Once Halloween passes, we are on a supercharged road to the holiday season, which means a lot of spending for many families. Whether you’re buying food for Thanksgiving, or presents for the holiday season, you may find yourself strapped for cash or exceeding your budget more than what’s comfortable for you and your family. Instead of cutting various expenses until you’ve run out of things to pay for (although that would be nice), here’s a guide to making extra money during the holidays:

Apply for seasonal positions

The good thing about the holidays is that it stimulates the economy and the job market, if only temporarily. Various retail chains and restaurants open their doors for seasonal workers to work long hours and cater to the increase of shoppers and diners over the hectic shopping months. You can certainly see your luck change in finding a job during this time of year. Applying early is your best bet, as the number of applications to these temporary positions will certainly be higher than you expect.

Minimize

The fact that people are looking for things to buy as gifts this time of year, this is the perfect time to minimize the amount of your positions, and profit from it. Take some time to get rid of clothes you no longer wear, gadgets you no longer use, and furniture you no longer need. You can either hold a yard sale, stating that every item must go, or take your selling talents online via Craigslist or your own online store.

Become a part time entrepreneur

If you like the allure of being your own boss, and you have a product or service to offer, you can consider making some extra money by becoming a part time entrepreneur. Maybe you’re an excellent baker and want to sell cookie tins for people who want to buy small gifts for coworkers. You might be a more creative person who can sell home decor on websites like Etsy. If you live in an area that gets snow this time of year, start marketing your snow plowing services, or even hanging Christmas lights. You can make just enough cash to break even on your gifts.

Ask for a raise

The end of the year spells “bonus” to many employees at different companies. If you’ve been putting in an extreme effort at your job and feel like it’s time to get that much deserved raise, now is the time to ask for it. Set up a meeting with your boss, come prepared with data supporting your progress over time, and don’t be afraid to negotiate and ask for a raise. That’s extra money not only for the holidays, but also for the long run!

Work overtime

A lot of workers choose winter time to take their vacation as opposed to summer depending on their destination. You can use this opportunity of less people being at work to request extra hours around the clock. Overtime can be made by putting in hours past your cut off date, or even volunteering to work on holidays so that you can receive holiday pay. If you don’t have anything planned for specific holidays, this is an excellent choice.

There are plenty of ways to make extra money for the holiday season, but the holidays will be coming sooner than we think, and you have to act now if you want to save up by then. What are some other suggestions you have for making extra money during this holiday season?

Briana

Briana

Briana Myricks is a 20 something freelance writer and blogger. Striving for financial independence as a newlywed, she blogs about young married life at 20 and Engaged.