Did you start this year with every intention of starting to save for Christmas in January, or start buying gifts early? It’s now November and you haven’t started and you’re stressed out? I know I’ve been there and it can be stressful. Though we’ve learned from it, and will start come January 2016, for now we have to focus on this year and what we can do to make the most of it. There is still time to come up with some creative ways to make money for Christmas plans.

Become a Local Vendor

By late fall, Christmas markets in towns of all sizes start popping up and for a small fee you can become a vendor. Sell cookies, bake pies, knit scarves, the possibilities are endless! Stay away from larger cities and concentrate on small towns for the biggest bang for your buck. The rental fee is usually much lower and there is less competition. A friend of mine decided to sell cookies this year to earn some extra income. In one evening at a small town Christmas fair he sold $600 worth of cookies. It took him two days to bake and about $40 worth of ingredients, not bad for a few hours’ worth of work!

Even though we budget for Christmas, this is something I am seriously considering doing for next year anyway for some extra money. I’m not 100% sure what I’ll be selling but it will likely be my (semi-famous) cookies!

Make Use of Online Auctions

Consider selling things you already own online either through online auction sites or online classifieds. If you have a keen eye you could also consider flipping items from garage sales and thrift stores to sell online. There is a woman in town who paid her entire way through university by hitting up local thrift stores for high end vintage clothes and re selling them online. If you have a keen eye for something, you may be able to make some good money fast through online sales.

Offer a Seasonal Service

There is a woman in town who is offering to come in and decorate your house. She used to work in a high end retailer and for a small fee will come in and decorate your house and/or tree like you see in fancy department stores. Though I personally wouldn’t necessarily pay for this service, I know many people who would. Another option may be to offer cleaning and house prepping services before Christmas. I know I like to do a good deep clean before dragging all the decorations out and would love the help.

Spending a day to come up with a creative way to earn some extra money might be a good use of time. It’s easy to get frustrated but sometimes investing a little money into some materials ends up paying you back many times over. Make sure, whatever you decided to do, you price things out and do a little research.

Have you ever done anything creative to earn extra money for Christmas?