How to Make Extra Money During the Holidays

When Christmas comes around, we all get caught up in the magic of the season: gift-giving, light displays, fun (and not-so-fun) parties, and general tidings of great joy. And why not? Christmas is the best!

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The holiday season is also a great time to make some extra cash with some side hustles. So if you need some extra money to make your Christmas merrier, we’ve got a few ideas that will help increase your margin for whatever short- and long-term money goals you might have.

Why the Holidays Are a Great Time to Earn Extra Cash

So why is the holiday season a gold mine for side hustles? It’s very simple: seasonal demand. Every year, people ramp up the spending on everything from gifts to parties (even if they shouldn’t). And that means businesses need extra help to get their products moving and services humming.

The holidays are also a stressful time for a lot of people (let’s be real . . . almost everyone)—with shopping, cooking, decorating and tackling other responsibilities. For the right price, these folks are more than happy to take some of that stuff off their plates.

And that’s where you come in. Whether it’s for a business or an individual, you’re the one who’s going to step in and help (and get paid for it!). The demand for extra workers also means flexibility—being able to choose how much you work. And if you really plan things out and hustle, you can make out great.

Ways to Make Extra Money This Holiday Season

The possibilities for extra work around the holidays are almost endless. It just depends on how much time you’re willing (and able) to commit. Here are just a few ways you can make the season bright for you and other folks. They can be low- or high-skilled gigs and come with extremely flexible work hours.

Retail and Restaurant Jobs

The holidays are the busiest (and most profitable) time of year for retailers. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday because it’s when businesses hope they’ll finally be “in the black,” aka making a profit for the year. So big-box retailers like Target, Walmart and Kohl’s, as well as smaller stores, build a temporary workforce to meet the demand (and help manage all the Black Friday craziness!).

Retail work is more than being front-of-house with the customers. If you’re less of a people person, you can always work as a stocker, keeping those shelves of merch full.

Stores aren’t the only businesses looking for seasonal help. Restaurants and bars are also busting at the seams with all sorts of hungry holiday diners. And like the store jobs, restaurants have both customer-facing (host/server) as well as background support staff (cooks, washers, bussers). However, if you’re looking to get the most money, front-of-house positions also come with the possibility of tips for great service.

One more thing: While these jobs have very flexible hours (nights, weekends, etc.), they do rely on set schedules. That means you need to show up on time when you’re asked to come in. Pretty simple.

Delivery and Driving

During this time of year, lots of people need things ASAP but don’t have the time to go out and get them. We’re talking things like groceries, gifts, or even a quick dinner. Delivery services like Instacart, Uber Eats and Shipt are always on the lookout for drivers. You can also check out Amazon Flex and deliver packages and work as much or as little as you want.

Demand for transportation also goes up during this time of year. People going home for the holidays need rides to and from the airport. Folks attending the company Christmas party might need a lift if they’ve had too much Christmas punch. Working for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft can be very profitable during Christmastime. Holidays and increased demand mean higher fares!

Creative and Crafty

Got the creative bug? There are so many ways you can use those mad skills to create extra cash. Here are some ideas to get your creative mind going:

Make your own Christmas ornaments and décor. People love handmade Christmas knickknacks—especially if they can hang them on their tree and display them in their home. You can sell your custom Christmas creations online on sites like Etsy and eBay.

Create Christmas-themed designs. People who send Christmas cards or Christmas party invitations are always looking for ways to make them stand out. If you have design chops, sell printable cards on Etsy or Shopify (let someone else handle printing so you don’t have to worry about excess inventory). You can even create custom cards for specific clients and charge more.

Bake and sell Christmas goodies. Who doesn’t like a little sugar and spice with their holiday cheer? If baking is your superpower, you can make and sell some enticing treats like cookies or cake pops. Then wrap them up in custom baskets or boxes for a fun and creative gift.

Wrap gifts. Start your own mobile gift-wrapping business and wrap those gifts like they are works of art—with lots of bows and ribbons, and maybe even a custom-designed gift tag!

Take pictures. If you have a good eye for photography (and have a camera), consider hiring yourself out for photo sessions with families for their annual Christmas cards. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally get Junior to smile!

Just so you know, these ideas require some spending on the front end (camera and equipment, wrapping materials, ingredients, etc.), so make sure your budget can handle it. Be creative and resourceful to save yourself some money.

For example, Mandi in our Ramsey Baby Steps Community on Facebook created “simmer jars” using stuff she already had around the house as well as inexpensive items at discount stores.

“I included cinnamon sticks, star anise, black peppercorns, whole cloves, pine clippings from a bush in my yard, and some spices to really kick up the scent,” Mandi said. “All of the items I had on hand . . . I made a tag with a logo and instructions that I printed from home. I purchased some jute twine and some bags for packaging orders as well as ‘handmade with love’ stickers at my dollar store . . . I made an ornament from baking soda, cornstarch and water. Eventually, I ran out of my ornaments and used some Christmas ornaments I had . . . I sold the jars for $12 each. I made one initially and prayed to sell 10. I ultimately sold 60 . . . I profited close to $700 on these little jars . . . God used my excess, helped us have a good Christmas, and provided money to pay off debt.”

Season-Specific Work

Many of the side hustles we mention can be done all year, but the Christmas season also brings opportunities only found at this time of year.

Put up Christmas lights. If you don’t mind being on rooftops, you can give someone’s house the old Clark Griswold treatment (though maybe not as intense)—either with their lights or lights provided by a company. During the winter months, many lawn service and pest control companies convert their business to hanging lights. So be on the lookout for any calls for help in your local area.

Shovel snow. People might be dreaming of a white Christmas, but they sure don’t like shoveling the snow off their driveway. This is the winter version of mowing lawns—a service anyone can do if you have a shovel and a strong back. Or if you want to be fancy, you can get a snowblower (which costs more, obviously).

Stand in for Santa. Got some acting chops and a jolly “ho ho ho”? You can be a stand-in for the big guy himself and help bring some Christmas magic to kids in your area. Santa often hangs out in malls and department stores, but one-off clients are also looking for Santas for parties and other special events. You can list your services on sites like GigSalad to get noticed by people in need of jolly old St. Nick. Just be prepared for all the crying, screaming and other mishaps associated with kids meeting Santa. You may also need to buy your own costume, depending on the gig. And while not a requirement, having a real beard is always a plus.

Assemble presents. Swing sets, toys with lots of parts (bikes, anyone?), furniture—when the real Santa delivers presents, sometimes they’re a little too complicated for mom and dad to put together. If you’re handy, you can make the post-Christmas season a little easier for those folks. Let your neighbors and family know you’re at the ready with your hammer and screwdriver.

Event Work and Hospitality

Christmas means going to lots of parties and get-togethers—either with family or co-workers. And larger gatherings, particularly at event venues and hotels, need temporary workers to staff these parties. You can look for one-off service gigs on apps like Bacon Work and AnyShift.

Temporary event work this time of year isn’t just for Christmas parties, either. Stadiums, convention centers and performance venues also need short-term help for things like Christmas concerts, trade shows and sporting events.

Home Rentals

If you have a spare room, detached garage apartment, cabin in the woods, or an entire second home, you can cater to the out-of-towners coming home for Christmas by renting those out through a service like Airbnb or Vrbo. Just know that there are expectations of service and maintenance that come with that.

Child and Pet Care

Some of the people going to all those events, games, concerts and parties have kids—and those kids need a sitter if mom and dad are going to have a good time. If you don’t have any sitting experience, start small in your neighborhood or with family members. Once you build up a reputation, you can list yourself on services like UrbanSitter.

Pets also need to be cared for during the holidays. They need someone to make sure they’re fed, walked and cuddled while their owners are away on Christmas vacations. Like babysitting, this may take time to build a clientele, so start with family and friends. Then you can use social media or websites like Wag! or Rover to get the word out.

Extra Hours at Your Day Job

Depending on what line of work you’re in, your day job might be looking for people to pitch during the holidays. If your company is offering overtime, you might want to consider it. You’re there anyway!

Alicia in the Ramsey Baby Steps Community on Facebook is a full-time day care provider, but she has made her services available to parents on weekends during the holidays. “My daughter and I are taking two Saturdays and watching kids for a four-hour time frame for their parents to Christmas shop or do whatever child-free,” she said.

How to Choose the Right Holiday Side Hustle

With so many to choose from, it might be difficult to tell which side hustle is right for you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you're trying to decide how you want to earn your extra money.

Know your goals.

Before you start, understand why you’re getting a side hustle. Yes, you’re making money, but what is your goal with that money? Are you paying off debt? Building an emergency fund? Maybe saving up for a new (to you) car or a down payment for a house?

If you know what you want to accomplish with your money, it will help you determine how hard you need to hustle and for how long. Most people don’t want to keep doing a side gig forever.

Match to your capacity.

Any side hustle you choose to tackle will demand three things from you: time, talent and energy. Having any one of these elements out of whack while working your side gig will leave you feeling exhausted, hating your hustle, and juggling angry clients/customers. Any side job you choose should give you some degree of enjoyment, so make sure you can do the job, have the time to do it, and are not completely exhausted while doing it.

Don’t spend a lot up front.

No matter what you choose to do to make extra money, you should never spend more than you expect to get back. Otherwise, why are you doing it? Make sure your monthly income can handle any expected (or unexpected) expenses. And under no circumstances should you ever go into debt to fund a side hustle.

How to Balance Business and Personal

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends—and you don’t want your side hustle getting in the way of good times. Yes, when you need to hustle to get out of debt, for example, you sometimes have to say no to things to keep up your intensity and get that debt gone. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on those precious moments.

The trick is to set boundaries. Create a holiday season work plan that limits the blocks of time you’re available to work. Prioritize time with your family. If you have kids, don’t miss their recitals, parties or church concerts. There’s always time to make money, but those are moments you can’t get back. Some side gigs are more flexible than others, so make sure you pick one that can accommodate all your personal obligations.

Mandi, who we mentioned earlier, had to set her own boundaries with her growing side business. “People were ordering all the way up to Christmas Eve,” Mandi said. “I eventually had to just put a stop to it so I could focus on my own festivities.”

Don’t Forget Uncle Sam

One thing you don’t want to forget about while you’re side hustling is taxes. As much as we all grumble about it, Uncle Sam wants his share of what you get—even at Christmas.

If your holiday side hustle is with a formal employer that gives out W-2 forms (like Walmart), there’s less to worry about because your taxes are already being withheld. If you’re an independent contractor (as in Uber or Instacart), it’s a little more complicated. You should set aside 20–35% of your income for taxes so you’re ready for the tax bill at the end of the year.

Get Your Holiday Spending on a Budget

No matter how you choose to side hustle, all your plans—both before and after you earn that extra cash—should start with a budget. That’s the plan you put into place at the beginning of the month to give every dollar a job so you don’t wonder where they went.

And the best way to make that monthly budget is with EveryDollar—Ramsey’s all-in-one budgeting app. Not only can you keep track of all your income and expenses, EveryDollar will also help you reach your goals by highlighting wins and milestones.

Download EveryDollar today and get hustling!