Ahh, Thanksgiving: the fourth Thursday in November. A time to come together with family and friends, eat lots of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and….SHOP of course.
Yes, we all know that Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday 2021 will be the most significant shopping weekend of the year. Compared with Black Friday 2020, there is increased consumer confidence and you can be sure that people will be flocking to the stores and malls in record numbers.
So, you really want to go out and get your mom that new cashmere sweater or your crazy uncle that new set of golf clubs he’s been going on and on about. But, do you actually have holiday cash, or do you need to earn extra cash with a side hustle? We know you don’t want to find yourself with no money for the holidays!
Not to fear; here are 5 side gigs and crafty activities you can do ahead of Thanksgiving to earn some extra income. You’ll be sure you can buy gifts for every person on your nice list and win the holiday rush game this year:
1. Pet Sit
If you’re a dog or cat lover or an animal parent yourself, then this activity is for you.
Friends and family will certainly be traveling during the holiday season and this can be a great opportunity to watch their pets when they’re away from home for some extra spending cash in your wallet.
You can even find pet sitting gigs on apps like Rover and Wag, where you’ll find plenty of people in your local area in need of a great pet sitter like you!
2. Do Odd Jobs for Other People
Cleaning up the house ahead of the holidays can be a real pain. The floors need to be vacuumed and mopped, the bathroom needs to sparkle, piles of laundry need to be washed and folded, and even the leaves in the yard need to be cleaned up! Heck, people might even need help putting Christmas lights up the day after Thanksgiving after all that turkey.
If you’re handy and up for any sort of odd job around the house, we recommend that you sign up to become a Tasker on TaskRabbit or sign up to be a Professional on Handy. Both of these platforms connect you to people in your town or city who need help doing everyday tasks for themselves and their families that they just don’t have the time for.
And let’s be real: we all have less time during the holiday season to do the chores we always need to get done. So sign up, accept some tasks, and make some extra cash!
3. Take Online Surveys
This “work from home” gig is an easy way to put a few extra bucks in your pocket: take surveys online or on your phone!
Many platforms like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks allow users to take surveys on their own time and earn points to redeem for free money or actual prizes. You might be able to use that new gift card to cover the whole cost of mom’s new cashmere sweater or re-gift prizes!
4. Babysit
Any parent can tell you that the holiday season is a stressful time, especially when you have to make sure that your kids are happy! Parents can definitely use babysitters more frequently leading up to the holidays because they need more time to prepare for that family feast or to shop for gifts.
So why not make a post on Craigslist or Facebook letting your network and local community know that you’re available to babysit? Or better yet, find a babysitting gig near you on websites like Sittercity and Care.com. Believe us, there are plenty of parents willing to pay you for your time and effort.
If you have any previous childcare experience or any relevant certifications, be sure to mention this when posting; parents love to be reassured that their kids are safe.
5. Shop For and Deliver Groceries
Yes, you can even shop and deliver groceries for people (full time or part-time at your discretion) on platforms like Instacart and Shipt. You’ll easily make a sizable chunk of change before the holiday shopping season is upon us. In fact, you can even take advantage of customers placing a larger volume of orders in advance of holiday gatherings.
So, what are you waiting for? Get moving with one of these activities so you can start your holiday shopping extravaganza ASAP!
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