by Kimberly Chitwood

Created on: December 11, 2008

Most of us are in one of two categories: those with jobs and those without jobs. Let's say you are one who has a job and either you don't get paid enough or you're just looking to make a little extra money for the holidays. Most of the jobs mentioned in this article aren't conventional jobs, or least they're not thought as often as others. During the Christmas season, we all need more money to buy all those things that everyone on our Christmas list just HAS to have. Of course, it is important that what we buy isn't as important as the overall spirit of the season and the thoughts behind the gifts. However, here are a few ideas for full-time/part-time jobs that you can do for a little extra Christmas cash!

#1 MYSTERY SHOPPING

There are two very good reasons why this can be a pretty lucrative way to make extra cash, even if it's not for the holidays. First, there are tons of mystery shopping companies out there that are either general or more specialized in their areas of expertise. A lot of mystery shopping "hire" you for shops that you can self-request, meaning that you look through a list of available jobs on that website for that company and according to the perform date/due date, you can schedule shops that you know you can do. A lot of what you get "hired" to do is up to you. A lot of them communicate through e-mail, which most of us check every day. They also send you e-mails for available shops that they might really need someone to do. You can accept a shop or don't do anything. If you accept a shop, though, unless you decline within the specified time, you have committed to doing the shop and submitting an evaluation form online
after completing the shop. Second, almost all of these companies pay you a certain amount, plus they reimburse you up to a certain amount. So, not only do you get paid to do the shop, you also get free stuff. Who can argue with that?

#2 GIVING PLASMA

Now, someone might read this job idea and think, "What in the world is that? And why would I want to do that?" Well, plasma is the liquid part of our blood. It is used in the manufacturing of certain medications that help with blood clotting, treating certain diseases, and plasma transfusions. There's a certain process that is done to separate your plasma from the rest of your blood. Within 24-48 hours, your blood regenerates more plasma. So, you always have plasma to give. If not, we would all be dead. So, you're getting paid to give plasma, but you're helping lots of people by donating plasma to make these medicines. At the plasma bank where I donate, I go twice a week and receive $60 per week. Some places will only let you go once a month. It just depends on the facility where you're donating. Regardless, extra money is extra money, right?

#3 WRAP PRESENTS

Most stores offer you the option of having your gifts wrapped, but most will charge a fee. Well, just because you may not work for a store or at least a store who does this, who's to say that you can't have your own little Christmas business of wrapping presents for people who aren't good at this kind of thing. You can charge anywhere from $1-$20, depending on the size of the gifts and the amount of gifts to be wrapped for one customer. You have to take into account your time wrap these gifts, the cost of wrapping paper (unless provided by customer) and tape, and again how much gifts are involved.

These are three really good ways to earn extra Christmas money. The good thing about all of them is that if you have a regular full-time job, you can do these on the side. If you don't have a job, you'll be making more money than you currently have, so why not give it a shot? Maybe one of these ideas can work for you! Good luck!

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