10 Weird Ways to Make Extra Money to Pay for Christmas Presents - What Mommy Does (2024)

Shared on October 31 Leave A Comment

Every October, I print out this Christmas gift list template and write down everyone we need to buy presents for. I estimate how much I think I should spend on each person and add up the total.

Then the fun starts. Because I love thinking up ways to make extra money, I have fun with our Christmas budget. It doesn’t stress me out one bit – I look at it like a challenge!

I like figuringout ways to make money between October and December 25th to pay for all of the Christmas gifts on my list (that, and also trying to see if I can find coupons & deals along the way so I can come in lower than budgeted!). My goal is to always pay for Christmas without using our “regular” money. 🙂

So without further ado, here are 10 weird ways to make extra money so you can pay for Christmas gifts without stressing out your budget!

It’s a combination of ways to earn extra money with a few ways to save money/stretch your dollars around the holidays. Both strategies together can add up to real savings! Ihope you find some ideas in this list!

1. Go on a spending fast. $3 here, $10 there.…it all adds up! For a week’s time, stop yourself from spending random bits of money and put that in your Christmas stash instead. I bet you’ll collect more than you think you can.
2. Round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and put the change in your Christmas money jar.
3. Advertise on your car – agree to let them cover the sides and rear view window of your car with advertising, and you’re in business! Carvertise is one company that offers this in a few states. I found quite a few companies like this – all you have to is Google “advertise on your car.” I know this one takes more work than the rest, but it is legit – I see people driving around my town with car advertisem*nts all the time.
4. Refer your friends a money saving site.My favorite is Ebates. Seriously, it’sthe bomb because you don’t have to spend money to get cash from this cash back website – you just have to refer your friends! I love it and make at least $100-$200 every Christmas season plus $25-40 randomly throughout the year. It adds up! This post explains how it all works.
5. Go way overboard on Christmas decorations – We always ride around to the houses in our town each year that have crazy light displays. They’re so interesting to look at! And they all accept donations near their mailbox. 🙂 It would cost money up front, but could be worth it. I’m thinking anything with a “wow” factor could work; it wouldn’t necessarily mean your whole house has to be decorated with thousands of lights. We drove out to a house in a nearby town last year just because they had a Frozen themed front yard. 🙂
6. Collect recyclables – I used to do this with my mom as a kid, and I know several people who still do it. Depending on where you live, you can find recycling centers that pay for aluminum, paper, glass, etc.
7. Offer to bake Christmas cookies for friends – I know several people who buy the homemade cookies they take to Christmas cookie exchanges. Sounds crazy, but if you know people who have no time but need cookies for an upcoming cookie party, you can make a little bit of money that way!
8. Borrow an outfit for an upcoming event – It never fails…we get to the holidays and are invited to a couple parties, and I never feel like I have something cute to wear. So I end up spending money on an outfit I wear only once or twice. Don’t spend money willy nilly like that – borrow a dress, jewelry and possibly shoes from a friend and call it a day! If this isn’t an option for you…consider Goodwill! I bought an evening dress there recently for like $10!
9. Plant flower bulbs – I never remember to plant flowering bulbs around my mailbox before spring rolls around. You can plant them as early as the previous fall in many places. Offer to do this in/around your neighborhood for a small fee. I bet you will find at least several paying customers.
10. Give an IOU as a gift – Already have a trip planned for next year but didn’t tell the kids yet? We do! We’re going to Disney World. I think part of their Christmas presents will be a “voucher” for ONE TRIP TO DISNEYWORLD along with a small souvenir item to be cute. Is that bad?

• Become a virtual assistant (one of my favorites ways to earn extramoney fast)
• Clean houses(apparently a very controversial post…I share my thoughts on how much I pay our house cleaner) 🙂
• Start a blog(a step by step guide to starting a blog complete with lessons I learned on what NOT to do!)