With two months to go till Christmas, many of us will be trying to figure out how to make some extra cash to lighten the load. As much as we love Christmas, it can be a huge strain on the budget, with family and friends to buy for, days out and activities to pay for, and all the other expectations, from new outfits to Secret Santas. While we're all about how to avoid Christmas stress, meeting others Christmas expectations, and our own, can be hard work - and pull on our already over-stretched purse strings.
Setting a realistic Christmas budget now - and sticking to it - for days out, food, gifts, nights out, entertaining and every other festive eventuality is key. But what have you no leeway left at the end of each month anyway? It's time to start cutting back, bringing more money in, and topping up the coffers in anticipation of that Christmas spending.
Read on for 30 ways to make extra cash before Christmas...
1. Sort out your discretionary spending - don't buy take out coffees, make packed lunches, cancel your expensive gym or TV subscription etc etc. You know the drill!
2. Sign up to Flipper to save a guaranteed £50 (or more) on your energy spending.
3. Start mystery shopping. Just google 'mystery shopping uk' to find companies to sign up with, but never pay for the privilege - it's a scam.
4. Have a pre-Christmas clear out and sell what you can, especially clothes and toys, even furniture. Try eBay, Gumtree, Facebook selling groups and Shpock.
5. Sell old DVDs, CDs and phones fast with sites like Music Magpie.
6. Sell books, DVDs and CDs on Amazon marketplace.
7. Get up early one day next weekend and head to a car boot sale or table top sale with your boxes. One man's junk etc...
8. Clear out your wardrobe and sell what you don't want, and upgrade what you can. Shopping from your wardrobe will save you money as well making you some.
9. Don't forget you can reclaim bank charges, PPI, and for delayed trains and planes, amongst others.
10. If you have some spare time, offer your services for cake making, dog walking, audio typing etc on appropriate sites.
11. If your skills run to crafts, consider listing on Etsy - especially if you can create something festive.
12. If you shop at Asda don't forget to check their Price Guarantee offer online. It's not publicised, but it's still there, just hit Google and get some vouchers.
13. Check your Tesco Clubcard account online for any vouchers you may have missed.
14. Make the most of every coupon and voucher you can find, online, in store, in the post, and in newspapers etc to save plenty of pennies between now and Christmas.
15. Enter competitions to win prizes you can use for gifts, or even cash and vouchers. Check sites like The Prizefinder, or search #giveaway #competition #WinItWednesday and #FreebieFriday on Twitter.
16. Check your phone and energy statements to see if you are in credit, and ask for the money back. It is better in your bank account than theirs!
17. Got half an hour in front of the TV most days? Sign up to survey sites like Swagbucks or YouGov where you answer a few questions and earn cash or vouchers.
18. If you shop online, sign up to cashback sites like Top Cashback (UK) or eBates (US) to get a percentage of your spend back.
19. If you have loads of free time, ask around at your local shopping mall and department stores to see if there are any seasonal jobs. Some are just a day or two a week, some full-time.
20. Most supermarkets will also be taking on extra staff at this time of year, from night-time shelf stackers and early morning online shopping pickers to delivery drivers and check out staff.
21. Rent out your driveway or parking space, rent a room or storage space, or if you're going away advertise your home on Air B'n'B.
22. Switch bank accounts and earn a bonus of up to £200. Scour Google for current offers.
23. Search through cupboards and bags for old gift cards that may still be in date, or sell unwanted ones on Zeek.
24. Sign up to host parties for companies like The Body Shop, Ann Summers or Usborne Books and make commission on everything you sell. Even Avon are still running!
25. Get a stall at a local autumn or Christmas fair and sell your home-made wares from jams and cakes to knitwear and crafts. Try local craft fairs in the run up to Christmas too.
26. Take out a small ad offering gardening services. Lots of people loathe tidying up their garden for winter and will happily pay you for a couple of hours work.
27. Offer your dog walking, cat sitting and babysitting services too.
28. Cleaning the home for Christmas is another bete noir for many people, so cleaners are in hot demand right now. A great time to start a new business, or just earn a few pounds extra.
29. Search car boot sales, table top sales and charity shops to find good quality items to re-sell online.
30. Buy battered old furniture and upcycle it into desirable objets to sell on.
Good luck making money this season!
Want more money saving content?
How to Enjoy a Fabulous Family Christmas on a Budget
10 Ways to Make £400 Fast
How to Save Money at the Supermarket
10 Ways to Make Money as a Stay at Home Parent
10 Ways to Save Money Fast
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Setting a realistic Christmas budget now - and sticking to it - for days out, food, gifts, nights out, entertaining and every other festive eventuality is key. But what have you no leeway left at the end of each month anyway? It's time to start cutting back, bringing more money in, and topping up the coffers in anticipation of that Christmas spending.
Read on for 30 ways to make extra cash before Christmas...
1. Sort out your discretionary spending - don't buy take out coffees, make packed lunches, cancel your expensive gym or TV subscription etc etc. You know the drill!
2. Sign up to Flipper to save a guaranteed £50 (or more) on your energy spending.
3. Start mystery shopping. Just google 'mystery shopping uk' to find companies to sign up with, but never pay for the privilege - it's a scam.
4. Have a pre-Christmas clear out and sell what you can, especially clothes and toys, even furniture. Try eBay, Gumtree, Facebook selling groups and Shpock.
5. Sell old DVDs, CDs and phones fast with sites like Music Magpie.
6. Sell books, DVDs and CDs on Amazon marketplace.
7. Get up early one day next weekend and head to a car boot sale or table top sale with your boxes. One man's junk etc...
8. Clear out your wardrobe and sell what you don't want, and upgrade what you can. Shopping from your wardrobe will save you money as well making you some.
9. Don't forget you can reclaim bank charges, PPI, and for delayed trains and planes, amongst others.
10. If you have some spare time, offer your services for cake making, dog walking, audio typing etc on appropriate sites.
11. If your skills run to crafts, consider listing on Etsy - especially if you can create something festive.
12. If you shop at Asda don't forget to check their Price Guarantee offer online. It's not publicised, but it's still there, just hit Google and get some vouchers.
13. Check your Tesco Clubcard account online for any vouchers you may have missed.
14. Make the most of every coupon and voucher you can find, online, in store, in the post, and in newspapers etc to save plenty of pennies between now and Christmas.
15. Enter competitions to win prizes you can use for gifts, or even cash and vouchers. Check sites like The Prizefinder, or search #giveaway #competition #WinItWednesday and #FreebieFriday on Twitter.
16. Check your phone and energy statements to see if you are in credit, and ask for the money back. It is better in your bank account than theirs!
17. Got half an hour in front of the TV most days? Sign up to survey sites like Swagbucks or YouGov where you answer a few questions and earn cash or vouchers.
18. If you shop online, sign up to cashback sites like Top Cashback (UK) or eBates (US) to get a percentage of your spend back.
19. If you have loads of free time, ask around at your local shopping mall and department stores to see if there are any seasonal jobs. Some are just a day or two a week, some full-time.
20. Most supermarkets will also be taking on extra staff at this time of year, from night-time shelf stackers and early morning online shopping pickers to delivery drivers and check out staff.
21. Rent out your driveway or parking space, rent a room or storage space, or if you're going away advertise your home on Air B'n'B.
22. Switch bank accounts and earn a bonus of up to £200. Scour Google for current offers.
23. Search through cupboards and bags for old gift cards that may still be in date, or sell unwanted ones on Zeek.
24. Sign up to host parties for companies like The Body Shop, Ann Summers or Usborne Books and make commission on everything you sell. Even Avon are still running!
25. Get a stall at a local autumn or Christmas fair and sell your home-made wares from jams and cakes to knitwear and crafts. Try local craft fairs in the run up to Christmas too.
26. Take out a small ad offering gardening services. Lots of people loathe tidying up their garden for winter and will happily pay you for a couple of hours work.
27. Offer your dog walking, cat sitting and babysitting services too.
28. Cleaning the home for Christmas is another bete noir for many people, so cleaners are in hot demand right now. A great time to start a new business, or just earn a few pounds extra.
29. Search car boot sales, table top sales and charity shops to find good quality items to re-sell online.
30. Buy battered old furniture and upcycle it into desirable objets to sell on.
Good luck making money this season!
Want more money saving content?
How to Enjoy a Fabulous Family Christmas on a Budget
10 Ways to Make £400 Fast
How to Save Money at the Supermarket
10 Ways to Make Money as a Stay at Home Parent
10 Ways to Save Money Fast
Pin it: