5 ways you can earn extra cash for Christmas

Beat the debt this Christmas and earn some extra income 

Each year I see so many people getting caught up in the spending buzz of Christmas. I work in retail so I see it first hand. People traipsing around with shopping bags, endless queues and people buying things just for the sake of it. There can be social pressure to buy lots of gifts and spend loads over Christmas and the endless ads in the media don’t help either. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to treat my friends and family but I don’t want to be knee deep in debt come January. So, I have put together 5 things you can do from now until Christmas to bring in some extra cash. 

Sell your stuff

Yes! One mans junk is another man’s treasure. I used to do this when I was saving for my house. I would sell off my second-hand clothes. We all have clutter and junk. Everything has a price and you could easily earn an extra few hundred by selling your old stuff. Maybe you have some furniture in the shed, some ornaments in the attic, old college notes or unopened cosmetics. I used to use dondeal.ie, adverts.ie and eBay to sell off my old stuff. All you need to do is put in a little effort to photograph your stuff and then post or meet your customer to finalise the sale. Local Facebook groups are also a great place to sell on your unwanted stuff.

Sell a service

Don’t worry if you don’t have items to sell, why not sell a skill? Maybe you have a talent or skill that you could sell to people. For example, maybe you can sew or knit, why not hold a workshop or offer to teach someone in exchange for payment. Or maybe you can teach someone a language and you can tutor someone. You might even be a really good writer or photographer and you could offer your services as a side hustle. The internet is such a huge place that no matter what your skill is, you can find an audience to sell to. Whether it is online or in your local area you could earn some extra cash from offering your services. I know some people that are virtual assistants. So, if you have a few spare hours in your evening you could give that a try.

Rent your space

Have you got an extra room in your home? In Ireland, you can earn up to €14,000 tax-free from renting out a spare room in your home. You can also rent out converted garages and basements that are attached to your home and these qualify for the tax exemption. But what if you don’t want to rent out your space long term? Why not try a short term let. Air BNB is so popular now especially in cities so why not become a host, meet new people and earn some extra cash on the weekends. Another idea is to rent out your garden space. Now, it is the wrong time of year for that but this could be something to consider in Spring. If you have a large garden then why not rent it out as an allotment space and let people grow vegetables on it.

Flip stuff or sell your crafts

Buy low and sell high! Maybe you have a skill that you can use to flip items. Spend an afternoon exploring second-hand shops and websites and look for items that are cheap but that have potential. Maybe you are a perfectionist with a paintbrush and can upcycle a piece of furniture or maybe you have an eye for vintage finds and know you can resell them. Sometimes buying something and simply cleaning it up and taking some fab photos can turn you a quick profit. If you are going to flip items then I recommend getting items that are unique. We can all go onto the China websites and buy in lots of cheap pieces and sell them at a high price but try and find things that are more unique and niche as I think you will get more money for them.
Another option is to sell on some of your crafts. In the past, I have sold at craft fairs. Now, I will be honest and say that I didn’t get the return I wanted but its a learning experience. Sites like Etsy are great for selling your handmade items. My best advice is to value your work and don’t be afraid to charge higher. I would rather sell less at a higher price than have myself burnt out making items to sell at a lower price.

Shop smarter

We all know how big the black Friday sales are but as someone who works in retail, I know that sometimes you can get the bargains before black Friday. I also know that not everything is as good of a deal as it looks, so, do some research and compare prices before buying. Sign up to the email lists from brands that you want to buy from and keep an eye out for discount evenings or codes. I also play the currency game and I will price things in Sterling as at the moment it is weaker to the Euro. A few years ago I bought my laptop when I was in the UK and I saved myself almost €500. I try and shop locally where I can but when the savings are that big it does pay to play the currency game.
Shopping smart can also mean buying less and not buying into the hype of Christmas. We are bombarded with clever marketing campaigns every day and it can be hard to resist the temptation to splurge. Make yourself a list of what you want to buy and stick to it. I have been guilty of going into Boots and all of a sudden I have a basket full of 3 for 2 deals that I just didn’t need. You don’t need to have hauls of items. Why not make people present or buy them a present of a memory, why not give the gift of a day out or a trip away. Also, Chrismas parties can be costly, why not borrow a dress or do a swap with a friend and save on the cost of a new outfit. You can also save on the spray tan and buy a bottle instead?  There are lots of ways we can shop smarter and save over Christmas.

Let me know if you try any of the tips above. As I hit the publish button on this blog post, we have 7 weeks to Christmas. So, it might sound like a lot of time but it isn’t really, so don’t delay and get started this week and earn that extra cash. Also, if you have any tips on earning extra cash over Christmas then do share in the comments section below!

Thanks so much for reading,
Chat soon,
Catherine.

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