With the introduction of VAT and expenses shooting through the roof in the UAE, a little extra cash is always a good thing.

The economy is tough and so is the market, so this is probably the perfect time to give your income a slight boost.

There are strict regulations in the UAE, however, that involve finances outside of your main job.

So, before you delve into any of the activities that involve you using your expertise, it’s always better to obtain the permission of your company sponsor first.

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That said, here are five best ways to (legally) earn some side money.

1. Create a steady income stream effortlessly

Join CartNet, the new customer referral program from Finance House to get started.

Apply easily without the need for any income documents! As soon as you become a CartNet member, you can start referring and earning instantly.

With CartNet, you can earn up to 50% cashback of your monthly credit card spend and an additional AED200 for every person you refer successfully. Yes, it’s so simple!

Refer friends, colleagues, family members and people within your network who live in the UAE. They will get a CartNet free for life Credit Card, and you will get AED200 instant cash reward for each successful referral and start earning cashback (up to 50%) of your monthly expenditures.

How can you refer them?

You can send referrals’ names and mobile numbers via SMS to 4445 or you can fill in their Online Customer Referral Form here.

Better still if you have any doubts or need clarification, you can get in touch with them via social media.

Earning money has never been this easy!

2. Be crafty!

Love creating things? Chances are there are people around the world willing to pay for your creations.

One of my friends started making soaps as a hobby and before you know it, she was selling them online – and they were selling like hot cakes.

It’s about finding what you’re good at and utilising it for your benefit. It can be anything, painting, wood-carving, making bags or purses or even knitting for that matter.

The world is your oyster!

3. AirBnB your house

A lot of millennials are a part of the massive AirBnB community.

You don’t have to own several houses to rent one of them to tourists. It can be just a room in your own house, and if you don’t mind company, you can lease your room to people visiting Dubai.

Not everyone would entertain a stranger at their place because of many reasons, the important one being safety, but AirBnB is generally safe, and you might even make a new friend!

4. Freelance

Graphic designers, writers, photographers, mobile app developers—there are plenty of options to boot.

There are people hiring freelancers more than they are hiring employees.

Connect with companies on LinkedIn or sign up to websites like Upwork, Elance, Freelancer or Peopleperhour to find jobs according to your skill set.

AND the UAE just got voted the fourth BEST country in the world to be a freelancer.

5. Have a sellable skill? Teach!

Are you bilingual, or better still, multilingual? Do you know how to play any instrument? Are you good at math? There you go, you have a skill to sell!

It’s a just a matter of you marketing your services on a popular online platform, and voila, there will be people queuing up to learn these skills.

Plus, you also get to meet new, interesting people from across cultures so it’s a win-win situation tbh!