8 Overlooked Ways To Fund Your Holiday Purchases
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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Holiday spending can quickly get out of hand, but there are creative ways to make it more manageable. From turning unused items into cash to taking advantage of seasonal opportunities, a little outside-the-box thinking can go a long way.
Here are some overlooked options that can help cover holiday purchases.
Offer To Take Holiday Photos
‘Tis the season for holiday photos — especially for couples and families who want a great photo for their annual Christmas card. People with photography skills and a knack for setting up an attractive holiday photo opportunity can capitalize on this idea. Advertise your setup on social media to get bookings. Flat-rate family photographers who only provide digital files can earn from $250-$2,000 per photo shoot, according to ShootProof.
List Some Giftable Items on Facebook Marketplace
During the holiday season, people often need a last-minute gift or are looking for something nice at a reduced price. Look around your house for items you’ve never (or barely) used that you can resell quickly on Facebook Marketplace or another local platform. Consider setting prices below what you normally would to entice buyers and make quick sales. After, all the items were just sitting around gathering dust.
Gather Up Spare Change
Search under couch cushions and vehicle seats to find spare change that you can cash in. Other places to look include under heavy furniture and in junk drawers, piggy banks, clothes hampers, dryer lint traps and old purses and wallets. Avoid cashing in your change at Coinstar due to the high service fees. Instead, check with your bank to see if you can cash them in for free, but you may need to roll the coins before doing so. If you belong to a credit union, many offer free coin-counting machines.
Play the Grinch
Invest in a Grinch costume and offer your “services” to families with unsuspecting children. The parents would pay a set fee to have the Grinch come by and do something Grinchy, like write a chalk message on the sidewalk or driveway that discourages holiday cheer or rearrange inflatable yard decorations in a comical way. You could also draw, laminate and cut out Grinch footprints to leave behind as a clue. However, dressing in costume ensures you’re ready to stay in character if the kids happen to catch you in the act.
Set your fee inexpensive enough that families will want to book you, such as $20 or $25. Visits shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, and you could potentially do at least two per hour depending on driving times — more if you book multiple families within the same neighborhood.
Redeem Credit Card Rewards
If you’ve been accumulating credit card rewards, the holidays are a great time to put them to use. Start by using your rewards card to make holiday purchases and earn points or cash back on those transactions. However, make sure that your purchases don’t exceed the amount of rewards you already have. Next, redeem your existing rewards to apply as a credit to your account. This way, you’ll earn new rewards while offsetting the cost of your purchases with the rewards you’ve already accumulated.
Buy and Use Discounted Gift Cards
If dining out for the holidays is on your agenda, purchase a discounted gift card to save money on the bill. Sam’s Club, for example, has a Landry’s $100 email delivery gift card for $79.98, limit two per membership. The card can be used at a variety of restaurants including Landry’s Seafood, Chart House, Saltgrass Steak House, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Rainforest Cafe, Golden Nugget and McCormick and Schmick’s. However, plan ahead because it can take up to 48 hours for email delivery.
Sell Unused Gift Cards
Sell or trade your unused (or used) gift cards with a balance on CardCash. Don’t expect to get the exact amount that’s on the gift card, though; CardCash takes a cut. You can sell your gift card for cash or get a little more value if you opt to trade it for a prepaid Mastercard. Some cards will have to be mailed to CardCash before you can receive payment, so this may not be a quick solution.
Consider Taking Advantage of ‘Skip-a-Payment’ Deals
Consider this option carefully because it may not be worth it. Sometimes lenders offer borrowers the option to skip a payment on their loan, which means that the skipped payment is moved to the end of the loan. Skipping a payment can be helpful to free up extra cash to fund holiday purchases. However, interest does continue to accrue, which could make your last payment slightly higher. Additionally, there may be a minimal fee for this service.
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