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Looking back on 2010, I feel a small sense of relief and entered the New Year with a strong sense of positivity. It doesn’t take long though for that good old shadow to re-emerge over social morale. With an increase in VAT and the constant reminders of the thousands of people seeking free debt advice every day, the desperate state of our economy is obvious, and it’s difficult to remain positive about the year ahead.

Surely there are more pressing things to be worrying about as an individual? We have no power to significantly make a difference to the economic revival, so shouldn’t we just leave it to the Government and professionals? Personally, I’m far more interested in the state of my own personal finances, and those dreaded credit card debts that I’ve run up over Christmas. The New Year brings with it the aftermath of an expensive party season, and with my bank balance strained, one New Year’s resolution I intend to keep is to regain control of my incomings and outgoings.

When looking at ways to manage your debt, or simply just organise your finances, the first thing that often springs to mind is to reduce your spending. This way you can reduce your outgoings until your incomings balance out the books a little bit more. But this isn’t the only way to tackle your debt. Why change your lifestyle to such a degree, if you can instead maximise your incomings. What I mean by this is to find inventive ways to supplement your income.

Maximising your earnings does not have to mean the usual drag of over time. You would not believe how many people feel that this is their only option. There are so many other ways in which you can supplement your income though, many of which can actually be done from home. And you never know you could actually find it a little bit enjoyable!

Two of the most flexible options to maximise your income in regards to time consumption are taking part in Market Research and Mystery Shopper work. Both can easily be moulded around your existing routine, especially the former which can be done by simply completing online surveys. Businesses depend on public opinion and response so will pay a surprisingly high amount for your input.

If you have a few spare evenings during the week, or perhaps a few hours free over the weekend, perhaps you could consider taking part in various forms of home delivery. If you can drive and have regular access to a car, your local businesses could be crying out for drivers. Your local takeaway may be in need or if you’d prefer, you could enquire about becoming a home delivery agent with a larger company such as the Home Delivery Network. It’s a great way of supplementing your income and it gets you out of the house for a few hours, which is great if you are someone who gets bored easily.

If you enjoy a spot of DIY around the house, or the odd bit of gardening, then you could earn yourself a extra bit of money by advertising your services to others in your local area. Those who are less able to complete jobs such as repainting rooms, weeding the garden or assembling furniture will happily pay money for you to complete jobs for them.

You’d be surprised how many people will pay to have their house cleaned or their laundry done. From larger families who just don’t find time to do the housework, to the elderly who are perhaps less able. If you don’t mind the odd bit of housework, then grab that scrubbing brush, put on your marigolds and get paid for doing the housework.

A final option is to make money from your hobbies. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? The recent surge in the need for freelancer’s means that you could turn something you enjoy into something you earn money for too. For example, maybe you enjoy photography, graphic design, web development or even writing? If this screams out to you then start searching online for freelance companies. The money can be extremely lucrative, what more could you want from a hobby?!

The key here is to think creatively about what you can do to earn extra money. Think about your experience and skills, your hobbies and interests, what you like to do – and even just what you don’t mind doing to help boost your income. There are very likely many things that you can do, that other people would be happy to pay for!

Bette writes for Just Clear My Debts, one of the UK’s top websites dedicated to providing free debt advice, IVA information, and resources to help with credit card debts.