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Five easy ways to make extra cash

1. Find your friends a job
2. Get paid for shopping
3. Grab free fiver from a cashback site
4. Get more interest
5. Switch bank accounts and make up to £200

1. Find your friends a job

No, we don't mean you should send your friends out to work then demand they hand over their pay packets. It's easier (and less likely to make you unpopular) than that - you can make up to £4,000 just by referring someone you know for a new job. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a recruitment consultant, sign up for free with this site and browse the jobs on offer. If you think any of them would be right for someone you know, you stand to make some serious cash.

If you manage to pay off your credit card bill in full every month (or don’t pay with plastic), it could be well worth your while making extra money just for buying things you'd buy anyway. Several cards give you cash back or other rewards when you spend money. Try the American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card – for the first three months you get 5% cash back on all your spending up to £4,000. Ker-ching! This isn't worth doing if you have outstanding credit card debts - pay those off first.

Apply now: American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card

3. Grab free fiver from a cashback site

Another quick way to make a bit of extra cash when you shop is by buying through a cashback site rather than just going straight into the shop. You may not even have to spend anything - Cashbackshopper pays £5 to everyone who signs up, and you can get an extra £5 if you refer a friend.

Make a free fiver: sign up now

4. Get more interest

If you’ve got any kind of savings tucked away, it’s super important to keep them in a bank account paying the best rate of interest you can get. Why? Inflation has been relatively high over the past year, meaning money loses its value more quickly and so one hundred pounds last year wouldn’t buy you as much as that same one hundred pounds today. Getting the best rate of interest means your savings earn you money while just sitting in the bank, while leaving your money in the worst account can mean it’s actually losing you cash (harsh, we know). Best accounts at the moment include this one from ICICI Bank (6.41% AER) and the Icesave account at 6.05%. Don't forget, you can put thefirst £3,000 of cash savings each year into an ISA, and pay no tax on the interest.

Open a new account: ICICI or Icesave

5. Switch bank accounts and make up to £200

First Direct reckons its customer service is so good, it’s giving new customers £100 if they like the bank and an extra £100 if they decide they’re not happy after six months. We generally like First Direct, so this account could be worth looking into if you can pay at least £1,500 into the account every month (which you need to do to qualify). Check the small print to see if it’s the best account for you – you need to fit certain conditions (eg paying in more than £1,500 a month or keeping £1,500 in the account) to get free banking, otherwise there’s a £10 monthly fee.

Switch your account: First Direct

Want to know more? Check out our popular article, Seven easy ways to make quick cash for more ideas.

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