To help with their mounting bills, thousands more people have started selling goods on online marketplaces.
There are more individual sellers on websites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
They attribute this to the rising cost of living.
"Some are like you and me, the average Joe, who just want to sell some of their items to make a little side money," said Sarah Bryant, head of small businesses at eBay UK.
It continues all the way to those side businesses that keep expanding and taking over as people's primary sources of income. ".
One of the so-called "side-hustle sellers" is Sami Cirant.
He buys and sells high-end sneakers, or trainers as his clients prefer to call them, from his parents' house in Easton, Bristol.
When he bought a pair of sneakers that didn't fit well, it all started by accident.
He bought a few more after discovering he could easily sell them online and did so within a short period of time.
Then, according to Mr. Cirant, "I realized it might actually be something that could make me a little bit of side money.".
For six months the 23-year-old juggled his new business with a full-time job at a local charity.
Then, in what he described as a courageous move, he decided to try the online sneaker sales full-time.
It was a little risky for him to leave his job, but he reasoned that if he didn't, he might end up on a path he didn't want to be on.
Mr. Cirant has low expenses, continues to reside at home, and enjoys the support of his parents.
Other side-hustle businesses, however, have expanded into large corporations.
In a maze of creaky old rooms above a store in Ross-on-Wye, picking flowers from a rainbow of hues, I first met Jade Oliver.
There are a lot of them, and she prefers to call them "faux flowers" because they are all artificial. Additionally, there are candles, antique planters, scent burners, and silk feathers. There are a thousand different ways to decorate your home beautifully.
They are packaged and sent off across the UK by a group of packers.
38-year-old Jade Oliver has been running Heavenly Homes and Gardens for ten years.
She also began as a side job to help pay for her college law course.
She initially managed her online sales in addition to her first job.
She recalled: "I used to pack packages after work and do the post run every morning before I went to work. I also used to respond to customer messages during my lunch break. It was a double life, for sure.
"I worked even while I was on my honeymoon. ".
The law firm eventually had to go because something had to. Ms. Oliver decided to take the risk after weighing it against her life as a lawyer.
Being my own boss and picking my own products was just so much more exciting, she said. ".
Instead of focusing on one major online marketplace, she sold her goods on all of them.
It requires more work to create a unique page for each website, but it has been worthwhile.
People were at home during the pandemic, often with extra money, trying to improve their homes. Since Ms. Oliver's business expanded, she now picks and packs for 14 people.
Of course, there are risks involved in leaving a salaried position, so small business advisors advise people to make a thorough plan.
But Michelle Ovens, the founder of Small Business Britain, claimed that the cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic have both encouraged more people to start their own businesses.
Can a side business therefore really help with bills when everything is rising?
Ms. Ovens concurs.
If you have a passion for something, you can definitely make it into a business, she said.
Put some of your eggs in different baskets. Sell a variety of goods on all the online marketplaces.
"Ask other people as well. Small businesses have acquired knowledge along the way and are friendly and helpful.
And seek professional assistance; there is a ton of free guidance available. Profit from it.
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