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Best Side Hustles To Make Money

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ways to make extra money for Christmas

Are you ready to make extra money this holiday season? I absolutely love everything CHRISTMAS related! Everything from the Christmas movies to all the wonderful decorations.  Most of all I love Christmas shopping!

But I don’t want to go into debt buying gifts this year so I put together over 10 ways most individuals can make extra money this year. 

The holidays can be very expensive and that’s why I normally side hustle to earn extra money to pay for my Christmas shopping. Every single year I make extra money from the different side hustles listed in this post and normally don’t have to touch any of the income that I make from my blog + biz. 

Last year, I paid for ALL my Christmas shopping with side gigs!  So, in this post, I will share 10 ways you can make extra money this month to prepare for the holiday season even if you already have a full-time job.

Related Posts: 

How To Make Extra Christmas Money

 

1. Complete Surveys Online 

This one is really cool because you can actually do some of the surveys right at your job. While I was working an office job I would do a few surveys on my mini-breaks to help bring in more money. Most of the surveys didn’t take a ton of time completing and the payout was pretty awesome.

For the record, I am not a fan of the surveys that take hours and only pay $1 or less so I gathered a list of surveys that are my favorite that payout using PayPal or gift cards.

About a year ago I started looking into different survey sites to make extra money and some of the ones I found turned out to be AMAZING!!!.  While working a full-time job I was able to make extra money and gift card rewards from different survey sites daily.  

Last year I was able to pay for all my Christmas shopping with the help of this side hustle!  Below are some of my favorite survey sites to earn gift card rewards and/or extra money online.   

Below are some of my TOP favorite survey sites to earn extra money and rewards! If you find any other surveys not listed in this post make sure to do your research. If a survey site asks you for money– RUN! A survey site that is legit will NEVER ask you for money.

Also, be aware of the survey sites that claim you can earn $1000 and up for just taking one survey.  Even though you can make great money completing surveys making $1000 and up per survey normally doesn’t happen from completing just ONE survey. 

 2.Participate in Focus Groups

I absolutely love working with focus group companies because not only can meet amazing people but you can also test out different products, foods, and more. Recently, I participated in a focus group discussion for a topic on the “Weather”! I received $200 bucks for giving my opinions on the weather in my hometown of Chicago.

Focus groups normally want you to test out a new product, take a survey, or watch a new show to get your opinions.  Most focus group companies pay pretty well and you might even get to try out a new product. 

Also, when I was pregnant I did a couple of focus groups and one of my favorite ones was one that asked me questions about probiotics for children. Upon arrival, they had breakfast for us and I noticed that we were all expecting moms, which was super awesome to me. It turned out to be a great discussion and I met some awesome moms during the process.

After the focus group study, we got a check for $250. #Score! The study only took 2 hours and we got paid for our time and travel. There are a ton of different focus groups you can participate in depending on what you qualify for. Below are some focus groups you can check out.

 3. Get Paid to Shop

 If you like to shop then this side hustle is definitely for you. Yup, you got it! You can get paid to shop by working with a mystery shopping company.  Mystery shopping is pretty cool because you can go to different stores such as Target, Walmart, and more and purchase items and get that money right back in your pockets.

Last Christmas, I earned extra funds from mystery shopping and didn’t have to take any money from my regular income. In fact, all my Christmas spending money came from doing side jobs like the ones listed in this post! Pretty cool, huh? As always, make sure to do your research to see if mystery shopping is something that you would be interested in.

(Note: If you find other mystery shopping companies that are not listed below, NEVER pay the mystery shopping company to sign up or pay to see their shopping list! The legitimate ones never ask for payment from you. Also, check to see if the mystery company is a member of the MSPA).

4. Sell Your Old Stuff 

I believe selling your old stuff might be the fastest way to make extra money. My husband and I didn’t think we had anything in our house to sell, but BOY were we wrong! At the end of our search, we piled together over five boxes of great stuff to sell that we didn’t use anymore. Below are some websites where you can sell your old stuff online.

5. Test Websites Online

Another cool way to make extra money fast is by testing out websites and giving your opinions on them. Places like Usertesting will pay you to give your opinion on the different websites on their site. On a good day, I normally make an extra $20-30 bucks just for completing quick and easy tasks which normally take around 10 minutes.

I started testing websites last year, and I really like how fast I could earn extra income. Each testing site varies in terms of income. Some will pay you $10 while others might pay you $12 per test so, it depends on which ones you qualify for during that time.

It should take about 15 to 30 minutes to complete each task depending on the test. Test assignments vary, but a person could make an extra $100 or more per month completing the different tests, which normally pays via PayPal.

6. Drive Your Car

Yes! You can make money by driving your car around your city. Now, this will vary from city to city but I know a lot of different people who make great extra income by picking up and dropping people off! My husband actually makes an extra $300 every weekend driving Uber for only a few hours per week. Below are different ways to make extra income with your car. 

 

7. Teach English

Are you fluent in English? One of the coolest and funniest side jobs I signed up for is VIPKids! VipKids hires tutors to teach English to their student online as a second language. This job rocks because you can set your own schedule and can actually do the interview process online as well.  You also don’t have to be a certified teacher to apply. Some other places that hire tutors and teachers to teach English as a second language are:

 

8. Start A Blog

By far my favorite way to make extra money is starting a blog! Since I have started my blog I have been able to work from home and make more money than I did at my last full-time job. Crazy, right?  I currently make over $1500 per month with just my blog alone and growing.

So, if you have a topic you are passionate about you can totally start a blog and get your voice heard! So, if you are looking to start up a blog check out my step by step tutorial on how to get started today by clicking here.  Find out how to make money from blogging by clicking here!

9. Do Virtual Assistant Work

Did you know you can find a virtual assistant job right online?  With one of my virtual assistant jobs,  I made $15 hr an hr by completing tasks such as data entry and social media management. It didn’t take a lot to complete the tasks and I was in the comfy of my own home.  Here are my favorite Virtual Assistant job platforms

10. Write Online For Blogs

Are you a great writer and love to write? There a ton of places online that will pay talented writers to write for their blogs! It’s one of the quickest ways to make extra money and you will be doing something that you love– writing! I was super shocked after finding a ton of places online that will actually pay writers to write for them.  Some of my favorites places to write for online are

11. Babysit

Parents are always looking for new babysitters to help watch their children so this gig is one that will always be around. Websites like Care.com connects parents to a babysitter. The great thing about Care.com is that they actually do their due diligence and do all the background check to help the parents feel safe. So, if you are looking for a new gig and love working with children check out Care online!

 

ways to make extra money for Christmas

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Ann says

    This was a reminder for me. So thanks for posting! I’ve heard of all these 5 things on other sites but haven’t bothered to really try them out. I used to do surveys in the past and earn miles/gift cards but 15-30 minutes for each one……sighs. Got tired of it doing them.

    Reply

  10. Samantha says

    These are great resources! Another great way to sell things online are local Facebook buy/sell/trade groups. I’ve made quite a bit of fast, easy cash by selling things I no longer need or want.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Wooo hoo! That’s so awesome! Glad to hear you and your hubby are enjoying doing surveys online. 🙂
      It’s definitely a great way to earn extra money.

      Reply

  13. Michelle Catallo says

    I have been doing surveys for extra income for around 10 years now and it has truly helped with Christmas every year. Going to look up the book sites to maybe sell some off; we are definitely a reading family 🙂 thanks for all the tips and sites.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Michelle 🙂

      I totally agree. Doing surveys online has helped add extra income to my budget each year, I love them! 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  14. Emily says

    These are great ideas! I’d love to try some of those survey sites. I just sold a bunch of my old clothes yesterday which really helped with my holiday budget.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Emily!

      Awesome-Sauce!! So glad to hear you are ahead of the game with your holiday budget. 🙂 Woo Hoo!
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  18. Stefany says

    Thanks for the great tips and the ideas. You know Christmas is always a busy time, so it’s great to be organized and things we just don’t need no more should go. Fb groups are also great to sell stuff . Thanks for the information.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Stefany.

      Totally! Christmas is definitely a busy time for me too. Thanks for tip about the FB groups. I will check it out.

      Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Jen! 🙂

      I love mystery shopping as well. I had my first mystery shopping gig at a Jiffy Lube and I actually got a FREE oil change plus a small payment. #Score.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  20. Jessica says

    I love these! Sooo many great ways to score some extra cash. I don’t have to spend it all on Christmas gifts right? 😉

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Jessica! 🙂

      OMG! Yes! It’s so many ways to make extra money and I absolutely loving helping others find how they can.
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  21. Kristie says

    These are awesome tips! I was thinking of Uber, but my hubbs acts as if it’s not safe…but I defintely take advantage of most of these! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Kristie.:)

      I totally understand. My hubby acts like that as well. I remember when I was later in my pregnancy this summer he didn’t want me to
      take the Expressway, lol! 🙂
      Thanks a ton for stopping by.

      Reply

  22. Samantha says

    Awesome ideas! I have a ton of old baby things (high chairs, etc) that I know we’ll never need again, so I can’t wait to start selling some of this stuff!

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi, Samantha! 🙂

      Woo hoo! That’s perfect! I think That’s an awesome idea to sell your old baby things.
      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply

  23. Justine Guest says

    I hadn’t thought of doing this and I’m looking forward to checking them all out. Thanks so much for the great idea.

    Reply

  26. carissa garabedian says

    WOW! What a list! This is great, I am going to look into some of these! Surveys will be an easy way to make some , I like the website trying too! I use Ebates a lot and love to get money back from them too! Thanks for this great list!

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Thanks, Jennifer. 🙂 That’s an awesome to look at it. Before I had my baby in September my hubby and I gave a ton of stuff away to make room in our place. 🙂

      Reply

  30. Sarah says

    I have tried InboxDollars without much success in the past but some of the other options are new to me which is exciting! Another “hustle” I’ve had good luck with is grocery rebate apps like Ibotta. It’s pretty exciting to make money back from things you were going to buy anyway!

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hey Britney!

      That’s super awesome! I just sold and gave a ton of stuff away to make room for our new bundle of joy, Austin! 🙂

      Reply

  36. Courtney B says

    Great list! I do this too and it really does pay off. You posted two survey sites I’ve never heard of, so I can’t wait to check them out! I also knew about UserTesting…but had no idea there were other sites like it! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  39. Erin Nichols says

    I have heard of most of these, but I didn’t know about focus groups. I am going to check into them for sure, and possibly taking some surveys. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      OMGlee! Yes, focus groups are amazing! I just did one a couple of weeks ago and earned at $60 gift card for watching TV for an hour. 🙂

      Reply

  47. Krista Dial says

    Absolutely love these tips! Especially the idea for testing websites. That seems simple enough. I used to do the online surveys several years ago before starting my online business, but the payoff just wasn’t worth the time. What’s your favorite survey site?

    Reply

  51. Christina Ray says

    These issome great information I am going to have to check into these programs; so, I can hopefully make some extra money will I am going to college to become a web designer.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Oh, yeah! Focus Groups are my jam! 🙂 I just recently earned $60 bucks from one a couple of weeks ago to watch TV. 🙂

      Reply

  53. Dia All The Things I Do says

    I’ve yet to find one of these that really has a great return of investment for me. I do the NCP surveys and record purchases. I also have done one focus group it paid $100 for 2 hours which was great but it was literally because I had a friend who knew someone looking for volunteers. I’ll have to look into these.

    Reply

    • Latasha says

      Hi Dia! 🙂

      Oh, yeah! I really LOVE focus groups. I just recently worked with one of the companies listed in this list and earn $200 to talk about my opinions on the weather.
      I hope you can find some rock star ones in this list as well. 🙂

      Reply

  57. Mary says

    I love these ideas!! Even though I already have all my money budgeted and saved up for the holiday season, I can make a few more bucks to sustain my photography, which can get a bit pricey as we know….. 😉 i’m bookmarking this for 2017, thanks for sharing!! 😀

    Reply

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