11 Hacks to Make Extra Income

April 2025 saw a price increase to a number of household bills in the UK, including energy, broadband, mobile phone contracts, water, and Council Tax.
With energy prices rising faster than any increase to benefits, pensions, and wages, it comes as no surprise to learn that 7 million people in the UK are struggling to keep up with essential household bills. Many are being forced to use credit cards to cover the cost of necessary outgoings, with 17% stating that they rely on their credit card to pay the bills.
The Money Charity revealed that the average household credit card debt in the UK as of February 2025 is £2,579.

With costs rising, many of us are on the lookout for ways that we can cut back our spending and make savings.
From switching your supermarket and renting out a spare bedroom, to carefully assessing your spending habits and using coupons, there are a number of things that could be done to increase your income.

Growing Power is pleased to share 11 tips that could help you, starting today.

1. Scrutinise your spending

If you often find yourself struggling before payday and wondering where your money has gone, it might be time to go through your spending with a fine-tooth comb.
At the beginning of the month, set some time aside to study your previous month’s bank statement and see if you can spot any recurring, non-essential transactions. For example, are you guilty of picking up a coffee on the way to work every morning or regularly indulging in a takeaway when you can’t be bothered to cook?
The average cost of a coffee in the UK is £3.35. If you work five days a week and this is a part of your daily routine, you’re spending £16.75 a week on coffee. This equates to £67 a month, and £804 a year.

Of course, it’s absolutely fine to treat yourself every once in a while, but it should be done in moderation, especially if you often find yourself financially short at the end of the month. Why not try meal-planning or batch cooking to combat that takeaway urge and consider cutting your coffee-to-go fix to three days a week? Giving up your takeout coffee on just two days a week could save you £321.60 a year.

Looking at your outgoings in close detail could also help you pick out unused subscriptions that you’re still paying for. Not been to the gym since January? Cancel that membership! You can always rejoin if you want to go again. The same can be said for streaming services; if you no longer make use of them, get rid and save yourself some money.

2. Switch up your shop

One of the biggest expenditures in any household is the weekly shop. For a family of four in the UK in 2025, the average weekly food shop spend is £117.

In 2024, Aldi was crowned the ‘Cheapest Supermarket of the Year’ for the fourth year running. In March 2055, Which? revealed that the average price of a 79-item shop at Aldi was £133.73. The following information shows how much money you could save when switching your current supermarket to Aldi.

We used data gathered by Which?.

To increase those shopping savings, consider swapping branded items for supermarket own-label products. For example, at our time of writing in April 2025, Aldi’s own-brand six-pack of crumpets are priced at 45p, in comparison to Warburton’s version, which are 79p. A 500g box of Aldi’s own honey nut cereal is currently 99p – more than half the price of Kellogg’s well-known version, priced at £2.25 for a 300g box.*

3. Utilise coupons, vouchers, and discounts

In a bid to get us to spend with them, rather than their competitors, many businesses offer coupons, vouchers, and discounts off our purchases.

While a steady stream of promotional emails and notifications can be annoying, it might be worth downloading apps and signing up for communications from shops and companies you regularly use. If you have an account or loyalty card, some shops will send you personalised deals and coupons based on items you often buy.

This useful page on the MoneySavingExpert site updates live and ongoing coupon offers on a regular basis.

4. Explore comparison sites

From car and home insurance, to gas, electricity, and mobile phone contracts, most of us have to find the money to cover these essential costs - but are we really getting our money’s worth?

Did you know that you could save a significant amount of money by using comparison sites to seek out a good deal, rather than allowing your contracts to roll over?
Which? states that opting to switch providers once your current contract expires could save you an annual sum of £235.

There are many different price comparison sites available, and MoneyHelper have put together this great guide on how best to use them to your advantage.

When using comparison websites, take care to select the option where you see every supplier on the market, especially for gas and electricity.

If you’ve spotted a cheaper offer elsewhere but you’d like to stay with your current provider, you could contact them and tell them about the deal you’ve found. They may, in some circumstances, agree to match or even better it.

5. Switch your bank account

It’s not just supermarkets and household bills that could offer perks for switching.
Banks sometimes offer incentives to new customers, such as a welcome bonus if you switch from your current account. Each bank will have their own rules and regulations; often, you’ll have to set up a certain number of Direct Debits or transfer a certain amount of money before you can claim the incentive. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before you decide whether to make the move.

You can keep up to date with the latest switching offers on the MoneySuperMarket site.

If you do switch, don’t forget to make sure that all your Direct Debits have been transferred across; the last thing you want is to have to break into that bonus and use it against a late repayment fee.

6. Check your Council Tax band

One in twenty UK households are predicted to be in the wrong Council Tax band, meaning they’re paying more than they should be.

You can check your Council Tax band on the Gov.uk website. If you think you’re in the wrong Council Tax band, you can raise a dispute with your local authority. The process of challenging your band differs depending on where you live in the UK. You can find out more here.

Remember, if you live alone, you’ll be eligible for a 25% single person Council Tax reduction. You can apply for this on your local council’s website.

7. Ask for a pay rise

Requesting a pay rise can feel uncomfortable, but if your company is doing well and you work hard, there’s absolutely no harm in asking. Sometimes, an employer might have inadvertently fallen behind on pay reviews, so a gentle reminder that you’ve not had an increase for a while could nudge them into action.

It might be worth putting together a document or presentation, including projects you’ve recently worked on, how your role contributes to the business, and any positive feedback you’ve received from colleagues or customers.

Arrange a meeting with your boss and explain that you’d like to talk about pay. It could also help to have your ideal rise in mind, although you should keep it realistic. Remember though, as long as they’re paying you at least the National Minimum Wage and are adhering to any clauses in your contract, your employer is under no obligation to approve a pay rise. If your request is denied and it isn’t performance-related, you might think about asking whether it’s possible to be considered for any added perks instead, such as a travel allowance, or a few work from home days to help you save on commuting costs.

8. Take on a ‘side hustle’

39% of people living in the UK have a side hustle, bringing in an average of £210 a week. A side hustle is an activity or task carried out alongside your main job that generates other income. This can include things like content creation, offering DIY services, and making and selling items. You can find some further examples and get tips on how to grow your side hustle here.

It's important to be aware that depending on your earnings, you may have to pay tax on your side hustle.

9. Check your eligibility for Marriage Allowance

If you’re married or in a civil partnership, you could claim Marriage Allowance if one of you either earns less than the annual Personal Allowance (or doesn’t pay Income Tax at all) and the other pays Income Tax at the basic rate.

Marriage Allowance enables the lower-earning spouse to transfer a part of their tax-free Personal Allowance - £1,260 - to their partner. This could reduce the overall amount of tax that you’re required to pay between you by £252 from April 6 to the following April 5.

10. Rent out a spare room

Do you have a spare room in your house? Is so, you might think about renting it out.

Research shows that in 2023 there were approximately 26 million spare bedrooms in the UK. The Rent-a-Room Scheme enables you to rent out furnished accommodation in your only or main home for a tax-free limit of up to £7,500 a year. The scheme doesn’t just cover a single room; you can rent out as much as your home as you wish.

You can read more about the Rent-a-Room Scheme and find out whether you could benefit from it here.

11. Do some research into balance transfer credit cards

A balance transfer credit card enables you to move the balance of one or more existing credit accounts onto a new credit card with a period of low or no interest. Not only could streamlining your debt make it easier to keep on top of, but the no-interest period could also help you save money on interest.

The first thing to do is calculate how much you’re paying in interest across your existing credit card(s). If the interest rate is higher than the interest rate of the balance transfer credit card you’ve found, you might consider applying.

As with any credit product, you should think very carefully before you apply for a balance transfer credit card, and there are certain things you’ll need to be aware of. For example, if the balance isn’t cleared by the time the promotional no-interest period ends, you will be charged interest at the standard rate.
You could be charged an initial transfer fee, so you’ll need to decide whether paying a fee will be worth the amount of money you’ll save during the interest-free period.

It’s also worth noting that you can’t transfer credit cards between the same provider. For example, if you applied for a NatWest balance transfer credit card, you would be unable to move the balance of an existing NatWest credit card.

Happy savings

So, what to do with the money you’ve saved and generated by working through these income-boosting tips?
One possibility is to put it towards any existing debts that you might have, especially if you’re paying interest on them.

If you don’t have any active debts, you might think about putting the money into a savings account. It’s always useful to have an emergency fund that you can dip into in case of an unexpected expense, such as a broken boiler or a car in need of repairs. Using your own money, rather than applying for credit, will mean that you will not be charged interest, which will save you money.

Of course, a savings pot doesn’t necessarily have to be in place for necessary but mundane things. You could set a goal to save for something exciting, such as a new car or a dream holiday.

If you need money and debt advice...

If you’d like to talk to a money or debt advice specialist there are a number of organisations that could help you: MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice, and National Debtline.

If you’re not sure where to start, you might find StepChange’s free Money Health Check useful. Answering a few confidential money-based questions about your current situation will generate suggestions about what you can do next.

*Prices correct as of April 29, 2025.