by Michael Skinner

Created on: November 28, 2010   Last Updated: December 04, 2010

5 Ways to Make Additional Money During the Holidays

When it comes to desperately seeking employment, the holidays are the time when you can separate the men from the boys and women from the girls.   This is the time to put up or shut up.  This is the moment when we find out if you were just a lazy malingerer who was just pretending to look for work all year or if you are the real deal and you really do want to work.

Department Stores

Retailers are so desperate for people to work the counter this time of year that they would hire almost anyone—even you.   Walk into every department store in your area and put in applications weekly starting on Halloween until they hire you.

Shippers

For package shipping outfits like Federal Express, this is the busiest time of year.  Again, start putting in your application to any and all shipping companies in your area at Halloween and don’t stop applying until they hire you.  Don’t limit yourself to those who advertise for workers, be pro-active.

Phat

If you are fat be a Santa or get pillow, strap it on and make with the Ho-Ho-Ho.

Go Elf Yourself

Be an elf.  That’s right, I just told you to go elf yourself.  It’s a tough job to be a semi-mythical creature whose sole purpose in life is to make toys but someone has to do it.  There are department stores that need people to help keep Santa jolly and well supplied with fresh young children to put on his lap and ply with peppermint goodies.  If you really need a job then you may be selected to perform this task.

Freeze

If you are immune to the cold or if you can wrap up enough to get that way, get a job handing out black Friday handbills on street corners or get a job dressing up as one of those semi-adorable fictional characters on the street who lures customers to certain doom, or invites them to partake of shopping opportunities—whichever comes first.

Ski

If you are good at any winter time activity it’s time to get busy.  If you like to ski then become a ski instructor.  If you can actually do that ice carving thing without freezing to death or shattering all the ice, your time has arrived.  Be an ice carver or enter ice carving contests.

It may be your mission in life to guard defenseless Christmas trees until they can be sold.  

If you live close enough to a forest, and if it is legal where you are, gather and sell firewood.

Hunt

If you hunt then take a hunting party into the woods if it is a legal and permissible activity where you live and you have a license and a legal weapon.   By the way, the bigger the hassle government in your area makes hunting, the better for you.  If it is arduous and arcane to get a hunting a license and to find a place to hunt and to know which animals to hunt, people will pay you to guide them through the process.   They same goes for fishing.

Horse it

If you have or can rent a horse and sleigh, give people sleigh rides and charge them premium prices for the privilege!

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