Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas

Cashback sites: Earn money for clicks. 

We have been talking about cashback sites for years. Often a useful way to make some extra money, we are shocked by how many of our readers still don’t use them. One of our team uses them to do her full Christmas shop and the credit she uses to buy gifts. So this is real money.

The idea of a cashback site, is to get cash reward when you click through from them to buy goods or financial products. 

Websites such as Hyperjar, Quidco and  Curve offer cashback on a variety of goods and services, from mobile phones to car insurance and bank accounts to broadband. 

You can be paid cash from some websites when you spend with them, and potentially make £100s a year. They work by sending you to the company through a cashback site, which you then get paid for. You can make as little as sums range from pennies for groceries and small purchases to over £100 for some mobile and broadband contracts. 

SOME EXAMPLES OF CASHBACK SITES we can personally vouch for 

Curve are one of the easiest cashback services. Firstly you get £5 simply for joining up and secondly it is so easy to use.

HyperJar are one of our personal favourites as offer Cash-back on any spend made on the card. Whether it is groceries, clothing, housewares, restaurants, travel, DIY, cinema tickets… they have gift cards for just about everything, everytime you purchase one HyperJar will put some cash back into your HyperJar Wallet (up to 20% of the cost of your gift card) instantly after your purchase. You need to very slightly alter how you shop, but the rewards are worth it.

Top Cashback is free to use: it also offers a premium version which, if you sign up, will charge up to £5 of what you earn each year and boasts thousands of high street names as well as smaller online sellers. They say you can earn up to £345 cashback per year, which you can withdraw straight into your bank account, Paypal or load up onto gift cards.  

Quidco is also a free service, this time offering a premium version which costs £1 of your monthly earnings: again, it offers work with thousands of popular and lesser-known retailers. As with Top Cashback, you can withdraw the money into your bank account, Paypal or convert it into gift cards, and the average earning reported is £300 a year. 

Rakuten is a newer cashback site. They have 500 retail partners and offer a free service where you can again transfer your cashback into your bank account. They also offer ‘Rakuten Points’ instead of cash back, which has extra value when buying items on their site. £1 of cashback coverts to £1.20 worth of points which you can spend on gift vouchers, movies, Rakuten TV, eBooks and audiobooks.  

CHOOSE A CASHBACK WEBSITE 

Register with one or more cashback sites. As we’ve detailed above, many sites are free to join but some charge an annual fee, sometimes for a premium version of the account which affords you more opportunities to earn cash back. 

LOOK FOR DEALS 

Search the website to see if your favourite retailers/financial services firms are offering deals on the products and services that would suit you personally. 

CLICK THROUGH 

Click the link provided by the cashback site instead of going direct: this way, you are using the cash back site as the referral source, and can earn cash back from the click. Oh, and if you’ve used the site before, make sure you DELETE YOUR INTERNET COOKIES before clicking through, so the cash back site will see that your click comes from their source. 

COMPLETE PURCHASE 

The retailer will then send the commission to your cashback site and pay a percentage of the money into your bank or PayPal account. With many of these sites, you could need to reach a cashback threshold before you can withdraw funds: each site has their own rules, so check before you use them. 

MAXIMISING CASHBACK SITES 

CASHBACK FREEBIES 

TopCashback and Quidco, as we’ve said, have offers that make you free money for completing surveys, entering prize draws or even obtaining price quotes from comparison websites. 

RECOMMEND A MATE 

A lot of cashback sites offer you a bonus if you recommend a friend by sending an email using the website’s dedicated referrals page. The email will contain a link to the cashback site with a code to confirm it was you who gave the recommendation. Remember, you won’t be rewarded yourself until the referred friend earns a certain amount of cashback themselves, so make sure to let them know they need to shop once they’ve signed up. 

LONGEVITY 

There are long-term benefits of signing up to a cash back site, for services such as internet and car insurance. The following sites for example, offer these rewards: 

• AA car insurance £15-£20 per policy 
• Asos 1.3%-6.8% of purchase’s cost 
• BT broadband £34-£97.75 per package 
• Currys 0.75%-18.75% of purchase’s cost 
• JD Sports 1.3%-17% of purchase’s cost 
• O2 mobile £5-£85 per contract 

Do check whether credit card, mobile phone or insurance providers are registered on cashback sites before entering into a contract with them.   

HOLIDAY CASHBACK 

This is a nice one: you can book your holiday through a cashback site, and there are some great deals available on flights and hotels, and then car hire, travel insurance and airport car parking.  

GIFT CARDS 

If you want to withdraw funds as a gift card with a specific retailer rather than have it put into your bank account, you will get a top-up on your cashback: there is a large list of retailers that offer gift cards. 

HIGH STREET CASHBACK 

Quidco’s ClickSnap app has a wide range of offline cashback deals, which are pretty simple: buy the product first, then upload a photo of the receipt. You can also earn offline cashback via TopCashback’s in-store cashback scheme. The cashback will automatically appear in your account whenever you buy something with the card you registered.  

CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS 

You can earn extra cashback on your online purchases by paying for your goods with a cashback credit card, which pays you back a percentage of what you spend on them. As with all credit cards, do try and pay off your balance in full at the end of the month in order to avoid interest.  

WATCH OUT FOR… 

CASHBACK WEBSITE FEES 

Some sites offer free signup or a premium site and don’t require upfront payment, but some of the lesser-known websites might charge you a fee to sign up, or require you to clock up a certain amount of cashback before you can withdraw your funds 

COOKIES 

Whenever you surf the internet, a cookie (information about the sites you visit) trail begins, so you have to make a new cookie trail between the cashback site and online retailer in order to earn the money: do this by deleting your internet cookies BUT make sure you’ve saved any important information you have stored on your computer that would normally be autofilled for you: passwords and logins, for example. 

SHOP AROUND 

Cashback sites CAN offer you better deals than elsewhere, but make sure before you sign up, because it isn’t always the case. You may get the same or an even better deal from non-cash back sites, so compare prices before you use the service. 

LATE PAYMENTS 

All of the above can mean it takes time for the money to appear in your account: it’s not always instantaneous. So if payment just isn’t turning up when you think it should, use the site’s official cashback claim link.  

A final note: if you’re starting out, Quidco or TopCashback are two of the bigger sites and are a great start if you’re thinking of getting into these cash back sites. Good luck! 

 

 

 

The post Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Cold Weather Payment Available Due Impending to Freeze

If you’re on a low income, or certain benefits, you can get a Cold Weather Payment from the government, as hundreds of postcodes in England and Wales will receive £25 over the next two weeks. 

What is a Cold Weather Payment?

The Cold Weather Payment is triggered if average temperatures hit freezing or below for seven days in a row: payments will be made to homes across north-east England, Cumbria, west Wales and as far south as Oxfordshire, where the lowest recorded temperature was recently –9.7C. 

You can see if you’re entitled to the payment by going here and entering your postcode here. 

The scheme runs until 31st March. You’ll get £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather until 31 March. 

After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. 

These payments do not affect your other benefits.

Further Reading.

Are you eligible for this benefit this winter? 

Apply for £1500 Energy Support Fund

What to do if you can’t pay your energy bill?

The post Cold Weather Payment Available Due Impending to Freeze appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas

Cashback sites: Earn money for clicks. 

We have been talking about cashback sites for years. Often a useful way to make some extra money, we are shocked by how many of our readers still don’t use them. One of our team uses them to do her full Christmas shop and the credit she uses to buy gifts. So this is real money.

The idea of a cashback site, is to get cash reward when you click through from them to buy goods or financial products. 

Websites such as Quidco and  Curve offer cashback on a variety of goods and services, from mobile phones to car insurance and bank accounts to broadband. 

You can be paid cash from some websites when you spend with them, and potentially make £100s a year. They work by sending you to the company through a cashback site, which you then get paid for. You can make as little as sums range from pennies for groceries and small purchases to over £100 for some mobile and broadband contracts. 

SOME EXAMPLES OF CASHBACK SITEs we can personally vouch for 

Top Cashback is free to use: it also offers a premium version which, if you sign up, will charge up to £5 of what you earn each year and boasts thousands of high street names as well as smaller online sellers. They say you can earn up to £345 cashback per year, which you can withdraw straight into your bank account, Paypal or load up onto gift cards.  

Quidco is also a free service, this time offering a premium version which costs £1 of your monthly earnings: again, it offers work with thousands of popular and lesser-known retailers. As with Top Cashback, you can withdraw the money into your bank account, Paypal or convert it into gift cards, and the average earning reported is £300 a year. 

Rakuten is a newer cashback site. They have 500 retail partners and offer a free service where you can again transfer your cashback into your bank account. They also offer ‘Rakuten Points’ instead of cash back, which has extra value when buying items on their site. £1 of cashback coverts to £1.20 worth of points which you can spend on gift vouchers, movies, Rakuten TV, eBooks and audiobooks.  

CHOOSE A CASHBACK WEBSITE 

Register with one or more cashback sites. As we’ve detailed above, many sites are free to join but some charge an annual fee, sometimes for a premium version of the account which affords you more opportunities to earn cash back. 

LOOK FOR DEALS 

Search the website to see if your favourite retailers/financial services firms are offering deals on the products and services that would suit you personally. 

CLICK THROUGH 

Click the link provided by the cashback site instead of going direct: this way, you are using the cash back site as the referral source, and can earn cash back from the click. Oh, and if you’ve used the site before, make sure you DELETE YOUR INTERNET COOKIES before clicking through, so the cash back site will see that your click comes from their source. 

COMPLETE PURCHASE 

The retailer will then send the commission to your cashback site and pay a percentage of the money into your bank or PayPal account. With many of these sites, you could need to reach a cashback threshold before you can withdraw funds: each site has their own rules, so check before you use them. 

MAXIMISING CASHBACK SITES 

CASHBACK FREEBIES 

TopCashback and Quidco, as we’ve said, have offers that make you free money for completing surveys, entering prize draws or even obtaining price quotes from comparison websites. 

RECOMMEND A MATE 

A lot of cashback sites offer you a bonus if you recommend a friend by sending an email using the website’s dedicated referrals page. The email will contain a link to the cashback site with a code to confirm it was you who gave the recommendation. Remember, you won’t be rewarded yourself until the referred friend earns a certain amount of cashback themselves, so make sure to let them know they need to shop once they’ve signed up. 

LONGEVITY 

There are long-term benefits of signing up to a cash back site, for services such as internet and car insurance. The following sites for example, offer these rewards: 

• AA car insurance £15-£20 per policy 
• Asos 1.3%-6.8% of purchase’s cost 
• BT broadband £34-£97.75 per package 
• Currys 0.75%-18.75% of purchase’s cost 
• JD Sports 1.3%-17% of purchase’s cost 
• O2 mobile £5-£85 per contract 

Do check whether credit card, mobile phone or insurance providers are registered on cashback sites before entering into a contract with them.   

HOLIDAY CASHBACK 

This is a nice one: you can book your holiday through a cashback site, and there are some great deals available on flights and hotels, and then car hire, travel insurance and airport car parking.  

GIFT CARDS 

If you want to withdraw funds as a gift card with a specific retailer rather than have it put into your bank account, you will get a top-up on your cashback: there is a large list of retailers that offer gift cards. 

HIGH STREET CASHBACK 

Quidco’s ClickSnap app has a wide range of offline cashback deals, which are pretty simple: buy the product first, then upload a photo of the receipt. You can also earn offline cashback via TopCashback’s in-store cashback scheme. The cashback will automatically appear in your account whenever you buy something with the card you registered.  

CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS 

You can earn extra cashback on your online purchases by paying for your goods with a cashback credit card, which pays you back a percentage of what you spend on them. As with all credit cards, do try and pay off your balance in full at the end of the month in order to avoid interest.  

WATCH OUT FOR… 

CASHBACK WEBSITE FEES 

Some sites offer free signup or a premium site and don’t require upfront payment, but some of the lesser-known websites might charge you a fee to sign up, or require you to clock up a certain amount of cashback before you can withdraw your funds 

COOKIES 

Whenever you surf the internet, a cookie (information about the sites you visit) trail begins, so you have to make a new cookie trail between the cashback site and online retailer in order to earn the money: do this by deleting your internet cookies BUT make sure you’ve saved any important information you have stored on your computer that would normally be autofilled for you: passwords and logins, for example. 

SHOP AROUND 

Cashback sites CAN offer you better deals than elsewhere, but make sure before you sign up, because it isn’t always the case. You may get the same or an even better deal from non-cash back sites, so compare prices before you use the service. 

LATE PAYMENTS 

All of the above can mean it takes time for the money to appear in your account: it’s not always instantaneous. So if payment just isn’t turning up when you think it should, use the site’s official cashback claim link.  

A final note: if you’re starting out, Quidco or TopCashback are two of the bigger sites and are a great start if you’re thinking of getting into these cash back sites. Good luck! 

 

 

 

The post Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

How to make money ironing

So, you want to spend your spare time ironing?

Let’s just say, better you than us!

Since that’s what most people think, there’s an extremely high demand for efficient ironing services that do quality work. People will rather pay extra to outsource their laundry than iron it themselves and that’s where you come in.

If you can get your hands on some coat hangers and know your way round an ironing board, this may well be the money-maker you’ve been looking for.

Read MoneyMagpie’s quick guide to starting your own ironing business below:

• What’s involved in an ironing business?
• How do I start my own ironing service?
• Top tips for making money with ironing

 

What’s involved in an ironing business?

In order to offer a high quality ironing service, you will need the essentials: a good iron and ironing board. It’s worth investing in good quality tools – it’ll make the labour easier and there’ll be less of a chance they damage your customers’ clothes. You should also have experience ironing, even if it’s just your own garments, and know the basics, for example, different heat settings for various types of fabrics. You’ll probably want to offer your clients higher ironing standards than you do for your own clothes.

There may already be an ironing service in your vicinity with plenty of customers, so delivering the best possible results is of the utmost importance. Do some market research to check what others offer in terms of pricing, services and delivery options. Then have a think about how you can top their offer.

Starting out ironing for cash

You basically have two options:

1. Sign up with an agency,
2. Or start your own ironing business.

ironing agencies

With the first option, it’s as simple as finding the closest agency and convincing them that you’re good at ironing. You can find it online through a quick search for iron agency and the name of your area.

Different agencies provide different services – some include alterations and repairs – so find one that best suits your skills.

When you sign up with an agency, they deal with administrative aspects such as insurance, however, if you must be registered as self-employed (and the agency should tell you this), you will have to consider some income tax issues which you can read about in this article on paying tax on your extra income.

Some agencies simply put you in touch with a local customer and leave you to arrange payments yourself.

Others have clients who typically need housekeeping, cleaning and ironing work. So, they match an ironer to their client’s needs and allow the two parties to agree a price.

If you decide to  collaborate with an agency, the work is normally part-time and often flexible.

Payment ranges from hourly rates to a fee per item or a fee per pound.

In general, you can expect to earn between:

• £8 and £12 per hour
• 50p and £1 per item
• 50p and £1 per pound

Although some agencies won’t require you to drive, having wheels definitely makes your job easier. If you don’t already have a vehicle, read our article on car leasing.

starting your own business

The big advantage of running your own operation is that you get to keep all of the money! You also get to work whenever you want and pick your clients.

The downside is that you have to do all the work of advertising, invoicing, dealing with customers and so on.

However, if this doesn’t put you off, read on to see how you can get all of this going.

 

How do I start my own ironing service?

Research

Start by scouring your local paper and in-shop windows to find out how stiff the competition is. Have a quick search online too and check any local Facebook sites – people often advertise on community or neighbourhood pages.

If there’re lots of ironing services available already, there probably won’t be room for any more.

If, however, you don’t notice any, great start. There may actually be demand for your services. A good way to get your business off the ground is to start small and gradually build it as you gain more clients.

For tax purposes, it’s important that you register as self-employed within three months of working for yourself. Visit Gov.uk to find out more.

Services

Start by offering a simple ironing service and then take things from there. You can also offer seasonal services, such as special offers for school uniforms in September or polishing up people’s outfits for the wedding season.

And you can branch out. If you’re a confident sewer, for instance, your talents will definitely come in handy. You can offer mending and even washing services too.

But it’s not just about getting stuff ironed. Remember – presentation is everything. It’s common practice to return a customer’s ironing in a clear plastic bag or on hangers, so be sure to have a constant supply of these. You can ask your clients to include their own hangers when you pick up their order but make sure you have some extras on hand.

A major service that most customers appreciate, is collection and delivery. It’s acceptable to charge a small fee for this, based on the cost of fuel and time spent driving.

On the plus side, when you register as self-employed, you can claim the tax back for the costs incurred when driving to and from the customer – so keep all your petrol receipts.

Costings

The starting-out cost of an ironing gig is low but setting up a budget is an essential part of any business – and it shouldn’t take too long.

All you have to do is draw up a list of expenses – including supplies, fuel, advertising, rent etc – and work out their total. When you quote customers, ensure that you cover all these bases and also add an amount for labour. It’s a good idea to compare your prices with other businesses offering ironing services. Many people in the ironing business admit they started out charging way too little and found it hard to increase their prices later as it posed the risk of losing good clients. Make sure you’re confident your fees reflect the work you put into your business.

Advertising

There’s lots of different ways in which you can advertise your ironing business but word of mouth remains the best. So, let all your friends, family and work colleagues know that you do this and ask them to help you spread the word.

It will also help to set up a Facebook page for your business. You  can use it to post regular updates and it’s a place where your customers can share their reviews. If they’re positive, it’ll encourage others to use your services.

You can also consider advertising in shop windows, libraries, your local paper, the Yellow Pages and, eventually, even setting up your own website.

 

Top tips for making money with ironing

Running an ironing business doesn’t have to be complicated but there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Get some business cards printed cheaply with Vistaprint and hand them out at every opportunity. You could also design some simple leaflets and deliver them to houses in your neighbourhood.
• Smokers need not apply. If your customers get a whiff of cigarette smoke on their clothes you won’t be expecting any repeat business. It’s also a good idea to work away from strong cooking smells and pets (allergies).
• Ironing in the summer can be hot work so pick up a cheap fan to keep you cool while you’re working.
• Good professional indemnity insurance is a must in case you iron a hole in anyone’s designer suit. Accidents happen!
• Advertise your services on free local sites like Facebook groups, local supermarket notice boards and cheaper places like Gumtree.
• Websites such as Indeed or Totaljobs also post ironing jobs every so often so make sure you set up job alerts. Freelance sites like PeoplePerHour could also be a good way to find new clients.

Hopefully you now know everything you need to start ironing to ramp up your income. The beauty of this money making strategy is how easy and flexible it is to set up. Your ironing gig can be as small as only doing a few shirts for someone you know or it could be a proper full-time job. You can iron when kids are in bed or while watching TV. Happy ironing!

The post How to make money ironing appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

The benefits of home and pet sitting over Christmas

Is home and pet sitting for you?

Christmas is a busy time for everyone. People are visiting friends, family and loved ones, taking holidays, having extended breaks at home or even going skiing! People often find they are worried to leave their homes unattended and of course, many people need someone to watch their beloved pets.  

No one wants to feel guilty about leaving pets in kennels and boarding houses. Housesitting could be the perfect solution for you, whether you are going away or looking for a new passtime. Petsitters are in high demand too, especially with people wanting someone to take good care of their cats and dogs. 

 

What are the benefits?

There are benefits for both the housesitters and those who hire them! 

Peace of mind 

Christmas is exciting, yes, but it can also bring lots of stress and pressure. Not only are Christmas preparations expensive, but the cost of living crisis means we are all facing a plethora of extra worries. Not to mention the cold brings the chance of frozen pipes, power cuts and in some cases, extreme weather. 

Leaving pets at home is a worry enough, so knowing your furry friend is being looked after by someone who truly cares can be truly reassuring. Plus, knowing your home and treasured possessions are being kept safe is an even greater relief.  

Maintaining routines 

When a pet returns from time away, they can be out of their routine. For some owners, it can be difficult to get their cats and dogs back in the regular routines of life. Boardin can be disruptive and stressful for both owners and pets, so hiring a house sitter keeps all creatures great and small happy and stress-free. 

Home security 

Theft increases during the festive season. With the knowledge of new gifts and belongings in the house and people going to visit friends and family, thieves take their chance. Having a homesitter comes with the added benefit of higher security within the home whilst you are away. 

Not only can they ensure home security systems are kept in check, but havign someone within the house, turning lights on and off and allowing people to see someone is in the home is a deterrent. 

Make and save money 

As previously mentioned, the cost of Christmas can be extortionate. Between luxury food, presents, Christmas parties and travelling to see those special to us, the pennies can add up. The price of catteries, kennels and boarding for pets can also increase. 

Home and pet sitters who work through Homesitters Ltd can earn around £170 as a couple for a two-week homesit, plus they get reimbursed for mileage at 45p per mile and get a daily food allowance while on assignment. If Homesitters do an assignment over the festive bank holiday days, they will also receive additional pay for each of the 3 bank holiday days. 

At this expensive time of year, people welcome the money they make. They often save it for treats such lunches out or holidays. When everyone is feeling the pinch, it’s an enjoyable role that retired people can easily do to boost their finances whilst feeling like having a break. 

The post The benefits of home and pet sitting over Christmas appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Asda’s ‘Winter Warmer’ £1 Meal For Over 60’s

Asda announced that  it is  bringing back it’s popular cafe ‘winter warmer’ £1 meal deal to support the over 60’s this winter, as they continue to face increased financial pressures during the cost-living crisis.

From 1st November until the end of February, Asda are offering people aged 60 and over the chance to enjoy soup, a roll and unlimited tea and coffees for just £1 in any of Asda’s 205 cafes. The retailer first launched Winter Warmers in November 2022 for two months in a bid to support older customers who were disproportionately affected by the spiralling living costs, with 65-to-74-year-olds experiencing a £163 year-on-year drop in disposable income in August 2022. The initiative saw over 650,000 £1 soup meals served, the retailer has extended the deal until February 28^th in 2024.

The offer is available all day, every day and will run alongside the Kids eat for £1’ offer which continues to be hugely popular, with more than 2.6 million meals served since its launch in June 2022, and over 180,000 in the last four weeks alone.

The latest figures from Asda’s income tracker reveal that 40% of the lowest earning households are still experiencing negative disposable income in September, meaning that their income does not cover what they need to spend on bills and other essentials.

Kris Comerford, Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We know winter is set to be incredibly hard for thousands of pensioners as they continue to worry about how to keep themselves warm in the face of rising living costs and on a fixed income.

“Last year we served over 650,000 meals to the over 60’s in two months, by bringing the initiative back for 2023 and extending it until February we hope it will prove just as impactful across the winter months for those who need it most.”

In addition to the Winter Warmers, the Kids Eat for £1 meal deal continues to be popular with families, now serving over 2.6 million meals since it’s launch back in June 2022.

Selected Asda stores also run a ‘Community Cuppa’ campaign in our cafes by creating space for community groups who may otherwise struggle to meet due to rental costs or high energy costs. Spaces will be available on weekdays in November and December from 2pm to 6pm and all community group members who visit will receive unlimited free tea or coffee.

The post Asda’s ‘Winter Warmer’ £1 Meal For Over 60’s appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Temp Jobs This Christmas: Christmas jobs are still available!

If you need a bit of extra cash for Christmas – and who doesn’t these days – then there are loads of seasonal jobs out there.  Fancy dressing up a bit for work, then why not sign up to be a Santa or Elf helper?  Or if your tastes are a little more conventional, then retail, pubs, bars and restaurants all need help to meet the festive rush. 

It definitely is the season to be earning so happy yuletide job hunting. 

 

• Christmas jobs with Royal Mail
• Work in retail – get paid to get discounts
• Deliver catalogues and brochures
• Christmas bar work
• Sell your stuff online
• More ways to make money at Christmas
• Find Christmas jobs available near you with our tool
• What are you doing to make money this Christmas?

 

Be a postie or sorter with Royal Mail

Millions of cards and presents will be winging their way across the world in the run up to Christmas Day so no surprise, it’s the busiest time of the year for the Royal Mail and that means that they need people like you. 

Take a look at jobs.royalmailgroup.com to check out what jobs they have in your area.  At the time of writing they were looking for mail sorters, parcel delivery drivers, LGV and MGV drivers and customer service staff in a variety of places across the country. 

 

work in retail: get paid and get discounts 

There’s an added bonus to getting a job in retail, not only do you get paid an hourly rate but often there’s a pretty good staff discount too.  And that surely will go some way to help get through those Christmas tunes playing on constant repeat. 

SUPERMARKETS

Lots of supermarkets need what they call Festive Colleagues. These jobs can be really fun as you get to work in a team with people in a similar situation to yourself. There’s also all that Christmas spirit to soak up and as long as you can cope with Christmas tunes on repeat, you’re onto a winner!

Here are all the seasonal roles still available (at the time of writing):

Lidl and Aldi

Lidl and Aldi were voted the most popular supermarkets in the UK in 2023 so no surprise Aldi is hiring more than 1,000 temporary store colleagues over the Christmas period.  They have an hourly rate of £9.40 or £10.90 if you live inside the M25.  www.aldirecruitment.co.uk for more information and to apply.   

Tesco

Tesco are recruiting Festive Colleagues and hope to give applicants a bit of extra sparkle with their hourly rate of £11.02.  They have opportunities across the country and offer a variety of shift patterns.  You can sign up for job alerts or got to www.tesco-careers.com for more information.

 Sainsbury’s 

Sainsbury’s have announced 22,000 seasonal roles nationwide, including 2,000 at Argos to help them deliver a great Christmas to customers.  Temporary workers will be employed on fixed term contracts ranging from three to 12 weeks.  Visit sainsburys.jobs/christmas 

Morrisons

Morrisons too are hiring for retail, logistics and manufacturing roles across the UK.  www.morrisons.jobs 

 

John Lewis

Their Christmas advert has become one of the most anticipated on our TVs so perhaps not surprising for a company that puts so much into the festive period, their website www.jlpjobs.com says they are looking to recruit.  Whether you want to find something in sales, stock or catering, you only have to make one application on their site. 

 

Marks and Spencer

M&S has announced it will be recruiting 10,000 customer assistant roles in its stores over Christmas.  Successful applicants also get a 20% colleague discount in addition to the average hourly rate of £10.90.  jobs.marksandspencer.com 

Boots

Boots are quick to point out that while their Christmas recruitment drive may be temporary, it could lead to a permanent role later on depending on the opportunities in your area.  It’s a great confidence boost, helps you gain experience and some money in your pocket.  www.boots.jobs will help you find what roles are local to you. 

 

Amazon

Whether you are starting out in the job market or just looking to get out of the house, all of these retailers will provide training. 

With their massive warehouses a part of the UK landscape these days, Amazon are always on the lookout for staff in their distribution centres which pay, on average, £11.80 an hour or customer service roles which have an hourly rate of £12.70.  www.jobsatamazon.co.uk provides a handy search tool to see what is available in your area. 

 

Deliver catalogues and brochures

Yet another potential Christmas gig. If you don’t mind getting out and about, there’s definitely money to be made delivering catalogues and brochures over the festive season.

The great thing about this sort of work is that you can do it in your own time. Perhaps run some deliveries before going into your other job or when you have a spare moment from preparing for Christmas.

If that’s something you’d like to pursue, check out websites such as:

• Indeed
• Gumtree

And take a look at your local papers and newsagents for work opportunities.

One thing to note is that you should watch out for companies asking for cash deposits for the items you’re delivering. Avoid those because they’re likely to be scams.

Check out our article here which has a lot more information on how to get work delivering leaflets and catalogues in your area.

christmas Bar Work

Pubs and restaurants will be hoping for a bumper Christmas with office parties and celebrations and that means they need extra staff.  Check your local bars and eateries.  If you are willing to work Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve then you can expect to earn double the hourly rate of pay which will be a big boost to your finances. 

Find out how to get bar work and restaurant work in our article here.

 

Promote clubs at christmas

If you have a good network of friends and a wide social media presence, you could get paid to party by bringing in extra punters to clubs in cities all over the country.  Admittedly, they might not have too much trouble getting people through the doors at the weekend but what about those quieter Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights? 

And with added crowds they’ll need more doormen, bar staff and hosts and hostesses.  

For more tips, read our article here with info on how to make money by partying!

 

sell your stuff online

Now for some more home-based activities to help you make extra cash ahead of Christmas.

Start with selling. If you have a spare moment, why not upload all the things you don’t want to various online selling sites and use that money to buy presents. While it isn’t strictly a Christmas job, it’s a great way to make some money. You could even buy gifts on the same sites you’re selling your stuff. Very convenient!

Here on MoneyMagpie we have a whole section of our website dedicated to selling your stuff online. Just go to make money and then click on ‘sell your stuff’, you’ll be amazed at what you make money from!

 

ebay

If you really want a job that sticks closer to home then why not see what you could sell?  A good clear out could unearth loads of stuff you never use or have been meaning to get rid of. 

eBay is always a good place to start and you could even pick up some cheap gifts when you’re selling your own stuff. 

We have loads of tips on our site on how to sell your stuff so check it out and you could make a Christmas bundle.  

It’s simple to use.  Prepare your stuff, upload

More ways to make money at Christmas

 

make christmas hampers to sell

Hampers make for a thoughtful gift everyone loves but they can be pretty expensive.

That’s actually good news for you. If you’re creative, you could make hampers and sell them at car boot sales, markets and even through local independent shops. It’s something you can easily do in your spare time at home. Perhaps you could even get your kids involved in getting the hampers ready?

To help you out, we’ve put together a detailed guide including information and links to products in our article on how to make hampers to sell.

So, let your imagination run wild and make hampers using boxes, pots and even watering cans. Perhaps have a look around your house and you might find other creative containers.

So long as you know how to make things look pretty, you can use things such as:

• cosmetics and foods from pound shops
• home-made cakes and sweets
• artisan oils, spices and vinegars
• home-made cosmetics and toiletries (learn how to make them here)
• anything else that looks cool!

Get creative and whatever doesn’t sell, you can recycle as presents for your friends and family.

what are you doing to make money for christmas?

Christmas is known as a time you tend to spend more cash than usual but with a Christmas job sorted, you might just balance things out. So, make the most out of the festive season. Perhaps think of it as a great opportunity to bag yourself a great job so you really can have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Let us know in the comments below if you have come up with your own ideas for this season!

 

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The post Temp Jobs This Christmas: Christmas jobs are still available! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Make Money with online competitions

 Online competitions are an easy way to earn money from home and win free prizes with very little effort.

Making money online from the comfort of your home might sound like a dream come true, but it’s easier than you think.

Online competitions are fast, fun and free to enter, and your chances of winning big prizes are much higher than you’d imagine.

Right now there are lots of people out there snapping- up all the prizes and free cash you could be winning. But as the saying goes  – ‘you gotta be in it to win it.’

 

Read on to find our top tips on how to make money from online competitions. But first, if you sign up to the MoneyMagpie newsletter we have a genuine competition every week. 

We also offer a weekly competition on MoneyMagpie and Jasmine Birtles’ Instagram accounts. Make sure you follow us as the prizes are always fab.

All the competitions are free to enter and very easy. We have fantastic prizes like supermarket vouchers, food hampers, jewellery, hotel stays, kitchen appliances and children’s games. Sign up for free here to be in with a chance of entering.

Oh, and make sure to keep an eye on our online competition section where we have a new competition most days!

In this article you will learn how to:

• How to win online competitions
• How to win competitions in newspapers and magazines
• How to win competitions with slogans
• Warning! Warning! Warning!

 

how to win Online competitions

Online competitions are easy to enter. Since these are geared towards generating traffic, all they really want is your email address which is easy to provide.

Instagram Competitions

Instagram is a whole world of competition fun. And the prizes can be huge. Even we are in on this with weekly offerings on MoneyMagpie and Jasmine Birtles’ Instagram accounts. Make sure you follow us as the prizes are always fab.

TIPS TO help you win fab prizes in online competitions

Tip 1: Remember you MUST set up a separate email account to enter online competitions, or you’ll find your inbox clogged up with nasty spam.

Tip 2: Concentrate on reputable brands or companies like supermarkets and packets, jars or tins of food you know and regularly use. Also, check out the magazine site Goodtoknow for their regular fun competitions (mostly aimed at women and families).

Tip 3: Never pay to enter an online competition. If you like browsing through competition sites, stick to ones which offer free entry like these ones:

Pick my postcode!

Pick My Postcode (formerly Free Postcode Lottery gives away free cash every day to one of the postcodes on their list.

There’s no catch; the only downside is that you have to check each day to see if your number has come up. This increases the site’s traffic which helps them get advertising on it.

So if you keep checking the site you could win at least £20 – or £100s if it keeps rolling over!

Take a look at our article about how to make money from your postcode here.

 

gfk

For any television and radio fans, GFK Media Panel is a really easy way to win great prizes online.

Once registered, you simply complete the survey every day and give the television and radio programmes you have watched and listened to a rating.

Your opinions are used by broadcasters to shape future content. So, as well as earning some great prizes, you are also playing an exciting role in developing new content.

By filling completing the surveys, you can earn points to exchange for rewards. The surveys are quick and easy to complete, with at least one available every day.

Click here to find out more about how to win prizes from GFK Media Panel here.

 

 

the prize finder

The Prize Finder is the UK’s biggest free competitions website and offers you the chance to win cash and great prizes every day.

When you sign up, you’re automatically entered into a free draw and could win up to £500. It really is that easy.

Every day, The Prize Finder lists more free to enter competitions than anybody else, with daily opportunities to win money, cars, holidays and more. 

Click here to find out more about how to win prizes on The Prize Finder.

 

Competitions in newspapers and magazines

Newspapers and magazines run lots of competitions with some great prizes and free cash to be won every day.

These are very similar to online competitions. For the most part all you have to do is visit their website and answer a simple question, or fill out a postcard and mail it in to enter.

Again, you’ll need to register your details as the whole point of the competition for them is to generate traffic and boost subscriptions.

Tip! It’s a good idea to grab free postcards whenever you can to enter competitions where you have to send in your answer. These sort of entry-form competitions take a bit more effort – and therefore have far fewer entrants. So if you do come across them, get your answers in as you have a greater chance of winning.

Don’t be put off by the big ticket items – remember, fewer people enter these competitions believing the odds of winning are slimmer. Check out these current competition providers:

Newspapers

• Mirror
• The Guardian
• The Metro
• Daily Mail
• The Telegraph
• The Sun
• The Mirror
• The Independent
• I News

Magazines

• Marie Claire
• Glamour 
• Tesco magazine
• Stylist
• Woman
• Yours
• Cosmopolitan
• Sainsbury’s magazine
• Bella

 

How to win Slogan competitions

Think you’ve got a bit of creative genius in you? Slogan competitions are terrific for the keen comper who’s ready and willing to put in a little more effort.

Companies love to use slogan competitions as a way to market their products at low costs and encourage consumers to think positively about what they’re selling. With most slogan competitions, the sponsor company will begin by having you answer a few simple questions to determine whether or not you’re fit for the task. You may be asked to complete some part of a phrase in an ‘apt and original’ manner.

Once again, because so few people make an effort to enter, slogan competitions are a dream for the avid comper.

How YOU can create knock-your-socks-off slogans:

• CompersNews monthly newsletter publishes thousands of prize-winning slogans. Have a look at those that have won in the past to help you get an idea of the kinds of slogans that companies look for.
• Winning slogans typically have rhyme, rhythm or a pun. Go out and grab yourself a rhyming dictionary and a dictionary of English idioms at Amazon, which takes all the hassle out of creating history’s next greatest slogan!
• Remember that the point of the slogan is to advertise the product in a positive light. Your slogan should always make the product look good.
• Word limits are key! Slogans that surpass the given word limit will not be considered. Always stick to the competition rules.
• If possible, enter more than once. But be careful – don’t send in several horrible slogans. Instead, come up with two really good ideas that are different in their approach – for example one that’s clever and witty and one that’s more direct and serious. Be careful to check the terms and conditions of each competition as some specify that you can only make one entry.
• Remember – the more obscure or difficult the competition, the fewer the entrants and the better chance you have of winning.
• Join websites like Loquax and CompersNews for free details on upcoming competitions.

So, remember: set up a separate email address for any unwanted junk mail, and enter as many online competitions as you can. The more you enter, the more likely you are to win!

 

Warning, warning, warning!

scam competitions

Make sure the competition you are entering is genuine before you enter any of your personal details.

In fact, even if it is genuine, be careful how much information you give them. Most genuine competitions won’t ask for your bank details, National Insurance number or date of birth.

If you don’t know where the competition is coming from and you don’t recognise the company running it (like the MoneyMagpie competitions, magazine competitions or newspaper competitions) then err on the side of caution: don’t give them your personal information.

Nationwide found that seven in ten of us will give out all sorts of personal details in competitions where we don’t know the company offering the prize. This can be dangerous as they can use your details to commit ID theft against you.

Nationwide have produced a video on how easy it is to get people to give their personal details away. Take a look here:

cut down on the spam

If you enter an online competition you’ll be asked to include your email address. This generally means that your inbox will soon be flooded with spam – lots and lots of it. To avoid this problem all you have to do is set up a separate email account.

Try Outlook (formerly Hotmail), Yahoo or Gmail for a free email account. This can be your ‘competition account’, where everything competition related gets sent. That way your personal email account gets left alone, and you still get the chance to win big prizes. Don’t let the spam win!

Do also note that for some of these competitions you have to give your phone number. Not all these companies give you the choice of opting out of receiving marketing texts etc, so make sure you check the terms and conditions if you hate receiving them.

For genuine offers and real prizes, take a look at our competition section on the website here to find the latest great competition offers.

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