I’m a mum of six – my £600 lifeline income boost means I can afford Christmas and it only takes minutes
An entrepreneurial mum-of-six looking for some much-needed extra cash to help fund Christmas has made more than £600 this year from her side hustle.
Donna Jones has put a lot of hard work into selling stuff on eBay in a bid to bump up the pot of money she has to buy gifts and other essentials for the festive season.
The 37-year old lives in a three-bed house in Leicester with her husband and five children. They are aged between three and 15. Donna’s eldest child, aged 19, has left home.
The busy mum works night shifts at McDonalds, but has increasingly found she needs extra income to help pay the bills.
“As a household we’ve seen so many things get more expensive amid the cost-of-living crisis,” she says.
“Looking after five children at home has made affording energy bills, food and clothing that bit harder. I’m always looking for ways to make a little extra cash to help with the strain of rising prices.”
Aware that Christmas was going to be an especially costly time, Donna stepped up her selling efforts on eBay earlier this year, in a bid to help build funds for the month of December.
“With six children to buy for, working out how to afford the festive season has been particularly worrying in 2023,” said Donna.
“Without the extra cash, the reality is, the kids would get fewer presents. Selling stuff on eBay has given us that little bit of extra support to really allow us to make the most out of Christmas.”
Donna has been really pleased with how well her side hustle has gone.
She told The Sun: “As my children are now a bit older, I’ve been selling the toys they’ve grown out of – as well as other items they once loved.
“A few months ago, I did a big home clear-out and found lots of bits and pieces to list. Having a bit more cash to put towards Christmas has really helped alleviate some of the financial stress.”
Donna has been selling an array of items including Xbox games, books, clothes, puzzles, Lego and a laptop.
“Listing items is straightforward, and the postage process is easy,” she said.
“This is really important given I’m a busy mum. I’ve made around £600 from eBay so far this year, and this has been a big help.”
Donna prides herself on being super-organised, as this makes it easier to budget for the family.
“I spread the cost of Christmas presents across the year from January through to November,” said the side hustle supremo.
“It takes the stress away knowing that each child has at least one gift by February or March. It also helps me stay on top of things.”
Even though the Chancellor talked in his latest Autumn Statement of putting more money in people’s pockets through wage increases and tax cuts, many will continue to struggle financially.
Donna, like lots of other parents, is having to take extra measures to make ends meet.
The hard-working mum said: “Without the extra income from eBay, I’d have had to think about doing more shifts at work – meaning less time with the family.”
Donna has been focused on building funds for Christmas but she’s also been able to put some of her additional earnings towards meeting the cost of essentials, such as school uniforms.
She said: “If the children need new shoes, or something new for school, I turn to eBay.
“I can usually dig out unwanted or duplicate gifts – or items the kids have outgrown – to make some extra cash reasonably quickly.
“This is a great way to manage when the family finances are squeezed. Plus it creates a bit of extra space in the house once those items are gone.”
The amount Donna brings in from her side hustle can vary, but in a top-earning month she can make around £150.
“My bestsellers on eBay tend to be Xbox games, with each one fetching between £5 and £25,” she said. “Lego is another good seller, with one of the kids’ sets recently going for £10.”
Donna has also profited from listing certain ‘collector’ items.
She said: “I sold Scentsy Buddy cuddly toys for a tenner each, and Hot Wheel cars for around £5.”
As an added bonus, Donna gets satisfaction from giving her family’s old belongings a new lease of life.
She said: “As well as making money, I like the fact I’ve been able to find all these things a new home.
“I love being able to give other families the opportunity to enjoy toys and other things that we no longer use.
“It’s great to think they are getting items in great condition for a good price – while at the same time, I’m doing my bit for the planet.”
Selling on eBay: what you need to know
Sellers on eBay can list up to 1,000 items a month for free. If you have more things, you’ll face a 35p charge for each extra one.
Once an item sells, you pay a commission fee of 12.8%, including postage. There’s also an additional 30p ‘fixed fee’ per order. Fees are deducted automatically from your sale.
To bring costs down, keep an eye out for ‘discounted seller fee days.’
Donna’s top tips
- Set fair and reasonable prices
- Make sure you have good quality photos of all your listings
- Don’t underestimate the importance of maintaining a positive selling history – make sure your items reach the buyer in good time
Know the rules on tax
Side hustles have become an increasingly popular way for people to earn a little extra money.
But while one of these ventures can help to boost your finances, it’s important to know where you stand on tax.
Under current rules, if your side hustle generates less than £1,000 per tax year (from April 6 in one year until April 5 in the next), you will not need to pay any tax on your earnings.
If, however, you earn more than that in 12 months, you’ll need to declare it. This will involve you filling out a self-assessment tax return.
That way, it can be taxed accordingly by HM Revenue & Customs – meaning you’ll pay income tax on it.
Be aware that you’ll need to do this no matter whether you’re self-employed or if you earn a salary or wages from a company.