A mum-of-three has revealed the simple ways she is using apps and tech to get better value for money and bring in an extra £3,588 for her family per year. Jess Warner, 38, has perfected the art of second-hand shopping online, uses several money-saving apps and has a side hustle copywriting for websites.
Jess isn’t alone, as research from EE shows half of UK households are producing creative ways to add value through tech platforms, with the average household £910 a year better off. This includes using things you have already and getting more from them, for example, reviewing TV shows you watch, getting paid to reach milestones in online games you play, or selling your photos, like stunning sunsets or pretty views, to stock image companies online.
She lives with her partner Russel, 52, and three sons. Jess said: “Before the cost-of-living crisis hit, we felt we were finally catching up with life financially and were planning on travelling more and upgrading our car.
“Although these plans ground to a halt, I still wanted to be able to treat the family. I looked at the ways I used tech to get better value and set aside a pot of money for things like family trips. I never expected they’d add up to over £3,500.”
Jess, who works as a full-time online content creator, and is better known to her 55.5K Instagram followers as @theonlygirlinthehouse, channels her passion for interior design into a lucrative job that she loves.
She said: “I’ve spent three days a week copywriting product descriptions and blog posts for interior design websites like the French Bedroom Company, bringing in about £1.8K a month. I'm obsessed with all things related to home design, so it is thrilling to get paid for it.”
Jess has also started using Airtime Rewards for shopping online and instore, linking all her debit cards to her EE account. Every time she uses her cards to shop with selected retailers, she earns money back towards her next EE bill.
She said: “I made £7 in my first week and I’m expecting this will generate about £180 a year. It’s such an easy way to make cash with no fuss.”
With growing boys, Jess has long embraced websites and social media for finding preloved clothes and secondhand furniture, including Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, eBay and the Instagram page Curate & Rotate. Jess said: “I’ve found Vinted to be the most user-friendly in terms of uploading items and shipping them, plus there are no seller fees. Last month I made over £385 from clothes I’ll never wear again.
“eBay is great for homeware. I once bought a pair of chairs at Ardingly Antiques Fair for £80. They sat in my garage for two years before I decided to stick them on eBay. It turned out they were made by a really sought-after mid-century designer, and I managed to sell them for £1,200.
“On average, I now earn around £2,000 a year from having regular loft clear-outs. I always buy pre-loved clothes when I can, like a pair of Jordan trainers for our youngest’s recent birthday for £60, which would have cost £180 new.”
Sharon Meadows, Director of Broadband and Mobile at EE, said: “It’s great to see the innovative ways that people can get more value out of things they are already doing. It really drives home the important role tech can play.
“At EE, our Family Data Sharing, Stay Connected and free smartphone check-up service are just some of the ways we’re giving back to our customers’ while keeping them connected for longer.”
Like millions of Brits, Jess also uses supermarket reward apps to ensure she’s getting the best value for money.
She said: “I am not a loyal supermarket shopper whatsoever. I have all the apps on my phone, so I could be saving at Tesco with Clubcard prices one day, taking advantage of my Sparks card offers to get better value, or using Waitrose vouchers through the app. This saves me an additional £200 per year.”
Jess added: “I’ve got the whole family excited about finding ways to make money through tech using what they already have. My older boys are now mad about using Depop to buy and sell their own clothes. They’ve set up their own little circular economy and manage to earn around £100 a month.”
How Jess gets better value |
£ |
£ |
Selling clothes and items on Vinted, Instagram and eBay |
£167 |
£2,004 |
Sons selling clothes on Depop |
£100 |
£1,200 |
Using EE Airtime Rewards |
£15 |
£180 |
Supermarket reward apps |
£17 |
£204 |
TOTAL: £3,588
How people are using tech to make money
Give opinions on TV shows |
16% |
|
Market research |
14% |
|
Get paid to reach milestones in online games |
10% |
|
Share data with family members |
10% |
|
Dog sitting organised via apps |
8% |
|
Sell sunset photos |
6% |
|
Work as a tour guide in your area |
6% |
|
Make or sell greetings cards |
6% |
|
Sell ideas or solutions to problems online |
6% |
|
Rent out a spare room online |
6% |
|
Rent out your driveway |
5% |
|
Rent out dogs to lonely or stressed people |
4% |
