I wrote a post a while ago about how I manage to fit in matched betting around my children. Since then, I’ve been thinking about whether there are more practical tips and advice I can offer.

Could I create a daily schedule to help people work out when to do matched betting? Would a diary showing when to look for offers help?

The trouble with these ideas is that they’re a little too prescriptive. The great thing about matched betting is that I can do it whenever it suits me. The time I have available for matched betting changes depending on what life throws at me every day.

But there are certain tasks I do every day when I’m matched betting. So I’ve pulled these all together in a daily planner for you to work through as you can. Whether you use Profit Accumulator or not, this should help you to work out the types of tasks you need to do every day.

MATCHED BETTING MUM DAILY PLANNER

MATCHED BETTING PLANNER – CHECK

• The first thing I do in the morning is to check for any new reload offers on Profit Accumulator.
• I also check the bingo, casino and sportsbook signup offers every couple of weeks just to see if there are any new offers to do.
• I also open the Profit Accumulator forum to ensure I receive alerts about any offers on my desktop computer as they come up during the day.
• It is also worth checking your inbox (including your junk email) to see whether you have been sent any offers direct to your inbox. This is especially important during high profile sporting events or at the weekends when the football is on.

MATCHED BETTING PLANNER – SCHEDULE

• Next it’s important to plan when you will place your bets. I always place whatever qualifying bets I can as soon as I see the offers advertised.
• I will also check through my previous bets to check whether I am owed any free bets and will place these bets at the same time.
• It is very important to schedule reminders if you need to place any bets at a later point. For example, many offers need to be done when a match is in-play. So I will set a reminder on my smartphone to do this as soon as the match starts. Similarly, I will also set reminders for the different stages of any accumulator bets I place. If I am due to be credited with free bets or casino bonuses at a later date I will also put these into my diary.

MATCHED BETTING PLANNER – SETTLE UP

• I’ve written before about the importance of record keeping to keep track of the different bets you place and how much money you’ve made!
• I try to update my records every couple of days so that this task doesn’t become too overwhelming.

MATCHED BETTING PLANNER – COMPLETE OFFERS

• I find that I place bets through the day as different offers become available.
• My calendar reminders will alert me to any bets I need to place at various points during the day.
• I also check the computer periodically. Then, as I receive alerts for different offers, I will place these bets. For example, I will receive alerts for price boosts or close matches that are needed for some offers.
• I will often complete casino offers when I’m relaxing in front of the TV or doing the ironing. This way, I can complete any lengthy wagering requirements without wasting large chunks of my day simply sitting in front of the computer.

MATCHED BETTING PLANNER – DOUBLE CHECK

• I also sometimes check the list of reload offers again in the evening. At this time there are often some casino offers or free spins listed, which might only be available to coincide with a high profile sporting event.

I hope this gives you a good flavour of the different types of tasks I do most days and helps with your own planning. Matched betting can be a little overwhelming when you start out but it does become much easier the longer you do it! Now I rarely spend more than an hour matched betting each day.

I love matched betting. It gives me a reliable source of extra income every month. And it’s given me the excuse to start this matched betting blog and share my knowledge.

My monthly matched betting diaries present a fair assessment of how I manage to find time to do matched betting. But it’s difficult to present a full picture of what it’s really like to do matched betting in these diary snippets.

I want people to be armed with as much information as possible to help them make a decision about whether matched betting is right for them. Once you become experienced, matched betting is a brilliant way of making some extra money from home.  But it’s not for everyone. It’s a reflection of my own experiences after nearly a year of matched betting. It also reflects the experiences of those I know who do matched betting, some of whom love it as much as me, others who have stopped.

THE DOWNSIDES OF MATCHED BETTING

I wouldn’t be wasting my time if there weren’t lots of pros to matched betting. But let’s deal with the downsides first.

MATCHED BETTING SOUNDS COMPLICATED

There’s no getting away from the fact that matched betting is a complicated subject.

My guide to matched betting aims to break this down as simply as possible. Matched betting involves you placing bets which cancel each other out. Therefore, you don’t lose money. Instead, you just get your money back. As you use free bets given to you bookmakers, rather than your own money, this means you can walk away with the value of those free bets. As there are so many bookmaker offers to take advantage of, there’s lots of money to be made.

But if you’ve ever tried explaining this to people, I’ve no doubt you’ve been met with lots of confused faces. I’m very happy to talk about matched betting with anyone I meet. However, I’ve no doubt that some members of my family are convinced I’m a secret gambler. This amuses me and I can brush it off. But it does mean there is an unfortunate taboo associated with the subject which may put some people off.

YOU NEED TIME

Many people make in excess of £1000 per month from matched betting. I’m gutted I’m not one of them. I simply don’t have enough time – or flexibility – to do more. To earn this much you realistically need to spend at least 2 hours per day matched betting. You also need to be available for different types of offers at different times of the day.

As a busy mum of two young children I’m lucky if I can spare an hour most days. It’s also difficult for me to dedicate any time to matched betting at the weekends, when the most profitable offers are available. I have working friends with children who have started – and then stopped – as they didn’t really have any spare time for it. If you’re busy, then it’s unlikely matched betting will be suitable for you.

That said, my initial aim was to make £500 per month. I’ve worked out ways to manage matched betting as a stay at home mum, meaning I beat this target early! On a good week I can only spare a maximum of six hours for matched betting. This works out to me earning more than £20 per hour in my spare time. Not bad for jumping on the computer occasionally!

MISTAKES

Matched betting involves you using your own cash to place the different types of bets. Unless you are careful, it can be easy to make mistakes matched betting. My advice is to take it slowly and always double check your bets match the calculations.

IT CAN TAKE TIME TO BUILD UP YOUR MATCHED BETTING POT

Although your money is not at risk, you do need an initial pot of money to start matched betting. That money isn’t at risk, but you need to use it in different accounts to cover the back and lay bets that need to be made.

I started matched betting with an initial pot of £50. But it took me a few months to build up a pot that was big enough to be able to participate in any offer that I wanted to. This also meant  I couldn’t really use the money I was making matched betting. However, I now regularly withdraw the money I make each month.

It was frustrating not being able to use the money I had sitting in my different accounts. However, I knew I wanted to try making money from matched betting for as long as possible. I therefore considered it an investment allowing my matched betting pot to build up.

If – like me – you want to do matched betting for as long as possible, then I’d recommend you build your pot up to at least £2000 before starting to draw down on it.

BOOKMAKERS CAN LIMIT YOUR ACCOUNTS

Unsurprisingly, bookmakers aren’t too keen on you taking advantage of their offers. They regularly review betting accounts. If you only ever take advantage of offers and choose matches where the bookmaker and betting exchange odds are very close, then it is likely your accounts will be limited. This is referred to as being gubbed. It means you can no longer participate in their offers.

Anyone who does matched betting dreads getting an email like this. It’s happened to me on a small number of accounts. I remember thinking my matched betting days were over as soon as I received that first email.

However, when I reflected back on the amount of money those accounts made me, it was very small and these gubbings have made no impact on my overall income. That said, I now do more mug bets (where I attempt to look like a normal punter) to avoid similar limitations being imposed on other, more profitable, accounts.

MATCHED BETTING IS NOT GAMBLING

This might be an odd thing to highlight as a downside. However, several people I know who started matched betting simply aren’t that keen because they prefer to gamble. As you will rarely make more than the value of the free bet matched betting, some people simply prefer to take a chance at winning a greater amount of money. They like setting aside an odd £20-£30 each week to bet on some local horse races or put on a football accumulator.

Gambling is not for me. That is why I like matched betting so much. It is satisfying seeing my income increase every day. Even though the amounts may sometimes be small, all those £5 free bets really do add up. Gamblers inevitably lose, which is why the bookmakers make so much money!

That said, if anyone has a gambling or addiction problem then I would recommend they do not do matched betting. The bonus offers are there to entice people to gamble. I’m level headed and will never go that one step further and gamble my money away. But it can be tempting. This is particularly so with the casino offers. With massive prize pots on offer, the thought of spending a little bit more money in the hope of winning an elusive big prize is alluring. Don’t be sucked into this!

If you think you have a gambling problem, or know someone who might, the National Gambling Helpline offers help and advice.

THE UPSIDES OF MATCHED BETTING

A RELIABLE SOURCE OF EXTRA INCOME

Matched betting is not a get rich quick scheme. Unfortunately, it won’t make you a millionaire! But it is probably the quickest and easiest way to make extra money from the comfort of your own home.

There are £2000 worth of sign up offers alone. So even if you don’t want to do matched betting for too long, it’s a brilliant way to get a significant cash injection.

And once those initial offers have been completed, there are plenty of reload offers to help keep the money coming in. I reliably make around £500 per month on these offers alone. And many others make more than this.

CHANCE OF HITTING A BIG WIN

As well as bookmaker sign up offers, there are lots of casino offers to take advantage of too. And with these comes the chance of a big win!

I was a little nervous starting these types of offers so I wrote an introduction to casino offers to help people like me.

I’ve never had a big win, but I’ve managed to win a few hundred pounds and am hoping for something bigger one day. Of course, this is extremely unlikely so I would never carry on playing casino games on the off chance. But I’ve heard lots of stories of people winning large sums of money playing through these types of offers, so it’s always a possibility.

ONLINE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT

Matched betting can be quite a lonely experience, especially if you are on your own at home. That’s why, if you choose to use a matched betting service like Profit Accumulator, their online support is a real bonus.

Not only is the Profit Accumulator forum a great source of knowledge and advice, but there is also a great sense of camaraderie. Other members are very friendly, welcoming and helpful. And many members seem to have become good online friends through their shared interest in matched betting.

SENSE OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM

When I first became a stay at home mum it was difficult to adjust to losing my regular income. I had for many years been the main wage earner, so it was a shock to the system suddenly to rely on someone else.

While matched betting doesn’t replace my earnings,  it gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction that I’m once again contributing to the family finances. Significantly, it’s helped us to clear some debt that would otherwise be sitting & shifting between credit cards as the 0% deals come to an end.

SAVE FOR THAT SPECIAL EVENT

With prices on the rise and uncertainty about the economy, there’s no doubt people are feeling squeezed managing their household incomes at the moment. So it’s difficult for people to save towards anything big in their life.

Matched betting is a brilliant way to plug this gap and save extra money towards a significant event. This is what people have told me they have used their matched betting earnings on:

• Weddings;
• House deposit;
• Expensive holidays;
• Garden design; and
• Home improvements

ANYONE CAN DO MATCHED BETTING

As long as you’re over 18 & in the UK, there’s no limitations on who can do matched betting. As I highlighted above, you do need a little spare time though. It’s difficult – but not impossible – to do matched betting if you work. If you can still spare a little bit of time in the evenings and at weekends, then there’s plenty of opportunity to make money.

And if you’re lucky enough to have a little bit more time on your hands then matched betting is perfect for you. This means it’s ideal for students and retirees as well as stay at home mums and dads.

MATCHED BETTING WITH PROFIT ACCUMULATOR

I hope this post gives you an insight into the realities of matched betting. If you’ve tried it I’d love to hear how you got on. If you’re tempted to give it a try, don’t delay!

Profit Accumulator is the biggest UK website aimed at guiding people through the matched betting process. My Profit Accumulator review will help you decide whether you might benefit from signing up to their service. They offer a free trial where they walk you through all of the steps involved in placing your first few bets. You can make £35 simply seeing whether matched betting is something that might work for you.

MATCHED BETTING IS IDEAL FOR MUMS

It’s no secret that I love matched betting. It gives me a substantial amount of extra cash each month for very little effort. My aim through this website is to show how easy it is for anyone who has a little spare time to do this. Especially if you join a matched betting service like Profit Accumulator. But, for mums in particular, it can be a bit daunting getting started. And how can you manage it alongside full-time mum duties?

I’ve been matched betting for almost a year now. My guide to getting started will help you take those initial cautious first steps. But, with two young children to care for, it’s not always easy to find the time to do matched betting. Reflecting on how I’ve managed things, this post summarises how I manage to fit matched betting in alongside family life.

Everyone is different. So while this works for me, it may not work for you. But hopefully you can take something from this if you’re worried about how you can fit it in or are just starting out.

TAKE IT SLOWLY AT FIRST

• Work through all of the initial offers slowly. You need to allow yourself about an hour for each of the first few offers when you start. Allow all of the bets to settle and track your money before moving on to the next offer. This will help you understand how matched betting works. The more bets you place, the easier it will be to understand. And the quicker the whole process will become.
• Place your first few bets when you know you’ll have a chunk of time away from the children. I completed most of the sign up offers in the evenings. If this is difficult, can your partner or a family member look after them for an hour or so?

PERSEVERANCE

• It can feel like a right slog when you first start out! The endless forms to complete, time spent finding bets and then double checking everything you’re doing can be a little soul destroying. And it’s likely you’ll question whether matched betting is really for you.
• But persevere! Within a few months you’ll be an experienced matched better. It now takes me next to no time to find and place my bets and it’s easier to squeeze in around the children than it ever has been! I now spend a lot less time matched betting, but for far greater rewards.

FREE TIME IS MATCHED BETTING TIME

• Before I started matched betting, any spare time I had tended to be used doing the housework or looking at my phone for the latest Facebook updates. Now I squeeze in time for matched betting whenever I can. The result is that I do struggle to keep on top of the cleaning. But I’ve never really needed an excuse to avoid that if I’m being honest!
• I found the initial sign up offers more time consuming than the reload offers. So I tended to place these bets in the evenings or on an odd day when a grandparent might have had the children.
• I’m lucky that my son still likes his sleep so I’ll often have an hour or so most lunchtimes to check the current reload offers available. I’ll have a good browse of all the offers and place any relevant bets then.
• Many casino offers have large amounts of wagering attached to them. I’ll normally complete these whilst I’m doing the ironing or cooking dinner. That way, I’m available to activate bonus rounds without having to spend hours sitting in front of a computer. It also has the added advantage of making these chores much more interesting!

SET REALISTIC TARGETS

• If the time you have available for matched betting is limited, it’s important to accept you won’t always be able to get involved in all of the offers available. Instead, set yourself a realistic target for the amount of money you would like to make which correlates to the amount of free time you’re likely to have.
• As a rough guide, you should be able to make up to £500 per month if you can spend a few hours each week matched betting; £1000 per month if you can spare about 2 hours per day; and £1500 based on 3 hours per day.
• I have about 6 hours per week available for matched betting and I aim to make about £500 per month. I’ve made more than £5000 in 9 months so this is definitely achievable. My monthly matched betting diary series will show you how I’ve made this money.

PLAN YOUR TIME CAREFULLY

• There tend to be fewer offers available earlier in the week. As it’s unlikely I’ll complete any offers then I’m more likely to arrange trips out for the day at these times. If I’m short on time but see offers available for a future date I’ll often put them in my diary to remind me to come back to them at a later point.
• Weekends can be the most profitable for matched betting. But I struggle with this because that’s our family time. The family will always take precedence. That’s not to say I’ll never place any bets at the weekend; I simply have to manage it quite carefully. Most of the available offers will be advertised a day or so before. Therefore I’ll often place any qualifying bets on a Friday evening. If I know I’ll be around the house or will have internet access then I take advantage of in-play and accumulator offers at the weekends. But I don’t bother with these offers if I think they might interfere with my weekend plans.
• If, like me, your time is limited at weekends, then it’s important to accept this will affect the amount of money you are able to make. This weekend, for example, is the last one where football offers will be available for some time. However, I’m out and about with the children and simply won’t be able to take advantage of the potentially more profitable offers. This will mean my earnings will be lower than normal.

BE PREPARED FOR MISTAKES

• As simple as matched betting is, it is easy to make mistakes. Experience tells me that this is more likely to happen if you have little children vying for your attention at the same time as you’re placing bets. So I now avoid this!
• This guide about the most common types of mistakes you can make matched betting will help you avoid mistakes and limit their impact.

USE THE PROFIT ACCUMULATOR FORUM

Profit Accumulator’s forum is its biggest selling point. With more than 20,000 active members, it’s a very helpful source of advice. I’ve found answers to all of the questions I’ve ever had about matched betting, simply by using the search function. And it’s full of tips and tricks to help maximise your matched betting income, saving you more time! Each offer has a dedicated section on the forum, and staff and fellow members will reply quickly to any queries or questions you might have.

As you get more experienced and start to tackle the reload offers, it’s important to follow the following threads to help you maximise the amount of money you can make matched betting:

• How to make £1000 a month – shows you all of the offers to complete to guarantee a monthly income of £1000
• How to make £300 a month PART TIME – aimed at people who can only place bets in the evenings or at weekends
• Price Boosts Thread – where members post details of any price boosts they have found, which can make an instant profit

USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

When time is short, it’s essential you use technology to help you manage. I find the following helpful:

• Using autofill on your computer makes light work of all the forms you need to complete when signing up for new bookmakers accounts.
• Use your calendar and set reminders on your phone to keep track of your bets. I find this particularly useful when I have accumulators running or need to place some bets in-play.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MONEY

• Don’t forget to keep track of all your bets and the money you’re making! This blog post tells you what information you’ll find it helpful to record. I’m an old fashioned girl and love any excuse to buy a new notebook. So I use the traditional pen and paper method. But there are plenty of spreadsheets to help too.

USE A RELIABLE & REPUTABLE MATCHED BETTING SERVICE

• If you only have a very limited amount of time to do matched betting then it’s essential that you sign up to matched betting service like Profit Accumulator. This means I get up to date information about all of the latest matched betting offers in one place, with access to software to help me find and calculate my bets.
• You can read my full review of their service here. I chose to join them because they are very competitively priced and have the largest online community, which provides invaluable support.

I hope you find these tips useful. If you need any support or have any questions then please do leave a comment. Or you can contact me via Facebook or Twitter.