If you need to make extra money before Christmas, you only have a few months to go. Hard to believe, I know, but it’s the sad truth. The average family spent over $900 on Christmas gifts in 2016, according to the National Retail Federation. If you don’t budget for those expenses the money has to come from somewhere. This is where making extra cash before Christmas comes into play as we all know you don’t want to finance the holidays on a credit card – that’s just plain foolish.

Don’t think you have the skills to make extra money? Please don’t give into that belief! I know anyone can make extra cash, even without technical skills or knowledge. If you can wrap a gift or do yard work then you can make extra money before the holidays. Last I checked, nearly everyone can do those, and many other things.

Don’t stop with the holidays though. Use them as an opportunity to make earning extra money a mindset. Find a goal you want to accomplish and use that new stream of income to attack it – whether it be paying off debt, putting away more money for retirement, saving extra spending money or something else, all of these things require extra money to accomplish.

If you want or need to make extra money before Christmas, check out some of the following ways to help you do just that.

Killer Ways to Make Extra Money Before Christmas

Go Shopping

#1 – Get paid to shop. Why not make a little money back for Christmas shopping you’re already doing? You can use a site like Swagbucks to earn cash back on all your shopping through earning points called SB points you can then turn into cash back – even on Amazon. Signup through this link and earn a $5 sign on bonus.

#2 -Use a credit card. I know, I mentioned not financing Christmas on a credit card. If you plan on paying them off the next month then why not take advantage? Many credit cards have rotating categories allowing you to get extra rewards back, or you could sign up for a new rewards credit card to get some free travel out of your normal Christmas shopping.

#3 – Make more money shopping. Ebates is another option to use for online shopping during the holidays. The beauty of Ebates is that you can earn cash back, like on other sites, but you can also apply other discounts. So, you can save money and make a little extra at the same time – not too bad. You even get a $10 sign on bonus when you open an account.

#4 -Personal shopping. Do you love to shop? Then turn that desire into a moneymaker and make money through Christmas shopping. Advertise for free on Craigslist, use word of mouth or offer your services to neighbors. You can charge by the hour or by trip, but this can be a great way to make extra money before Christmas.

#5 – Mystery shop. I’ve never done mystery shopping, though I know many make extra money from it. You can earn things from free meals to other services and even cash in some instances.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

#6 – Be a Designated Driver. Yes, you can drive for Lyft and make good money while doing it, but there are also companies who hire out Designated Drivers. You can drive as little or as much as you want. Until the end of the year, Lyft is offering a $250 sign-on bonus for all new drivers!

#7 – Take surveys. Ok, you’re not going to get rich quick taking surveys but you can still make a little extra money for your budget. There are many survey sites out there that allow you to make extra money in your free time. Our favorite is Survey Junkie – as they pay you cash straight to PayPal. Below are a few other top survey sites:

Pinecone Research: They pay $3 per survey and they pay cash directly to your PayPal account

Opinion Outpost: One of the top survey sites in the space and they have quarterly $10,000 prize drawings

Inbox Dollars: Earn money for taking surveys, watching TV or making purchases online. Get $5 just for signing up

#8 – Start a blog. Starting a blog may seem overwhelming, but it really isn’t. I have few technical skills, but I started this blog five years ago and I’ve more than replaced the income from my former day job. If you need help starting a blog, Bluehost can get you started with only a few clicks and you get hosting for as little as $2.95 per month when you sign up through our link.

#9 – Retail arbitrage. Do you have an eye for a good deal? You can sell those items, for a profit, by using Amazon FBA. Here are some free training courses to help get you started to make money on Amazon.

Spread Holiday Cheer

#10 – Be Santa. Do you have a beard? This is a great way to make extra money before Christmas. My Dad did this for years and made nice money doing it.

#11 – Wrap presents. Do you like to wrap presents? Many don’t and retailers charge $5+ per gift. Undercut them and you can make some decent money if you’re quick with it.

#12 – Bake. The holidays are all about baked goodies. If you can make some mean cookies or other food, turn your time into cash. This can work for office parties, in-home Christmas parties and more.

#13 – Hang Christmas lights. People go all out where we live, hiring professional companies to decorate their yards. I’d never spend money on that, but many like it. If you love setting up Christmas lights this can be a great way to make a little extra money.

#14 – Work holiday parties. If you live in a bigger city there are likely many large holiday parties thrown. If you have serving, bartending or valet skills (who can’t drive a car?) you can make some nice cash.

#15 – Deliver meals. Rather not serve at parties, but deliver meals? You can make good money delivering meals for Uber Eats or Door Dash.

Traditional Methods

#16 – Get a part-time job. This isn’t my most favorite way to make extra cash before Christmas, but I have done it. Retailers ramp up hiring before the holidays to handle increased traffic. Just make sure not to spend all your earnings on discounted store products. 😉

#17 – Babysit. This is the standard of making extra money. With all the parties, events, etc. during the holidays there is ample opportunity to make money. You can advertise your services on Care.com so parents can check your references and do a background check so they’re comfortable using you.

#18 – Teach. Yes, teaching is a great way to make extra money. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree, or are in your final year of college, you can teach students overseas with Qkids. It’s all done online from the comfort of your home and they provide all the lessons plans and course materials you need and you can earn up to $20 per hour!

Get Creative

#19 – Sell something on Etsy. Are you good at crafts? Turn that skill into cash. I know it may take time to set up a store or stand out, but this can be a nice way to make extra cash before the holidays if you know what you’re doing.

#20 – Take pictures. We have a good friend who makes good money as a photographer. If you have the skill and a nice camera turn it into extra money by offering your services for Christmas pictures, cards and more. You can also sell them on Deposit Photos to make residual income.

#21 – Start writing. Writing does take some talent, but all you need is a voice. There is a lot of opportunity online as many companies have content needs. If you have experience in a certain topic area you can turn this into money. I now make my income from writing online, though it did take time to build up. If you’d like training on how to write online, check out Cat’s course to help get you started writing online.

#22 – Proofread. Proofreading is the other side of writing. You proofread other people’s writing to correct mistakes before publishing and you can make $20+ per hour. Proofread Anywhere provides free courses to help you learn how to land general proofreading and transcript proofreading jobs you can do from the comfort of your home, or anywhere else you choose.

WORK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

#23 – Yard work. As a homeowner I can tell you yard work doesn’t come to an end when the summer winds down. It’s a year-round activity. Does your neighborhood have a lot of older trees? People hate leaves. Turn those leaves, or any other yard work activity into cash.

#24 – Shovel snow. Do you live in an area that gets a lot of snow? Turn that snow into cash. There are kids in our neighborhood who charge $25+ per yard to shovel snow. All it takes is a few clients and you can get started making some serious extra money.

#25 – Housesit. Do you know people who travel during the holidays? A warm body is about all this side hustle takes.

#26 – Clean homes. One thing to remember about holiday parties…often they’re in homes. Last I checked, cleaners are expensive; if you know how to sweep and spray a little Windex this can be a great way to make extra cash before Christmas.

#27 – Pet sit. You likely have neighbors traveling this time of year, many with pets. Care.com also lets you connect with people in your area who have pet sitting needs while they’re away from home.

#28 – Run errands. If you have spare time and don’t mind doing mindless tasks for friends or co-workers this you can be a lifesaver to them and you get to make extra money. Drive for Lyft and you can drive people as they run errands.

Miscellaneous

#29 – Open a brokerage account. Do you have an old 401(k) you need to rollover? Have you put off investing in the stock market? Many brokerages offer year-end promotions to get new clients, which is extra cash you can use to invest. You can start investing with someone like Wealthsimple with no minimum balance. Wealthsimple even offers up to $100 cash back when you open a new account.

#30 – Cash in old gift cards. How many gift cards do you have sitting around from last year? You can sell them to CardPool to get cash you can use. Turn that plastic into cash you can use in better ways.

#31 – Open a savings account. I know a savings account may not seem like a good way to make extra money before Christmas, but hear me out. It’s my favorite way to make money because it also helps you be prepared for emergencies. Synchrony Bank lets you open an account with no minimum balance and pays at least 1.75% on your spare cash.

#32 – Get rid of your crap. How much stuff do you have lying around the house you don’t use? Instead of keeping the clutter sell it through Decluttr. Decluttr buys old electronic devices, games, DVDs and more.

#33 – Sell a bodily fluid. Not the most pleasant, I know, but the holidays are a high need time for things like blood and plasma. You can help someone out in need plus make extra money!

#34 – Rent a second property. You can also rent out a second home or apartment. Do you travel much or do you own a second property? Consider listing your house or apartment on Airbnb to earn extra money on the side or create a new stream of income.

This list only scratches the surface of ways to make extra money before Christmas. The goal is to view it as a year round activity that helps you accomplish your goals.

What are some of your favorite ways to make extra money for Christmas? How much do you spend on Christmas shopping? How do you respond to people who say they can’t make extra money?

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John Schmoll

I'm the founder of Frugal Rules, a Dad, husband and veteran of the financial services industry. I'm passionate about helping people learn from my mistakes so that they can enjoy the freedom that comes from living frugally. I'm also a freelance writer, and regularly contribute to GoBankingRates, Investopedia, Lending Tree and more.

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