Make money from Christmas

Christmas can be a very expensive time of year. Find out seven ways to make extra cash during the festive season and beyond.

Of course, Christmas is the season of goodwill and a time to get together with family and friends, but it's also a great opportunity to make a little extra cash. Here are seven ways you can do just that:

1. Use a cashback credit card

Make your Christmas shopping a little less heavy on the wallet by putting all your purchases on a cashback credit card.  In other words, get paid to shop. Perfect! We like the American Express Platinum Cashback Card which pays 2.5% cashback in the first three months up to £100, and 1.25% on all your purchases after that.

2. Use a cashback website

Similar to cashback credit cards, cashback websites are another good way of earning extra money if you're planning to do a lot of your Christmas shopping online. It's a really simple idea: every time you buy something through a cashback website you'll earn a bit of cash.

There are loads of different websites to choose from but we like Quidco, Greasy Palm and TopCashBack. But remember the amount of cashback you can earn varies, so make sure you choose wisely. We've found that Quidco is often the most competitive, but there's a £5 annual admin fee, while Greasy Palm and TopCashBack are free. Find out more by watching our video Cash in on cashback websites.

3. Sell handmade gifts

Why not put your creative talents to good use by making Christmas gifts this year? Cards, decorative candles and hampers are all popular items. Not only will you save money by giving DIY presents to family and friends and avoiding inflated shop prices, but you can also make extra money selling them online.

Try setting up an online shop at a website like Folksy which specialises in handmade goods. You'll need to pay a listing fee of 20p per item and 5% commission on everything you sell. DaWanda is another good choice with the same commission charges (a small listing fee may also be introduced soon). Note that the site operates in Euros so bear this in mind when pricing your gifts. For an even cheaper choice, check out Misi which charges a 20p listing fee but only 3% commission.

For ideas on what gifts to make, take a look at Santa's Postbag or ChristmasIsComing.

4. Sell unwanted gifts

You don't want to be ungrateful, but it's really not your fault if you receive a gift which is not to your taste. So rather than leaving it to gather dust in the back of a cupboard, why not sell it on instead? As always eBay and Amazon are both good places for getting rid of unwanted gifts, but you'll need to pay sellers fees. Alternatively, try Gumtree where you can sell items for free. Find out more in What do to when Santa slips up!

You could save some money by 'recycling' gifts and giving them to someone else next Christmas. Just make sure you don't accidentally give them back to the original donor or you may cause offence!

5. Do some seasonal work

If you've got a bit of spare time it's not too late to snap up the last of the temporary Christmas jobs. Department stores are good places to try because they tend to need a lot of extra staff over the festive period. Other smaller retailers may also be on the hunt for help.

You could also try a local bar, pub or nightclub and help out over the busiest time of the year. If you're prepared to work unpopular shifts on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, you can expect more generous hourly rates.

You could even volunteer as a babysitter for parents who wants to party, or do Christmas shopping for others - if you dare brave the high street! Advertise for different types of work in the Work Wanted section of Gumtree, or put up fliers advertising the service you can offer in your local area. You could also try searching for Christmas jobs on Gumtree too.

6. Host a party

No, not a Christmas party, but a product party. Become a consultant and arrange parties where you can sell a company's product range to people in their homes. This is a fun way for party goers to pick up gifts for Christmas, while you'll earn commission on everything you sell. Try cosmetics firms such as Virgin Vie or The Body Shop which both take on 'at home' consultants up and down the country. Meanwhile Jamie at Home Consultants can make extra cash selling Jamie Oliver's kitchenware to party guests.  

7. Ask for cash gifts

Finally, if there's really nothing you want to put on your Christmas list, why not ask for a bit of lolly this year? True it's not the most imaginative of gifts, but it saves your friends and family struggling to come up with present ideas for you, and puts an end to hours of traipsing round the shops in despair. This way, you can buy something you really want in the New Year.  

Obviously, the festive season is all about giving, not making money. But it is an expensive time of year as well. Hopefully, these tips will help ensure it doesn't break the bank!

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