5 ways to make money online

1. Make money from online surveys

Marketing companies are keen to get your views on a wide range of services and products and will pay you for the privilege. Tests can last between two minutes and half an hour, with pay varying accordingly.

The surveys cover topical issues and current affairs, as well as items such as electrical equipment, gambling habits and beauty products.

You are required to create an account with the survey database website and answer a series of questions about your lifestyle, spending habits, interests and employment status.

You do not have to answer all of these questions to participate and they are normally quite generic and unobtrusive. The answers are then used to generate suitable questionnaires and surveys.

After completing each survey money accumulates in your account until you have
earned more than £10 when it can be withdrawn. You can also earn prizes or rewards such as iPods or plasma screen TVs. You may also choose to donate the money to charity.
Try the survey websites www.panelbase.net, www.lightspeedpanel.com or www.toluna.com for more details.

2. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure

Many people will have made bids our bought items through eBay, but it's almost as easy to sell through the site.
And you would be surprised what other people may value. Unwanted items that you otherwise may have dumped at the tip could make you money.
A case study recently featured in our Sunday supplement Money and Jobs sold an unwanted television remote control for £36 which would otherwise have been thrown away. Also try www.eBid.tv, similar to eBay, or www.GreenMetropolis where you can sell unwanted books for £3 a volume.

3. Beneficial benefits

There is more than £8 billion in unclaimed benefits sitting in government bank accounts. These are mostly made up of pension credits, but there are unclaimed working tax credits, housing and council tax credits and even child tax credits.
Use the website www.EntitledTo.co.uk to calculate what you should be receiving to see if you are eligible for further help. Simply enter details about your earnings, savings and tax expenses online; should you be entitled to more, visit the HM Revenue and Customs website, www.hmrc.co.uk on how to claim.

4. Reclaim forgotten funds

There is nearly £1 billion lying forgotten in UK bank accounts. In these pound-stretched times, any extra cash makes a difference so why not visit www.mylostaccount.org.uk to see if you can claim?
It is a free service set up by the British Bankers' Association, the Building Societies Association and National Savings and Investments which trawls the separate providers on your behalf to find abandoned accounts. But don't expect a quick buck – because of the expanse of the search, the claim can take up to three months.

5. Recommend a friend

A number of service providers will pay you for promoting further business. Television, telephone and internet providers will give you money off your monthly subscription should you inform them of a friend who may be interested in their service. Virgin Media will give you £30 off your bill per recommendation.