This time of year is usually associated with increased spending and lax financial rules. (Read: Splurge Season)
But this year, why not flip the script and make some extra money?
Apart from the fact that people are more eager to spend, there are a lot of people also looking for help in making that holiday experience truly magical. So, they’re likely more willing to pay for services they normally wouldn’t – which is where you can cash in!
So if you have the time and the tenacity, picking up some seasonal side hustles and part-time work around the busy holiday season can help boost your finances.
7 Seasonal Side Hustles That Could Make You Some Extra Cash
1. Sell holiday crafts.
If you’re adept at using your hands to create items, you could try out making some crafts for the holiday. You could do Christmas or New Year themed decorations, and they could be personalized, parent themed, whatever you like. There is no limit to what you can create!
Many communities hold farmer’s markets, craft sales or church bazaars this time of year to feature handmade crafts and offer more local alternatives to Big Box shopping stores. You could cash in AND create a special memory for shoppers.
It could be window decorations, cards, gift baskets, throw pillows, stockings, gift boxes, etc.
Alternatively, you can set up a store on online platforms such as Etsy, or even Facebook Marketplace to increase your outreach and visibility, so that you’re not just limited to your community. (Get ready to take some beautiful photos!)
2. Delivery service.
Demand for grocery delivery skyrockets during the holiday season.
As people plan holiday gatherings or brace for cold weather, there is increased demand for food and drinks. Secondly, restaurants experience higher customer patronage, a significant bulk of which would be online. So, there will be a need for more hands to help get deliveries to hungry diners.
You can sign up to delivery companies like Instacart, DoorDash, or Postmates to earn money delivering groceries. The hustle pays an average of $13 per hour. More experienced shoppers can make between $16 and $22 per hour.
Package deliveries ramp up this time of year as well – everyone needs to get their presents on time! Big names like UPS and Amazon are hiring big time to ensure their customer shipping demands are met.
3. Work in your favorite store.
Many retailers need to amp up their staffing this time of year to keep up with demand. Sure, they hire for front facing roles like sales and cashiers, but stores that carry a lot of inventory, like fashion, crafts, housewares and even grocery stores will also need additional help with:
- stock room/unpacking trucks of inventory deliveries
- security detail/watching for shoplifters
- overnight stockers to fill empty shelves they can’t get to during the day
- merchandisers/visual displays
One of my favorite part time seasonal side hustles was at a clothing store where I would go in at 6am (The store opened at 9am), and my job was to fill all the empty racks with merchandise from the stock room, steam the wrinkles out of display clothes and help put away stock deliveries. I didn’t have to talk to any customers and I was done by 2pm.
Plus, don’t forget that staff usually get some kind of discount – so you could make some money AND save a bundle on your presents if you time it all right.
4. Babysit.
With all the parties, staff nights and events going on, some parents might want to leave the kiddos at home while they’re out and about. This is a great time to offer childcare services.
You can sign up for babysitting sites like Care.com, Sittercity, and UrbanSitter. Babysitters make about $19 an hour, but these rates could be higher during the holiday period. There may be fewer babysitters working if they themselves are taking time off to enjoy the holidays.
5. Pet sitting.
Similarly, pet owners celebrating around or on the holidays themselves may need someone to watch their pets, whether that’s a dog walker to cover them while they’re at a holiday party or when they’re traveling to meet family and friends.
You can sign up on Rover.com for services like dog walking, house sitting and boarding dogs and even being a doggy daycare if you are so inclined!
6. Catering services for parties.
If you have a good repertoire of recipes, you can consider catering or selling your baking during the holiday season. Many people and small businesses have Christmas parties with their staff and families, and look for creative and unusual options.
The last thing the host wants to do at a Christmas party is to spend the whole time in the kitchen. You can offer small catering packages by doing amazing snacks and desserts or tasting platters. Sites like Cookin.com can get you started with your own online store and help finding clients.
7. Rent out space.
People are looking to host parties, meetings, and even company retreats in comfortable and smaller-scale places, instead of hotel ballrooms or conference rooms. One of the easiest ways to make cash these days is by joining Airbnb or Wimdu and renting out a spare room or apartment.
If you have a good-sized backyard, living, or dining room, you can put your home on a website like Peerspace or Splacer, and rent it out by the hour.
You can rent out your space while you’re staying with the family over the holidays. Make sure you clean it out, follow safety restrictions, decorate it nicely and provide all modern comforts possible, such as Wi-fi access.
Read this next: Top 10 Side Hustle Ideas for Women That You Can Start Today
Seasonal Side Hustles: Key takeaways
Holiday time is upon is and now is when people let their guards down, and open their purses wider.
Rather than join the bandwagon of excessive spending, you can use this period to make some extra cash. Check out seasonal side hustles in your area
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Dec 29, 2021 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
