5 Side Gigs To Get Quick Cash for the Holidays
Written by
Ashley Donohoe
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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According to the 2025 Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey, the average American plans to spend $1,595 over the holiday season. If you’re like many other financially strained Americans, you might be looking for extra income opportunities to cover holiday gifts, decor, meals and travel without turning to debt.
Some popular side gigs make it easy to get started this holiday season and offer quick payments, sometimes as soon as the same day. Whether you want to work online or spend time out of the house, consider these five side gigs for extra holiday cash.
Sell Household Items
The Federal Reserve’s most recent Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households report found that 10% of Americans sold used items for extra cash. Whether you have electronics, clothes, books or toys, consider selling them online or locally — a strategy that also helps you declutter.
You can list items on platforms like Poshmark, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Mercari and Decluttr. Other options include hosting a garage sale, advertising through community groups or using trade-in services from Apple, Best Buy or Amazon.
Your earnings will vary based on the item, platform, fees and other factors. Selling items directly rather than trading them in will usually yield more cash and faster payment, since you won’t need to wait for a company to verify the item’s condition.
Be a Rideshare Driver
With more people traveling for the holidays, being a Lyft or Uber driver can be a profitable side gig with quick payout potential. It’s also a good fit if you enjoy meeting new people.
Joining these platforms is typically straightforward, requiring proof that you meet vehicle and driver requirements. Once approved, you can start accepting ride requests in your free time.
While earnings vary depending on route, time and level of service, Indeed reported average hourly wages of $21.80 for Lyft drivers and $20.31 for Uber drivers. Keep in mind that this side gig involves vehicle-related expenses, possibly including small luxuries to enhance passenger comfort.
Join Tasking Platforms
If you’d rather do different tasks each day, joining tasking platforms may be the ideal side gig for holiday cash.
Several microtask platforms offer online work handling tasks such as evaluating data, answering surveys, watching videos and recording audio. Some examples include Appen, Swagbucks, Clickworker and DataAnnotation. If you prefer in-person tasks, consider joining platforms like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack to clean houses, do handyman work or help with a move.
The pay will depend on the work and platform and can be by the task, hour or project. For example, Swagbucks indicated that survey takers often make $0.25 to $5.00 per survey, while DataAnnotation advertised a starting hourly rate of $20.00 for AI training work. Typically, you set your own rates for home services tasks.
Deliver Local Orders
The holiday season means many Americans need to buy gifts, food and other seasonal necessities. Since some people hate the hassles of shopping and braving the crowds, you can make extra cash by delivering their orders from local stores and restaurants.
If you don’t mind both shopping for and delivering groceries and other items, consider signing up to work for Walmart Spark, Shipt or Instacart. Otherwise, you might prefer delivering restaurant meals for GrubHub, Uber Eats or DoorDash.Â
Most delivery apps offer quick funds and often feature an instant payout option for a fee. While Indeed noted that delivery drivers make $19.65 per hour on average, your holiday cash potential will depend on the platform’s pay structure, order characteristics, tips and other factors.
Take a Seasonal Retail Job
From stocking shelves to handling checkout lanes or working in a warehouse, the holidays are a prime time to find a part-time seasonal retail job.
These positions often provide training, flexible shifts and, in some cases, opportunities to turn the seasonal role into a long-term position. Unlike self-employment gigs, you likely won’t need to worry about paying self-employment taxes.
Seasonal retail pay varies widely by employer and role. Indeed reported that seasonal sales associates earn an average of $16.64 per hour, while Amazon seasonal workers average more than $19 per hour.
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