Monday 31 January 2022

Hardship Grants: February 2022

Reading Time: 3 mins

It’s the start of a new month so the hardship grants February 2022 round-up is here. People often start googling terms such as “get money now” and “get money quick”, and read our many suggestions for often fun ways to make quick cash. However, one thing a lot of people aren’t fully aware of is that there are hardship grants available when times are hard. With everything from help for talented young musicians to help to get mobility aids, take a look and see if any apply to you.

 

Creative Arts:

CHRISTINE BROWN TRUST:

The Christine Brown Trust provides financial support to talented young musicians under the age of 19. Grants are given for a variety of reasons from help purchasing a new instrument to orchestra enrolment fees. Trustees meet twice a year in June and December to discuss applications. The deadline for June applications is 30th April 2022. Priority is given to applicants in the Yorkshire region, but other applications will be considered.

Actors Benevolent Fund

Currently, the Actors Benevolent Fund has two grants open for application one for support for those who are unwell, injured, or unable to work. The second is for individuals who are experiencing financial hardship owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Applications are discussed by the trustees at monthly meetings.

hardship grants Fen 2022

Disability:

TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST

The Terrence Higgins trust hardship fund aims to alleviate poverty by providing small grants to people living with HIV in the UK. The grant itself is accessed through referral organisations – a full list can be found on the website. The fund is open to anyone living with HIV who are currently experiencing financial difficulties. The fund helps with living expenses such as clothing, change of accommodation, contributions towards white goods and more.

THE HOSPITAL SATURDAY FUND

The Hospital Saturday Fund helps individuals with the purchase of specialist mobility equipment, home adaptations and more. Applications must be placed through a supporter organisation that apply on behalf of an individual.

MOBILITY TRUST

The Mobility Trust provides powered wheelchairs and scooters for people with severe disabilities. They aim to help as many people as possible, so they have an initial screening process before sending out an application form.

 

Children:

Children Today:

Children today support children and young people with disabilities by providing adapted equipment. Anyone between the age of 0-25 can apply for a piece of adapted equipment – the applicant must be in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance. They accept applications for a range of adapted equipment from car seats to sports wheelchairs. The panel meets 4 times a year in March, June, September and December.

CARE TO LEARN

Care to Learn can help with childcare costs whilst you study. If you’re aged under 20 and are in publicly funded education in England, you can apply for childcare cost support. You can get up to £160 per child per week if you live outside of London or £175 per week per child if you live in London. Payments go directly to your childcare provider. Applications are completed via the government website.

 

General:

THE BARNES FUND

The Barnes Fund aims to help individuals in the Barnes area who are in financial need. Grants can help with items such as utility bills, white goods, and school uniforms. Applications must come via a referral agency with a full list available on the website.

 THE AMBULANCE STAFF CHARITY

The Ambulance Staff Charity offer support to workers who are struggling mentally, physically, or financially. After completing an application form, a member of the charity will reach out to discuss what support they can offer to you.

That’s it for our hardship grants: February 2022 round-up – check out our January edition here.

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Saturday 29 January 2022

Make money busking

Reading Time: 8 mins

Can you make money busking? Do those people on street corners and in tube stations make a living from it? In many cases, yes – and they make a lot more than you would think.

This is an art that pays, given its recognition in recent years. In 2015, Busk in London created the National Busking Day. In 2016 the day was renamed International Busking Day and celebrated worldwide. The day, marked in July, is used as a campaign to assist in raising the profile of street performers.

From the London Underground to the canals of Venice, there are always potential audiences who need entertaining – even if they don’t realise it at the time!

You can make money busking as a singer, musician, juggler, acrobat or general clown. Even being a ‘statue’ is a form of busking, so if you’re good at standing still with paint all over you, you can make money!

 

What’s involved?

Make money busking

If you’re a natural performer, busking is a fantastic way to get paid to practice and possibly even be ‘spotted’ while you perform.

Famous buskers who made it big include Bob Dylan and River Phoenix, so you’re in good company.  Many entertainers have paid for their education, started careers and even travelled the world, with the money they made from busking.

Buskers are also known as street performers, so don’t worry if you’re not a musician! You could be a magician, clown or even a living statue, among others. You can make money busking by yourself, or work as part of a group.

Buskers are normally found in any public or licensed place, and there are a lot of busking competitions, festivals and events that support the industry.  Check out busker central for events. They have a calendar of busker festivals here as does Vocalist. You can even take a course in busking with the School of Busking.

Busking is generally regulated by local councils – particularly in large cities that are popular tourist destinations – or by managers of privately-owned venues such as shopping centres, castles and the London Underground.

 

Emily in Paris

Popular Netflix show Emily In Paris has highlighted the money that can be made from busking. Character Mindy, an aspiring professional singer is convinced to try out busking by two strangers after singing at a bar.

Throughout the series, Mindy partakes in busking and performances in busy parts of the city of Paris. She performs both with friends and as a solo artist, and makes some decent money along the way!

If you are a little nervous to try busking on your own to begin with, why not invite a friend or family member who also enjoys performing, to join you?

You can watch Mindy busking in the show below:

 

how do i get into busking?

Make money busking

Step 1: Find your talent

If you’re actually hoping to make money busking, then you need to think carefully. You’ll need to have a talent in entertaining – whether that’s juggling and riding a unicycle simultaneously, or playing the violin to a decent level – and you should be confident about being able to bring in a crowd.

If you have to audition and you get rejected, don’t take it too personally. They get a lot of competition for these places and the people they pick tend to busk for a living. If you are rejected just practice elsewhere to really get your routine polished.

Check out the competition – go and watch other buskers doing their thing. See what works and what doesn’t work. Does it help to have amplification if you’re doing music? How do they manage to get a crowd around them if they’re performers?

Step 2: Find a place, then the rules

Once you’ve decided you want to make money busking in a particular place, find out what the rules are on busking in that area by seeking out your local authority or management. DirectGov has a list of local authorities in England where you can check the local rules and regulations. Most council websites will have application forms that you can download and send back for approval.

Most local councils have similar rules for buskers, but do get in touch with your local one to see what theirs are.

If you don’t follow the laws about busking, the local authorities can ask you to move on, and might even fine or imprison you (although it has to be a pretty extreme case for them to do that).

Generally, you may not play within 100 yards of a place of worship, and you shouldn’t have amplification. If you are asked by police to move on you should comply or you may be fined or imprisoned.

The National Association of Street Artists and Performers is a UK organisation representing buskers, providing a forum for buskers to come together and discuss things. Once you’re set-up, you can request to join their group and take part in their discussions.

In July 2019 a new code of conduct for buskers was introduced after an agreement was reached between businesses, busking community reps and the local community.

The rules will be in place for three years and include:

  • You cannot play in one place for more than 45 minutes
  • No playing in the same location twice a day
  • Ensure a full and varied repertoire
  • You cannot use amplifiers, loudspeakers, megaphones or similar equipment

Step 3: Really perform if you want to make money busking!

As a student, Stewart Ferris, who is now an author, paid his way round Europe and had money in the bank when he returned, purely by busking.

Here are his top tips for aspiring buskers on how to make the most money:
  • Stand up! ‘Don’t be shy and sit down to play,’ he says. ‘Don’t hide from people. Be confident enough to perform. Sitting down can make you look like a beggar and you’re more likely to make more money busking when standing up.’
  • Try and have someone else around to collect the money. ‘If you get a crowd, the worst thing is that the crowd disperses when you finish. You need someone to go round “bottling” (collecting the money) while you’re still playing and the crowd is still watching.
  • Better still, get an Izettle contactless payment unit to allow the audience to pay you easily. The unit also enables the audience to pay you at any point of your show, not just when it’s over.
  • If you’re playing or singing go for tunes that are generally popular. ‘We sang Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel songs and those were popular all over Europe,’ he says. ‘People like hearing their old favourites’.
  • Remember you can make money busking by selling CDs of your music, particularly if you have a friend with you to help sell. If you go to places where you could get a crowd then you could make extra money selling these and even T-shirts or other “residuals”.
  • Saturday is a good time to busk because people are more relaxed than during the working week. Busking in busy shopping streets can be very lucrative.
  • Don’t worry if you’re not brilliant. ‘People respect the fact that you’re trying – even if you have a music stand in front of you. I’ve been given money even when I was tuning up, so don’t think you have to be professional to make it. It’s even truer for teenagers. People respect the fact that it’s tough but you have the guts to be out there.’

Make money busking

Step 4: Be prepared

  • To make money busking you should keep your appearance clean and well-groomed and passers-by will look on your much more favourably – well-presented buskers who perform well make more money.
  • Don’t play within 50 metres of another performer – and if your favourite spot is taken, just ask what time they plan to finish.
  • Memorise your entertainment so you are free to connect with your audience.
  • Bright, toe-tapping tunes, folk-dance music, and jigs will please your crowd and lift their spirits. The happier the audience, the more generous they will be.
  • Have a tip-catcher – like a hat or guitar case – and include a couple of low-denomination notes and a handful of coins.

Step 5: Play it safe

Keep close to your instruments or props at all times, and if you stop to talk to someone move closer to your tips. Play in a place that’s out of people’s way, so you don’t annoy them, but stay close enough so that locals can see if you need help. Caution always comes first.

Step 6: Enjoy yourself!

Stand up and be passionate about your performance! If you do, you will easily energise the crowd, which will be returned in smiles and tips.

 

where should I busk?

Make money busking

You can make money busking anywhere in the world. Ireland, Spain and France are said to be the best European cities to busk in.

Stewart Ferris says that the southern European countries offer the best opportunities because they have large piazzas with relaxed people sitting outside cafes.

“You have a captive audience,” he says. “If you’re bold and you don’t mind performing in front of them you can do 15-20 minutes in front of one lot then move on to the next cafe. In two hours of that we made £150-200, and that was in the ’90s.”

Professional buskers and street performers often move around the world from open-air festival to open-air festival, following the sun, spending winter in Australia and then moving back to this hemisphere as it gets warmer.

It’s a nice life for those who like to keep moving and some make money busking along the way.

busking in london

  • As a general rule, busking within the City of London is allowed, but for London Borough of Camden and Uxbridge Town Centre, which are private spaces, you have to be licensed.
  • In July 2019 the Public Space Protection Orders PSPOS was enforced in a bid to clear the streets. The law was passed by the Kensington and Chelsea Council which saw buskers kicked out of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
  • Camden licenses busking, and you can get a standard licence at £19 and a special one at £47.
  • Covent Garden Market is not really for amateurs – you have to apply first and then audition If they like you, they’ll issue you a license. You can find a pretty good summary of the process here.
  • London Underground Tube: Buskers must fill in a busking licence application form, send two photos and attend an audition. A one-year licence costs £20, where buskers are assigned an official pitch and here are 1,800 slots a week to fill.
  • Check out BuskinLondon for more information, rules, and tips to make money busking in the Capital.

busking around the uk

  • Events like the Edinburgh Festival, Brighton Arts Festival and pretty much any other festival in the UK are great places for buskers to perform. You can make money busking outside the theatres or in city squares.
  • Oxford: The city council requires a permit to busk and has a code of practice.
  • Belfast: There are no specific laws or rules about busking – just follow your common sense.
  • Bath and north-east Somerset: Regular buskers tend to get to know each other, and arrangements for busking are made informally in the main shopping streets, Union St and Stall St. The Abbey Churchyard has a daily rota decided at a buskers meeting at 10am each morning in the yard. In Bath, the buskers have their own website and are well organised. Check it out here.
  • Birmingham City Council: Their Busk Stop initiative sees that those who pass a quality test will get the best spots marked with an approved sign.
  • Cambridge: Buskers don’t need a licence and can perform unless they cause offence.
  • Generally, if you want to know what the busking rules and pitches are in any particular city, just put the city and ‘busking’ into your browser and it’s likely you will find a page of their Council website devoted entirely to the subject.

 

How much can I make?

You can make money busking without too much difficulty. Earnings vary depending on many factors: what the weather is like, the time of day, the location you choose and the amount of generous pedestrian traffic passing by. Some people make hundreds a day, particularly at festivals.

However, you may get nothing for one hour, and then earn over £20+ the next hour. One bagpiper claims he makes an average of £200 a day busking on Westminster.

Remember, although you are earning cash, you are still liable for tax on earnings. You should inform HMRC of the amount you make. So, use our handy hints to revitalise your talent and start to make money busking!

 

Have you made money as a busker? Let us know in the comments below!

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Friday 28 January 2022

22 ways to make and save money in 2022

Reading Time: 5 mins

Here at MoneyMagpie, we’ve collected 22 ways to make and save money in 2022, so why not check a few out for yourself.

11 ways to make money:

 

IS YOUR TOY TRAIN WORTH MORE THAN SILVER?

If you’re thinking about having a clear-out now is the time! Recently, Forbes Advisor, found that over the 50 years between 1972-2022 on average trainsets had increased in cost by 1203%. In comparison silver has only increased by 1005%, so check out your train sets now.

 

HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A TWIN!

Make money as a twin

There are many ways to make money with your twin from scientific research, clinical trials to modelling and acting. Read the full article and see if you can make some cash with your twin.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING THEME TUNES

Have you dabbled in making music before? Is it something you studied at university? Maybe this year you could investigate how to make money selling theme tunes. This article has all the information you need to get started.

 

HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING PHOTOS OF YOURSELF

We’re all fans of a selfie every now and then so why not cash in on it. From selling photos as stock images to becoming a social media influencer – there’s something for everyone in this article!

 

5 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM EMPTY GIN BOTTLES

make money from empty gin bottles

It’s the end of January so you’ve probably supped-up some of those bottles of gin you got given for Christmas. Before you throw them in the recycle bin why not try to upcycle them and make a bit of quick money from them.

 

MAKE MONEY SELLING PERSONALISED ITEMS

If you are looking for a side hustle this article could be the one for you! This article details everything from starting your own business, choosing your selling platforms and how much profit you could make.

MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR APPEARANCE

Are you interested in making a bit of easy money, your appearance could be the way to do it. From being a life drawing model to a celebrity lookalike, there are loads of ways to make money from your appearance – check out the full article for more ideas.

 

MAKE MONEY AS A FILM AND TV EXTRA

make money as an extra

Being a film and TV extra can be a fun and flexible source of income. And it’s not just for aspiring actors, either! Anyone can be an extra. Check out the article for more information on how to get into work as an extra.

 

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR OLD CASSETTES

Cassettes have been considered outdated for a number of years due to the emergence of streaming and the introduction of the CD. But in recent years there has been a resurgence in the number of cassettes sold.  So, instead of throwing out that dusty pile of tapes, why not see if they’re worth anything?

 

HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH AN NFT (NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN)

If you’ve been around the internet recently, you’ve probably heard of an NFT. This article details how to get started making and selling your own NFTs. You never know you might make the next bored ape.

 

MAKE MONEY BUYING AND SELLING LEGO

You might just think of Lego as a toy for kids but it’s been growing increasingly popular over the past few years. So why not check out our article for our top tips on buying and selling Lego – you might make some extra cash.

 

11 ways to save money:

VEGANUARY: 5 DELICIOUS LOW-COST RECIPES YOU NEED TO TRY!

save money being vegan

Veganuary might be over but there is still the rest of the year to try some vegan meals. We’ve rounded up 5 of our favourite recipes for you to try as well as sharing our top tips for being a vegan.

 

HOW TO EAT MORE SUSTAINABLY THIS YEAR

Eating more sustainable food is often chosen as a new year’s resolution by many people. In the age of climate change, the flexitarian diet and knowledge on the impact of farming, it’s clear to see why. Contrary to popular belief eating sustainable may make your food bills cheaper so why not check out the full article.


THE 50 ENVELOPE SAVINGS CHALLENGE

Envelope saving challenge

With the 50-envelope savings challenge, you could save up to £1275 in 50 weeks. You could put this money towards a house deposit, holiday or your Christmas presents – the opportunities are endless.

HOW BEST TO SAVE DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONALITY

By now we’ve probably all done an online personality test to find out whether we’re outgoing, shy, creative or something else. But what if we applied these personality types to our money habits? Check out this article to find out your savings type and how best to save your money this year.

 

HOW TO SAVE ON HEATING BILLS AND IN THE HOME – WEBINAR Q&A

We have all faced, and are likely to continue to face, greater financial pressures this winter, particularly after the rise of the energy price cap in October. So check out our webinar summary on how to save on heating bills this winter.

 

HOW TO SAVE TIME & MONEY USING A SLOW COOKER

save money with a slow cooker

How do you save time and money by slow cooking? You put all the ingredients in the pot at the start of the day; leave them on a low setting, and when you get home from work – voila! Why not make your new year’s resolution to use the slow cooker more.

 

HOW TO PLAN A BUDGET WEDDING (AND TIPS TO SAVE FOR IT)

Maybe love is in the air for you this year? If you’re planning your wedding why not check out this article for some tips on how to plan a budget wedding.

 

HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR PET EXPENSES

pet insurance costs

Who doesn’t love spending time with their furry friends? But, pet expenses can soon add up, whether you have one cat or a herd of animals. Check out this article for tips on how to save on your expenses from making your own treats to insurance. You might find an idea you hadn’t thought of before.

 

SAVE MONEY WITH A HOME SPA DAY

We can all benefit from looking after ourselves better – so why not try an at-home spa day. Treatments at spas can be costly so why not get a few friends around and DIY it instead?

VEGANUARY ON A BUDGET!

Maybe you want to try a vegan diet this year – check out this article on how to do it on a budget. From vegan cupboards staples, meat alternatives and the best snacks out there you might learn something from this article.

SAVE MONEY BY WORKING ON YOUR GARDEN THIS WINTER

It might be cold outside but now is the time to start working on your garden in preparation for spring. From starting a compost heap to protecting your trees, we have some easy ways to save money on your garden this year.

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Tuesday 25 January 2022

Burns Night Special: Scottish Funding Round-Up

Reading Time: 2 mins

To celebrate Burns Night, we’d like to share with our Scottish friends that as well as the great poet himself, there is a whole host of Scottish funding available, that they may not even be aware of.

To coincide with our monthly Hardship Grants round up (many of which are available UK wide so inclusive of Scotland too) This includes help with living costs, self-isolation grants and job start patents, with a lot more to investigate. It’s worth having a look at the below list to see if you or your family qualify for help.

Lang may yer lum reek!
Money Available in Scotland

The Grants and things available

Aside from Scottish funding, we also found oout other forms of support available and have compiled a list to try and help our Scottish readers.

Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland

In the future, payment of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children in Scotland will transfer from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland.

A new benefit called Child Disability Payment will replace DLA for children in Scotland. There will be no change to the amount you are paid.

Children and young people in Scotland will continue to get Child Disability Payment until they are 18.

ILF SCOTLAND TRANSITION FUND

If you’re aged 15 to 25 with a disability or impairment you can apply to the Transition Fund for money to help you take part in a new activity or learn a skill.

To apply for the Transition Fund, you’ll need to apply to ILF Scotland.

Scottish Welfare Fund

The Scottish Welfare Fund helps families and people in Scotland who are on low incomes.

BEST START GRANT AND BEST START FOODS

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments that help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child.

HEATING AND ENERGY HELP

This includes a range of different help. Including heating allowance, heald with energy bills and housing allowance and payment.

Funding Scotland

Find funding for your charity, community group or social enterprise using our free online search engine. From small grants to funding for big capital projects, we can help you track down the funding you need to make a difference in your community.

They say they are here for anyone living with a long-term health condition, disability or facing a challenging life situation.

Baby

Box

Baby Box

Like in Scandinavia, all newborn babies in Scotland will be given a box of essential items, containing things like:

  • clothes, from newborn up to 6 months
  • a digital under arm thermometer
  • bath and room thermometer
  • a bath towel
  • a changing mat
  • books

The box also has a mattress, mattress protector and 2 fitted sheets.

 

A range more benefits for Scottish people and residents of Scotland here.

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Monday 24 January 2022

Buy Me a Coffee? – A New Way To Crowdfund

Reading Time: 3 mins

Buy Me a Coffee? A phrase we’ve probably all said at some point in our lives. But why have people started saying it more and more during the past two years? During the Pandemic many small businesses had to close, freelancers weren’t getting as much work and the cost of living was increasing. This meant that these people had to find alternative ways to make a living. Many content creators, small businesses and freelancers turned to the website Buy Me a Coffee?

What is Buy Me a Coffee?

Buy Me a Coffee was launched in 2018 as a crowdfunding company, which allows creators to collect donations from their supporters. Crowdfunding helps to finance a project by raising money from many people all donating a relatively small amount. During the pandemic, Buy Me a Coffee allowed a different type of crowdfunding to happen. One that helped pay rent on the shop’s of small businesses, cover daily bills for freelancers but also allowed them to sell their services through the same platform.

It also allows creatives another way to monetise their content by simply adding a button to their website or sharing a link to their social media. Think of it like tipping a waiter, for a relatively small amount of money, you can show your favourite creators your thanks for their work.

 

How does it work?

buy me a coffee

Supports can give a one-off payment for the price of a cup of coffee (£5), or multiple cups of coffee to a creator. Of this donation, 95% goes to the creator with 5% of the transaction going to the platform itself. The platform accepts payments from all major credit and debit cards as well as apple pay, google pay and local payment methods. Donators don’t have to sign up as the site uses a one-tap payment model – and the website doesn’t email your supporters.

Buy Me a Coffee also introduced membership options; these often include attentional perks as they are for regular givers. Memberships may include access to members only discord groups, exclusive posts, members-only live streams and more. In addition to memberships, you also have the option to add extras: these allow you to sell goods or services to your audience. From artwork commissions, drum lessons, eBooks and 1 to 1 consultation, there are many ways to make extra income through the platform.

How much does it cost to have a page?

The initial set-up of the page is free, but they take a 5% transaction fee on all donations so roughly 25p per £5 donation.  In addition to this, funds raised automatically go straight into your bank account whereas on some other platforms you may have to wait up to 30 days for a pay-out.

 

What do your supporters get?

Aside from the knowledge that they’re helping you stay afloat in challenging circumstances; they may also benefit from extras that you offer. By offering memberships, you get a guaranteed monthly passive income from Buy Me a Coffee as well as the opportunity to build strong relationships with your supporters. Also having different levels of memberships allows you to have different perks for different monthly payments. From a basic level with access to a members-only Facebook page to a higher level monthly zoom call. The opportunities are endless.

Setting Up Your Page

Setting up your page is relatively straightforward, it’s only a few simple steps before your page comes to life. Sign up on the website by filling in the relevant information or by connecting it to your Facebook account then confirm you’re over 18. Pick a payment method and you’re all set on the basics.

You can then go on to personalise your page – add a bio about yourself for your supporters to get to know you. Choose a colour scheme and upload a featured picture or video to really give your followers a sense of your work and vision. The more full your profile the more likely potential donors are to buy you a coffee.

Buy Me a Coffee Vs Crowdfunding

Whilst they are in essence the same thing, Buy Me a Coffee seems much more casual than traditional crowdfunding. Whilst we have shared articles on how to crowdfund medical expenses and living expenses,  Buy Me a Coffee is definitely aimed more at creatives. The button can be quietly added to blogs, websites and social media pages. Whereas, traditional crowdfunding tends to need a bigger campaign to gain traction, buying someone a coffee can be done without social media hype.

If you’re creative, this could be a great way to supplement your income, or you could use the money to reinvest in your business. You could buy new equipment or take a training course to further your creative growth.

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The International 4 Day Week Trial is underway

Reading Time: 3 mins

More than 30 companies will participate in a six month trial led by 4 Day Week Global, think tank Autonomy, and researchers at Oxford University, Boston College and Cambridge University. The scheme will run from June 2022 to December 2022.

Why is the four day week needed?

Joe O’Connor, the 4 Day Week Global’s pilot program manager, said: “reduced working time” was the remedy for this post-pandemic “great global resignation wave”.

“In the last six to eight months, with the great resignation, companies are finding it a lot harder to retain the best people and attract more talent,” he told the Standard.

“The scheme takes the focus off time spent at work and instead allows business to focus on the actual output. It also reduces sick leave and work burn out and in this time of the great resignation, it will be good for the retention of staff.”

Mass burnout felt by employees from emotional and mental stress has been cited as a key factor contributing to the high attrition rates worldwide over 2021.

4 Day Week

Mass burnout and mental health problems have been reported.

 

Better Empolyee Turnover

O’Connor says a 4 day week saves money by “reducing the cost of having to employ and train new members of staff” as employee turnover drops.

Durham’s mobile app- based Atom bank, a mobile app-based bank, is largest UK company to successfully introduce the policy, during which employees had their hours reduced with zero reduction in salary.

CEO Mark Mullen said the scheme had greatly improved employee business productivity as well as employees’ mental health: “In every top line measure after two months the data we have a seen shows a positive trend in sickness, staff attrition and customer service,” he explained the Standard.

“The 26 key metrics across the whole bank have seen improvements in 16 and a decline in only two.

4 day week

Can the same work be achieved in 4 days?

 

Will Productivity Drop?

“When we look at staff surveys, they show that 90% of employees feel they can do the workload they need to do within the four day period.

“The number of people who feel stressed at work improved from 43 % at the beginning of the trial down to 24% now. The number of people who look forward to work is now at 88%, up from 77%. And then 89% believe their department has found efficiencies in how they work together.”

The 4-Day Working Week Global trial is also being conducted abroad in the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Andrew Duncan, Partner and UK CEO at Infosys Consulting, had words of warning when he told the Standard: “Without clear guidelines, employers are at risk of a quality downturn as talent attempts to squeeze the same amount of work into four days instead of five.

“This also poses risks from a people management point of view, potentially resulting in burnout or staff working outside of agreed hours – the opposite of what was intended.”

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Friday 21 January 2022

How to make money pallet flipping

Reading Time: 6 mins

People are constantly looking for side hustles that can give them another income stream and making money from pallet flipping is a good place to start. Pallet Flipping is a side hustle that you can do with relatively low monetary and time investment. You can start with lower cost smaller pallets and move to larger more expensive pallets if it seems like a good income stream for you.

 

What is a pallet?

how to make money pallet flipping

Not to be confused with the wooden types, the pallets we are talking about are a collection of products from a retailer. These pallets are sold off to consumers because they cannot sell the products, they contain anymore due to a variety of reasons:

  • Items in the pallets have been returned by customers
  • Contents of pallets are not selling in the current market
  • Items may have been damaged during shipping so cannot be sold to the customer

In the UK, product returns cost UK retailers around £60bn a year so it makes sense for them to try to claw back some of these losses by selling palettes to consumers. Palettes often contain a variety of items, but you can get palettes of just clothes, stationary or electronics.

 

What is Pallet Flipping?

Simply put, pallet flipping is buying a pallet of unused or returned goods from a retailer and selling them on for a profit. Most pallets contain thousands of pounds worth of products for a fraction of their original cost. But be warned buying these palettes can be risky, you don’t often know what they will contain so it’s best to buy from retriable sources.  Even then, you could end up with a pallet full of broken returns, but some will be full of perfect products that just weren’t selling.

 

How to Find a Pallet

Palet Fliiping

Pallets can be a large upfront investment, so it is best to do your research before you purchase one. We’ve put together a collection of where to look for palettes.

Liquidation Websites

Liquidation websites are like wholesalers for pallets, they buy up multiple larger pallets and break these down into smaller pallets for their customers to buy. There are many different liquidation sites here in the UK but here is a list of some of the most well know.

Marthill sell-off catalogue and high-street excess, clearance stock as well as customer returns. Pallets are categorised into bathroom, stationery, electronics etc or as mixed pallets. One pro with Marthill is that they list the contents of the pallet, so you know what you’re getting and how much the product was originally retailed for.

Merkandi is another online wholesaler, not only do they sell off excess stock and returns but also undelivered packages from eBay, ups and more. Undelivered packages have unlisted contents – think of it as an adult luck dip. If you want to be surprised by the contents and aren’t after selling one particular thing this could be the site for you.

Unlike some sites, UK Stock Supplies lists individual items up for sale from universal bath legs to 600 mixed doors, there’s something for everyone. This site is especially good if you have a shop to stock as you can buy goods better tailored towards you.

Online Auction Sites

eBay does sell mystery packages as well as pallets, but they are risky, some listings are simply for a list of websites that do stock clearance. Also, a lot of mystery packages may seem too good to be true (probably because they are). Stay away from sites like eBay and Facebook marketplace when looking to buy pallets and instead look at online auction houses.

William George stocks appliances, fashion, and more sourced from John Lewis. Whilst pallets are customer returns, they are often good value for money with pallet prices starting from as low as £5. But as with any auction, prices will go up due to bidding wars so you’re best to have a limit in your head and stick to it. It is also worth remembering that there are added fees after purchase, so you need to factor these into your budget.

 

How to Make Money Flipping Pallets

Pael Flipping

If you want to make money pallet flipping, you have to put the work in and know that everything won’t sell overnight. To set yourself up for success you need to follow some simple steps:

Buy Wisely

Buying pallets is not as simple as buying and selling on stock straight away, there’s an element of chance as well. When buying pallets, you should stick to what you know. Say for example you’re an avid gardener, it would make sense for you to buy a pallet of gardening items. By purchasing items that you’re already familiar with, you can reduce some of the research you have to do as you may know the rough pricing of items.

Know it won’t all be sold overnight – if your pallet contains items that weren’t selling, it is highly likely that they’re seasonal. No one wants to buy grass seed in winter – but someone might want the leaf blower that’s in the same pallet.

Research

Research is your best friend when it comes to flipping pallets especially before buying the pallet. If you can access an itemised list of the pallet prepurchase – that’s great and makes your life a whole lot easier. If not, research the products yourself, look up the retail price and how much they’re selling for on other platforms. Knowing a rough resale price will help you when judging whether to buy a pallet, you don’t want to spend a lot of money when you won’t get the return.

Keep track of products

Pallets are full of products, so you need to stay on top of what you have and where. It is a good idea to keep track of a few details.

  • Name and brand of item
  • Description of item for resale sites
  • Item condition
  • RRP and resale price
  • Whether the item is listed and what site ait is listed on
  • Whether it is sold
  • Amount product sold for

Keeping track of these will help you stay on track and make it easier to work out your return on investment.

Know your selling platforms

While eBay and Facebook marketplace wasn’t your friend when you purchased your pallet, they are for reselling.

eBay 

As the largest online auction site, eBay is a great option to sell on. It lets you reach potential customers across the world all from the comfort of your home. Give the item a good description and be honest about the condition and you’re sure to sell quickly.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook marketplace is great if you want to sell locally. You can list your items for sale in the local area and give buyers the option of picking them up – this is particularly good if you have large items. Much like eBay you just need a good description, and the items will be snapped up.

Know you’ll have to do some leg work

So you’ve got your pallet and your items are listed on resale – so now what? We’ll if you are offering delivery, you need to do your research on this. What is your cheapest option? What’s the best way to transport your items? When it comes to shipping you have plenty of options.

  • The Post Office – Small parcel prices at the post office start at £3.20 for 2nd class postage with online confirmation of delivery. Medium-sized parcels start from £5.30 for 2nd . When you take your parcels in they’ll weigh and measure your items to give you the correct shipping.
  • UPS – UPS is great if you’re shipping items overseas, you can ship from your front door directly to theirs. It is expensive so you should be asking them to pay to ship.
  • Hermes – next day delivery on a small package starts from £3.55 at Hermes if the item is dropped off at a ParcelShop or locker drop off. This is a great option for next day shipping but check if you have a location to drop-off close to you.

 

So, you’ve done all the research, the planning, and the selling now what? You wait to see if your investment has paid off. When pallet flipping, you should have an end goal in mind. Ideally you want to be making the amount of money you spent back and then an extra 100-200% profit on top. So say your pallet cost you £100, you want to make that back and then another £100 on top to give you a 100% profit.

If you are willing to put in the time to flip a pallet it is well worth giving it a go – it takes effort but you could see a great return on investment.

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Thursday 20 January 2022

Need Money? Claim £120 now!

Reading Time: < 1 min

People struggling to make ends meet and in need of money could get a free £120 to help with essential costs. The Household Support Fund (HSF) is a government scheme that helps with household bills throughout winter.

On 30 September 2021, the government announced that vulnerable households across the UK can access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials over the winter. The funding covers 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 inclusive.

Free Money

The new Household Support Fund will be distributed by councils in England to those who need it most, and will take the form of small payments supporting vulnerable households with their essential needs like food, clothing and utilities.

Different amounts will go to different councils, depending on size and need of area.

You however have to apply now. Click here to check your eligibility for the free money.

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Wednesday 19 January 2022

How to make money from your old CDs

Reading Time: 4 mins

To keep you clearing out your clutter we’ve shared articles on how to sell your old VHS tapes and Cassettes. Well, know it’s time to make money from your CDs. Whilst they are still somewhat popular, many people have moved fully to streaming. Negating the need for physical copies of their favourite music.

But keen collectors are still out there, looking for their old favourites or limited release CDs that they missed out on the first time around. Keep reading to find out how to sell these old CDs and where to look if you’re thinking of investing.

 

selling CDs

Where to sell

There are so many options out there to sell online as well as selling in person so we’re giving you a rundown on where to sell your collection.

eBay

eBay is a good choice when it comes to online selling, they let you sell almost anything on the site and it reaches thousands of people globally.   At present there are over 5,300,000 listings for CDs on the site, so taking a look through and judging the price of your collection could be a great start.

Amazon

Amazon lets you list your items through your own personal store. They sell both new and used CDs on the platform. However, listing through amazon does involve seller fees so it might not be worth it for you.

Car Boot Sales

Car boot sales are a great place to pick up bargains so why not try selling your CDs there. You might not get as much there as you might on eBay but if your main goal is to make a little money on the side – this is a great option.

 

Should I invest?

Research done by the bpi shows that the drop off in CD sales has reduced from 27% annually between 2018 – 2020 to just 12% in 2021. Sales were boosted by global superstars such as Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Abba so it looks like the CD boom might be happening soon.

If you’re in it for a bit of nostalgia then definitely get investing in your favourite CDs. To some, it feels much more satisfying to own a physical copy than it does to simply stream online.  Physical CDs also often sound better than online streams as they can be played through better speaker systems.

Sell CDs

Big Spinners – The Most Expensive CDs Sold

  1. Coil – Live Box

This is a collection of 6 CDs, released in 2003 just 23 copies were made of this edition. The boxes are hand-drawn and illuminated. No two are alike with each being singed on the outside by Ian Johnstone and Peter Christopherson. Each box has a new title given to it by Jhonn Balance and also included a card signed by him on the inside. One can be yours for the small price of $3,226.

  1. Various – Woodstock: Back To The Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive

    Woodstock

    Woodstock – Back to the Garden

Released in 2019 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Woodstock a limited run of 1969 numbered copies were released. Alongside these, 238 promotional copies all numbered #0000/1969.  Consisting of 38 CDs, packaged into 3 books, 1 for each day this is a mega-collection for a Woodstock fan. The collection came with a Blu-ray disk, a book and more all packaged in a wooden box wrapped in a guitar strap. But at $2,891.57 is a big investment for most, but if you’re lucky enough to have one in the loft it might be worth cashing in.

  1. Michael Jackson – Smile

    Michael Jackson Smile

    Michael Jackson’s Smile

You might be smiling if you find a copy of this in your draw especially with its price tag being $2739.73. However, the CD was never released with most CDs and records being destroyed just before the release date. Some did manage to escape making it one of the rarest items in the Michael Jackson discography.

  1. Bob Dylan – The 50th Anniversary Collection

This 4-disk collection was a limited release of 100 copies only available selected shops in Germany, England, France, and Sweden. If you’re lucky enough to have one you could cash it in for $2,657.

  1. Heather Nova – South

Released by V2 Records Japan Inc., the Japanese release of Heather Nova’s South could be worth a whopping $2,025. It’s worth checking your albums just in case.

Now you know how to make money from your old CDs, maybe it’s time to check out those junk drawers and dusty attic piles. You may be sitting on a fortune.

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Monday 17 January 2022

Get Paid to Sleep!

Reading Time: 2 mins

Would you like to get paid to sleep? Well, If you’re 1 in 4 sleepers kept awake night after night by your partner’s snoring, or one of the 10% of the UK that wake themselves up with their own snoring, Silentnight could have a (pardon the pun) dream of a job for you: they’re searching for five serious snorers to test their sleep products in 2022, with a potential £300 cash prize for the selected customers.

paid to sleep

Whats the Job?

These fortunate snorers or snore sufferers will also be gifted a sleep bundle worth up to £700: this includes a king-size rolled mattress from the Studio by Silentnight collection, a pair of Anti-Snore pillows that could encourage improved breathing, and a ‘So Snug’ 13.5 tog winter duvet to keep you snug on those chilly nights.

Kat Collins, Senior Brand Manager for Silentnight, said: “As the UK’s most trusted sleep brand, we think it’s important to celebrate all types of sleepers and so are giving back to snorers across the country with an exciting new role this year. But, this is official business and we’re looking for applicants who take their sleep seriously! As part of our mission to change how people sleep for the better, we know that customers’ feedback on our products is fundamental to our future launches so can’t wait to hear our new ‘employees’ thoughts.”

Paid to sleep

How to enter.

Launching today (Monday 17 January), it’s simple to enter:

1. Complete the entry form on the Silentnight website and sign up to Silentnight’s newsletter

2. Follow Silentnight @silentnightbeds on Instagram OR Facebook

If you’re a winner, Silentnight will contact you via email (as well as remove and recycle your old mattress, if needed, for free!)

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How to make money from your old cassettes

Reading Time: 4 mins

It’s a new year and you’re probably thinking about sorting your house out. Getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, but before you throw all your unwanted items in the bin why not take a minute to see if anything’s worth a little money. Here at MoneyMagpie, we’ve previously shared with you our tips on how to make money selling your own VHS tapes. Now we want to share with you how to make money selling your old cassettes.

make money from old casette tapes

make money from old casette tapes

Cassettes have been considered outdated for a number of years due to the emergence of streaming and the introduction of the CD. But in recent years there has been a resurgence in the number of cassettes sold. Research from the BPI showed that in 2020, 157,000 cassettes had been sold in the UK, in 2021 this number rose to 185,000 a growth of 19%.  So instead of throwing out that dusty pile of tapes, why not see if they’re worth anything?

 

 

Where to sell

Making Money from old Casette tapes

Living in the digital age means there are lots of online options when it comes to where to sell but remember sometimes selling in person can be just as effective.

 

eBay is the biggest online auction site so it’s a good place to start when selling your old cassette tapes. From Bjork to 2Pac to the Spice Girls, if you can name it, it’s probably on there. Take some time to peruse the site and price your tapes accordingly. You can sell them as singles or job lots but either way you’re going to cash in on your junk.

 

Amazon lets you list what you want on your own store so it could be the perfect place to sell your collection, but it is worth taking into account the selling fees they charge for using their site.

  • Local record stores

If you do your research, you might find a local record store that’s willing to take your old cassettes off your hands. You might not get as much as if you sell online but you don’t have to worry about posting them out and you’ll get your money there and then.

  • Car boot sales and vintage fairs

We all love a good car boot sale, so why not find out where your local one is and get yourself a table. You might meet a local music lover who wants to buy your tapes or who could point you in the direction of a fanatic. It’s amazing what networking can do when it comes to selling.

 

Should I invest?

It’s clear to see that Cassettes are making a comeback with more people buying nostalgia due to the pandemic. As well as younger people buying limited releases from their favourite artists.  So, should you invest?  If you love the nostalgia and still have a tape player that works – why not? It’s another way of supporting your favourite artists and lets you have a physical copy of their music instead of constant streaming.  If you choose to invest in limited release cassettes and sell them in the future, you might make your money back and then some. But like all investments, there is an element of risk, and we can’t predict how long the cassette market will keep growing.

Top of the charts – the most valuable cassettes for sale

selling old casettes

selling old casettes

 

  1. Xero – Xero.

This title might not be known to many, but it was the first self-released and self-titled album by the band that would go on to be known as Linkin Park. There’s are not many copies around justifying its whopping $4,500 price tag.

  1. The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince) – The Versace Experience – Prelude 2 Gold

Created exclusively for the attendees of Paris Fashion Week in 1995, this cassette sold for $4,117. This very limited release also states its “4 promotional use only – not 4 sale” – but for that price why wouldn’t you sell?

 

  1. Various – United Diaries 1979-87

This 32-tape collection – complete with suitcase comprises all of United Diaries works from 1979-87. It’s pretty experimental music so you might not have heard of Steven Stapleton, Nurse With Wound and similar artists that were involved in its creation. It is in the top 100 list multiple times with the most it has been sold for being $2,300.

 

  1. Throbbing Gristle – 24 Hours

Originally limited to 50 copies this was a 26-tape collection with matching suitcase for storage. Released in 1980, each of the 50 sets was personalised to the buyer and dated, sent out with hand-made collages each one was completely unique. Initially retailing for £77 in the UK, it recently sold for £2,200 – so maybe check your attic for it.

 

  1. Various – De La Viande Pour Le Disco

Selling for $1,818 this French cassette is not widely known on the UK market, so you probably don’t have this one lying around in the loft.

So maybe it’s time to dig around your attic and price up your old cassette collection – you might be sitting on a gold mine.

 

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