Mystery shopping: Become a mystery shopper and get paid to shop and eat out

Become a mystery shopper and get FREE meals in restaurants, FREE stays in hotels and FREE drinks in bars.

Many mystery shopping companies will provide you with different assignments depending on who their clients are. We show you here how to get mystery shopping jobs and bag lots of freebies as a mystery shopper.

• What is mystery shopping?
• Jasmine’s experience of mystery shopping
• In-store Opportunities
• Online Opportunities
• How to get involved as a mystery shopper
• A Money Magpie’s mystery shopping experience
• Find a mystery shopper job

 

What is mystery shopping?

Nowadays, all industry sectors employ mystery shoppers – retail, automotive, financial services, hospitality, property, call centres, public services, travel, and even the voluntary sector – so there’s a huge range of work available.

If you become a mystery shopper you could be enjoying a weekend break one month and phoning a call centre to complain about your gas bill the next.

You don’t need any formal qualifications to be a mystery shopper – but you do need to have good observational skills and a good memory.

Mystery shopping (sometimes known as secret shopping) has been around for 60 years and is now highly regulated in the UK. The Market Research Society has created a code of conduct, and standards are maintained by trade bodies such as the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.

Good part-time work

Mystery shopping is very flexible and not usually suitable as a full-time job, but it can be good to fit around other jobs in your life.

And remember that mystery shoppers count as self-employed, so you’ll need to declare your earnings to HMRC. Find out here about paying tax when you make extra money.

Want to get a FREE MoneyMagpie eBook about how to be a mystery shopper? Download it HERE…

 

Jasmine’s experience of mystery shopping

See here what Jasmine thinks about mystery shopping after her experiences of it.

Check out our bumper article on freebies and bag yourself even more free stuff.

 

In-store opportunities

Report-only mystery shopper

This is the most common option. You’ll be given a brief and a checklist of things to look out for. You need to follow your instructions (without letting anybody know you’re testing them), evaluate the response and then provide feedback, usually by way of an online questionnaire.

Covert video mystery shopper

This is specialist stuff and only for well-trained shoppers. Essentially, you’re given a brief; you enter the premises as a customer, and then you record the entire process using covert video cameras. Companies need clear pictures, so don’t go for this if you record your feet at family events!

Site inspection

For a site inspection, mystery shoppers may be asked to do one of two things. You may be asked to go to a store and buy specific items from a specific retailer. This is to ensure customers are getting what they pay for, as well as the availability of stock.

The mystery shopper may also be asked to interact with staff when searching for and purchasing their items. This is to check how staff interact with customers. You will then provide your feedback to the company conducting the mystery shopping.

Eating at restaurants

Getting paid to eat at restaurants? Sounds like the dream. This dream could become a reality for you if you take up mystery shopping, and could be a fun side hustle.

Multiple chain restaurants use mystery eaters to ensure their customers are getting brilliant food and even better service. They will pay you to go to their restaurants, have a meal and report back to them. In some cases, your meal will be paid for and in other cases, your meal will be covered and you will be paid for your time on top.

It is important to be aware that some agencies will offer you a fixed amount of money to eat at a restaurant. Remember, it may not be enough to cover the cost of the meal, so you will need to check beforehand.

watch films

As with restaurants, cinema chains want to ensure their customers are getting the best experience possible. So, if you’re an avid cinema-goer or movie buff, this may be the perfect job for you.

Not only will you be able to watch films for free, but agencies will often allow some cash for snacks and drinks. This allows you to interact with the staff, try the yummy goodies available to munch on whilst you watch the film.

You will be asked to review many things, from the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the availability of snacks, the prices and even the comfort of the seats. Your overall experience will be asked for. It is important to keep in mind that reviews can take time and agencies require detailed responses, so keep this in mind when you apply.

 

Online opportunities

Telephone mystery shopper

If you’re better at playing a role on the phone than in person, you might prefer this option – there’s plenty of work available. You’ll be given a company to call with a set of questions that a typical customer may have. Again, you’ll need to assess the response and provide feedback.

Postal monitoring

This one requires minimum effort. Your home address is simply used for receiving brochures and other promotional material. You return the items, and the content and speed of delivery is measured.

N.B. don’t be conned by ‘mystery shopping’ scams that get you to receive money into your bank account and then send most of it on to a foreign account to ‘test’ the money transfer company. These are totally bogus and should be avoided and, ideally, reported to Action Fraud. Be careful only to use the mystery shopping agencies we mention on MoneyMagpie so that you’re not scammed.

Email mystery shopping

You’ll be sending specific enquiries to websites and monitoring the speed and content of the response. Depending on your personality, writing emails is potentially much easier than talking to businesses in person or on the phone!

Again, you’ll need to assess and then pass on your findings.

giving your opinion online

It’s not mystery shopping as such, but giving your opinions about products or services through online survey companies is the same type of thing.

It’s another easy and quick way of making some extra cash in your spare time.

You have to be careful which online survey companies you join though. These are the ones that we like:

• InboxPounds
• The OpinionPanel Community
• Swagbucks
• LifePoints

Make sure you set up a separate email address before you sign up to any of these. Give this separate email address to them when they ask for contact details so that your usual inbox isn’t flooded with offers and ads (that’s one of the ways they make their money).

Find out more about online surveys and how to make the most money from them here.

 

How to get involved as a mystery shopper

Step 1: Find the right mystery shopping agency for you

Check out the list below and sign up with one of the many mystery shopping agencies on offer. It’s not a complete list, the full list of genuine agencies can be found in our mystery shopping eBook (which is absolutely free!)

Some specialise in specific industries, others are more general. You could try investigating the major department stores – Selfridges for example has its own mystery shopping panel.

Be sure to check out…

• ESA
• iShopFor Ipsos
• Grass Roots
• JKS Mystery Shopping
• Market Force

This list contains some of the better mystery shopping agencies in the UK. We have the complete list in our Mystery Shopping eBook.

Most of the agencies will get you to take a test before they’ll let you in. These can be quite tricky so you might have to do them a few times before getting them right. Don’t be put off though – persist!

If you want to find a company on your own…

• Make sure they’re based in the UK with a UK phone number and address.
• Don’t just put ‘mystery shopping’ into your search engine. All sorts of dodgy companies could come up.
• If you see a company you haven’t heard of before, put their name into the search bar and see what websites like ours say about them. Check the forums too as people who have had experience of them will say what they think.
• Make sure you keep an eye out for the small ads too. Local papers and recruitment agencies often carry mystery shopping adverts.
• You should be looking for the ones you’ll get the most out of, whether that’s the pay you receive for the jobs you do, or the freebies you get from the places you inspect.
• It should never cost you to join a company – they should be paying you for the work you do.

Step 2: Go out in the field

Once the agency accepts you, you can begin looking for jobs on their website.

You need to go and shop – or eat – or enjoy a show – but the main objective is to follow the guidelines exactly, without having the instructions in front of you.

You’ll need to report on products and services, which can include anything from aspects of the decor, cleanliness, atmosphere, how the staff deal with other customers, how many staff there are and what they’re all doing.

Most mystery shopping agencies ask that you don’t write notes or make what you’re doing obvious while you’re ‘on the job’, as it can affect the way you’re treated by the staff. The company’s main objective is to get an impartial experience.

Note that at time of writing, the UK is on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and you should only be doing minimal shopping trips for essential groceries right now. You can however make a note of the in-person mystery shopping opportunities available and apply for them when life returns to normal!

Step 3: Report on your mystery shopping experience.

This will usually involve filling in an online questionnaire with short or longer answers about your experience as a customer.

You’ll receive payment/reimbursement after you’ve reported on your job, which you’ll ideally do within 24 hours of completing the task.

Pay rates differ from company to company and depend on the complexity of the work.

Generally, you can expect to earn £5 – £25 per task plus expenses (but as little as £1 – £5 for phone work).

 

A Money Magpie’s mystery shopping Experience

Our Publishing Editor, Marc Crosby, decided to join up to a mystery shopping agency to see just how easy it was to earn money. Here he tells us about the experience:

“I joined up to one of the online mystery shopping agencies and, after putting in a few details, was asked to do a mystery shop for a fast food chain in my local area. It didn’t take long to be offered the job and they were willing to pay £20 for completing it.

It really did feel like going undercover, little did the staff know I was watching their every move, mwahahaha…well, except, they probably did, because mystery shopping takes a little practice. I was told to note down how long it took from asking for my order to the meal being handed to me, which meant using my phone as a stopwatch. That’s easier said than done when you’re juggling your wallet around.

By the time the meal was handed to me and I’d fumbled for the ‘stop’ button, they probably knew what I was up to (which might explain why a member of staff held the door open for me as I left, wishing me a good day – not a normal procedure at fast food stores!) But, hey ho, good service and I gave a good score. All I needed to do was go back and quickly answer a few questions that took no longer than half an hour to complete.

I was paid within two weeks and was offered loads of mystery shopping work after. Honestly, it could have been a nice little earner if I had more time to do it.

So if you’re in doubt, I’d say give it a go. Mystery shopping really is quite easy money, plus the company usually pays for your food/item, so that’s another bonus!”

Whatever you do, don’t miss our number one article 10 easy ways to make quick cash – featuring the very best money makers around including mystery shopping!

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Check to See if You Are Eligible For This £300 Winter Payment

• Winter payment 2023: Millions of households to receive £300 from DWP between 31 October and 19 November 2023
• This is the second of 3 payments totalling up to £900 supporting eligible people on means-tested benefits with the cost of living
• Payments make up part of government’s record financial support for the most vulnerable worth an average of £3,300 per household
• Tax credits-only customers who do not qualify for a payment from DWP will receive £300 from HMRC between 10 and 19 November 2023

Millions of households across the UK will receive £300 directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between 31 October and 19 November.

This is the second of 3 payments totalling up to £900 for those eligible and on means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or tax credits, in 2023 to 2024, and eligible pensioner households will also receive a further £300 payment later this year as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment.

The £300 Cost of Living Payment will be sent out automatically and directly to recipients, meaning those eligible do not need to apply, contact the Government, or take any action to receive it. This includes tax credits-only customers who will receive the payment from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) between 10 and 19 November 2023.

The payment reference for bank accounts will be the recipient’s National Insurance Number followed by DWP COL or HMRC COLS.

Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:

The best way we can boost bank balances is by bearing down on inflation, but as we get there, we are ensuring the most vulnerable households are cushioned from high prices with a further Cost of Living payment.

Alongside this, thousands of Work Coaches across the country are helping find work, increase their hours and boost their skills. I encourage anyone who wants to progress their career and strengthen their finances to visit their local Jobcentre to find out what help is available.

Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, added:

Halving inflation and getting price rises under control is the best way to support households struggling with their bills. But it is also right that we are helping the most vulnerable in our society, and this latest Cost of Living payment is part of a package of support worth £3,300 per household on average over this year and last to help those struggling the most.

To see full list on eligbility check here.

Further Reading

Energy Grants Editions – all the things you can get help with this winter.

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Sell Cassette Tapes

Have you ever considered that you can even sell cassette tapes? 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 sell your old cassettes tapes.

Cassette tapes 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
• Should I invest?
• Top of the charts – the most valuable cassettes for sale

What to do with old cassette tapes

Who buys old cassette tapes

Living in the digital age makes us often forget about the humble cassette tape. However, there are lots of online options when it comes to where to sell cassette tapes but remember sometimes selling in person can be just as effective.

eBay

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

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

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.

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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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Get Paid to Translate Online

Did you know you couldget paid to translate online? It’s an increasingly popular – and lucrative – job, so here’s what you need to know!

Ever since the globalisation era began, the search for language skills has been on the rise. Today, with thousands of multinational enterprises worldwide, there are more opportunities than ever in the translating business. Being an online translator means you can offer your bilingual skills to companies and authors looking to translate their content and appeal to a wider audience.

If you happen to be one of those lucky bilingual individuals or you want to work with professional translators, here are a few ideas to generate some extra cash from online translations and become one of the people that get paid to translate online.

• Platforms for freelance translators
• Selling your translation pieces
• Creating a glossary
• Translation royalties
• Live translation jobs
• More ideas for bilingual people
• More ways to make money online

Translation Companies and Platforms for freelance translators

One way to find online translation jobs is to use freelance platforms. These work as a middle-man between companies or individuals needing translations and professional translators. You post your profile and services, and pitch for jobs advertised. The platform takes a small commission of any work you complete, but it’s a good way to get started in finding new clients. So where can we hone our translation skills for money?

Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most well-known freelance platforms in the world. It’s a free and reliable platform with over 14 million users. While the jobs you can find here range from palm reading to IT and marketing services, some of the most common offerings are translating and transcription services. It is easy to set up an account and your fees based on the length of a project or your hourly rate.

To get started with Fiverr, you need to optimise your profile and write a compelling opening statement about your offering (or ‘gig’ – Fiverr’s term for providing services). It takes a bit of effort to get started – but as soon as you snag a client, make sure you get them to leave you a review. As your reviews build, it gets easier to find work!

Peopleperhour.com

Another mediator platform between freelancers and businesses, PeoplePerHour runs on a similar concept to Fiverr. Set up a profile that explains your services and rates, and pitch for jobs.

This website also has a section of urgent jobs listed by companies that you can apply for in minutes. Hence, one of the strongest points of this platform is that you can sometimes get work almost immediately.

Lionbridge

Lionbridge offers content, translation, testing, and AI services. All these areas come with multiple freelance opportunities. With a variety of translation jobs, this platform is another great option to create a new income stream as a freelance translator. According to Glassdoor, Lionbridge pays its translators between £17 to £20 per hour.

Acclaro

Acclaro is a translation service company always on the lookout for new freelancers.

Unlike freelance platforms, Acclaro handles freelancers with experience. This means you can find jobs with a higher rate of pay. It works like an agency, so you get paid by Acclaro rather than individual clients. Most of their vacancies require a literature degree, language qualifications, or previous experience in translation. The salaries Acclaro offers range between £68,000 to £73,000 per annum.

Selling your translation pieces

Perhaps you have an already-translated document that people would be willing to pay money for. In that case, you can increase your income by selling your translation pieces. Being an online translator is as much about creating content to sell as it is finding clients that already have stuff to translate!

A prime example of this practice is the Muller Report case. Although this report was available for free, the Washington Post wrote a book about it and sold it on Amazon. Currently, the report is only available in English and Spanish, both versions having sold hundreds of copies. So, if you have some spare time on your hands, you could also translate the Muller Report in your second language and then sell it online.

However, it doesn’t have to be the Muller Report, it can be poems, songs, short stories, etc.

Look at classical texts, too. They don’t fall under copyright laws anymore (but always check first!). That means you can translate the text, publish it as an eBook or a book, and claim the profits for yourself.

It can be any piece of writing you can find and notice a demand for. Just do your research, be creative, and get started!

Creating a glossary

When you think of being an online translator, you most likely think of large chunks of text awaiting your bilingual skills. Yet, it doesn’t always have to be like that. If you speak two languages and have extensive knowledge and vocabulary of a specific field, you can build a glossary.

A successful example of this practice is the IMF Glossary: English-French-Spanish. It focuses on terms related to macroeconomics, money, and accounting, and the new hardcover version sells on Amazon for £57.

However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be career-focused. The topic of your glossary can be any field you have an interest in. Other examples include El Jefe’s English – Spanish Glossary of Basketball terms, the Harry Potter Glossary, Glossary of Stand-Up Comedy terms, Glossary of Surfing Terms and Surf Slang, etc.

As long as you have a clear understanding of your chosen subject in both languages, you can write a glossary about anything!

Translation royalties

If you have confidence in your linguistic abilities, another alternative of making money online is translating a book. Depending on the terms of your agreement with the writer, you can claim translation royalties. This way, every time a copy of the book is sold, you receive a percentage of that sale. You can even enter competitions with your translation, and win cash prizes!

Although literary translations can be hard to find, it’s important to be proactive. Writers won’t trust other people with their books unless they know who they are; so, you’ll have to reach out to them.

While getting the first job might be difficult, the rewards are plentiful. One project can be enough to generate money for you long-term, without you having to do any extra work. Hence, it’s worthwhile considering it.

Live translation jobs

There’s a growing market for real-time professional translators, too. If you’re fluent in two languages, you can use this to offer your services as an interpreter. From police interviews to joining international online business meetings, there are lots of ways to use your language skills as a live translator.

More jobs are online than ever before, so it’s possible to be an online translator even if you’re not in the same location as someone. This is really useful for things like businesses who want to gain international clients. You can sit on their Zoom calls and directly translate the conversation on both sides to make sure a deal is arranged.

If you want to go into live translation, decide on the type you want to do. Police interpreters, for example, often work as freelance translators working with solicitors and lawyers as well as police stations. The more specialised your language skills, such as a language not commonly spoken in the UK, the higher rate you can charge. If you’re operating as a freelance translator, it helps to set up a website that showcases your skills and niches.

More ideas for bilingual people

If you want to leverage your language skills and you’re not too keen on translation jobs, you can try tutoring. There are millions of people out there who want to learn a foreign language. To reach them, you can simply create an account on platforms like italki or Verbling, which enable students and teachers to come together. All it takes is to set up an account, take a video of yourself for introduction, establish an hourly fee and you’re good to go.

Alternatively, use your translation skills in services like transcription, subtitling, and captions. Some of the main platforms specialising in these services are GoTranscript, REV.com, and GMR Transcription.

The average pay on these websites ranges from $1,000 to $4,000 per month and all of them offer flexible hours. So, if translating is not your cup of your tea, there are still various options you can try, to monetize your linguistic competencies. You just have to try! Why? Because imagine being able to speak two languages and to start losing some of your vocabulary… some people would say that you’re bilingual.

More online jobs

To get paid to translate online is one way to work flexibly from home. There are, however, tons of ways to make money from home! Check out these articles next.

• 5 Unusual Ways to Make Money Writing Online
• Make Money Copywriting
• Can You Really Make Money Vlogging?
• Anybody Can Make Money with These Work From Home Jobs
• Make Money in Teaching and Childcare This Summer

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sell vinyl records to make money

Have you ever considered that you can sell vinyl records or even a full vinyl collection? Do you happen to to be a music lover and own an old vinyl collection? Did you inherit them or are they simply no longer of use? You may not own a record player anymore. This creates opportunity to make more money by selling them to a happy music lover or money maker who’ll find them more valuable.

Selling vinyl records can actually be rather lucrative if you know how to go about it. You also don’t need to have a large collection to make a pretty penny.

• How much are your vinyl records or vinyl collection worth?

• Top five most valuable vinyl records

• Where can you sell vinyl records?

 

Sell Vinyl Records: How much are your vinyl records or vinyl collection worth?

Vinyl records are making a comeback, collectors are really getting into it as a hobby and you don’t really need to be a music lover to do it. They have become retro and vintage making this the perfect to make more money. If you think you have some lying around then it may be time to go rummaging in the attic. Investigate those dark corners and see what musical treasures you may have hidden away.

Grading

Before selling vinyl records, we’d recommend checking the condition of your old vinyls. A detailed description is absolitely essential.

Most record collectors use something called Goldmine Standard. It’s worth familiarising yourself with this if you’re considering selling your old records.

Here’s how the system is classified:

Mint (M)

Think ‘mint condition’. This record is perfect in every way, in an unblemished, sealed sleeve and has never been played. Many collectors will only grade up to Near Mint in order to keep Mint condition as the unrealised ideal. These are rare, but by far the most valuable.

Near Mint (NM)

This is close to perfect but not quite. A record’s sound quality is still amazing, although it has been played a few times. The vinyl is glossy, unmarked and the sleeve looks pretty good. These also sell for a pretty penny.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

The sleeve and vinyl are lightly marked and it suffers from occasional faint audio blips, but otherwise there isn’t really anything wrong with it.

Very Good (VG)

There are a couple of minor problems like background pops and clicks or small visible scratches that indicate it’s had a few birthdays, but it is still enjoyable to listen to and look at. This is the most common form of record, but still worth selling.

Good (G)

To be brutally honest, Good means barely acceptable. It looks scruffy, may be missing its sleeve and the sound issues will be very noticeable. If you’re thinking of selling vinyl records, then these may not be worth it. Unless they are especially rare or celebrated.

Poor (P) or Fair (F)

The only records to be sold in this condition are the rare or vintage, where the privilege of owning them matters more than the quality of the piece. The record is badly warped, scratched or cracked, creating a listening experience that borders on painful.

Cleaning

When preparing to grade and records in your collection, first give them a good clean to remove any dust or imperfections. A gradual build up of detritus  causes the record to skip and click. Wiping it carefully will help with grading.

A proper vinyl record cleaner would be your best bet, but these can be expensive. Have a look at these 8 easy and affordable ways to clean your records here. How much you’re willing to spend on the cleaning process really depends on the records, their condition and how much you’re likely to make from them.

Once your record is clean, have a look at it under a strong bright light (ideally direct sunlight) with a magnifying glass, and then if possible, try it out. Although we appreciate not everyone owns a record player. Remember to be wary of grading as high as NM unless it really deserves it. Collectors know what counts as what better than you will, at least at first.

Identification

Now that you have an idea of what grade your record is, it’s time to work out exactly what it is that you have in front of you. Again detailed descriptions are key.

There should be a label or a serial number somewhere on the record or its sleeve, and if you check this against a catalogue or online, you can work out useful details like which edition you have in front of you. It could be a very special record and worth a lot of money.

Different editions of the same album can have huge variations in selling price, so it is very important to know which one you have. The album itself my be common, but the edition less so.

Pricing

If you’re new to selling vinyl records, then it’s always worth seeing how much other people sold them for. You can usually find this online by checking eBay or Amazon.

If you can find what more experienced sellers got for records identical to yours (in terms of edition and quality), then this will give you a good idea of what to set your asking price as. Try searching the historic selling data of sites like Discogs or Popsike.

 

top Five most valuable vinyl records

It’s likely that many of your records are not be particularly rare or exciting. But you never know what you may have, many a seller has had valuable treasure tucked away somewhere they didn’t know about. It’s entirely possible. Especially if your collection is large.

Just in case they happen to turn up in your attic, here are the five most valuable vinyl records.

Number five

Artist: Queen

Record: Bohemian Rhapsody/I’m In Love With My Car

Details: 7” single, 1978; it doubled as the invitation to a party, so came with extras like pens, a menu and an additional outer sleeve.

Value: £5000.

number four

Artist: The Beatles

Record: White Album

Details: Double LP, 1968

Value: £7000

number three

Artist: The Sex Pistols

Record: God Save The Queen/No Feelings

Details: Single, 1977; those with the original brown envelope and press release are worth £8000

Value: £7500

number two

Artist: The Quarrymen

Record: That’ll Be The Day/In Spite Of All The Danger

Details: A 1981 private reproduction of the 1958 original

Value: £10,000.

number one

Artist: The Quarrymen

Record: That’ll Be The Day/In Spite Of All The Danger

Details: the only known copy of the pre-Beatles disc recorded at a local electrical shop by McCartney, Lennon and Harrison with drummer Colin Hanton and pianist John Duff Lowe.

Value: £100,000.

 

Where can you sell them?

If just getting rid of your vinyl collection that take up too much space is your priority, you could sell them at non-specialist second hand stores or at a car boot sale. This is also good if your records aren’t particularly rare or valuable. You might be able to get a decent lump sum for a vinyl collection, but otherwise you’ll probably end up selling them for a decent profit.

Remember one persons trash is another treasure! And if you are a music lover, then you will pay what it takes to own your fabourite record.

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‘Ask for Ellen’ launches at Morrisons with free crumpets offer this October

‘Ask for Ellen’ launches to offer free crumpets this summer

The school holidays can be daunting for parents. It’s a time of great fun, quality time with the kids and amazing memories. But all of this can feel overshadowed by the cost of living continuing to bite. 

Being away from school means free school meals are put on pause and costs can stack up for parents. Food, energy and entertainment costs for six long weeks can put a strain on our wallets. Previously, Morrisons partnered with Heinz for the campaign ‘Ask for Henry’, where people could get a free meal of a jacket potato and beans. Now, Warburtons has partnered with the supermarket giant to launch ‘Ask for Ellen’, to give support to families throughout the school break. 

Ask for Ellen

Simply ‘Ask for Ellen’ at any Morrisons café and you will receive a portion of two standard crumpets, with butter and jam for free. No questions asked, just delicious food for you and the kids. The initiative is named after founder Ellen Warburton, who established the brand in 1876. 

Ask for Ellen runs from Oct 23 to Nov 5 and will be available to everyone, all day, every day. T&Cs apply. Morrisons will also continue to ruin its Kids Eat Free initiative in its cafes, where little ones can receive a free meal with the purchase of an adult main worth £4.49 or more. 

The Warburtons Foundation 

New research by The Warburtons Foundation found that a staggering 64% of parents are worried about the increased costs of their child being at home for the summer. The survey of 1,000 parents of school-aged children also found that parents think the school holidays will cost them almost £200 extra over the six weeks, due to childcare and family activities. Seventy-one per cent of respondents said they are preparing themselves to buy more snacks than normal to plan for day trips and activities to keep children fed on the go. 

The research also revealed the added financial pressure facing families as schools break up for the summer. When questioned about the typical six-week break, 58% of parents suggested they will have to contend with additional childcare costs as they juggle work and their kids. 

Chris Strong, Morrisons Café Buying Manager, said:

‘Supporting our customers during the school holidays is incredibly important to us as we know that many families worry about catering for additional meals that are usually covered during the school term time. We are therefore pleased to be partnering with Warburtons this summer and offering our customers two toasted crumpets, with butter and jam when they visit a Morrisons café and Ask for Ellen.’ 

Jonathan Warburton, Chairman of Warburtons, commented:

‘Whilst the summer holidays offer a chance for families to enjoy time together, we know that the reality can be very different for many families. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household budgets we wanted to offer a little to support to families through the holidays. Being able to help families across the country is as important to us today as it was to Ellen Warburtons back in 1876.’

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Things you didn’t know you could recycle for money

Sometimes you find yourself in a financial pickle with no quick fix on the horizon. Don’t worry, it happens to all of us at some point. The good news is the answer you’re looking for could be lurking in your trash can. Or the back of your wardrobe. Or maybe in your bathroom cabinet.

Here are 10 items you might not know that you can recycle for money:

• Clothes
• Ink cartridges
• Wine Corks
• Hair
• Cell phones
• Beauty product containers
• Broken crockery
• Loo roll
• Lego
• Underwear

 

Clothes

One of the reasons you may find yourself in said financial pickle is the fact you can’t resist a good old fashion sale. Once again – we’re not judging you!

But how many of the items in your wardrobe do you actually love to wear, if at all?

Instead of just hoarding a whole bunch of perfectly good clothes, you can recycle them and even make a quick little buck.

There are two main ways to do this:

Set up a second-hand online shop

There’s a huge market on eBay, Instagram and Etsy for second-hand clothes. Spend some time browsing through other online stores to see what other people ask for items then set up your own!

Read this article for a few tips on how to get started.

Cash in on in-store recycling plans

In an effort to up their sustainability ante, many large clothing retailers have launched recycling schemes.

H&M, Monki and Marks & Spencer allow customers to drop off bags old clothes – any brand is acceptable – in store. In return, they offer discount vouchers you can put toward your next purchase. Okay, so you’re not making money, but this is a great way to build up some credit for an occasion that absolutely calls for a new dress.

 

Ink Cartridges

Every year an estimated 57 million ink cartridges find their way into UK landfills, rubbish dumps and incinerators. Considering it can take just one cartridge up to 1,000 years to decompose, these figures are very alarming. It’s easy to recycle cartridges so don’t contribute to the problem – sell them to a recycling company and you’ll also make yourself some money.

There are a whole host of companies that will pay up to £4.50 per empty cartridge! Here are a few you can check out:

• Printer Cartridge Recycling
• Cash for Cartridges
• Ink2Cash
• The Recycling Factory
• Recycle Ink

 

Wine Corks

Unless you’re fond of arts and crafts, you’ve probably never given a second thought to throwing the cork away after polishing off a bottle of chardonnay.

Well, best stop doing that and recycle them for cash instead.

Believe it or not, wine corks are a super hot commodity among crafty folks. In fact, there is a whole section dedicated to used wine corks on eBay where bundles of between 50 and 100 go for up to £8.00.

 

Hair

We know this may sound slightly creepy, but recycling your hair is – in fact – a thing. But, it’s also mostly for a good cause.

Hair Harvest is one of the companies that buys human hair and then turns it into wigs for vulnerable patients who have lost their own hair for one reason or another.

The amount they pay depends on the length of hair you are able to part with. Here’s a rough guide:

14-15 inches – £25 – £60
16-18 inches – £50 – £150
19 inches and above- £60 – £200

You can visit the Hair Harvest website for the rules and regulations around the process of recycling your hair.

Read our article to find out more about selling your hair.

 

Mobile phones

Make anything from £5-£600 for your old, battered phone.

Did you know there are over 80 million mobiles in the UK just lying around doing nothing?

So if you’ve got a few languishing in a drawer or under your bed, now is the time to opt for recycling and get some cash in return!

Visit the Compare and Recycle website for comparisons on how much you can make selling your phone on different platforms.

While you can get around £600 for an iPhone XS with 64g memory, you will probably be more willing to sell an older model. According to the site, you can get up to £194 for an iPhone 6 and up to £350 for an iPhone 7 Plus.

 

Beauty product containers

Still have mascara from two years ago tucked away in the bottom of your make-up bag? Or that lipstick you thought you’d rock on nights out, but were never brave enough to wear? Perhaps it’s time you let go.

Fortunately, John Lewis & Partners recently launched a beauty recycling trial, called BeautyCycle, which offers members of its loyalty programme the chance to recycle empty makeup and skincare beauty products from any brand.

The programme offers members £5 off a beauty purchase when they bring empty beauty products and packaging from any brand into a shop. While it’s not cold, hard cash, it will definitely help you save!

 

Broken crockery

Like wine bottle corks, broken plates, saucers, cups, tiles and even mirrors are popular items amongst crafters. Especially those who like making mosaics.

If you have a pile of defunct crockery or building materials, make up ‘surprise’ hampers of between 20 and 150 pieces and sell them on eBay or Etsy.

Boxes of 20 pieces can go for about £8, while boxes of 150 can get you up to £15.

 

Loo roll

Oh, and another thing popular with crafters is old toilet rolls.

They often need more toilet rolls than they can produce, so are willing to pay for them on sites such as eBay and Gumtree.

Okay, you won’t make a fortune, but £7 for 50 rolls is better than just throwing them away!

Find out more about making money selling your loo roll here. 

 

Lego

If your child has outgrown their love of Lego, don’t even think about letting those colourful little blocks gather dust on some nursery room shelf. Instead, you can make a decent bit of pocket money by selling them on eBay!

Currently, 1kg bundles of average blocks can go for up to £20. Of course, if you have limited release figurines, you can make quite a bit more.

Read more about making money with Lego!

 

Underwear

Yes, there are people out there (well, mostly men) who are willing to pay for your used knickers!

It’s weird, you might find it a bit distasteful, but it can be quite lucrative.

There are whole sites set up to help you offer this service, such as:

Sites such as

• PantyDeal
• The Kinky Boutique
• Sofia Gray

You can sell your knickers from about £12 to a couple of hundred quid. One of our readers actually made over £4,500 doing this, so there is real money to be made.

Find out more about selling your knickers here. 

 

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Fun ways to make money from Halloween

Spooky season is finally upon us. With children excited to dress up in their costumes and devour sweets by the bucket load, adults can often be left out of pocket. But don’t fear! Whether you are a fan of the holiday or not, there are plenty of easy ways to make money from Halloween.

Here are some scarily easy ways to earn a bit of pocket money that could serve you well over the festive season:

• Get paid to scare people
• Sell terrifyingly delicious home-made treats
• Earn cash as a Halloween make-up artist
• Fix and tailor Halloween costumes
• Create a haunted house

 

Get paid to scare people

Do you enjoy playing pranks on family and friends? Revel in the look of momentary terror/shock/horror on their faces as you spring yet another nasty surprise on them?

Well, perhaps it’s time you put that talent to good use and earned some cash while at it. The first way to make money from halloween is to scare people!

Not sure where to start? Draw inspiration from Wrinkles the Clown, a mysterious resident of Naples, Florida in the United States, who – for the fee of a few hundred dollars – will scare the heebie-jeebies out of misbehaving children. He can, of course, also be appointed to perform a range of other pranks but, so far, his most successful gigs have come from parents desperate to discipline their unruly children.

In one case, Wrinkles was caught on CCTV emerging from under the bed of a sleeping little girl. The carefully planned prank was orchestrated by the girl’s parents, who wanted to save the footage and scare her with it whenever she misbehaved.

Another famous case saw Wrinkles appear across the street from a bus stop where a naughty 12-year-old boy with a bad case of Coulrophobia waited for a ride.

Wrinkles’ pranking prowess has even resulted in a documentary about his life.

 

Sell terrifyingly delicious home-made treats

If you’re a whizz in the kitchen, you can harness those skills to make some unique and delicious Halloween treats.

As people are becoming more aware of their health, as well as the environmental impact of things like discarded sweet wrappers and the like, home-made sweets are making a massive come-back.

With Halloween less than two weeks away, the best way to market your products will probably be word of mouth. Do a post with beautiful photographs of the types of goodies you’ll be making on social media and ask your friends to share. Be sure to include the price, your contact details and what type of delivery methods will work best.

Read our article on how to make money from selling cakes, jams and sweets.

 

Earn cash as a Halloween make-up artist

Another way to make money from Halloween is to do scary hair and makeup. Halloween is the one event of the year where people really go all out with dressing up for parties. Thing is, not everyone knows how to do this well. So, if you can do a mean cat eye and whip up a glam hairdo in a matter of minutes, you may just have struck gold.

According to Bidvine, the average price hair and makeup artists charge between £60 – £130 (an average of £75) per job. Not bad!

You may, however, want to consider charging a special price for Halloween to get more people interested.

Once again, advertising your services to friends and family, as well as on your social media pages, will be the quickest way to reach a relevant target market.

Find out more by reading our article on making money as a mobile hairstylist.

 

Make, fix and tailor Halloween costumes

While sewing may seem like second nature to you, some people have never pushed a needle through a piece of fabric, let alone wound a bobbin!

In the run-up to Halloween, you can be sure that those with a tendency toward procrastination will be on the lookout for last-minute costumes.

Take advantage of this by offering a selection of quick-and-easy costumes that people can pre-order. You can offer them for sale or rent them out, depending on what works best for you and your client. Furthermore, you could consider charging a premium fee for custom outfits and special requests.

If you’re not that confident in your sewing skills just yet, you could always test the market by offering alterations and quick fixes for outfits that need some TLC.

If you need a further boost, read our article about how to make money sewing.

 

Create a haunted house

Finally, something for those with a little extra chutzpah and panache! This is one of the most thrilling ways to make money from Halloween.

Become the talk of the town, the hero among your friends and acquaintances, the legend of Halloweens to come, by transforming your home into a truly chilling haunted house.

There are, of course, different levels of scariness when it comes to creating a haunted house. So, start by trying to determine who your target market is. If it’s for the neighbourhood kids, steer clear of anything too disturbing. If, however, your audience is made up of adults with a penchant for horror film aesthetics, you can take things up a good few notches.

Depending on how much effort and money you spent on creating the experience, you can charge an entry fee of anything between £2 and £25.

Check out this article on Spruce Crafts for some ghoulishly good ideas

 

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