Have you arrived in 2026 and are wondering what happened to your finances? Maybe it was an over-the-top Christmas & New Year, or perhaps the ever-increasing price of living has finally caught up with you. Whatever the reason you’re looking to boost your bank balance, let’s have a look at some quick and easy ideas to make money in 2026.
Earn Cashback
We all spend money, right? But not all of us make money when we spend. Cashback is such a simple way to claw back some of the money that we spend. It could be using a cashback credit card (pay it off in full) or simply clicking through a cashback site like Quidco, which gives us a small percentage back of what we spend. With more retailers than ever before on these cashback platforms, if you aren’t signed up, you’ll likely be spending money at places and missing out on money!
Switch Your Bank
There are lots of bank switches offer available. If you have been loyal to your bank, ask yourself why. Are they giving you money to stay with them? Probably not! Why not ditch and switch to a new bank or building society that will pay you to join! You might think it is difficult and going to be annoying to do. But it is all done for you with the Current Account Switch Service. With payments forwarded if need be and direct debits transferred. I have made a fair bit of money switching banks, but they’ve clamped down quite a bit recently, so you can’t do it quite as often with the same banks or linked institutions. With £100+ available for switching banks, it’s a great way to make money in 2026.
How I made over £1000 switching banks.
Swap Your Subscriptions
When was the last time you switched your subscription? It could be a mobile phone contract, broadband bill or perhaps a streaming service. Lots of us are paying over the odds for what we are getting, especially when you compare it to new customer deals. Why are you still paying £40 a month when your 18 month iPhone contract has finished? Keep the phone and swap to a cheaper SIM-only package for less than £10. Some are even less than a fiver!
Even if you don’t have the time to cancel and join a new company, going through the cancellation process can often give you a better deal for a few months. I recently did this with Disney+ and got 4 months at a reduced monthly rate. That money is better off in your pocket than in the hands of big business! Make money in 2026 by taking an hour to look through your subscriptions!
Sell Your Stuff
One of the best ways to make money in 2026 without having to even leave your house, is by selling your stuff. Many of us have a huge amount of things in our houses that we don’t use, need or even want. Selling these is a great way to get some cash in your bank account, whilst freeing yourself of mess and uncluttering your life. There are lots of fee-free platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, where you can offload items that still have value. Even broken items can be sold! Sell, make money & claim back the space in your property.
These are just a handful of ideas about how to make money in 2026. Get yourself motivated and start to build up an extra pot of cash to help you through the coming year. Be sure to check out all the other money saving articles on Thriftychap too! And let me know your own money making ideas.
