Quick Ways to Make Money on Christmas Break

Written by Matthew C. Keegan

 You’re on break from school! Soon it will be Christmas, then New Year’s Day, but you’ll still have several weeks of time left on your hands before running to school.
Perhaps you’ll go skiing with your friends. Or head to a warmer climate and work on your tan. Most students, however, will hang around home, connecting with high school friends and spending some time with their families.
The four- to five-week break between semesters is also an opportunity for you to make some money. There are some traditional ways to bring in some cash, like retailing, and some not so conventional ways too. Let’s take a look at some ways you can earn money before you return to school for the spring semester:
1. New Year’s Eve — If there is one big money making opportunity during the year, then New Year’s Eve is it. Sure, you’ll sacrifice the time you might prefer to spend with your friends, but if you can work that evening, you can pull in some serious cash. If you like to babysit, you’ll charge from $10 per hour for one child. Given that its New Year’s Eve, you can negotiate a flat rate or a minimum. Stay overnight and you should pull in more than $100 for the evening. Consider working at a party too as a food server.
2. Take inventory — Once the new year has settled in, retail outlets will be taking mandatory inventory. They’ll also be looking for inventory takers to supplement their staffs. Visit several retailers and offer your services. You can find enough work to keep you busy until school starts again.
3. Shovel snow — If you live in a snowy climate, you’ll be dealing with the white stuff in no time. Snow is pretty, but only when it is put in its proper place. Break out the snow shovel and head door to door after the next snowfall.
4. Throw a party — Childrens’ parties a big deal these days with families renting out facilities for that special event. If you have a talent such as singing and guitar playing, then your services will be in demand. If you’re a gifted artist, then offer to teach the children how to water color, make beads, construct a gingerbread house and more. You can pull in $150 for a 2-hour party; advertise your gig on Craigslist and let your family’s friends know about your service.
5. Sell it on eBay — Say, you don’t have something you can sell? No worries — there are plenty of people who would like for you to sell what they have on their behalf. Set up a shop on eBay and post items there. Take a handsome cut for each sale and make a profit. Keep the store in place when you return to school because you’ll be selling from it again on your next break.
6. Just tutor — Some students are in danger of flunking out of college and can use special help, particularly tutoring, to raise their grade point average. If you’re a wiz at math, science or composition, advertise your skills and spend your break weeks helping students hone their study and learning skills. Charge from $20 per hour and you’ll be making a decent living.
7. Pick up a gig — Websites such as Elance allow savvy college students to pick up gigs quickly and easily. Advertise your writing skills, your website creation prowess or your logo-making capabilities. Let the world know what you can do and make some cash and important contacts while doing it.
Having a good work ethic will help you earn some money this school break. Be helpful, flexibile and always complete your work on time. Who knows, but the gigs you handle now could lead to something permanent down the line or at least open up a summer job you very much want.