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Quick ways to make money for Christmas
Christmas is fast approaching, and so is the extra cost that comes with it. It can be stressful at the best of times, but if money’s tight there’s an extra layer of stress to deal with. We’ve already written about doing Christmas on a budget, but what about making extra cash for it?
We’ve collected some of the best and quickest ways to make extra money for Christmas. We’ve picked out tips which give you the best chance of getting money fast, so you’ll be able to use the cash for Christmas.
Sell your junk (and last year’s terrible Secret Santa gift)
Selling things you don’t need is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get cash. Have hundreds of DVDs and CDs you don’t watch or listen to anymore? Register them on Music Magpie or one of the other selling services. Lovemoney’s comparison guide is useful, but some of the sites will only pay a few pence per DVD.
Old consoles and games gathering dust? Take them to Computer Exchange (CEX) or Cash Converters. Bags of clothes piled up in the spare room? Flog them on eBay or in a car boot. Our handy guide on what to sell on eBay might give you a few tips too.
Get paid to review stuff
Did you know that UserTesting.com pays people to review websites? You can test out a site in around 20 minutes, giving your review verbally over your phone or computer microphone, and earn $10 (around £7.70) straight into a PayPal account within seven days. Winner!
Turn to mystery shopping
Getting paid to shop? Really? Yup! Last year, Save the Student editor Ruth Bushi told us how to become a mystery shopper. While it doesn’t make you a millionaire, payment can range from £3 to £100 per assignment. Sometimes you get to keep the items you’re shopping for too, giving you an extra Christmas gift to hand out.
Be a life model
Local colleges and universities often look for body types of all shapes, sizes, colours and ages for their art classes. Some models earn around £10 an hour and you don’t always need to be completely starkers to pose.
We do recommend you don’t answer any random Gumtree ads looking for models though, and instead apply through an official college or university. Safety first!
Try running errands
If you’ve got the time to help people out with odd jobs, why not charge make a bit of cash from your services? From taking things to the Post Office, to window cleaning and mowing the lawn, search My Odd Jobs to find something local. Or, browse Gumtree for odd jobs.
Take part in an identity parade
They don’t just happen in movies. Some police forces still use video identity parades to catch culprits, and this is where you could earn some extra money. Identity parades need civilians to work, so offering your face as an extra ‘suspect’ could see you earning £10-£15 each time you take part.
Just register your interest at your local police station and keep your fingers crossed you don’t get picked out by the victim.
Rent your spare space
If you’re lucky enough to have a garage, drive or car parking space going spare, you could rent it out, even if you don’t live in a city centre or near an attraction. Renting your space on sites like Park on my Drive, Parklet or Your Parking Space could see some extra cash parked in your bank account too.
Flog it for a fiver
Have you got a skill or crafty talent to sell? Perhaps you’re a whizz at Photoshop or love recording musical ditties? Or maybe you’re excellent at celebrity impersonations? Fiverr.com lets you post adverts for all sorts of talented tasks like drawing, singing, photography, writing, and much more.
You can bag at least £3.84 each time you do a task, but you can bump the price up by offering extra services. If you’ve got a talent to sell this can be a great way to earn some extra pennies for the Christmas pressies.
Remember though, all self-employed income must be declared to HM Revenue and Customs.
Have you got some money-making tips for Christmas? Pop them in the comments!
