Ten ways to make holiday cash
Making extra money for holiday spending might be easier than you think. This is the perfect time to get creative in your ideas.
“1. Errands: Hire yourself out to run errands, especially those that involve standing in lines. You can get groceries, mail packages at the post office, pick up dry cleaning, wait while a car is being serviced and take pets to the vet.
“2. Yard sale: Sell what you don’t need, especially if it’s in new condition. Books, DVDs and CDs should go quickly. Or sell computer games your kids don’t play anymore.
“3. Video: If you have the right camera and the skill, you can tape holiday school pageants and plays for parents who don’t have the equipment, or who want a great gift to send to the grandparents.
“4. Kids: Baby-sit so your neighbors can get shopping or wrapping done without the children around.
“5. Pets: Take care of pets while owners are out of town. The pet gets to stay in the home environment, which makes the owner happy. Also offer to bring in the newspapers and mail and water the plants. Charge for your travel time, too.
“6. Guests: Take the pressure off those who are hosting guests over the holidays. Before guests arrive you can decorate a customer’s tree or the whole house, clean out the gutters and rake leaves, wrap gifts, hang outdoor holiday lights, shovel snow, paint a room or clean the house.
“7. Bake and cook: Make up samples of your kitchen creations and pass them around at work or in your neighborhood. Offer to deliver orders to make it easier to say yes. Consider not only baked goodies, but full meals that can be put right in the freezer. Sell your wares at holiday fairs, too.
“8. Decorate: Decorate offices and corporation lobbies, and take everything down after the holidays.
“9. Address and mail holiday cards and take them to the post office: Your client only needs to give you a name and address list, and you do the rest.
“10. Sign up with temp agencies, or apply for seasonal jobs: Retailers will usually work around your available hours.