When Heloise and I got married back in 2001 (yes, that’s us in the picture above), we splashed out a bit…

As most people do!

I mean, you only do it once – hopefully! 😉

We bought specially tailored suits and dresses…

We hired a professional DJ.

And we provided a lavish dinner for all the guests at the Cafe Royal in central London.

But one thing that would NEVER have crossed our minds would be to offer tickets for the entire event.

Even if someone had suggested such a crazy idea, why would we do it?

We didn’t need the money and we were not nearly extraverted enough to share our precious day with strangers.

I don’t think many people, back then, would have thought any differently.

Although we did have a notable gatecrasher – Nick Leeson – the man who famously broke a bank through reckless trading – wandered in and helped himself to the free bar! Thankfully, my very tall and imposing brother in law politely escorted him out!)

But times have changed…

Almost a quarter of a century on, we are much more used to living in a transparent, digital world where people share almost every aspect of our lives.

Go on Facebook and you can watch others eat lunch, holiday abroad, propose, walk their dog, dance on a mountaintop, you name it.

Or go onto X, Threads or Bluesky and you’ll read the innermost thoughts of strangers as they battle through triumphs and failures at home and work.

Fact is, people have been sharing their online life with strangers for years now.

And many make money from it, whether that’s via racking up views on YouTube, building up email lists, getting paid on Substack or getting freebies and cash for promoting sponsored links.

So it’s not a stretch to imagine that some might soon try to monetise their offline lives too, by inviting digital strangers to partake in it.

And finally, it has happened…

There is now an app that allows people to offer paying guests a seat at their wedding!

And this month a Parisian couple have been the first to use it, charging €150 (£130) per place.

According to The Guardian, “The ticket-holders will be present for the whole day, from the afternoon wedding ceremony and vows in the garden, to outdoor drinks on the lawn with live music, then a sit-down dinner in a vast dining room.”

Whatever you think about that, it’s a bold move, right?

If you wanted to have a lavish wedding, but couldn’t quite afford it, then selling a few high priced tickets could suddenly make it possible.

And while this story is a bit extreme…

It has got me thinking about ways that you can monetise aspects of your offline life by using online digital tools and apps.

So I thought I’d come up with a list that might inspire you to generate extra income – just for being yourself and doing what you already do.

1. Make Money from Your Possessions

There’s probably good money to be made from stuff that’s sitting in your garage, shed, or spare room. For example…

• Wedding outfits
• Designer clothes
• Camping gear
• Baby equipment
• Drones
• Power tools
• Projectors
• Trampolines
• Bouncy castles
• Professional cameras
• Mobility scooters
• Power generators

Here are some platforms and apps you can use:

• Fat Llama – Rent anything from cameras to drones, instruments to outdoor gear.
• RentMy – Described as the “Airbnb of online rentals,” helping people “rent anything, from anyone, anywhere.”
• By Rotation – Peer-to-peer clothing rental focused on everyday and designer fashion.
• MyWardrobe HQ – Designer clothes rental for men and women, including occasion wear.
• HURR – Fashion rental for designer pieces and special occasions.
• Wedio – Rent professional camera and film equipment.

And of course, you can sell anything you’re not likely to use again on:

• Vinted – Fashion, accessories, and more.
• eBay – For selling anything from gadgets to furniture.
• Depop -. Great for fashion, vintage items, tech, books, and more.
• Preloved – Long-established classifieds platform, especially good for furniture, pets, cars, and household items.
• Gumtree – Classic local classifieds site — perfect for bulky items like furniture, appliances, garden equipment, and local pick-up. Facebook Marketplace

2. Make Money from a Vehicle or Parking Space

You can also make money if you happen to own bikes, cars, vans, caravans, or trailers. Here are some platforms:

• Turo – Rent out your car when it’s not in use.
• Hiyacar – UK-based car-sharing platform with keyless tech.
• Indie Campers – Rent out your motorhome, camper van, or converted van.

3. Monetise Your Home or Property

Your home and the space around it – as well as any other properties you own – could be shared to make an income.

• Airbnb – Rent out spare rooms, apartments, entire homes, or even glamping setups.
• Vrbo – Stand-alone holiday homes only; no private rooms or shared spaces.
• SpareRoom – Ideal for renting out a room in your home.
• OpenRent – For letting a spare room or full property without using an estate agent.
• Stashbee lets you rent out garages, lofts, sheds, and other storage spaces.

If you have parking space:

• YourParkingSpace – Rent out your driveway or car park spot.
• ParkLet – Long-term private parking rentals.
• JustPark – For daily and long-term parking hires.
• Parkopedia – Helps users find parking and includes listings from private hosts.

And for gardens or outdoor areas:

• BorrowMyGarden Campspace – A European wide site where you can offer your garden or land to campers, glampers, and adventurers.
• Hipcamp – List yurts, cabins, gardens, treehouses, or unusual accommodation.

4. Dog-Sharing & Pet Care

You can even share your pet…

• BorrowMyDoggy – Share your dog with trusted local dog-lovers for walks, playtime, or companionship.
• Share Your Pet – A community-based dog and pet-sharing platform.

These might not give you an income directly but they could save you a fortune in what you might spend on kennels, pet sitting, boarding and dog walkers throughout the year.

However if you want to earn from caring for pets:

• Rover – Get paid for dog walking, pet sitting, doggy daycare, and boarding.
• Tailster –pet care platform connecting pet owners with walkers and sitters.
• Pawshake – UK-based service for dog or cat sitting, home visits, and walks
• PetBacker – International platform linking pet owners to sitters offering walking, boarding and grooming.
• Holidog – UK & European site offering dog walking, boarding and cat sitting services

5. Get Paid to Shop

You could even get paid to shop or inspect stores:

• Field Agent – Use their app to get paid for barcode scans, surveys, shop audits, etc.
• ESA Retail – Offers retail and supermarket assignments, usually involving photos and feedback.
• Retail Maxim – audit stores and check customer service while getting reimbursed for your purchases.
• Tern – Get paid £10–£25 per job or evaluating lifestyle and fashion brands.
• Mystery Shoppers Ltd – Offers a wide range of customer experience jobs for £5–£20+ a time.
• Roamler – checking shelf placements, photographing products, or mystery shopping.

6. Sell Your Free Time

You could sell 20 minutes of your spare time by answering surveys in exchange for small payouts.

• Qmee – earn cash for short surveys and search tasks.
• Ipsos iSay – take regular opinion surveys and earn points that can be exchanged for vouchers (Amazon, M&S etc.)
• Prolific – Known for its academic studies. Some pay £6–£10 for less than an hour’s input.
• Swagbucks – complete surveys, watch videos or earn from online shopping.
• AttaPoll – A mobile-only app with fast, short surveys
• Opinion Outpost – earn points for 10–20 min surveys then redeem them for Amazon vouchers or direct PayPal transfers.
• Toluna – take part in big brand surveys and the occasional product test.
• Google Opinion Rewards – Answer quick surveys (30 seconds to 1 min) for small amounts paid into your Google orPayPal account.

It’s quite a long list, isn’t it!? And there are loads more I could have included…

But hopefully you’ll find a few sites there that could turn what you already do, or own, into some extra income.

If you’ve had any success lending or selling your stuff please do write in and share your story – I’d love to hear which of these lending sites you might be using.