Latest news with #moneymaking
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A genius woman has made a career of sitting in parked cars -- and she's looking to expand her team!
She may be the queen of the side hustle. The economy has seen better days, and we're all been tightening our belt big time as we've had to stretch our dollars a lot further at the same time that everything seems to cost a whole lot more! But, necessity breeds invention and people have discovered some genius ways to make ends meet. But perhaps the most genius idea yet involves pretty much doing nothing at all, and getting paid in the process! As I write this story, I'm house-sitting for my parents (which also involves watching some adorable baby shih tsus) - but while I'm familiar with this type of sitting, and just regular old sitting in general, car sitting was one I'd never heard of. That, of course, until I came across the TIkTok of one brilliant woman in NYC. Sydney Charlet recently went viral on TikTok for sharing how she has been making money in NYC by car sitting. NYC has some pretty annoying parking laws associated with alternate side street cleaning, and you can get hefty tickets for not abiding the sweepers when they pass. She'll simply sit in the car, and when (or if!) the street sweepers pass, she'll handle moving the car for you. You can carry on with your day. The way it all works is pretty brilliant: Just text Sydney with where you are and what your car looks like so she can find you and your car. She'll pick up the keys from you (or your receptionist, doorman, situationship, whatever), and just so you know that she's not engaging in any funny business, she'll take videos of the car before she gets in and after so you know all is on the up and up. If paying someone to sit in your car doesn't feel economically savvy, it is when you remember it saves you what will be at least a $65 ticket, and her fees are way less than that. And it's great for her because she's just sitting there! And, in fact, Sydney is getting so much business that she's looking to expand her team – which means you too can be paid for sitting in a car. Sounds like a great side hustle to me! Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Easy ways to make money on your lunch break this summer… from recycling old books to renting out your driveway & Vinted
WITH the cost of living crisis still very much upon us, many people are finding themselves taking on extra hours at work or a second job just to make ends meet. But giving up your spare (and precious) time might not be necessary as with our guide you could help boost your bank balance in your lunch break. 3 With summer approaching - and the cost of holiday childcare for families estimated to be around £1,000 - we could all do with a little extra cash in our pockets right now. From selling unwanted books and games, to looking after a local dog, there are many ways you can make money with very little effort… Have a closet clear out We've all got a dress or outfit that we promise we will wear 'one day' but never do. So rather than let it take up room in your wardrobe, have a clear out of all your unworn items and put them on a selling site, like Vinted. By selling through the app, your pre-loved clothes will enjoy a new life in a new wardrobe and you can get money in return. The buyer pays for postage and there are zero selling fees meaning you get the full sale amount in your pocket. How much you can earn on Vinted depends on several factors, including the quality of your items - for example, newer clothing, especially those still with tags, tend to be sold for a higher price than more worn items. One seller revealed she made a whopping £5.6k on Vinted and shared the seven items you need to upload for selling success. Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted? QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted... The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it. Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017. More information here: Flog unwanted phones and tablets We are all guilty of holding on to old tech items like phones, tablets and laptops, but now you can cash in on these items through Music Magpie. All you have to do is select the make, model and condition of your model and the people at Music Magpie will tell you what it's worth. You can also sell CDs, DVDs, and games by entering the barcode into the site's valuation engine. If you are happy with the offer, you can send it for free to Music Magpie. Once it's been checked over, the money will be transferred to the account you supplied on the same day. According to research, you could make up to £450 by recycling unwanted devices. I've made £5.6k on Vinted and here are the 7 items you need to upload now to make cash quick - white maxi skirts will sell instantly for a start Promote and earn We all have a favourite go-to brand we love to shout about in social media - but now you can get paid for it! Social Tip is an app that allows you to make money from promoting brands regardless of your following. So even if you have a private account with less than 1,000, it doesn't matter - you can still earn. It's believed that certain brands see genuine product fans as more valuable and loyal in their review than an influencer with thousands of followers. And it's easy to earn - all you have to do is share your love of a product on either Instagram or TikTok or both, tag @wearesocialtip, and wait for your commission! (Commission is capped at 10% of the purchase price for each qualifying post.) Rent your driveway You can earn anything from £40 to £400 a month by renting out our driveway to commuters. Websites such as Your Parking Space even manage the bookings for you so that stress is taken away. The space you are leasing has to be your own - or you have authority to lease it - and can include your driveway, garage and commercial parking. You can also control when and for how long you want to rent it out - you can lease it for 24/7 or set specific days or periods. To get an idea of how much you can earn from your space, just pop in your details into the website and it will generate a quote for you. Host a film crew 3 If you have a beautiful or unusual home or space, then you could consider letting it out for magazine shoots and TV shows. Sites such as Lavish Locations and Shoot Factory are always on the look out for new spaces so you can apply online. If your property is chosen, you can earn anything from £500 up to £2,000 a day. It's a tough market - there are hundreds of locations for crews to currently choose from - but if you think yours could stand out, there is no harm in applying. Opinions for cash You can earn extra money by taking surveys or joining a focus group. Martin Lewis's Money Saving Expert website has a list of sites that offer money in exchange for opinions. The questions are usually market research based, and you'd need to take a lot of surveys to make a good chunk of cash, but if you have a spare half an hour on your commute, or want something to do in your lunch break, then it's a great way to monetise your time. On savvy surveyor made over £400 from filling out forms in her spare time. Become a pet sitter! 3 If you see yourself as a Dr Dolittle or just love being with animals then you can become a pet sitter for your local pet owners. You can set your own fees, services and control your own diary meaning you can commit to covering holidays or an hour at a time. Paw Shake is one of many websites where you can sign up your services which is then advertised to pet owners. Miranda Knox made £400 in a few weeks hanging out with cats in her local area. Recycle old books You could earn money for your old books at We Buy Books. You simply scan or enter your book's barcode or ISBN number, get a quote, then send your books off for free. You could earn £100s if you have good quality and pricey texts, but they do still accept used paperbacks so it's worth seeing what your old reads are worth. I made £21 selling three dresses in an hour! I love a good bargain, and I'm forever buying dresses in the seasonal sales, but if I'm being truthful I have more than I really need - or wear - so I set myself a challenge. I went through my wardrobe and pulled out all the dresses I haven't worn in the last three months - and I'm ashamed to say many of them still had tags on! I decided to pop them on to Vinted so they could be loved by a new owner, and free up some space in my wardrobe for the clothes I actually do wear. It was easy to do. I took a picture of each dress - tip: good lighting is key - and uploaded it onto the app with a description of the dress including colour and condition. I also noted a couple of occasions where the dress could be worn - party, workwear, etc - as this gives it a greater chance of appearing in a search. Within an hour, three of my dresses had sold and I was £21 in profit. Not bad for a few minutes of effort! Next stop, my husband's wardrobe! Sell your wedding dress Selling your wedding dress might not be for everyone, but if you are not keeping it to show the grandkids or you are happy with just the memories of your big day, then you could sell your frock online. Sell My Wedding Dress and Still White are just two sites where you can put your bridalwear up for sale. The price depends on many factors, such as design, condition and imperfections, but you could sell a good quality wedding dress for £500 plus. It's definitely worth checking out.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Trump Corrupted the Presidency Into an ATM
President Donald Trump's shady financial dealings have turned his second term into a brazen moneymaking scheme, says The Atlantic's David Frum. On the latest episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, the conservative writer who recently launched the podcast 'The David Frum Show' told host Joanna Coles that while it's nothing new for Trump to use his office for personal gain, his dealings since the inauguration have spiraled into unprecedented territory. 'In Trump's first term… he made improper millions of dollars,' says Frum, who left the Republican Party after Trump's 2024 reelection. 'But in the second term, he's making improper billions of dollars through his coin operations, through other forms of payment, his relatives and family.' While presidents have traditionally followed a series of norms and laws barring them from using their office for financial gain, Frum says Trump has 'trampled' that precedent. For one, Trump has made billions of dollars on $TRUMP, a memecoin that gained ire on both sides of the congressional aisle when the president hosted a private dinner at his Virginia golf resort for the coin's top 220 investors. The top 25 investors were even offered an exclusive tour of the White House. More recently, Frum says Trump's not-yet-constructed presidential library has become an avenue to launder several million, if not several billion, dollars through so-called 'donations.' Perhaps the most glaring instance of Trump shuffling a gift through his library, argues Frum, was when he accepted a $400 million plane from the Qatari government in May. At the time, the White House said the plane would be considered a gift to the Department of Defense while Trump is in office, then will be kept at his presidential library after his term ends. 'In this case, Trump is allowing you to think that 'library' means the plane's on the ground, but there's no guarantee of that,' says Frum. 'This plane is going to be flying him around and his relatives and friends. It's a personal gift to Trump from the government of Qatar.' However, the Qatari plane is far from the only time Trump has raised suspicion while accepting a notable donation to his presidential library. As part of his settlement with Paramount, the media giant agreed to pay $15 million to Trump's library. In a July 5 essay for The Atlantic, Frum argued that settlement amounted to bribery. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren seems to agree. On July 2, Warren announced she and fellow senators Bernie Sanders and Tom Wyden would launch an investigation into whether the settlement violated anti-bribery laws. 'In the Trump case,' says Frum, '[Presidential libraries] become ways to launder money again, and not millions, not single millions of dollars, but multiple millions of dollars and even billions of dollars.' Not only do Trump's financial dealings break from presidential norms, but Frum says the lack of pushback from Republicans in Congress only exacerbates the issue. 'People who stood up to him found their political careers over,' says Frum. 'I would venture to say that probably many, certainly in the Republican Senate, disapprove of Donald Trump's financial operations. But they don't dare say so, and they certainly don't dare do anything about it. And if they tried, they fear they would fail, and they're probably right.' The result, Frum tells Coles, is that Republicans have tacitly given Trump an unprecedented level of power to abuse his position as president for financial gain. 'What is happening with Trump, the scale of it and the fact that the president himself is a personal party, not just his ne'er-do-well children, but the president himself,' says Frum. 'The scale and the location, that you've never seen anything remotely like that in American history. Never.' New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast are released every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Follow our new feed on your favorite podcast platform at and subscribe on YouTube to watch full episodes.
Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
How to flog your wares at a car boot sale, and maximise your profits
If you're looking to clear out clutter and make a bit of extra cash, setting up a stall at a car boot sale can be a surprisingly effective way to do it. However, turning the things you no longer want into treasure for a buyer takes more than simply spreading a boot full of products and on to a table. Timing, pricing, presentation and negotiation skills all play a part in how much money you can make. Here, Telegraph Money explains the steps to take to get started, how to set the right price for your items and what to do if something goes wrong. What preparation do you need to do? Are there any tricks to laying out your stall? How do you price your items? Do you need insurance? What if someone tries to return something they think is faulty? FAQs What preparation do you need to do? Take the time to prepare properly. Start by sorting through what you plan to sell, such as toys, books, game consoles, clothing and garden equipment, making sure that they are in good working condition and old batteries have been replaced. 'If they're dusty, give them a quick wipe over with a cloth. If you're selling clothes, iron them. A little effort makes items look cared for, not like neglected junk,' said Kayleigh Davies, auctioneer and auction expert at Auctionet. It's also important to consider practical details, such as checking the weather forecast, bringing a cash float and arriving early to secure a good pitch. Ms Davies said: 'Tarpaulins are useful for covering everything in case of rain. Make sure you have plenty of change, as you may lose sales if you can't finish a transaction. And bear in mind that serious buyers arrive early, so you should be even earlier.' It is also worth checking whether there are any limits on what you can or can't sell at your chosen venue or if there are specialist sales more suited to your items. For example, if you are only selling clothes, it could be worth finding a clothing fair to sell at. Are there any tricks to laying out your stall? When it comes to setting up on the day, presentation is key. Use a trestle table with a tablecloth, and bring a clothes rail with you if you're selling clothes. 'Think about your setup from a shopper's perspective,' said Shannon Murphy, accredited professional organiser and founder of Simpl Living Co. 'Rummaging on the floor feels much less pleasant than browsing through clothes on a rail or walking alongside neat tables. Grouping your items by category is also helpful. Keep books together, children's toys in one spot and homeware in another, so people can quickly find what interests them.' If some of your items look a little tatty, don't be tempted to hide them at the back of your stall. 'If you have a lot of low-value items, think about making an 'everything 50p' or a '3 for £1' box. A clearly labelled bargain box can draw people in. But your most interesting or attractive items should be in a prominent place to draw attention,' said Ms Davies. How do you price your items? Do some research on sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to help give you an idea of how high to price your items, keeping in mind that if you've paid a pitch fee (the price to sell at a car boot), you'll want to earn more than this back. However, remember that since it's a car boot sale, people will be expecting bargains. Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of The Classic Car Boot Sale, said: 'If you don't have anything rare or valuable and you don't want to take stuff home, then price to sell and enjoy the ride.' If you have any higher-value items, you might decide to leave these unpriced to encourage conversation and haggling – but be aware this could put some buyers off. 'If items aren't priced, shy buyers might walk away, so if you're not using price labels, be prepared to notice when someone is gazing longingly at something so you can start with a hello or ask if they need help,' said Ms Davies. Decide beforehand the minimum price you're prepared to accept, and if items aren't shifting, consider bundling them to make them more attractive – this can work particularly well for items such as clothing of the same size or books by the same author. If you later realise you've undersold something, unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it. 'If you've undersold something, look on the bright side: one of your goals was to de-clutter and you've still done that, for a price you were happy to accept at the time' said Ms Davies. Do you need insurance? If you're a casual car boot seller, you probably won't need to take out insurance. However, it's best to check with the event organiser to be sure – they may have an insurance policy that covers all stallholders. On the other hand, if you're a regular trader and running car boot sales several times a year, consider buying public liability insurance. This will cover you against customer injury – if a customer trips over your stall, for instance – as well as damage to their property. If you're selling handmade items, you should also apply for product liability insurance. This will protect you in the event a customer makes a claim because of a faulty product you sold that caused injury or damage. What if someone tries to return something they think is faulty? Unless you're selling handcrafted items, you have no obligation to refund a customer, and many car boot sale sellers choose to clearly display signs saying 'no refunds'. Although these signs are not legally binding, they inform customers that you're not prepared to accept returns. However, it's important that you do not mislead customers or sell unsafe goods, so don't say that something works when it doesn't. If a customer asks to return an item, be polite and hear them out. If the issue is genuine, you might decide to accept the return as a gesture of goodwill, particularly if you're likely to come back to the event in the future. But if the item was accurately described, you're within your rights to decline. FAQs Can I just turn up on the day? The rules differ from sale to sale, but it is common for car boot sales to let you turn up on the day, secure a pitch and start selling. There will usually be a seller arrival time and a buyer arrival time, so make sure you're prepared to get there early. It is rare, but some locations – such as Peckham in London – have high demand, which can mean that there is a booking system, so it is worth checking in advance so you're not disappointed on the day. How much does it cost to attend? The cost of a pitch will depend on the car boot sale you choose and the size of your vehicle or, in some instances, the amount of things you want to sell. However, as a rough guide, pitches usually start at around £10 and rise to about £30 if you are bringing a van on the day. There is no official database of car boot sales, but websites such as Car Boot Junction have a wealth of information on local events, so you can find ones near you. Do I need a car? No, despite the name, you do not necessarily need a car for a car boot sale. Walk-in sellers can often buy a smaller pitch on the day and use a table or rails to display their items. However, policies differ, so it's worth consulting the rules at individual events before attending.
