Rising living costs and stagnant wages are taking their toll on UK households – a staggering 75% of Brits said they had limited their spending over the past 12 months, according to one study.

If you could do with some additional income, there are plenty of routes to take. Take a look at the list below for some inspiration.

1. Cash in your gadgets

Gadgets are one of the most popular belongings gathering dust in cupboards and drawers all over the UK. Sites such as Cashinyourgadgets.co.uk enable you to trade in your old gadgets such as cameras, laptops and TVs, for cash.

2. eBay

As well as making extra cash, selling on eBay is a great way to spring clean your home and get rid of all the stuff you don’t need or don’t want anymore. Private sellers are allowed 100 free listings per month. Remember, your junk could well be someone’s treasure.

3. Rent out a room

Although this comes with the added risk of letting strangers into your home, renting a spare room to visitors can generate quite a bit of extra cash. A number of successful matchmaking sites have started to emerge with the standout being www.airbnb.co.uk. Anyone with space to spare can be a host. It’s that simple.

4. Rent out other spaces

Letting strangers into your home isn’t the only option. You can also rent out your garden for events, camping or filming (check out www.rentmygarden.co.uk); your driveway or garage to commuters or anyone else (see www.parkatmyhouse.com); or spare space in your home to local business owners or other homeowners (try www.storenextdoor.com).

5. Offer a lift

If you have a spare seat in your car, why not charge someone to ‘car share’. Whether it’s a daily lift to work or a longer journey, you could quickly make some extra cash. A number of car sharing sites have popped up matching drivers and passengers. Take a look at BlaBlaCar, Liftshare and Mylifts if this sounds up your street.

6. Do other peoples’ odd-jobs

From assembling flat-pack furniture to doing laundry, you could make some extra cash by helping people in your neighbourhood complete their to-do lists. TaskPandas and Sorted are two UK-based sites, while US-based TaskRabbit, the original site in this space, is currently eyeing a London launch.

7. Become a tutor

Are you fluent in a foreign language or do you play a musical instrument? Whatever your skill, you could teach other people and be paid for your efforts. Websites such as Tutorhunt and First Tutors can match you up with potential students.

8. Get cash back

A number of sites have popped up enabling consumers to get cash back while they shop. Topcashback is free to use and join and allows you to gain cash back when you shop at hundreds of stores including Tesco, Argos, Gap, Karen Millen, Vodafone and American express.
There are other sites out there including Quidco and Rpoints.

9. Become a mystery shopper

Fancy being paid to go shopping and giving your opinion on your experience? If so, mystery shopping could be for you. Retailers are constantly looking for first-hand feedback from people and will pay you in return. Check out www.mystery-shoppers.co.uk for more information.

10. Turn your passion into a business

Have you ever dreamt of selling your own artwork or jewellery? With the arrival of websites like Etsy, you can now make money from your creations. Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods only and allows you to make a living doing what you love.