Because the holidays are quickly approaching, meaning many people will be spending more money, I want to share some ideas for how you can make extra money for the holidays. Let’s make this holiday season as happy and stress free as possible!
See, for the average person, the fall and winter holidays can be very expensive.
Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and the many other holidays, the average person tends to spend around $1,000 just on gifts.
That’s a lot of financial stress.
And, that $1,000 amount doesn’t even account for other holiday spending, such as travel costs, food, get-togethers, decorations, clothing, and more.
We don’t nearly spend as much on the holidays as we used to do. Now, we’re only buying gifts for the kids in our family and the adults draw names. While this has cut our holiday spending by a lot, I know many people who buy gifts for dozens of people.
Even if you aren’t buying gifts, there is even more pressure during the holidays to take a vacation, go out to eat, etc. If you are working to pay off your debt or trying to save money, it’s hard to find room in your budget for all of that spending.
Learning how to make extra money for the holidays can help you pay for all or the majority of the holiday expenses you’re planning on spending for.
In addition, you can keep more cash on hand for unexpected holiday spending, you can continue putting money towards savings or debt, and so on.
And, as you’ll read in this article, there are lots of part-time jobs and side gigs that become in even greater demand during the holiday seasons.
If you would like to earn around $1,000 for the holidays, that’s just around $350 a month for the next three months. And by starting early, saving for the holidays is very doable!
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Here are 18 ways to make extra money for the holidays.
1. Get paid to fill out online surveys.
This one won’t earn you actual cash overnight, but it’s an easy way to make a little extra cash for the holidays. With most survey companies, you’ll get your check or payment at the end of the month. That’s cash from answering surveys and testing products.
To increase your chances of making money, I recommend signing up for as many online survey companies as you can.
I say this because individual survey companies may only send a few surveys your way each month, so the more you sign up for, the more money you may be able to make.
By joining as many sites as you can, you’ll receive the most opportunities. It’s really that simple!
The paid online surveys I recommend signing up for include:
- American Consumer Opinion
- Survey Junkie
- InboxDollars
- Branded Surveys
- Opinion Outpost
- OneOpinion
- Pinecone Research
- Prize Rebel
- Survey Club
- User Interviews – This one pays $50 to $100 an hour for taking part in a focus group!
These survey companies are all free to join and free to use!
2. Deliver items through Postmate.
Postmates is a service that lets people use their phones to order food, drinks, and groceries. Delivering those items is where you come in!
Because the holidays are a busy time, many people are looking to make their life easier with delivery services like Postmates. And, you can deliver for Postmates with your car, scooter, motorcycle, or bicycle.
So, how much can you make with Postmates? Postmates says that you can earn up to $25 an hour with their platform.
Click here to check out Postmates and sign up.
3. House sit during the holidays
During the holidays, many people will be hiring housesitters to watch their house while they are out of town. This may involve taking in the mail, watering plants, and just being around to make sure nothing happens.
Most house sitters stay at their client’s house, but some are asked to check in a few times a day. If you’re up for the responsibility, there are a number of websites where you can advertise your services.
Related: How We Became Professional House Sitters In Europe & Saved Over $5,000
4. Work as a dog walker or pet sitter
For people who will be out of town for the holidays or just very busy, hiring a dog walker or pet sitter may be a necessity to get through the season.
Another idea is dog boarding, and you may be able to make around $25+ per day by watching someone’s dog or another pet in your home. This is a great service to offer, and if you love animals (which you should if you are going to do this), then it could be fun as well!
To find dog walking, pet sitting, dog boarding jobs, and even house sitting jobs, I recommend reading this blog post: Rover – A Great Way To Make Money And Play With Animals.
Other than Rover, you may be able to find pet watching gigs through Craigslist, Facebook, and more.
5. Sell items that you have laying around your house.
One of the easiest holiday money making ideas is to find items around your home to sell.
We all have extra stuff!
The average person has a lot of extra stuff in their life. Too many clothes, old electronics that have been tossed to the side (like old cell phones), appliances that have been replaced, books that will never be read again, useless furniture, gift cards that will never be used, and more.
If you’re wanting to learn how to make extra holiday cash, I would start by looking around your house for things to sell.
Many people are hesitant to sell their stuff, and I’ve heard all of the excuses:
- No one will pay for my junk.
- That item isn’t worth anything.
- It’s so much easier to just throw it away.
- I would look stupid if a thrift store says no to everything I am trying to sell to them.
- I don’t actually have anything to sell!
These excuses are easy to make, and many people do. However, if you want to earn extra money for the holidays, selling your stuff is definitely one of the easiest ways to do so.
Really, we all have things around the house we can sell, and there are many ways to sell your things. These include:
- Thrift stores– Some may pay on consignment, cash on the spot, or store credit. Taking your stuff to a thrift store will probably be the fastest way to sell things as they will likely offer you cash for whatever they can sell.
- eBay– This online auction site can be a great way to reach a larger market.
- Craigslist– Selling on this free site can be one of the easiest ways to make money fast, but be safe and don’t fall for any Craigslist scams.
- Garage/yard sale– This can be an easy way to sell a lot of things at once, plus you can do it all from your home. A downside is that the pay is usually lower.
- Facebook– There are specific groups on Facebook dedicated to selling items in your area. Facebook makes it SO easy to sell things you no longer want.
6. Search for one-time gigs on Craigslist.
Don’t want to get a second job? One time gigs may be a better option for you because you can usually work them on your own schedule.
There are probably lots of one-time gigs that you can find in your town, and Craigslist is a great place to find them.
One of the best things about one-time gigs is that you usually get paid right after you complete the work, which means this is quick cash for the holidays!
To find random gigs in your area that will help you make extra money for the holidays, just go to Craigslist and find the “gigs” section.
Here are some jobs I found through a quick search:
- Remove yard debris
- House cleaner
- Restroom attendant
- Focus group help
- Moving big plants
- Help towing a vehicle
- Passing out flyers and brochures
- Motorhome hauler
Here are screenshots of some of these easy to find Craigslist gigs:
These were all extremely easy for me to find. It literally took me less than five minutes to find several different gigs that were needed for the following day.
No, you’re not going to get rich with these jobs, but if you were to spend your weekend doing gigs like these, you could save a lot of money for holiday spending.
Related read on how to make extra money for the holidays: How I Earned $655 From Random Craigslist Jobs
7. Start an Etsy shop
Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items, and it’s one of my favorite places to shop for holiday gifts.
So, if you’re creative, selling items on Etsy can be a great way to make money this holiday season. You can sell knit hats, printables, customized mugs, prints, embroidered items, jewelry, and so much more.
Learn more at How I Make Money Selling Printables On Etsy.
8. Rent out a room in your home.
Renting out a room in your house will not make you rich. However, I do know a few people renting out rooms in their homes, and this has helped them pay off their mortgages.
If you are interested in renting out a spare room on a short-term basis (such as for holiday vacations), I highly recommend you check out Airbnb. I know people who are making thousands of dollars a month by renting out rooms on this site!
There are many other places where you can advertise your rental. You can put a sign on your front lawn, advertise in a newspaper, or place an online ad on a website such as Craigslist.
Everyone and everything is online now, so posting your ad online will most likely be your best choice.
When you make your listing, always be honest! You should be honest about how big the room is, what rooms come with the agreement, if there is a separate entrance, and more. Also, be sure to add pictures of what is included.
Read more at A Complete Guide To Renting A Room For Extra Money.
9. Sell items on Amazon.
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer has many, many people who sell items and earn money from home. Jessica Larrew, of The Selling Family, explains how selling on Amazon may be a possibility for you. She is a friend of mine, and I am blown away by her success!
In the first year that Jessica’s family ran their Amazon FBA business together, working less than 20 hours a week total, they made over $100,000 profit!
If you want to learn more about starting an Amazon business, I recommend signing up for this free training that will teach you how to sell products on Amazon and make $100 to $500 per day.
This is one of the best online jobs to work as a side hustle, and if you want more information, click on the interview link below.
In my interview with Jessica, How To Work From Home Selling On Amazon FBA, we talk about:
- How Jessica started selling on Amazon FBA
- What exactly Amazon FBA is
- How to choose what to buy and sell
- How much a person can expect to earn
- The positives of selling on Amazon, and more
10. Get rewarded for being online with Swagbucks.
Swagbucks is a company where you can earn free gift cards and cash for the things you normally do online, such as shopping, searching the web, and taking surveys.
They give out 7,000 free gift cards every day and have given out $372,921,474 in cash and free gift cards since they were created. I’ve been using Swagbucks for years and it’s great!
You’ll receive a free $5 bonus just for signing up today!
11. Babysit or nanny for a family.
Parents are almost always looking for good babysitters, and they are willing to pay well for a night out. Leading up to the holidays, parents often have more events and evenings out that they need sitters for, which means there are more opportunities to make extra money for the holidays.
Websites like Care.com and SitterCity.com allow you to advertise your services, while letting you see if there is anyone in your area looking for help. This means that you may be able to find a one-time job or even a permanent babysitting gig, just by searching online.
When I was only 14, I was making $10 an hour babysitting for a neighbor. I babysat 40 hours a week, and it was a great way to make extra money! And, I found this babysitting gig by just looking at the bulletin board in my neighborhood.
If you have any special skills or can provide extra work, such as cleaning up around the house, teaching the child how to speak another language, tutoring, picking up the child from activities, and so on, you will most likely be able to charge more than $10 an hour.
12. Get paid to shop as a mystery shopper.
Mystery shopping can be one of the more fun ways to make extra holiday cash while also getting paid to eat at restaurants or to go shopping.
While you likely won’t make your money back right away, you can sign up for mystery shopping companies today and get your first mystery shop done fairly quickly.
Some don’t require you to spend money either, such as if you do a phone call mystery shop where you just have to call a store and pretend to be a customer with questions.
And, yes, I used to mystery shop in the past, and I did it quite often!
Back when I was paying off my student loan debt, I mystery shopped a lot to make extra income. I made anywhere from $150 to $200 a month mystery shopping and received free meals, makeup, and more. I only used Bestmark for mystery shopping, so I know that they are a 100% legitimate company.
There are other legitimate mystery shopping companies that exist, but you should always do your research.
Learn more at Want To Make An Extra $100 A Month? Learn How To Become A Mystery Shopper.
13. Teach English online to earn money from home.
Online teaching jobs are growing every single day.
Learning how to teach English online has become extremely popular, making it one of the best online jobs for many good reasons – it’s flexible, there’s a high need, and it pays pretty well.
Surprisingly, you don’t need to be a teacher to learn how to teach English online. You also don’t need to speak more than one language – you only need to speak English.
Those things make teaching English online a really great side hustle or online job for almost anyone.
The amount of money you can earn teaching English online will vary, but it’s typically around $14 to $22 per hour.
Because this side hustle is becoming popular, there are several great companies that allow you to teach English online. My top three picks are ones my readers have recommended and ones I have personally looked into:
Learn more at Make Extra Money By Learning How To Teach English Online.
14. Find online tutoring jobs.
Are you looking for a flexible side hustle as an online tutor? This could be a great way to earn extra cash for the holidays because lots of college and high school students will need help before they take their finals.
Course Hero is a website that helps high school and college students with course-specific questions.
Using the website, students connect with Course Hero tutors on a wide range of subjects and classes, which makes this a great side hustle for people with different educational backgrounds and experience.
Tutors earn an average of $3 for each question they answer on Course Hero. Earning between $12-$20 per hour, Course Hero tutors earn an average of $300/week.
Learn more at How To Make $300+ Weekly As An Online Tutor With Course Hero.
15. Shop with cashback websites.
This is an easy way to earn a little money back while shopping how you normally would online, especially during the holidays.
Cashback websites like Rakuten (formally called Ebates) give you a percentage back of every purchase you make when you shop through one of their partner stores.
Here are some examples of stores and the percentage of your purchase you can earn back:
- Amazon 5%
- Macy’s 6%
- Ulta 4%
- Kohl’s 3%
- Target 1%
Those are just a few, and these stores and the cashback amount changes from time to time. There are even stores who offer in-store cashback or a dollar amount back on certain purchases.
Learn more at Use Ebates For Free Cash Back And Get A Free $10 Cash Back.
16. Rent out your RV.
RVing is super popular right now, and many people are looking to rent one for their next trip.
According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, a growing number of households own an RV – around 10 million households now!
Many RVs sit unused in storage lots, driveways, and backyards, so why not try to make a little extra holiday cash while you’re not using your RV?
In addition to extra money, you may be able to earn enough to cover some of your RV ownership costs, such as maintenance, storage, etc.
RVshare is helping travelers save money by cutting out the middleman through renting RVs directly from owners.
Think of it as Airbnb for RVs (RV Airbnb!). My sister actually has experience doing an RV share by renting two travel trailers, and she loved it! It seems like a great side hustle to do if you already have an RV. If you’re interested in enjoying an RV rental for yourself, you can check out possible RV rentals for you and your family here.
But, if you already have an RV, you may be able to rent out your RV for extra money!
You can learn about how renting your RV works here – How To Make Extra Money By Renting Out Your RV.
17. Become an Uber driver-partner or Lyft driver.
Spending your spare time driving others around can be a good way to make money, and it’s an interesting way to make money as you can meet all sorts of people as a driver. Read more about this in my post How To Become An Uber driver-partner Or Lyft Driver. Click here to sign up to become an Uber driver-partner and start making money.
Here’s a quick snippet from an interview I did with an Uber driver-partner:
“For those unfamiliar with rideshare, it’s basically a way to hail a ride with a smartphone app. There are thousands of drivers out there just like me who work full-time jobs, part-time jobs, etc. and whenever they want to drive, they can just turn their app on, and they’ll be matched with passengers in need of a ride. The entire transaction is cashless, and everything is done over your mobile app.
You can every day if you’d like or you can take an entire month off from driving.
Everything is handled by the app, and you are paid via direct deposit weekly. Some customers will tip in cash, but for the most part, the entire transaction is cashless.
As a driver, you have to pay for pretty much everything, including gas and maintenance on your car, but typically, I don’t use more than a few dollars worth of gas per hour. The big ‘hidden cost’ is probably the depreciation of your car ”
The other thing about becoming a Lyft or Uber driver-partner is that the holiday season usually means more people may need rides to and from the airport, to holiday gatherings, and so on. This means there are even more opportunities to make extra money for the holidays.
Related: 80+ Ways To Earn Extra Money
18. Find a retail job to earn extra money for the holidays.
Every year, several hundred thousand holiday jobs open up, so if you are looking for a temporary job, then a seasonal holiday job may be the perfect fit for you.
A seasonal holiday job may include working at a place like a haunted house, a pumpkin patch, a Christmas tree lot, Target, UPS, and so on. The holidays are extremely busy for the majority of the businesses around the world, which means that most of them are looking for temporary holiday help to get them through their busy months.
According to CNBC, Target and UPS recently announced their plans to hire over 230,000 seasonal workers (just for those two companies alone!). Amazon is looking to hire 30,000 permanent staff, along with tens of thousands of holiday workers.
And, according to Forbes, it sounds like retailers are really in need of help so they are offering better pay and benefits. Holiday employees are in high demand!
This is one of the best ways to make extra money during the holidays for several reasons, including:
- Obviously finding a great way to earn holiday cash
- Receiving a discount
- Networking
- Making friends
How do you typically save for the holidays? What are you doing to make extra money for the holidays?
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