Easy ways to make money over the summer

And autumn, winter and spring if you like.

Unis just finished, maybe you're going back home-home for the summer, or sitting tight in your accommodation. You now have more free time than you know what to do with but not enough money to make the most out of it. So what are your options? How can you make quick cash to fund all your upcoming plans? Here's how.

Download an app and become a dog walker (or a cat sitter)

Yes, you read that right, you can literally earn cash by chilling with your favourite furry companions. All you have to do is create an account, post an ad with your availability, rates and Bob's your uncle. We'd recommend going with Rover as it's widely used in the UK and has a whole host of ways to customise your profile to maximise your profitability. You can even share your profile on your social media to boost the amount of traffic you get. If hosting the pets at your home is an option then do it! You'll likely earn a lot more money by offering that service.

Sell the stuff you don't need or want anymore

There's no point in hoarding your personal possessions, watching them collect dust and potentially decrease in value. Especially when you can easily sell them online (or even do it old school and set up your own car boot sale). Now only you can determine what you need and what you can stick on the market but we'd suggest starting with clothes as that's usually what our wardrobes are unnecessarily filled with. Sign up for Vinted, a free service where you can sell your second-hand clothing (amongst other things) online. Make sure to take lots of photos and accompany them with a detailed description, your items will likely sell faster with a bit of extra effort! For other items, you can always rely on sites like eBay or Gumtree. 

Get a part-time job

If you want to earn some consistent income and have the time, then why not find yourself a part-time job? Once you've got your CV in order, you can easily apply online on sites such as Indeed or keep an eye out for roles in your local community. Small roles can sometimes be advertised on makeshift signs stuck in shop windows or you can always just ask around if you are unsure. This option will be the most reliable for a constant stream of money but will likely take up a lot more of your time so do the math before deciding whether it's right for you.

Complete online surveys

Minimal effort but minimal pennies earned, online surveys can be done from the comfort of your own bed and may only take you 10 minutes to complete. You'll just need to do a whole load of them if you want to earn a substantial amount. Rather than sitting around doing that 5 days a week, probably best to squeeze this in between the other methods as having this as your sole stream of income will likely not be enough. There are a tonne of legitimate survey websites out there but you should choose from what the MoneysavingExpert recommends.

Work a festival

Ever heard the expression 'kill two birds with one stone'? Well if you work a festival you can have fun and get paid for it! Festivals are always looking for students to help run the show because they know the perks of free tickets, discounted food and drinks will appeal to the younger crowd. If you have a festival in mind, then you'll need to be quick as positions get filled as soon as they're posted.

Now you know all the ways you can potentially earn money, all you got to decide is which ones are best for you. Or if you're a workaholic maybe you'll end up doing them all!