The holidays are creeping up on us and can be a stressful time, especially when you’re tight on cash.
Not knowing how you’ll pay for presents can cause anxiety. Fortunately, there are ways to make extra money before Christmas.
In many cases, the opportunities don’t expire when St. Nick arrives. You can use them to make ends meet throughout the year.
Legit Ways to Make Extra Money Before Christmas
Do you need to earn Christmas spending money? It’s relatively simple, especially if you pursue one of our top choices.
| Job | Avg. Hourly Pay | Pay Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | $20 | Weekly + instant |
| Instacart Shopper | $20 | Weekly + instant |
| Rover | $13 | Weekly |
| Babysitting | $10+ | Varies |
Here are some of the best options to earn money this holiday season.
1. Deliver Meals for DoorDash
Courier jobs are an increasingly popular way to make money on the side. DoorDash is a leading player in the space and focuses on meal delivery from local restaurants.
When you become a Dasher, you pick up meals from restaurants and deliver them to customers.
DoorDash pays drivers weekly, though there is an option to cash out instantly. Additionally, you can set your own schedule.
Like other delivery jobs, you keep 100 percent of your base pay and tips with DoorDash.
You must be at least 18 years old, pass a background check, and have a valid driver’s license to deliver for DoorDash.
If you need money for Christmas, this is a terrific opportunity since people order meals as the holidays approach.
Learn more: DoorDash driver review
Earning potential: $23 per hour
Get started: Sign up to deliver for DoorDash
2. Work for Instacart Shopper
Grocery delivery is a convenient way for people to manage their shopping needs. If you don’t want your car to smell like restaurant food, you can deliver groceries to earn extra money for Christmas.
Instacart Shopper is the biggest player in the space and is available in over 5,000 cities nationwide. You accept orders through the app, go to the chosen grocery store, buy the groceries, and deliver them to customers.
You earn a commission based on the size of the order, and you keep 100 percent of your tips.
*Related: If you’re looking for other courier jobs, read our guide on side hustles like Uber Eats here to find additional income opportunities.
Shoppers must be able to lift up to 30 pounds and meet other requirements common to delivery gig apps.
Learn more: Instacart driver review
Earning potential: $15 – $20 per hour
Get started: Sign up to deliver for Instacart Shopper
3. Work for Shipt Shopper
A good alternative to Instacart is Shipt Shopper. Shipt isn’t as big as Instacart since it is only in roughly 500 cities nationwide, but it is still a legitimate way to earn money for the holiday season.
Target owns Shipt, but you can shop at any local store.
Shipt handles pay a bit differently than Instacart. With Shipt, you earn $5 per order, plus 7.50 percent of the order total.
For example, if the order is $60, you earn an additional $4.50 for the order.
This is in addition to tips. After you complete 100 deliveries, you can expect to earn up to $22 an hour.
Learn more: Shipt Shopper review
Earning potential: $15 – $22 per hour
Get started: Sign up to deliver for Shipt Shopper
You can compare the above three delivery side hustles with the other players in the space below.
| App | Avg. Hourly Pay | Pay Frequency | Bike/Motorcycle? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | $23 | Weekly + instant | Yes |
| Instacart | $20 | Weekly + instant | No |
| Shipt Shopper | $22 | Weekly | No |
| GrubHub | $12 | Weekly + instant | No |
| Saucey | $12 | Weekly | No |
| Caviar | $25 | Weekly + instant | Yes |
| Postmates | $20 | Weekly + instant | Yes |
| Uber Eats | $15 | Weekly + instant | Yes |
| Favor | $14 | Daily | No |
4. Become A Dog Walker or Dog Sitter
You may not think dog walking is profitable in the winter, but it has a lot of potential as a side job. Many dog owners are willing to pay contractors to walk their dogs while they are at work.
If you can board dogs in your home, you can earn even more. Rover is an excellent resource to connect with local clients if you’d rather not promote your services on social media.
Learn more: Best dog walking apps
Earning potential: Up to $1,000 per month
Get started: Walk dogs with Rover
5. Start A Blog
Blogging is a terrific way to earn extra income. It may not earn you loads of cash before the holidays, but you can make good money in the long run.
You can start a blog on any topic. Keep in mind that finance, health, and relationships tend to be the most profitable niches.
Blogging allows you to earn cash in various ways, including display ads, affiliate marketing, and sponsored campaigns.
You don’t need to be a technical whiz to start a website. For just $2.95 per month, which is a 67 percent discount from its standard price, Bluehost will launch the site for you and provide 24/7 support for any technical issues.
Learn more: How to make money blogging
Earning potential: Varies and is unlimited
Get started: Launch a site with Bluehost
6. Become A Virtual Assistant
Do you have strong administrative skills and enjoy working on multiple projects at once? If so, becoming a virtual assistant (VA) is a perfect way to earn cash for Christmas.
VAs help small businesses manage workflow and can include anything from project management to social media marketing. You don’t need to be technically inclined to do the work, though it can help you earn more.
Being a VA can be a good option for stay-at-home moms or people who need to supplement their income.
If you don’t know where to start or how to succeed, check out our friend Kayla Sloan’s $10K VA free webinar to get started.
Learn more: Guide on how to become a VA
Earning potential: $25+ per hour
Get started: Sign up for $10K VA
7. Get Paid to Lose Weight
What better way to earn Christmas money than to improve your health? You can earn money for the holidays by shedding pounds.
HealthyWage is a weight loss app that lets you bet on yourself to lose weight. You can compete against yourself or join a team challenge.
The app doesn’t offer a meal plan, but it will give you tools to improve your health.
If you give up on your goal or don’t reach it, you lose the money you bet. However, reaching your goal can be quite lucrative.
Learn more: Ways to get paid to lose weight
Earning potential: Average winnings are $1,400 per person but can be up to $10,000
Get started: Start losing weight with HealthyWage
8. Fill Out Online Surveys
You won’t get rich with paid surveys, but they’re an easy way to earn extra money for Christmas. Survey Junkie is our favorite online survey site since they have low redemption minimums and pay at least $1 per survey.
Surveys don’t require a huge time investment. You can fill them out whenever you have free time.
Learn more: Review of Survey Junkie
Earning potential: $50+ per month
Get started: Sign up for Survey Junkie
9. Sell Used Electronics
Do you have old electronics you no longer use? If they’re still in working condition, you could be sitting on hundreds of dollars. Why not sell those items to get extra Christmas spending money?
You can sell used electronics locally, but it’s usually best to sell items online. SellCell is our top choice to sell electronics.
Related: Do you have items besides electronics to sell? Read our guide of the best apps to use here to learn how to make more on your used items.
They are a marketplace that connects users with 30+ companies that buy back used devices.
You can sell various items, including:
- Phones
- Tablets
- Laptops
- Cameras
- Game consoles
Upon accepting an offer, the chosen company sends you a shipping label. You then send the selected platform the items. When they receive them, they pay you via check or PayPal.
Learn more: Best sites to sell used electronics for cash
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Get a quote at SellCell
10. Write Articles for Money
Freelance writing is the perfect side hustle to make extra money before the holidays. You don’t need a specialized degree, and you can work from the comfort of your home.
Many businesses outsource writing needs, and some assignments pay extremely well. Content can include blog posts, white papers, speeches, and more.
If you don’t know where to start as a freelance writer, check out our friend Holly Johnson’s free webinar, Earn More Writing.
Learn more: Ways to get paid to write articles
Earning potential: $100+ per article
Get started: Sign up for Earn More Writing
11. Become A Proofreader
All content written by freelance writers needs to be edited. Content that’s incorrect or has poor grammar can cost companies significant money. This creates an opportunity for proofreaders to earn extra income.
A proofreader reads through various forms of content to ensure it’s correct. You won’t copyedit, but proofreading is the final step before content is published to verify there are no errors.
Like writing, you don’t need a specialized degree to proofread. This work can be done from anywhere.
Not sure where to start as a freelance proofreader? Check out our friend Caitlin Pyle’s free workshop, Proofread Anywhere.
Learn more: How to become a proofreader
Earning potential: $25+ per hour
Get started: Sign up for Proofread Anywhere
12. Babysit
Babysitting is the classic side hustle. As the holidays approach, there is more demand for babysitters.
If you enjoy spending time with children, this is an excellent opportunity to make money for holiday shopping.
You can advertise your services on social media. Using a site like Care.com to find clients and get reviews is also an option to expand your reach.
Learn more: N/A
Earning potential: $10+ per hour
Get started: Start an account with Care.com
13. Get Cash Back on Your Shopping
What better way to get Christmas spending money than to receive cash back on your online purchases? You can do this with a rebate site like Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates).
Rakuten works with over 2,500 online retailers and gives you cash back when you make a qualifying purchase.
As a bonus, you receive a $10 cash bonus when you start an account.
Learn more: Rakuten review
Earning potential: Up to 40 percent cash back on purchases
Get started: Get $10 from Rakuten
14. Search the Web
If you are always online, you can get paid for your search activity.
While several sites will pay you to use their search engine, Swagbucks is our top choice. When you set Swagbucks as your default search engine, you earn points to convert to cash or to earn gift cards.
You can also earn points via paid surveys, their shopping portal, and more.
Additionally, Swagbucks gives users a free $5 when opening an account.
Learn more: Review of Swagbucks
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Get $5 from Swagbucks
15. Be A Tasker
Do you have mechanical skills or enjoy running errands? If so, you can advertise your services on Taskrabbit to supplement your income.
Similar to other on-demand apps, you create your own hours. You can also set your own rates.
Pay is distributed weekly. You get to keep 100 percent of your earnings, including tips. The platform manages payments, so there is no exchanging of cash with customers.
Learn more: Apps like Taskrabbit to make money
Earning potential: Varies, though 15 percent of Taskers earn up to $7,000 per month
Get started: Sign up to be a Tasker
16. Do Work on Fiverr
Fiverr is the ultimate resource to make extra money before Christmas. You can earn cash by offering nearly any service, from writing a thank you note to programming a website.
Services start at $5. However, the real money is in the add-ons you can offer since those have no set price.
Similar to other gig economy jobs, you will want to land a few clients who give good ratings to increase your chances of success.
Learn more: Best side hustle apps
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Sign up with Fiverr
17. Test Products at Home
Market research companies pay significant money to learn our opinions about products. This presents a legitimate way to earn extra cash for the holidays with Pinecone Research.
Pinecone is a paid survey site, but they specialize in product testing. The company sends you the product, you test it, and then you take a survey on it.
This won’t earn you loads of cash, but it’s a good opportunity to help with Christmas expenses.
Learn more: Review of Pinecone Research
Earning potential: Up to $75 per product test
Get started: Open an account with Pinecone Research
18. Use A Rewards Credit Card
Credit cards can be a helpful tool to manage your finances if you pay them in full each month. At the end of the year, many rewards cards offer rewards categories at stores you may shop at for gifts.
You can amplify your earnings by selecting a card that offers a bonus or travel rewards. This is in addition to any bonuses you can potentially earn from your normal spending.
If you manage credit cards wisely, this is a terrific way to maximize your spending.
Learn more: N/A
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Find a new rewards card
19. Get Rebates on Your Groceries
As the holidays approach, you’re likely to be spending more at the grocery store. Similar to shopping online, you can also receive rebates on your grocery shopping with Ibotta.
You can select rebates on items you plan to purchase before heading to the store. It’s also possible to scan your receipt after shopping to find additional rebates.
While you won’t earn much, this is a nice way to reduce spending at the end of the year.
The app gives new users $5 when they make their first purchase.
Learn more: Review of Ibotta
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Sign up with Ibotta
20. Sell Items on Amazon
Amazon’s FBA service is a popular side hustle to sell items through the retail giant. You can send products directly to the retailer, and they store, ship, and manage returns on your behalf.
Although there is a small fee for this service, it’s an excellent way to take advantage of retail arbitrage and not have to manage inventory.
With the increased spending many people do on Amazon during the holidays, this can be a good way to make extra money.
If you want to learn more about Fulfillment by Amazon, check out the free course by our friends at The Selling Family.
Learn more: N/A
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Sign up for The Selling Family
21. Trim Your Bills
Our favorite option to make extra money for Christmas is to trim your bills. A side gig is awesome, but saving money is just as essential.
Part of reducing your spending is negotiating lower prices with service providers. It also includes eliminating subscriptions you don’t use.
This can be time-consuming and something many people don’t like to do.
If that describes you, Truebill is a free service that works on your behalf to lower your monthly bills. If they’re successful, they retain 40 percent of the savings, and you keep the rest.
Learn more: Review of Ask Truebill
Earning potential: Varies
Get started: Start saving with Truebill
Summary
This list only scratches the surface of ways to make extra money for the holidays. Some may only score you a little extra pocket change, but others can add up to good money.
Don’t overlook the possibility to combine multiple opportunities to increase your earnings. As you plan for next year, aim to save money for Christmas each month so you can avoid debt.
What are some of your favorite ways to make extra money?
*Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries completed, time of day, location, and expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from peak pay, tips, and other incentives.
These are all great lists John! I’m planning to sell my pre-loved “used” clothes to have extra money for this coming holiday season.
Thanks Clarisse! That’s an awesome idea, we’ve done that ourselves in the past.
where’s the best place to sell pre owned clothing…especially kids clothes, without paying too much for shipping? thx
Poshmark is a good option Karen. They actually send a prepaid shipping label to send the clothes back to them.
These are great tips and more importantly it reminds us that it’s time to start planning for the holidays. Christmas is never an emergency!
Excellent point Natalie! I used to view it that way – the kicker is we know it’s going to come every year and thus NOT an emergency.
I do so much Christmas shopping on Amazon, I need to look into TopCashBack. Thanks for the tip!
Not a problem at all Kalie – might as well make something back from your shopping there. 🙂
“Sell bodily fluids.”
My brother in law paid for my sister’s engagement ring by donating plasma. Around this time every year he says that fall makes him think about the start of the new year and selling his blood for diamonds.
Wow! I did it to help pay off debt, but awesome he did it for such a reason – not to mention seeing the tangible result of it.
Anyone can make extra money like you said and I really hate it when people limit themselves by saying they can’t
Exactly Stefanie! I hear excuses all the time. I used to be guilty of that myself, but there are just too many options to making extra income out there.
I don’t want to think about holidays yet, but it is that time. Having a plan in place is really the only way to avoid overspending.
Nor do I but crazy how close it is.
Those are all great tips. I plan on implementing a few of them before Christmas myself.
Very cool Jason!
I think if you’re selling your bodily fluid to have extra money for Christmas, then you need to sit down with people you are buying for an explain why maybe this Christmas there might be less or no presents. 🙂 Actually, in general, I think less is more. Granted I don’t have kids and I wouldn’t to rob them of the joy of Christmas, but I do think families tend to go overboard. I’m very fortunate I don’t have a demanding family who insist on gift giving. I think all (but the bodily fluids one) are great, but I’m just playing devil’s advocate and say that sometimes that takes away time…and sometimes time is more precious than gifts.
Oh, completely agreed Tonya. If I was selling plasma in order to buy gifts then it’d be high time to communicate the lack of presents. We typically don’t buy a whole lot for our kids – we usually hold back at least 75-80% of what we budget for them and put in their 529s as the grandparents get them more than enough as we see far too many go overboard. That being said, there are still ways to make extra income before the holidays that can be used for things/needs other than gifts. 🙂
Love this! I think EVERYONE can make extra money and making extra money for the holidays so that you don’t go into debt is a great idea.
Could not agree more Michelle! There are so many options out there that virtually anyone can make something off of.
These are some great suggestions, John. People always complain that they don’t have enough money but a little ingenuity and willingness to work some extra hours can make all the difference.
Thanks Shannon! Completely agreed, if you have the willingness to put in the time and are creative you can find many ways to earn more money.
Ha! This is an awesome list John! My hubby always ramps up his side hustling of tutoring around this time with the specific goal of paying for the holidays. I laughed when I saw give fluids, though, because I actually donated plasma when I was in college for money. If I actually had the time to sit there for it again, I would look into it. 🙂
That’s awesome he does that Shannon – great way to monetize something he does for his day job anyway. 🙂
Lol, I did the same exact thing – well to help pay off debt. I’d do it again if I had to.
Okay, I love cash back shopping as much as the next gal, but I don’t think you can count the cash back as making extra money, can you? Maybe that’s just me.
Fair point Abigail. As someone who does almost all of their holiday shopping on Amazon I would qualify it that way. That has the potential to make 8.5% back on your shopping there. Sure, it’s not a ton of money, but I’ll take the extra. 🙂
I’m sorry, but the amount of money some people spend on Christmas is just sickening to me. There is just no need for it. It’s frustrating to hear people always complain how they don’t have any money but then at Christmas, they spend ridiculous amounts. They get so caught up in trying to give their kids everything society says they NEED, plus think they need to give a gift to every person they come in contact with in their life. They end up stressed out and further in debt which is not what the holidays should be about.
Sorry for the rant, but love the list of ideas! Wish more people would do these things!
No apologies at all Danell! I completely agree with you. I see it as well and just don’t see the point. I know it’s easy to give into that temptation to buy for kids, but it’s just not worth it in the long run nor is that what the holidays are about.
Personally speaking, we take 75% or more of what we budget for our kids each year for the holidays and put it in their 529 accounts. They don’t notice what we spend, they still have something and the money gets put to much better use. Plus, with three sets of grandparents they already get too much as it is – it gets to be too overwhelming for the kids and a nightmare for us if we just buy them stuff without thought.
I started digit service right after reading this. Thanks for sharing this!
Awesome, glad to hear it Mary!
Hi John!
I do craft fairs starting in October to make Christmas money. I like all the information you shared, thank you!
Awesome, Gay! Sounds like a great idea to make some additional income this time of year.
Great post John, especially selling a bodily fluid, didn’t realize there was a market for that. That said it’s a win win, the recipient likely needs the fluid and you the money, so what better Christmas gift!
Thanks, Jim! Yep, there’s a market for pretty much anything. 😉