a computer or laptop with internet access. A pair of good headphones which allows you to hear with clarity may also be very useful to avoid distraction.

When it comes to the earning potential of a role such as this, you will most often be paid per audio, or per minute of the audio. Plus, if you speak more than one language, you can be paid large amounts of money to translate subtitles – an average of $958 (around £702) a month!

Think you are up to the task? Visit websites Rev, HappyScribe, TranscribeMe! And Go Transcript to get started!

If you are keen to do translation either instead of, or as well as transcribing, Gengo and Upwork are both great websites to kickstart your translation career!

Online tutoring

The pandemic has left thousands of children and teenagers across the country with huge gaps in their education. After lockdowns and loss of in-person teaching time, online learning has made it difficult for many students to keep on top of their learning and schoolwork.

That is why the world of online tutoring has exploded in recent years and has become a lucrative business for many. Companies such as MyTutor are expanding rapidly, and always looking for new tutors to join them. With earnings of up to £20 an hour, it is a great way to earn money. These earnings can increase as you progress.

For most online tutoring roles, you don’t even need qualifications! You just need a passion for helping others and the ability to be able to work with others. It is a great experience and helps to build confidence in both the tutor and the student. Plus, you will be making a difference to students around the country.

This type of role may suit you if you have recently graduated, have previous teaching experience, or have a particular interest and capability in a certain topic or subject. However, this is not essential.

FirstTutors allows you to set your own fees. Plus, the host website does not take a cut of any of your earnings, meaning you receive 100% of the money you make from your hard work. TutorHunt is another website which allows you to earn through online tutoring.

Pearson is also a great place to become a tutor, as you are only expected to commit to a minimum of two hours a week. This makes it extra flexible, and you can work as much or as little as you would like. However, to work for Pearson, you are required to have previous teaching experience.

 

Creative roles

Baking

The Great British Bake Off is a firm favourite across the country. In fact, viewers love it so much that it impacts the amount of home baking we do. It has also resulted in increased numbers of baking businesses year on year since the show began in 2010. When the show ended in 2020, the UK saw a 157% increase in the number of baking businesses.

If you love baking, why not add to this number and start your own baking business from home? Not only is it a wonderful and creative way to make money, being your own boss means you can choose when you work, and how many orders you will take.

There are rules and regulations which must be legally followed when it comes to having a business which sells food. The Food Standards Agency has a list of rules which must be followed in order to have a legitimate business, such as ensuring the surroundings are clean and hygienic and having adequate lighting and ventilation.

Simply Business has a handy guide which details the steps you must take to register your business and get insurance.

When you have done the ‘business’ side of things, you can get baking! You could sell to your local community, as well as starting an online business. We have a whole article all about how to make money from baking – check it out here.

Sell arts and crafts

If you have an artistic streak in you, you could work from home selling homemade arts and crafts. This could be anything from selling paintings and drawings to selling handmade greetings cards, soaps and knitted scarves and hats.

The pandemic has resulted in many people choosing to shop local and support small businesses, particularly when it comes to big events such as Christmas and birthdays. Thus, selling handmade greetings cards is a good way to make money. Plus, with the availability of the internet, you can broaden your customer pool and earn even more.

If you are someone who loves being creative, this could be for you. Plus, if arts and crafts and creating handmade and unique items is something you do in your spare time anyway, why not make some money out of it?

It is important to make sure you plan the cost of materials, wages for yourself, and how much you are going to sell your handmade items for. You want to make a profit, so planning this will ensure you can make maximum pennies.

You could even offer to undertake commissions for increased income. For example, if you are selling hand painted postcards, you may offer to paint a copy of a photograph provided by a client or include a specific name or place on the card for a slight price increase.

Some other ideas of handmade items you could sell include:

• Jewellery
• Glass or metal art
• Hampers and gift baskets
• Bath bombs
• Candles
• Hand painted items e.g. plant pots, mugs and vases
• Hand stitched items e.g. pillows, clothing and tote bags
• Magnets, pins and stickers

Remember, items such as handmade cosmetics will need to be made in accordance with Cosmetic Product Rules and Regulations in order to be sold legally. You can read the regulations here.

When you have decided the product or item you are going to create and sell and the price point, you can choose the platform you are going to sell them on. Facebook Marketplace, Etsy and eBay are accessible and easy to use platforms. Facebook Marketplace is particularly useful for achieving local sales, which can lead to your business growing through word of mouth in your local area. They also don’t charge selling fees, unlike other platforms.

Etsy charge 15 pence per listing, and the listing lasts for four months or until the item sells. After this, you will have to relist the item. When you sell an item, there is a 5% transaction fee and a payment processing fee of 4% plus 20 pence. eBay charges a 10% fee when an item sells, which includes the price of the item, tax and postage.

There are plenty of other options for selling handmade items, such as Amazon Handmade and Folksy. We also have a great article all about selling personalised items. You can read it here.

Online music teacher

As previously discussed, online tutoring is a great way to make money from home. This goes for music tutoring, too. If you are proficient in piano or triumphant at the trumpet, becoming an online music teacher may be a great route to take.

Not only can you use the websites previously mentioned to tutor students online, but there are multiple websites which are specific to teaching music, allowing you to monetise your skills. These websites include Tutorful and Music Teaching Online. You can charge whatever you like, and the more experience you have in your chosen specialism, the more money you can ask for per lesson.

You may need specific qualifications to do this through some websites. However, you could always create your own website or social media page advertising your services via video call. This way, you can share your music skills and enhance the skills of others, even if you don’t have specific qualifications and simply love music.

For this, it is important to have a good internet connection and access to a PC or laptop. You may even wish to invest in an external microphone to ensure clear sound when teaching.

Freelance video editing and animation

If you have skills in video editing or even animation, you could make plenty of money as a freelancer. These technical skills are highly sought after. Video animation, in particular is a highly valued skill due to its rarity. It is not often people can animate and produce high quality video content. So, if you are lucky enough to be able to do either of these things, you are in luck!

To start with, you may choose a particular genre of video you’d like to edit. For example, you may prefer short, snappy content, like Youtube videos or adverts. You may wish to immerse yourself in television and film editing if you prefer a bigger task. If you aren’t fussed and are open to editing videos of any type, you may broaden your earning potential.

Ensure your skills are up to scratch. You may wish to familiarise yourself with software you have not used for a while or even practice on sample videos to refresh yourself. Taking a quick course may also give you the opportunity to identify any gaps in your knowledge.

Similarly, having the correct equipment and software in your home is imperative in this role. It is not a job where you can just ‘wing it’. This is also a role where having a portfolio is essential for getting clients. If you have not yet done any professional or commissioned work, perhaps take the time to create your own videos or animations. The time taken to do this is an investment that will almost certainly pay off.

As with many freelance roles, the more experience you have, the higher your rates can be. You may charge per project or base your fees on the length of the project. For a full-length film, you might decide you can complete the task within 6 months and charge on this basis. When it comes to editing or animating a short advert, you may charge per hour of your time.

Of course, some of the freelance websites previously mentioned within this article are perfect for advertising your skills. Fiverr, Upwork and Gigged allow you to gain clients on a freelance basis. Whilst you are building your portfolio, you may choose to advertise your services on social media, or even do work for friends and family for little to no cost to gain experience which you can showcase to potential clients.

Indeed have a wonderful career guide for being a freelance video editor here.

Seamstress/Seamster

Believe it or not, most people nowadays do not have the skills required to even do small tasks such as sewing up a hole in the seam of their clothing, let alone anything larger such as modifying clothing.

There are thousands of people in need of clothing repair, and with people becoming more aware of their spending, make do and mend has never been more fitting.

If you possess the skills needed to repair and alter clothing, you could make a business from it in your home. The amount you charge will be dependent on your skill set and experience. You could perhaps charge per item or per day it takes you to complete the job.

The power of the internet also means you can gain clients from across the country. Not only can clients fine you online, but if you possess impressive skills, people may request your work specifically, and post items to you.

Gumtree is a popular place to advertise for freelance work. It is important to showcase your work, so make sure to take photos of any alterations you do. On PeoplePerHour, some freelancers in this field charge from £7 to £75 per hour! Plus, you can work from the comfort of your home with cups of tea on tap. Perfect!

Of course, you could always create a social media presence advertising your services. You could start by helping out friends and family and expand through word of mouth.

It is also essential to have the correct equipment and tools needed to undertake this role. You want to produce the highest quality work, after all. Any equipment you need to buy should be seen as an investment. The better the work is that you produce, the more likely to you are receive great reviews and be recommended to others.

 

Services

Data entry

Hundreds of businesses across the UK hire data entry clerks to work remotely. Although some of the roles may be temporary, it is easy to pick up work with the help of the internet.

Jobsites such as ZipRecruiter, Indeed and Reed are a minefield of data entry clerk roles. After the pandemic in particular, there has been an increase in remote opportunities of this kind.

The rate of pay is not to be sniffed at, either, with some firms paying £18 an hour for this type of work. If you are proactive and have a keen eye for detail, this job is perfect for you. You will do well to have strong IT and computer skills and have access to a computer and internet connection. Experience in data entry or administration roles will also put you in good stead.

If this appeals to you, but you do not feel you have relevant experience, there are plenty of online courses in data entry and administration. Reed suggests a range of online courses, starting from just £10. As will any costs incurred, it is important to think of them as an investment in your skills and future job roles.

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who provides administrative, technical and creative assistance via a remote home office. According to The VA Handbook, the average hourly rate for a VA in the UK is £27 per hour.

You may work as a VA for a company or an individual, and if you choose to be a VA on a freelance basis, you can build up a few clients to work for over the week to ensure you have regular income.

When working as a VA, it is important to take into account extras you may have received whilst working as an employee previously, such as holiday pay, sick pay and maternity leave, so it is important to take this into account when deciding your hourly rate. It is also a good idea to take things such as increased use of gas, electricity and water in your home into account too.

It is also a good idea to find your niche. If you are particularly good at administrative tasks, this may be the main focus of your work. You may have experience in extras such as payroll, project management and customer service, and thus offer these as jobs you are willing to undertake.

As with many of the work from home jobs mentioned, it is important to have a good internet connection and access to a computer or laptop. It is also useful to have a working smartphone in a role such as this, as you will likely be asked to take the occasional phone call or communicate with your employer or client on the phone.

It’s also well-suited to those who have good written and spoken communication skills and can stay organised and on top of tasks. Self-motivation is key when you are self-employed.

So how do you become a VA? As with other freelance roles, it is important to establish yourself through social media, a blog or website, showcasing your skills and experience. Advertising on freelance websites is also beneficial as it broadens the number of clients exposed to your services.

Laundry and Ironing

Marc, who is one of our team here at MoneyMagpie, recently informed us of a neighbour of his who has a successful ironing business, run from her own home. You would be surprised at just how many people require the help of others to do their ironing for them.

Whether they are unable to do it themselves due to disability or lack of time due to other commitments, people are more than happy to pay others to do the task for them.

It doesn’t have to be limited to ironing, either. Washing, drying, steaming and pressing are also tasks people are willing to splash their cash on.

This job is perfect for those who live within a community, as word of mouth is likely to be the best way to get clients. Advertising on local online marketplaces is beneficial, as it gets the word out about your home laundry business. To start with, you could offer your services to friends and family, and ask them to share their experience with people they know.

It may also be beneficial to invest in getting some business cards and flyers printed. Flyers can be posted through letterboxes and pinned up in local shops too. Business cards are good to have handy for people you meet day to day. Creating visibility surrounding your business is imperative when wanting to gain new clients.

Of course, you will need some specialist equipment for this. You may opt to wash, dry and iron to begin with. These are fairly straight forward tasks allowing you to build up some funds. You can then invest in other equipment, such as a steamer. If your iron isn’t the most reliable, it’s worth investing in a new, high quality one, as well as a sturdy ironing board.

When deciding how much to charge clients, you may wish to charge per garment or per hour. Remember to incorporate other costs into your rates. This includes increased water and electricity use resulting from the washing machine, dryer and iron. You also need to account for your work, and make sure you are getting a wage!

Some ironing businesses online charge £20 an hour, and charge extra for garments which need special care and attention. If you work six hours per day for five days a week, you could be raking in £600 a week. That’s just based on one client per hour! All from the comfort of your home.

 

Do you think you suit any of these work from home jobs? Why not take the plunge and start today!

 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Work from home roles for everyone appeared first on MoneyMagpie.