Finding a Seasonal Position
Apply to a retail location for flexible hours and discounts. Since everyone is shopping for gifts, malls and retail stores are much busier than other times of the year. If there’s a specific store you want to work for, visit their website or call them directly to see if they need more employees. If they do, fill out an application and turn it in with your resume. Typically, you’ll help restock shelves, assist customers with finding items, and ring them up when they’re finished shopping. Seasonal retail work usually only lasts 1–3 months depending on the business and how busy they are.Tip: Even though your seasonal position is temporary, take it as seriously as any other job. If you work hard and end the position on good terms, you may be able to return next holiday season or get a full-time offer.
Look for a customer service position to work remotely. If you’d rather earn some money working from home, check online job boards to see if any companies are hiring remote representatives. In these positions, you’ll answer calls from customers and assist them with returns or any difficulties they’re having with products. Make sure you have a reliable phone and Internet connection and a quiet place to focus so you don’t get distracted. You’ll usually need to work during a specific hourly shift, so you may not have the most flexible hours. If you’re with your family during the holidays, let them know when you’re working so they don’t disturb you.
Wrap presents to help other people with their gifts. If you normally get compliments on the appearance of your gifts, call a local mall or department store to see if they have a wrapping station where you can work. You’ll normally work part-time while the business is open so customers can bring gifts for you to wrap. You can also offer to wrap gifts for friends and family if you can’t find a position at a store.
Choose a warehouse position if you don’t want to directly deal with customers. Since many people are shopping online, warehouses and distribution centers need more help. Look for local warehouses or check an online job board to find which ones are hiring. Your duties will include sorting, packing, and shipping products to customers. Most warehouses offer full-time hours, but you may need to work overnight shifts. Warehouse positions are more physically-demanding, but they may offer more competitive wages.
Check if stores need someone to play holiday figures to help spread cheer. Many stores and malls hire a Santa Claus or elves so kids can take pictures and ask for presents. If you’re an older male that has a long white beard and a stockier build, get a red Santa suit and apply at the businesses around you. Otherwise, you may be able to act as an elf or just assist families through the line. You may also find openings listed on online job boards. If you aren’t comfortable working with kids, this may not be the best position for you. You can typically get around $30 USD an hour for acting as Santa.
Offering Personal Services
Winterize homes if you have home improvement experience. Before the cold weather hits, see if anyone in your neighborhood needs help preparing their home and yard for the season. You may offer to rake their lawn or clean their gutters if they need outdoor work. Otherwise, you can see if they need any caulk applied or weather stripping installed to seal drafty doors and windows. Take into account how much the supplies cost and how long the tasks take to complete when you set your prices.
Shovel sidewalks if there’s a lot of snow. As soon as there’s fresh snow on the ground, talk to your neighbors and see if they want help clearing snow from their sidewalks and driveways. Ask them how much they’re willing to pay you and agree on a rate before you start. Do your best to clear all of the snow and ice off of the walkways so it’s easier for them to get around. Shoveling snow gets really tiring, so take frequent breaks or use a snowblower instead. You may be able to ask for extra money if you provide extra services, such as scraping patches of ice or applying ice melt salt.
Babysit if you don’t mind being around kids. While it’s nice to spend time with family during the holidays, some parents may want a night out to themselves. Reach out to friends, family members, and people in your community and let them know you’re available to watch their kids if they want some alone time. Set an hourly rate based on the number of children and how old they are. Be sure you’re attentive to the children so they don’t get hurt or in trouble while you’re watching them. Plan fun holiday activities, such as making crafts, baking cookies, or playing holiday-themed games.
Sign up for a ride-share or delivery service if you have a vehicle. Many more people order delivery and need rides during the holiday, so it can be a perfect opportunity to make some cash. Sign up as a driver for a service like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or Grubhub. You can create your own hours, so set yourself to Active in the app whenever you have some spare time. Drive safely and complete the orders on time so you get better ratings. You can also earn tips if you’re reliable and get to your destination quickly. If you don’t have a clean driving record or if you have an older, more unreliable vehicle, you may not be able to use a ride-share program. You may also be able to find a position with UPS or another package delivery service.Variation: Check local restaurants or retail locations to see if you can deliver for them directly.
Offer to house-sit for people traveling for the holidays. If you know someone who’s going away, see if they need anyone to look after their home. They may need someone to water plants, get their mail, clean, or take care of pets. You may stop by a couple of times a day, or they may ask you to stay in their place while they’re gone. Stay clean and be respectful of their space so it isn’t a mess when they come back home. Look for house-sitting membership sites to find more opportunities in your area. Ask the homeowner a lot of questions about how they take care of their home and what they expect from you while they’re gone so you don’t forget to do anything.
Ask to cook for friends or family to help prepare meals. Some people don’t have time to make meals for their family gatherings, so see if they want help. You can either cook food at home and bring it to the person, or you may be able to cook in their kitchen. Make sure you charge enough money to offset the price of the ingredients and the amount of time you spent cooking. If you don’t have time to cook full meals, you can also make and sell desserts, like cookies, cakes, and pies.
Shop for people who aren’t able to buy gifts themselves. Ask the person for a list of the items they want to get as gifts so you purchase the right things. Get clarification if you’re confused about anything on the list. The person will usually give you cash or a card so you can buy all of the items. Save all of the receipts from the purchases so the person knows how much they spent and just in case they need to make a return.
Try taking online surveys to make a quick buck online. Look for legitimate survey sites, like Swagbucks or InboxDollars, and create an account with your demographic information. The site will provide surveys that you qualify that usually only take a few minutes to answer. When you complete a survey, you will be compensated with a small amount of money, a gift card, or even free products. Many surveys only pay out a few dollars at maximum, so it can take a little while to build up your earnings.
Selling and Renting Your Things
Post used items online if you also want to declutter your space. Look for items around your home that you don’t use anymore and you feel comfortable getting rid of. Use websites like Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace to post photos and descriptions of your items. Price the items based on what similar things have sold for so they’re more likely to sell. You can either deliver the items locally or ship them through a delivery service. Avoid shipping large items since they can be expensive and you may not make the most money. Be sure to include all the important information in your descriptions. This may include sizes, technical specs, or model numbers.
Make festive crafts to spread the holiday cheer. Get creative and try making homemade ornaments, decorations, or stocking stuffers that you can sell. If you want to sell your crafts locally, post on social media or hang fliers in your area so people are interested in your crafts. Otherwise, you can try selling them online on sites like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace to reach a wider audience. Look at similar items to what you’re selling to set your prices. Make sure you account for the cost of materials and how long it took you to make them.
List your place on a home-sharing site when you’re out of town. If you’re traveling during the holidays, you may be able to make money by letting people stay in your home. Sign up on a site like Airbnb and post pictures and a description of your home. Set a daily rate and how long your home is available. When someone selects your home, you can accept or deny them based on their previous user ratings. Make sure you keep high-valued items locked in a different room so they don’t get stolen.Warning: You normally can’t post rental properties or apartment units on home-sharing sites if you aren’t the property owner.
Return gifts you don’t want to make a quick buck. Ask for a gift receipt for any gifts that you don’t like so you can return or exchange it. Stores each have different return policies, so you may get money back or store credit depending on the business. That way, you can get something for yourself that you like more.
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