AS the year draws to a close, now is the time to top up your bank account to start 2024 on the right foot.
The cost of energy remains high and homeowners are having to fork out more on their mortgages after multiple interest rate increases this year.
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Households will want to do everything they can to boost incomes in 2024, particularly after an expensive Christmas season.
Luckily, there are a number of ways to top up your pot, from long-term solutions to quick earners.
We’ve rounded up nine ways you can bag up to £8,590 next year.
1. Switch your bank account – up to £200
You could get up to £200 in free cash just by switching to a new bank account.
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Some banks and building societies offer bonuses to new customers moving accounts to them.
Usually you need to make the switch through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) to qualify.
For example, Nationwide is offering customers £200 if they switch to a FlexDirect, FlexPlus or FlexAccount.
And First Direct is offering customers up to £175 if they switch to a 1st Account.
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2. Earn free cashback – £1,000
Sites such as TopCashback give you money back on your spending.
You are reimbursed a set amount or a percentage of your shopping.
The site, similar to rival Quidco, pays when you go through its website and spend with retailers or providers.
If you are planning on buying some new products, remember to always go through these sites so that you don’t miss out on free cash.
One savvy shopper told The Sun he has earned £1,500 in cashback since joining “no-brainer” TopCashback last month – working out as £1,000 a year.
3. Rent out your spare garage – £1,500
You might be familiar with the concept of Airbnb or FlatShare, where you can rent out a room or your entire property for a set period.
But you might not know you can rent out your garage as storage space for cash too through websites like Stashbee.
One Londoner told The Sun how he earned £2,300 in 18 months using the platform, working out as £1,500 over 12 months.
It took him just minutes to set up a profile, which he said was “easy”, and he received his first booking in just days.
4. Mystery shopping and advert checks – £2,400 a year
Mystery shopping is a simple and effective way to top up your monthly income as you can fit it around a full-time job.
You can also earn money checking retailer’s adverts too.
One McDonald’s manager revealed how he tops up his monthly income by £200, worth £2,400 a year, by doing this on Shepper.
Users can earn up to £22 per hour through the website completing market research tasks and carrying out jobs as local supermarkets and takeaway restaurants.
5. Check your notes for any rare finds – from £50
A number of £20 notes floating about could earn you more than their face value at auction.
If you’ve got any notes that meet the below criteria, it might be worth seeing if you can sell them on for extra cash.
Early serial numbers
When the Bank of England issues a new note it donates those with significant numbers to the people and institutions involved in the development.
For example, the first note AA01 000001 is given to the monarch.
AA notes are the most valuable, but anything with an A in it could be worth more than the value of the note itself.
An AA01 £5 note sold on eBay for over £60,000 in 2017.
Consecutive serial numbers
For instance, if you get one with AA1234567, it’s likely to be popular.
Two notes with the serial numbers AA01090561 and AA01090562 sold for more than £50 in March 2020.
Special meanings in serial numbers
The £20 notes released in 2020 feature artist JMW Turner, so serial numbers with his birth date – 1775 – could be a winner.
If you find one starting with an A that also includes his birth date that should be worth even more.
To find out more about how to spot rare £20 notes read our article.
6. Product testing – £3,000
Product testing is a great way to bag yourself free products for minimal effort.
How it works can vary, but one website LatestFreeStuff lists items shoppers can get for free in return for reviewing them.
You won’t always get to keep the items, but if you do it can save you £1,000s a year compared to buying them yourself.
One savvy saver revealed to The Sun how she makes around £3,000 a year doing the side hustle since 2022.
She even managed to keep hold of a £1,250 Miele dishwasher.
7. “Flip” phones – £200 an hour
“Flipping” phones, when you buy them on the cheap and resell them for more, can earn you hundreds of pounds at a time.
The side hustle takes minimal effort too.
One 25-year-old revealed to The Sun how doing this can see him earn £600 in three hours, all from the comfort of his sofa.
Londoner Eliot Davey said he uses the app Twig online, but there are others you can use too.
Even if you don’t want to buy and resell phones, you could always make some extra money selling your old model on websites like Mazuma Mobile.
8. Install an app on your phone – £140
You can earn £20 in online vouchers just by installing apps like Ipsos Media Cell on to your phone – all you have to do is fill in a survey.
You will then get £10 each month that you keep the app installed on your phone.
Do this for 12 months and you’d earn yourself £140 in total.
The idea behind the concept is that Ipsos Mori, which owns the app, gets more information about how people consume media, like what they watch and listen to, and you are rewarded for it.
9. Fill in surveys – £100
Online surveys are another great way to make extra money, and again, can be done from the comfort of your home.
One Nottinghamshire resident previously revealed how she’s earned £400 through survey website Qmee.
But there are others out there you can use, including Swagbucks.com and Yougov.
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The length and amount of cash you receive for surveys varies – some can take five to 10 minutes whereas others can take days.
Either way, they can be a great earner if you’ve got some spare time to kill in the evening or on weekends.
