How can I earn extra money with my knowledge of computers?

[3lackMamba]

Hello, long post here so TL;DR I want to make extra money with my knowledge of building and fixing computers on top of my current job, but haven’t a clue where to start or what to do, any ideas?

Okay so, I am 28 and work full time as a supervisor in Tesco and I’ve been here just over 7 years. Me and my SO have been together for 4 years and we have been saving for a mortgage for about a year now, I’ve become quite good with saving money and have managed to work myself out of any debt I was in over the years and it’s why I’m usually able to afford the latest computer tech.

Due to covid and some other things it was announced in November that the store I work in will be closing sometime this year, probably within the next 5 months and so I will be getting made redundant. I could have transferred to another store and just kept working but it would be reduced hours and pay, and my redundancy will be quite significant toward my savings for a mortgage provided I find a new job quick enough and don’t have to eat in to my redundancy to survive, plus I’ve been in this company long enough and I’m quite sick of it so in all honesty although they’ve been good to me, I need to leave and find work elsewhere. I am confident I will be able to get full time work quick enough, though.

Computers is, like all of us here a huge hobby/passion of mine. It started with gaming back when I was 10 and through the years I became quite knowledgeable and have built my own computers and fixed numerous, then I decided to study them after I left school and eventually ended up doing a computer science course in uni, which I dropped out of after 6 months. This course made me realise that even though I love computer technology, building computers and fixing them etc I absolutely hated coding/computer mathematics and was ultimately terrible at that side of the hobby. I was never the greatest academic tbh and was always better at fixing things/physical jobs.

Anyway, I make roughly 16-17k a year in my current job after tax, and will most likely make less in my next job because I probably won’t get a full time supervisor or higher position given the current climate and my lack of education (on paper). I have some ICT diploma’s, math and English GCSE and that’s it really.

I honestly don’t mind working average jobs as I’ve done it since I was 15, but I’m getting to a stage of my life now where I NEED to start making extra money, I probably should have been in this frame of mind years ago but.. better late than never eh?

Computers and technology is the thing I’m probably best at in my life, and if I could find some way to turn that in to some extra cash that would be amazing. I’ve thought about trying to start building PC’s for people but I hear it can be hard to get started and established because people on Facebook market place or gumtree don’t want to spend even close to £1000 on a decent computer, and also it wouldn’t be a career so I won’t have the time to be tech support for people when something inevitably goes wrong with the computer.

I’ve also thought about flipping computer hardware, but am unsure if there is a worthwhile profit to be made from that in the UK.

I just need something I can do in my spare time that I could make an extra 3-5k a year, obviously I’m not expecting huge profit from the get go but something I can work on and build my way up.

If you actually read all this, thank you

 

[3lackMamba]

Thanks guys

@Zefan don’t worry, you aren’t being brutal, just honest. And whilst I agree with you, I’m not in the same position I was in when I was 20. I have my own house now and many more bills than just rent, I don’t think I could afford to pay everything if I went back to education. If any anyone else who studied at a later age is here, tell me how you did it please.

I have also debated getting into a trade like some of you have said, but I always thought trade apprenticeships were always for the younger man, not someone who is pushing 30? If I’m wrong please, let me know.

@OpenToSuggestions driving is actually the line of work I was aiming to get into after I am made redundant. Obviously all driving jobs need previous experience but I do have a plan on how to get started although it would take about 6-7 months to play out. I always wondered about how much potential money was in HGV jobs, as I work in Tesco I talk to a lot of lorry drivers and for the amount of money it is to acquire that licence, it doesn’t seem really worth it from what I’ve been told. But that was just Tesco drivers, obviously there are 1000’s of other HGV jobs that pay more, if you’re an HGV driver talk to me!

Okay so it seems building/fixing/flipping computers is out of the question, I was kind of expecting it tbh hence why I made this post but just wanted to be certain.

I haven’t the first clue about IT security, it sounds daunting but I’ll check it out tonight when I’m home.