Ways to Save Money and Make Extra Money for Christmas

If you're looking for better ways to budget for Christmas, then this guide can help. Here are ways to save money and make extra money for Christmas.

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When polled, Americans said they plan on spending over $900 on gifts this holiday season. If that amount seems impossible to achieve for you, then think again.

There are some tips and tricks you can utilize so you can save and earn extra money for Christmas. It may not seem like much at first, but before you know it, it'll all add up. And as a result, you'll be able to spoil your loved ones rotten.

Are you ready to get more cash in your pocket this holiday season? Then read on to find out how to save and make extra money for Christmas.

Ways to Save Money for Christmas

Bills and other necessities might make it tough to save some money. But here are some small things you can do to put a bit away for some wonderful Christmas gifts.

Download Coupon Apps

The worst thing to do is to buy presents at full price. You can shave a few bucks off of each gift with coupons, and no one would be the wiser since they're still receiving the same quality product.

You can forget about clipping coupons in the old-fashioned and time-consuming way too. Nowadays, we've got coupon apps that'll automatically give you discounts and cash back when you make purchases.

Just make sure you double-check the true retail value of these things before hitting "buy". Often, retailers will inflate the prices and then show an insane discount to get you to buy. But in reality, the discount price is just as much as the original.

Minimize Credit Card Use

It might feel a lot easier and less stressful to swipe all your Christmas purchases. But if you don't have the money to pay the amount back, then this can quickly become a nightmare. Credit card debt can spiral out of control, especially if you don't have great interest rates.

So be smart and minimize your credit card usage; make sure you only spend what you can pay back. And pay at least the minimum balance on time every month to avoid late fees and penalties to your credit score.

Also, prioritize using the ones with the lowest interest rates and best rewards. That way, you can earn some points and cash back with your holiday purchases.

Save Socially

Everyone knows that putting a buck or two from each paycheck into your savings account can grow a Christmas fund quickly. But it can be hard to hold yourself accountable, and you might get lazy or determine that the money could be used elsewhere.

You can make saving into a fun game with some friendly competition by saving socially. Get your best friend(s) in on the action, and check in with each other at the end of each week. You'll find yourself with lots of motivation to save, and you might even find yourself throwing in some extra money to get ahead.

Take Advantage of Free Shipping Day

You can save money by buying gifts online. You have more options, so there's a chance you might find significantly cheaper items. But you can save further by taking advantage of Free Shipping Day, which falls in the middle of December every year!

On this day, online merchants, both small and large, will give you free shipping. Better yet is, they'll guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve, so you won't have to worry about presents arriving late.

Considering that some online merchants charge an arm and a leg for shipping, and you have many loved ones to give gifts to, you can save a nice chunk of change here.

Give Your Time or Homemade Gifts

Spending more money doesn't necessarily mean your recipients will love the gifts more. Doing something that shows thoughtfulness and care will mean more than flashing cash.

You can give your loved ones vouchers for favors, such as house-sitting, babysitting, dog walking, cooking, cleaning, music lessons, etc.

Or you can get creative, gather everything you have in the house, and DIY presents. For example, you can make candles and wall art, as well as potpourri, room sprays, and more. This is the perfect opportunity to make use of items that have been lying around unused.

Do Your Shopping Early

The longer you wait, the more expensive things will be. Not to mention, they'll be harder to find too, since everyone else is doing last-minute shopping as well.

Ideally, you should buy gifts all throughout the year and stash them in the closet. That way, you take advantage of the random sales you run across.

There's still time to find good deals, but hurry. If it's already too late, then at least keep this tip in mind when the new year starts.

The bonus of shopping early is that you won't have to deal with crowded parking lots and stores. You can sit at home stress-free, wrapping your gifts, while everyone else is fighting to nab presents.

Buy Second-Hand Items

This might seem tacky, but honestly, if you pick like-new items, your giftees won't even know the difference.

Luckily for you, many people clear out their homes before the holidays to make room for guests and to get some cash. So if you go to second-hand stores late in the year, there's a good chance that you'll be lucky and find things that are barely used.

Buying used items is also a good idea if you're trying to be more sustainable. Instead of going to the landfill, these things will have a new home in your loved ones' houses.

Do a Secret Santa Exchange

Saving money on gifts couldn't be easier than with a Secret Santa exchange. Instead of buying nine gifts for your group of 10 friends, you'd all buy one gift each instead. Then, you'll get together to swap presents and reveal each other's personal Santas.

If you're used to the regular Secret Santa game, then not to worry. There are variations to keep things interesting!

Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas

You now know some ways to save money for the holidays. But how can you add to your funds even more?

Here are some creative ways to add to the pot.

Sell Your Craft

Chances are, you're good at a type of art. Usually, you like to do this in your spare time, but why not have fun and make money simultaneously?

For instance, maybe you like crocheting stuffed animals. You can sell the ones you've got already, and make some more to boost your income too.

Check with local crafts fairs so you can get a booth set up at their next event.

Or if you want to make sales fast, try online marketplaces, like Etsy. You'll have to deal with marketing and shipping your products, but if you do it right, you can come into some major cash in a short period of time.

Sell Propagations of Your Plants

During the pandemic, people went nuts for houseplants. You might have a few yourself, and in these last years, you've nurtured them to grow and flourish.

While prices are slowly dropping since the craze is ebbing and more plants are on the market, you can still fetch a pretty penny for some plants. For example, you might have a Monstera albo that's humongous. You can cut off the different nodes, root them, then sell them to other plant enthusiasts.

Not only can you share the joy of rare plants this way, but you can also keep growth down, especially if you're running out of space. And because all it takes is your time and love to grow these plants, you can keep making money off propagations, so long as your plants stay healthy.

Sell Old Gift Cards

You've probably received gift cards from your loved ones from last Christmas or your birthday. While you appreciated the sentiment, you really didn't have much use for an iTunes gift card when you don't listen to much music. Or maybe you got a gift card for a local restaurant, and you went once but didn't find their food spectacular.

Well, it's time to dust these unused gift cards off and sell them. Consider lowering the price a little (i.e. ask $20 for a card with $25 on it) to entice people to buy.

You'll kill two birds with one stone here: your gift cards go to people who will truly appreciate them, and you'll have money to use on Christmas presents.

Have a Garage Sale

On that note, why not declutter more than just your junk drawer? There are probably tons of hidden treasures you've long forgotten about.

Anything you haven't used or worn in over a year should be in the "sell" pile. This includes things like clothes, shoes, accessories, sports equipment, etc.

Freeing up room in your home and having more cash to buy gifts will relieve stress in more ways than one.

Fill Out Online Surveys

Companies always want to know what consumers think about their services and products. And if they're creating something new, they want to know what works (and what doesn't) before they sink significant funds into it.

This is your time to shine, as they'll pay you for your time. It might be a little boring, and the pay may not be high, but it's easy work to give your thoughts and opinions. Making money online also means you don't have to leave the house and commute.

If you find enough surveys to fill your time, you'll accumulate a sizable sum to cash out and buy presents with.

Do Product Testing

Once a company has a product, their job isn't done yet, even if they've conducted initial research. They need consumers to test it before they put it on the market. This achieves two things: not only do they learn if people actually like their product, but they can also iron out any kinks too.

This opens many opportunities for you, as product testing can be fun and an extra source of income. While some sites pay peanuts, again, what you put in is what you get. If you invest time in product testing, you can build up a good fund for Christmas.

Make Passive Income

Add more to your Christmas funds by making passive income. This idea lets you multitask and make other active sources of income, so you're working smarter, not harder.

You'll need to put in some effort to get your passive income streams going. But if you do it right, you can sit back and watch money come in easily.

Some ideas include investing in real estate, getting into affiliate marketing, creating YouTube channels, investing in dividend stocks, creating a niche blog, and creating tutorials and lessons. These are but a few suggestions though; anything you're good at, try to spin it into a way to continuously generate income.

Make Your Loved Ones Happy This Holiday Season

Everyone can use some extra money for Christmas, so apply what you've learned in this article to your own life. Better yet, spread it to your friends and family so they can make this holiday season better too!

And not only can you make extra money, but you can also save more too. All your efforts put together will allow you to have a good Christmas, all without putting yourself into debt!

So let your stress melt away and relax this December. Have a lovely time making memories with your loved ones.

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