A Few Ideas for Making Some Extra Cash this Holiday Season

A Few Ideas for Making Some Extra Cash this Holiday Season
Veronica Davis
12/11/2014
Updated:
4/23/2016

Christmas is almost here and you are probably trying to figure out how you are going to afford all of those Christmas presents once again. The season may have snuck up on you and you’re now realizing you don’t have extra cash to get grandma’s favorite chocolates and that hot new toy your son wants this year. The good news is you are not alone and many others are struggling to find the money to get the gifts on their Christmas list this year too. There are some ways you can make extra money for just this by selling old jewelry, selling stuff around the house you never use, picking up an odd job or getting part-time work at the mall. Here is a look at some easy ways to make extra holiday cash this season.

Odd Jobs

This is the time of year to take on jobs that you wouldn’t normally do throughout the year. Can you help babysit for the neighbor or help with snow removal? If you have any special skills, like crafting or repair work, this is a great time to put them to use. Get crafty and create some beautiful pottery or hand-knitted scarves to sell on sites like Etsy.com. You can use pinterest.com to get ideas for crafts and then sell them on Etsy or Craigslist for some extra cash.

With everyone shopping for holiday gifts, this is the time of year when retailers are swamped and looking for extra help. Consider getting a part-time holiday job this season. You can work it around your current schedule but you may have to work on the holidays for part of the day. The good news is that the job will be over in January which means you can return to your regular schedule. This is a great way to work more this month to make extra cash for Christmas presents. Another option is to see if your current employer can give you extra hours for a few weeks in order to get overtime pay or extra paid hours on your next paycheck.

A site that’s received quite a lot of attention is Fiverr, where you can offer to do pretty much anything you want for $5 (You can charge more by using addons to each “gig” you offer).

Selling Old Jewelry

Another great way to make some extra cash this holiday season is by selling old jewelry. CA Gems – San Francisco Diamonds is the perfect place to sell because they'll give you the most value for your jewelry and diamonds. They are a family owned and operated business open since 1938 and the largest buyer of jewelry in the whole area. Just head down to downtown San Francisco to sell your jewelry for an immediate payout cash offer and no consignment. They typically buy brands like Tiffany, Cartier, Bergdorf and accept other fine jewelry with diamonds in it or jewelry that is gold plated.

If you prefer to sell online, check out “I Do… Now I Don’t,” a new online auction site. It’s similar to eBay in which you send the jewelry and the money to the site once you’ve made a deal with someone. The money is held in escrow so that a certified gemologist can appraise it and then the money is released when the diamond certification process is completed. They'll simply take a 15% commission on the sale. This is a great option because wherever you go to sell, you want to make sure the company has a staff that can accurately grade the diamond.

Online Garage Sales

Do you have extra stuff lying around the house that you really don’t need? Check out websites like Craigslist and Facebook that have pages set up for online garage sales. You just list your item with a picture and description, set your price and a place that you'll meet. Just be sure to meet in a public place when you sell the item and bring a friend with you to make sure everything goes smoothly. You can sell home goods, clothing, furniture, pet supplies and more using sites like these. This may help clear some space in your house for your new Christmas gifts too. Another cool looking site is VarageSale.

Whether you are looking to do some extra work or sell some old things to make more room in your home, these are some easy ways to make extra money during the holidays. You'll be able to get all of the gifts for your loved ones this Christmas after all.

** Please note: Sites I’ve mentioned are just some I’ve found searching online. I have not used them (Well, ok, I use Pinterest!), so please do your own research into them to see if they look like a good deal to you before using them!

Veronica is a wife and work at home mom. Her and her husband live in Missouri with their three boys. She has been a freelance writer for over fiver years, and has since ventured into many areas of working online and marketing online. She loves being in the kitchen, discovering new dishes the family loves and hopes to go to culinary school some day. A former Marine and ex-whitewater rafting guide, she loves the outdoors and sports.
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