November is here, and that means you are probably starting to think about gifting for the holidays. And while buying gifts for loved ones can be very fulfilling, those expenses definitely add up quickly. Here are some simple ways that you can save up some extra cash for this year’s holiday gifts.
Sell your old things.
Just before the holidays hit is a great time to do a thorough “closet cleanout” in your home. Go through your possessions and decide what you no longer need, reserving higher quality items for selling on sites like Ebay or Craigslist. Name-brand clothing is one of the best things you can sell on Ebay because people pay relatively more for it, and it is easy and affordable to ship. Collectibles, Legos, household linens, and small electronics are other great things to try and sell on Ebay. If you have any furniture, mattresses, or large electronics, those are great things to sell on Craigslist or other online classifieds because you can gain more of a profit, and people who are local can come pick them up from you.
Pick up a seasonal job.
Many stores hire seasonal employees around the holidays in order to keep up with the heavy traffic that the holiday season brings. Consider picking up one of these seasonal jobs part-time during the holidays, even if it’s for only one shift a week. It’s especially advantageous to pick up a job at a store where you plan on doing much of your holiday shopping, as you might be eligible for some major employee discounts.
Do someone else’s odd jobs.
Don’t want to commit your time to another employer during the holiday season? Try earning some extra cash by doing someone else’s odd jobs instead. Through an app like TaskRabbit, you can become a “tasker” who cleans someone else’s house, puts up holiday decorations, makes minor repairs, builds furniture, runs errands, etc. You have complete control over your schedule, rates, and workload, and you can make easy money doing something that someone simply wants to pay another person to do.
Nix unnecessary expenditures.
Earlier this month in this blog post we talked about five everyday things that you didn’t know were draining your wallet. So, in order to save some money, take a look at your budget and see which of these unnecessary expenditures you can trim from your budget. The key here is to trim small expenditures in several places in your budget, as the savings can really add up quickly.