A SIDE HUSTLE supremo nets more than £200 a month from completing quick tasks that can easily be fitted around his day job.
Dalton Johnson from Chesterfield, who lives with his partner, Claire, and their dog, Buster, works 40 hours a week as a manager at McDonald's and earns around £1,800 a month.
He then tops up his monthly income to over £2,000 by carrying out simple tasks such as mystery shopping and advert checks for Shepper, a market research and data collection platform.
The 31-year-old told The Sun: “I downloaded the app in the middle of December 2022 after watching a YouTube video on ‘how to earn extra income.’
"I thought it sounded good, and decided to sign up as a ‘Shepherd.’
"It was very simple to set up my account and get started.”
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Shepper lists thousands of simple tasks on its platform.
Users can earn up to £22 per hour completing market research tasks in their community.
This includes carrying out jobs at local supermarkets and takeaway restaurants.
Dalton said: “When I’ve got a bit of spare time, I look at the app and might see that there are, say, 15 ‘jobs’ listed nearby.
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"I then check through those and decide which ones to accept.”
Tasks take anywhere from between five to 45 minutes, depending on the complexity.
“Since joining nine months ago, I’ve done all sorts of jobs,” said the side hustle whizz.
“I’ve carried out checks on promotions at my local Spar, monitored stock levels at Lidl, and have inspected the condition of various different billboards for advertisers.”
Dalton has also done tasks relating to the National Lottery.
“These involve taking pictures of scratchcard dispensers, and ensuring the correct ads are showing on the playstations located in stores close by,” he said.
“Another job I particularly like is the ‘Uber Eat stickers’ task which involves checking buildings for stickers.
"You have to be willing to complete a minimum of 30 checks, but I have my own car, so it’s easy for me to do, and it pays well.
"Plus there are bonuses up for grabs if you take photos.”
One of the big upsides of this side hustle for Dalton is the fact tasks can be completed quickly.
“With most of these jobs I’m straight in and out in a matter of minutes – and sometimes even seconds,” he said.
“This means I can take on around 15 jobs a week.
"This is the equivalent of 30 hours’ of work, but I usually get it done in a much shorter amount of time.
"Some jobs come with a time limit, but I’ve never exceeded this.”
Dalton has got very savvy at managing his time well to maximise his earnings.
“This side hustle is so flexible,” he said “I fit in tasks wherever I can around my full-time job and other commitments.
"If I’ve got a day off from work, I take a look at what jobs are available and decide which ones to go for.
"In many cases, I can do a job while running other errands – making it even more efficient.”
Another benefit for Dalton is being able to carry out tasks in his local community.
He said: “By delivering accurate feedback, I’m able to improve local shops, takeaways and other services.”
With Shepper, money is paid into users’ accounts twice a month.
Dalton has been savvy about saving the money he makes from his alternative source of income.
“I’ve been slotting away around £220 a month into a savings account,” said the side hustle aficionado.
“I’m trying to build up funds for a trip to Florida in November. My side hustle has opened up some new opportunities for me.”
More generally, Dalton is very careful with his finances, and makes money management a priority.
He said: “I work hard and save hard and bought my first home, a four-bed new-build, in May this year, for £250,000. I’m very proud of that.”
You can do it too
Earning an additional income via Shepper is something almost anyone can do, according to Dalton.
He said: “I’m not tech-savvy, but the app is super simple to use. The tasks are not too hard and can easily be fitted around other stuff in your life.
"It’s very flexible, and not at all stressful – making it great for anyone new to having a side hustle. No prior experience is needed.”
Dalton says he has never felt left on his own and unsure what to do.
“There’s lots of support and live chats available.
"If, say, you took the wrong picture while out on a job, the support team will tell you, and help you get it right.”
Going forwards, he is hopeful more people will join the platform.
“This should then translate into increased job availability – and more opportunities for me to earn,” he added.
Other 'task' apps
There are now a whole host of apps which pay you for carrying out simple tasks while you’re out and about. These include:
BeMyEye – earn money when you hit the high street by taking photos of how certain products are displayed in store, or by speaking to shop staff.
You are essentially getting paid to be the "eyes" in store.
You can earn up to £12 per task, though many pay between £4 and £6. Can be one of the busier tasking apps.
FieldAgent – this one is similar to BeMyEye, and also pays you for taking snaps of shop displays, counting products on a shelf, or offering feedback on a product.
You can expect to earn £4-£8 per task.
Roamler – get paid for carrying out market research tasks, such as seeing which teas are on sale in a supermarket, or photographing menus in restaurants.
Pay is typically around £2-£5 per task, though some can pay more. Note that you may need to be invited to join.
MobEye – this app also involves you checking stock levels and retail promotions in store and sending photos of your findings.
Pay can be around £2 per task.
If you're earning extra income, it's important to bear in mind that everyone is allowed to earn up to £1,000 a year from a side hustle.
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If you earn more than that in a year, you'll have to fill out a self-assessment tax return to declare that income and pay income tax on it.
You must do this whether you're self-employed or earn a salary or wages from a company.
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