17 Festive Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas (2026)

Saving money on festive ways make extra does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.

Key Takeaways

• 17 Festive Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas A few extra shifts or a timely side hustle can go a long way toward offsetting the cost of...
• Here are a few ways to make extra money this holiday season.
• Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: November 5, 2025 Reviewed by Ben Watson, CPA Home Side Hustles Some of the links on DollarSprout point to...

17 Festive Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas

A few extra shifts or a timely side hustle can go a long way toward offsetting the cost of Christmas. Here are a few ways to make extra money this holiday season.

Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: November 5, 2025 Reviewed by Ben Watson, CPA

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If you’ve taken more than a few laps around the sun, you know full well that battle lines are drawn in the sand come November 1st.

On one side are the boring folk who actually celebrate Fall. On the other, the sane people who start preparing for a Yuletide celebration.

But with persistent Grinch-like inflation, decorations, gifts, and celebratory lights don’t come affordable.

If you’re stuck wondering how you’ll pay for it all, we’ve prepped a list of over a dozen holiday side hustles you can try to earn extra spending money this Christmas season.

In This Article show 17 Best Holiday Side Hustles 1. Get a delivery gig 2. Offer pet-care services 3. Babysit 4. Offer a gift-wrapping service 5. Hang holiday lights 6. Host a yard sale 7. Sell unique or handmade Christmas decorations 8. Pick up a seasonal job 9. Offer a holiday errand service 10. Assemble toys or furniture 11. Sell digital holiday printables 12. Sell a service 13. Housesit 14. Use AI to help businesses with content creation 15. Advertise non-standard maintenance services 16. Become a ho-ho handyman 17. Get a mystery shopping gig Other Christmas Money Ideas

17 Best Holiday Side Hustles

If you need extra money for Christmas gifts, consider one , or several , of these options for realistically creating a $250 to $1,000 sinking fund you can use to purchase presents in the coming weeks.

1. Get a delivery gig

Delivery companies have moved to allow orders to be delivered via car, motorcycle, scooter, bike, or even on foot.

The gig economy has exploded in recent years, and delivery gigs are one of the easiest ways to make extra money for Christmas.

Apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats let you earn cash on your schedule, with holiday demand making dinner hours (5-8 p.m.) and weekends especially profitable. Whether you’re driving a car, riding a bike, or even walking, you can be up and running within days.

If delivering food isn’t your thing, platforms like Amazon Flex, Veho, or Shipt let you deliver packages or groceries instead. For something steadier, shipping giants like UPS and FedEx are always hiring seasonal workers this time of year, and some positions pay up to $42 an hour. Bonus: Nearly ⅓ of seasonal workers end up with full or part-time roles after the holidays.

Whether you stick with flexible gig apps or opt for something more stable, delivery work is a excellent way to pad your wallet before Christmas rolls around.

Related: DoorDash Driver Review: How It Works, Pay & Is It Worth It?

2. Offer pet-care services

The holiday season means peak travel time for families , and not everyone can bring their furry friends along for the trip. That’s where pet care services come in. Apps like Rover and Wag make it simple to connect with pet owners looking for dog walking, overnight care, or drop-in visits.

Pet sitting rates can exceed $50 per night, and demand skyrockets around Thanksgiving and Christmas when kennels are fully booked. If you’re an animal lover, this is one of the most enjoyable ways to earn extra cash quickly.

Getting started is simple: create a profile, set your availability, and choose the types of services you want to offer. You can also advertise locally through platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor to avoid app fees. For a small background check fee (Rover charges $35; Wag charges $50), you’ll be ready to start earning.

With minimal effort, pet care can become a reliable income source for the holidays , and maybe even beyond!

Related: Rover Review 2025: Our Tips for a Profitable Pet-Sitting Gig 

3. Babysit

I consider myself a patient person, but working from home with four children of my own means I have very little energy left over to even dream of watching someone else’s kids. But if your circumstances are different than mine, there’s a never-ending need for childcare in this world, and you can be there to help fill the void.

If you set rates at slightly less than someone’s entire paycheck, odds are you’ll be booked out before you can even finish setting up your profile on sites like Care.com or Sittercity.

Or, forego platforms that charge a fee and cross-list your services on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and other local classified boards.

4. Offer a gift-wrapping service

If you’re detail-oriented and have a knack for wowing with wrap, you could turn that skill into a thriving side hustle. Michelle Hensley, DollarSprout reader and founder of Nifty Package Co., started her mobile gift-wrapping business with supplies she had lying around the house. Initially, she offered her services to neighbors and local businesses, promoting herself on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

Her knack for detail and unique offerings , like next-day guarantees and premium wrapping services , helped her quickly grow her business. Michelle began earning a few hundred dollars a week during her first holiday season, and over time, she scaled her operation into a full-time venture, now making over $300,000 per year.

You don’t need to aim for six figures to earn a little extra Christmas cash. Start small by stocking up on essentials like tape, scissors, gift bags, and wrapping paper. Use free platforms like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to list your services. Offering perks like pick-up and delivery or unique wrapping styles can help you stand out and charge premium rates.

Related: How One Woman Built a $300,000 Mobile Gift Wrapping Business

5. Hang holiday lights

Since light installation isn’t typically a year-round gig, there aren’t numerous businesses that offer this sort of service. In fact, there’s only 1 small business that offers it within 100 miles of where I live in southwest Virginia.

It comes as no surprise to me, then, that another DollarSprout reader , Steve Hunsaker , made nearly $800,000 last year hanging Christmas lights in suburban Scottsdale, Arizona. The crazy pa

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check festive ways make extra against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.