It’s crunch time! The holidays are here. Maybe your pocketbook is already feeling a little lighter. You may not have time to sign up for a seasonal customer service job or get approved as an UberEATS driver, but you do have options for vacation pay. And fast!
My Facebook feed has been buzzing with holiday-focused service offerings. Here are some great ideas that you might be able to use.
Offer to your family and friends
I am a stickler for safety when it comes to buying and selling on local online marketplaces. For that reason, these are some things I would only offer to people you know – friends, family, neighbors, church people. You can post these on your personal Facebook profile, but I would avoid “buy sell trade” groups unless you are familiar with those ways of selling and know how to protect yourself from scammers.
Offer gift wrapping – I have seen people offer gift wrapping services for $2 to $5 per gift depending on the size. These people are providing gift wrapping and most offer discounts if clients provide their own. You may be able to get out of your inner circle a bit, but you may feel hesitant unless someone you know mentions it personally. I wouldn’t hand out all my gifts to a complete stranger and expect them to return them. what are you
Gift collection – Along these same lines are gift gatherings. If you’re a parent, you know how hard it is to keep those big items together and still out of sight without waking up until 3 a.m. on Christmas morning. Who wants to start their holiday like this? If you have a friend or two who grumbles about how to assemble Cindy’s 5-foot dollhouse, offer to assemble and store the item at your house until the big day.
shopping – I know this question will pop up, so let’s address it first. There is no way I would ever give someone my credit card to make a purchase. I would recommend keeping enough cash in the bank or on your credit card to make purchases for your client. They need to have cash on hand before I give them the gift. No cash, goes back to the gift shop. duration (You see Judge Judy. Right?) I’ve seen people do this service locally for about $25 an hour including gift wrapping.
house is clean – Many people will be hosting holiday gatherings. Making sure every corner gets dusted is the last thing they want to worry about. If you can deliver last minute, the week before Christmas cleaning, you can be gold to your friends. Everyone wants a final wipe down before people arrive and most housecleaning businesses are already booked.
beautifying – If you are decorating outside, you may feel comfortable posting to the Facebook group. If you are out of knick-knacks, understand that I do not want to enter a stranger’s house. You know what you are comfortable with. Offer your services accordingly.
baking – Believe it or not, I’m a terrible baker. I love to cook, but I don’t do well with things that require strict measurements and second-to-second cooking times. I’ve been known on more than one occasion to feed my family pies and cakes that are slightly burnt, contain an eggshell or two, not quite done… If you’re known for your great fudge, cheesecake or jelly, you might be able to pass it on to your friends during the holidays. To take some extra cash to sell so that they can influence their families.
Leave it open. Post on your Facebook profile or group that you are looking to earn some extra cash for the holidays and are open to doing odd jobs.
Go local to the Facebook group.
Are you a Pinterest Rockstar? If you make holiday items like wreaths or stockings, make handmade items like soap, or upcycle items that would make unique gifts, list them in a Facebook group. As Victoria told us in her interview, be safe by meeting in a public place and during the day – don’t invite people into your home. And take cash only! No PayPal. No check. Any other crazy ideas that can be contradicted or rejected.
Victoria tells us to be mindful of your time investment. If you handcraft an item, wrap it and then carry it across time, what is that really worth? Perhaps you can bundle or create high-value gift baskets to increase your profit margin.
These are a few of my ideas for making money for the holidays. I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!
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