Top 5 High-Paying Side Hustles to Earn Extra Cash This Holiday Season – One Offers Up to $700 for Just Two Hours of Work
5 Very Profitable Side Hustles to Make Extra Cash During the Holidays
Source: NBC New York
1. Wrapping Gifts
- Gift wrapping can earn $180 per hour, with some professionals generating significant income through social media showcases.
- Example: Michelle Hensley's Nifty Packaging Co. grossed over $466,000 in sales, with wrapping contributing 70% of revenue.
- The average U.S. gift wrapper can earn up to $21 per hour, with freelance rates varying depending on the job complexity.
2. Waiting in Line or Running Errands
- Services like waiting in line at restaurants are in high demand during the holidays, with earnings fluctuating around $30-$35 per job.
- Taskrabbit data shows averages of $27 per hour for waiting in line and $32 for running errands.
- These gigs can amount to significant monthly income; one worker reported earning up to $6,000 from gig work.
3. Hanging Christmas Lights
- This lucrative side hustle can pay around $54 per hour, with some jobs fetching over $700 for just two hours of work.
- Spencer Claeys reported $30,000 from light hanging services last season, a focus of his business since discovering its profitability.
- Client willingness to pay for quality lights can lead to larger contracts for services such as gutter cleaning.
4. Making Gift Guides
- Creating gift guides on platforms like Instagram can turn influencers into revenue-generating affiliates, earning commissions between 0%-20% per sale.
- With at least 1,000 followers, influencers can capitalize on the holiday market where 25% of shoppers are swayed by social media recommendations.
- Nano- and micro-influencers are particularly effective as they build trust with their audiences.
5. Dressing Up as Santa Claus
- Dressing as Santa, including platforms like Cameo, can yield high returns, with top performers making $525 per hour during peak seasons.
- Eddy Rich, a Santa performer on Cameo, reported earnings of $14,700 in just one week during the holidays.
- In-person Santas can typically earn about $60 per hour, making the Cameo platform a lucrative alternative.
