With Christmas being only a couple of weeks away, people are striving to handle all of their shopping. If you find yourself short on funds, then finding ways to make extra money for Christmas might be a priority. Luckily, there are tons of options out there, even with it being so close to the holiday. Here are 10 options to get you started.
1. Sell Tech on Declutter
If you have gadgets, DVDs, or other tech lying around, Decluttr can help you make extra money for Christmas quick. All you have to do is download the app and scan the barcodes for your items. If you don’t have the original packaging, you might be able to find the UPC online.
Once you scan, Decluttr gives you an offer. If you accept, the company gives you a free shipping label. Then, just pack up your stuff and get it in the mail. About 24 hours after Decluttr receives your package, they release the payment.
2. Be a Rover Dog Walker
Animal lovers can sign up to be dog walkers or pet sitters on Rover, a site that connects pet owners with service providers. If you live in a big city, you might be able to find opportunities fast, giving you a chance to earn a few hundred bucks or more before the holiday.
3. Freelance on Fiverr
Upwork covers over 100 niches, ranging from writing to web development and more. If you have a marketable skill, you could secure a few freelance projects, giving you a chance to make extra money for Christmas in a week or less.
After you complete a project, there is a brief five-day waiting period before you can receive the funds. Once that passes, you can request payment, and may have it in your bank account within one to two business days. If you need money for the holidays, you may want to start now to get the cash in time.
4. Test Websites on UserTesting
If you like sharing your opinion and are comfortable with a computer or smartphone, UserTesting will pay you to give feedback. The signup process is fairly quick, and does include a short test to make sure you can meet their needs. However, once complete, you can look for tests.
Each website or app test takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll earn $10 for each one. After a week, the payment is automatically sent to your PayPal account, so there is still time to use UserTesting to earn Christmas money.
5. Drive for Lyft or Uber
If you have a newish car in good condition and don’t mind driving strangers around, signing up for Lyft or Uber could be an excellent option for some quick Christmas money. You could earn roughly $21 an hour, making it possible to bring in about $500 in a week if you drive for around 25 hours.
Alternatively, you could opt to be an Uber Eats driver. Then, you can deliver food instead of hosting people in your vehicle.
6. Do Small Tasks Through TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit connects people who are willing to do small jobs to people who need an extra set of hands. You could run errands, help paint, or assist someone with their move. The work available varies dramatically from one day to the next, but you could earn a couple hundred bucks pretty quickly, potentially even before Christmas.
7. Provide Christmas Light Hanging Services
While you might not see ads for this on sites like TaskRabbit, if you have a knack for hanging Christmas lights, you could advertise your services in your local area. Consider placing an ad in the newspaper or on Facebook that lets people know you’ll help them with their lights. Many people who are too busy or physically unable to handle the task might appreciate the help, and you could receive cash in hand the day you complete the job.
8. Be a Babysitter
Children usually get out of school before the Christmas holiday, but parents typically keep working. That means the demand for babysitters increases, and you can capitalize on this by listing yourself on sites like Care.com. Unlike some other websites, Care.com does not require you to use their payment system. This means you could request cash, ensuring you have the money you need for the holidays quickly.
9. Become an Amazon Flex Driver
If Amazon Flex is in your area, it can be a great alternative to other driving gigs. During the holidays, people order more from sites like Amazon, so you should have a somewhat reliable workload. Plus, the work is simple, you just take the packages where they need to go.
You might be taking items to Amazon locker locations, deliver Prime orders, and handle Prime Now deliveries. In some cases, you may even be sent out for a Merchant Pickup, where you bring items to Amazon instead of the other way around.
Amazon offers a guaranteed rate of $18, which is pretty solid. Plus, you can earn tips, moving your pay potential up. At the base rate, you could bring home $360 by working just 20 hours per week. Another nice point is that Amazon pays out every Tuesday and Friday through direct deposits, so you get your money fast.
However, you can’t find driving opportunities in all cities, so this isn’t an option for everyone. But, if you keep an eye out, you may be able to sign up later and use Amazon Flex to make money for Christmas next year.
10. Sell Stuff on Craigslist or Facebook
Both Craigslist and Facebook make it easier to find local buyers for items you want to sell. Plus, you can potentially find shopper for nearly any category, ranging from furniture to electronics to cars.
Since you can often complete the transactions in person, you could make extra money for Christmas in less than one day. However, that means pricing your items fairly and being flexible enough to complete the sale as fast as possible.
If you do decide to meet someone in person, choose a public location that offers some safety. Many police departments allow sellers to meet buyers in their parking lots, and some fire departments do too. However, if that isn’t an option, look for areas that have surveillance, like bank or retailer parking lots, and arrange to meet during daylight hours. Also, bring a friend along as a second set of eyes, and don’t be afraid to leave if something feels wrong.
All of the options above can help you earn extra money for Christmas, so explore those that are available in your area and increase your shopping budget today.
Do you have any tips to help people make extra money for Christmas? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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Tamila McDonald has worked as a Financial Advisor for the military for past 13 years. She has taught Personal Financial classes on every subject from credit, to life insurance, as well as all other aspects of financial management. Mrs. McDonald is an AFCPE Accredited Financial Counselor and has helped her clients to meet their short-term and long-term financial goals.