How I boosted my income by £200 with websites and smartphone apps

I can extra cash using Field Agent and Swagbucks

I make extra cash using Field Agent and Swagbucks

Many MoneySavers will already know that the idea of making money online is not a myth. I’ve been looking for ways to boost my income for two years now and so far I’ve made around £200, but it’s possible to make more if you’re willing to put in the hours.

If you’re looking for ways to make a bit of extra cash, there are definitely more than a few options out there as our Boost Your Income guide details in full. I thought I’d fill you in on my personal experience of trying to make a bit of extra cash.

The great thing about the websites and apps I list below is that most of them can be done while you’re watching TV, so if you spend a lot of time in front of the box, you might as well try making money at the same time.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that if you’re able to work and keen to boost your income, your time might be better spent improving your qualifications and applying for better paid jobs!

Here are some of the websites and apps I’ve tried so far:

This is a mystery shopping app for smartphones. I found it pays about £5 when you complete short tasks like checking if products are in stock, or if billboards are visible. I once got paid to visit a pub and buy a gin & tonic!

I made £64.50 in two months using this app, which makes it the fastest type of extra earning I’ve tried.

This web site takes some getting into but it’s very addictive once you get going. You earn money by completing surveys, playing games, watching videos and a variety of other tasks.

I made £75 in four months and only gave it up because it was starting to take over my life!

As well as earning money back on your shopping, you can use Top Cashback to make free money. I was paid to sign up to a free credit trial, use comparison websites and post adverts on a classified ads site.

Sometimes you can be paid to do the tasks two or three times, but they have strict rules on this which could result in your account being terminated if you go over the limit.

I’ve made £23 in the last year, but I imagine it’s possible to make more as I don’t check for new offers very regularly.

This app pays you to look at adverts. But you usually only earn about 2p-4p per ad, which means it can feel a little slow to reach the £10 minimum pay-out threshold. Recently it’s also started sending out adverts that you won’t get paid to look at – this makes me reluctant to recommend it as I find this quite frustrating.

It’s taken me two years to earn £42, but I think this is a good reward for minimal effort.

Have you had any success with these websites and apps? Do you have any tips on boosting your income? Please let us know your opinions in the discussion below or in the forum.