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If you want to know how to make an extra £200 a month, you do not need a big idea or a free weekend. You need a few small habits you can repeat. I have side hustled for over 10 years, through full-time jobs, two kids and launching businesses. The easy ones are the ones I always make time for, because they fit into the gaps in a busy week.
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This is the plan I would follow if I wanted an extra £200 a month. It uses paid surveys, paid market research, and website tests. All three are beginner friendly. You can do them around a job or around your kids.
The short version: aim for £75 from surveys, £50 from one paid research study and £84 from website tests. That adds up to £209.
The £200 plan at a glance
| Side hustle | Target | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| Paid surveys | £2.50 a day | £75 in a 30-day month |
| Paid market research | Apply for 2 to 3 studies a day and land one that pays £50 or more | £50 |
| Website tests | 3 tests a week at about £7 each | £84 in a four-week month |
| Total | £209 |
These numbers are targets, not promises. I will point out where the plan can wobble as we go.
Paid surveys: aim for £2.50 a day
Start with the easiest one. I would set a goal of £2.50 a day from surveys. In a 30-day month, that is £75.
A tiny goal is easy to hit. You can do it while the kettle boils or after the kids go to bed. If a daily target feels like too much, set a weekly one. £17.50 a week gets you to roughly the same place.
Survey apps such as MSR and AttaPoll are easy to dip into during spare minutes. The pay per survey is small, so some days you will miss your target. That is fine. The goal gives you a number to chase and a reason to open the app.
Paid market research UK: apply for two or three studies a day
Market research brings in the biggest single payment in this plan. Companies pay people to share opinions on products, apps and websites. Good studies can pay £50 or more for an hour of your time.
I would apply for two to three studies a day and aim for ones that pay over £50 an hour. Three platforms have plenty of opportunities: dScout, Askable and Respondent. User Interviews is another one to try.
The process is similar on each. You apply, answer a few screening questions and wait to see if the researcher picks you. On dScout, the pay for each study is listed upfront and arrives through PayPal. On Askable, you apply through the Explore tab and answer questions that check whether you fit the study.
My thinking is simple. Apply for two or three a day and one should come through within a month. That is an extra £50.
I cannot promise that, and no platform can. Respondent says researchers choose who takes part, so even a fully qualified person may not get an invite. Fill in your profile properly, answer honestly and apply to studies that match your background. That improves your chances.
Get paid to test websites: three tests a week
Website tests are the third piece. My favourite app for this pays around £7 for a test. Three tests a week is £21 a week. In a four-week month, that is £84.
If you need somewhere to start looking, TestingTime lists paid website testing and market research. Availability changes from week to week on every platform. Signing up to more than one gives you more chances to hit your three.
Where the plan can wobble
Market research is the swing factor. One £50 study is a quarter of your target, so a quiet month there hurts. If you miss it, surveys and website tests still bring in about £159.
Fees and timing matter too. Respondent’s help centre says it does not pay for screening questions, so every application costs you a few minutes. It also takes a fulfilment fee of $1 or 5%, whichever is higher, so you receive slightly less than the advertised amount. dScout’s help centre says payments for usability tests and media surveys are held for seven days while researchers review entries.
After a month of real numbers, work out what each side hustle pays for the time it took. That tells you where your next spare hour does the most good.
How to fit side hustles around a full-time job or kids
These three work because they are small. You do them on your phone or laptop in the gaps you already have. I used a similar mix of surveys, market research and cashback on maternity leave, and I wrote about it in how to earn money on maternity leave.
Here is how I would start this week:
- Sign up for one survey app and set your daily or weekly goal.
- Create profiles on two market research platforms. Answer every profile question.
- Apply for your first two or three studies.
- Join a website testing platform and complete your first test.
Then write down what you earn each week. If you are not sure which side hustle suits your schedule, here is how to choose a side hustle that fits your week.
Longer-term side hustles: UGC and dog sitting
Once the £200 plan runs smoothly, you can think bigger. Two side hustle ideas I would look at are UGC and dog sitting.
UGC stands for user-generated content. Brands pay creators for videos they can post on their own social accounts. Anybody can do it, and you can get paid £150 or more for one video. My explainer on what UGC is and how it works says a 10 to 30 second video typically pays £100 to £200. The range runs up to £1,000 depending on the brand and the deliverables.
Dog sitting suits you if you work from home. You could get something like £50 a day. Rates vary by area. Rover’s UK pricing guide lists £33 a day for house sitting and £40 a day for boarding in the sitter’s home as national averages, so £50 sits at the higher end.
Check one rule first. In England, GOV.UK guidance says home boarding for dogs needs a licence when you run it as a commercial business. Looking after a dog in its own home sits outside that definition. Your local council can tell you where your plans fall before you take a booking.
Side hustle tax UK: what to check at £200 a month
£200 a month adds up to £2,400 a year. That is more than the £1,000 trading allowance, so check the rules before you start.
The trading allowance on GOV.UK lets you earn up to £1,000 gross a year from self-employment and casual services, and you may not need to tell HMRC. Gross means before costs. If your gross trading income goes over £1,000, you must register for Self Assessment by 5 October in the following tax year.
For other income, GOV.UK says to contact HMRC if it is over £1,000 up to £2,500, and to register above £2,500. Which group your survey, research or video income falls into depends on how HMRC classes it. If you are unsure, ask HMRC before you guess.
Registering does not always mean paying. Income Tax applies above your personal allowance, which is £12,570 for most people in 2026 to 2027. If your job already pays you more than that, tax on side hustle income above your allowances is charged at your usual rate. Here is a simple example. You earn £2,400 over the year and use the £1,000 allowance. That leaves £1,400 to tax. A basic-rate taxpayer would pay 20% on it, which is £280. That is an illustration, not a forecast.
You may have seen news about a £3,000 limit. The government has said the Self Assessment reporting threshold for trading income will rise from £1,000 to £3,000 within this parliament. That change is about filing a return. It is not a new £3,000 tax-free allowance. I would plan around £1,000 until GOV.UK confirms the start date.
This is general information, not personal tax advice. Check your own situation on GOV.UK.
Where to find more trusted side hustle sites
If you want trusted links and more ideas in one place, my Savvy Side Hustle Guide has 60+ trusted side hustle sites and apps. It also has in-depth info on 15+ side hustle ideas, plus a calculator, trackers and quizzes to help you stay on track.
It costs £17.99, and you can get the side hustle guide here. You can also browse more side hustle ideas on the site.
My take on how to make an extra £200 a month
£200 is a great goal if you have little spare time. You can earn more if you land extra website tests and studies. If you win three £50 studies in a month instead of one, the same plan gives you £309.
Start with the survey goal this week. Add the research applications next, then the website tests. I think earning deserves more attention right now, and I explain why in earn more or save more.
Which of the three would you start with? Tell me in the comments. And if you want more ideas like these, join The Savvy Spender newsletter.
