5 ways to generate quick cash for Christmas
Christmas is a lovely time of year, but it’s also one of the priciest.
The typical household spends over £500 more than usual in the month of December, according to statistics from the Bank of England, showing just how much of a premium the festive period can be.
And, if you’re usually one of the people who stretches their budget at this time of year, you may find money’s a bit tight by the time January rolls around, putting your finances in a tough spot. To avoid starting the New Year in the red, there’s no time like the present to earn some last-minute funds. Thankfully, we’ve put together five ways to generate quick cash for Christmas 2018.
Get into matched betting
Always thought betting was a risky business? Time to think again! Matched betting is a method that takes advantage of the free bets offered by bookies and turns them into a regular income with virtually no risk of losing. The beauty of this activity is that you don’t need to be a sport or gambling expert to get involved, just a small amount of time to dedicate to organising your bets and possibly tracking them using a site, such as BET BIND.
You will need to put some money into a starting pot to get the ball rolling, but once you get the hang of finding and placing those free bets, you can watch your funds increase. It might sound complex, but it really isn’t once you’re familiar with the process — read this beginner’s guide to matched betting by OddsMonkey and things will be a lot clearer!
Sell your clutter
If you own a lot of things you don’t really use, you could be sitting on a goldmine of potential cash. From the old mobile phone at the bottom of your drawer to those shoes you only wore once, you’d be amazed at the items that can be sold, especially online.
Gumtree, eBay, and Craigslist are three marketplaces where you can just about sell anything to anyone. There are also more specialist services you can take advantage of: Depop for clothing; musicMagpie for books,DVDs, and games; and Hatton Garden Metals for gold, silver, and other jewellery — just to name a few. Do some research, then get selling.
Take some surveys
Do you like giving your opinion about things? Then getting compensated for completing surveys could be the ideal side hustle for you in the run up to Christmas and New Year. The pay-off from sites that offer paid surveys isn’t huge on its own but completing a form here and there could add up if you have a few minutes spare each day.
There are some sites out there that aren’t as reliable, so you’ll need to do a background check before signing up. At the same time there are quite a few genuine feedback sites you can sign up to, such as Swagbucks, MySurvey, and Toluna. Have a look at this guide from Save the Student that has an extensive list of real websites that offer real cash and rewards for your time.
Use cashback websites when shopping
If you aren’t already using cashback sites when you buy items online, you’ve been missing out. These websites pay their members a percentage of money earned when an item is bought through one of their affiliate links. This means that you’ll get a certain amount of cash back whenever you buy something — ideal when you still have Christmas gifts to get.
It’s worth looking into sites like TopCashback and QuidCo, as they offer a huge range of products you can earn money from. You may also find cashback offers from individual retailers that can be taken advantage of, especially if it’s for a larger purchase.
Rent your driveway or parking space
Should you have some additional room on your driveway or a spare parking space, you could earn some extra cash by renting it out. This is especially true if you live in a city that sees a lot of commuters and you reside close to the centre, as parking permits can be very expensive.
If you’ve got excess space, you can sign up to a listing site like JustPark or yourparkingspace and start advertising. Another huge advantage of this is that it falls under the Government’s property allowance that allows you to earn £1,000 per year tax-free from income generated by using your home or land. As long as you bring in less than this, you won’t need to inform HMRC.
Try out our five easy ways to make money before Christmas and you could gain some much-needed extra income to ease you through December. Happy earning!
