When it comes to money, it’s likely that you’ll spend more than you’ll earn during the festive season. In fact, that’s why most advice is aimed at talking you through how to spend less and why there are thousands of tips geared towards putting you in reach of better deals. The name of the game is to help you make it through the silly season so that you can financially survive past the middle of January. Which is typically when our money runs out, right? 

But how often do you see advice on how to make more money during this wonderful time of year? Not often. Until now, that is. We’ve narrowed down a few side hustles that will help you earn money this festive season. There are even a few tips on how to make sure you know what you’re getting into so that you don’t waste your time.  

Who knows, this information may just prove useful long after the festive season has passed.  

But First, Is It Worth It? 

This is a good question, because the December break may be your only time off and you don’t want to risk burnout by not switching off when you have the chance. It’s important to evaluate if you can mentally and physically afford to keep working or if you need to take a proper break.  

If you can keep going, then the right side hustle has the potential to bring in extra money, help you develop new skills that may expose you to new opportunities, allow you to explore and work on your own ideas, and lay the foundation for a backup plan if your main job doesn’t work out.  

Earn Extra Money With These 5 Side Hustles 

The treats, activities, and gifts, as well as possible accommodation and travel costs, anything extra is why the festive season is so expensive – and why it’s easy to feel pressured into spending more than you can afford. But there are also ways to make more money, which we’ll list right here for you to peruse. 

Here are some ideas to help you make money: 

1. Bake Christmas Treats – Baked goods are always a hit over Christmas, from people wanting delicious treats in their homes or to give out as gifts. The best thing is, you only need an oven, a few ingredients, and a cute label that looks good on the socials. 

2. Sell Your Stuff – Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and Yaga are all great places to sell all the stuff you don’t need or want online. This is a highly lucrative way to declutter your home and earn some extra cash. 

3. Wrap Gifts – Use those neighbourhood networking and buy/sell WhatsApp groups to your advantage and advertise your gift-wrapping services.  

4. Christmas Doodles – If you have any design talents (or know how to work Canva), create festive doodles for greetings cards and simple posters. Promote your services online or within your neighbourhood.  

5. The Crafty Bits – Pinterest and the Internet in general is loaded with simple ideas to help you create homemade products, from candles and soaps to jewellery and Christmas ornaments, so get crafting and advertise your products online or within your neighbourhood.  

Some Advice To Get You Started  

The reality is that for some people, extra income is the only way to afford the things they want. But before you or anyone else leaps into the side hustle way of life, take a look at these tips so that you’re prepared to make it a success.  

• Nothing important is easy, so be prepared to work hard. 
• You don’t want to clash with your day job, so check for conflicts of interest. 
• Before you choose a hustle, identify what you’re good at and what you like.  
• Decide if you want to spend any money, because you may have to invest a bit.  
• Don’t forget about your day job, because while a side line can help you earn extra, the paycheck from your main job is needed more.  

Feeling informed?  

We all look forward to the joys of the season, but with this time of year becoming increasingly more expensive, it can make sense to invest in a side line business. Not just so that you can make December as enjoyable as possible, but also survive the whole of January. 

If this rings true for you, we trust that this information will help you. 

Don’t forget that AA Inform is home to a range of useful tools and resources, including access to our Personal Loan Calculator, free property valuation reports, multiple car and home insurance quotes through the AA Insurance Supermarket, and much more.