If you’re currently in school, you know that holiday lights signal a frantic time — the end of the fall semester. As your final papers are turned in, and the last exams are taken, you may be looking ahead to your holiday break. While you can spend the break relaxing and catching up on all those holiday rom-coms, you can also use the holiday break to make some money and jumpstart your savings.
How to Make Money Over Winter Break
Depending on your college, you may have three or four weeks before the next semester begins. That gives you plenty of time to make some serious cash you can use to pay for some of your education expenses (and reduce how much you need to take out in student loans).
If you’re wondering how to make money over winter break, here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Wrap Gifts
If your gift-wrapping skills put Martha Stewart to shame, why not offer your services to family, friends, or neighbors? You can charge a per-package rate, and customers will often provide their own wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon. You can find gift-wrapping jobs on NextDoor and in your local community groups.
2. Assemble Toys
Ask any parent: the worst part of the holidays is assembling a child’s new toy. Some of those toys can be incredibly complex, and frustrated parents are often happy to pay to have someone assemble it for them. You can find gigs assembling toys and furniture on sites like TaskRabbit.
3. Pet Sit
The holidays can be stressful for pets between parties, shopping trips, and travel. That’s why pet sitting can be a great side hustle during the holidays. If you’re willing to care for a pet while the owners are away, you can make a substantial amount of cash. You can advertise your pet-sitting services on Wag! or Rover.
4. Drive
Many people travel during the holidays. Rather than renting a car at their destination, many opt to use rideshare services like Uber or Lyft instead. If you have a car and some spare time, you can make money driving customers through those services and get paid for transporting people to the airport, to the mall, or to their office Christmas party.
5. Deliver Groceries
One of the best parts of the holidays is the food. People cook and bake delicious dishes, which means they need a lot of groceries. If you know your way around the grocery store and know how to find the best produce, you can make money as a grocery shopper for Instacart or Shipt.
6. Clean Houses
When people host their families, they often have to clean their homes to get it ready for their guests. If they’re short on time, they may need help — that’s where you come in! You can clean homes in your community and earn good money for a one-time cleaning. You can find cleaning jobs through Handy.
7. Remove Junk
During the holidays, people get a lot of deliveries, and they often clean out their spaces to make room for guests. That means a lot of households have a significant amount of clutter and junk that needs to be removed.
If you have a large vehicle or truck and don’t mind lugging things to the trash or recycling centers, you can get paid for junk removal services. Curb-It is an app that can connect you to potential customers in your area.
8. Yardwork
People want their homes to look especially beautiful during the holidays. That may mean pruning back bushes, raking leaves, weeding flowerbeds, or hanging up lights. If you enjoy being outside, completing yard work can be a great way to earn extra money during winter break. Find potential jobs on your local community pages or by posting on TaskRabbit.
9. Bake
If you have a knack for baking, you can sell your creations to your neighbors to earn money. Holiday cookies, cakes, pies, and other pastries are always needed for holiday parties, so post pictures and your information on your community social media pages to find customers.
10. Write Holiday Cards
While fewer people send physical letters now, holiday cards still seem to be the exception. Millions of people send out cards during the holidays, but many rush to get them written, addressed, and mailed in time.
If you have neat handwriting, you can make money writing cards and addressing envelopes for people. You can advertise your services on Etsy, local community pages, and social media.
Making Money During the Holidays
The holidays are a great time to make some extra money. Whether you decide to deliver groceries, care for a neighbor’s chihuahuas or bake cupcakes, there are many opportunities for making money this year. Using these ideas, you can earn money for school and still have plenty of time for that holiday movie marathon.
