Raise some quick cash for Christmas and the New Year

Christmas is just around the corner. Follow these simple steps to drum up some extra spending money.

Christmas is fast approaching and if you’ve still got an armful of presents to buy on top of food and drinks for the family you’re probably in need of some extra money.

Instead of resorting to a pricey payday loan or racking up debt, I’ve looked at some of the easiest and quickest ways to pick up a little extra money to last you through the festive season.

Car boot sales

Car boot and table top sales are a good way to clear out your house in time for the New Year and also a quick way to pick up some extra cash.

To be successful you’ll need to arrive early to bag a good spot. And you’ll make more money if you’re selling good-quality items which are laid out clearly and well presented.

Make sure you organise everything the night before, including a float and plastic bags for shoppers. Pre-price your goods, but be flexible with hagglers.

Read: How to be successful at a car boot sale

Sell online

Sites like eBay and Gumtree are ideal for selling off your unwanted things for quick cash. As the entire thing is done online it’s easier than heading out to a car boot sale or auction house, but make sure you’re aware of any fees and postage charges.

There are certain tricks of the trade which will up your chances of making some money, such as ending a sale on a Sunday when most people are in and including a clear description with several images.

Read How to sell successfully on eBay

Cashback apps

Cashback websites are a great way to earn money on your shopping, but on average you’ll receive the cash around a month after you buy something.

On Quidco and TopCashback some retailers offer a ‘faster paying’ option which means the money is in your bank account within a week.

Both websites also have shopping apps. These are slightly different for both but the basic principle allows shoppers to earn money when buying things on the high street. Earlier this year we reviewed both the Quidco ClickSnap and Top Cashback Snap & Save apps. Participating retailers can be found on both sites and in order to earn the cash you’ll need to take a photo of your receipt and upload this to the website.

With Quidco you can even earn money just for 'checking in' to a store - you don't actually need to spend any money!

Earn cashback when using your credit card

Switching

In the UK we’re not keen on switching, be it our current account, energy provider or broadband company. But you can make quite a bit of money by changing companies and most will also offer a range of discounts and incentives to new customers.

Switching your current account is one of the easiest ways to get some extra money. At first direct, for example, you’ll be paid £100 when you switch and £100 if you’re not happy when you’ve moved. Halifax also pays out £100 to customers who switch to it and this money will be paid out within seven days.

Now that switching current accounts is a lot easier, thanks to the seven-day switch initiative, it’s well worth it.

Make sure you have the best current account for your needs

Cashback credit cards

Credit cards can be a blessing and a curse at Christmas as while they can provider some breathing space with your festive spending, if you don't pay it off promptly you may end up even further in debt.

If you’re organised about your credit card spending you can earn rewards and cashback but this will only work if you pay off the balance each month, otherwise you’ll be left paying interest charges.

The Santander 123 credit card, for example, pays a graduated amount of cashback when you use it to pay for household bills, supermarket shopping, petrol, National Rail and Transport for London. For a limited period you can also earn 1% cashback on Amazon shopping. There is a £24 fee to watch out for but this is waived if you have the Santander 123 current account.

Perhaps the best thing about this card is that unlike other cashback cards, you get your cashback on a monthly basis. So do your Christmas shopping with it, and you'll see the benefit next month rather than next year!

Compare reward credit cards

Rent your drive

You can rent out quite a lot of things now in return for some extra cash and one of the most lucrative is renting out your drive.

Several websites exist to link people up for this service and it works particularly well if you live near the station or a big event space, such as a football stadium.

The website Parkatmyhouse connects drivers with homeowners who want to earn cash renting out an empty drive or parking space. On average spaces near a train station can go for £100-£250 per week while those near an airport can make £40 and those near a concert hall or stadium can go for £10-£25 per day.

Freelance work

There are thousands of jobs where you can get paid for short-term contract work. This could mean getting paid to put in some extra hours at the weekend or in an evening.

On the website People Per Hour, for example, you can list the skills you have and be matched with employers. Right now on the website employers are advertising for a huge range of jobs such as a website designer, a French to German translator, a writer for a Spanish food blog and somone skilled in writing business plans.

Networking websites for freelancers are also useful, such as the Freelance Parents Network and Freelancer.co.uk.

Google Helpouts is a similar idea where you’ll be paid for sharing your skills with someone else. There are eight categories on the website, such as art and music, computers and electronics, cooking and education and careers. Classes are available in instant chats or longer pre-booked sessions.

Read Google Helpouts: sell your expert advice online

How are you funding Christmas? If you have any tips or advice on creating some cash quickly please leave them in the comments box.

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