Read through the six tips below on making money by doing what you do every day anyway. It's true that the many people are trying to cut back on life's little luxuries at the minute - including domestic help - but use it to your advantage by under-cutting your competitors' quotes. You could find yourself even busier than usual because you're such good value.
Make money watching TV
How much time do you spend sat in front of the box, wasting valuable potential money-earning time contemplating the boxes on Deal or no Deal? You could use this down-time to make money by getting paid to iron.
Many people hate ironing so much (particularly shirts) that they are willing to pay someone else to do it, even when money is tight. Professional ironers tend to charge between £8 and £10 per hour or a certain amount per item (say 50p-£1 per shirt) so find out what the rate is in your area and undercut it. Just doing this a few hours a day in front of the box means your potential earnings could be as much as £8,000 a year.
According to website Marketingweek, the average person spends 3 and a half hours every day watching TV. Spend that time ironing for people who don't really want to and you could be quids in. Advertise in your local area, collect and deliver with a smile and get yourself some word-of-mouth recommendations.
Make money walking in the park
If you love dogs and you enjoy the. fresh air then consider getting into dog-walking for money. If you live in a city or a large town there are always several owners desperate for someone to take their pooch out during the day.
You can expect to earn £6-10 per dog, per hour. There are some agencies you could register with such as Dogwalkersuk, Walkies or Ukdogwalkers - all of whom you can find on the internet - but they'll take a percentage of what you're earning. If you've got enough time on your then print and distribute fliers to bring in clients of your own. If you already have your own dog you can get work through word-of-mouth among dog-owners that you meet in the park. If you go in for this seriously, though, make sure you get public liability insurance to cover you in case something happens to one of the dogs while they are out with you.
Make money baking cakes
Recession or not, there are always plenty of people around with a few spare pennies for something sweet. Cakes, biscuits, jams, whatever your specialty, get down to your local market or car boot sale this weekend equipped with a box full of goodies and you'll be able to pay for this year's Christmas presents.
Work out the selling price of your treats by calculating the cost of production per item then doubling it. Whatever you do, be sure not to short-change yourself! Also remember to factor in the cost of the seller pitch fee, if there is one. If you're not sure where your nearest car boot sale is try searching on Carbootjunction for a list of the UK's car boot sales and their fees.
Make money growing veg
If you'd struggle to keep a cactus alive for longer than a couple of weeks, growing and selling your own vegetables might be a bit of a risky business. However, if you are a green-fingered, nature loving gardener - some extra hours in the greenhouse might well be worth the effort.
You don't necessarily need a big garden to grow your juicy veg. Tomatoes, chillies, peppers and herbs will quite happily flourish in your kitchen or living room providing they've got plenty of light and a little bit of TLC. As well as earning money by selling to friends and neighbours - you'll be saving a few bucks in the supermarket every week too.
Plants in pots sell well at car boot sales and local garage shops so if you have a decent-sized greenhouse you can propagate seedlings over the winter and sell them as full-grown plants in the Spring and Summer.
Make money playing with kids
Stuck at home all day with the kids? Why not make some extra money from your situation and your experience. Register yourself as a childminder (find out how from the National Childminding Association) and make cash by playing twister and reading stories.
You can earn anything from £3 to £6 per hour per child or £11,000 - £21,000 per annum, depending on how many kids you care for. You do have to jump through a few hoops to get yourself registered but once you're up and running you're set for a while, with only the occasional first aid training course needed to refresh your knowledge.
Right now, childminders are more in demand than ever as people 'trade down' with their domestic help and go from nannies and nurseries to childminders. You can get business and clients from schools, kids clubs, scouts and so on, in fact just about anywhere where children and their parents hang out.?
Make money with a feather duster
?If you're a dab-hand with a mop and a broom, a few hours a week cleaning for someone else might be the income boost you've been looking for. Cleaners and housekeepers will always be in demand while there are carpets to vacuum and surfaces to be cleansed. There may be less work for cleaners in a downturn but, again, you can pick up extra work by undercutting the fees charged by domestics in your area.
If you've got experience as a housekeeper or cleaner, you can register with an agency like Mrs Hunt's Domestic Staffing. If not, post adverts online, put leaflets through doors and spread the news by word of mouth. Remember to get a reference from each of your clients when you've finished - good references are the key to getting more work.???
Jasmine Birtles is the founder of the money-making and money-saving website moneymagpie.com moneymagpie.com
Jasmine earns her living as a finance journalist, expert, TV presenter and is author of 38 books including the latest, "Beat the Banks!"
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