Think you’re going to be a bit strapped for cash around the holidays this year? If you start now, you could earn all the extra cash you need. Use it to buy gifts for your family and friends, to splurge on a few luxe holiday extras or even just to pad your bank account. Now is a great time to pick up a new cash-earning endeavor — even if it’s just temporary. Here are 9 ways to do just that:
1. Retail. Retail stores everywhere look for extra workers around the busy holiday season. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. runs an annual holiday retail jobs report and forecasts that this year’s hiring will outdo last year due to consumer spending gains.
The thing about holiday jobs in retail is that stores are hiring right now. They need time to get employees properly trained before the real shopping season hits around the end of November. So if you think an extra part-time gig in retail is up your alley this holiday season, now is the time to apply.
2. Run errands. Got time on your hands and a color-coded to-do list? Consider starting a holiday errand running business. You can market yourself to overworked parents everywhere, who have tons of holiday shopping to do but no time to do it. Earn more bang for your buck by offering your services to several clients each weekend, and combine their errands.
3. Offload old stuff. Craigslist and a closet full of unused stuff are your best friends over the holiday season. Now is an excellent time to get rid of clutter. And it’s also a great time to sell vintage or gently-used goods to people looking for a good deal on holiday gifts.
Here’s a tip: Try putting items on Craigslist for a couple weeks. If they don’t sell quickly, they probably won’t sell at all. After that, move them to eBay, where you have to deal with sales fees, but you have more potential buyers.
4. Host parents’ nights out. Offering plain-old baby-sitting services over the holidays is a great idea. But you can up the ante by coordinating a larger parents’ night out. Instead of just baby-sitting one or two kids at a family home, offer a shopping night (or just a nice night out) for the parents of 10 to 15 kids.
(You will, of course, need some help for this one.)
By charging $15 or more per kid, parents could get a great deal on baby-sitting, and you could make a good chunk of change with just a few hours of work. If you have a large enough network, you could host several parents’ nights out between now and Jan. 1.
5. Sell crafts. Side craft businesses are more popular around the holidays. And sites like Etsy make it really easy to sell your wares online. You could also sell products in person by hosting a small craft fair of your own.
Get together with some other crafty friends or even local businesses, and host a holiday shopping night. Locally-made goods are becoming a popular option among shoppers. A small craft fair could be a great way to garner some business — and future clients — for your side business.
6. Winterize homes. This time of year, homeowners in cooler climates are beginning to think about weatherizing their homes for the winter. But many don’t have time or know how to do it themselves. If you’re good with a tube of caulk and a drill gun, you could easily market this service in your area.
Just print a postcard or flyer advertising your winterizing services, including gutter cleaning, lawn raking, caulking windows and doors, installing weather stripping and more. You might be surprised by how much money people will pay you to take things like this off their to-do lists.
7. Offer holiday deep cleaning. Is your own house completely spotless down to the baseboards? Maybe you don’t have time or inclination to run a full-time cleaning business. But you could still leverage your cleaning skills to make a few extra bucks this holiday season.
Instead of marketing an ongoing cleaning service, advertise a one-time holiday deep clean. People love to have their homes clean before hosting parties or overnight guests. And since you’re offering deep cleaning, you can charge a higher rate than you would for general weekly or biweekly cleaning.
8. Organize people’s things. People will pay money for professional organization any time of year, but particularly around the holidays. This could also be a great way to replenish your bank account after the holidays, when homes are flooded with an influx of gifts.
Offer a pre-holiday organization spree that will help clients get rid of things they don’t need before the influx of gifts, or offer your services right around Jan. 1, when “get organized” is at the top of everyone’s resolutions list.
9. Work overtime. This isn’t one of the most fun options on the list — especially if you’re not in love with your day job — but it’s a viable option. And it can be the most efficient way to sock away some extra dollars in your bank account this holiday season. If your employer offers overtime to catch up on end-of- the-year projects, take advantage of the opportunity — especially if you get special overtime rates.
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9 Ways to Make Extra Cash for the Holidays originally appeared on usnews.com
