Posted on Tuesday, 1 December 2020 by CarTakeBack

Christmas is coming! While most of us are looking forward to the festive season - in whatever form it comes - money is tight for many and it's hard not to feel stressed at the thought of covering those Christmas costs. Making a few dollars on the side over the next few weeks will help take a little bit of the pressure off… We're here to help!

Here's a little list of extra earners you can do from the comfort of your own home!

Selling your old stuff

You never know when your old 'junk' could actually be someone else's treasure/Christmas gift! Have a thorough search through your home and consider everything - clothes, furniture, jewellery, collections, sporting memorabilia, toys, tools, games consoles, DVD's, mobile phones… there's probably a lot more than you think. As well as sorting out what to sell, you can also make the most of your items by researching how to sell them. As well as ebay, be sure to check out other specialist selling sites and you may well pick up a few extra dollars from reaching the right audience direct.

Cashing in your car

Well funnily enough this one is our favourite!

Whether your motor has finally come to the end of its days, or your travel methods have changed, there couldn't be a better time to get rid of your old wheels and scrap prices are high. An instant quote will give you a guaranteed price, and you might also get a refund on the unused part of your motor vehicle tax (this will happen when you cancel your registration but you need to check in your state/territory for further information).

Selling yourself

Not in the literal sense of course! We're referring to a skill that you might take for granted that could actually make you a little, or even a lot of money!

Maybe you are a dab hand at carving, drawing, pottery, jewellery making, baking - wrack those brains and fish out that tool - you could be making money from your hobby and selling the items you make online.

Your skill may be something that enables you to provide a service online - helping an individual or business with writing, graphic design, music composition, photography or any other special skill you may have to offer. You could use Facebook or other social media sites to spread word of your skills but one of the official sites we've seen recommended is Fiverr where you can post adverts for your particular skills.

Earn while you shop

When cash-back schemes first started most of us were sceptical, but they continue to make people money and the rest of us are missing out! We recommend using sites that friends and family have already tried and making sure you withdraw the money from those accounts as soon as you can. People can 'get back' hundreds of dollars in a year… and let's face it, a lot of that could be from Christmas shopping alone! Take a look at sites such as CashRewards or ShopBack and hopefully watch the money roll in!

The back of the sofa

It may sound insignificant but some of us have a lot of coins stashed around the house… whether they are carefully collected in a piggybank/swear jar or they are dotted around the house depending on where they've been fished out of pockets and handbags. It can all mount up!

Why not do a coin sweep in the house, you could even get the kids to do it as a game! You may well find it adds up to a healthy sum. If there isn't a big queue you could use it at a self-checkout, or take your haul to a bank for a deposit into your account.

While you are searching the house keep your eyes peeled for old bank notes and foreign money that could be swapped.  If you are exchanging current foreign currency back to AU Dollars to help out this Christmas, but make sure you research the best exchange rates.

Sell your space

You don't have to take on a lodger! If you've recently got rid of your own car, or you are lucky enough to have a spare parking space, driveway or garage, space sells! There are plenty of online sites that will help you make money off your space from people that travel to your area.

Review your finances

It's not exciting and it's not strictly generating money, but it is saving it! Whether it's getting round to cancelling memberships you're not using or reducing your subscriptions, a family can save hundreds of dollars a year from a simple review of their finances.

Online surveys

Most people don't mind filling in a quick survey if they get to share their opinion and/or perhaps improve their customer experience in the future… well you can actually get paid for doing it! There are sites set up to help businesses with survey responses and by filling them out online you can earn cash or gift vouchers. Perfect for Christmas! There are so many sites that offer this opportunity but you can start your research with Octopus Group, Prize Rebel and Rewardia…

Hopefully that's given you all some inspiration, you might even enjoy making some extra cash for Christmas!

Wishing all our blog readers a wonderful festive season.

Please remember that all self-employed income should be declared to ATO.