Ways to Make Money From Your Couch

Being stuck at home all day can be exhausting. Not only is there the risk of going stir-crazy staring at the same four walls, but there’s also the real worry of being out of employment or work for a period of time. Whatever your reason for spending time in the house, whether it’s a new baby, recovery from an illness, or injury, or unemployment, there are a fair few activities and projects you can look into which could earn you a bit of money, as well as keep your skills ticking over for whenever you do return to work.

Ways to Combine Hobbies with Cash

If you’re a sports fan, then there are so many ways you can bring in a bit of money on the side using your knowledge and a good sense of judgement. Let’s think about a common one – football. If you’re unsure where to start, there are many websites you can look to if you’re wondering what is a football accumulator and how to bet on one? It’s a good way to bring in a bit of cash and enhance your personal enjoyment of the sport at the same time. Definitely worth looking into, even if it’s something you’ve never done before.

Begin a Blog

This is a great way to accumulate a bit of extra income, as well as feed your personal interests. Though it might be a bit of a slow burner to start with, you can eventually end up raking it in with a combination of pay-per-clicks and online advertising. Have a look at the different ways you can monetise your blog. Cash aside, this is also a really positive way to keep your mind active and stop yourself going mad. A blog is a great means of staying connected with what’s going on in the outside world, as well as meeting a community of people with similar likes and interests to yours. If you’re a bit house-bound at the moment, you might not be writing a blog about your local area, or top historical sites to visit, but with the internet at your fingertips, there are so many avenues of interest and research you can explore.

Tutoring

Although you can use websites like Tutorhunt to find pupils in your local area and travel to them, you can also tutor online from the comfort of your own home. There are lots of tips available to help you get started, and you might be surprised at how good you are at sharing your knowledge with others. There are also possibilities for editing coursework and essays for students in your local area – are there any universities or colleges nearby where your expertise might come in useful? One of the advantages of tutoring is that, if you are at home because you are currently struggling to get back into the workforce, it’s a great way of minimising gaps on your CV as you will have been working during that time.

Learning a Language

Another skill you can pick up which will look good on your CV when and if you go back to the regular world of work. You can learn language online and through apps – sites like Babbel are highly recommended for picking up a language, whatever your level and ability. This is something else which will keep your mind active and your brain ticking over and, ultimately, may prove a benefit to whatever employment you end up with in the future.

Try Proofreading

Do you have the eyes of a hawk when it comes to spotting spelling and grammar mistakes? Do you enjoy reading and learning about a wide range of topics? Proofreading is an ideal job to have from home. You need strong attention to detail and a good sense of judgement as part of the job will be ensuring that what you proofread fits into the specifications of whoever has contracted you. There is a wealth of information out there on how to become a proofreader, and you can also find blogs and useful websites which will offer tips and insights on how to get started. It’s worth considering a website or LinkedIn profile as well to accumulate this type of work. It will mean people begin approaching you, rather than you having to hunt the work down yourself each and every time.

Tax

Make sure you’re very certain as to which of your earnings should be declared as taxable income. Even if you don’t earn enough to pay any tax, HMRC still ask that you declare it as someone who is self-employed. You will need to fill out a tax return on an annual basis. Although this may sound complicated, as long as you keep a clear record of your earnings, it’s relatively straightforward. You can do this through a simple Excel spreadsheet, or there are websites available such as Free Agent which will automate huge parts of this and allow you to relax and just enjoy having the extra income.

The deadline for completing your tax return will depend on whether you fill it in online or submit a paper return. The UK deadline for paper returns is the 31 of October after the end of that tax year, whereas the deadline for the online return is the end of January the following year. So, for example, if you were completing a tax return for the year 2018-2019, your paper deadline would be 31 October 2019, and your online deadline would be 31 January 2020. Stay organised with your paperwork and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

It’s never been an easier time to make money from your own home and, with a bit of intuition and some research, you can soon be earning to supplement other work, or to fill a gap in employment, or just to bring in some money on the side. Hopefully the list above will give you the opportunity not only to earn some extra cash but also keep yourself occupied if you’re stuck at home for an extended period of time. Good luck!

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