You can make an extra £500 a month in the UK through proven routes like freelancing, selling unwanted items, and starting a small side hustle.
Freelancing a skill you already have is usually the fastest way to reliable monthly income. Selling digital products and mystery shopping add flexible top-ups, while cashback quietly recovers money you already spend. Most people reach £500 by combining two or three of these consistently.
So keep reading as all these methods to make an extra £500 a month still work in 2026.
You might need to add a few of these methods together but that’s the great thing about them – they have potential to be flexible to suit you.
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How To Make An Extra £500 A Month In The UK
There are lots of different ways that you can make an extra £500 a month.
You don’t have to just pick one method either.
If you try a few different ways and see which you like it can be a lot more enjoyable plus some are a bit more active while others you can do alongside something else.
It also allows you to switch things up from month to month to keep things interesting.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the methods that you can use to make an extra £500 a month.
Sell unwanted belongings
In a world of fast fashion and consumerism, it’s very easy to end up buying things that you ultimately don’t use or need.
In the end, these items just end up taking room in your house. So, one of the easiest ways to make additional income is to sell items that you no longer want.
There are lots of easy ways to sell your unwanted stuff.
You can take them to a car boot sale or you can sell these items online too.
There are lots of different platforms that you can use, including eBay, Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, and more.
No matter whether it is clothing, books, or even furniture, you can make a good amount of money by selling your unwanted belongings.
Car boot sales have been incredibly popular for many years, and they are a great way to sell off unwanted items in your home.
This is one of the quickest ways to earn that we’ll talk about as in theory you could find items you have sitting next to you right now, snap a few pictures with your phone and load them up onto a marketplace in just a few minutes.
Depending what it is that you’re selling that could net you anywhere from a few quid to hundreds or even thousands of pounds if you’ve got a lot of unused and valuable stuff to sell.
You can also level up by offering to sell other people’s stuff and take a cut of the proceeds!
19 year old Noah Brierley used this side hustle to make thousands! He shared everything you need to know on the podcast ?
Market research and surveys
You can make additional money by participating in market research and paid online surveys.
Surveys have become very popular as a side hustle because you can quickly complete them when you have a spare few minutes and usually the only thing you need is your phone.
Platforms such as AttaPoll and Google Rewards allow you to make money for completing a quick survey.
The pay for each survey is usually low, but it can add up over time.
Throughout the day you will be sent multiple surveys, which you can complete.
It is a great way to make money without having to put in too much effort as you can easily complete them while you are watching TV.
Market research usually takes a bit more time. You can expect to get booked in for a 30-90 minute phone or video call where you might get asked questions or shown an app or website that a company wants feedback on.
These do typically pay quite well though and the hourly rate is often above what you would expect to earn from a normal job which can make this quite lucrative.
Selling digital products online
Selling digital products online is a popular way to generate extra income.
You can use several platforms to sell products online including Etsy, Amazon KDP and Stan Store.
To get started, you will need to identify a digital product that you want to sell.
This could be an eBook based on your knowledge of a subject or a digital template such as a journal or workbook.
Once you have identified and created your product, you will need to create a listing on your chosen platform.
This should include a detailed description of the product, high-quality images, and pricing information.
To increase the visibility of your products, you can use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your store and engage with potential customers.
You can also use search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to improve the ranking of your product listings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
One advantage of selling digital products online is that it allows you to reach a global audience.
Earning Potential: A few hundred to thousands of pounds per month
Want to learn more about making money online using what you already know? Watch this ?
Set Up A Side Hustle Business
Alternatively, you could set up your own side hustle business.
Side hustles businesses are becoming increasingly popular, and many people use them to make money from doing things they enjoy.
If you enjoy baking, then you could set up your own little cupcake business.
Alternatively, if you like making jewellery, then you could make and sell earrings on a platform such as Etsy.
There are all sorts of different side hustles that you can set up.
They don’t need to be on a grand scale and don’t necessarily mean creating something. They could be something as simple as walking your neighbour’s dog, or helping your elderly neighbour clean their home.
No matter whether you make products to sell to multiple people, or help out someone in your community on a smaller scale, setting up a side hustle is a sure fire way to make yourself some additional money.
Freelancing
Freelancing is also a great way to make some additional income if you’ve got existing skills or if you want to learn something new.
Freelancing is an excellent option if you are somebody who has limited time because you can pick up jobs as and when you have time.
There are lots of different things that you can do on a freelance basis, and it can be a great way to put your skills to use.
From freelance content writing to freelance bookkeeping, there are all sorts of different freelance gigs that you can complete.
They are also pretty easy to find through platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr.
If you have a skill that suits freelancing then this could be a great way for you to make an additional £500 a month.
Hire a freelancer on Fiverr to help you build the brand of your dreams. Whatever it is you need help with there's a freelancer waiting for you to reach out.
Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping is a fun and flexible way to earn extra income, and it could potentially help you make £500 or more per month.
It does however require your time and effort but can also be really fun!
Here are some ways it can be a good income source:
- Flexibility: Mystery shopping can be done on your own schedule and at your own pace.
- Payment: Many mystery shopping companies pay for your time and reimburse you for any expenses incurred during your visit.
- Bonuses: Some mystery shopping companies offer bonuses or incentives for completing a certain number of assignments or meeting certain performance metrics.
- Referrals: Some mystery shopping companies offer referral bonuses for introducing new shoppers to the company.
- Variety: Mystery shopping assignments can vary widely, from visiting a clothing store to testing out a new restaurant.
To get started with mystery shopping, you can sign up with a reputable mystery shopping company such as Market Force or Mystery Dining.
Check out the best mystery shopping companies in the UK if you want to give this a try.
Let the latest technology help get you there with the best money savings apps.
Earn Cashback and Rewards While Shopping
Cashback apps will give you money back after every purchase you make, including groceries, medicine, clothes and gadgets.
If you look into Topcashback and QuidCo you’ll see most major retailers are listed on there which means you can save money on almost every shop you make.
For things you’re buying in-store, Gains is perfect for your food, clothes, household goods and entertainment spending through instant gift card cashback.
Over time that balance builds up!
I’ve written a full post about making the most from cashback apps.
Most major retailers are on these apps meaning you can basically get a discount on everything you buy.
Now it’s unlikely you’ll be making £500 a month from this alone unless you’re a seriously big spender, but earning cashback on everything you buy is an easy way to make extra from your day to day spending.
Combine this with a couple of other methods in this guide and you’ll be well on your way to £500 extra a month.
And if you want to make the absolute most from your daily spending, check this out ?
Summary
There are lots of different ways that you can make extra money to supplement your income.
In this guide, we have taken a look at some methods you can use to make up to £500 a month.
There are lots of different options from side hustles to surveys, so there is definitely something out there for you.
£500 is just over £10k a year so what would you do with 10k save, invest or spend it?
Thank you for reading our guide on how to make an extra £500 a month UK!
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Why an Extra £500?
Well the first thing that you might be wondering is “why £500”? In return to that, we ask you why not?
If you are willing to put in the work then you can earn a substantial amount of money a month on top of the money that you are already making from your 9 to 5 job.
But a lot of people do not have the time to be able to make thousands of pounds through their side hustles.
However, £500 is an achievable amount. In order to earn an additional £500 a month, you do not need to dedicate too much time or effort.
It is a figure that you will be able to achieve without having to lose too much time to it. It is also a decent amount of money to be making on top of your existing salary.
An additional £500 can make a big difference to your day-to-day life.
If you are interested in supplementing your income, then £500 is a great starting point.
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
