Investing side hustle income for a ‘tidy’ result

14 January 2026

• Gavin and Stacey star shares secrets of her ‘side hustles’ 
• Investing just £50 a month from a side hustle could be worth £15,641 in 15 years  

Joanna Page, star of Gavin and Stacey, has joined forces with Scottish Widows to spotlight how side hustles are helping to boost financial empowerment as new research reveals over a third (37%) of Brits are considering starting their own. 

The survey also found that one in 10 people in the UK are investing their side hustle income to grow their future wealth. Nearly one in five women (17%) have a side hustle, rising to one in four (26%) among Gen Z.  

Joanna Page, who is set to feature in the upcoming series of Taskmaster, is no stranger to balancing a busy professional life with raising four children. From her early days working in a shoe shop while attending drama school, she has always embraced side hustles. Most recently, she’s been writing her autobiography ‘Lush!’ in unexpected locations, from pub car parks to her driveway.  

Joanna said: “I wish I’d learned about investing earlier. What matters most is simply getting started - you don’t need everything to be perfect or to have a flawless plan. Even small steps count. The real progress comes from being consistent and putting in the effort. Before long, those efforts add up and you’ll find yourself moving closer to the life you want.” 

Half of women with side hustles say they started one to increase their disposable income and one in 10 are hoping it becomes a full-time job.  

Saving for the long-term is one of the biggest reasons why so many people have become side-hustlers. Scottish Widows’ latest Women and Retirement Report found that women are on track to retire with £13,000 a year, £6,000 less than men.  

Many financial providers, including Scottish Widows, offer a range of investment products to give people choice, whether they are first-time or seasoned investors. For example, Scottish Widows’ app users can access products including Ready-Made Investments, stocks and shares ISAs and SIPPs, as well as a range of digital tools to help customers see how their money could grow if they invested it.  

Susan Hope, Savings Expert with Scottish Widows, said: “A side hustle can be a practical way to boost your income no matter what your situation is. Investing the income from your side hustle is a smart way to make your money work harder for you and grow over the longer term, helping you achieve your long-term financial goals. Thinking of investing as a side hustle could also help people build up their financial resilience, to face into life’s unexpected costs. It’s about small amounts that add up over time.” 

Almost two thirds of people with a side hustle are making over £50 a month.
 

What a Ready Made Investment could be worth  
 

A balanced or medium risk Ready Made Investment fund was used to make the calculations.
 

Download full press release (PDF, 143KB)

Notes

Notes to editors

•  Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Lloyds Banking Group. Fieldwork was undertaking in August 2025, with a total sample size of 2577 adults. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18 - 50).
•  More information on Scottish Widows’ investment products, including stocks and shares ISAs, Ready-Made Investments and SIPPs.

About Scottish Widows

Founded in 1815, Scottish Widows is part of Lloyds Banking Group, the UK’s largest digital bank and financial services group. With more than £232bn assets under administration and more than 6 million customers, Scottish Widows’ award-winning product range includes workplace and individual pensions, annuities, life cover, critical illness and income protection, as well as savings and investment products.

More than 2 million customers access Scottish Widows products and services through the Lloyds Bank and Scottish Widows apps, in addition to accessing directly through independent financial advisers. The Scottish Widows Platform is trusted by more than 18,000 advisers and 5,400 advice firms, which manage the pensions and investments of almost 166,000 clients.