It's almost Christmas season and that means many individuals are searching for side hustles to boost their income for upcoming Christmas shopping.
With American's spending an average of almost $1,000 this holiday season – there's a reason you might need some extra cash.
Whether you want to make $10 a day or you want to earn $300 a day – there are options for everyone on this list.
In this post, I'll explore some of the best Christmas side hustles, how much money you could make, and much more. Let's get started!
- Setting up Chirstmas lights
- Shopping for others
- Work as a virtual assistant
- Deliver food with Doordash
30 Christmas Side Hustles for Anyone
Below are some of the best Christmas side hustles to earn extra money before the holiday season. Some of these holiday side gigs might be better suited for some people more than others but there's sure to be something on this list for everyone. Let's dig in.
1. Deliver Food with Doordash
Delivering food with Doordash is a great way to earn some extra cash if you have a vehicle and some spare time.
One of my favorite things about the platform is the ability to set the hours you want to work. This is perfect around the holidays when you're already busy but have some free time.
In many cities, it's possible to make well over $25 an hour delivering food. Some people even make a living with Doordash – so why not give it a try?
Delivery side hustles can make good money during the busy time around the holidays thanks to additional tips. You’ll just need to pass a simple background check to get started.
My favorite platform is Doordash. If you want to make some extra cash this holiday season register below to get started and check out my guide on making your first delivery!
2. Setup Christmas Lights
Christmas lights can be a pain to setup. That means there's money to be made if you can do the work.
The equipment needed to start this Christmas side hustle is very affordable. You’ll simply need a few ladders or scaffolding to get started which you can purchase for a few hundred dollars at your local hardware store.
To find work, it’s wise to post your services on platforms like NextDoor or social media sites.
To price your services you can determine an hourly rate or you can give clients a quote for the entire job.
Either way, it’s possible to make over $100 per hour with this Christmas side hustle. People are always looking for holiday help so why not get paid to do it? Just be prepared to work in the cold!
3. Wrap Gifts for Cash
Gift wrapping is another great way to make extra money during the holiday season. Let’s be honest, most people hate wrapping gifts.
It’s best to charge an hourly rate for your services which can amount to $25 per hour in some locations.
If you need money for Christmas – wrapping gifts is a great side hustle to earn money in your free time.
4. Make Christmas Cards
While Christmas and holiday cards might be less popular than they used to be, many families still purchase them.
By making custom Christmas cards you can sell them for a profit.
Another option is to create a digital design that can be purchased and printed on card stock. This is a great passive income idea to make extra cash.
5. Complete Gift Shopping
Have some shopping that needs to get done?
Completing Christmas shopping for others is a great way to make some extra money this holiday season.
With the rise of online shopping – much of your work can be done remotely on your own schedule.
Purchasing Christmas gifts is a great way to earn extra money for Christmas.
6. Deliver Groceries with Instacart
Just like delivering food, delivering groceries can be an easy way to make money during the Christmas season.
I love the ability to make your own schedule and earn money whenever you have a few hours.
Grocery delivery is an easy way to earn some holiday cash to complete your shopping or boost your savings.
The amount you can make will depend on your city, but in most areas you can make around $25 an hour or more. But with tips, it can be ever more.
My favorite platform is Instacart. With Instacart you can start earning extra cash in no time. Sign up below to get started!
7. Pet Sit with Rover
If you love animals, why not get paid for dog sitting?
With this passive side hustle you can make extra income by watching over animals in your free time.
It's possible to make a few hundred dollars each week pet sitting so why not give it a try?
One of my favorite things about being a pet sitter is that you can set your own hours around the holidays.
Another alternative is dog walking. While it’s likely to be colder, dog owners are still looking for people to walk their dogs to keep them active.
As a dog walker, you can earn a great hourly rate without being tied to an office.
By using the Rover platform you can get started in no time. Sign up below!
8. Pick Up a Seasonal Job
Seasonal employees can make decent money at many stores in their spare time.
If you need extra cash to cover your holiday expenses and Christmas presents – picking up a side job is a great option.
There are many seasonal jobs like being a cashier, stocking shelves or even working as a bagger. While they pay might not be the most – it's a good way to score some quick cash.
9. Become a Mall Santa
While this one isn't for everyone, working as a mall Santa can be a fun way to make extra cash.
If you’re in the Christmas spirit and can act like Santa Claus – why not get paid for it?
10. Take Online Surveys
There are many survey sites you can use to make a few extra dollars in your spare time.
While you might not make a full time income with these sites, you can still make money with minimal effort.
Many of them are also free money apps because they'll give you some free money just for signing up.
My favorite survey platform is Rakuten Insight because they offer some of the highest paying surveys I've found and you can cash out directly to PayPal once you reach just $5.
👉 Rakuten Insights - Cash out directly to PayPal!
👉 OpinionOutpost - Earn up to $25 per survey!
👉 Survey Junkie - Make $150 for select focus groups you complete!
👉 Swagbucks - Get a $5 bonus instantly!
👉 InboxDollars - Get a $5 bonus when you register today!
👉 Pinecone Research - Earn fast money taking surveys
👉 Survey Voices - Make money taking online surveys
11. Rent Out Equipment
Renting equipment like holiday decor, snow removal tools, and other high value items around your home is a great way to earn passive income in the winter months.
Even if you only rent for a few weeks – it’s possible to make hundreds of dollars with minimal effort.
12. Get Paid to Watch Videos
Watching videos on sites like InboxDollars or Swagbucks is another easy way to make some extra money in your free time.
During the holidays this can be a simple way to make money when you’re not busy.
13. Make Money Playing Games
Just like watching videos, playing games isn’t a way to get rich overnight – but is is a super simple way to earn extra money around the holidays.
Register with Swagbucks, Mistplay, or InboxDollars to get started!
14. Start a Blog
If you want to make extra money for Christmas – starting a blog is a great way to boost your income online.
As you spend time with your family – working on your blog can be an easy side job to boost your income during the holidays.
Starting a blog will take some time to become profitable. However, if you put in the work you can make good money from your blog.
One of my favorite things about blogging is that it can cost less than a couple of hundred dollars to get started.
If you’re ready to get started, you’ll first need to select a blog topic that you’re interested in and you think you can easily write about.
Next, you’ll need to purchase a domain name for your own website. You’ll want to pick something that is relevant to your niche and is catchy. My favorite place to purchase domain names is Namecheap. They offer the best prices on the market.
After securing your domain name, you’ll need to purchase hosting to store your web files so your blog displays properly. My favorite hosting platform is SiteGround. You can get started below for less than $10 per month.
Once you’ve purchased a hosting plan, you’ll want to install WordPress to get started. You can then purchase a theme or use a free one that is available.
Finally, it’s time to start creating unique content and growing your readership.
Starting a successful blog can be challenging – but it’s a great way to make money and share your passion for writing.
If you’re struggling to gain traffic to your blog, I recommend growing your knowledge of SEO to better understand how Google and other search engines rank posts.
You can monetize your blog through a variety of methods like display advertising, affiliate marketing, selling your own products or services, and more.
Starting a blog can be a great way to reach financial freedom. The good news is that it can be done with little money to get started and it can grow passively.
Want to learn more about starting a blog? Check out my full post here!
15. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing can be a fun way to make money and reach your financial goals.
When you offer services like freelance writing you can set your own rates to ensure you can make the most money possible.
To get started, you’ll want to sign up for a freelance site like Upwork or Fiverr to get work.
If you want more work you can also pitch your services to local businesses or companies that offer writing jobs.
This is an easy freelance job that pays extremely well.
16. Work as a Proofreader
Just like freelance writing, proofreading is another great side job to make money online.
You’ll find local companies that need help proofreading papers, documents, and more!
Proofreading can be a good Side gig for people with a sharp eye and a good grasp of grammar.
If you aren't sure where to get started, check out the Proofread Anywhere program to learn how you can make a full time income proofreading!
17. Become an Online Tutor
Online tutoring is another easy way to make some income online from your computer or smartphone!
Whether you’re teaching English, math, science – there are numerous opportunities available when it comes to teaching others.
To find clients you can turn to sites like Wyzant, SmartThinking or Chegg Tutors.
You’ll be able to set your own rates and work as many hours per week that you want!
18. Sell Handmade Stocking Stuffers on Etsy
Looking for a way to make money around the holiday season? Why not sell handmade stocking stuffers on Etsy?
Etsy is a great way to sell handmade items and earn extra income. You can open your own shop or use an online platform like Big Cartel if you’re looking for something more simple.
If you want to learn how to make money on Etsy – check out this post!
19. Work as a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are in high demand as companies seek to outsource work.
While skills are required – it's possible to make a few hundred dollars per week working as a virtual assistant during the holiday season.
Working as a virtual assistant means you’ll be tasked with basic office work like scheduling, email management, data entry, social media posting, and more.
These tasks are easily completed on a laptop or mobile device so you won’t have to deal with commuting or other hassles.
20. Work as a Holiday Helper for Amazon, UPS, or FEDEX
Want to make some quick cash delivering packages from Amazon, UPS, or FEDEX?
If so – you can easily sign up to help these companies deliver packages during the holiday season.
This is a great side hustle that only requires a few hours of work each week and pays well for your time.
Many of these companies offer bonuses for employees who work overtime.
21. Sell Christmas Cookies
Selling Christmas cookies is a fun way to earn extra money during the holiday season.
With this side hustle you can sell homemade cookies to friends, family members, and neighbors.
You’ll need to have some basic supplies and equipment to get started such as baking pans, cookie cutters, food coloring, and more.
However – once you have the supplies it’s not hard to make a few hundred dollars each week with this side hustle.
One of my favorite things about this side hustle or business is that you can earn money without having to have a lot of cash to get started.
You can start a Christmas cookie business with less than a couple of hundred dollars.
One thing that can be difficult to manage is the seasonality of your business. For example, many people will want cookies on Christmas Eve and because baked goods will go bad in a few days – you won’t have a long time to make your cookies before they need to be delivered to your customer.
22. Sell Things Around Your Home
Selling things from around your own home can be an easy way to earn money and make extra income.
You can sell your items online through local Facebook groups or you can try Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
If these still don’t yield any results you can consider selling them online through Amazon or eBay depending on the items.
Some of the best items to sell are clothes, gaming consoles, handmade items, shoes, and accessories that are in good condition.
When you sell these items online – it’s important to take high-quality photos of your items so they look their best on the website.
This is especially true for clothing because people want to see exactly what they will get when purchasing an item from you.
Once the holiday season wraps up, you can sell some of your Christmas decor to make more money.
If you have old gifts that you don’t like – consider selling them online for cash.
23. Sell Christmas Trees
Selling Christmas trees is a great side hustle to earn extra cash during the holiday season.
If you live in a place that has a lot of coniferous trees – it’s easy to find people who want to purchase them for their homes during the holidays.
You can make up to $100 per tree depending on how big they are and where you sell them from. For example, if you live in a city – you can sell your trees for more than if you lived outside of the city limits.
24. Deliver Christmas Trees
Selling Christmas trees is a great way to earn cash, but you can also make extra money just by delivering trees.
Because a Christmas tree can be so large, they can be difficult to transport, by offering delivery services – you take the hassle out of getting your customers tree to their own home.
25. Offer Christmas Photos
If you’re looking for another holiday side hustle that isn’t gift wrapping or grocery shopping, taking Christmas photos can be a good way to make some extra spending money when you need it most.
Getting paid to take pictures is an easy way to boost your income and it isn’t difficult to get started.
You can post your services on a local Facebook page or Craigslist.
Pricing your services is the most difficult part of this side hustle because you want to make sure that you’re charging enough to make money, but you don’t want to price yourself out of the market.
While it may be difficult at first, if you post consistently, offer good customer service, and take high-quality photos – it won’t be long before you have a steady stream of customers.
26. Sell Christmas Decorations Online
Another great way to make extra money during the holiday season is by selling your old decorations online.
Selling decorations can be a great way to get rid of things you don’t need anymore and make some extra cash at the same time.
27. Babysit for Extra Money
Depending on your age, babysitting can be a great way to earn money during the holiday season.
You can babysit for friends, family members, or other families who need someone to watch their children while they attend an event or party over the holidays.
Sometimes you’ll even get reimbursed by these other parents if you decide to take your own kids along with them.
28. Clean Homes for Cash
Home cleaning services are a great way to make some extra money during the holiday season if you need to.
You can find local customers on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace and then set up a schedule that works well for them throughout December.
This is an especially popular side hustle among retired people who don’t have as much income coming in anymore, but they still want to do something productive with their time before Christmas rolls around again.
The amount of money you can make cleaning homes during the holiday season varies – but it’s a great way to make extra money if you need it.
29. Sell Old Gift Cards for Cash
Another quick and easy side hustle is selling old gift cards that don’t work anymore or aren’t useful anymore.
When you earn gift cards – consider selling them for money that you can use to shop with.
30. Start a Small Business
Small businesses can make great money and there are many types for just about anybody.
Some of the best business you can start include:
- Lawn care business
- Pressure washing business
- Painting business
- Cleaning business
Many businesses can be started with less than a few thousand dollars making it ideal for anyone who needs extra cash.
How to Make Money on Christmas Break
Are you looking to make money as a teen during Christmas break?
I recommend setting up Christmas lights for others, or starting a side hustle like Doordash or Rover to make money in your free time.
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Final Thoughts on the Best Holiday Side Hustles
There are many Christmas side hustles you can do to earn extra money before the holiday season.
Whether you choose to start a blog, get paid for shopping online, or take a few online surveys – there are plenty of ways to score fast cash around the holidays. What are you waiting for?
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