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TIME IS MONEY

Here are 10 easy ways you can make hundreds of pounds in that extra hour this Sunday

An extra hour in bed or thousands of pounds in your pocket - it's a no-brainer

The clocks will go back in the early hours of Sunday morning, which means you get an extra hour in bed... or you could use the time to do something useful.

The time change was introduced to mark an official end to British Summer Time, although most of us wrote that off weeks ago.

Woman waking up early with alarm clock
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It's pretty doubtful you'll want to get up at 6am on a SundayCredit: Getty Images

So what can you do with your extra 60 minutes? Make some serious cash of course.

Used the right way that hour could net you thousands, here's how.

Analyse your finances

Just 15 minutes is all it takes to figure out where your money is going - and it'll probably shock you.

Overspending is the single most dangerous threat to your finances after all. 

A lot of people have more money than they realise, the problem is they have no idea how much they're spending.

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Sitting down for half an hour to work out what you're spending could save you a fortuneCredit: Getty Images

There are loads of budgeting tools and apps out there which make budgeting easy.

Good ones include, , and . Do your research and find one that suits you.

Sell your old mobile phones

This is a double whammy as you get to clear out junk and make money in one go.

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Got a draw full of old mobile phones? Flog 'em!Credit: Getty Images

Selling on eBay takes time as you have to write a listing and post the phone once it's been sold, but there are much quicker alternatives.

You can make anything from a couple of quid to £200 depending on the model and condition of your mobile by sending it to a recycling site.

Use a comparison site such as  to find the best price for your old ringer. 

Re-negotiate or cancel your subscriptions

Signed up to a swanky gym in January but haven't been for months? That's money down the drain.

Check your standing orders and direct debits to see if you are paying for subscriptions you don't use.

FC Internazionale Training Session
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Go to the dentist more than you go to the gym? It's time to ditch that expensive subscriptionCredit: Getty Images

If you're paying for magazines, TV or gym membership and you do want to keep them, use the time to try to negotiate a cheaper bill. 

Do you wear a uniform?

If you or your family wear a uniform to work, it only takes 10 minutes to apply to .

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Whether you are a fireman or shop assistant, you can get money back for your uniformCredit: Getty Images

It's not just the obvious uniforms like firemen and the police either - if you wash and repair it yourself, branded T-shirts count too.

The amount you're able to claim tax relief on depends on your industry.

For 2015/2016, basic rate taxpayers can claim back £12.

Get money back for past travel

Are you still seething about last week's awful commute? It might make you feel better to make some money from those train delays.

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If you are a regular commuter and you've experienced annoying delays you can claim compensationCredit: Getty Images

Input the details of delayed past journeys to  (currently dating back to 14 days) and it will give you all the information you need to get your money back. 

If you're delay is older than that, all isn't lost.

You have 28 days to contact the individual train companies to get your refund.

Make sure you’re claiming any benefits you're entitled to

A Job Centre Plus sign outside a Uk Jobcentre. Image shot 2009. Exact date unknown.
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It's easy to find out if you're entitled to benefits - especially if you are workingCredit: Alamy

The variety and complexity of state benefits and tax credits means many aren't claiming everything they're entitled to.

The Directgov website has a , which estimates what you're eligible for. 

Dig out your store cards

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Dust off your unused loyalty cards, because there could be a small fortune on themCredit: Alamy

It's easy to presume store cards aren't worth the hassle, but that's not the case.

Have a root around for these cards or requesting new ones could reunite you with scores of unused points that could be translated into pounds.

Once you know what points you have, you can begin maximising them with the help of , which means you can get actual freebies and vouchers all in time for Christmas.

Gas and electricity

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Sign up to an energy saving club to find the best offers available and switch regularlyCredit: Getty Images

It's likely you're not on the cheapest gas and electricity tariff if you’ve been with the same supplier for years as they tend to save the best deals for new customers.

In fact Energy bills could go up by as much as 15 per cent due to rising wholesale costs, so don't just stick with your current provider for the sake of it.

Consider signing up to an energy club such as ,  and which promises to keep its members on the cheapest gas and electricity deal by monitoring tariff such. 

Martin Lewis believes the 20 minutes it takes to join will save you as much as £200 a year when you switching.

Haggle down your broadband cost

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Rodders and Del Boy know a thing or two about getting the best priceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

If you've been paying full whack for the same old broadband package for years, you are seriously missing out as it's the new customers who get the best deals.

All you have to do tell you're provider you're thinking of leaving.

Do your research first by finding out what you could get as a new customer somewhere else from an Ofcom accredited comparison site such as , then use it to knock down the price of your bills.

Owed thousands in PPI?

If you’ve had a loan or credit card in the past 10 years, spend 10 minutes checking if you were miss sold PPI (payment protection insurance).

Closeup portrait, young man annoyed, frustrated, pissed off by someone talking on his mobile phone, bad news, isolated outdoors
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If you've been miss sold PPI it's easy to reclaimCredit: Alamy

Don’t assume you don’t have it - lots were added on sneakily.

There’s no need to throw 25% at claims firms either, do it yourself using a template from .

You can make even more savings by swapping the food you buy and thinking carefully about how you save money.

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