Stay Out Of Debt And Enjoy A Fabulous Festive Break
Christmas is an expensive time of year and many of us are in need of some ideas to plug the gap between spending and your regular income.
Brits spend more than £750 each Christmas on presents, Christmas dinner and other festive fun. The problem with this is that many can’t afford such a splurge of cash and around a third of consumers rely on the use of credit to cover the bills. As a result, 8 million Brits are left skint in January when the credit card statement arrives in advance of their wages coming in. It’s not a great situation to be in, but there’s no need to cancel Christmas. Instead, with still several weeks to go before you really need to part with any cash, you can follow these tips to raise some quick cash and keep you out of the red this winter.
De-Clutter
What better way to make room for new pressies, than to clear out some of last year’s junk? Firstly, if you have any gifts that have genuinely not been opened, which are still covered in shrink-wrap, then you might want to consider the possibility of re-gifting. If you choose to do this, you could save quite a few pennies on buying a fresh present, but be really careful to note that the original gift-giver and your new recipient are unlikely to cross paths as you wouldn’t want to cause offence.
If re-gifting isn’t your thing, then simply look for items of value and list them on sites such as eBay, or clear out your old DVDs and CDs by exchanging them for cash with Music Magpie or taking them to a high street second hand dealer.
Rent Out Your Space
Whether you have a spare parking spot, garage, basement, attic or bedroom, there’s always money to be made with your additional space. Airbnb could be a great option if you have a room to let, whilst Parkonmydrive.com is a suitable platform if you’d like to attract commuters to borrow your driveway.
Handmade Gifts
As well as the possibility of making a sentimental and unique gift for your loved ones, which will undoubtedly save you some money, if you’re skilled at a particular craft, then why not sell your handmade wares? You could set up a stall at your local Christmas market or even register an account on sites such as Etsy.
Sell Your Camera Equipment
With the advance in smartphone technology, many casual photographers find that they don’t use their cameras as much as they used to. But there’s a lot of money to be made for those that are willing to sell camera equipment online, not just with the camera itself, but also any lenses or accessories such as tripods that you may wish to part with. Some sites are even offering a pre-Christmas bonus as an extra festive incentive.
Become A Seasonal Shift Worker
Christmas is a busy time of year for many companies, so there’s often extra seasonal worker shifts available for casual workers. As you might imagine, two of the busiest places are the post office, and your local supermarket so if you’re ready to pick up some hours, then register your interest and get earning!
As you can see, there are plenty of options available to help you pay for this Christmas. The key is not to leave it until too late – with less than 50 days until the big day, it’s time to come up with plan!
