The following list of companies can create a nice sum of money to add to your Christmas fund when used over time. These companies can generate a small stream of income ($50 to $100 a month or more) in little cracks of time that can’t fit another source of income generation.
The tasks the point reward programs, survey sites, and apps on this list 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 can also work on generating points that you can trade for gift cards through these programs during what I like to call fluffy multi-tasking. Click on a point earning video while you fold laundry, for instance.
Now, the title says Christmas cash and above I mentioned gift cards--so how is that cash? Here is the thing, most (but not all of) the point reward programs, survey companies, and rebate apps I am going to mention in this article have a PayPal cash option. For the few that don’t, chances are they offer a gift card for a store where you can buy a Christmas gift.
Here is what I like to do. If I have the option of a PayPal deposit without it costing me extra points (there are a few places that make PayPal deposits more than other gift card options), I go for PayPal. The reason why I do this is that it allows me to shop wherever I can find the best deal. Plus, if I am receiving PayPal deposits from several sources, it starts to add up.
If PayPal isn’t offered or it costs more than other options, then I cash out for Amazon gift cards.
Amazon has a fantastic variety of items I can give as gifts, including:
- A wide variety of subscription boxes, including this one for beauty face masks.
- Magazine subscriptions–both print and Kindle (Know a Pioneer Woman fan? sign them up for the magazine)
- Fun board games and card games that are hard to find at the major retailers, including this family favorite.
Other great options are Starbucks (I will tell you how to get physical gift cards to give as gifts from the virtual ones you earn later in this article), Walmart, or Target gift cards–it depends what stores you have near you.
Where To Earn Gift Cards Fast For Christmas Cash
(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)
If you want to earn fast cash, start working point reward programs that have low payout minimums.
That statement above is vital to earning as much cash (or gift cards) as possible before Christmas.
Although companies with payouts of $20 or more do work, they take longer to earn a cash out and chances are you won’t earn one in time for Christmas unless you are reading this post two months or more before the big day. I talk more about the companies with higher cash-out thresholds in this article, where I concentrate on how to set yourself up for a successful financial Christmas season starting January 1st.
Instead, you’ll want to start working for companies with payouts of $10 or under so that you 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.
How To Earn Points Fast
- Sign up for as many point programs, apps, and survey programs as possible.
- Every time you sign up for a new company, spend 30 minutes or so checking out all the different ways to earn points and make a note of which ones you think are the simplest and quickest to incorporate into your day. For instance, whenever I come home from errands, I take a minute to upload the receipts to this list of apps. In just a few minutes, I can earn points and cash from numerous apps.
- Whenever you are doing chores, watch a few videos for points over at PrizeRebel (here is my referral link for PrizeRebel) or instaGC (here is my referral link for instaGC). A few examples of such activities are folding laundry, washing dishes, or even tidying up a room.
- Devote 30 minutes to an hour a few times a week to earning points. As I said above, I like doing this after dinner when I am too tired to do much else. I put my feet up and head to the Dabble app (here is my referral link for Dabble) and earn points or I might do a few things over at Swagbucks (here is my referral link for Swagbucks).
Point Reward Programs
Swagbucks
Swagbucks has over 20 ways to earn SB points that you can then trade in for gift cards. Gift cards start at just 300 SB points for a $3 gift card. PayPal deposits, however, begin at 2500 SB points for a $25 card.
You can earn SB points through searching online through the Swagbucks toolbar, printing and using coupons, shopping online, filling out surveys, and watching videos. There are, of course, many more ways to earn, but this list gives you a taste of how Swagbucks can make your time online pay. We all perform internet searches and the vast majority of us shop online so why not get paid to do so? 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 as well as an e-check and a direct deposit option, but InstaGC does charge 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.
Did you know that you can load the Starbucks card codes manually into the Starbucks Rewards app? That is what I do and then when I want to buy someone a Starbucks gift card as a gift, I simply 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 the Dollar Tree.
MyPoints
MyPoints is the first point rewards program I 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 gift cards to Amazon each year just by doing this one point earning action–and MyPoints offers many more ways to earn points. Go here to sign-up for MyPoints.
Rebate Apps
- Shopkick: Enter my referral code KICK040635 when you sign up for a possible 250 kick bonus
- FetchRewards: Enter my referral code RE9FU and receive 1500 points when you complete one receipt
- CoinOut
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 in 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 kickbacks. There is no PayPal cash out with shopkick, but they do 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 Reward offers points when you buy one or more products made by a brand on their list of over 150. Simply scan your receipt and then fetch your reward. Enter my referral code RE9FU and receive 2000 points when you complete one receipt. Fetch Rewards offers gift card cash outs starting at just 5000 points for a $5 gift card.
CoinOut
Open up the CoinOut app, hit scan, and snap a photo of your receipt. CoinOut will then reward you with a random amount of cents. I have earned as high as .08 cents for one receipt. The best part–you can cash out for an Amazon gift card once you reach $1.75 or more. Go here to sign-up for CoinOut.
Survey Companies
PrizeRebel
There are nine different ways to earn gift cards using PrizeRebel, but they are primarily a survey company. One way to make a few points fairly quickly with PrizeRebel is to click on the “engage video” link found under the “earn” tab. Get the videos running and fold that mountain of laundry while you watch. 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 what your membership level status is, 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 was able to reach the $10 cash out level within a few short sessions of working at the site. Go here to sign up for Survey Junkie.
Branded Surveys
I go to Branded Surveys every day and take the daily poll for 5 points. It takes a while for me to earn a gift card doing just the daily poll, but if you do take the longer surveys, it won’t take you long. When I tried it out to see if it was a good fit for my readers, I liked the fact that they tell you how much time each survey will take so you can skip the long ones if you want. Go here to sign-up for Branded Surveys.
Dabbl
I found Dabbl recently and so far I like it. This is the only survey site that I have tried that is 100% app-based. My favorite ways to earn so far are by watching three ads to unlock a one-question survey worth a random amount of points (usually between 20 and 40 points) and doing the short activities at the top of the app. I have tried a few surveys and found them to be short and sweet, but some did have those annoying screening questions. Go here to get the Dabbl app and sign up.
Not sure why anyone would spend time filling out surveys? Perhaps this post will change your mind.
I know that the per hour pay for working point rewards programs might not seem high at all, but as I mentioned at the start of this article: the beauty in this type of work is that you can multitask it. Spend some time brainstorming and I am sure you will find a few simple ways to add in some point-earning activities each day.
How To Plan A Christmas To Remember On A Super Tight Budget: The Series
Week One: Introduction & Our Story
Week Two: Where To Earning Gift Cards For Fast Christmas Cash (you are here)
Week Three: Where To Find Free & Low-Cost Christmas Gifts That Rock!
Week Five: Half Of What You Need For Christmas You Already Own
Week Six: Where To Resell Your Items Online For Quick Christmas Cash
Week Seven: How To Use Your Talents & Passions To Generate Christmas Cash
Week Eight: 25 Christmas Traditions For Families On Tight Budgets
Week Nine: How To Hold An ‘Eat What You Have’ Week to Help Pad the Christmas Fund
Week Ten: 15 Websites & Apps That Will Save You Money On Your Christmas Shopping
Week Eleven: 7 Christmas Themed Swap-It Parties That Will Save You Money
Week Twelve: 22 Gifts You Can Make Using Ingredients Found In Your Kitchen
Week Thirteen: How To Give Acts Of Service Gifts People Will Really Use: No More Coupons
Week Fourteen: 6 Ways To Earn Money For Christmas All Year Long
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