Making money from home during the holiday season can alleviate some of the money pressure felt at this time of year.
Presents, special recipes, dinner parties and decorations can add up and work against your family budget.
Toddlers, home-schooling and other duties make it almost impossible to work outside the home to bring in some extra dough.
Don't lose hope! There are still many options for moms who desire to make some holiday income from the comforts of their own home.
Creating family memories on a budget is the theme of this series on Kids Activities Blog! We are giddy to be working with
Dave Ramsey's Endorsed Local Providers (ELP) program which can help you find trustworthy and competent investment advisors, realtors, insurance agents or tax services in your hometown. You can sit down and create a custom financial plan with someone you are comfortable with and that your neighbors would recommend.
Check out these options and see which one best fits your lifestyle…
12 Ways Moms Can Make Money from Home During the Holidays
Bloom where you're planted. Don't you love all the gorgeous flower arrangements around the holidays? So do thousands of other people! Many florists are looking for people willing to work from home and take flower orders and more. Check online for popular floral sites who hire seasonally. You will need a strong internet connection, a head- set and great communication skills for this opportunity.
Run a few extra errands. Let friends and neighbors know that you are willing to help them out with errands that may not fit into their holiday schedule. Picking up dry cleaning, delivering rented party equipment, shopping for additional groceries, taking things to the post office, and even gift services can be fit alongside your own errands with kids in tow. Come up with a reasonable rate and send out the word. This is one area that I often need help with during the rush.
Share your craft! Do you have a knack for making home-made Christmas crafts? Stock up on supplies and get started now making your famous, strong-scented candles or your Christmas light boxes wrapped in the perfect ribbon bow. How about ornaments? Scope out some crafts fairs and bazaars to showcase your talents. Home-made items are always in during the holidays.
Connect! With swarms of holiday sales, many companies are hiring customer sales agents to help just during the busy shopping season. Many times they require that you are able to type so many words per minute as well as demonstrate basic computer skills and knowledge.
Re-use and recycle! Go through your kid's wardrobes and see if there are any clothing items that they have outgrown. You want to look for name brands and top quality outfits. Snow boots, outer coats and jackets are great sellers too. Let your fingers do the walking and search for consignment stores in your area. Different stores have different policies for consigning clothes. Sometimes they pay you immediately, other times it is a two-month commitment and you get paid a certain percentage of the sale. Keep your eye out around the house for anything that a kid's consignment shop would sell, and if your kids don't use it, consign it!
Offer baby-sitting services. Holiday parties and shopping often leave parents wishing for a baby-sitter for just a few hours. Let your friends and family know you are willing and available during this busy time of the year. This is a great way to add playmates to your kid's day as well as make some extra cash!
Give your opinion. Answering surveys, watching videos and other small tasks can help you earn some spending money for the holiday season. There are several popular websites which offer anything from credit at online outlets to cash for just telling them what you think!
Decorate like a pro. Do you always get oohs and ahhs when you showcase your holiday decorating skills? Offer to help neighbors, friends and relatives to decorate their homes or yards for the holidays. Some people dread the thought of hanging lights outside or putting up a tree. Set a fixed rate per hour or per service so everyone knows what to expect up front. Though this job will take you away from home, you can bring your little ones to tag along or enlist a friend’s help to trade off childcare.
Cash the cards. Do you have gift cards lying around the house that you will never use? Try selling them on eBay, Craigslist or check local businesses like grocery stores who buy back these cards.
Help out in the kitchen. If you're a natural in the kitchen, put together a portfolio of your most eye-catching, mouth-watering holiday recipes. Offer cakes, dressings, twice-baked potatoes and even whole-baked turkeys. Spread the word through friends and family. Be aware that catering requires a licensed kitchen so you don't want to try to sell too large too soon until you have the technical paperwork figured out. Your schedule could fill up quickly with friends and relatives that are just too busy to cook, and need a little help with a homemade holiday meal.
Assist with gift assembly and wrapping. Anyone who has waited until Christmas eve to assemble and wrap gifts knows the horror of this situation. Remind those around you early in the season and then offer your service by the hour. You can buy wrapping supplies in bulk and deliver beautifully wrapped presents to lessen the stress of others.
Enjoy your holiday season and make some extra cash without applying for a full-time job. The bottom line is don’t be shy about offering your services to friends and family. You might be surprised how excited they are for the help. After you make that extra cash, continue making frugal spending decisions and seek to save money in all areas of your life.
Making sure you are not overpaying for taxes is another budget-friendly way to have money to spend on what is important to your family. I have found that using an
accountant for taxes is worth much more than what he charges. Not only do I have peace of mind that my yearly taxes are filed correctly, but I have someone I trust who I can call throughout the year with any questions. Since I run a small business from my home, this has come in VERY handy!
Dave Ramsey’s Endorsed Local Providers program can help you
find a tax professional in your area to be your resource and give you the information you need to make the best business decisions for your family. These professionals are all screened, rated by your neighbors, have the heart of a teacher and offer amazing customer service in your hometown.
Thanks so much to the
Endorsed Local Providers for sponsoring Kids Activities Blog and inspiring this series on creating family memories on a budget. Last week we chatted about
12 Ways to Save Money on Traveling with Kids and c
heck back next Sunday for tips on giving and choosing a charity. 
You can simply gift your kid with a nice summer camp and
that too without making your pocket unhappy.
There actually shouldn’t be that many Legion guards inside the camp, so just try to keep
moving and firing. We also have advice for people with
health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA).
I’ve seen hundreds of people get in shape fast and actually have fun doing it while participating in boot
camp workouts. Quarterback Pocket Presence Drill — Moving the quarterback around the pocket (the area enclosed
by the offensive linemen) requires you to use your peripheral vision and quick-thinking instincts to
give you the time you need to pass the ball. During each
training session, a particular core value or values should be emphasized to talk about.
MAIC includes kids’ summer camps in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana.
They perform almost-endless back and form dynamic power skating while taking in consideration speed as well as momentum.
) Discuss with students what thoughts the paintings
bring to mind, or what emotions they might evoke.
Kids Modeling and Acting Camp is open for those who range in age from 5-10.
Many people from all over the world are already reaping the
benefits of making fast, free cash from home just using these three
simple methods. Now you have plenty of profitable ideas you can use to start making
money as a photographer. In fact you are simply going to need to create
a blog.
There is another way to make some money that doesn’t need to be complicated.
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Our church fills up decorated shoe boxes-filled with small toys and toothbrushes ect… and gives them to needy children.
These are fantastic ways to use your talents to both help others and make money! And… as a mom of 3 young boys, I love that they are kid-friendly and several of the “jobs” can be turned into family fun time! (Who doesn’t love sitting by the tree, watching Christmas movies and wrapping presents?!)
AWESOME BLOG! Thanks for the tips. I invite you to link up to our blog hop and linky party if you would like…http://www.thefamilyfunspot.com/2013/11/bloggers-unidas-1.html Have a great day!
Great ideas – I especially like the hiring yourself out with baking and cooking assistance – I’ve never thought about this. thanks
Fantastic tips that come just at the right time. Craig’s List (a personal favorite of mine that I see you mentioned for gift cards) can be such a blessing this time of year both for selling and buying as well as giving to families in need 🙂 Thank you for linking up and sharing this week on the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop!
I love Operation Christmas Child. My church is a local drop off site and it is a great feeling knowing that children who are in a far worse situation can be blessed by one single act of kindness.