Money Management
November 11, 2024
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The holidays are a great time for families and friends to come together, celebrate, and reflect before starting a new year. But it's equally a spending season. For cash-strapped people, keeping up with all the expensive holiday traditions like traveling and gifting is challenging. So they turn to holiday gigs to help them generate extra income.
Working on the holidays requires that you sacrifice some of your time so that you can afford all holiday expenses. This will, in turn, help you avoid debt or liquidating your assets. Holiday jobs can also free up your time and help you set up passive income streams, some of which can turn into full-time jobs.
This article will explore ten easy ways to make money during the holiday season.
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Finding work opportunities during the holiday is hard. Most employers will probably wait until the year ends before they can start hiring. So if your efforts have been hitting a wall, it is time to look into yourself. Do you have any skills you can leverage and make extra cash?
These skills can be anything from your passions, talents, or experience that people can pay for. A little bit of self-reflection can help you identify them, and then you can turn them into a business. Ask yourself these three questions:
What qualities do you possess? - This will help you identify your talents. If you are good at public speaking, you can look for MC jobs within your areas. The demand is always high during the holidays.
What are your hobbies? - These are things you are passionate about. If, for instance, you’re passionate about fitness, you can create workout plans and sell them. If you like taking pictures, you can sell them.
What do people associate you with? - As friends and colleagues to help you identify which skill you can monetise. If they like your cooking, you can be a personal chef during the holiday.
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Freelancing involves working for individuals and companies on a contract basis. The contacts are often short-term, and you can earn per task or project. They lack the perks of traditional employment but give you more control over your time, which is a plus during the holidays.
Freelancing is particularly is always in demand during the holidays. Individuals will be looking to outsource their work, lower their workload and enjoy the festivities. Businesses that thrive during the holidays will also hire extra hands to work part-time.
To become a freelancer, you first need to identify the service you can offer. This can be a skill you possess and can sell, e.g., video editing, writing, or customer support. Second, you need to create a portfolio you can show potential employers. Third, find ideal places you can sell your service or get hired.
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These are part-time and short-term jobs you can get during the holidays. Businesses such as retailers and restaurants typically hire for these positions during busy times. You can find seasonal jobs online, at local stores, or at supermarket chains that need temporary workers during the festive season.
Seasonal jobs can help you bring in extra income, and there are no long-term commitments. They're specifically suitable for employed people or students who return to work and school after the holidays. Most seasonal jobs typically pay per day and don't come with benefits.
Some common seasonal jobs in Kenya include:
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The year is ending, and there is no better way to declutter than selling unused stuff. That's precisely what Brenda, 30, did during the last holiday when she didn’t have enough money to buy her two kids gifts.
She went to her store and took out all the baby stuff she no longer needed, old clothes, shoes, and furniture. She cleaned, sorted, and put a price tag on each. She then talked to family, friends, and neighbours who might need particular products. She managed to sell some but still had a long way to go.
Brenda turned to the internet. She posted her items on the Facebook marketplace, her Instagram, and the classified ads platform Jiji. Within hours she was receiving offers. She sold almost 90% of her stuff within two weeks and raised enough money to spoil her kids for the holidays.
If you are struggling to make money during the holidays, you can look around your house for items you no longer need/use and put them up for sale. This can be old electronics, books, or baby strollers.
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Do you have stuff you are not using but don't want to sell? Consider renting them out. Renting unused belongings can help you generate extra money during the holidays, but it can also be a long-term passive income strategy. You achieve this by turning your items into income-generating assets.
During the holidays, you can rent out about just everything. The first step is to review your assets and other belongings and think of how to leverage them to generate money. Here are some options to get you started:
Your Vehicle: The car-renting business tends to explode during the holidays as people tend to travel more and want to avoid public transportation. You can rent out your car individually or use car renting companies.
Unused Land: If you have an undeveloped piece of land, you can clear it and lease it to farmers or event organisers looking for places to host their events.
Storage Space: If you have a secure place, especially in urban areas, you can offer storage services to businesses.
Spare Room: Using AirBnB or similar marketplaces, you can rent your spare room to people looking for short-term rentals.
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If you own a car or a motorcycle, you can sign up on ridesharing platforms and offer on-demand taxi services. This is a great way to make extra income during the holidays, especially at night. Revellers will be using this service a lot to move around the city.
Apart from using your car as a taxi, you can also offer delivery services. The process, in most cases, will work in the same way. You need to list the vehicle on taxi-hailing platforms such as Uber, Bolt, Little Cab, etc. The platform will then connect you to customers and, in turn, charge you a commission.
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Are you an expert in your professional field? If yes, you can sell your expertise and knowledge acquired over the years by becoming a consultant. Consultancy involves giving advice and guiding other activities in your area of specialisation.
When companies or individuals want a second opinion before making a decision, they usually seek it from consultants. You can start this one-person business by tapping into your professional network and letting them know you can offer guidance and direction.
For instance, if you are a human resource expert, you can help new companies create a specific work culture for their organisation. And if you are a lawyer, you can offer legal consultation at a fee.
If done correctly, you can establish yourself as a go-to expert in your field. This kind of recognition can help you turn your holiday side hustle into a full-time business.
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Are you a creative person with a knack for creating handmade stuff? Then the holiday season is the best time to capitalize on those skills and make money. You can use your gifted hands to create personalized products for people looking to give their loved ones thoughtful gifts.
The demand for handmade gifts skyrockets during the festive season for various reasons. For starters, most of these types of gifts are economical, and most people can afford them. Second, people love the authenticity and originality of hand-crafted presents. It's a chance to think outside the box and gift loved ones unique and customized products.
To start a homemade gift business, you first need to find what you can craft. If you don't have the talent but have an idea, you can partner with local artisans or look for suppliers. Once you have your products, you need to open an online store and start marketing your stuff. You can also visit and set up shop in your local artisan's market.
Some handmade gifts you can make during the holiday include jewellery, arts and prints, t-shirts and other printable merchandise, pottery and clay objects, candles, handmade soaps, etc.
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A personal shopper does precisely what the name suggests; they shop for people. If you have great shopping skills, this might be a great way to make extra money during the holidays.
You can help busy people buy holiday supplies, and if you have an eye for the latest trends in fashion, you can help clients buy the latest festive wear.
There are two ways of becoming a personal shopper. One, you can go independent and offer your services to close friends and online to your followers. The second option is partnering with boutiques and helping advise their customers. Personal shoppers are paid a flat rate per task or hour, depending on their level of expertise.
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A tutor's job involves teaching learners and helping them complete assignments. Considering schools will be closed for almost two months, this is the best time to use your knowledge to make money during the holidays. Parents will seek to hire tutors to help their kids study at home.
The icing on the cake is that you don't need to be a teacher. You can be a university student or work in any other profession but have expertise in different subjects. All you will need to do is demonstrate to potential clients you're capable of tutoring their children.
There are different ways to look for tutoring jobs during the holidays. You can start by approaching parents with school-going kids in your estate and pitch to them. You can also offer your services online on zoom if you can get clients from different parts of the country. Finally, you can sign up for websites that help you tutor students from all over the world.
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As discussed above, there are various ways to make money during the holidays. All you need to do is look around and find something you can monetise. The Internet specifically offers a lot of channels to make money. You get to work on your own time, giving you the luxury of enjoying the holiday with your loved ones.
As you look for opportunities, keep an eye out for fake and scam jobs. Avoid jobs that ask you to pay upfront fees, certification, or buy a uniform. Additionally, avoid get-rich-quick schemes that promise thousands for small investments. If you are ever in doubt, consult friends and family before you take a risk.
Finally, if you cannot work or find a job, consider asking for help from your loved ones. This can help you avoid debt.
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