January 2, 2026

60 Unusual Ways to Make Money – Updated For 2026

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If you’re looking to make some extra cash but are fed up of the usual car boot sales and survey sites why not try one of these 60 unusual ways to make money.

If you need to make some extra cash there are plenty of ways to go about it. The most obvious are selling unwanted items on eBay or your local Facebook selling group or signing up to do some work online. However, what if you don’t have any items that you want to sell? Or the cash out from that survey site seems miles away? Here I bring you 60 unusual ways to make money – from selling your recycling and old smelly shoes to making money from your Fitbit.

Thinking outside the box when making extra cash

If you’re looking to make some extra cash then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve put together this list of 58 unusual ways to make money from some of my favourite money bloggers who really know their stuff. It covers a huge range of ideas and I’m there maybe one or two that you genuinely might not have considered before.

There are also a few that aren’t for the faint-hearted – such as selling old smelly shoes on eBay or working for Adult chatlines and some that are a bit more fun like applying to be a T.V or film extra or going on a quiz show.

60 Unusual Ways to Make Money

Disclaimer: If you’re earning more than £100o net per year from your side hustle (excluding matched betting, cashback and selling your own items) then you’ll need to register with HMRC and fill out a tax return. This includes buying items from charity shops or Vinted to resell for a profit. More on tax here.

PHEW! That’s quite a list. Have you tried any of these unusual ways to make money? Did they work? I’d love to hear about it!

Fiona Hawkes

3 thoughts on “60 Unusual Ways to Make Money – Updated For 2026”

Bill Hodgson July 21, 2019, 11:26 am

I could have written this blog myself, as I practise virtually everything you suggest. I also make several hundred pounds a year for little effort by stoozing (borrowing money at zero interest and investing in a high-interest account). One way of doing this (so-callsed ‘slow stoozing’) is to get an interest-free credit card, pay the minimum amount each month, and save what you would otherwise be spending in regular savings accounts (some pay 5%). Open current accounts with HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank and you can then open regular savers and save £800 per month and get 5% interest.

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Domzy May 14, 2020, 12:13 pm

Fiona, what an awesome post. Some really good advice here. I will be trying some of these tips. Thanks again.

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Brian Winch November 23, 2022, 2:45 pm

Hi Fiona, I’ve got an unusual way to make money that’s almost as easy to do as going for a walk. I operate a parking lot litter cleanup business. This service is performed on-foot using simple hand tools. I clean up litter outside commercial properties for property management companies. I started my business as a side hustle in 1981 and grew it into a six-figure business of 40+ years. Sad fact – people litter. There’s big money to be made cleaning up after them!

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