The holidays can be expensive. To cover this without wiping out your savings account, you may be looking for ways to make extra money for Christmas. If an extra $100 (or five) would help you out this holiday season, keep reading.
Invest With Stockpile
Stockpile can help you earn extra cash and it also makes for a great, low-cost Christmas gift. You can start with as little as $5. Stockpile helps you invest in big-name companies like Tesla, Nike, Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. With this app, you can buy $50 of Amazon and instantly get 0.05 shares. Your money starts working for you almost instantly.
Become a Seasonal Customer Service Rep
During the Christmas season, retailers are busier than normal. Places like HSN, Groupon, Amazon, and high-traffic stores and websites need additional customer service help. These are typically seasonal (lasting until just after the new year) and can be worked from home. A part-time gig as a seasonal customer service rep will make you anywhere between $200 and $375 a week.
Spend Some Time With Furry Friends
Of all the ways to make extra money for Christmas, this is my favorite! Recently apps like Wag! and Rover have become popular among pet owners. If you’re headed out of town or will be away for the day, you can schedule a walker to visit with your furry friend, take them on a walk, and make sure they are fed and hydrated. Both services can help you pair your animal with overnight boarding locally as well.
Get Amazon Credit
Amazon gives out credit when you’re willing to trade in old items. If you have old books or things laying around the house, submit them to Amazon for consideration. Once you get the appraisal, you can accept. Then, send your items into Amazon and get a gift card in return. Depending on what you’re getting rid of, you can pay for your entire Christmas this way.
Driver With Uber or Lyft
Uber and Lyft have become full-time jobs for some people in the U.S., but it can also make a great part-time gig or seasonal job. Lyft drivers make around $17.50 an hour, on average. That is around $2 more than the average Uber hourly rate. However, drivers are more likely to make more in highly populated areas. For instance, Uber drivers in New York City are estimated to make around $25 an hour.
List Your Spare Room on Airbnb
Many people have begun to rent our spare rooms as a way of earning extra money. Airbnb made it possible for almost anyone to do so. Tidy up your guest bedroom and bath and post it to Airbnb. Be sure to take a look at other local listings before posting to be sure your price is competitive. If enough people express interest in your listing, you could make a few hundred or even a few thousand extra dollars before Christmas.
Get a Job as a Saucey Delivery Driver
Have you heard of Saucey? This delivery service will bring alcohol to your door in less than one hour. During the holiday season, more people will be having get-togethers and will be in need of this service. You can cash in by becoming a delivery driver for the company. Couriers get paid $5 per delivery, plus $0.50 per item. They also collect a tip. This often ends up equating to about $10 per hour. Delivery drivers can also sign up for specific shift hours so you can sign on for busier times to ensure you make more.
Make Money Writing
Freelance writing can be difficult to get into for a one-time gig. However, some individuals may be looking for single pieces of writing at this time of year. Some writers have been able to earn extra money for Christmas by writing witty, personalized jingles for Christmas cards or personalized storybooks for kids. Share on social media your willingness to do this and discuss pricing with your customer base one-on-one. You can make as much as $10 for a single card Jingle.
Earn More Cash Back
Many banks and credit cards up their cash back game around the holidays. You can earn 5x the usual amount of cash back through Ebates this holiday season. If you have a credit card with cash back rewards, you’ll want to read the fine print about what purchases and stores are included. Plan to shop at stores with higher cash back incentives and you’ll be able to restore some of your Christmas cash to your bank account.
Flip Your Stuff
Flipping things for extra money is no new concept. People have been doing it for quite some time. When it comes to flipping things for cash, many people think “cars,” but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a big-ticket item like that. Consider your skills and what you’d be able to do in a cost-effective manner. For instance, if you’re skilled at refinishing furniture, you could re-finished tables at little-to-no-cost to you. You can also repurpose old, broken items into new, reusable tools or decorations. Depending on how much you’re able to do, you could make hundreds before Christmas.
Get Paid to Get Healthy
Apps like DietBet and HealthyWage will pay you to be active, eat right, and get healthy. Christmas is a hard time on everyone’s diet and exercise routine. However, with DietBet and HealthyWage, you can bet on yourself and stay healthy through the holiday season. Not to mention, in the end, you’ll be able to win 1.5 to 2 times the amount you initially invested in the program.
Download the Dosh App
Like Ebates, Dosh offers cash back for certain purchases. At Walmart, for instance, you can get 3% cash back. On other purchases at other retailers, restaurants, or stores, you can receive as much as 10% cash back. You also get paid $5 every time you refer a friend when they sign up using your link. Some folks on Facebook have gotten as much as $300 in cash back and referrals almost instantly.
Deliver Groceries
Services like Instacart have been growing in popularity and with the holidays coming many people will need help getting groceries. Instacart delivery drivers can make between $7 and $20 an hour, depending on your travel time and tips. Most make around $11 an hour. However, there is no hourly guarantee with the company. The key to earning cash with Instacart is making yourself available for deliveries.
If delivering groceries isn’t your cup of tea, consider delivering other types of food. You can become a pizza delivery person or a driver for companies like DoorDash, UberEats, or Postmates.
House-Sit While Your Neighbors Are Away
Offer to house-sit when your neighbors head out of town for the holidays. Establish a price and any expectations they may have. You can also score house-sitting jobs by searching sites like Care.com, HouseSitter.com, or Craigslist. Typically, house-sitting pays between $25 and $35 a day. If it requires an overnight stay, prices may rise to $50 a day.
Find One-Time Gigs
Apps like Moonlighting make it easy to find and land one-time gigs like painting a bathroom or bedroom locally. In the app, you can sort through available jobs based on things you’re able to do. Tasks range from painting to yard work to website design. Pay varies by task. You can also sort jobs by the amount of the payment (just in case you have a specific number in mind).
Become an Amazon FBA Seller
Around 16.7% of Amazon sellers make over $1 million a year. Isn’t that crazy? And practically anyone can start their own Amazon FBA business. If you just need some extra cash for the holidays, you can start your own Amazon FBA store and let it sell throughout the year. Stash the extra cash away for Christmas and, who knows, maybe your business will really take off, and you can quit your day job!
Answer Surveys
There are a plethora of survey sites out there, but a few are worth a mention. Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and InboxDollars pay between $0.50 and $5 per survey usually. If you’re dedicated to using the site and earning extra cash, you can make as much as $500 in one month. Though it will take some effort, you can do all of it from the comfort of your own home.
Babysit For Extra Cash
Care.com was mentioned above as a great place to find housesitting or pet-sitting opportunities. More often than not, it is used to match nannies to families. Whether you are needed for one night or you’re needed on a regular basis, you can earn between $20 and $25 as a babysitter. You can also solicit your babysitting services locally to neighbors and friends with kids. After all, parents need a bit of time alone to buy and wrap presents without the kids being home.
These are just a few ways to make extra money for Christmas. Do you have anything you’d add to the list?