If you’re reading this then you’re possibly in need of a little extra cash this festive season (who isn’t?)
Thing is, Christmas is a wonderful time and everything.
But, it is incredibly expensive (the gifts, the events, the food…) and that can put a huge strain on everything.
So wouldn’t it be great if we could make some extra money around Christmas time?
Well, you can!
Here are 11 ways you could acquire a little extra pocket money this December.
Hope it helps.
1. Petsitting/ Housesitting
Many people go away for the festive period and therefore there are a fair few houses and pets that need looking after.
And honestly, house and pet sitting are decent-paying jobs that have a degree of flexibility to them.
Just consider what you’re getting into, as a dog is likely to need much more TLC than an independent cat, for example.
Sites such as trustedhousesitters.com and animalangels.co.uk are good places to start.
2. Sell stuff.
Pretty obvious, right?
Yet a surprising number of people forget about the wealth of unused items sitting under their bed / in their attic / in their shed etc.
Not used something in over a year?
Then you’re probably never going to use it again.
Fight the hoarding urge and let them go.
Sites like GumTree and eBay are brilliant for selling your unwanted items, though good old-fashioned car boot sales can never go amiss!
3. Babysitting
Similar to housesitting, being part of a babysitting agency gives you relatively flexible work that is essentially quite easy (if you’re the responsible type!).
A couple of First Aid certificates and a clean criminal record are often all that’s required to get your foot in the door, per se.
Try childcare.co.uk or sitters.co.uk if you’re interested in trying it.
4. Tutoring
Did you know that you often don’t require a license to tutor people?
You’d have to do your research, but many tutoring subjects simply necessitate that you have experience and knowledge in your chosen field (enough to justify charging for it!)
From musical instruments to English classes, why not charge money to teach what you’re good at?
5. Surveys
This one is brilliant.
Many market research companies will pay you anywhere from £30 to £100 per hour to simply give your opinion and talk about products and services that are in development.
As someone who is very opinionated, I relish being paid £100 to give an opinion on something.
Keep It Usable and the Market Research Society (MRS) are examples of reputable organisations in this field.
6. Focus Groups
Similar to surveys, but a little more intimidating, you will sit in a group and give your opinions about products/ companies, often while their executives watch through a two-way mirror.
It feels a bit like you’re in an interrogation room, except that you get paid rather than chucked in jail.
7. Mystery Shopping
Want to feel like James Bond in Tesco?
Mystery Shopping allows you to earn money while frequenting your local supermarkets.
You won’t make loads, but it’s definitely a handy little top-up.
8. Freelance
Online platforms such as Fiverr have allowed the online freelancing industry and so-called “gig economy” to flourish in recent years.
Skilled people from all over the world can now offer their services to anyone who is willing to pay for them.
From writing, to voiceovers, to graphic design, to proofreading – there really is something for everyone.
The only real prerequisites are WiFi and talent.
9. Switch banks
Ok, a bit left-field this one, but many banks regularly offer incentives for jumping ship and switching to them.
The incentives normally come in the form of a cash, and you'll have to do a bit of shopping around to find the right for you.
But assuming you do, and assuming you can put up with the hassle of switching, then it's a cheeky, easy option to put a little bit of extra dough in your pocket.
10. Get down to CeX
Entertainment shops such as CeX are littered around the UK, and love nothing more than to accept your rucksacks full of old DVDs and games.
We’re all moving into the internet age of media, so why not get rid of all those unwatched DVDs and games?
You won’t get much for them, but as they say up north, it’s better than nowt!
11. Take part in clinical trials
Don’t worry, you won’t be turned into a mutant.
Probably.
Services such as “FluCamp” test medicines on able-bodied young people and compensate them extremely well (we’re talking over £3,000 in some cases) for their time.
The downside is that you’ll have to spend a couple of weeks in quarantine, unable to leave the premises.
And you'll probably feel like death during that time.
But, you know… December is cold anyway.
Who wants to go outside?
Summary
So there we have it!
Some easy (and not so easy) ways to earn a little bit of extra cash this December.
Do you have any cunning ways of making extra money around this time of year? If so, let us know!
Or, check out these tips to keep your job search going strong throughout December:
- 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Give Up Your Job Search Over Christmas
- How to Write a CV That Has Impact [Guest Blog]
- 9 Types of Job Interviews You Need to Be Prepared For
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