Many or all of the products featured here may be from our partners who compensate us. This doesn’t influence our evaluations or reviews. Our opinions are our own. Investing information is for educational purposes only. Learn more here. Advertiser Disclosure There are thousands of financial products and services out there, and we believe in helping you understand which is best for you, how it works, and will it actually help you achieve your financial goals. We’re proud of our content and guidance, and the information we provide is objective, independent, and free. But we do have to make money to pay our team and keep this website running! Our partners compensate us. TheCollegeInvestor? You can still bring in extra cash quickly, even if you’re starting late in the season. This year is more challenging than ever and for many, earning a little extra money for Christmas can make a big difference. I don’t know about you, but time seems to go much faster for me once the holiday seasons hits. That means these ten weeks are going to be up before we know it. If you’ve yet to save anything for Christmas, you still have plenty of time to earn some Christmas spending money. Whether you’re trying to avoid more debt, save and earn to buy something bigger than usual, or do something unexpected for your family, now’s the time to get to work! Below are 23 practical, beginner-friendly ways to earn extra money before Christmas including difficulty ratings, pros and cons, and how fast each one can realistically start paying off. Pick one, take action today, and you’ll be surprised how much you can earn by the time the holidays arrive. How to Use This List To make things simple, every idea includes: Difficulty: Easy / Moderate / Skilled Time to Start: Same day / 1-3 days / 1 week Best For: Who benefits most Pros & Cons: Honest breakdown Quick Start Tip: Action step you can follow now Ways to Earn Extra Cash for Christmas Here’s the list. 1. Food Delivery Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1-3 days Best For: Anyone with a car, scooter, or bike Pros: High demand during evenings + weekends You choose your hours Instant payout options available Cons: Income varies by city / weather Peak hours can be competitive Quick Start Tip: Sign up with multiple apps so you can switch if one is slow. Get started with DoorDash here >> 2. Make Holiday Deliveries Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 3-5 days Pros: Holiday grocery demand spikes Tips often increase in December Cons: Requires carrying groceries Peak shopping times can be crowded Quick Start Tip: Accept orders near dense apartment buildings for faster batches. One of the most popular ways to deliver groceries is with Instacart. What’s great about Instacart is that you can see a list of all the orders and how much you can earn before you take any gigs on. This is really helpful to plan in advance. Check out Instacart here >> 3. Sell Unused Items On Facebook Marketplace Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: Same day Pros: Fastest way to get immediate cash No shipping required Cons: It can be challenging to find items to sell Flaky buyers Must meet in public places Quick Start Tip: Take photos in daylight with a neutral background to sell faster. 4. Resell Items For Profit Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: High profit margins on electronics, tools, and toys Flexible schedule Cons: Requires some product knowledge Inventory storage Quick Start Tip: Start with categories you personally understand (video games, sneakers, etc.). 5. Offer Gift-Wrapping Services Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: Same day Pros: High demand in December Low start-up cost Cons: Requires some creativity Seasonal Quick Start Tip: Promote on neighborhood groups and offer at-home pickup/dropoff. 6. Hang Christmas Lights Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: Very high demand Premium pricing Cons: Ladder required Weather-dependent Quick Start Tip: Offer a flat rate for “roofline only” to simplify pricing. 7. Pet Sit or Walk Dogs Use Rover, Wag!, or your own local network. Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: High holiday travel demand Great for animal lovers Cons: Time-dependent Must handle pet emergencies Quick Start Tip: Create a Rover profile with photos and detailed experience. Check out Rover or Wag and see if you can find people to dog walk on there. 8. House Sitting During The Holidays Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1 week Pros: Low labor Often includes additional “care tasks” that pay extra Cons: Requires reliability Can overlap with your holiday plans Quick Start Tip: Offer add-ons like mail pickup, plant watering, and snow shoveling. 9. Tutoring Before Finals Difficulty: Skilled Time to Start: 1 week Pros: High hourly pay Peak demand from Thanksgiving → Christmas Cons: Requires subject expertise Quick Start Tip: Offer bundled “final exam prep” packages to parents. 10. Become A Virtual Assistant Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: 3-7 days Pros: Fully remote Flexible hours Cons: Requires organization + communication skills Quick Start Tip: Start with admin tasks (email sorting, scheduling) which have low learning curves. 11. Do Freelance Gigs On Fiverr or Upwork Difficulty: Skilled Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: Unlimited earning potential Seasonal demand: holiday cards, ads, editing, social posts Cons: Competitive marketplaces Quick Start Tip: Create “holiday-themed” gig packages for fast sales. 12. Do Paid Surveys Online Using popular platforms like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, or Survey Junkie. Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: Same day Pros: Very low barrier to entry Can be done while watching TV Cons: Low hourly rate Quick Start Tip: Focus on high-value surveys; skip anything under $0. 50-$1. Check out the full list of the best paid survey sites here. 13. Test Websites And Apps Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: Higher pay than most surveys Interesting tasks Cons: Limited availability Quick Start Tip: Sign up for multiple platforms (UserTesting, UserFeel, TryMyUI). 14. Rent a Room or Space on Airbnb Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: 3-7 days Pros: High holiday travel demand Significant income potential Cons: Cleaning and guest management Quick Start Tip: Offer “winter stay discounts” to stand out. 15. Offer Snow Removal Services Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: Same day Pros: Essential service High demand after storms Cons: Physical labor Weather-dependent Quick Start Tip: Use a flat “per driveway” price for quick yes/no decisions. 16. Babysitting Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1-3 days Pros: Families need coverage for events Great hourly pay Cons: Requires patience / attention Quick Start Tip: Offer a “holiday party babysitting bundle.” See if you can coordinate for multiple families who may be attending the same event. 17. 18. Work Seasonal Retail or Warehouse Shifts Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: 1 week Pros: Guaranteed hours Employee discounts during peak season Cons: Fixed schedules Quick Start Tip: Check big-box retailers many hire urgently in November/December. 19. Sell Handmade Gifts Difficulty: Skilled Time to Start: 1-2 weeks Pros: High margins Creative work Cons: Requires production time Shipping deadlines Quick Start Tip: Sell digital items (holiday tags, printable gifts) for instant delivery. 20. Cash In Old Giftcards Use sites like Raise or CardCash. Difficulty: Easy Time to Start: Same day Pros: Immediate money Minimal effort Cons: Payout is less than face value Quick Start Tip: Compare offers across multiple platforms to maximize cash. 21. Participate In Research Studies Difficulty: Moderate Time to Start: 1 week Pros: High hourly pay Many can be done online Cons: Application process varies Quick Start Tip: Check local universities and online study boards. 22. Flip Furniture or Appliances Difficulty: Difficult Time to Start: 3-5 days Pros: Large profit margins High December demand Cons: Requires space + transport Quick Start Tip: Start with small items you can clean and resell quickly. You Still Have Time to Earn Cash for Christmas There are millions of way to earn extra income. If you took any some of these ideas and spend a few hours per week on them you should be able to earn enough cash to cover your Christmas expenses this year. If you’re looking for something a little longer term, check out this list of high paying side gigs that can earn you over $1, 000 per month! Also, remember, you can use a cashback credit card to earn extra cash on the gifts you’d normally be buying. I bring this up because some credit cards sweeten the deal right before the holiday season. Check out these top cashback credit cards to see if it makes sense. Do you actively earn extra cash for Christmas or save all year? Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Colin Graves Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals. Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same. He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington. com. Please Share And Support.
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