Want to earn extra cash? Use your imagination...

News of redundancies making you nervous? Fancy building up a cash buffer in case of financial disaster, or need to boost your savings? Forget bar jobs and stacking shelves, there are more fun and imaginative ways to generate a second income.

Surveys

Companies that provide products and services need to know that theyre appealing to current and future customers, so pay agencies to collect plenty of data from all sorts of people. As an incentive, those agencies will offer you cash, vouchers or the opportunity to win prizes in return for your thoughts. You have to be over 18 and a UK resident to take part. Sign up at www.sarosresearch.com, for example, and you could earn from 30 to 100 for two hours work.

Tour guide

If you know enough about your local area and it attracts enough tourists, you could sell your knowledge as a tour guide. Youll need plenty of time, some comfy shoes and be confidence with public speaking. It helps if you know a few words of a range of foreign languages to ingratiate yourself with your target audience. A basic walking tour can bring in as much as 5 per person.

Competitions

There are scores of online competitions that dont require a stamp or a phone call to enter. You can win anything from CDs to large sums of cash and holidays. Plenty of websites have lists of free-to- enter competitions, including www.born toloaf.co.uk, which also offers tips on how to make the most of your entry. Watch out for competitions that demand a payment to enter or register on the site.

Virtual office

Old-fashioned envelope-stuffing ads tend to be a scam, taking your money to set up in the first place then disappearing. But becoming a virtual secretary, giving support to small businesses that cant afford their own full-time staff, can earn you between 10 and 20 an hour. Youll need good word-processing and computer skills, a phone and an internet connection for your home computer. See www.ebs-digital.co.uk.

Rent your kids

If you, your children or even your pets are particularly pleasing to the eye, or even if youre not, modelling could bring in 200 for a five-hour session, minus an agency commissioning fee. Avoid agencies that charge an up-front fee as the reputable ones will take a 20 to 25 per cent cut of earnings. One of the largest agencies in Europe is www.modelsdirect.com.

Auction sites

Trawl car-boot sales for a bargain, polish it and sell it for a huge mark-up on online auction sites such as eBay. Alternatively, listings online which are wrongly labelled can be snapped up for a song and resold. As well as eBay, try www.esources.co.uk.

Tutoring

From music to maths lessons, theres no end of things people want to learn. Youll have to be good though, and have heavyweight credentials, especially with the academic subjects. The more qualified you are the more youll earn, but expect upwards of 20 an hour. Self-employed and individual workers cant apply for a Criminal Records Bureau check, but if you work via an agency this may be necessary. For more information, visit www.crb.gov.uk.

Rent space

Clear the junk out of your spare bedroom and rent it out, or, if you live in the centre of a city, even your parking space could be worth a few pounds a month. The rent should be based on local market rates, and the Governments Rent a Room scheme means that you can earn up to 4,250 a year tax-free (2,125 if letting jointly). Go to the Rent a Room Scheme page at www.direct.gov.uk.

Babysitting/ childminding

For anyone taking on a job with children, youll need to know what to do if any dramas unfold and be able to take control of the situation. Having contact details to hand for parents, close relatives and local emergency services should be a must. You can earn upwards of 5 an hour.

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