10 Ways to Make Extra Money During the Holidays (2024)

The spirit of giving during the holidays can make you feel warm and fuzzy — but it can also leave your finances feeling as tight as last year’s ugly sweater. If you find your gift list growing three sizes bigger than your budget, you may start looking for ways to make extra holiday cash. Fortunately, there are lots of opportunities to add some extra jingle to your pocket. From temporary gigs that embrace the festive spirit to creative side hustles that'll make your season merry and bright, here are 13 ways to earn money for the holidays.

1. Pick up a seasonal retail job.

For an easy way to make money this holiday season, head to your local mall. With an increase in shopping around the holidays, retailers especially need seasonal workers this time of year. These temporary positions typically begin in October or November to gear up for Black Friday. Some continue well into January and February to help with returns, inventory and restocking.

Big box retailers like Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target are known for hiring lots of additional seasonal staff. Best of all, most retailers will offer employee discounts during the holidays, so you can save money on gifts.

If retail is not for you, applying for a job as an Amazon seasonal warehouse worker could be another way to earn extra holiday cash. For the 2023 holiday season, Amazon announced their plan to hire 250,000 workers at an average pay of $20.50 an hour.¹ Or look at UPS, who typically hires about 100,000 essential seasonal employees during the holidays.²

While a seasonal job could help you earn extra money for the holidays, this temporary position could also get your foot in the door if you’re hoping to make it a permanent job. Let the employer know up front that you’d like to be considered, and then work hard, be on time and do all you can to stand out in a positive way.

2. Look for a seasonal work-from-home job.

Lots of businesses need short-term or gig-based help, making the holidays a great time to explore freelance opportunities. By using sites like Upwork or fiverr, you can get connected to thousands of businesses in need of everything from data entry to customer support to writing and more. Whether you're looking for a one-time gig or a series of small projects, these platforms are a treasure trove of opportunities to tap into your talents, make money for the holidays and spread cheer.

3. Test websites and products.

Companies are constantly launching new websites, and they need everyday people to make sure their sites are easy to use. That’s where website testing comes in as no-brainer way to make extra money for the holidays. You don’t need any specialized experience to do it. All you’ll need is a computer with a working camera, microphone and Wi-Fi. While you won’t make millions (testers typically receive about $10-$25 per session), this gig is ideal for people who only have short bursts of time to spare. UserTesting and Respondent are good places to start.

Companies also need people to test and review their products. The premise is simple: you receive products to review and get to keep the product or earn cash in exchange for your opinion. While they can be highly sought after, there’s no shortage of these assignments, making them a great way to earn cash for the holidays. (Here’s a good list to get you started.)

4. Sell crafts and apparel.

Put your inner artist to work earning extra cash for the holidays. With Zazzle, you can create designs or photographs and upload them onto T-shirts, mugs, pillows, stickers and other items for anyone to buy. Zazzle handles all the inventory, printing and shipping, and you get a percentage of each sale.

Etsy and Society6 are great options if you already have something in mind you want to make and sell — art, jewelry, home décor, magnets, clothing, accessories and more.

5. Sell stuff you no longer use.

As you pack away your summer clothes and accessories, try making three piles: keep, sell and donate. After you get your winter items out from storage, do the same. List your clothes on sites like Poshmark (for higher-end fashion) and Depop (for younger, trendier styles). To increase your payout, consider selling additional items such as old jewelry, handbags and electronics. For the majority of other items, check out sites like eBay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Selling stuff you don't need isn't just a way to earn cash for the holidays — it can also motivate you to get a head start on spring cleaning projects like decluttering your basem*nt and organizing your closets.

6. Rent out your space (or your car).

Another way to make money this holiday season is to put your assets to work and make money from what you already own. Do you have an extra room in your house? Or maybe you’ll be traveling over the holidays? Look into listing your space on Airbnb or VRBO. You’ll receive payment about 24 hours after your guest’s scheduled check-in time.

Do you have a car you don’t need some days? Rent it with Turo. You’ll get paid via PayPal within three hours after the person who rented your car ends their trip.

You can even rent out your parking space with an app like SpotHero and receive a monthly check or deposit. In fact, you can rent just about anything you own, like electronics and sporting equipment with Fat Llama and get paid within three business days.

7. Become a caregiver or pet sitter.

With holiday events and travel plans, people are bound to need help taking care of their pets, children and elders. Check out Rover to help pet-sit while people are away and Care.com to become a caregiver for children or seniors. It’s a great way to help people out while making extra money for the holidays.

8. Deliver food and packages.

With a surplus of festive parties, companies need additional help delivering food around the holidays. Look into Doordash, GrubHub, Postmates and Uber Eats to deliver food from restaurants and InstaCart to do grocery shopping and delivery. You can also check with neighborhood stores or caterers to see if they need extra delivery drivers this time of year. Aside from food, package deliveries are at an all-time high around the holidays, too, so companies like Amazon, UPS and FedEx are always looking for seasonal drivers.

9. Drive for a rideshare company.

If your car meets the requirements, you can turn it into a way to make holiday cash by driving for popular rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft. The surging demand for rides during the holidays can give your income a good boost. Plus, you get to meet new people and provide a convenient ride for partygoers during the busy social holiday season.

10. Do odd jobs.

On sites like Thumbtack and TaskRabbit, people pay to have others run errands and knock out simple household tasks. From cleaning a house to putting together furniture to helping someone move, you can easily make extra money for the holidays. But if you don’t want to interact with strangers, apps like Field Agent and Gigwalk make it easy to go out in the world and make some extra money by doing simple tasks, such as checking store shelves to see if a product is stocked correctly.

11. Shovel snow for your neighbors.

If you live in a snow-prone area, imagine each snowflake as a little dollar sign. To make a quick pitch to potential customers, consider charging a flat rate for each job: $10 for sidewalks and $20-$40 for driveways, for example. A professional approach could help you close the sale faster and build a list of repeat customers. Once you determine your rate, offer your services on your community Facebook page or through the Nextdoor app.

12. Wrap or shop for gifts.

Some people just don’t like shopping and would gladly pay someone else to do it for them. If you love to shop and have good taste, then becoming a personal shopper may be a great way to earn extra money for the holidays. Learn what you’ll need to do to get started as a personal shopper, then use what you earn to pad your own holiday buying budget.

And if you’re creative and crafty, offering a gift-wrapping service is another side gig that could earn you a few bucks. Start by learning these professional gift-wrapping tips, then tell your friends, family, neighbors and social media followers about your new holiday hustle.

13. Perform online tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is an Amazon platform where businesses, researchers and universities post easy online tasks like verifying data, transcribing audio or taking surveys. Companies and institutions use MTurk workers to get help with these tasks quickly and at a low cost. It's a simple way to pocket a few extra bucks, but since the work is relatively simple, don’t plan on striking it rich as an MTurk worker.

How can I make extra money this Christmas?

In today's gig economy, there are loads of ways to earn extra holiday cash. Whether you're working from your couch, in an office or shop, or even doing some hands-on labor, you can find that perfect side job to fatten up your wallet and make gift-giving a whole lot easier for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or any other cherished holiday celebration.

Need more money to handle the expenses of the holidays? Apersonal loan from OneMain could help you create a picture-perfect holiday with the people you love.

1. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-hiring-seasonal-holiday-employees2. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/19/business/amazon-holiday-hiring/index.html