Want to know how to make money in your lunch hour? Good news – the Moneymagpies have compiled a list of the top five ways to turn those sixty minutes into money-spinners. Have a look at some of our ideas to see how much you could achieve in your spare time.

• Complain!
• Get creative
• Go shopping
• Use your rubbish
• Surf the net

1. Complain to gain

Get money for travelling

Still seething about this morning’s commute? We all know that feeling when the trains are delayed – but why not make some money out of it? All you need to do is register your details on TrainDelays, which is a website that provides free service to help you get compensation for any delays to your journey. They do all the leg work and complete the claims process for you, so all you have to do is register your journey details. Then, they’ll automatically apply for compensation whenever there’s a delay on your line. Simple!

There’s good news for Londoners too, as they also cover the (very common) tube delays!

How to complain successfully

There are several ways to get the compensation you deserve when a company has treated you badly or provided a faulty service, and your lunch hour is a perfect time to do it. It is really important that you know how to complain and what your legal rights are, however. This is why your lunch hour is good for research and preparing yourself for the complaining process. Find out how to complain, who to complain to and where to get help in our full article on successful complaining.

2. Get Creative

Use your lunch hour to do something productive yet fun and creative and whilst making some money in the process. Here are a couple of ways to do just that.

Start your own blog

Is there a topic that really gets you going? Something you love or even more interestingly, something you despise? If you think you can write about it in a passionate or an amusing way, there’s every chance that someone will want to read what you have to say. You can do this by setting up your own blog or an online journal and make money through it by online advertising.

Use a free blogging service such as WordPress or Blogger - both of which allow you to set up a blog quickly and easy – but with no cost. Once you’re set up, there’s an opportunity to make money by including advertising and affiliate deals in the site. It sounds technical, but these sites will talk you through everything you need to know.

You can also sign up to advertising services such as Google Adsense or Yahoo! Publisher Network which use search technology to target your site with the relevant advertising. So it’s not likely to be a massive earner, but it is a fun way to make some extra cash on the side. Get some more information on this here.

Take some photos!

It’s something a lot of us do anyway, but if you’re particularly good at taking photos then you could try selling them on the net. If you have a library of digital photos, you may be able to sell them through an online agency such as Fotolia, 123RF and Getty Images. You get a royalty fee each time a photo of yours sells.

To get a good idea of what people like, you should look at as many sites as you can to get an idea of what sells. All the agencies are different, so see what’s popular on each site to give you an idea. You don’t even have to be particularly creative or arty either, sometimes the most simple photos sell the best. Just remember to read all the terms, conditions and requirements and you’re set to get snapping. Find out more information here.

3. Go shopping

Get cash while you shop

It sounds a little bit good to be true, but you can actually make money from your everyday routine by shopping online and purchasing items through cashback sites. There are plenty of sites around and you’re free to use as many as you like! You should start with the websites that pay you just for signing up like Cashback Shopper which gives you £5 just for joining.

Many of the websites cover well-known stores that most people use for their normal shopping. Don’t forget that you can still use as many sites as you like, so hunt down the ones that feature your favourite shops. Get more information about cashback sites here.

Mystery shopping

You can get paid to shop, eat out or go for a drink as a mystery shopper! There are quite a few companies that pay for people to test shops, pubs, ticket offices, banks and many more – and then report back on anything from tidiness to customer services. To get started, all you need to do is sign up with an agency like ESA, Grass Roots or JKS Mystery Shopping. Read our full article about mystery shopping and get links to more agencies here.

4. Make money from your rubbish!

What better way to spend your lunch hour than clearing out things you don’t need any more, and making money from it? We’ve found some ways to make money from your rubbish.

Recycle your mobile

Use our comparison tool to see which of the many phone recycling companies offer the best price for your model, then follow the simple steps and wait for your cash!

Rent out the things that you don’t use

Websites like RentNotBuy let you advertise pretty much anything you can think of, from video cameras, to baby accessories! You can also rent out storage space  such as your cellar or attic space for free on Spareground!

If you have a driveway or garage you don’t use, you can also contact Park Let or Parkatmyhouse.com to advertise your space for people needing parking in your area. This could potentially be a big earner if you live near a stadium, airport or in a big city like London!

5. Surf the net

Grab your laptop, head to your favourite coffee shop (free wi-fi with a Starbucks card, didn’t you know?) and spend some time making money from the internet. There are all sorts of ways you can make cash on the net that require very little effort and we’ve got the best ways here.

Online Surveys

Make between £20 and £50 a month (plus get the chance to win some cash prizes and gifts) with online surveys.

One of the Moneymagpies has tried out several online survey sites and has reported back that Toluna is a great choice because it’s really simple to use and tells you how long each survey will take.

Once you’ve signed up to a few sites you can spend ten minutes on your lunch break completing a quick survey and still have time left to eat your sandwich.

NEVER pay to join an online survey site, but stick to reputable companies like these:

• Toluna
• Lightspeed
• Valued Opinions
• Opinion Surveys
• GlobalTestMarket

If you like the sound of online surveys make sure you check out our full article right here on the safe way to earn money by taking paid surveys.

For more ways to make some quick cash, visit our make money section