Make Money with Laser Engraving at Christmas Craft Fairs

As advanced technology becomes more affordable for crafters at home, laser engraving is an attractive hobby that could become a business. Christmas craft fairs are one of the best ways for crafters to make money – and building up stock throughout the year is easy with a laser engraving machine. Let’s take a look at what laser engraving involves and how you can make money for Christmas with it.

What Is Laser Engraving?

Why Start Now?

What Can You Make with a Creality Falcon2 Laser Cutter?

How to Choose a Laser Engraving Machine

How to Plan Ahead to Make Money at Christmas

Seasonal Ideas to Make Money All Year Around

Get a Discount on the Creality Falcon2

What Is Laser Engraving and Laser Cutting?

Previously restricted to industrial-size machines, laser engraving and laser cutting is easy to do at home. Laser cutters and engravers are multifunctional tools that enable you to create designs in a wide range of materials and even cut and build three-dimensional items.

A computer controls the machine, which uses a laser to cut or strip away layers of a material like wood or metal. When it cuts, clean pieces are created. When it strips the layers, that’s how engraving is made – the design is cut into the wood or metal, but not all the way through.

Some laser engravers also let you print a different colour on metal. This is called marking and is done by applying the marking solution in a design you want, and the heat from the laser bonds the marking solution to the metal to make the colour permanent.

Why Start Now?

Laser cutting and engraving covers the best of both worlds of crafting: creativity and speed. You can also replicate the same design over and over without variation. This means you can reliably recreate plenty of things to sell without lots of differences between each one.

Spring is a great time of year to start planning ahead on making money at seasonal craft fairs in December. Christmas fairs are the biggest sales opportunity for crafters, as it provides a high-footfall to stands with customers primed to buy. But, that means you need to have plenty of stock ready!

What Can You Make with a Laser Engraving Machine?

How long is a piece of string?! The possibilities of laser cutters and laser engraving are near endless, the only limit is your imagination.

Popular things to make include:

• Home decorations such as family name signs or wooden map art
• Acrylic or wooden planters
• Bookends
• Wedding welcome signs and personalised decorations
• Custom engraved jewellery like bracelets and necklaces
• Wooden mandalas for earrings, coasters, decor
• Personalised or unique design wooden trinket boxes
• Keyrings
• 3D puzzles
• Christmas ornaments
• Customised or seasonal rubber pads for ink stamping
• Engraving leather wallets or bookmarks

We love items that can be personalised for customers or add a little ‘something extra’ to the home. For example, you can engrave clear acrylic and place on a simple LED light stand for unique personalised lighting. If you’re selling at craft fairs, it’s a good idea to have lots of small things to sell for £5 or under, like ornaments, bookmarks, keyrings, and small trinket boxes, because these make great stocking stuffers.

However, you can also go very large and build furniture like stools and chairs and tables – which you can obviously sell for a LOT more money, too! Having a mix of small, medium, and large items for your Christmas craft fair stall will help you maximise your profits.

How to Choose a Laser Engraving Machine

One of the most important things to look out for when you buy a laser cutter or laser engraving machine is the power. They come in different wattages, such as 20W, 40W, and 60W. The higher the wattage, the more dense the materials it can cut. This means you’ll be able to make a much wider range of items.

The Creality Falcon2 is a powerful 60W machine, which means it can handle a wider variety of materials with ease. It also has an adjustment beam to 22W and 40W if you need a less powerful beam for a smaller or more delicate project.

The three in one power options allow you to create accurate and beautiful engravings and cuttings depending on your crafting needs. It’s done with a simple flick of a switch, meaning operation is simple to learn. With a 22W setting, you can cut 5mm baseboard and achieve fine engravings, the 40W power lets you cut 10mm baseboard with fast results, and the 60W is the fastest power that can easily handle 18mm baseboard for larger decorations and home furniture items.

What else should you look for?

It’s also important to look for ease of use. Things like a camera to automatically line up materials for an accurate product and air assist to make the cutting process easier are definitely must-haves to look for (and the Creality Falcon2 has both of these things).

Finally, safety is essential. Higher wattage open frame diode machines are really efficient but definitely not as safe. The Creality Falcon2 is the first 60W laser cutter with a closed frame, making it efficient AND safe to use.

How to Plan Ahead to Make Money for Christmas

So now you know what laser cutting involves, let’s take a look at your next steps to prepare to make money at Christmas fairs.

1. Learn to use your laser engraving machine

Learning a new skill takes time and practice. Don’t leave it to November to start using your machine! Read the instructions carefully and try out lots of different materials and techniques before you start to hone in on what you think you’ll make for your craft business.

2. Research projects to try

There are lots of instructional videos on YouTube which is a great place to start finding ideas. You can also research your competitors on sites like Etsy, to see what they do (and don’t) sell. You can either sell similar things at a competitive price, or look for what’s missing and choose a niche to charge more (but you may not get as many customers).

3. Experiment with different materials

Try everything out! You might find that you love working with metal but aren’t a fan of wood, or that acrylic taps into your creative side, or that leather gives you a way to tap into unknown markets.

Experimenting lets you learn what works best with different materials, so you know you’re going to sell a high quality product.

4. Decide how much you can invest

Aside from the cost of buying your machine, you’ll also have a few other costs involved to set yourself up. Materials, fees for stalls or online platform fees, and things like gift tags and bags for when you sell at craft fairs will all cost. Decide on a budget and stick to it: you can always boost your budget next year when this year is a success!

5. Find Christmas events to sign up to

Christmas craft fairs start advertising their seller opportunities as soon as July in some cases. Sign up to local venues (common places include town halls, racecourses, and community venues) to make sure you hear about events in good time to book a stall.

You can also find your local car boot sale for a regular stall, or look at flea markets or craft markets that are becoming popular as pop-up events throughout the year.

Remember, too, that online sales will boost your business if you can handle postage and packaging with ease. Platforms like Etsy and EBay offer great opportunities for crafters to make money all year around from their skills. You can even set up as a small business seller on Amazon!

6. Work on your pricing

Research your pricing by looking at competitors. It’s important to offer similar prices for similar products – unless someone is selling SUPER cheap, which is actually something that puts off a lot of customers because they doubt the quality of a product.

You need to make a profit, too. Add up the cost of materials and the time it takes to make a product plus at least 40% on top of that to find your price. Remember: selling crafts is a business so you’ll need to register with HMRC and report your income and expenses. Thankfully things like materials and fees for stalls can be classed as expenses.

7. Make your stock!

Now comes the fun part! Spend as much time as you can designing your products. You might want to make lots of different things or specialise in variations on just one or two items – it’s up to you.

The great thing about cutters like the Creality Falcon2 is that they’re designed for batch creating, so once you know what you want to make it is easy to produce plenty of stock.

8. Profit

Sell your stuff! It’s a good idea to look for a summer or autumn craft fair to test the water, too. Or, you could set yourself up online first to see what people like to buy and what doesn’t sell so well. This means you’ll have honed your business plan by the time you get to the Christmas selling season and hopefully you’ll see plenty of profit!

Seasonal Ideas to Make Money All Year Around

It’s not just Christmas that lets you make money with laser engraving or laser cutting, either. You can make a lot of money in the run-up to summer as wedding season kicks off, making signs, wedding favours, and personalised wedding gifts.

Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and even Thanksgiving if you want to sell internationally are all examples of how you could make seasonal gifts and decorations with your laser cutter to make your hobby into a year-round business.

Claim Your Discount on the New Creality Falcon2 Laser Engraving Machine

The Creality Falcon2 launches on 24th May and to celebrate, you can take advantage of a discount. Between 10am on 24th May 2024 and 11.59pm on 15th June, customers will receive a 15% discount when buying directly from the product page (it can’t be combined with any other discount).

Hurry though, as this only applies to the first 200 units sold globally. If you’re one of the first 100 customers, you’ll also receive a free gift worth $199, and if you’re the 101st to 200th customer your free gift is worth $50.

The best bit? One lucky customer will have their order FULLY refunded! Buy your Creality Falcon2 now to get these amazing offers.

 

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

The post Make Money with Laser Engraving at Christmas Craft Fairs appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

AI-Proof Jobs to Secure Your Financial Future

AI seems to be taking over the world – and that includes changing how we work. Many jobs can either now be done with AI or with the assistance of it, which means almost every industry has seen (or will soon see) job cuts as the need for real humans for computer-based jobs decreases. Don’t panic though – there will always be AI-proof jobs available, so it could be worth considering retraining for one of these careers to guarantee a job well into the future.

Hairdressing and Beauty Therapists

Medical Professionals

Care and Support Staff

Construction and Trades

Theatre Staff

Performers and Performance Artists

Athletes and Fitness Instructors

Security Guards

Landscapers and Horticulturalists

Police and Support Staff

Hairdressing and Beauty Therapists

A hands-on job, people will always need to have their hair cut and seek out the latest styles. It’s hard to cut your own hair well, and many people enjoy the experience of going to the salon.

To become a hairdresser, you’ll need to take some qualifications. Many can be done as an apprenticeship, so you earn while you learn on the job. The minimum you’ll need is an NVQ Level 2.

When you’re qualified, there are further things you can specialise in to earn more money. You might specialise in hair extensions, for example, or hair dying techniques, for example.

Beauty specialists are in the same boat as hairdressers: their hands-on job can’t be replaced by a computer. People will always want to look their best! Again, the minimum qualification is usually a Beauty Therapist Level 2 Apprenticeship to get started, and then you can specialise in things like fillers, semi permanent makeup, or more advanced treatments to earn more.

Medical Professionals

Whether it is a nurse, doctor, surgeon, or clinical support staff, the medical field is one of the few that will be integrating AI into various practices but cannot fully replace human jobs. AI can aid in the medical field with advanced technology for remote consultations or to map the body with scans, but the day-to-day healthcare and specialist areas such as surgery will always need staff.

How long it takes to qualify depends on what you want to do. Support staff may need GCSEs, right up to specialised surgeons who take over ten years of study to achieve their independent practice.

It helps to be good with people but being comfortable around bodily functions is probably the most important skill to get started!

Care and Support Staff

Another hands-on job, care staff will always be needed. Community carers who visit people in their homes to help with daily tasks are one example. Or care home staff or managerial positions, as well as live-in staff for residential homes to support those with physical and learning disabilities to live an independent life.

You don’t need qualifications to start out as care staff in many cases. Lots of roles will train you on the job. It helps to have first aid and health and safety certificates, to show you’re responsible and know what to do to work safely.

Some more specialised jobs will require more work experience with qualifications, such as live-in support staff. These can often be gained over a few years while you work.

Construction and Trades

Builders, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters will always be needed. AI might be helping in some area of construction but it will never fully replace people. Trades like plumbers and electricians will always be in demand, and as these areas are crying out for more people, now is a good time to consider switching careers.

You can learn on the job with apprenticeships with many roles. This is the best way to take practical skills and improve them while you train. When you’re qualified, you can then either be employed by a company or set up as a self employed tradesperson. Being self employed gives you more flexibility over when you work, the jobs you take, and what you charge. Employed roles are regular pay and you don’t have to find the work.

Theatre Staff

Here’s one that many people won’t think of. But theatres will carry on even as AI starts to take over the creative industries. More people are craving live performance, and there could be a boom in theatre attendance in coming years.

Theatre staff include front of house, such as ushers, creative roles like artistic director, and technical roles like lighting, sound, and costume.

Theatre is a tricky world to break into, and you may have to start off by volunteering with a local amateur dramatics group to get some experience. You can also study technical courses at college and university level, which opens doors for you in building networks to find work.

Performers and Performance Artists

This is a tricky one. AI is definitely encroaching on creative spaces – just look at Midjourney and DALI for the impact AI has had on digital art. However, live performance will always be something humans desire.

Musicians performing live will always beat a track made by a computer. Actors on stage (and on screen, if AI doesn’t take over totally) will always bring a more emotional performance than a computer-generated character. Artists who work across mediums will always have a space in creative places and on people’s walls at home.

You don’t need any qualifications to follow a creative endeavour. You might even want to learn more about AI to see how it can ethically be used in your art!

Athletes and Personal Trainers

There’s no way that competitions in how far the human body can be pushed will be replaced by AI! If you have a natural skill for a sport, keep going. Training to become an athlete requires total dedication and it is not for the faint of heart. But it can be highly rewarding (and when you reach the big time, sponsorships can bring in nice extra income).

If you’re not interested in becoming a competitive athlete but love health and fitness, consider personal training. While there are many ways people can get fit now such as apps and YouTube classes, some still need in-person training. This is true particularly for those new to getting fit and those specialising in improving in a sport like powerlifting or crossfit.

Security Guards

Yes, CCTV is everywhere now. Facial recognition software makes it easier to track suspects through crowds. But in-person security will always be an AI-proof job. At least in our lifetime – it’s going to be a while before robot sentinels become commonplace.

Guarding property is important for investors and for businesses. On-the-ground security staff can respond in real time to an incident rather than only reviewing CCTV after the fact. It’s not just about preventing crime, either: security staff can spot potential problems like fire hazards (or actual fire) for an immediate response that protects assets.

Landscapers and Horticulturalists

Whether you want to be a local gardener helping people with their lawns, or you want to design and maintain the greenery in public spaces, landscaping will always be required.

It’s another one of those hands-on jobs that could, in theory, be assisted with AI. But it’s an AI-proof job in real terms, as while jobs might be helped with robotic machinery to cut time or work in risky areas safely, there will always be a need for people to tackle the majority of the work.

If you’ve got a green thumb, becoming a horticultural specialist could also be your next career move. As global food supply chains change to tackle climate differences and population demand, there is also space for new jobs in advanced horticultural techniques like hydroponics.

Police and Support Staff

While some police work is computer based and will benefit from AI tools to be more efficient, it is still an AI-proof job. Unfortunately, crime will always happen. So, people will always need police officers. And police officers will always need support staff to help build a case, interview suspects and witnesses, and provide victim support.

You can become a police cadet during the ages 13 to 18, but after that will need some qualifications such as GCSEs or a Level 3 qualification. To be a police officer, you need to pass a fitness test, medical checks, and background security checks.

To become civil support staff, you will need a background check and some school qualifications. You may also be able to train on the job for more specialised work.

Some people start out as support staff by offering their services as an Appropriate Adult, too. This is a volunteer that sits in with interviews with children or vulnerable people to ensure due process is followed and that they have an advocate in the room. You don’t need a legal qualification to do this but you will need compassion and be able to support people who may have committed a crime through the interview process without judgement.

 

Can you think of more AI-proof jobs for the future? Comment below!

The post AI-Proof Jobs to Secure Your Financial Future appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

10 Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing

Updated 24th May 2024

Making money doing nothing…imagine that!

To be able to sit back, relax, put in no effort and still see the money coming in might sound like a fantasy, but there really are ways you can make money doing nothing.

Alright, we’re not promising you can earn a full-time income while you lay back on the sofa and watch TV all day, but there are ways to earn a bit of extra cash which require very little of you.

Read on for our 10 ways to make money doing nothing…

 

• Bed testing – get paid to sleep on the job!
• Get paid to queue
• Get paid to download an app 
• Make money testing food
• Make money listening to music 
• Make money house sitting
• Make money by not wasting money
• Make money waiting for deliveries 
• Make money being a friend – seriously!
• Get cashback for shopping online

 

1. Bed Testing

 

Can you imagine getting paid to sleep?

That really would be getting paid to do nothing.

And, unbelievably, some lucky so and so’s get to do just that!

Bed testers get to test out a whole range of beds, from budget to super luxury, and then report back on the night’s sleep they’ve had.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a pretty difficult job to get because of the competition for such a position, but there’s no harm in keeping your hopes up.

If you’re looking for a bed testing job and are willing to brave the competition, keep your eyes on big companies which, for whatever reason, will have/need a lot of beds. It might be a hotel chain or a superstore like John Lewis, or look out for bed making companies themselves, particularly those who supply to hotels.

It’s not impossible to become a bed tester, so why not give it a go?

Could you imagine? Well, we can always dream (although, unlike some, we won’t be getting paid for it!)

 

2. Get Paid to Queue

Have you ever been told you don’t get paid to stand around and do nothing? Well, here’s a job that actually pays you to do just that.

You can get paid to stand in queues (otherwise known as ‘line sitting’).

You’ve seen the long queues as people wait in line to be the first to get their hands on the latest Apple product, even staying the night during relentless rain.

Chances are there’s some damp soul in those queues who would rather pay someone else to be sat there.

There are also people with work or family commitments who are eager to get the latest iPhone or the newly released concert tickets but are unable to, or those who are too ill or have disabilities that make queuing for long periods impossible. These people too may be willing to pay you for queuing for them.

Whilst popular in the US, not many people are aware of ‘line sitting’ in the UK so you may have to introduce the concept whilst you’re drumming up business.

You’d be able to set your own price, either at a fixed rate or an agreed amount per hour/half hour.

For example, you could charge a fixed rate of £100, or agree on £12 an hour.

The amount you make will depend on how much people are willing to pay and how often you get the work.

Advertise your services on Fiverr, Gumtree and on any social media platform you use.

 

3. Get Paid to Download an App

 

How would you like to get a £5 Amazon voucher just for downloading an app onto your tablet or mobile?

All you have to do is keep the app active on an Android device for a week.

This is what MobileXpression offers.

It really is money for nothing. Most sites like this offer vouchers rather than hard cash, but it’s often for a universal online store like Amazon which means you can easily spend them.

If you like to earn for downloading apps you should also check out Nielsen Online Panel. You won’t get paid for downloading it, but you will be automatically entered into a monthly prize draw to win £250 – so there’s potential to make a LOT of money doing nothing.

 

4. Make Money Testing Food

 

If you’re a foodie and think you’ve got a refined sense of taste, this one could be for you. Research companies employ food testers so that they can get views on their food products.

After tasting the food you’ll be asked for your feedback – this might be as part of a focus group or you might simply just have to give it a score in a questionnaire.

You’ll get a palette cleanser in between each food sample, such as a cracker and water, so you’re ready to go for the next taste.

Tasting sessions last around an hour or two, but if you’re taking part in a focus group it may take longer.

It’s a great way to supplement your income, with the potential to earn between £5-£55 depending on whether you’re just completing a questionnaire or if you’re taking part in a focus group.

Click here to find out more about getting paid to test food.

 

5. Make Money Listening to Music

 

Another great way to make money doing nothing is to listen to music.

Ok, you have to review the music as well, but still, it’s a fun little money maker!

Slicethepie.com gives you the chance to earn money writing reviews of music produced by aspiring musicians who are trying to get their tunes out there.

It’s not a way to earn big money by any means; you’ll only be earning a few pennies per review. But if you like listening to music and giving feedback then a little bit of money is better than no money at all, right?

 

6. Make Money House Sitting

 

Imagine making money doing nothing whilst relaxing in a luxurious home. That’s what house sitting can offer.

House sitting is a growing phenomenon, many people who own more than one house are away for long periods of time for business trips.

Such people often prefer to have a trusted house sitter take care of the house than leave it at the risk of burglars or squatters.

Often it might involve pet sitting, so if you’re an animal lover then looking after an adorable pooch or feline won’t feel like work at all.

It’s not a way to earn lots of money; pay for long-term house sitting starts at £10 a day. That said, it’s a good way to save on some of your day-to-day living costs – just think of how much you could save on rent, utility bills, food etc. whilst you’re house sitting.

Click here to find out more about house sitting.

And if you want to make your own receipts, and are not doing it through a housesitting site, you can use a receipt template so it still requires little effort.

 

7. Make Money by Not Wasting Money

 

This one might sound like a cheat, but really, not wasting money is doing nothing – and you can save a lot of money by doing this.

To begin with you can try to negotiate a little more in everyday life. Over time the little savings you can make by being frugal/cheeky will really add up and, at the end of the day, why pay more than you need to?

We have a great article here on how to save money by haggling. There really are two prices in the world – one for those who negotiate, and one for those who don’t.

Equally, there are plenty of ways many of us waste money which we could easily cut down on. For example, do you really need to buy that cleaning product or do you have products in your home that will do exactly the same job?

Do you need to buy the most expensive brand, or will a discounted brand be just as nice?

Are you shopping around for things like your current account or your energy bill? Or are you just accepting the prices you’re given?

Find out more about making money by not wasting money here. 

And don’t forget to sell on and recycle things you no-longer need. For example, did you know you can get money for your old phone?

Don’t throw it away, find out how much you can make by reselling and recycling here.

Not wasting money means you can save more – and that makes your cash word hard for you. Savings rates are looking good right now, so the more you can squirrel away the better.

8. Make Money Waiting for Deliveries

 

This really is how to make money by just hanging around!

It’s similar to house sitting, but it’s an easier and quicker way to earn money than staying in someone’s home for a long period of time.

We all dread those horrible time-windows given to us by delivery companies or the plumber when you need something fixed. Sometimes you really are expected to wait in the whole day!

Well, some people are willing to pay you to sit in their house and wait instead.

Pay can actually be quite good, you can earn between £8-£10 an hour, and you really are doing nothing but waiting! It’s ideal for people who can work remotely from a laptop or for students looking for some extra cash,

Look out for potential jobs – or advertise your sit-in business – on places like NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace and even Gumtree.

 

9. Make Money Being a Friend

 

Yep, you really can earn money being a friend.

Sometimes, people want to be shown around a new area, while others want someone to go to the movies with. Some want a workout buddy and some people even want a wingman!

To get started you should sign yourself up to Rent a Friend.

You don’t have to pay anything, only people looking for a friend have to pay to sign-up.

If someone likes your profile and wants you to be their friend, you can charge £5-£30 an hour for your time, so there is good money to be made.

It’s a really good way to make money doing nothing!

Click here to find out more about making money being a friend.

If you have a caring personality, you can also look for local befriending services. These pay you to visit people in their homes to provide company for a few hours a week, and you might help with a few basic chores like the washing up or making lunch. You could also be asked to run errands for people, like taking them to hospital appointments.

10. Get Cashback

 

Cashback sites are such an easy and straightforward way to make money. By joining a cashback site, you’ll get a bit of money back on everything you buy.

All you have to do is sign-up (absolutely free) and shop through the cashback site’s portal. It’s exactly the same as online shopping any other way, but they’ll be able to track where you make your purchase so both they and you can get paid for it.

Two of our favourite cashback sites are Top CashBack and Quidco, both of which are absolutely free to join. If you know a friend who already uses cashback sites, remember to ask them to refer you and you’ll often both get a bonus for your sign up!

You really are getting money just for shopping as normal – why wouldn’t you sign up?

Read more about cashback sites here.

 

 

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

The post 10 Ways to Make Money Doing Nothing appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Top Ways to Win Money Online – That ARE NOT Gambling

Win money online. At MoneyMagpie we have a strict no gambling policy – we won’t work with any gambling sites. Therefore, when we write about making money online, it’s strictly not going to be casinos or anything that is a risk to you spending more than you have.

You will be pleased to know that there are however lots of opportunities that we can suggest. So read on to find out our top 5 suggestions to help you win money. (NB. Some do have a small cost).

 

Sign up to Good Life+

Good Life+ are currently offering a one week trial FOR FREE to be entered into their incredible daily prize draws. Good Life+ also offer a whole host of perks – from monthly free movies, to incredible deals in thousands of restaurants (many of which are 2 for 1) – you not only never need to pay full price for a meal again, but you also get entered into the daily prize draw to win some absolutely amazing prizes. Plus, best of all – a portion of the money you pay for your subscription goes to an array of worthy causes.

To be a member of Good Life + you can get a 35% discount from their  Platinum package at 12.99 per month – but you can make that money back in food deals alone.

 

Sell competition prizes for cash

Online competitions are an easy way to earn money from home and win free prizes with very little effort. If you don’t want them, they are also a way you can technically “win” some cash – by simply selling them on. 

Entering can be fast and fun and your chances of winning big prizes are much higher than you’d imagine, especially when you subscribe to Good Life+. They offer an amazing array of competition prizes and they run daily giveaways: With prizes from cars to experiences to cash, there is a lot of opportunity to make a bit of money. 

If you do win, but don’t want the prize you win, you could always sell it on, making your prize a cash one. 

To do this, follow the best market for the prize, whether it be eBay, Facebook, private sale or auction – MoneyMagpie offers plenty of ways to help you sell absolutely anything. Obviously always check T&Cs of any competition to double check you are allowed. 

 

Cashback

Another oldie but a goodie is shopping through cashback sites. Most offer a small sign up fee and then you basically get a bit of money back, every time you spend some. Follow our guide to find out the best ones here.

 

Do Surveys and Win Cash

We are a big fan of doing surveys online at MoneyMagpie. 

If you have some free time in your lunch break or a spare half an hour in the evenings, why not fill in a few online surveys for money?

Paid surveys are simple, effective ways to make some cash, and some online surveys even let you win prizes.  

Whilst doing online surveys for money won’t provide you with a steady, substantial income, paid surveys are a great way to make cash for very little effort. Lots of our readers find the best paid online surveys are the ones they can put towards the bill for their summer holiday – not bad coming from the odd half an hour in front of a computer.

Many providers also enter you into a rolling prize draw for holidays, amenities or even cash. 

Check out our guide for the best free surveys here.

 

Charity Raffles

Lots of charities make your donations count. So if you are a fan of doing good and want to give back with your winning then charities often offer raffles and cash prizes for the price of a raffle ticket. Whilst this could be seen as gambling,  it is technically “giving to charity” and not purely about the prize. Two charities that do this regularly are British Heart Foundation and Age UK. 

However for this feel good factor Good Life+ also give back. Every month some of your sponsorship money goes to backing British athletes, so whilst you are doing good, you can also be winning prizes. 

 

This post is sponsored by Good Life+

You must be over 18 to enter. If you are under 18 your ticket will be void and refunded.

Their prize draws are in no way sponsored or endorsed by Facebook or Instagram.

Draws will be made using independent verification software, all ticket numbers will be entered and the number drawn will be matched with the numbers on the entries to determine the winner of each prize draw. In some draws where stated, an independent verification company will be used.

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

 

 

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How to Make Swift Money: The Power of Swiftonomics

She’s everywhere and we all know her name: Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names on the planet and a HUGE global celebrity. So much so that there’s a new term – Swiftonomics – that describes the phenomenon for her impact on local economies (and beyond) wherever she goes on tour. Let’s dive in to learn more about this fascinating financial bubble – and see how you could make money from being near a town on the Swift tour.

Swiftonomics Explained

Make Swift Money: Rent a Room

Make Swift Money: Rent Your Driveway

Make Swift Money: Make Friendship Bracelets

Offer to Pet Sit

Make Swift Money: Get Social

Make Swift Money: Grab a Promotional Job

 

Swiftonomics Explained

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is already a billion-dollar tour: with an average audience of 72,000 each performance, that’s around $17million EVERY PERFORMANCE. Over 4.3million tickets have already been sold in the US since the start of the tour – and now she’s going worldwide. Now, of course most of that is profit for the venue and for Taylor Swift – but the knock-on effect of sellout events at venues with tens of thousands of people has a macro-impact on the local economy around each stadium.

There will be an estimated $5bn (yes, BILLION) of consumer spending worldwide thanks to Taylor’s tour. This covers everything from hotels to taxis and other transportation, to restaurants and hospitality venues, even to merchandise. When Swift comes to town, the local economy booms.

This isn’t an entirely new thing – the Rolling Stones used to be ‘the only show in town’ with everyone talking about it, hotels fully booked, and the local hospitality industry thriving. But in today’s world of social media, the megastars are truly huge – it’s not just Taylor, either. The Beyonce Effect is credited with a noticeable and traceable 9.7% boost to Sweden’s economy in May 2023.

So, how can you make the most of being near to a Taylor venue in the coming months?

Make Swift Money: Rent a Room (Or Your Whole House)

Accommodation is at an absolute premium for Taylor Swift tour locations, and you can benefit from it. Whether you want to offer your spare room to a couple of people or can escape elsewhere to let them hire your whole house for a few days, it’s one of the quickest ways to make a LOT of money.

Even better, doing this when you live in a stadium town (or an area with a large concert venue) means you could rent your room or house on a regular basis whenever a big-name star comes to play or a sporting fixture is on. Platforms such as Air BnB are the obvious route for anyone planning to regularly rent out their space for concert goers, but if you want to start off with just the Swifties then it’s worth promoting on your social media platforms to let friends and friends of friends know that you have a space available.

There are some risks to renting out your whole house – you won’t be able to control noise or damages – but you can get a much higher fee for doing so. Advertising through a platform like Air BnB or Booking.com also gives you some protections from difficult customers. The flip side of this is staying in the house and renting out rooms – you need to put up with disruption to your usual routine, but can ensure your guests are well-behaved. There is a security issue letting strangers into your home, so secure valuables out of sight and try to not be alone in the house with your new guests.

Rent Your Driveway

Parking is always at a premium in cities anyway, and prices easily bump up when a popular act like Taylor Swift sells out the biggest venue in the area. Make the most of it and rent out your parking space for some quick cash!

Use a platform like JustPark or Park Let to promote your parking space. These platforms take a small fee of a booking, but make it really easy to reach thousands of people looking for parking in your area. Again, this is particularly ideal if you have a spare space and live near to a stadium as you could make cash every time someone big comes to perform. Check the rates for parking closest to the stadium, by hour and overnight, and set yours a little lower to make sure you look like a good deal!

Make Friendship Bracelets

This is a very specific Swift money maker! Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) will make and exchange friendship bracelets with each other at her concerts – even with people they’ve only just met! But for those who haven’t had the time, a last-minute option to buy some friendship bracelets will be a lifesaver for them.

Friendship bracelets aren’t too time intensive and the raw materials (usually cotton thread and alphabet beads) isn’t expensive either. You can make a LOT of bracelets with a small amount of thread, and add any beads or buttons you have stashed in your craft collection.

When you’ve made them, promote on a platform like Etsy or eBay, as well as on your local NextDoor and Facebook groups. If you’re really savvy, talk to local businesses near to the venue to see if they’ll let you sell from their premises if you give them a small percentage – or see if a restaurant or pub want to run an offer giving free Swiftie bracelets away on the night to each customer and buy from you in bulk!

You could also find ways to make other related Swift merch but be VERY careful about breaching any copyright (for example, don’t use her image or artwork from her album on anything). You can, however, use words – so making banners for people to hold up at the event, or tote bags that refer to being a Swiftie from (X town you live in) are a couple of ideas to start with that could make you money without getting you tangled in copyright infringement cases.

Offer to Pet Sit

Of course, Swiftonomics isn’t just about the increase in visitors to a town where she is playing – there are loads of fans who live near you, too! You could make an easy £20-£50 for a night of pet sitting in your local area. The amount depends on how many pets and the time needed – a cat that needs to have a quick visit and be fed might be £10 while two large dogs in need of an evening walk and sofa cuddles while their owners are out could be £50.

Post on your local online groups like NextDoor and Facebook groups to find out if people need your services. If you can put in some leg work, you might find you can manage a few pets in one night – visiting three cats for a feed and litter check, plus walking a couple of dogs, for example. If you want to be a sitter more regularly, check out our article on how to become a pet sitter and make extra money while enjoying the benefits of being around animals.

Get Social

Make the most of a true phenomenon coming to town and get busy on your social media. Follow the crowds, interview them, find out what they’re most excited about – and find the most dedicated Swift fan in the crowd. This is particularly ideal if you’re a social media influencer (or want to be one) making money from your social content, because it’s the type of video and photo media that could quickly go viral.

If you want to be a TV presenter, it’s a great calling card to practice your interview skills, too! And local TV and newspapers will also be on the lookout for unique photos and clips of the huge event that is a Taylor Swift circus (and the Swift fandom) which could net you some cash, too.

Find a Promotional Job

You’re not the only one who wants to make the most of Swiftonomics and earn extra cash while she is in town! Your local restaurants, pubs, bars, and shops will want to take advantage of the huge increase in footfall. Offer your services for temporary promotional staff – handing out flyers with exclusive offers, posting on local social media about deals, and helping businesses tap into the Swift crowds.

These are just some of the ways you could make money with Swiftonomics – can you think of any others? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section!

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Ten £50k+ Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree

Whether you’re thinking of switching careers or you’re right at the start of your working life, knowing whether you need a degree for a job or not can impact whether you follow your dreams. Degrees are expensive! We’ve found a bunch of jobs that you can earn £50k or more without needing a degree.

Recruitment Consultant

Estate Agent

Talent Agent

Airline Pilot

Personal Trainer

Train Driver

Life Coach

Social Media Influencer

Fisherman

Cyber Security Consultant

 

Recruitment Consultant

If you’re a people person with a knack for sales, this could be the job for you. Helping others find a job can be rewarding work, but you need to be tenacious and outgoing. There is a lot of outreach – contacting employers to see if they want to use your services and contacting jobseekers to match them to jobs – but once you establish a reputation and good employer client base, it’s a steady way to a salary over £50k.

Junior consultants will start on a low base salary, around £22,000 – but commission is added on top of that, with bonuses if you hit targets, too. There are different types of consultants – you might specialise in a certain field of work (like IT, marketing, manufacturing, human resources etc) for permanent jobs, or you could place ‘bank’ staff for medical and care settings. There are pros and cons to both – the first is a longer game, as the process for hiring is longer for each role so it can take some time to get the commission. However, commission is higher. With bank staff recruitment, you’ll build a relationship with jobseekers who regularly want extra shifts, as well as care homes or nursing departments that often need holiday cover etc. The turnover is very fast with this type of job, but the commission is much smaller. Both will net you around the same commission overall but require different skills. Long-term roles are about people skills while bank recruitment is about speed and network (who can you call to cover a shift right now, today?).

Estate Agent

Yes, estate agents might have a bit of a reputation but in reality it can be a highly rewarding job. You’ll work with lots of people and get to see a whole range of life – no day is the same. Some estate agents specialise in either rentals or sales, while others will do both.

An average starting salary is £25,000 plus commission on every sale or rental agreement. The average salary in the UK for an estate agent is around £35,000 plus commission which can easily take you above £50,000 a year. You don’t need a degree, but you can learn on the job with a trainee position.

You will need to have a good memory, as each property will have all sorts of information to remember. It’s also important that you understand people’s likes and dislikes easily – there is no point showing someone a 3 bed house on the outskirts of town when they want a three bed flat in the city centre!

Another type of estate agent is one that deals with commercial properties – this could be anything from a single office to a massive multi-storey building. Specialising in commercial tenancies can be very lucrative, especially in cities where space is at a premium for companies, so if you have hustle abilities it could be the best route to consider.

 

Talent Agent

Ever wondered how actors get cast? Talent agents are the people behind creative talent like actors, directors, writers and even producers. It’s their job to ‘sell’ their client to get them work, and then they receive a commission from that client’s pay for the job.

When you’re starting out, you’ll be a talent agent assistant for a few years on a lower salary between £21,000 – £27,000, so you can learn the trade and build a network of contacts. When you move up to becoming a talent agent with your own clients, your salary will be around £30,000 – £40,000 base before commission. It’s a lot of networking and outreach (if you like going to the theatre several nights a week to spot new talent this could be for you!).

You need to absolutely love theatre, TV, and film, and have a good eye for talent. You need to be a salesperson but, more importantly, a people person: these industries work very much on ‘who knows who’ so if you’re a fan of schmoozing at events it could be ideal for you. There are long hours and often nitty gritty contracts to sort out (with help of your business affairs team), and you’re often on-call seven days a week. But you’ll earn at least 10% of every paycheck of every client – so when you have one or two earning upwards of six figures, it’s easy to see how you can earn a lot as a talent agent.

 

Airline Pilot

This is a highly desirable job but you will need a head for numbers and be willing to work all kinds of shifts. Pilots start out on a salary around £25,000 but will very quickly rise once training is complete to well over £50,000. In fact, most airline pilots earn at least £80,000 a year with senior training captains earning in excess of £120,000 a year.

You don’t need a degree to become an airline pilot (although there are degrees you can take). You will need a high standard of A-Level education, be medically fit, and be prepared to either pay a lot for training for your commercial pilot’s licence or take on debt to do so. Some companies will offer a low starting salary to offset the training fees.

Airline pilots can be long haul (over 8 hour flights) or short haul, or even private charter jets (though this tends to be a route for experienced commercial pilots to move to after a few years on the airlines). The hours can be any time of day, any day of the week, but you shouldn’t do more than 60 hours in a working week. You can also often sell your time off to make extra money, as long as it doesn’t go over the maximum hours in the week. It’s a physically demanding job and can take a few years to pay off the training – BUT – the salary rises very quickly and you get to see the world!

Personal Trainer

You don’t HAVE to have qualifications as a personal trainer but it is definitely recommended to take some in your field of interest. This will help you advise clients on how to get fit safely and help you get a salaried role at a gym or wellness centre. The minimum qualification for this would be a CIMPSA approved Level Three Diploma in Personal Training.

A personal trainer helps other people get fit or achieve their athletic goals. Some will also be nutritionists and advise on their clients’ diet and lifestyle for a more holistic approach. Some will specialise, such as training powerlifters or working with people with medical conditions, while others are more general. Personal trainers are usually self-employed. Personal trainers in employed positions start at around £27,000 a year moving to £35,000 in the first few years and over £50,000 after that. Self employed trainers have more control over what they can charge, but will need to be more flexible and usually invest in some equipment too.

You will need to have an interest in health and fitness yourself, and be able to find ways to motivate people based on their needs. Some people prefer a ‘drill sergeant’ approach to motivate them while others like positive reinforcement.

Train Driver

Keep the country moving by becoming a train driver! Starting salaries during training are around £24,000 – £26,000 a year but the average salary for a train driver is £57,000 according to Glassdoor and you could earn beyond into around £70,000 after a number of years.

You don’t need a degree to become a train driver but you will need some GCSEs (or equivalent) of A-C grades for maths and  English. Many people start out as a train conductor and apply from there to become a driver. Training takes place on the job and will take between 12-24 months to complete.

When you have gained experience, you can also move into related careers such as training new drivers, train driver or staff management, or similar roles, which come with higher salaries.

Life Coach

A life coach is not a therapist or a counsellor. They use their skills to help people find their own strengths and weaknesses, and guide them through big decisions in their life such as changing careers or building their own business.

You don’t need to have any qualifications to set yourself up as a life coach, but you can charge more and also gain client trust in your service by having them. A qualification in counselling is helpful, and you can find other professionally-accredited courses through CIPD.

Some life coaches have a professional business-centred approach, while others are more holistic and focus on the individual’s personal goals. It’s a self-employed position, so how much you earn depends on how much you charge! You need to consider how many hours a week you can give to clients, how many hours a week you need to market your service, and what value you can bring to people. To earn over £50,000 a year (pre tax) as a self-employed life coach, you will need to earn an average of £1,000 a week, assuming you take a week off over Christmas and in the summer. That’s £200 a day – so if you charge £50 an hour, that’s four hours of contact time a day. Remember that, being self-employed, you’re not paid for the work you do behind the scenes, only for client time, so factor that in to your calculations. (So, for example, you could do four hours in the morning on building your coaching business and four hours of client time in the afternoon to reach your minimum daily target of £200).

Social Media Influencer

We couldn’t do a list of degree-less jobs without putting this on here! How much you can earn as a social media influencer is really a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ question. However, when you’ve built an audience and can start getting sponsors to pay for your posts, it can quickly rack up to thousands of pounds.

If you have 500,000 followers on Instagram (for a dream example), you can easily earn over £10,000 for one promotional post. That’s a couple of hours’ work!

Of course, it takes a lot of time to make money on social media, and you need to be able to have the confidence to host a channel as well as the time and creative energy to make new content every week. But, if it really appeals to you, you could earn literally millions of pounds.

Fisherman

Did you know there are 400 harbours in the UK that have fishing vessels sailing in and out of them every day? If you’re after a physical job that comes with some danger but high reward potential, a role as a fisherman might be for you. You’ll start out as a junior deckhand as you learn everything that’s needed to operate a safe environment on a vessel, and progress from there.

You don’t need a degree but you will need at least basic safety training. You’ll also need to have a good level of fitness as it is a very physically demanding job, and be prepared to work in all weathers (and not get seasick).

The average salary for a commercial fisherman in the UK is £52,000, but the starting salary for a deckhand will be lower at around £22,000. When you are an experienced fisherman, you can apply for your captain’s licence to run your own vessel and salaries then become much higher above £70,000 or more.

Cyber Security Consultant

As our world operates almost entirely online in some way or other these days, cyber security specialists are in high demand and £50k jobs are easy to find if you’re skilled at it. You don’t need a degree but you do need a solid understanding of computers, computer languages, and security issues. You can look for an apprenticeship to train on the job, with employers as varied as the British Army to BT to Microsoft and beyond. You can also take courses such as the Ethical Hacker course or become a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) to boost your career prospects.

Another benefit of training as a cyber security consultant is that computers are international – and so you could work internationally, too. This gives you access to working for some of the biggest names in IT such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, either at an international office or even remotely.

This is one of the roles with a high starting salary – around £40,000 – because of the highly technical nature of the work. You will quickly rise beyond that, with an average salary of £55,000 in a year or two and £80,000 or more with a few years’ experience.

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FREE National Trust Family Pass Worth £50

Updated 1st May 2024

Fancy getting your hands of a free National Trust ticket?

Following on from a hugely successful autumn pass giveaway in 2023, the National Trust once again have FREE family passes available.

You can currently get free entry to National Trust sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For a limited time, you can nab a free ticket, which allows entry to a huge number of historical and interesting sites for you and the family. All you need to do is sign up via the Daily Mirror here and you’ll get your pass emailed to you.

The best part? The ticket allows for up to two adults and four children to enter a National Trust site for free. Yes, you read that correctly. You can get free entry for six people. Adults, of course, are those aged 18 years and over, and children count as those aged between five and 17 years old. Those under the age of five get free entry to National Trust properties anyway. 

Make sure you double check the website of the property you are going to in advance, as some of them require you to book prior to the date of your visit. If you do not book for certain properties, you may not be guaranteed entry. 

There are also some exclusions, and some National Trust venues are not included in the promotion. You can see all the exclusions here. Make sure to double-check the list prior to arriving to avoid having to pay for a ticket! 

You can get your free ticket now and use it anytime up to Friday 14th June 2024.

Tickets are limited, however. The offer will continue on until the number of allocated tickets have been claimed, or until 15th May 2-24, whichever is sooner. Get your ticket here. 

The tickets are valid Monday to Sunday, so you can enjoy your visit any day of the week, but not Bank Holiday weekends. The pass can also be used within any of the advertised opening hours for the property you want to visit. However, some sites may have parking charges, which you will still need to pay. The ticket covers entry to the site only. 

The tickets are not valid at external National Trust events where an additional entry fee is required, and the tickets are not valid in conjunction with any other offer. You can read the full T&Cs here. 

So, whether you fancy Castle Ward, a unique 18th-century mansion in Downpatrick, County Down or want to roam freely in an ancient royal hunting forest such as Hatfield Forest in Essex, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy. 

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