Padding Your Holiday Budget with some extra cash
As wonderful as the holidays are, when they roll around money gets a little tight. Whether it’s a family vacation, traveling back to your family home, setting get together, or just getting presents, expenses tend to pile up during what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. And with a gift budget necessary, they pile up fast! You might be looking to make a little extra cash as to not drain your savings. Well congrats, you clicking this article was the first (and most important) step.
There are plenty of ways earn a bit of extra cash on the side, though some are better than others. And while there are tons of sites that say “CLICK HERE TO GET FREE MONEY”, this article is more to layout a few different options. All of the entries in this article are completely legit and many people even make some of these their main source of income. You probably heard of most of these but might not have thought to look into them. So buckle up as we over a few avenues you may be interested in.
Lyft Driving
A service used by thousands nationwide, Lyft. You may have even used it yourself once. But rather than spending money using it, try making some extra cash by doing it!
All you really need to be an Lyft driver is a car and a good attitude. Becoming an Lyft driver isn’t a hard either. Some simple paperwork and a background check and you’re ready to ride! It can be stressful at first, having strangers in your car. But you get used to it when you realize that they’re just people who need to get somewhere.
Depending on your area, being a lift driver can be rather lucrative. It also helps if your car gets good mileage.
Online Tutoring
This one can be a bit tough and is more at college graduates/students and teachers with some time on their hands. Similar to the entry above, many of us have been on the receiving end of this, but with the right qualifications you can start teaching people about a subject you know and have experience with.
There is little out there that is more gratifying than teaching, and tutoring can be a way to do that on your own time. Earning some extra cash as an online tutor gives you the ability to teach from the comfort of your home. It’s also flexible enough that you can bend and shift it around your day job. Although, depending on your capabilities, this path can even replace your day job and give you the freedom to craft your own schedule.
But if that isn’t what you’re looking for, it can always stay a side hustle to tap into when it’s gift giving season!
Online Surveys
Have opinions? Want to share them? Online surveys are an easy way to earn some extra cash with no qualifications necessary!
By filling out online surveys, you can earn a few bucks in just a couple minutes. And all you really need is a stable internet connection and opinions on things. Companies analyze the information in your answers to improve their marketing and gauge public opinion of their services. All of this can usually be found in the terms and conditions if you would like to sift through it for answer to any of your questions.
The best part about online surveys is that anyone can do them! No experience, degree or qualifications are needed to start and you can do them just about anywhere.
They commonly pay out in the form of gift cards which can be convenient if you can’t decide what you want to gift someone. Just give them a gift card or two!
DoorDash
There’s nothing quite like takeout. All the joy and pleasure of a home cooked meal with no cooking involved. Fast food has worked it’s way into the daily routines of thousands of people. The only problem? You have to go out to get it. To mitigate this, many people will use food delivery services like doordash to order from places with no in house delivery system. Thanks to that, the days where takeout Chinese and pizza were your only option have passed.
While this service’s hype has died down since the height of the pandemic, it’s still used by thousands of people every day. And if you live in a busy city and have some time on your hands, you can earn a few hundred dollars a week!
eBay Selling
One of the downsides of receiving gifts is the clutter that can build up over the years. Well you can get a jump on spring cleaning and earn some extra cash too by using eBay. Almost everyone has heard of it in one way or another. Many of us have used it. So why not make some money off of it?
Old TVs in the attic? Sold. Appliances? Maybe an old computer? Sold and sold. You or anyone can sell just about anything on eBay. Because of this, eBay is one of the most widely used online selling platforms out there. Basically no matter what you are trying to sell, there is probably someone out there willing to buy it. So go root around in your attic and closets for things you don’t use and sell it to someone that will.
Couponing
While this isn’t technically making you money, it is saving you money. Consequently, you may want to pare this with one of the other entries on this list to save some of the extra cash you make. This is a practice that is used by many people around the world. Simply by keeping track of sales and holding onto receipts, you can save tons of money. So much in fact that people made a show about it. Black Friday will be your new best friend this year!
You can also use online couponing services like Honey or Capital One Shopping to save some extra cash when shopping Amazon.
Keep an eye out for sales and you can save TONS of money this Christmas season.
Final Thoughts?
Even with the ever growing expenses that pile up during the holidays, you should try not to stress about it too much. Remember, it’s the thought that counts. And having a bit of extra cash can go a long way. So try out one of the entries above to scrape together a few extra bucks this year!