Somehow, it happened. The calendar flipped to November, Christmas lights are shining in your neighborhood and your commute is suddenly filled with “Feliz Navidad” on the radio. The holidays are coming, and if you’re not sure how you’re going to pay for it all, a little extra cash might be beneficial! Here are three things you can do right now to make that extra money.
- Sell your stuff. It’s never been easier to get rid of items you no longer need. Take a look around your home. Do you really need that old TV stand? Post it on Facebook Marketplace and you may get an offer instantly! Do you have old books laying around? Try bookscouter.com. You can sell textbooks and used books by comparing offers from over 35 vendors with just a single search. Do you have clothes your children have grown out of? Group like items together and sell them as a “lot” on eBay. You may be surprised at what people are willing to pay for items you no longer want.
- Shop around for insurance. Financial advisors recommend looking at your insurance policies every year to find how much you’re paying in premiums and how much coverage you’re getting in Netquote.com and insure.com let you compare insurance quotes online. Companies like Progressive and Geico also provide immediate quotes. Sure, it takes a little bit of your time and you’ll have to weigh the different coverage options, but you could save hundreds of dollars per year by switching. Allen G. shopped around and was able to save $517 per year. He bundled home and auto insurance together and paid upfront for even more savings.
- Try a side hustle! Yes, the holidays are busy. You can capitalize on that by offering to take on the to-dos that others don’t have time for. Do you love to deck the halls for Christmas? Put the word out that your decorating talents are for hire! Do friends and family always ooh and aah over your presents? Start a gift-wrapping service! You could even become a driver for a ride-sharing service and take advantage of all those holiday parties and get-togethers. After you’ve finished your application with Uber, you could be driving in as little as one week and earning money on your own schedule.
There you have it—three easy and quick ways to potentially earn hundreds of dollars between now and the New Year.