Earn Extra Income This Holiday Season

2 Parts:

Ideas for Making Extra Income During the Holidays

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Just because everyone else is relaxing during the holidays, doesn't mean you have to slow down.

Your workaholic or entrepreneurial spirit is still in high gear and you want to find ways and means to earn extra money during this special season. It's quite common for many people to earn extra money during the last three months of the year (September up to December) due to bonuses, seasonal work and end of year perks.

This means if you have some ideas up your sleeve to earn that extra cash, you need to organize the details and make it happen!

It might entail doing a little extra work at your place of employment, or a business idea connected to the season you are yearning to explore. Either way, do not let the any good opportunities pass you by.

1. 1
   Get hired at a business that operates during your day job's off time

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   A lot of shops, hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, and bars experience brisk business during the holidays, so it is not surprising they'll be hiring extra help for the season.

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   1. If you have an office day job but you have a passion for mixing drinks, then you won't mind working into the early hours of the morning concocting liquor-based drinks at a bar.
   2. If you are fond of coffee and like to do creative things with it to make it more delightful, you can be hired as a barista for a hip coffee shop and make creative coffee-based drinks.
   3. If you have an affinity for electronic music, and your forte is mixing music, then a part-time disc jockey (DJ) gig in a local dance bar could be your forte, or you could be hired as a special DJ for Christmas parties for different companies. This could keep you very busy because Christmas parties are often start in November, and all the celebrating doesn't end until New Year's Eve.

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2. 2
   Sweet and Savory

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   If you want to be hired on during the holiday season, and you love cooking, you could be the relief cook at a local restaurant during this season of dining out. Studies show that eating and dining out increases by 50 percent during the holiday season. So, many restaurants may have more business than they can handle. They may be very thankful for your culinary skills when they need your help.

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3. 3
   Catering companies need you

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   During the holidays, where catering companies are booked solid, might be a good opportunity to work over the holidays. The job usually doesn't require experience, just enthusiasm.

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4. 4
   Work overtime at your day job

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   When it seems no one is willing to be overloaded with work because it is the holiday season, and they have things to do...but you are willing, and so now is your chance to make some extra money. Overtime work often means time and a-half, sometimes double pay if you work on a holiday or a Sunday. That means you get two days worth of salary for one day's effort. You can earn as much as 125 percent of your regular paycheck if you work extra hours on regular days.

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5. 5
   Concerts and theater presentations also mushroom in full bloom during the holidays because organizers know that people have that extra money to splurge for shows

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   You could be a stagehand or a production assistant during the shows. Or you could handle the lights or help with the ticket sales.

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Make Money On Your Own

Maybe you don't want to work for someone else during the holidays to make extra money. Maybe you have a great idea of your own, and you're considering a small business where you are the boss.

1. 1
   Print t-shirts with Christmas themes on them.

   

   If you have the technical skills to produce t-shirts with holiday prints on them, you can cash in

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   People are nostalgic over Christmas. If you can produce shirts that can make this particular holiday memorable, do so. Be creative with your designs and themes and people will love you for it and buy your items.

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2. 2
   Sell souvenir items

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   If your place is in or near tourist territory and you have a lot of time on your hands during the holidays, you could concoct some souvenirs with local flavor that tourists would love and identify with your community and/or culture. These souvenirs may or may not be connected to Christmas. You could make some with Christmas themes and others with non-Christmas themes. They could be necklaces, bracelets, little paintings, picture frames - all made with distinct, local materials.

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3. 3
   If photography is your hobby and you are willing to cash in on your skills, advertise your services a few months before the holiday season so that the general public will be aware that you exist

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   And thrive you will, if you do your craft excellently, and deliver as guaranteed. Even way after the holiday season has ended, your clients will call on you again and again and will even refer you to their own friends, then you can say it all started with your photo gigs during the Christmas season. The key is to be available during this season because it is full of weddings, Christmas parties, and children's parties. You do not want to miss out on all the money that can be made from your passion.  

   1. Start a Facebook page. Invite all your friends.
   2. Get yourself some business cards.
   3. Instead of selling your services, you can sell artistic photographs you've taken in the past. People might like to buy them for gifts.

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4. 4
   If you are a crafty person and nimble with your hands, make holiday items that blend well with the season

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   1. You could specialize in unique Christmas wrapping for gifts.
   2. If you already have a product of your own and it has its own regular box, like for example you bake cakes, then create cake boxes that are red and white and in all the colors of Christmas.
   3. In addition, selling cakes that are themed around the holidays will likely attract more sales.

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5. 5
   If you own vacant property, and would like to have it rented for parking space, this can be lucrative

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   In urban areas, parking spaces are a necessity, and people will pay as much as $15 per day to have a secure parking space for their vehicle. We are talking about the holidays when more people are out shopping for gifts and dining out. But when people start to negotiate for parking space that they are willing to pay for on a monthly basis, then this is income you can earn beyond the holiday fever. This is business!  

   1. Many people are willing to pay $100-300 per parking slot per month, depending on the location of your property.
   2. If you are located in an area near an airport, people usually want to park their car in a secure place with guards while they whisk away for their scheduled flight and when they come back for their vehicle the next day or after a couple of days, they want it to be just the way they left it.
   3. If your property is located near a movie theater or a concert hall where people usually need a parking space for two to four hours while they enjoy the show. If you are really serious about this business;  
      1. You will need a security guard to keep the vehicles secure.
      2. You will need a cashier to collect the fees.
   4. You will also need more employees for a 24-hour parking business.
   5. You would also need to be insured.

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6. 6
   You could tutor during the holidays when students and other people would like to catch up on their school lessons, their French, or their guitar lessons

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   It depends on your forte, but students whose grades are slipping often have parents who are willing to shell out good money for an excellent tutor like you. And adults who have a lot of time to waste during the holidays may like to brush up on their languages and their musical inclinations as well. So, if you have the skills to teach, why not earn some extra money during the holidays doing some tutoring?  

   1. You should expect odd hours for tutoring, most often between the hours of 4 and 9 p.m. on weekdays.
   2. You must also expect a flood of requests for weekends.

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7. 7
   Sell some of your stuff on the internet

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   During the holidays, you may face a lot of expenses. You may have found that in spite receiving your Christmas bonuses, you still have a financial deficit to contend with because of holiday spending. You can earn shopping money by selling some stuff you don't need online.  

   1. List your items on Craigslist or eBay, or any of the numerous similar websites.
   2. List them on your Facebook page.
   3. If possible, the items should be unique - an antique, a collector's item, handmade, a rare product, or something created by a maestro or a legend. Basically, think of selling things people would like to give to someone on their Christmas list.

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8. 8
   Bake cakes, pies, and cookies.

   

   Foods that the demand is high for during the holidays are cakes, pies, and cookies

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   1. Take pictures of your baking.
   2. Start a Facebook page and invite all your friends.
   3. Advertise early. Have people put in orders as early as November, so you know how much you have to bake.

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9. 9
   Shovelling snow

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   If you are strong, athletic, and willing to use your muscles to make some money during the holidays, then snow removal could be for you. You could make as much as $100 just by shoveling snow from your neighbor's door up to the pathway leading to their car. You can develop a reputation as a snow removal person if you do a good job, and requests for your services could then extend way beyond your neighbourhood, and the holiday season.

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10. 10
    Everyone pays the piper

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    You could exploit your musical abilities during the holidays by working as a soloist, or as part of a duo, trio, or band. It depends on your instrument and on the occasion.  

    1. If the function is a quiet one with people who are artsy and cultured, they may prefer soloists.
    2. If you play the flute, violin, harp, or acoustic guitar - which are softer instruments, - you could earn promising dollars which you would not get if you confine your talents to your living room.
    3. If it's a teenager's party, they would probably want something loud, so you and your instrument could be part of a rock or contemporary band that conforms to the contemporary tastes of the teens.
    4. Don't forget, your voice is also a musical instrument. So, if you have a good singing voice and want to earn extra money, find a band to jam with, or get some solo gigs.

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11. 11
    Babysit people's little ones

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    A lot of parents will need your toddler-watching capabilities during the very busy, party laden holidays. People even need sitters so they can go out shopping, so there are many opportunities to make extra money watching people's children.

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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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