IF you're worried about making ends meet this Christmas, now's the best time to start prepping your finances.
And even though the summer sun is still shining, it's actually the best time to start bringing in some extra cash.
There are plenty of savvy ways you can make some quick cash between now and December 25.
Whether you start a side hustle, apply for marriage allowance or spend time filling out online surveys, you could soon be quids in.
Of course, exactly how much extra you can earn will depend on how much time you can dedicate to certain things, and if you're eligible for others.
Here we've rounded up all the ways you can some extra money and jingle all the way to the bank.
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1. Married couples tax break – up to £1,260
Around two million couples are estimated to be missing out on this tax break, which is worth £252 a year.
Marriage allowance lets married couples, or those in a civil partnership claim back money where one half earns less than £50,270 a year and the other earns less than £12,570, or nothing at all.
It means that if one of you hasn’t used up your Personal Allowance – currently £12,570 a year – you can hand some of it over to the other, which could save them up to £252 in the current tax year.
Even better, you can backdate any claims for up to four years if you were eligible previously – a total saving of £1,260.
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You can claim the marriage allowance online directly through the government website.
We've put together a guide to everything you need to know about marriage allowance.
2. Find a simple side hustle – up to £6,000
Cat lover Becca Winkler mas made £2,000 after starting a side hustle as a cat sitter.
The 27-year-old first signed up to the Cat in a Flat app back in 2017 and has since completed 35 bookings for owners who need their pet looked after while they're away on holiday or on business.
But if you're not a cat person then don't worry, because there's plenty of other side hustles you can try out.
If you see yourself as a bit of a star, why not apply to be an extra for TV and film?
Engineer Ollie Simmers has made £6,000 appearing in Hollywood movies and top telly shows as an extra.
You can easily sign up for extra work on a number of websites.
Ollie recommends www.wegotpop.com where you can register your details and casting agents then pick from a pool of actors.
You can try other websites like www.pieceofcakecasting.com too.
Bear in mind too that as an extra the money you get paid will have to be reported to the taxman.
Any money you earn outside a main job over £1,000 will usually be taxed.
We spoke to a money expert who explained all the rules around side hustles and gave his top tips for getting started.
2. Rent-a-room scheme – up to £300
The government gives a tax break to anyone who rents a room out in their home for extra income or to help with rent or mortgage costs.
You can make up to £7,500 a year tax free through rent-a-room relief, which will save you up to £1,500 a year as a basic-rate taxpayer or £3,000 a year if you pay income tax at 40%.
To qualify, you must be renting the room out in your main home, rather than a separate flat, and it must be furnished.
You don't need to own the home – you can let out part of your rental property, as long as your lease allows it.
There's also no minimum length of time you need to let it out for to get the tax relief.
3. Rent out your driveway – up to £600
Savvy entrepreneur Christiane Pearl told us how how she boosted her income by £600 a year by renting out her car parking space.
Christiane uses the YourParkingSpace app and website to rent out the single space in front of her home in Cambridge.
You can lease any type of parking space you own or are authorised to lease including driveways, garages, off-street parking spaces, residential parking or commercial parking.
You can use websites like YourParkingSpace and it provides
a suggestion for your hourly, daily and monthly rates.
This recommendation is based on the average market value of booked parking on the platform within a 0.5-mile radius of your location.
YourParkingSpace don’t charge any listing fees or ongoing maintenance fees on your listing.
4. Fill out surveys – up to £400
If you fancy earning a bit of cash in your lunch break, look into filling out surveys.
Survey site ylive-community.com (formerly PopulusLive) can pay out £1 to £4 per survey.
While Swagbucks.com is a popular site where your survey points earn you gift cards.
Other sites include i-Say, Crowdology, the Curious Cat and Google Opinion Rewards apps.
For updates on top-paying surveys, see the Facebook group Best Survey Sites.
It's worth checking how much you earn, how you get it (for example in cash or vouchers) and how often you can cash out for each site.
Make sure you sign up for email notifications on your phone.
You can pounce on a survey as soon as it arrives – usually, the quicker you are, the more likely you will be accepted.
We spoke to one mum-of-three who's managed to make £400 by filling out surveys.
Using these sites takes just minutes, but it can take a little while for you to get the cash,
But if you start now, it should certainly be in your account by Christmas.
5. Use cashback sites – up to £350
Use cashback sites to get money back on your festive shopping, from food to gifts.
Start on your journey to free money with the main cashback sites, TopCashback and Quidco.
When you’re ready to splash out, check if your chosen shops are offering cashback on these sites, then shop using their link.
It will take a few weeks for the money to land in your account.
Only buy it if you were planning to anyway, not just because there’s cashback on offer.
Graham Leydon, 31, told us how he made £350 just by making the most of cashback sites.
Again, while using cashback sites takes no time at all, it may be a little while until the cash hits your account.
6. Sell your stuff – up to £500
This is the time to cash in for Christmas, offloading everything from frocks to phones.
You can try flogging your old dresses, shoes and accessories on sites like eBay, Depop and Vinted.
Dad-of-one Luke Hadley makes £500 a month by selling his charity shop finds on eBay.
You can sell old mobile phones at MusicMagpie, Sell My Mobile or Mazuma Mobile. Books, CDs and DVDs can be exchanged for cash on Ziffit or WeBuyBooks.
Ben Pine, 31, told The Sun how he's boosted his bank balance by £3,054 by selling old phones through a little-known website called Doji.
Magic up some money and some space by selling big-ticket items, such as old tech or furniture on local Facebook groups or through the site’s Marketplace.
You can try to flog almost anything. Even old cables and instruction booklets are bought by eBay buyers.
For instant cash, selling your unwanted things at a local car boot sale could help boost your income.
Car boot reseller Chris Hayden has made £5,000 a month selling after turning his side-hustle into a business.
Meanwhile, we spoke to a tax expert to reveal five tricks to boost families’ income by up to £10,000.
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Plus, we explain how to make an extra £7,500 a year and pay zero tax.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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