Cash to Carry On with the Holidays

Stuffing the holiday stockings comes with the reality that you likely need to stuff your pockets as well, with holiday cash. Who couldn’t use some extra money around the holidays? With that in mind, thewisdomjournal.com has some part-time ideas that may allow you to add to your household income.

Write
Do you have a flare for putting ideas onto paper…or a Word document? Between newspapers, magazines, blogs and such, there’s a lot of content out there. Someone has to write it, why not you, and get paid for it! Google “Freelance Writing” and see what might be the perfect fit for your skills/interests.

Teach
Do you like to share your knowledge? Maybe you speak a second language. Perhaps people envy your math skills. Whatever your special gift, have you ever thought of teaching? Your local community college might be looking for someone just like you. Or you could become a substitute teacher. Or, a student may need in-home tutoring.

Errands
Some people just aren’t able to get out for whatever reason (age, busy schedule, etc.). They still need the basics, and you could make the trips that bring it to them. You’ll also be track mileage for taxes at a specified amount per mile (check irs.gov for details).

Picking
If you’re pretty good at spotting gold in a pile of lead, you might want to scour the local garage/yard sale scene for treasures. It seems there are always stories circulating of someone buying a lamp for 50 cents then selling it for $300. It might as well be you!

Pressing
There are some things people just don’t like to be bothered with, that’s why we have laundry and other such services. Ironing would also fall into this category. How are you at sewing? If you ironed and did seamstress work, you just might have people beating down your door.

Bit by Byte
Have you acquired some useful computer skills? It seems everyone has a computer these days, and that means there are a lot of problems out there. How about troubleshooting? Or formatting media? Setting up? Or simply “cleaning up” computers for better speed?

Babysit
With so many parents working so may hours, chances are good people around you need someone to watch the kids, whether it’s while they’re working or while they get away from work (and the kids). As a niche market, many childcare businesses won’t take a sick child. If you formed a partnership with such a place, you could watch the mildly sick children the childcare establishment wouldn’t.

Photo Finish
Do you have a way with capturing the moment with a camera? Places like iStock purchase photos for others to use. Or maybe you could photograph/video special events like weddings, parties, etc. If you’re good with the latest movie software, you could even broaden your skills with a special movie/DVD of the events.

Home Made
How are you in the kitchen? In the garden? Jams, jellies, canned vegetables…there’s a market for it out there. Check into a local market or even over the Internet.

Pets Watch
Parents need babysitters, and pet owners need pet sitters. You could provide an alternative to those expensive kennels. If you don’t want all the pets in your home, you could watch them in the home of the owners, feeding them, walking them, etc.


And while it’s not a job, let’s not forget a simple lifestyle change. Cutting back on expenses could add funds to your holiday giving budget.

It may be too late for this holiday season, but keep in mind our Holiday Club Savings account. This special type of savings option is designed for people who like to routinely set aside a fixed amount of money for future holiday purchases. The entire balance saved in this account is disbursed automatically to your Vantage Credit Union checking or Regular Savings by automated transfer in mid-October.