How to Make Money Selling Homemade Jam and Chutney

Love making jam, chutney or marmalade? Your kitchen hobby could become a profitable side hustle — but only if you do it properly.

Homemade preserves are brilliant small-business products. They are relatively low-cost to make, easy to batch-produce, attractive as gifts and ideal for selling at markets, online, through social media or via local farm shops and delis.

But because you are selling food, there are legal and safety rules to follow. This guide explains how to start selling homemade jams and chutneys in the UK, including registration, food hygiene, labelling, pricing and where to sell.

At a glance

• You can sell homemade jam and chutney from home in the UK, but you usually need to register as a food business.
• You should register with your local authority at least 28 days before trading.
• Your jars need compliant labels, including ingredients, allergens, best-before date, net weight and business details.
• Pricing must include jars, labels, energy, market fees, packaging and your time — not just ingredients.
• Start with one or two products, sell locally first, then scale once you know what works.

Can you make money selling homemade jam and chutney?

Yes. Selling homemade preserves can be a very good side hustle, especially if you enjoy cooking, have access to seasonal fruit or vegetables, and like the idea of building a small food brand.

A jar of homemade jam or chutney might sell for around £3.50 to £6.50, depending on the ingredients, jar size, branding and where it is sold. Premium flavours, local ingredients and gift sets can often command more.

The key is margin. A jar that costs £1.50 to make and sells for £5 gives you room for profit. A jar that costs £3.20 to make and sells for £4.50 leaves very little once you include time, packaging and fees.

Why jams and chutneys work well as a side hustle

Jams, chutneys and preserves are popular because they are familiar, giftable and easy to sell in small batches. You do not need to launch with a huge product range or expensive premises. Many small sellers start from a domestic kitchen, provided it is suitable and they follow food safety rules.

They also suit seasonal selling. Think strawberry jam in summer, blackberry and apple jam in autumn, and spiced chutney gift sets at Christmas.

How to get started in 10 steps

1. Choose one or two products. Start with a simple range, such as one jam and one chutney.
2. Cost each recipe. Include fruit, sugar, vinegar, spices, jars, lids, labels, energy, packaging and your time.
3. Standardise your recipe. Write down exact weights, timings, temperatures and jar yield.
4. Register your food business. Do this with your local authority at least 28 days before selling.
5. Prepare your kitchen. Set up cleaning routines, safe storage, pest control and food-safe working areas.
6. Create food safety paperwork. Keep batch sheets, supplier records, cleaning logs and allergen notes.
7. Take food hygiene training. A Level 2 Food Hygiene/Food Safety course is a sensible starting point.
8. Design compliant labels. Include the food name, ingredients, allergens, best-before date, net weight and business details.
9. Pick your first sales channel. Try markets, local shops, social media, Etsy or your own website.
10. Launch small and improve. Sell a test batch, collect feedback, adjust pricing and scale your bestsellers.

The legal basics of selling jam and chutney in the UK

1. Register as a food business

If you prepare, store, handle or sell food, you will usually need to register your food business with your local authority. This applies whether you sell from home, online, at markets, through social media or to local shops.

Registration is generally free and should be done at least 28 days before you start trading.

2. Make sure your home kitchen is suitable

You do not necessarily need a commercial kitchen to start. However, your domestic kitchen must be clean, organised and suitable for producing food safely.

You should think about washable surfaces, handwashing, ingredient storage, keeping pets away during production, pest control, cleaning routines and safe storage for finished jars.

3. Follow food safety rules

When you sell food, you are responsible for making sure it is safe to eat. For jam and chutney, this includes using safe recipes, clean jars and lids, proper sterilising methods, reliable batch records and suitable storage instructions.

Be especially careful with low-sugar recipes, unusual ingredients or anything where the acidity, sugar level or shelf life may not be straightforward.

4. Keep basic food safety records

A small food business should have a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. In plain English, this means you should know what could go wrong and how you prevent it.

Keep records of:

• ingredients and suppliers
• batch dates
• recipe quantities
• jar numbers or batch codes
• cleaning routines
• allergens
• where batches were sold

5. Label your jars correctly

Pre-packed jars usually need a clear label including:

• name of the food
• ingredients list in descending weight order
• allergen information clearly emphasised
• best-before date
• net weight
• storage instructions where needed
• business name and address
• batch or lot information

If you describe a product as jam, jelly or marmalade, be aware that those names have specific compositional and labelling rules. For example, jam labels may need fruit and sugar content statements.

Important legal note

Food rules can vary depending on what you sell, how you package it and where in the UK you are based. Always check with your local authority or environmental health team before launching.

What equipment do you need?

You can start small, but you will need reliable, clean equipment. Useful basics include:

• large preserving pan or heavy stock pot
• digital scales
• jam funnel
• ladle
• sugar thermometer or digital probe thermometer
• glass jars and new lids
• labels
• cleaning products suitable for food preparation areas
• storage boxes or shelving
• batch record spreadsheet or notebook

Best jam and chutney ideas to sell

Do not launch with too many flavours. A small, strong range is easier to make, label, price and sell.

Good beginner jam ideas

• strawberry jam
• raspberry jam
• blackberry and apple jam
• rhubarb and ginger jam
• chilli jam

Good beginner chutney ideas

• caramelised onion chutney
• tomato chutney
• apple chutney
• mango chutney
• spiced Christmas chutney

How to price homemade jam and chutney

Many new sellers undercharge because they only count ingredients. You must include every cost.

Your price should cover:

• ingredients
• jars and lids
• labels
• tamper seals or tags
• energy
• cleaning products
• market stall fees
• card payment fees
• website or marketplace fees
• postage and packaging
• your time

Simple pricing example

Imagine one batch makes 12 jars of chutney.

• Ingredients: £11
• Jars and lids: £8.40
• Labels and seals: £3.60
• Energy and cleaning: £2
• Market/overhead allowance: £3

Total batch cost: £28

Cost per jar: £2.33

If you sell each jar for £4.95, turnover is £59.40 and gross margin before wider business costs is £31.40.

Where to sell homemade jam and chutney

Farmers’ markets and craft fairs

Markets are one of the easiest places to start. You get instant feedback, can offer samples where permitted, and can sell gift sets face to face.

Local shops and delis

Farm shops, independent delis, butchers, bakeries and gift shops may be open to stocking local preserves. Take samples, a price list and clear product information.

Social media

Instagram, Facebook and local community groups can work well for seasonal launches, limited batches and local delivery.

Etsy and online marketplaces

Marketplaces can work for gift sets, but fees and postage costs must be built into your pricing.

Your own website

A website is best for long-term brand building. It gives you control over your product pages, email list, SEO and repeat customers.

How to make your products stand out

Good branding makes a homemade product feel professional and giftable. Focus on clear labels, consistent jars, attractive photography and flavour names that people understand.

For example, “Spiced Plum Christmas Chutney” is clearer than “Winter Warmer”. You can still add personality in the description.

Do you need insurance?

Product liability and public liability insurance are strongly recommended when selling food. Some markets and retailers may require proof of insurance before allowing you to trade.

Do you need to tell HMRC?

If you are selling regularly and making money, keep proper records of income and expenses. Depending on your earnings and circumstances, you may need to register as self-employed and declare your income to HMRC.

Common mistakes to avoid

• pricing too cheaply
• launching too many flavours
• guessing shelf life
• forgetting allergen labelling
• not registering as a food business
• using inconsistent recipes
• failing to keep batch records
• ignoring postage and packaging costs

Is selling jam and chutney worth it?

Yes — if you enjoy making preserves and are prepared to treat it like a real food business.

Start with a small range, register properly, label your jars correctly and price for profit. Then test your products at local markets, through social media or with independent shops.

It may begin with a few jars on a kitchen table, but with the right systems and branding, homemade jam and chutney can become a reliable long-term side hustle.

FAQs

Can I sell homemade jam from home in the UK?

Yes, but you will usually need to register as a food business with your local authority and make sure your kitchen and processes are suitable for producing food safely.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate to sell jam?

You need to understand food hygiene and handle food safely. A Level 2 Food Hygiene/Food Safety course is a sensible and inexpensive way to show you have basic training.

Do I need to register with the council to sell chutney?

Usually yes. If you are preparing or selling food, you should register with your local authority at least 28 days before trading.

What needs to go on a homemade jam label?

Your label will usually need the food name, ingredients list, allergens, best-before date, net weight, storage instructions where needed, business name and address, and batch information.

Can I sell jam on Facebook or Etsy?

Yes, but online selling still counts as selling food. You must follow food business registration, food safety and labelling rules.

How much should I charge for homemade jam?

Many small sellers charge around £3.50 to £6.50 per jar, depending on ingredients, size, packaging and sales channel. Always calculate your real cost per jar before setting your price.

Read about how to set up a cake shed here. 

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Weird Ways to Make Money: Yes, You Can Get Paid to Insult People Online

Fancy getting paid for being sarcastic? Believe it or not, people are handing over real money to be roasted, mocked and hilariously insulted online.

We love sharing weird and unusual side hustles with you and this is no different. From personalised video takedowns to comedy roast requests, there is a growing market for creators who can deliver witty banter on demand and literally get paid to insult people. While it sounds ridiculous, some people have turned roasting strangers into a genuine side hustle.

And no, we are not talking about trolling.

We are talking about customers who actively pay for custom insults, funny reality checks and personalised comedy content.

Here is how the bizarre business works, and how you could make money from it.

In This Article

• Why people pay to be insulted
• Where to find paying customers
• How much money you can make
• The rules you need to follow
• Tips for becoming a successful roast creator

Yes, People Really Pay For This

Starter: £20 to £100 per month

Part-time creator: £100 to £500 per month

Established creator: £500+ per month

The more entertaining and shareable your content becomes, the more opportunities you will have to earn through subscriptions, tips and custom requests.

Wait… Why Would Anyone Pay to Be Insulted?

It sounds backwards.

Most people spend their lives trying to avoid criticism, yet plenty of people willingly pay for personalised roasts every year.

The appeal is simple: people love being the centre of attention.

A well-written roast feels like a personalised comedy routine. Customers often order them for:

• Birthdays
• Stag and hen parties
• Office jokes
• Friendship gifts
• Social media content
• Personal challenges
• Novelty entertainment

Think of it as the modern equivalent of hiring a comedian to poke fun at you in front of your friends.

The key difference? You are doing it online.

Where Can You Get Paid to Roast People?

1. OnlyFans

Although OnlyFans is best known for adult creators, it also hosts creators offering niche entertainment.

Some roast creators sell:

• Personalised insult videos
• Sarcastic voice notes
• Humorous advice sessions
• Reality check messages
• Comedy character content

Subscribers can pay monthly fees, while custom roast requests can command premium prices.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr has become one of the easiest places to launch unusual side hustles.

Search for roast-style gigs and you will find creators offering:

• Video roasts
• Funny critiques
• Character-based insults
• Comedy reviews
• Brutally honest feedback

Many sellers start at £5 to £10 but increase prices as reviews grow.

3. TikTok

Many creators build audiences by posting funny roast content for free.

Once they have followers, they can monetise through:

• Creator rewards
• Gifts
• Memberships
• Brand deals
• Paid requests

If you are naturally funny, TikTok can become a customer acquisition machine.

4. YouTube

Longer-form roasting content can also work well on YouTube.

Popular formats include:

• Subscriber roasts
• Fashion critiques
• Social media profile reviews
• Reality TV commentary
• Honest opinion videos

A single viral video can generate ad revenue while bringing in paying customers.

The Biggest Myth About Roast Creators

People are not really paying for insults.

They are paying for personality.

The most successful creators are not the meanest. They are the funniest.

Comedy, timing and creativity are worth far more than cruelty.

How Much Can You Actually Earn?

Like most creator side hustles, earnings vary wildly.

Here is a rough guide:

Service	Typical Price
Text roast	£5 to £20
Voice note roast	£10 to £50
Personalised video roast	£20 to £100+
Monthly subscriptions	£5 to £25 per subscriber

Someone with 100 subscribers paying £8 per month could potentially generate around £800 monthly before fees.

Add custom requests and the figures can climb further.

What Makes a Great Roast?

The best roasts are:

• Clever
• Specific
• Unexpected
• Light-hearted
• Entertaining

The worst roasts are simply offensive.

Professional comedians roast people all the time without crossing into genuine nastiness. That should be your goal too.

Do Not Get Yourself Banned

Never create content that:

• Harasses real people without consent
• Targets protected groups
• Encourages self-harm
• Includes threats or intimidation
• Breaks platform community guidelines

Customers should always understand they are purchasing comedy content.

How To Start Your Own Roast Side Hustle

Step 1: Create Sample Content

Film a few short roast videos aimed at fictional characters, celebrities or common situations.

Potential topics include bad dating profiles, messy bedrooms, terrible fashion choices or awkward social habits.

Step 2: Develop a Style

Are you dry and sarcastic? Over-the-top dramatic? Deadpan? Fake angry? Brutally honest but lovable?

A memorable style helps people remember you.

Step 3: Pick a Platform

Many beginners start with Fiverr, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or OnlyFans.

Cross-posting content can dramatically increase your reach.

Step 4: Offer Custom Requests

Custom content is where the real money often sits.

Customers love personalised entertainment because it feels unique.

Could You Actually Do This?

This unusual side hustle is best for people who are:

• Naturally witty
• Comfortable on camera
• Quick thinkers
• Confident performers
• Looking for a low-cost side hustle

You do not need qualifications, expensive equipment or specialist training to get started.

Could This Side Hustle Actually Work?

Ten years ago, nobody would have believed people could earn money watching videos, playing games, whispering into microphones or organising cupboards online.

Yet all are now legitimate income streams.

Getting paid to roast people is another example of how the creator economy rewards personality as much as traditional skills.

If you have sharp humour, good timing and know where the line is, this strange side hustle could turn your sarcasm into a surprisingly profitable source of extra income.

After all, there are not many jobs where being cheeky is part of the business model.

FAQ

Is it legal to get paid to insult people?

Yes, provided the content does not amount to harassment, threats, discrimination or otherwise break the law or platform rules.

What is the best platform to start on?

Fiverr, TikTok and YouTube are often the easiest places for beginners to test demand and build an audience.

Do I need followers?

No. Many creators begin by offering low-cost custom roasts before building a following.

Can you really make money doing this?

Some creators earn a small side income, while those who build a strong audience can generate significantly more through subscriptions, tips and personalised requests.

 

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5 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Office Water Cooler

The office water cooler is a small but vital cog in the way many workplaces function – keeping workers hydrated and allowing them a few moments to catch up with colleagues.

However, a water cooler is like any other piece of office equipment – it needs regular maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to keep it functioning properly and serving users’ needs. Whether you have a bottle-fed or mains-fed system, companies like Aquacool offer a range of cost-effective solutions when the time comes to upgrade.

Fortunately, either the machine itself or the people who use it regularly will let you know when it’s time to upgrade.

Strange noises, dispensing problems, and hygiene issues tend to arise when a water cooler reaches the end of its useful life.

And if the machine itself doesn’t let you know it needs an upgrade, the people who use it will – a funny aftertaste is a sure sign the machine isn’t functioning well.

Find out more below:

1. Noise
2. Taste
3. Refills
4. Hygiene
5. Maintenance

• Conclusion

1. Noise

You may find that the first indication that there is something amiss with your water cooler is if it starts making a strange or unusual noise. 

As water coolers age, mineral buildup and everyday wear and tear put strain on internal components, resulting in increased heat and noise as the machine’s performance declines.

Common culprits when it comes to noise are a worn compressor or a valve, both of which come in for some serious wear over the five to seven years of a water cooler’s life.

2. Taste

If users report a metallic taste in the mouth or a chlorinated or musty aftertaste, you can be sure the machine’s internal filtration system is malfunctioning.

Sometimes, a filter change can do the job, but with older machines, a build-up of particulate nasties in the internal workings of the machine can leave water tasting off even after the filters have been replaced.

A persistently strange taste suggests the cooler itself needs replacing.

3. Refills

By observing the patterns of refreshment of a workforce, you can tell a lot about the status and functioning of a water cooler.

If users are having to refill frequently or there are large queues for water, you have an idea that the current machine isn’t keeping up with demand.

This can be because it isn’t dispensing an adequate supply to each drinker or simply that the workforce has expanded and it can’t meet current demand.

Either way, elevated footfall near a machine suggests it’s time to upgrade.

4. Hygiene

All water cooler systems come with hygiene features, as the machine is dispensing potable water to multiple users in a public setting.

But some machines are better at this than others – older machines often lack the hygiene mechanisms of newer types.

An old-school bottle-fed system is going to have a fairly rudimentary hygiene apparatus, with dispensing taps and levers allowing users to self-serve water.

Over time, all machines, especially older versions, will start to develop a biofilm on their components, which is especially common if the system isn’t regularly sanitised or flushed. 

A biofilm buildup will impair the machine’s functioning and is generally a sign that the machine needs to be replaced.

5. Maintenance

Not only does the older type of water cooler require more hands-on sanitary procedures than new versions, but they can also require more maintenance and repairs.

A sure sign it’s time to upgrade the office water cooler system is if it regularly needs repair or maintenance to keep it serving water.

Conclusion

When it’s time to upgrade your office water cooler, you’ll probably know. The good news is that a replacement needn’t be expensive. Cost-effective bottle-fed and mains-fed systems are available to suit most workplaces and budgets.

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 Start a Cake Shed Bakery in the UK: Legal Rules, Costs and Food Hygiene Checklist.

Cake sheds are popping up across the UK – from brownies in garden huts to honesty-box cupcakes at the end of driveways. But before you start selling, there are strict food hygiene, legal and tax rules you need to know.

To start a cake shed bakery in the UK, you must register as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before trading, follow food hygiene rules, provide allergen information, and check landlord, mortgage and insurance permissions.MoneyMagpie has long covered practical side hustles and home businesses. This guide breaks down the cake shed trend using real UK examples and official guidance so you can get started safely and legally.

Cake shed legal checklist UK

• Register your food business at least 28 days before trading
• Prepare for Environmental Health inspection
• Complete food hygiene training
• Provide clear allergen information
• Check landlord, mortgage and insurance permissions
• Keep records for HMRC and the £1,000 trading allowance
• Avoid selling high-risk chilled foods without proper storage

What is a cake shed – and why is it trending?

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A cake shed is a small self-serve bakery setup outside someone’s home, usually stocked with brownies, cookies, cupcakes or traybakes. Customers pay via honesty box, QR code or contactless.

The trend has grown because it combines low start-up costs with strong local demand and social media appeal. It looks simple – but legally, it counts as running a food business.

Real UK examples of cake sheds

In Oxford, The Cake Shed Boars Hill launched in May 2024, selling brownies, cookies and cake slices from a garden setup, typically priced around £2.50 per item.

Meanwhile, Lady Berry Cupcakes has published practical advice for bakers running similar setups, including tips on branding, stock rotation, hygiene and customer payments.

MoneyMagpie warning

A cake shed might feel informal, but if you are selling food regularly, you are legally running a food business. That means registration, hygiene rules and allergen laws apply.

Do I need to register to sell cakes from home?

Yes – if you are selling food as a business, you must register with your local authority.

You need to register at least 28 days before you start trading. This applies even if you:

• only sell at weekends
• use an honesty box
• sell to neighbours or locally

Register your food business on GOV.UK

What happens if I sell cakes without registering?

Failing to register when required can lead to enforcement action from your local authority. It is one of the most common mistakes new home bakers make.

Will my kitchen be inspected?

Yes, it can be. Even if your shed is outside, your home kitchen is where the food is prepared.

Environmental Health may check:

• cleanliness and surfaces
• food storage
• cross-contamination controls
• allergen handling
• pest control

Food Standards Agency guidance

Key point

It is not the shed that gets inspected – it is how and where your food is made.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate?

You must be properly trained in food hygiene. Most home bakers complete a Level 2 Food Hygiene course to meet this requirement.

Allergen rules for cake sheds

You must clearly inform customers if your products contain allergens such as milk, eggs, gluten, nuts or soya.

Read allergen guidance

Example label

Brownie – contains milk, eggs, gluten, soya

Made in a kitchen handling nuts.

Can I sell cakes from my driveway or garden?

Yes, but you may need to check:

• planning considerations
• local council rules
• neighbour impact
• signage restrictions

Can I run a cake shed if I rent?

You may need permission from your landlord. Some tenancy agreements restrict running a business from home.

How much does it cost to start a cake shed?

Item	Cost
Shed/setup	£100–£500+
Ingredients	£40–£150
Packaging	£20–£80
Insurance	£50–£150/year

Typical startup

£150–£400 for a basic setup using existing equipment.

Best bakes to sell from a cake shed

• brownies
• cookies
• traybakes
• flapjacks

Is a cake shed a good side hustle?

For many people, a cake shed can be a genuinely viable side hustle – but only if it is treated like a real business rather than a casual hobby.

The biggest advantage is the low barrier to entry. Compared to opening a café or bakery, startup costs are minimal, you can work from home, and you control your hours. For confident home bakers, it can be a practical way to turn an existing skill into income without taking on major financial risk.

However, the reality is more complex than social media makes it look. Profit margins can be squeezed by rising costs of butter, eggs and chocolate, and once you factor in your time, packaging, energy use and unsold stock, earnings may be lower than expected – especially in the early stages.

There are also legal and practical responsibilities that cannot be ignored. Food hygiene rules, allergen labelling, insurance and registration requirements mean this is not a “no-rules” side hustle.

When a cake shed works best

• You already bake regularly and confidently
• You have a strong local community or footfall
• You keep your menu simple and cost-controlled
• You treat it as a business from day one

When it might not be worth it

• You underestimate your time and costs
• You rely on unpredictable footfall alone
• You do not want to deal with regulations and admin
• You price too low to compete locally

The bottom line: A cake shed can absolutely make money and grow into a small local business – but it works best as a stepping stone. The most successful setups often evolve into regular order-based baking, event catering or a broader home bakery brand.

Cake shed pricing: how much should you charge?

Typical pricing ranges from £2 to £4 per item depending on quality and location.

Always include:

• ingredients
• packaging
• electricity
• waste
• your time

MoneyMagpie tip

Underpricing is the biggest mistake. Many cake sheds look profitable but pay less than minimum wage once all costs are included.

Before you open: your 10-point checklist

• Register your business
• Complete hygiene training
• Prepare allergen info
• Check permissions
• Set up payments
• Price correctly
• Stock safely
• Label clearly
• Track income
• Launch locally

The bottom line

Cake sheds are a brilliant low-cost way to start a food business, but they are not a legal shortcut. If you treat it properly from day one, it can grow into a reliable local income stream.

The post How to Start a Cake Shed Bakery in the UK: Legal Rules, Costs and Food Hygiene Checklist. appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

The £5 toy selling for £500 — how to get NeeDoh, flip it for profit and why the craze won’t last

We have seen this pattern before: a low-cost product goes viral, shelves empty, resale prices rocket and suddenly people are wondering whether they should join the frenzy or cash in on it.

Right now, that product is NeeDoh — a simple sensory toy with a tiny retail price and a very big online profile. Some shoppers are still trying to find one at normal price. Others are attempting to flip them for profit. And plenty risk arriving just as the hype starts to cool.

As MoneyMagpie’s Consumer Editor, I spend a lot of time looking at the difference between a smart opportunity and an expensive panic. That matters here, because viral crazes can look like easy money from the outside — but they often move far faster than people realise.

Why shoppers need to pay attention now

By the time a viral product is making headlines, the safest and most profitable part of the craze may already be narrowing. That is when overpaying, panic buying and scams become most common.

What is NeeDoh — and why is it suddenly everywhere?

NeeDoh is a soft, tactile stress toy designed to be squeezed, stretched and fidgeted with. It is cheap, visually satisfying and available in multiple versions — all of which make it ideal for social media.

Its rise has followed a familiar formula:

• videos and social posts make it feel like a must-have item
• demand surges faster than shops can keep up
• specific versions become harder to find
• resellers push prices up sharply
• fake listings and copycat products begin to appear

That is exactly why this is more than just a toy story. It is a textbook example of how modern “cult products” spread, and how quickly consumers can end up paying too much for the hype.

NeeDoh at a glance

• Typical retail price: around £2 to £6, depending on the item
• Why it is trending: social media buzz, scarcity and collectability
• Main danger: paying inflated prices or buying fakes
• Main opportunity: finding genuine stock at retail before the hype fades

How to get NeeDoh without paying silly money

If you are only seeing high-priced listings online, it can feel as though normal stock has disappeared entirely. But there are still smarter ways to look.

1. Start with independent toy shops

Smaller retailers can sometimes receive stock without the same immediate rush that bigger chains attract. They may also be less visible to the people tracking restocks online.

2. Ask directly about delivery days

If a shop usually gets deliveries on set days, turning up at the right time can matter far more than endlessly refreshing resale sites.

3. Be flexible about versions

Some colours or styles create the biggest rush. If you are buying for yourself rather than resale, being less picky can improve your chances of finding one at the proper price.

4. Be cautious with unfamiliar sellers

Whenever a product becomes hard to find, fake shops, copycat listings and overpriced third-party sellers appear quickly. If a seller looks questionable, walk away.

Consumer warning

A shortage does not just push up prices. It also creates ideal conditions for scams and counterfeits. If you are buying online, stick to trusted retailers and use a payment method that gives you protection if something goes wrong.

Can you really make money from the NeeDoh craze?

Possibly — but only if you are disciplined.

The people most likely to make money are those who:

• buy at genuine retail price
• know which versions are in strongest demand
• sell quickly while supply is still tight
• avoid sinking too much cash into stock

That can make the margins look attractive. But a viral product is not the same as a reliable side hustle. The biggest mistake is assuming that because someone else has sold one for a huge mark-up, every purchase will produce the same return.

Once supply improves, resale premiums can fall surprisingly fast.

How people usually make money on crazes like this

1. Find genuine stock at normal retail price
2. List it while shortages are still dominating demand
3. Sell before larger restocks make the market less frantic

How long is the opportunity likely to last?

This is the question that matters most.

Viral product crazes rarely feel short when you are in the middle of them. But the sharpest part of the frenzy often lasts for weeks or a few months, not forever. Once more stock arrives and buyers become less desperate, resale prices usually begin to soften.

That is why timing matters so much. If you are early and careful, there may still be money to be made. If you are late and paying inflated prices yourself, you are much more likely to lose out.

Based on the pattern seen with similar cult products, NeeDoh looks much closer to its peak-hype stage than to the very beginning. That means the best window may be shorter than it appears.

Best estimate

For resellers, this looks more like a short, fast-moving opportunity than a long-term money-maker. If supply improves over the coming months, the strongest resale margins could shrink quickly.

What happened with Stanley, Prime and other cult products?

That is what makes the comparison so useful.

Prime looked unstoppable during its peak shortage phase, but resale cooled once supply improved. Stanley cups became a status item as well as a practical purchase, but even that frenzy eventually softened as the “buy now or miss out” feeling faded.

NeeDoh appears to be following the same emotional arc: urgency, scarcity, social proof and fear of missing out.

That does not mean it disappears overnight. It means the easiest profits tend to go first.

Should you buy in bulk?

For most people, no.

There is a difference between spotting a trend and gambling on one. Buying a small number at retail and moving them on quickly is one thing. Stockpiling large quantities because you assume the market will keep climbing is a much riskier move.

That is how shoppers end up stuck with products that looked like gold dust one month and ordinary stock the next.

Ask yourself before spending

• Am I buying at a genuine retail price?
• Do I know what versions are actually selling well?
• Could I afford to be stuck with this if prices fall?
• Am I following the numbers — or just the hype?

The bottom line

NeeDoh is one of the clearest “cult product” crazes of the moment: cheap enough to feel accessible, viral enough to create shortages and hyped enough to attract serious resale listings.

But that does not make it a guaranteed money-spinner.

If you can find genuine stock at retail price and move quickly, there may still be an opportunity. But if you are arriving late, overpaying or assuming the frenzy will last all year, the risk rises sharply.

In trends like this, the people who make the most are usually the earliest and the calmest.

Everyone else is often just paying for the panic.

The post The £5 toy selling for £500 — how to get NeeDoh, flip it for profit and why the craze won’t last appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

AI Influencers Are Making Thousands — But Here’s What No One Tells You

As artificial intelligence reshapes the internet, a new kind of side hustle is taking hold: building influencers who are not real people at all. From glossy Instagram models to virtual lifestyle creators with loyal fans, AI influencers are becoming big business. But beneath the viral posts and dreamy promises of “passive income”, the picture is more complicated. Yes, there is money in this market. But for most people, it is far harder, slower and more crowded than online tutorials suggest.

For brands, the appeal is obvious. AI influencers do not miss shoots, age out of a look, fall into scandal or demand the same fees as human talent. For creators, they seem to offer something even more tempting: the chance to build a media business without having to put your own face, privacy or daily life on the line.

It sounds modern, efficient and scalable. It is also a side hustle that risks being wildly oversold.

Some of the best-known examples are already operating at a serious commercial level. Lil Miquela has built a huge audience and worked with major fashion brands. Aitana López, created by Spanish agency The Clueless, has been widely reported as a profitable AI-generated model. Japan’s Imma has also become a recognisable virtual personality with high-end brand credentials. These are not hobby projects. They are polished commercial products.

What is an AI influencer?

An AI influencer is a digital persona designed to behave like a human creator on social media. Some are fully fictional. Some are partly automated. Some are built as ultra-glossy models for fashion and beauty campaigns; others are designed as lifestyle characters with a backstory, opinions, hobbies and a distinct visual identity.

In practice, running one usually involves much more than typing a few prompts into an AI tool. You need image generation, editing, character consistency, captions, audience management, platform strategy and a clear niche. The most successful accounts do not just look good. They feel coherent, recognisable and commercially useful.

How to create an AI influencer

If you are thinking about trying this side hustle, the process usually looks something like this:

1. Choose a niche: fitness, fashion, gaming, travel, beauty and luxury are among the easiest categories to monetise because they already work well for visual social content.
2. Create a strong identity: your AI influencer needs a name, appearance, tone of voice and a believable “world”. People follow characters, not just images.
3. Use the right tools: creators typically combine image generation, editing software, scheduling tools and caption-writing support to keep posts visually consistent.
4. Pick your platforms carefully: Instagram is the obvious starting point, but TikTok, YouTube Shorts and subscription platforms can all play a role depending on the audience.
5. Post as if it is a real brand: the accounts that grow usually have a content calendar, recognisable aesthetic and a posting rhythm that feels deliberate.
6. Monetise in layers: brand deals are only one route. Others include affiliate links, paid subscriptions, digital products, licensing and agency work creating AI personalities for businesses.

Best mindset: treat it as building a media brand, not as a quick-win side hustle.

So, can you actually make money?

Yes – but mostly at the top end, or when the project is run like a proper business.

The fantasy being sold online is that anyone can spin up a beautiful AI persona, post a few pictures and start collecting brand deals. The reality is that the market is already crowded, audiences are becoming more sceptical, and brands still tend to back the most polished and established accounts.

There is earning potential here, but it varies wildly:

• Beginner level: many accounts will make nothing at all, especially in the first few months.
• Small but growing accounts: some may earn from affiliate links, gifted products or occasional low-fee collaborations.
• Established niche accounts: these may be able to secure recurring sponsorships, subscriptions or paid promotional posts.
• Top-tier examples: agency-backed AI influencers have reportedly made thousands per month, but these are the outliers, not the norm.

That last point matters. Public reporting around AI influencer earnings tends to focus on exceptional cases because they make great headlines. What is missing is the much larger graveyard of abandoned accounts that never built enough trust or traction to monetise.

How many people actually succeed?

This is where the hype runs ahead of the evidence. There is no clear, trustworthy public dataset showing the exact success rate of AI influencer side hustles on their own. That makes sweeping claims risky.

What we do know is that the broader creator economy is brutally unequal. Industry reporting in 2025 found that more than half of creators earned under $15,000 per year, while 87% earned under $100,000 annually. In other words, even in the wider creator world, real money tends to pool at the top. AI influencers may remove the need to put your own face online, but they do not remove the economic reality of oversupply, algorithm dependence and brand gatekeeping.

Why this side hustle is harder than it looks

• Most people underestimate the workload: an AI influencer still needs planning, editing, posting, testing and community management.
• Visual quality is now the minimum: because the tools are widely available, “pretty pictures” alone are no longer enough.
• Consistency is difficult: many accounts struggle to keep one character visually stable over time, which weakens trust and branding.
• Audience growth is unpredictable: social platforms reward momentum, novelty and strong storytelling, not just technical competence.
• Brands want reliability: they may like the idea of AI influencers, but that does not mean they will pay unknown accounts with no proven reach.
• Earnings are usually lumpy: even successful creators often deal with irregular income, platform dependency and fierce competition.

Bottom line: this is closer to launching a small digital media business than finding an easy side hustle.

The success stories everyone points to

The names that come up again and again are instructive precisely because they show what success really looks like.

Lil Miquela is perhaps the most famous virtual influencer of all: highly stylised, commercially savvy and backed by a serious team. Her account feels less like a side project and more like an entertainment property. See her profile here: Instagram.

Aitana López is one of the clearest examples of AI-influencer monetisation being packaged as a business model. Her creators positioned her as a digital model with a niche aesthetic and a monetisable audience, and her profile remains one of the most frequently cited in conversations about AI creator income. See her here: Instagram. Official project page: The Clueless.

Imma, created in Japan, has shown how virtual influencers can work particularly well when they are treated as full-scale cultural brands rather than just content experiments. She has collaborated with major brands and built a recognisable identity in fashion and lifestyle. See her here: Instagram. Official page: Aww Inc.

These examples prove that AI influencers can make money. They do not prove that it is easy for ordinary people to copy them.

Why brands like them

There is a commercial logic to all this. Brands get more control over visuals, timing and messaging. They can tailor a digital character to a campaign, create content without the practical mess of a shoot, and keep an aesthetic consistent across markets.

For some businesses, especially in beauty, gaming, tech and fashion, that level of control is extremely attractive. It also helps explain why agencies are moving into this space: not just to build social accounts, but to create licensing opportunities and branded digital intellectual property.

That is worth remembering if you are approaching this as a side hustle. The real competition may not be another person at home with an AI image tool. It may be a studio, an agency or a team with budget, designers and a media strategy.

The ethical questions you cannot ignore

• Transparency: if followers are not sure whether they are looking at a real person, trust starts to erode.
• Disclosure: in the UK, ad rules still apply. Promotional content must be clearly identifiable as advertising.
• Beauty standards: AI characters can be engineered to be hyper-perfect in ways that intensify already unhealthy online ideals.
• Consent and likeness: the wider AI economy raises serious questions about whose appearance, style or identity is being borrowed or mimicked.
• Emotional manipulation: some AI influencers are designed to feel intimate, personal and responsive, which can blur the line between entertainment and exploitation.
• Authenticity: there is a genuine question about whether audiences will eventually tire of synthetic personalities, especially if they feel mass-produced.

For UK creators and brands, the Advertising Standards Authority’s guidance on recognising influencer ads and its wider comments on AI disclosure in advertising are essential reading.

Is it a good way to make money?

If by “good” you mean low-cost, fast and reliable, not really.

If by “good” you mean a potentially profitable digital business for people who understand branding, audience growth, storytelling and monetisation, then yes – it can be. But that is a very different proposition from the fantasy being sold on social media.

AI influencers are probably best understood as a new branch of the creator economy rather than a shortcut around it. You still need a niche. You still need attention. You still need to earn trust or curiosity. And you still have to survive in an environment where thousands of other people are trying to do exactly the same thing.

The people most likely to make money are not the ones chasing a trend. They are the ones building a brand with a clear purpose, a strong visual identity and a strategy for turning attention into income.

That may be intelligent entrepreneurship. It is not easy money.

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Hidden Cash in Your Driveway, Unlock Cash from Scrapping Your Old Car

Thousands of drivers across Hertfordshire earned an average of £268 in 2025 simply by scrapping old cars they no longer needed, according to newly released local data.

The figures come from Scrap My Car Company’s annual review, which analysed vehicles collected across the county throughout the year. While many motorists assume an ageing or non-running vehicle has little value, the data suggests there is still steady cash available – even for cars that have failed an MOT or been declared SORN.

• Hidden Money on the Driveway
• Why Do Scrap Prices Change?
• Is It Worth Scrapping an Old Car?

Hidden Money on the Driveway

With the cost of living still high, scrapping an unused vehicle could provide a useful financial boost. The 2025 average payout of £268 means some households may be sitting on a few hundred pounds without realising it.

In some cases, heavier vehicles achieved significantly higher returns. Larger 4×4 models, for example, averaged over £300 due to their increased metal weight.

Meanwhile, some of the most commonly scrapped cars were everyday models such as the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus – proving you don’t need a luxury vehicle to unlock value.

Make & Model	Average Scrap Value 2024	Average Scrap Value 2025
Vauxhall Astra	£286	£295
Ford Focus	£268	£274
Vauxhall Corsa	£245	£252
Peugeot 207	£256	£266
Ford Fiesta	£242	£251

Why Do Scrap Prices Change?

Scrap values are mainly driven by:

• Vehicle weight
  
• Demand from recycling facilities
• Current metal market prices
• Condition and completeness

Prices can move throughout the year depending on global steel markets, meaning timing can affect how much you receive.

Is It Worth Scrapping an Old Car?

The report found the average age of scrapped vehicles in 2025 was 18 to 19 years, suggesting many owners are choosing scrappage instead of paying for costly repairs.

For drivers with unused vehicles on their driveway, scrapping could be a straightforward way to generate quick cash, while also avoiding ongoing costs such as insurance and road tax.

A full breakdown of 2025 scrap values, most scrapped models and year-on-year comparisons is available in the complete report.

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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