A man has revealed how he made £500 during his first weekend in the UK from an 'easy' side hustle. Alexander Beal moved to London from Australia and was concerned about how "expensive" Britain is right now - so he decided to get himself some work as soon as he landed.
Alexander, 35, who usually works as a nutritionist and personal trainer, hadn’t expected to rake in so much cash in just 48 hours. He signed up to Airtasker, a local services marketplace, and offered to help one person move house, as well as model for someone else. He also signed up for furniture assembly, helping elderly people lift heavy items and other DIY jobs.
He told What’s The Jam: "It’s only a few hours out of my day and I have really enjoyed all the tasks I have completed. I used to see how much money people would make on the platform, so then when I got to the UK, I thought I'd give it a go.
READ MORE: Expert shares 'red flag' signs your hormones are out of balance
READ MORE: Doctor shares exact symptoms they look for before diagnosing hormonal disorder PMDD
"It felt really good to make all that in one weekend, especially when not working. I didn’t expect to make that much but it was a pleasant surprise.
"It was a relief knowing some funds were coming in given how expensive London is. I’ve done modelling, furniture assembly and removals jobs. This includes helping people who live on their own or senior people, as I'm able to help lift heavy items. Also, I do DIY."
Back in Australia, Alexander ran his own business for 14 years, and he is currently working on getting the company up and running in the UK, so the extra cash has come in very handy. He added: "[I decided to move to the UK] to experience something different, you must live abroad at least once in your life.
"I was ready for the next challenge in life. London is a central hub for all that, particularly travel. Any move abroad is never easy but you do it for the experience and growth.
"As a nutritionist, I can be paid anywhere between £45-£100 per session. [But although] I’ve had over 10 years of experience, unfortunately for a business like mine, you must start from scratch.”
Alexander’s side hustle has supported him as he adapts his new life, helped him meet new people and he enjoys being able to pick up a job whenever he wants – effectively still being his own boss. He added: "Getting paid while I meet new people and explore the town has been so good for the transition.
"I'm also used to doing side gigs, I've done lots of modelling jobs for fashion and swimwear brands over the years. I would recommend anyone moving over to the UK to look into it [side gigs like this] to not only make money quickly but it helps you meet people in the community.
"When people found out what my career was I did get some enquiries about personal training and nutrition whilst at the jobs which was super good.” Alexander first arrived in the UK in June and despite having now been here for several months, plans to continue with the side gigs while working on his growing business.