How to save for Christmas and pay CASH for Christmas gifts. Here are some different ways for you to earn $500 by Christmas Day!
How to Save for Christmas and Pay CASH for Christmas Gifts This Year
Wouldn't it be fun to use only cash for Christmas this year? With a few months to go before the Holiday season arrives, you still really do have plenty of time.
Determine this year to pay only cash, and I promise your January budget will thank you for it.
Note – you can also choose to spend less on Christmas this year. We'll talk more about that in the upcoming weeks, but I want you to start saving for Christmas first!
Here are a few ways to Save for Christmas:
Sell your stuff
1. De-clutter your home and make a buck (or two….. or $200.)
Go through your home and see if there's anything available to sell. Just yesterday I sold a couch that we were no longer using for $100 via an online yard sale Facebook group, and I recently made $70Â selling my kids clothes as well. Not only will you make some money to use for Christmas, you'll de-clutter your home too!
2. Sell books, electronics, and more on Amazon
You're still able to sell some things on Amazon – just check out how to sign up, list your items, and enjoy your savings!
3. Sell gift cards you won't use.
Do you have gift cards you won't use? Visit Raise.com where you can sell your gift cards. You won't get the full face value but you will get a decent rate, so this is a great way to save if you can't use a gift card you've been given.
4. Sell plasma
This is a great way to help someone in need and earn a little cash. Check out this article to learn more. (While this isn't one I've ever tried myself, it really is a legitimate way to earn a few extra dollars and could benefit someone who needs it!)
5. Sell stuff on Ebay.
You really can sell just about ANYTHING on Ebay. Truly – you can sell anything from used baby food jars, empty paper towel rolls, used toilet paper rolls or an old laptop on ebay.
Sell your services
6. Babysit.
Have kids at home? Offer to babysit for a working mom to earn extra income.
7. Paint a room.
Love to paint? Charge $100 to paint a room – odds are someone else would love to have that project done for them, and it's an easy way to learn some extra cash!
8. Clean houses.
9. Do yard work.
As the leaves start to change, lots of folks will have yard work that needs to be taken care of. Offer to mulch flower beds, weed, or bag leaves, and charge $100 for your work.
10. Walk a dog, or two.
Live in a neighborhood with many pets? Offer to walk your neighbors pets while they're away at work each day. Average rate is $10 per hour, so in just 10 hours you could make $100! Try out sites like Care.com and Rover.com to find someone in your area (or find a local networking group for your community on Facebook and offer your services there.)
Additional Ways to Save For Christmas
11. Take online surveys or try out Swagbucks.
You won't quickly earn $100 through online surveys, but each time you take a survey you can earn a dollar or two. Â Take advantage of ways to earn for free on Swagbucks too!
12. Â Mystery shopping.
If you shop regularly (and don't have small children), you can sign up to be a mystery shopper at local stores in your area. Check out ways to earn as much as $25 per shopping trip over HERE.
13. Take advantage of rebate apps.
Apps like Ibotta, and Checkout 51 offer you the ability to earn cash on items you're already purchasing. Save the money you receive in those accounts for the next few months towards cash or for gift cards at stores like Amazon, Walmart and more, and you can easily earn a little extra spending money before Christmas. Learn more HERE.Â
Save some moo-lah in places you might not think about ….
14. Take a spending “fast”.
For 5 to 10 days, determine as a family to spend nothing. No eating out, no grocery shopping, no entertainment, no nothing. Odds are you'll come up with a nice little bit of extra change in just a few days, which can definitely come in handy during the Christmas season. (We recently worked on seriously cutting back our expenses for one month, and it was amazing how much we saved simply by really focusing on trimming our budget as a family!)
15. Skip meals out for 2 weeks and add any money you would normally spend to your Christmas fund.
16. Give up cable.
If you're willing to cut cable, you can save a bundle every month. There are TONS of ways now to cut cable, and most of the time you end up still having the shows and movies you like to watch at half the cost.
17. Cut back on housing expenses.Â
Call your local internet provider and ask for a discount. (It works – I saved $485 in a 20 minute phone call that way!) Skimp on your cell phone plan. Cancel a home phone if you don't need it. Look at all of your monthly bills, and see if there are any bills you can change by either getting rid of them completely or making a phone call to get a reduced payment.
What other suggestions do you have to save for Christmas? I'd love to hear what's working for you!Â
Beverly Reese says
Any money making tips that actually work for the elderly?
Beverly Reese says
Great ideas to save for Christmas. Do you have any ideas for the ELDERLY?
Beverly Reese says
This is a great list to make money for Christmas gifts. Do you have a list that the elderly can do?
Elizabeth McPherson says
I was really surprised to see on your list of ways to save up to $500 for Xmas the mystery shopping idea.
1. I don’t know if you have ever really been a mystery shopper or if you are just taking this old idea from other sites, but almost every single mystery shopper situation people can find are scams. Major companies do have some mystery shoppers but they are interviewed and hired on as employees with the actual company. I know for a fact that a major gas station has a mystery shopper. But that person has a W-2 and is background checked and the whole normal corporate job related experience.
But almost every company that claims all they do is send in mystery shoppers to random stores that I’ve researched are all scams. They are only out there to make you pay some how. It’s very similar to the old read for money scams. Book companies don’t pay outside people to read books fir money. It’s just a scam to get people to give over all of their security personal information. Social security numbers and such.
I can only hope your site is legitimate as this is the first time I’ve found it and the first time I’ve read an article. I can only hope you will then remove anything that could get customers/people to have their personal information, bank accounts, social security etc stollen from them and take it off your site.
There are so many people needing extra money these days now that Covid has increased pricing on EVERYTHING. There are many seniors who could fall into traps. I’m only hoping you will help them stay safe by submitting safe, legitimate ideas.
Thank you and FYI:I did really like the info on the Bath and Bodyworks sale. But on day one of the sale they sold out by 12:32pm central standard time of ALL 3 wick candles online.
TJ says
Please search reviews about Cardpool before using them. I found tons of negative reviews and will not risk sending them any cards.
Kathy says
I set up a savings account at my bank and every month with out fail I put $100 in it. If we have extra money after budgeting for savings, vacation, home improvements, etc. it als goes in the Christmas account. As it stands right now I have Christmas paid for for the next 4 years.
Amanda Lynd says
I always spend just cash on Christmas. I start right after the new year when Christmas and winter items go on sale and with season changes. I had someone ask me though on how I knew what everyone wanted… I told them often times I take me kids to stores and watch what they pick up. Then I go back without them later. It gives me a chance to see if the item will go on sale.
I usually budget 30-50 a month. When adding in sale prices, that is a lot of gifts. But throughout the year that gives me an average of $600 and some months I can even budget more if I need to.
Laurie says
Thanks so much for sharing Amanda – love that you’re budgeting all year long!
Elizabeth McPherson says
Super smart. I do something similar and shop for people year round especially if I’m traveling. I look for those special items I think family or fiends will really like. Especially if it comes from a foreign location.
I know it’s still a hit or miss situation for the person I’m buying for. But unless people tell you exactly what they want, from which store and it falls within the price you can afford to pay -isn’t it always a hit or miss gift?
Good luck to all. Remember, gift receipts and always that the person giving is trying hard to do something nice for you. So regardless of the gift. Big thanks are always necessary and wonderful.