Top ten money-saving and money-spinning websites

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Total views: 179 | Word Count: 1246 | Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 | 118 comments

The internet is a wonderful creation. And during times when money's tight, it's nice to know that in and amongst all the Twilight fan sites and adult titillation, there are a handful of really useful sites to be found that can save you money. Or, better yet, make you some! So here's a list of our current ten favourite sites for either reducing your outgoings, or enhancing your incomings:

1. Get paid for being a music lover!

Slicethepie is a website which aims to generate money for artists, reviewers and investors. Anybody can invest in artists or bands that they believe will be successful (or even that they think just rock really hard); and - if the band go on to better things - can get return on their investment through a share in album and single sales. Music lovers can also make money from reviewing on the site and spotting new talent, if their favourite artists do well. Plus the artists and bands have a platform for financing, and good old-fashioned exposure. A truly public record company? It's a socialist music lover's dream!

So that's the theory - how about the practice? Well, The Alps were the first band to release an album through Slicethepie after raising £21,000 through their fans. Not bad, eh?

2. Save money on your groceries

Fancy getting lots of groceries dirt cheap? Then you might want to check out Approved Food - sellers of clearance food and drink extraordinaire. Their range is constantly changing, so it's well worth checking back regularly. If you're the type of person who turns your nose up at tins and jars, or objects vehemently to Comic Sans, then to be honest - this site ain't for you. But if you want to pick up a tray of dry roasted peanuts at 10p a bag, or a case of 12 tubs of custard for 99p*, then you should get in there like swimwear!

Approved Food are very upfront about some of their products having exceeded their Best Before dates. But it's worth remembering that a Best Before date relates to the optimum quality of a product. They don't sell products past their Use By date, as that would pose a genuine health risk. And if you're not keen on buying products past their Best Before date, the site has the option of hiding these products when you search.

3. Sell your stuff!

Obviously, you've got your eBays and your Amazons for selling an array of items you're not using. I quite like PriceMinister for selling on your books, DVDs, games, clothes and so on… Plus, at the time of writing, they give you £5 for each of your friends you introduce as a customer - surely a no-brainer!

4. Buy new stuff!

We've always been big fans of HotUKDeals at Confused.com. If you're not already familiar with this site, it's basically a forum where readers can post brilliant deals they find, and other users give ‘heat' if they agree that it's a top deal. This site is arguably only a money saver if you use it to buy stuff you need, however… It's a little bit too easy to get carried away and snap up loads of good stuff!

5. Get free stuff!

As everyone knows, the best price for scoring any item is FREE. And as surprised as we'd be if you hadn't heard of Freecycle, we'd be even more surprised to learn that you had but not joined. It's basically a global community of people making available things they don't want or need, but others might. This is then divided into local groups which you can join, and hence be kept abreast of what goodies people are giving away in your neighbourhood. And it's pretty handy if you're due a clear-out yourself too.

6. Don't be a voucher sloucher

Everyone loves money off. Which is why we reckon you'll love Vouchercloud - which is choc-full of vouchers which can be printed off, sent to your phone or redeemed online with a code. Plus the site looks really nice and is super-easy to use.

7. Rent out spare space

Have you got a spare room in your house that you occasionally dust but seldom use? Or possibly a garage or parking space you don't really take full advantage of? Then you could consider letting it out. Listing on Spareground is free, and a flexible alternative to standard letting - so you could be turning that spare space into mazuma before you know it. Perhaps you have a piano in one of your rooms - you could hire it out by the hour as a practice room. Maybe you're not using your greenhouse - you could let it to someone who wants to grow their own fruit and veg. Or maybe you just have a large loft that you could hire out for storage. There are loads of potential applications - the only limit is your imagination (and in the case of trampolines, insurance concerns…)

8. Take in a lodger

Remember that spare room we were just talking about? Well, another way of making money off it is by taking in a lodger. In fact, the government's Rent A Room scheme allows you up to £4,250 a year tax free when you let a furnished room - provided that the house in question hasn't been divided into separate flats. Plus, you don't even have to be a homeowner. It's ok to take on an extra lodger in a rented house provided you get the landlord's permission.

Once you've decided that you want a lodger, the next question is - where do you find one? Well, with over 1.3 million registered users, Spareroom is a great place to start.

9. Dress for less

Ok, this is a little out of my area of expertise, but Confused.com's sartorially-savvy editor Sharon reliably informs me that Shop It To Me UK is excellent for picking up nicely-priced clothing, shoes and handbags. "This site lets you pick your favourite brands, and then it alerts you when they come on sale! Amazing!"

And then there's Swishing, which is a bit like where gorgeous clothing and Freecycle meet. (Ok, that's two sites not one - but who's counting?)

10. Make savings on your household bills

And finally, use a comparison website where you could save money on your car insurance, home insurance, utilities, life insurance, personal finances…

They could save you money on more things than you might think. Did you know, for instance, that some do caravan insurance? Or breakdown cover? Or TV, phone and broadband bundles, and mobile broadband? I could go on, but you get the picture.

*True offers at time of writing.

About the Author

If the above 10 tips have sparked your interest in saving money online then why not visit Confused.com and compare the top providers of mortgages, credit cards and much more.

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