The mind boggles!…

fisicx

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The simple answer to all your problems is to move. You have become emotionally attached to a thing.

It's just a house. Choose a different one that is cheaper to run.

Sell the 4x4 if you want to save money and buy something cheap to run.

Sorry if this all sounds a bit harsh but saving money is easy if can lose your attachment to things. We did this and saved ourselves nearly £500/month. And I'm still finding ways to cut bills.
 
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IBOverland

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The simple answer to all your problems is to move. You have become emotionally attached to a thing.

It's just a house. Choose a different one that is cheaper to run.

Sell the 4x4 if you want to save money and buy something cheap to run.

Sorry if this all sounds a bit harsh but saving money is easy if can lose your attachment to things. We did this and saved ourselves nearly £500/month. And I'm still finding ways to cut bills.
Not harsh at all, I understand what you are saying. However, my argument would be that I don't want a soulless, boring existence (With all due respect, I'm not saying this is what you have turned to! ?).

The 4x4 is a hobby and leisure tool, we don't daily drive it, it's how we holiday and also allows me to volunteer for our local search and rescue 4x4 team.

Granted it is lovely but the house, I'm not overly bothered about in itself. But moving won't save us money and would introduce a greater level of housing eviction risk that we don't currently have.
 
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JamaC

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All depends on how much time and effort you want to put in, also where your strengths are.

If you dont want to put too much time why not try something like buying and selling cars it's simple and can be profitable with the amount of time and effort.

Or buy pallets of returned items and sell them online?

Personally I would strongly advise anyone to learn a skill to use online, seems longer than it actually is.
Digital marketing, coding, cyber security, data analysis can all be learnt from home. I know of a few people who are self taught and make very good money. It will literally be a combination of watching youtube videos and reading blogs n articles.

Work for yourself, set up a small company, whatever floats your boat.

How can I make money in such competitive markets you may ask

Well make a plan, partner up with those in similar fields that compliment what you are doing . Those who can refer customers to you for a commission. They can be freelancers or small companies. It's a simple recommendation for a return so it definitely works.


Lastly check ebay, type businesses for sale and you will be surprised, there a few decent businesses that you may be interested in.
 
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Excel-Expert

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Have you tried looking through sites such as UpWork or PeoplePerHour for ideas? It should give you an idea of what people are looking for and hopefully, something will match up with your skillset.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend trying to work through those platforms though. It is possible but you will spend the first year or so working for peanuts while you build your reputation on the platforms.
 
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Washington

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So, I don’t think I’m an idiot and someone here may tell me otherwise, but I just can’t seem to land on a solid idea for a “side hustle”.

Contrary to many, I actually somewhat enjoy my 9-5 job, ish. Really it’s the people that I enjoy the most and I don’t want to leave what I have as I’ve got it so good.

The wife and I live in relative comfort, rent a lovely little cottage, both work day jobs, no kids as yet (early stages of having one of the way, all being well). I earn £26.5k doing a fairly easy job, I’m after sales care for a national tool wholesaler so I’ve got to know the ins and outs of welders, compressors, starter-chargers and the list goes on. 11,000 odd products, so I have a good grasp of engineering principals, both electrical and mechanical and obviously tooling, no formal qualifications though. Outside of work, interests include 4x4s and travel (overlanding), I volunteer for our local Search and Rescue and generally enjoy the outdoors.

However, our housing costs eat around 65% of our income alone and then we have our personal bills which are as minimal as can be, whilst we do also save we’re not saving as much as I’d really like and even then, we’re each left with a little over £100 a month spending money, which doesn’t go far.

I’ve been ragging my head to the point of exhaustion to come up with something I can do on the side in addition to the day job, just to add a little income. I’m not looking to make my millions, but something that I can just grow into maybe an extra £10-15k a year in income.

I keep coming back to e-commerce but every man and his dog seems to be doing this, is it really viable to start out buying via Ali-Baba and selling online? Is it just a case of good marketing to beat the flooded markets that already exist?

I’ve also had one product idea recently but haven’t a clue as to how to go about R&D and how to figure out if it’s at all viable in the UK. It would build on products that are available in the USA but the off-roading accessories market appears much larger over there than here.

I guess I’m just trying to spark a conversation with those who have possibly been here before and gleam some information or advice. Apologies for the humongous post!

I think you are overthinking it and the answer lies within your present skill set and infrastucture.

You have a workshop and have a good grasp of engineering/tinkering and you work in a tooling business. Does the business you are employed by have returns it sells or sends to auction ? Can you buy these and sell as refurbished items ? Can you buy machinery (or pick up from tips) electrical items that need a refurb to resell, it would be a low cost investment

Someone mentioned upcycling furniture.... there is still a trend for painted furniture in the UK and this gives a lot of scope for getting older pieces of furniture and refurbing with modern colours and handles. Again if you have a workshop, this makes such a 'side hussle' possible

My friend has just walked away from a vacuum cleaner repair business as he's retiring and couldn't find anyone interested in taking it on. It's paid for his mortgage and a couple of rental properties in it's time, it's just not very glamorous
 
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This thread is unique here - it is the first time that I have seen EVERY answer (and there are three pages of answers!) is completely useless! I mean - really! The bone-headedness of some of the ideas is absolutely breathtaking!

How on Earth is someone struggling to make ends meet supposed to start an Amazon or eBay shop? Online shops today have massive budgets and buy in huge qualities and often are selling top-notch branded goods at equal or even BELOW regular wholesale prices. And as for spread-betting . . . words fail me! The poor bloke will have to spend hours and hours pouring over odds to get what - £50? £100?

So let's get back to basics -

So, I don’t think I’m an idiot and someone here may tell me otherwise, but I just can’t seem to land on a solid idea for a “side hustle”.

Contrary to many, I actually somewhat enjoy my 9-5 job, ish. Really it’s the people that I enjoy the most and I don’t want to leave what I have as I’ve got it so good.

The wife and I live in relative comfort, rent a lovely little cottage, both work day jobs, no kids as yet (early stages of having one of the way, all being well). I earn £26.5k doing a fairly easy job, I’m after sales care for a national tool wholesaler so I’ve got to know the ins and outs of welders, compressors, starter-chargers and the list goes on. 11,000 odd products, so I have a good grasp of engineering principals, both electrical and mechanical and obviously tooling, no formal qualifications though. Outside of work, interests include 4x4s and travel (overlanding), I volunteer for our local Search and Rescue and generally enjoy the outdoors.

However, our housing costs eat around 65% of our income alone and then we have our personal bills which are as minimal as can be, whilst we do also save we’re not saving as much as I’d really like and even then, we’re each left with a little over £100 a month spending money, which doesn’t go far.

I’ve been ragging my head to the point of exhaustion to come up with something I can do on the side in addition to the day job, just to add a little income. I’m not looking to make my millions, but something that I can just grow into maybe an extra £10-15k a year in income.

I keep coming back to e-commerce but every man and his dog seems to be doing this, is it really viable to start out buying via Ali-Baba and selling online? Is it just a case of good marketing to beat the flooded markets that already exist?

I’ve also had one product idea recently but haven’t a clue as to how to go about R&D and how to figure out if it’s at all viable in the UK. It would build on products that are available in the USA but the off-roading accessories market appears much larger over there than here.

I guess I’m just trying to spark a conversation with those who have possibly been here before and gleam some information or advice. Apologies for the humongous post!
The answer lies within the structure and nature of your nine-to-five. Expand and develop that, rather than risking what little money you have on buying daft tat from Australia or the US. Show your employer that you are ambitious and that you want something better. Bring ideas to the table, such as direct selling and up-selling of additional products and services to customers.

That last post from @Washington was the exception to an otherwise stream of daft ideas - that is roughly the right direction for you!
 
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MBE2017

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    as for spread-betting . . . words fail me! The poor bloke will have to spend hours and hours pouring over odds to get what - £50? £100?

    So let's get back to basics -
    I corrected the term to match betting, you push a simple button, software does the rest. You only have to place two bets, both two presses of a button, so 4/5 button presses on your phone or computer, hardly hours and hours.

    Try not to dismiss what is truly a risk free side hustle for many without understanding it.
     
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    MOIC

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    I’m after sales care for a national tool wholesaler so I’ve got to know the ins and outs of welders, compressors, starter-chargers and the list goes on. 11,000 odd products, so I have a good grasp of engineering principals, both electrical and mechanical and obviously tooling
    My advice is to speak to your customers and see what they need that they cannot find, then search for a solution. It can be something simple, like a tool cover. You have the audience, just ensure there isn't a conflict of interests.

    Go simple, one product, to your current customers.
     
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    domainguy

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    Been wracking my brain for years on a side hustle which will bring in at least £1000pm and can grow. Ive tried a lot of the recommendations and given up posting in here as you'll get a dozen people telling you its easy to come up with ideas or will promote the same old crap you get on you tube. I have money, IT and business experience, can setup a website if needed, have a fair bit of savings and quite creative and good with my hands.
    But I still haven't found anything worth progressing. In fact i've virtually given up as its made me depressed. I have a 6 figure job and a 4 bedroom detached house but im miserable. I hate where i live, I'm pretty susceptible to noise and would love nothing more than to be able to move to a house with no close neighbours. My kids go to schools so I can't move too far at least for next few years, and a house which would make me happy would mean i need about a million on top of what my house is worth. I have no chance of ever getting a million even with thousands im willing to gamble. Needing this million may sound greedy or stupid but its the only way i see me not being depressed. Im 52, I have an autistic son and a daughter who can't look after herself much better. I have no close family and worry about what happens to my kids when my wife and i are gone. It's another driver for me to set something up so that i could potentially employ my kids and give them something to carry on. You should be happy with what you have and my wife keeps telling me that but its not that easy. Having a wife and kids is the only reason im still around.
     
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    MOIC

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    You're earning £100,000+ and you want a side hustle to earn an extra £1,000 a month? Why do you think this will make you happy?

    It might be better to decrease your working hours, rather than increasing them, this way you can spend more time with your family, which is ultimately the most important.

    Is there an underlying problem why you're not happy with your lot?
     
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    domainguy

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    £1000pm was just a figure. Wanted something to grow.
    I don't mind my main job but As i said i was looking for something that the family could do. However Setting up something which i could run from home and brought in the same income as my job would would mean i could give up work and move house. It's living where i live which is the base of my depression. I'm too old to take out another mortgage so making the money is the only way i can afford to move. I may earn 100k but i rarely have spare at the end of the month. My wife can't work due to my son being autistic and i have to give her some money.
    I would happily risk £10k if I could generate a decent income but apart from gambling/day trading I dont know what to do. Even thought about buying a piece of machinery to generate and income but nearest ive come is an ice cream van.
    I can create my own shop website, but what to sell. I can rent a shop or have a weekend stall but what to sell. I've owned many websites over the years and lots of keyword domains but it was all affiliate or adsense. Struggle to find products with a good enough margin and i dont fancy drop shipping or FBA. Tried online and offline arbitrage but its never a steady flow of products. Lots of issues. Which is why i was looking at making a product and selling online or on a stall. I can screenprint and make some money selling art screenprints but its difficult to keep coming up with original ideas.
    Banksy if you're reading please come and paint my front door. Will solve all my problems
     
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    MOIC

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    It's living where i live which is the base of my depression.
    Can you move to a similar priced property or lower, but in an area that suits you and your family? What does your wife suggest?

    Perhaps if you're in a better frame of mind, you'll be able to think more clearly (and be positive) of creating something to supplement your current income.

    Gambling is a no no!

    Banksy if you're reading please come and paint my front door. Will solve all my problems
    You've retained your sense of humour!
     
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    intheTRADE

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    I am no councillor but I can't help but feel there is some huge underlying issues here that you should try and address

    You have a very well paid job, a wife and kids. Family is all that matters in life and from your post it seems you live a comfortable lifestyle that millions in this country would die for. Why would making a million make you happy? I don't think it would. A house is a house. Material things. Why do you need an obscenely priced house to be happy?
     
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    Gyumri

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    For the small amount £ side hustle you are looking at, investigate sports spread betting, playing bookies odds off against an exchange. Done correctly you should make £1-200 a week with relative ease, and as importantly no risk.
    There's less risk in going to the local casino and putting your money on black all night - each time double your stake and you can't lose.

    Whether that's what the OP has in mind for a side hustle is questionable.
     
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    intheTRADE

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    There's less risk in going to the local casino and putting your money on black all night - each time double your stake and you can't lose.

    Whether that's what the OP has in mind for a side hustle is questionable.
    Matched Betting is risk free. All outcomes are covered and profit is guaranteed before the event takes place

    What you describe is called the Martingale System and is extremely high risk and you will need extremely deep pockets to sustain it when a losing streak of 7+ hits
     
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    Ashley Evans

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    Which is why i was looking at making a product and selling online or on a stall. I can screenprint and make some money selling art screenprints but its difficult to keep coming up with original ideas.
    Banksy if you're reading please come and paint my front door. Will solve all my problems
    You sound very similar to me. I tried setting up a screen printing business focusing on street art. The business didn't work out but I will try again one day.
     
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    MBE2017

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    There's less risk in going to the local casino and putting your money on black all night - each time double your stake and you can't lose.

    Whether that's what the OP has in mind for a side hustle is questionable.

    This only goes to show you understand nothing. You can lose at all forms of gambling, and unfortunately a few people succumb to it as an addiction. I would never, and have never promoted gambling as a way of making a living.

    I know a handful of guys who do actually manage it, but 99% would fail, I have the odd flutter purely for fun.

    Matched betting is not gambling, do some research before making stupid statements.
     
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    MBE2017

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    but



    Ah, it's not gambling, its tennis trading! :rolleyes:
    For a business forum I am suprised at the lack of intelligence displayed.

    Matched betting is not gambling, which is all I suggested as a side hustle. I mentioned I personally also do some tennis trading, which is gambling, but have never advocated anyone else do the same. How much simpler can I put it?

    I am lucky enough to have control of myself, can afford a small flutter, and so I am happy to have a small gamble every now and then. Many cannot do some or all of those things, which is why I never suggest gambling to anyone.

    Guys, try reading what has been written on posts, it save a lot of time. For anyone interested, I actually make a small profit across the year on gambling, BUT I STILL WOULD NEVER SUGGEST ANYONE FOLLOW SUIT.
     
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    domainguy

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    I have a website and insta but afraid I dont want to link it to my account here. my art name is an alias and no im not banksy or would have a nice big house in the middle of nowhere creating my art.
    Happy to advise on screenprinting. I print contemporary/street art but i would suggest doing originals first and screenprints later if the originals sell. once you have a decent following. I've even thought about what else i can screenprint besides t shirts and totes which is another flooded market. On glass or perspex is one thought. Lightboxes etc.
     
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    I may earn 100k but i rarely have spare at the end of the month.
    Then you are wasting money somewhere. My bet is that you have debts and you don't know how to clear them. The answer is simple - you clear them a penny at a time. You don't need a million pounds - you need to get rid of all those debts.

    I cannot even begin to imagine how I would burn through over £8,000 each and every month! That's crazy! That means that your household is leaking money like a sieve!

    Most people in debt only look at the mortgage and then give all kinds of magic reasons why they must have all those other debts - leased cars, furniture on the never-never, stupid phone contracts, credit card debts, Sky, Netflix - and on and on and on and . . .

    Step one - only shop at Lidl. If Lidl doesn't have it - don't eat it. If you want a new tool such as a cordless drill or whatever, wait until it is available at 'Middle of Lidl'. We only shop at Lidl and not because we are poor but because the food is BETTER! It also means that we can shop faster and save time and we all know what time is! (If you price up the time spent/wasted schlepping around Sainbury and Morison's at, say, £20 an hour, you begin to realise just how wasteful most shopping journies really are!) And definitely no home deliveries!

    Step two - impulse buys - we are still with food here - no snacking and no boozing by anyone. Musli for breakfast (no more Jumbo Minty MacNugget-Pops!) and an evening meal. No crisps, no chocky bars, no comfort food. If you must have alcohol, brew it yourself, it's dead easy to do. If you or the wife smoke - stop. The same applies to pets - dry stuff from Lidl only. No magic gunk out of tins.

    Step three - cars! Any new leased cars in the driveway can go back to the dealership. As you will be doing all the shopping after work and the kids can take the bus to school, the wife does not need a car. And she'll be far too busy baking bread, brewing beer, looking after the autistic child and running an online business to be wasting time shopping. Buy a good, used Diesel estate for cash. Servicing and repairs are best done by your local 'Stig-with-a-Spanner'. No more visits to dealerships!

    Step four - all the rest! No more subscriptions for anything! No Netflix, no Sky, no iPhone contracts, no online contracts for newspapers. All that has to go! No club memberships - or indeed anything else that costs money every month. If someone wants a mobile phone, a £20 burner phone and a £10 pay-as-you-go card work better than some fancy smartphone. Holidays are camping holidays in the Highlands - much more fun for the kids than some ghastly hotel in Spain, or worse still, some Egyptian concentration camp with complimentary beer, wine and diarrhea.

    Step five - the mortgage! Now that we have stripped out about £25,000 of useless nonsense, getting rid of the mortgage is the family's number one priority! Yes, the whole family! It's no longer only on your shoulders, the whole family must now take responsibility for actually getting the old finances into shape. That means paying off that mortgage so that you retire without the Sisyphean task of meeting monthly payments for anything other than basic utilities. My 30 cents worth would be to release equity by moving to some remote part of Scotland so that the kids can enjoy a tertiary education without running up £50,000 in student debts. Just make sure that they study proper subjects with which they can actually earn a living, so no Music Technology, Philosophy, Media Studies, Film and TV, or any pseudo-vocational rubbish like that!

    Can it be done?

    I know a guy who worked for an investment fund. He too had a six-figure income and he too was struggling to make ends meet. In 2008 the fund collapsed and there were no more jobs in investment banking. He moved his family to a cottage outside of Inverness and started an appliance repair business. He is now debt-free and happy, grows much of his own food and has time for hobbies and for life in general.

    So yes, it can be done!
     
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    domainguy

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    I'm not struggling to make ends meet I just need a mill to be able to move to a house where i have no close neighbours. That's my driver to earn money. I have no debt apart from mortgage which is less than £1k pm. We have 1 car which is leased less than £300pm, elec and gas about to go up from £140pm to £350pm and that's before Oct rises. And you don't take home £8k on £100k pa closer to £5k and when i get a bonus i end up giving half of it back as it takes me into 50% tax which buggers up my tax. Yes im earning £100k + complaining i know. Even millionaires (which im not) have problems and have depression. Maybe different ones but still have them. I don't feel any better off than when i was earning a third tbh.

    I have savings which are sitting in a basic savings account earning nothing and could pay off a large chunk of mortgage but i've always kept in case i lose my job (which is always at risk) and i wouldn't find another job of similar money. I also keep it with plans to make an income from it but yet to find one. Also reason i haven't tied it up or put in a isa etc.

    Like the guy you know i would love to move somewhere more rural where i could afford a house with no close neighbours and start a business that my family could work on. Unfortunately my son has over 3 years left til 6th form and he is autistic so we can't afford to move schools. And my daughter is in 1st year of A levels so again can't move and dont know what she wants to do re uni or job. Im 51 and have mortgage til 65 so assuming i keep my job it will be paid off by retirement.
     
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    So now we are on £60k, less £24k for house and other payments, so that still leaves you with £36k a year for everything else! Food and incidentals £6k, so now you have £30k to play with.

    There are plenty of places that offer peace and tranquility AND low house prices - the trick is to stay well away from the SE of Englandshire.
     
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    A few issues here to deal with -
    I have savings which are sitting in a basic savings account earning nothing and could pay off a large chunk of mortgage but i've always kept in case i lose my job (which is always at risk) and i wouldn't find another job of similar money. I also keep it with plans to make an income from it but yet to find one. Also reason i haven't tied it up or put in a isa etc.
    Right now, your money is losing about 15% p.a. as that is the real level of inflation - not the 8% the ONS claims. They manage to get a lower figure by changing the basket of goods and services, yet fail to mention that people are changing what they buy or use because of rising prices. The £20 roast is replaced by a £5 chicken.

    But the best type of savings you can make for a rainy day is to pay off all debts! Instead of paying just £1k a month, I'd be aiming for £3k and clear that mortgage in about five years' time. Just owning the deeds to your house is the best investment you can make!
    Like the guy you know i would love to move somewhere more rural where i could afford a house with no close neighbours and start a business that my family could work on. Unfortunately my son has over 3 years left til 6th form and he is autistic so we can't afford to move schools. And my daughter is in 1st year of A levels so again can't move and dont know what she wants to do re uni or job. Im 51 and have mortgage til 65 so assuming i keep my job it will be paid off by retirement.
    Quite apart from the fact that my heavily autistic son was the same age when we moved (not just county, but from Germany to the UK) and he was not fazed and managed to complete his As - but TBH, you seem to be doing OK.

    Cheer up! Nothing is so bad that it couldn't get worse!
     
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