31 Fast & Easy Ways To Earn Extra Cash For Christmas

It’s Christmas time! Are you wondering what you can do to earn some extra cash? I hope this list of 21 ideas will help you make extra money this holiday season.

This list starts with ways to earn money starting today and works its way down to ideas that will take a bit more time and effort to generate an income. Most of these ideas allow you to set your own schedule, meaning you can choose to divide your time between a few different ones for variety or go laser-focused on one side hustle.

What you won’t find on this list are side-job ideas that usually take years to generate consistent side income from, such as starting a blog, creating a Youtube channel, selling printables, writing books to sell on Amazon, etc. There is a place for those types of jobs, but not on a list for generating quick cash.

This list focuses on ways to generate enough cash for Christmas in a day to a month or two at most. How fast you earn the Christmas cash you need depends on how much time you can devote to a side job, what talents you possess, who you know, what side hustle you pick, and how much you spend on Christmas.

31 Fast & Easy Ways To Earn Extra Cash For Christmas

(Links in this post are affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking those links. See my disclosure page for more information)

Trade What You Have For Cash

1. Sell Your Clutter

I read somewhere that the average home has $1,000 worth of stuff lying around in it that could be resold. That number is not retail value; that is resale value!

Reselling can take a bit of effort. You have to sort through your stuff. Part with some of it. Clean it up. List it. Deal with people. Then finally collect your money.

But the rewards of your work can add up fast. A week’s worth of work could generate all the money you need to fund Christmas.

Here are my tips for getting the most money for your clutter.

Here is a post I wrote that will help you go through your home from top to bottom, finding as much stuff as possible in the shortest amount of time to resell.

It might be too cold to host a yard sale in your area, but it is never a bad time to host a virtual one. Here are my best tips for hosting an online yard sale.

2. Donate Plasma

If you are healthy and live near a plasma donation center, donating Plasma could be a relatively quick way to earn money during the holiday shopping season.

A Google search of “where to donate plasma near me” is a good place to start. Here is a link to a government website on what to expect when giving blood or Plasma.

Apply For Seasonal Jobs

Seasonal jobs, except for one-day Craigslist Gigs, require you to apply before the Christmas season starts. They are, however, a solid source of cash so I decided to put them high on the list as ways to make money for Christmas.

3. Craigslist Gigs

Look up your local Craigslist. Look under the “Gig” tab and click any of the categories there and you will find many spammy jobs, but if you are willing to take the time to filter those out, you will also find valid short-term work.

You want advertisements without numerous spelling mistakes, offering believable wages, not asking for application money, and not asking for your picture. If the job sounds too good to be true, chances are it isn’t valid.

4. Become A Brand Ambassador

You know those people at Costco or Sam’s Club that entice you to try samples; those people are called brand ambassadors. I found a few postings for these positions in Craigslist Gigs, but I have read that the best place to find listings for this type of work is to enter “Brand Ambassadors of (name of your city).” I tried it, and several groups popped up.

5. Wrap Presents

I found job postings for professional wrappers on Indeed. A Facebook shout-out could also get you started wrapping gifts for individuals. Decide your prices and details, such as who buys the paper, where the wrapping is done, etc., before you offer your services on social media.

6. Sell Christmas Trees

Like many of the ideas on this list, I quickly searched how one gets a job at a Christmas tree lot and found several postings on Indeed.

7. Sort & Deliver Packages

Amazon, UPS, and USPS hire seasonal workers to help sort and deliver packages.

Earn Money While Chilling On The Couch

These programs accept pretty much everyone, are super simple to earn from, and you can work on earning points whenever and wherever you want. However, they are low-income earners. Do not expect to pay for your entire Christmas by working at these programs for 30 days. You can, however, earn a few gift cards each month by spending just a few minutes each day working on earning points within these programs.

8. Point Reward Programs

The tasks the point reward programs give you can be done when you are otherwise too tired to do anything else, which for me is usually those hours past dinner when all I want to do is flop down on the couch and watch TV.

You’ll want to start working for companies with payouts of $10 or under to increase your chances of earning and receiving several cash outs to your PayPal account or in gift cards to your favorite stores in time to buy your Christmas gifts.

If you are reading this months and months before Christmas, you have time to work for companies with higher cash-out thresholds. You can view a complete list of point reward companies I use here, including the ones with higher cash out thresholds.

How To Earn Points Fast

Sign up for several programs.
Every time you sign up for a new company, spend 30 minutes or so checking out all the different ways to earn points, making a note of which ones you think are the simplest and quickest to incorporate into your day.

My Top Three Favorite Point Reward Programs

Swagbucks

Swagbucks has over 20 ways to earn SB points that you can trade in for gift cards. Gift cards start at 110 SB points for a $1 gift card. PayPal deposits begin at 500 SB points for a $5 card.

You can earn SB points by uploading receipts (Magic Receipts), shopping online, filling out surveys, entering special swag codes, and more. Sign up for Swagbucks here.

InstaGC

With instant cash outs for gift cards starting at just 100 points for a $1 gift card to Amazon, InstaGC is a great place to earn and receive gift cards fast. There is a PayPal option, an e-check, and a direct deposit option, but InstaGC charges a small point fee for these services, so I stick to either the $1 Amazon cards or the $5 Starbucks cards. Sign up for instaGC here.

MyPoints

MyPoints is the first point rewards program I have ever joined, and I am still a member today over a decade later. My favorite way to earn points with MyPoints is through their emails, where you can earn 5 points just for clicking through to the website advertised in the email. I receive several $3 Amazon gift cards each year just by doing this–and MyPoints offers many more ways to earn points. Go here to sign up for MyPoints.

Thrifty gift-giving tip: I load all the Starbucks cards I earn into my Starbucks app, even if I plan to give them as gifts. When I want to buy someone a Starbucks gift card as a gift, I ask the cashier to take the amount I want to spend off the gift card amount in my app and put it on a physical gift card. This allows me to slip an old-fashioned, hold-in-your-hand gift card into a card or a coffee mug from Dollar Tree.

9. Get Paid To Do Micro Tasks

These crowd-sourced sites are harder to get into than Point Programs and survey sites and the amount they pay per task varies greatly, but if you like variety, doing micro tasks such as data entry and online research might be a good fit.

I took the time to research for you and found that very few of these companies had good ratings on Trustpilot. The only one I could find with a decent rating was Clickworker.

Earn Money From Your Receipts

10. Rebate Apps

Rebate apps give you money for uploading receipts or linking your account to your debit or credit card. There are plenty, but stick to those with low minimum cash out values if you are getting a late start to making money for Christmas. Rebate apps won’t pay for your entire Christmas in just a month or two, but they will pay for a gift or two if used diligently. Plus, this is a super simple way to earn money for a few seconds’ worth of effort from something you already create.

My Top Three Favorite Rebate Apps

GetUpside

GetUpside is an app that gives you cash back when you get gas.

The GetUpside app is simple to use; it takes less than a minute to find a gas station, claim the offer, and enter the information needed to start processing the cash back. Generally, it takes less than 24 hours to receive your cash back in the “Cash Out” area of the app. You can opt to receive your cash out through PayPal, a mailed check, or a gift card (starting at $10).

Use my referral code YG5ZB during sign-up, and you will receive a one-time 15¢/gal bonus. Go here to sign up for GetUpside.

Shopkick

With rewards starting at 500 kicks for a $2 Target or Walmart gift card code and points just for checking in when you walk into the store, Shopkick can be a fast earner for many people. You can earn more points by scanning items as you shop and answering questions about them or scanning your receipt for qualifying kicks. There is no PayPal cash out with Shopkick, but they have a good variety of gift card options. Enter my referral code, KICK040635, when you sign up for a possible kick bonus.

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards offers 25 points for every receipt you upload. And you earn more points when you buy one or more products made by a brand on their list of over 150. Fetch Rewards offers gift card cash outs starting at just 5,000 points for a $5 gift card. Enter my referral code RE9FU and receive bonus points when you complete one receipt.

Honorable Mention: Ibotta

Ibotta does have a higher cash out threshold at $20, but it works in so many stores both online (using their browser tool) and in-store (using the app to claim offers and upload receipts). Plus, they typically offer new users a sign-up bonus. Go here to Sign Up for Ibotta, and then download the app.

Read this post for a complete list of ways to make money from your receipts.

Get Paid For Your Opinion

11. Survey Sites

If you devote a few hours a week to filling out surveys, you can earn up to $100 per month for your effort (depending on if your demographics match what the companies want to survey). That isn’t bad for a side hustle you can do while curling up next to your sports-loving spouse while passively watching the game. As with point reward programs, you will earn more when you work for several sites and take the time to look around the entire website to learn all the ways to make money. Some of these sites mentioned offer more than just surveys as ways to earn cash.

Two Survey Sites I Have Tried And Liked

PrizeRebel
Survey Junkie

PrizeRebel

There are nine different ways to earn gift cards using PrizeRebel, but they are primarily a survey company. Cash outs start at as little as 200 points for a $2 Amazon gift card code. PayPal deposits start at 500 points for a $5 deposit. How fast you get your reward depends on your membership level status, but even at the bottom of the totem pole, you will get your PayPal deposit within 24 hours. Sign Up For PrizeRebel Here.

Survey Junkie

I tried out Survey Junkie after a reader recommended it. Yes, there are surveys there with those irritating screening questions, but Survey Junkie usually gives you a few points for your troubles if you should get screened out. When I tried it out, I reached the $10 cash out level within a few short sessions of working at the site. Go here to sign up for Survey Junkie.

Honorable Mention

Pinecone Research

In the past, I tried to sign up for Pinecone Research a few times but was denied due to not being in the demographic they were currently looking for. However, if you qualify, I have read numerous reviews stating they offer well-paying surveys with reasonable frequency. Go here to sign up for Pinecone Research.

One more that has good reviews on Trustpilot is Lifepoints and it has a low minimum cash out threshold of just $5.

12. Become A Website Tester

I entered over 20 different website tester companies into the search area on Trustpilot, and the three sites below had the best ratings and reviews.

Userlytics
Usertesting
UTest

What you will be paid for as a tester varies from site to site, as does the time it takes to get paid. I would consider this a good fit if you are reading this article several months before Christmas and would skip it if you are reading this December 1st or later.

Remember, these suggestions go from the first being the fastest and most straightforward way to earn money to the last being the most time-consuming.

13. Sign Up to Be A Mystery Shopper

This is another side hustle I have no experience with. I did some research, and I think the Mystery Shoppers Professional Association is an excellent place to start if you want to do mystery shopping work. They have a paid section for those wanting certifications, but you do not have to pay money to sign up and access a lot of what they offer. One section of their site that would be very helpful to people wishing to pursue this side hustle is their scam awareness page.

Sharing Is Caring But Can Also Be Rewarding

14. Referral Programs

One of the reasons I started blogging was that I love sharing great finds with others, including companies with products I find to be of good value. I was already receiving referral benefits from some of these companies from sharing on my personal Facebook page, so it seemed like the logical first step to monetizing my site while it was in its early stages of growth.

You can do the same without a website. Go into your account settings for all the companies and apps you use and love, and see if they offer a refer-a-friend program with a kickback. Share those links on social media in a genuine way, letting your friends know how they will benefit from using them and disclosing that you will also benefit when they use them.

Usually, you won’t receive cash from these companies to help them gain new customers. Instead, you will earn points you can exchange for gift cards or store credit. Both can be used towards Christmas expenses.

Spread The Word That You Have Talents You Are Willing To Share For A Price

You can use gig apps to get jobs for some of the suggestions in this section, but getting strangers to pay you usually takes longer than getting a few friends, friends of friends, or your second cousin twice removed to hire you.

An easy way to get started is to do a Facebook shout-out stating the services you are willing to perform and tell them to message you for more details.

Continue to spread the word by making up a small batch of business cards with your name, number, and the services you are willing to provide and handing them out to friends and clients. Let your friends and new clients know that if they can bring new business your way, you will reward them with a discount the next time they use your services.

In real life, connections are still king in this day of gig apps. If you plan to use a gig app to provide services for any of the following, ask your friends to use it to hire you so they can leave a positive review. Reviews are vital for success.

15. Pet Sit

Pet sitters are in high demand during the holiday season due to travel, special events, and all sorts of Christmas decor in the home that they could get into if left unattended.

Two apps to sign up for if you want to pursue this as your side hustle are Rover and Wag.

You can decide if you would provide sitting in your home, or go to theirs. You can also sign up to walk dogs or drop in on dogs during a long day alone for them. If you have experience training dogs, you can also provide that service through these apps.

16. Provide Childcare

If you have a heart for kids, there is a greater need for excellent childcare providers during the holiday season than usual. Parents are often invited to staff parties that are not child friendly or they want to shop for the children’s presents without the children present.

17. Teach Others

Finals for the fall semester of college take place during the holiday season. If you have a knack for a particular college subject and mad teaching skills, tutoring can be a rewarding side hustle both for the mind and the wallet.

Perhaps you make gorgeous Christmas wreaths everyone raves about. Put together a supply list, pick a night, name your price, create a spot to teach in your home, and host your first-ever wreath-making workshop.

18. Hang Lights

Many people fear ladders or hate dealing with the madness of tangled light strings–or both. Yet they love the look of their home lit up for the season.

If you are not bothered by these things and have some experience and skill in making a home look beautiful in the glow of Christmas lights, this could be an excellent way to earn the money you need for Christmas gifts each year.

19. Decorate Homes For Christmas

A friend of mine decorated my home for me at no cost one year when I was struggling with the fresh news that my mom had terminal cancer. She did such a great job that I would pay her to decorate my home every year if I could afford it.

If you enjoy Christmas decorating, decorate your home a few weeks earlier than others would, post pictures on social media, and offer your services. Make the post sharable. You never know who might know someone who can and will pay for you to decorate their home.

20. Complete DIY Tasks For Others

Either due to lack of time or lack of skill, there are tonnes of small things around people’s homes that don’t get done but should. It is often tough to find people willing to come into your home and do small jobs that take an hour or two.

If you have the skills, you could fill as much of your off-time as you want with these tiny side jobs once word of mouth starts to take off that you are willing and do good work.

You could also use the TaskRabbit app to find more work if needed.

21. Clean Houses

People love having a clean house for the holidays, but often don’t have the time. However, they may have the money to spend hiring you to do it for them. If you have a knack for fast and efficient home cleaning, consider offering your skills during the holiday season.

22. Rake Leaves And Shovel Snow

One last seasonal side hustle idea is raking leaves and shoveling snow. It is an excellent way to get fresh air and exercise while earning money.

Use Gig Apps To Get Paid For Providing Services

23. Grocery Shop

When I broke my leg, I became so appreciative of those who work for shopping apps like Instacart. If you know your way around a grocery store, have a fuel-efficient vehicle, and can follow Google Maps directions, a great side hustle could be working for Instacart.

I know I tipped my shopper well as I was so thankful for the service they provided that I wasn’t currently able to do. Go here to sign up to become an Instacart Shopper.

24. Drive Others Around

I had a conversation with someone who worked in a career where working three long days and having four days off was common. She had a few co-workers who had signed up to be drivers through Uber or Lyft and spent one to two of their four days off driving others around and getting paid for it.

25. Rent Things Out

I wrote a post sharing a giant list of things you can rent out. Most include apps you can use to make the process easier. A few suggestions on this list are your parking spots (does the Christmas parade route go near your house?), your RV (do you live near a significant winter camping destination), and your suitcase space (if you are traveling during the holidays).

26. Offer A Holiday Experience

Do you live in a tourist hotspot? Do you know all the best places to see fabulous Christmas displays in your hometown? Could you create a walking tour of these light displays that you could share with tourists? Use the Airbnb app to offer this experience to tourists renting Airbnbs in your area.

Read this post for more ideas on turning your smartphone into a money-making machine.

Spend Money To Earn More

At first, I had this section near the top of this blog post since these are relatively simple and flexible ways to earn money. Then I thought of the money you need to get these ideas generating income.

Since this article is for those crunched for cash, you probably don’t have a hundred dollars or so to buy supplies to create handmade items to sell or purchase secondhand items to resell at a higher price.

27. Sell Your Baked Goods

If you are known for your fabulous sugar cookies. That skill might pay for Christmas. Check out the laws in your area for selling home-baked goods. The rules may be too restrictive in some areas to make this possible.

28. Sell Crafts

Etsy is a good website for selling crafts if you are in it for the long game. However, if you want to earn money right away, try this. I do it almost yearly and make a reasonable return on my time.

Search local newspaper listings for craft fairs selling tables to local creators. Often the smaller sales have tables for reasonable prices. I have taken part in a few over the years and done well.

29. Buy Low, Sell High

You don’t need much money to get a reselling side hustle started; you also don’t need much time. If you are a secondhand shopper like me, it will only take a few minutes more to look for items to resell at a higher price on places like eBay and Mercari.

The best way to start flipping items for profit is to stick to things you know. For instance, if you love video games, chances are you know their value and know what game consoles, accessories, and games are hot items.

Here is a page full of links to posts I have written about reselling items.

Combine Your Talents And Your Laptop

30. Become An Online Freelancer

This category of jobs is almost last on this list because unless you have an in, it can take a while to earn regular side income as an online freelancer.

But if you know a friend with a blog who needs a virtual assistant with the same skill you have to offer, jumping into the world of freelance work could be quick and simple.

If you are already working full-time in graphic design, it might not be too hard to spread the news that you are willing to do jobs on the side for a fee.

Once you have exhausted the list of who you know, you can turn to sites like Fiverr, Fancy Hands, Upwork, We Work Remotely, People Per Hour, Flexjobs, and more to find work.

Here is a list of ideas for turning your laptop into a money-making machine.

Photos by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

Earn Money Towards Next Year’s Gifts While Shopping For This Year’s

31. Cash Back Sites

Cash back sites are better for those reading this article between December 26th and January 31st as they are slow-burn tiny income sources. They are, however, worth signing up for and using. I have received hundreds of dollars back from my purchases over the years I have used cash back sites. Because of that, they deserve to be mentioned on this list.

Although Rakuten (formally called Ebates) is the cash back site I use the most, it only offers payouts four times a year –not handy for those who want last-minute Christmas cash, but useful for those who are not in a hurry to earn a payout.

TopCashback is a cash back site with a cash out threshold of one penny for Amazon gift cards and PayPal deposits. It can take a while, however, for your cash back to process.

Mr. Rebates offers a cash out at $10. If you have a few big purchases you need to make and they have a cash back, it might be possible to earn a cash out relatively quickly.