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You can make £500 before Christmas without giving up every evening. I’d do it with four small pieces: a bank switch, paid surveys, one paid market research call, and a few website tests. Together they come to £504.50.
Nobody wants to be side hustling the week before Christmas, so I’d stop on 20 December. When I planned this, that left 85 days. If you start later, you will have fewer days. I show you how to adjust the numbers further down.
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My plan to make £500 before Christmas, at a glance
| Piece of the plan | Target | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bank switch | One £200 switch offer | £200 |
| Paid surveys | £2.50 a day for 85 days | £212.50 |
| Paid market research | One call that pays £50 | £50 |
| Website tests | Six tests at about £7 each | £42 |
| Total | £504.50 |
These are targets, not promises. The bank switch is the biggest single payment, and it depends on a bank’s rules more than on your time. The other three depend on how much time you give them.
You can swap any piece for a side hustle you would rather do. You can also add to the plan and make more than £500. I cover both options near the end.
Bank switch offers: a £200 head start
A bank switch is when a bank pays you to move your current account to them. The bonus is usually between £100 and £200, and a few banks have £200 offers right now. It is not side hustling in the strict sense. But it is the biggest piece of this plan, and once it is done, it needs no more of your time.
Which bank switch offers are live right now
I checked these on 4 October 2026.
| Bank and account | Bonus | What you need to do | When it pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| NatWest Select or Reward | £200 | Make a full switch with the Current Account Switch Service. Pay in £1,250 within 60 days and log in to the app. | Within 30 days of meeting the conditions |
| Lloyds Club Lloyds | £200 | Open a new account and switch at least three active Direct Debits. Start the switch by 9 December. | Within 14 working days of the switch starting |
| First Direct 1st Account | £210 | Make a full switch with at least two Direct Debits or standing orders, and pay in £1,000. The offer ends on 2 December. | By the 20th of the month after you qualify |
Moneyfactscompare’s report on the £210 First Direct offer confirms when that bank pays. Banks can change or withdraw offers whenever they like. I keep every live deal and its small print in my bank switch offers tracker, so check it before you apply.
Check when the bank pays out
The headline number is only part of the story. With a Christmas deadline, ask when the money lands. Lloyds says it pays within 14 working days of your switch starting. NatWest gives you 60 days to pay in £1,250 and then pays within 30 days. First Direct pays by the 20th of the following month. So start this month if you can.
The Current Account Switch Service moves your payments and balance for you. It is free and comes with a guarantee. NatWest says a switch can take seven working days. The service also closes your old account, so check that your Direct Debits have moved over.
Read the eligibility rules before you apply. NatWest excludes anyone who has had a NatWest Group switch incentive before. Lloyds excludes anyone who has had a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland switching offer since 1 January 2023. Then check the monthly fees. NatWest Select has no monthly fee, and Reward costs £2 a month. Club Lloyds accounts can carry monthly fees too.
Pick an account you would actually use. NatWest also warns that switching again and again can leave a mark on your credit record, so one switch is plenty for this plan.
Paid surveys UK: aim for £2.50 a day
Surveys won’t make you rich. Small amounts do add up. I’d set a goal of £2.50 a day until 20 December. Over 85 days, that is £212.50. £2.50 is realistic and achievable from surveys.
Survey apps such as MSR and AttaPoll are easy to dip into in spare minutes. Each survey pays a small amount, so you will miss your target on some days. If a daily goal feels tight, aim for £17.50 a week instead.
I explain how I’d fit surveys, research and tests around a busy week in my plan to make an extra £200 a month.
Paid market research UK: apply for studies that pay £50 or more
I’d make it my mission to apply for five studies a day that pay £50 or more for my time. I won’t get chosen for all of them. But over 78 days of applying, I’d expect to land at least one call. That adds £50 to the pot, and anything more is a bonus.
Companies pay people for their opinions on products, apps and websites. Respondent and User Interviews are two places to look. Respondent’s help centre says you apply with a short screener. The screener is unpaid, and the researcher chooses who to invite. Being a good match does not guarantee a place, so fill in your profile in full and answer honestly.
Five applications a day is a lot. If that is too many for your week, apply for fewer. The target is still one paid call.
Get paid to test websites: six tests at about £7 each
I’d make the rest up with website testing. The quick tasks on my favourite app pay $10 a time, which is around £7. I’d aim to do six before 20 December to make £42. You can earn more from this if you want to.
If you need somewhere to look, TestingTime lists paid website testing and market research. What is on offer changes from week to week, so sign up to more than one platform.
Payment is not always instant either. Check each platform’s payout rules and cash out well before Christmas. The exchange rate moves too, so treat £7 as an estimate.
How the plan fits into a normal week
Use week one for the bank switch. Check that you are eligible, pick an account and start the switch. Then meet the pay-in or Direct Debit conditions. After that, the plan runs in the background.
Each day, I’d aim for £2.50 from surveys and five market research applications. Every other week, I’d do one website test. That gives you six tests by 20 December. Write each payment in a note on your phone as it lands. Watching the total climb towards £500 helps you stay motivated, and it gives you a record for tax.
If you start late: how to still make £500 before Christmas
Where the plan can wobble
Market research is the swing factor. If no study picks you, the plan comes to £454.50. Surveys also depend on what is available on the day. The bank switch depends on whether you are eligible for the offer you choose, so check that first, before you plan around the £200.
How to adjust the numbers
Count the days to 20 December and multiply by £2.50. Say you start on 4 October. That gives you 78 days, so surveys bring in £195 and the plan comes to £487. Three more website tests at £7 each would take you back over £500.
Easy side hustles for beginners: swap pieces or add more
You can swap any piece of this plan for a side hustle you would prefer. Or add to it and make more than £500. If you would rather sell old clothes, see my tips for selling more on Vinted. If you like making videos, my explainer on what UGC is shows how brands pay creators.
My Savvy Side Hustle Guide has over 60 links to tested side hustle websites and apps, plus ideas on 14 different side hustles. It also has a match maker that points you to the side hustles best suited to your life. Trackers, calculators and quizzes help you keep track and stay accountable. It costs £17.99, and you can get the guide here.
To browse first, see my side hustle ideas. You can also read how to choose a side hustle that fits your week.
Questions about making extra money for Christmas
How much can I realistically make before Christmas?
This plan targets £504.50. That is £200 from a bank switch and £304.50 from surveys, research and tests. They are targets, not guarantees. Market research is the least predictable piece, and the bank switch depends on your eligibility.
Will a bank switch bonus arrive before Christmas?
It can. Lloyds says it pays within 14 working days of the switch starting, and NatWest pays within 30 days of you meeting its conditions. First Direct pays by the 20th of the month after you qualify. Start early to leave time.
Do I need to pay tax on side hustle income?
Not necessarily. GOV.UK says the trading allowance covers up to £1,000 of gross trading income a year. Above that, you must register for Self Assessment. Check the rules for your own situation.
My take how to make £500 before Christmas
I love that side hustles let you pick a number and a date, and then give you a list of ways to get there. Here the number is £500 and the date is 20 December. Start with the bank switch, because it is the biggest piece and some offers have fixed end dates. Then fit the surveys, research and tests around your week.
Which piece would you start with? Tell me in the comments. For more ideas like these, join The Savvy Spender newsletter.
