Christmas always is the best time of the year. A time to meet with your parents, brothers and sisters, grand-parents, uncles and aunts. A time to offer gifts and eat delicious, sweet and savoury things.
Except, this year, most people won't be able to meet with their family. Things will also be harder financially, as many people lost their jobs because of Covid 19. In this experts roundup, we decided to ask several experts what is their favourite way to earn more money to afford Christmas in 2020.
I'm sure you'll find their ideas very interesting, and hope they'll help you get through the holidays financially. Let's hope 2021 brings us more joy and stability!
One of the best ways to make money from home is online tutoring. With so many families and schools doing distance learning this year online tutoring is in very high demand. You can either start your own side hustle or apply for the many online teaching jobs like VIPKID, Magic Ears, or QKids. Being an online tutor can bring you in anywhere from $20-$75 per hour. -Kelan & Brittany Kline, Founders, The Savvy Couple
#2 Online focus groups
#3 Doggy daycare from home
We all know that when we search for ways to make money from home, all the results point to freelance and virtual assistant jobs. However, if we think outside the box, we will see there are many different and unique ways to make money from the comfort of your home, being one of those, a mixture of things you may already love doing: playing with dogs and, of course, making money.
Yes, you could start your own doggy daycare at home where you can look after dogs and make some money while being surrounded by those adorable furry friends. Keep in mind that you would need a large patio, but you could start slow by offering your services around your neighborhood. You might be lucky to land at least a couple of dogs, and if things go well, you could even consider making it a more serious business.
If the business does happen to grow, get informed before taking that big step since the state and county where your dog daycare business would be located may require permits and licenses to run a dog-related business.
#4 Amazon and TaskRabbit
Amazon Mechanical Turking -- Amazon has created a platform for users to do on-demand remote work that can not be done by computers. There are hundreds of thousands of tasks available and they are typically quick to complete. On average, the (hourly) pay is less than minimum wage (in the US) but otherwise an effective way to make some extra money before Christmas. It’s easy enough to do from the couch or while you're sitting in traffic (all you need is a computer/phone).
TaskRabbit -- The holiday season can be an overwhelming time because there is so much to do in a short amount of time. All of these services such as wrapping presents, cooking, cleaning, holiday shopping etc. can be opportunities to earn some extra money. TaskRabbit is an app designed to connect people who need a service with people willing to do the service in exchange for money. The person in need of a service would “offer” the task at a certain rate and people would either accept, decline, or request to do it at a higher price. Someone who wants to make more money before the holidays could do these niche tasks (such as wrapping gifts) and collect some extra money.
-Andy Kolodgie, Owner of The House Guys
#5 Mystery shopping
I have the BEST way to earn extra money over the holidays! Mystery shopping. Mystery shopping is a 100% legitimate source of income and a great way to get FREE things. Depending on the mystery shopping company being worked for, shoppers can be paid and reimbursed within a few days. For example, I completed three shopping assignments today and will be paid on Monday. That means I will have cash in hand to do Christmas shopping. Many mystery shopping jobs reimburse for purchases so this is a perfect way to get 'free' gifts to give at Christmas. I just released an online course to teach people how to successfully make money mystery shopping.
-Jen, Smartypantsfinance
#6 Rent out your storage space
Renting a room is not the only way you can make money at home, and few consider the opportunity to rent out storage space! Renting a climate-controlled self-storage unit could cost the renter around 1,500-2,000 USD per year, or close to the double in expensive areas, and many people look for a more budget-friendly option.
If you have the space, why not condition your home to rent out a place for others to store their items for a monthly or yearly fee? It can quickly become lucrative, and it is a passive income that won't require much of you as a renter.
-Janni Nilsson, Managing Editor at Resumoo
#7 Rent your home or look into solar
#8 Pay off your debts
Outside of grabbing extra side jobs, like DoorDash, or working at a grocery store, a great way to help save money around the holidays is to pay down debt. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the more debt you can pay off, the more money you will save.
Credit card debt can be especially expensive if you carry a monthly balance due to the industry’s traditionally high interest rates. Though it may seem like you’re saving money now by earning rewards, any interest racked up by carrying a monthly balance will negate those points quickly.
Paying off the full statement balance each billing period will help you save money by avoiding interest fees. Making at least the minimum payments on loans or mortgages can help keep you afloat and possibly put left over money towards other things like Christmas. However, it may be better to put extra down on your loans to pay them off earlier, saving money on interest that would have accrued on the loan.
#9 Freelancing sites or paid surveys
As a financial journalist, i read a lot about making money, so i can give you two options regarding earning more money to afford Christmas.
-Emily Deaton, Financial Journalist, LetMeBank
#10 Simply work more hours
I say the best and easiest way to earn more money during the holidays is to simply work more hours at your current job. In most industries, the period before the holidays is when business really picks up. That is when companies need their employees the most, to ramp up production and get as much sales as they can. So if you were to ask your boss for more hours during the holidays, most likely they will say "yes." Instead of working your usual 40 hours, perhaps you can work an extra 10-20 hours to get that extra income easily. No need to look for another side job or hustle; just earn more money and hours from your current job!
-Roger Senpai, Rogersenpai.com
#11 Rent your extra rooms
-Sara Mandeed, Bestofourhome
#12 Get paid to play video games
-Ioanna Karelia, Beyourmaverick
#13 There are lots of things you can do
- Miss Gaye, Theprocesstoolbox
#14 Use your home
Rent out extra space as storage. If you have unused space in the basement, a shed, an empty closet, or an extra room, you can let other people pay you for storing their items there. You can charge around $150 a month for a 10x10 foot storage space.
Plant fruits, vegetables, and flowers to sell. Turn your huge backyard into a garden with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers that you can sell in the neighborhood or in the local market. You can let people pick fresh ingredients from your garden for a fee.
Rent your place as a venue for commercial ads or films. Your home can be a shooting site for advertisements and movies. You can list your property with Set Scouter or Giggster and earn around $1,500 a day.
#15 We moved to a strategic place
-Brooks Conkle, Brooksconkle.com
#16 Consumer surveys
Brands are always looking to learn more about consumer interests and shopping behaviors. They are willing to pay money to get inside a customer's head. There are dozens of sites like Swagbucks, MyPoints, and Inboxdollars that offer paid surveys, free samples, cash back shopping, and more. While it's not a true full time job, many people earn enough money to use towards groceries, medical bills, and gifts for the holidays.
- Dannie Phan, Creative Marketing Manager, Prodege, LLC
#17 There are many things you can do
-Maria Potehina, Call It Adventure
#18 Publish ebooks
-Chris Laan, Designersheds.com.au
#19 Sell your skills
There are many ways to earn money from the comfort of your home. You can do pet-sitting or babysitting, sell some of your old (useable) stuff online or through a garage sale, or you can rent out your car or parking space/street slot. You can also sell your skills (if you are skilled enough) like drawings/paintings or carving/sculpting. The bottom line is that you are solving someone else’s dire problems and/or deepest desires (they are more willing to pay for it than we might think.)
-Seb Hall Founder & CEO, Cloud Employee
#20 Save money, and become a freelancer
Christmas is fast approaching but not everyone is privileged to join in the fun of doing shopping galore especially for those whose jobs have been affected during the onset of the pandemic. In order for one to earn extra income to afford Christmas spending, here are several tips you can follow: First is by saving up money. There is no better solution than to set a spending ceiling and sticking to it. Next, is by engaging in Freelancing. Writing content for a while can give you enough income you can spend in this coming holiday season.
-Lewis Keegan, Founder of SkillScouter