Christmas is right around the corner. Worried about how you’re going to afford the festivities? You’re not alone. Each year millions of Americans go into debt to attend office parties, decorate their homes, and, of course, purchase presents. What if there were ways you could make extra money for Christmas?

Instead of charging your credit card to gift-give, there are ways you can get cash fast to help with this yearly expense!

If the approaching holiday season is causing more stress than excitement, this article is for you! Here are 10 ways to make extra money for Christmas:

10 WAYS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS

1. Earn extra money as a pet sitter

The pet industry is booming, and not just for big retailers. Rover and Wag have introduced pet sitting into the gig economy and independent contractors are reaping the rewards. 

My friend, Vee Weir, pet sits exclusively through Rover and has made over $4,000 in side hustle income this year. That’s double what she made in 2019! 

[[Sign up for Rover for FREE]]

While Rover is the popular option, you can also sign up for Wag and check your local area’s Craigslist and Nextdoor for pet sitting, house sitting, or dog walking opportunities.

2. Sell unused items in your home

You’ve heard of spring cleaning, but around here, we do a fall cleanout! When September rolls around, we do a sweep of our home and put items that no longer serve us in one area.

Then, we spend time each weekend posting these items to online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Offerup. We do this because from September to December, people are shopping for the holidays — even on secondhand marketplaces. 

They want a deal and we want to make money off of what we don’t need anymore. It’s a win-win!

This is the perfect opportunity to minimize clutter in your home and pocket cash for Christmas spending.

3. Sell unused clothing from your whole family’s wardrobe

Along the same lines of our annual fall ‘item’ cleanout, we go through each and every family member’s wardrobe and compile all of the clothing we want to get rid of in the fall.

The clothing that is a little more worn, we donate to reputable nonprofit organizations. The clothing that still has mileage or is name-brand, we sell. 

If you want quick cash, I recommend Plato’s Closet or a local thrift store. If you have the space to hold on to some items in your home and sell them on online marketplaces, I recommend Poshmark or Mercari.

I personally shop on Poshmark all the time and love it. 

[[Sell your gently used clothes on Poshmark TODAY]]

It may take more time to get rid of the clothing, but there are tons of money-making opportunities if you have the time and patience to post your items for sale online.

4. Use Rakuten and Fetch Rewards

Did you know you can get FREE money by doing the shopping you’re already doing? It’s true! My two favorite cash-back apps are Rakuten and Fetch Rewards.

With Rakuten, you simply checkout at thousands of popular retailers through Rakuten and then they automatically give you 1-10% cash back! My most recent score was getting $12.50 back when I purchased Premier Access on Disney Plus to watch the new Mulan movie! I have the Rakuten extension on my internet browser so it reminds me when I’m on a store page that offers cashback and I just click to confirm!

[[Sign up for Rakuten TODAY]] When you use this link you’ll earn $10-30 in bonus cash after you make your first qualifying purchase through Rakuten. Its’ real cash too, I redeem mine through PayPal.

With Fetch Rewards, all I do is scan in my grocery receipts after shopping and it gives me points on select items, usually name brands. It even works for e-receipts so I get points from Amazon and Walmart Grocery Pickup! I don’t check the app before shopping, and there are no clipping coupons. It’s so easy.

[[Sign up for Fetch Rewards TODAY]] Use 3DKNH when you signup for $2-4 in bonus points! I redeem my points for Amazon gift cards.

Related reading: How to Download the Rakuten Extension on Your Internet Browser 

5. Work a temporary Holiday retail job

Since more customers are shopping and shipping during the holidays, companies hire more bodies to assist in the uptick. This is your chance to take advantage of a retail side hustle! 

If you’re interested in staying on after the Christmas season, some even look to hire permanent part-time employees who perform well during the Christmas chaos.

Here are popular retailers who typically hire during the holiday season:

• Target
• Best Buy
• Walmart
• Dick’s Sporting Goods
• FedEx
• American Eagle Outfitters
• The Home Depot
• Lowes
• H&M
• Amazon
• UPS
• TJ Maxx
• Kohl’s
• Ulta Beauty
• Michael’s
• Ross
• And more

6. Spend a month doing surveys

My favorite thing about surveys is that you can literally do them while watching The Office on the couch. Got some downtime? Might as well cash in and put it towards holiday savings! You won’t get rich doing surveys, but you can earn a few extra dollars right from your phone.

My favorite online survey sites are Survey Junkie and Toluna. 

[[Sign up for Survey Junkie]]

7. Offer babysitting services 

If you love kids, nannying or babysitting may just be the way to earn extra money! The best way to get started with this kind of side hustle is by word of mouth. Odds are, one of your friends or a family member needs help with their kiddos during the crazy holiday season.

They’ll need someone to watch their children while they Christmas shop, or when they’re getting all gussied up to go to an office Christmas party. 

If you don’t live near family or friends, sign up for Care.com — they are an online database of local nannies, babysitters, and tutors that I’ve personally hired and been hired from.

8. Put your money in a HYSA and earn interest all year

One of the easiest ways to save money for Christmas is to take advantage of a high yield savings account! I’ve talked in depth about high yield savings accounts in another blog post, so I won’t go into too much detail here.

[[Sign up for CIT Bank HYSA TODAY!]]

Basically, if you stick an initial $1,000 into a high yield savings account with 1% interest rate and continue to contribute $50 per month, in 11 months you will have $1,562.00.

You can use the interest earned on money you’re already saving on Christmas! 

Calculate how much you would have by November!

9. Flip furniture and items

Flipping furniture or other popular items is a low cost way to earn high rewards. It can also be a fun wild goosechase. 

Scour yard sales, garage sales and Facebook marketplace for free or cheap furniture and then put your own, creative spin on fixing it up for a profit. This usually requires sanding, paint, and new fixtures.

While this option may be more effort than, say, filling out online surveys, it has the potential to be a high return on investment. Plus, you’ll learn valuable skills along the way and it can turn into a lifelong hobby.

[[If you’re new to the flipping side hustle, check out this FREE Flipping Workshop]]

10. Deliver groceries and/or food

A quick way to make a buck is to deliver groceries via Postmates, Instacart, DoorDash, or Shipt. 

With holiday events, there is an uptick in people needing an extra hand with food deliveries. If you are bored, or find yourself sitting around with ‘no way to make money,’ grocery or restaurant delivery is the perfect option for you.

Like other gig economy jobs, you dictate how much you work, so your earnings are really up to you! If you live in a more populated area, you even get peak time bonuses per order, which are typically an extra four to five dollars. 

Related reading: Side Hustle Guide: 60+ Ways to Make Extra Money in 2020

The holidays are already stressful enough without adding not being able to cash flow it to the list. There is no reason for you to go into debt showing people how much you love them. With this list, you can save up cash and afford a comfortable, jolly Christmas!

What are you doing to save up for the holiday season? Let me know!

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