The holiday season is a time when almost everyone could use a little extra cash for shopping. Whether you’re in search of the perfect big-ticket deal or want to give lots of gifts, here are some ways to earn extra cash for Christmas shopping.
1. Sell Your Old iPhones and Android Phones Online
If you have any old iPhones or Android phones lying around, selling them could be the quickest way to get some cash for Christmas shopping. Models going back several years are usually worth more than you’d think!
An iPhone 11 could be worth as much as $220, depending on its storage and condition, and a Samsung Galaxy S20+ could fetch the same amount. That’s enough for everything from a major Lego model to brand new sports equipment. You could even find a nice television or computer at this price point. Even upgrading someone’s phone could be affordable if you put the cash toward it.
Get Cash for Your Phone From MLG Cash
At MLG Cash, we’ll give you the best price and instant payment for your old iPhone or Android. We regularly pay 30 percent above competitors’ offers (which is why those phones above are worth so much), and we’ll transfer the money instantly when you sell the phone.
Fill out our quick form about your phone, and bring your phone ot a UPS Store location (there are over 5,000). We’ll tell you exactly what we can pay for your phone given its specs and condition, and you’ll get a transfer for the amount as soon as the UPS Store representative confirms the condition. We pay via Paypal, Walmart Cash Pickup, or Moneygram, so the money is instantly available to spend on Christmas shopping.
2. Join a Shopping/Delivery Service
You can earn extra cash any time of year by joining a grocery shopping (e.g. Instacart) or delivery (e.g. DoorDash) service. The holiday season is especially good for these services, though.
You’ll likely have no shortage of orders during the holiday season, as people are regularly entertaining and busy with festivities. The increased need for food and decreased free time make for plenty of work. How much you make is entirely up to you — work as much as you need to take advantage of major deals, or just enough to get a few extra stocking stuffers.
Most of these services also pay reasonably instantly or weekly, and many workers get a decent amount for their effort. The flexibility also means that you can shop/deliver around your schedule.
3. Sell Old Goods Online
Selling old stuff online is another thing that you can do anytime of year, but is especially easy during the holiday season. Just as retailers sell the most goods during this time, so can you.
Almost anything that’s unused but in decent condition might be worth a few (or many) bucks. Sites like Poshmark and ThreadUp are good places to list clothes, and Ebay will accept almost any legal item.
Listing goods on sites like these won’t net you the instant payment that selling an old phone offers, but you can still get cash while decluttering (for new presents). Additionally, payments for items that sell during the Christmas shopping season will typically be made a few weeks after the holidays are over. They may come in right around when your credit card is due, which can be helpful if you overspend on shopping.
4. List Crafts You Make
Instead of selling old items that you no longer need, you can also list gifts that you personally make. Again, this is ideal to do during the holiday shopping season.
Wooden toys, decorations and food products are some easy items to make and sell online, any other possibilities are limited only by your creativity. These can be listed on sites like Etsy, and payments will usually come a few weeks after delivery. The payments likewise might be received right around when credit card bills are due. (Be sure to check local food production regulations if selling food.)
5. Use Cashback Sites When Shopping
Several sites will pay you cashback on online (and possibly in-store) purchases. Rakuten and TopCashBack are just a couple of popular ones.
Shopping through these sites won’t cost you anything extra, and you’ll get a varying percentage back depending on the merchant. One merchant might pay only 1 percent back, but others could be in the double digits. It might take some time to get the cashback, but making money on holiday purchases is good no matter when you receive the funds.
Get Extra Cash This Holiday Season
Between these five ideas, you could get quite a lot of extra cash for Christmas shopping this season. Start by obtaining a quote for your old phones, and then pursue these other ideas.
