17 Ways To Earn Extra Cash For Your Holiday Spending
b'With Bob Niedt, Online Editor at Kiplinger.com
The holidays might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it\\u2019s also the most expensive. It\\u2019s when most of us are wishing we had more to spend on presents, entertaining, or simply to pay off those end of year bills.
Award-winning journalist and Online Editor at Kiplinger.com, Bob Niedt wrote an article listing 17 ways\\u2014beyond setting up a lemonade stand\\u2014to generate extra cash for your holiday spending.
* Sell unwanted electronics: Check on Gamestop.com, com, Nextworth.com, and Usell.com for ways to sell your smartphones, tablets, game consoles, video games, textbooks. Shipping is free with all of these sites.
* Search for unclaimed property: Anyone can search a state\\u2019s unclaimed property database through naupa.org or missingmoney.com. You might discover uncollected insurance benefits, utility deposits, or an unclaimed inheritance.
* Adjust your tax withholding: If you\\u2019re one of the lucky ones who received a tax refund for 2015, you can go to HR and adjust your withholding so that your take home pay rises. Kiplinger offers an easy-to-use withholding calculator.
* Tutor or teach: Explore sites such as Wyzant.com and Tutor.com or check with social media sites for areas matching your skills and expertise. Various staffing firms across the country post positions for substitute teachers and other educational staffing positions.
* Be a tour guide: Check out the travel guide site Vayable.com and your local places of historic interest which attract more visitors during the holidays.
* Get paid for your opinions: You can participate in an in-person focus group such as those run by Focus Pointe Global or take online and phone surveys for the Harris Poll and Inspired Opinions. In addition, you can be an \\u201conline juror\\u201d at Ejury.com and Onlineverdict.com.
* Sell gently worn clothing: Take your used clothing and accessories to local consignment shops, sell online at thredup.com and Therealreal.com, or set up your own account on Ebay.com.
* Join a street team: Companies such as Street Team Promotion need helpers to promote films, products, and events by handing out samples or waving signs.
* Babysit: Be a nanny or babysitter by placing a listing on sites such as Care.com and sittercity.com, or do it the old-fashioned way by putting the word out with your friends and neighbors.
* Sell excess furniture: Take your used furniture and home accessories to a local consignment shop, advertise on Craigslist, or investigate online sites such as Chairish.com
* Redeem reward points: One-third of all rewards go unredeemed each year, so check your accounts and make your claim.
* Walk dogs: People are busy at this time of year, so taking Polly the Pug for a walk in the park could earn you anywhere from $15 to $30 an hour. Advertise on Craigslist or with your local veterinarian\\u2014or, again, ask around.
* Sell your creations: Your Christmas cookies, homemade decorative greeting cards, or any other creative hobby could sell on sites such as Etsy, Deviantart, or Zazzle\\u2014or at local fairs.
* Participate in clinical trials: Play safe with this one by checking with Clinicaltrials.gov, but you could pad your wallet by joining a legitimate study for medical or pharmaceutical companies.
* Cash in unused gift cards: Check in all your nooks and crannies for any forgotten gift cards and contact a gift card resale site such as Giftcardgranny, cardpool, and Junkcard to get at least partial value.
* Perform odd jobs & small tasks: Advertise your writing, translation,'