No matter how much you have saved and prepared, the six weeks holiday with the children inevitably sneaks up on you a bit sooner than you had expected. No one can be fully prepared for what the kids are going to ask to do and when they are going to ask to do it. Many people tend to look for ways of making extra income before Christmas, and completely forget that the summer holidays are also a very expensive time. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can supplement your income, and also still work full time.
Online Trading
When people suggest online trading as an income source, it can sound incredibly intimidating. The reason for this is that trading in stocks and shares, and other instruments like Forex have always been left to the experts like financial advisers. Now there are online trading companies like CMC Markets, you can take your trading account completely into your own hands. You simply log on and sign up for an account, provide some verification details and then you can start trading. Most online trading sites will let you get started for as little as £50, and you can also invest monthly by direct debit. Most of the well known online trading websites will also have a mobile app, so if you can’t get to a computer during the day to see how your trades are doing, you can check on the app, and complete all of the actions you would on the desktop site. One top tip is to use the practice mode first – then you can get used to all of the markets and the way the website works before you invest any money.
Sell your stuff at a yard sale
In the last couple of years, companies like eBay have remained popular in general, but have in some ways priced themselves out of the market. The increase in postage fee’s has left many a small time seller feeling like there must be a better way for them to sell their stuff. In the summer months, a yard sale is the perfect option. Most pitch prices will range from £10 – £20, and as long as you don’t mind getting up early, all you need to do is pack the car up. You won’t believe how true the saying is ‘one mans trash is another mans treasure’ when you do a yard sale, and some items can fetch quite a lot of money, especially clothing and electrical items. An added benefit to this one, is that you can take the kids with you. If they are old enough you can even let them join in the fun by being in charge of some of the products and keeping the cash to go and find something for themselves to buy. Not only does this solve the short term cash situation, but it is also an extra day out with the kids that shouldn’t cost you any extra. Pack a lunch and a flask of tea, and you won’t need to spend money on food there.
Sell your photo’s
If you are out and about with the kids during the summer, the chances are you’ll have some great photo opportunities. But what do you do with the photos after? If they stay strictly on your phone only for you to look back on fondly, then you may wish to consider selling your photos. There are a number of websites like Fotolia, where you can sell your photos online for a small price. The benefit of these is that there are a lot of users on the site, and you have a good chance of getting your photos sold. If you feel your pictures are a bit more worthy of a better price, then why not invest some initial cash and get them printed. Setting up a social media page for your online shop is completely free, and you would be surprised at how well a lovely landscape scene on a canvas will sell to people looking for an addition to their home decor.