MAKE MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS

Jasmine

MAKE MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS

By Jasmine Birtles

Christmas costs a lot!

But you don’t have to hit January with a debt hangover. We’ve got loads of ideas in this book for making money now to pay for the festive season. Check them out.

Plus, make sure you’re signed up to our weekly newsletter, which will be crammed full of the very best seasonal savings and ideas, helping you to make the most of the festivities.

These ideas are not just for Christmas either. There’s loads here that will help you make more money throughout the year. So get reading and get earning!

Happy Christmas!

Love Jasmine :-)

Freebies on Gumtree

Take a look at the 'Free Stuff & Freebie' ads section on Gumtree to see what people are giving away. You'd be amazed what you can get there for absolutely nothing.

The people giving things away on that section live in your neighbourhood, so all you have to do is go to their place to pick the free item up.

You could get ornaments, chairs, tables, bags of clothes or bed-linen and even tools there. Scour the page every day to see what's being offered and if there's anything you could turn into a gift (like a vase or photo frames or even kitchen equipment that could be turned into hampers), get in touch with them ASAP to pick them up for free.

Pssst…Here’s something free to get you going!

GRAB YOURSELF SOME FREE MONEY

Apparently, there could be up to £1 billion hanging around in forgotten bank and savings accounts in the UK – some of which could be yours. So, get going and get your mitts on it!

Just go to Mylostaccount.org.uk and put your details in. It will search for any dormant accounts you think you might have forgotten about.

Even if you can’t think of any old accounts you might have forgotten about it’s still worth logging on, putting in as much as you can about yourself (including as many former addresses as you can) and then waiting for their reply. If you’ve moved around a lot, you could easily have lost details of old accounts. Maybe you were left some savings in someone’s will and forgot about them.

Who knows?

Also, don’t forget other financial products you may be missing out on. Our article on how to get free money has more links to services like the Pensions Schemes Registry which will find old pensions you might have had with a job you left years ago. Then there’s the Unclaimed Assets Register which covers all manner of investments, life policies, shares, National Savings and others. They charge a small fee which they give to charity but it’s worth it.

While you’re at it, why not pull the cushions from the sofa and check through pots, shelves and boxes around your house to see what spare cash is lying around. Apparently, we all have more cash than we realise just hanging about our homes.

GRAB YOURSELF SOME FREE MONEY

Online surveys

OK, it’s not quite ‘free’ money but you can make some handy cash while you’re hanging around on the computer just by doing a few online surveys. See the ones we like here.

For quick cash try these ones:

Nielsen Online Panel

InboxPounds

Toluna

Valued Opinions

The OpinionPanel

Community

Swagbucks

MySurvey

With Toluna you can also try out cosmetics and homeware for them so you get freebies as well there.

Chapter 1

GRAB YOURSELF SOME FREE MONEY

Magpie Money

Better yet, why not sign up to Magpie Money, our very own rewards programme, where filling out surveys and completing other offers can earn you rewards such as Amazon vouchers, FAST. It’s free to join and free to use, there’s no catch.

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

In fact, recent research from Gumtree reveals the average British household currently has 22 unwanted or unused items worth a potential £881 –equating to a whopping £17.7bn nationally¹, so there’s no better time to sell than now!

Have a rummage in your wardrobe for those ‘lovely’ presents you got last Christmas that you have never used. Make some money out of them - and other items that are just clogging up your cupboards. Sell your unwanted or unused items

This is a quick win and it has the extra advantage of helping you tidy and sort your home before the festive season too.

We like Gumtree for selling any items quickly and cheaply to people in your area.

A Gumtree spokesperson says: “Many people are facing the squeeze this year for Christmas and need to look for solutions that will make the festive period special at little, or even no cost. From making a bit of extra money from selling once-loved items to put towards Christmas festivities to turning to local communities to easily and cheaply solve dilemmas like not having enough chairs and glasses, Gumtree is there to help.”

So, keep reading for our guide to making the most money by selling your stuff before Christmas…

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Step 1. Start with the small stuff

Basically, make it easy for yourself.

First of all, pick out things that are small, likely to sell quickly and won't cost much to post.

Gumtree’s research shows the most common unused items in British households include clothing, small goods such as DVDs and CDs, electronics, books, and games and toys . These are all perfect items to easily package up and pass on to make some money.

That's really:

Mobile phones

You could make between £5500 depending on the make, model and condition of your phones by using our Mobile Phone Comparison Tool here. The beauty of using this tool is that you can sell your phone immediately and get the cash in straight away.

Gadgets

Professionals look on the likes of Gumtree and eBay for

electronic gadgets and bits in any state. They will pay quite quickly for laptops, iPads, games consoles and more, so if you’re looking for a quick sale, this is a great way to do it.

However, be aware that those who contact you quickly are people who are looking for a real bargain. They will get in quick but may offer you less than non-professionals will. So, with these products it can be worth waiting - if you're able to - for someone who wants to buy the item to use rather than to clean up and resell.

By the same token, though, if you have broken gadgets, wires and connectors that you don't use anymore, those very professionals could be the best people to sell them to. Ordinary users don't usually have the ability to mend these products, so they wouldn't be interested, but professionals would be interested in gadgets in any state - even for the parts. See what you can get online rather than just chucking them in the bin.

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Books, CDs, DVDs and games

You can get instant cash for these using the Ziffit app. It's easy to use. Just download the app and then use it to scan the barcodes of any books, CDs, DVDs and games you don't want. Once you've scanned them, the app tells you how much they would give you for them and you can decide if you want to proceed with each item. The postage to Ziffit is free and they will put the money into your PayPal account pretty much straight away.

Admittedly, you could probably get more for each item by selling them individually online, but it would take a while and you would have to organise postage for each one, which is too much hassle! However, with Gumtree, you can arrange for a local buyer to pick up the item from your home, or you can meet them in a nearby public area if more convenient for you, eliminating post and packaging costs.

Chapter

2

Not so well-known

High street brands

When it comes to clothes, there's a big difference in price between brands.

You don't have to have a wardrobe full of high fashion items for them to sell well. Brands like Karen Millen, Hobbs, Jigsaw, Ted Baker and Diva, for example, sell for good amounts.

Ideally photograph them on you in good light. Also photograph the label and any tears or missing

If you have a lot of clothes from Primark, M&S and other shops that aren't so in demand, you can sell them for a decent amount by grouping them together and selling them as a job lot. So, you could photo them spread out on the floor/bed and advertise them as, say, "Assorted women's clothing size 12, 10 items".

See what others are charging for this kind of bundle and put something similar as your price.

Chapter 2

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Step 3.

Sell the big stuff to make room for Christmas!

Selling furniture and electrical goods you don't want in the run-up to Christmas gives you the double-whammy of bringing cash into the Christmas coffers, while freeing up space in the house for any guests you're planning on inviting!

Furniture and electrical goods

You're definitely best-off selling these on Gumtree as you can sell to local people who can pick up the much fuss.

Do good, clear photos, see what others have charged for something similar and set your price.

You could be surprised by how much you make – furniture, bikes, children’s scooters and pushchairs all do well.

Remember to make a big thing of any special features - for example, if it's 1970s vintage you can charge a lot more. Velvet is very fashionable at the moment, so if you have any furniture that is covered in that, big it up!

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Your car!

Yes, now is a great time to sell your car if it's hanging around in the front drive just gathering dust.

Selling your car would definitely pay for Christmas...and possibly give you extra to put away for Christmas 2019, so if you don't need it anymore, save yourself the cost of insurance, road tax, repairs and parking tickets as well as making money on the machine itself by selling it now. Gumtree is the UK’s fastest growing motors marketplace, so is the perfect place to sell or buy a pre-owned car. Head of Motors at Gumtree, Vik Barodia, offers some practical tips for car sellers to bear in mind before any money exchanges hands.

1. Set the stage: Be organised and prepare your paperwork (including your V5C, MoT certificate and servicing receipts) in advance. Give the car a proper wash and polish (or pay for a professional

valet), vacuum the carpets and give the interior a wipe over. Look at how you can replace anything that looks tatty – from wipers to wheel trims to chips and scratches, small touches can make a big difference. Get smart repairs done to bumper scuffs and parking dents – mobile body repairs are very cost effective.

2. Make sure you have all the parts: Does the key or fob work in all the locks? Is there a spare set? Do you know the security code for the radio? Reassure potential buyers that you have all the necessary tools and accessories for the car you are selling.

3. Check out the competition: Search online sites to help you judge the right price to offer your car for. Check out what other sellers are offering and look at factors like mileage, condition and service history to help you make a decision.

Chapter 2

MAKE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR’S UNWANTED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

For more tips on selling your car, as well as other items online, visit the Gumtree Blog. Gumtree’s recently teamed up with the How to Academy and negotiation expert, Gavin Presman, to create a free guide to ‘The Etiquette of Buying and Selling Online’ .

Step 4.

Do your own swap shop

Also, here’s nothing to stop you holding a swap shop of your own with friends, perhaps in November, where you all bring presents and other stuff you don’t want and swap it with each other. Just make sure you don’t give the present back to the person you swapped it with!

GET SPECIAL, SEASONAL WORK

If you’d rather not wear a costume to earn some cash for Christmas, you could try another festive job:

Be a Christmas postie

Being a part-time postal worker can be a great way to earn extra cash in the run-up to Christmas. Royal Mail takes on about 15,000 extra staff in November and December to help cope with the increased volume of mail. These jobs offer flexible working hours, good rates of pay and are available nationwide. Mail sorters aged 21 and over can expect to earn between £7.25 and £10.50 an hour.

For a full list of pay rates, see the Royal Mail search and apply page. The recruitment process started in September, so you should apply sooner rather than later.

Click here to apply for a Christmas job with Royal Mail.

Deliver catalogues and leaflets

There’s also money to be made delivering catalogues and brochures over the festive season. Often these deliveries can be done in your own time, which is great if you're busy preparing for Christmas. Just watch out for companies that ask for cash deposits as they may be scams.

See our article here on how to get into delivering leaflets and catalogues for cash

http://www.moneymagpie.com

/make-money/get-outdoorsget-fit-and-get-paid

Bar Work

As with high-street stores, pubs and bars often take on extra staff over holiday periods and particularly at Christmas. If you're willing to work on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, you can expect double the usual hourly rate. Apply now, as these jobs tend to go pretty quickly.

GET SPECIAL, SEASONAL WORK

Shop work

Working in retail is a great way to make a bit on the side before Christmas. A lot of high street stores, particularly big department stores, need an extra helping hand to deal with the pre-Christmas rush. Not only will you be paid higher rates if you work Bank Holidays, you're likely to get a discount in store too, so you could save on your Christmas shopping!

Try big chains like Marks & Spencer, Next and Debenhams. Visit the stores and ask if they have application forms for Christmas work.

Now the online retailers are getting in on the act too. Amazon recruits thousands of extra people for the really busy few months before Christmas so see what they have on offer. They have eight distribution centres (otherwise known as fulfilment centres) across the UK in Doncaster, Dunfermline, Gourock, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Rugeley and Swansea Bay with more opening next year and they need extra help in all of them. Take a look at the jobs section on the site to see what’s available.

GET SPECIAL, SEASONAL WORK

Promote clubs

It may sound too good to be true, but you really can get paid to go clubbing. Clubs in cities all over the country need more punters to come through their doors and spend money at the bar. So, if you love clubbing, have lots of friends and you're reasonably organised, you can make money from going out!

The idea is to create your own guest list for a nightclub from as many of your own contacts as possible. Depending on the club, you'll get a certain amount of commission for every person you bring to the event.

Now admittedly, the Christmas/New Year period will be busy for a lot of clubs anyway, but it’s possible that they will still need help on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, even in the busiest months. Give it a go. For more details and which clubs to hit, check out our article on how to get paid to party.

Babysitting

The party season can be really

good for people who are willing to stay at home looking after someone else’s kids for the evening.

Either go it alone by leafleting your area and, maybe, advertising your services on Facebook, or join an agency and get work through them.

Babysitters are generally paid a minimum of £5 per hour depending on age, experience and where you live (minimum wage for under-318s is £4 an hour), but it can vary a lot from job to job.

With an agency you will need to have a DBS check and references before they will even consider you. Many agencies only use qualified and experienced nannies, teachers or nurses, but some will take someone who just has a lot of experience caring for children (like a mum perhaps).

In central London you can expect around £10 per hour. Apply to an agency like Top Notch Nannies or Sitters for babysitting work. It’s worth checking websites like Gumtree to find local jobs in your local area.

MAKE MONEY AS SANTA CLAUS!

Have you got a wide girth, white hair and a jolly disposition?

Or are you petite, agile and experienced in entertaining kids and parents?

You could make money as a Santa or as an elf in shopping centres, department stores and even nightclubs this season!

What’s involved?

Santa’s and elves are in demand from October until Christmas Day (and, increasingly, beyond) to entertain children and adults at parties, department stores, shopping centres and nightclubs.

You’d need to be available during the day for shop work or in the evening for parties and nightclubs.

The work particularly suits

actors and performers, especially those with specialist skills such as magic, unicycling and balloon modelling, but if you just have an outgoing nature and a good way with kids that can be enough. It's not just a job for men either. Elves are in high demand and are generally women. Most of the work is amusing queues of children in shops or outside entertainment venues.

Elves tend to be children's performers, so it helps to have skills or previous experience in entertainment, but it's not absolutely essential.

How do you get work?

There are two routes – via an agency or a training school. You can also find plenty of seasonal jobs and temporary placements by visiting Jobs from Gumtree – there are thousands of seasonal jobs available.

MAKE MONEY AS SANTA CLAUS!

Santa Agency

One of the main Santa agencies is The Ministry of Fun based in South London. It places Santa’s and elves all over the country for different kinds of jobs.

The agency uses its younger members for nightclub bookings where Santa turns up at midnight and throws gifts for the guests.

•The younger ones are also used for jobs where Santa is needed to be on a bicycle or unicycle or to walk round a shopping centre all day.

•Older Santa’s usually attend photoshoots or department store grottos where they can mostly sit down.

The Ministry of Fun provides outfits for its Santa’s and elves but some of its people have their own kit. These performers also get work privately themselves through word of mouth or by answering ads. If you need to buy your own costume, eBay and Amazon certainly have Father Christmas-style clothes. Remember, for shopping

online, you should make sure you’ve downloaded InvisibleHand. This is a clever online tool that finds the cheapest price on whatever you’re looking for.

Download it now and you’ll never pay over the odds again!

Santa training school

Believe it or not, there really is such a thing as Santa training school where wannabe Santas are put through their paces in all things festive. The Ministry of Fun runs a Santa training school every year – contact them today for 2013 dates. If you’re too late for this year, register now for 2014.

MAKE MONEY AS SANTA CLAUS!

Skills you need Make sure you know what’s required before putting yourself forward.

For Santa’s, agencies are interested in men with performing skills, good voices, the right look (ideally their own white hair and beard along with a large tummy!) and a kindly way with children.

Get in touch with the agencies by phone or email and they will set up an interview. If you have photos of yourself in costume, that will help your application.

Some also ask for photos of you without your costume, so they can see what you normally look like! They may want to see evidence of acting or performing skills on your CV or at least experience of entertainment work (even if it is amateur dramatics!). For help with writing a killer CV check out our essential article.

Before you get any work, you will need to get a DBS

(Disclosure and Barring Service) check. The DBS lasts for three years and is essential to have if you are working with children or vulnerable people. If you do not have one already ask the agency for more information or check out our article about it here.

For elves, it's a good idea to join agencies and check the ads to give you the maximum exposure to work. Contact the agencies and take photos and a CV to your interview. Agencies usually look for petite women with performing skills to be elves, although some are boys or young men.

Some elves only need to look the part and interact well with the public, particularly children, but the majority need to have entertaining skills such as magic, balloon modelling and face painting. If you already work as a children's entertainer, then it should be easy to get work as an elf.

As with being a Santa, you will need to get a DBS check first.

MAKE THINGS TO SELL

Now that the nights are drawing in and you’re spending more time indoors, why not use the time to make some money?

Here are a few ideas:

Make money in front of the TV

Yes, it's really tempting just to put the heating up, grab a blanket and curl up in front of the TV for hours in the freezing weather. So, if you're determined to do that, make some cash while you do it.

Firstly, if you're a good knitter (and knitting does rather go with the cold weather) you can make money by knitting to order. We've got a great article here on how to get in touch with designers to do piece work for them.

If you're really good at making things; sewing, painting,

crocheting or any other form of non-messy craft-work, use this time to make things to sell at car boot sales, online or at your local market. For example, you might enjoy scrapbooking which is a great thing to do in front of the TV, or you might have the nose for making perfume and some of that can be done in front of the box.

Everyone loves receiving handmade cards – they’re more personal and always nicer than shop-bought ones. As well as being unique and thoughtful, they can be easy to make for sale at local shops or markets.

If your Christmas designs do well, there's every chance customers will come back for something different on other occasions. You can get all your Christmas card materials from WHSmith and Amazon.

MAKE THINGS TO SELL

Do some competitions

If you have a computer and access to the internet you can make use of the time wherever you are.

Make sure you have a go at some online competitions. Here at MoneyMagpie we love competitions, so head to our competitions page and enter as many as you like. Registration is free, and the page always has amazing giveaways including holidays, cars and gadgets.

Also, make sure you are signed up to the newsletter as we have a new, fab competition every week with everything from £100 vouchers to furniture and food hampers as prizes. Sign up for free here.

Make money cooking

If you're stuck inside huddled against the cold, what better way to use your time (and keep warm!) than by doing a little cooking?

If you're a dab hand in the kitchen, you could rustle up some treats like cakes, jams and sweets and sell them on the side for a tidy profit. Our article here has plenty of tips on how to go about making and selling your goodies. Lakeland is the place to go for top-quality kitchen equipment. They have all kinds of lovely bags, boxes and decorations for sweets, cakes and jams. You can find cheaper items via online marketplaces too, or reuse boxes, bows, ribbons and even last year’s Christmas cards and wrapping paper to make seasonal gifts.

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

Hampers make fantastic presents and Christmas hampers in particular are very popular. They can be quite expensive, though, and when times are hard people are especially keen on grabbing a bargain.

So why not try making your own gift baskets on the cheap and sell them for a nice little profit in time for Christmas? Here are some ideas as to how to do it:

The container

These doesn’t necessarily have to be a basket. You could find decorative boxes somewhere, or even get ordinary boxes and decorate them yourself. Or you could get the kids to help.

You can get baskets and boxes from most garden centres, craft stores, pound shops and even some charity shops.

If you don’t feel like venturing out into the cold, Amazon has baskets for under a tenner. It’s also worth looking on sites like SnaffleUp and Gumtree, where

you can pick up some real bargains.

It’s usually best to get smaller boxes/baskets than you think you’ll need. That way you’ll be forced to display the goodies upright and more visibly. The containers will also fill up quicker and cheaper.

The packing

To make your hampers look even more attractive, and to pad them out, you’ll need some decorative packing. Florists sell cheap flower cellophane, or you could use some low-cost Christmas wrapping paper from a pound shop or on eBay. For coloured tissue paper check out Amazon where you can buy 20 assorted sheets for just £1.74.

If you have an electric shredder, it’s cheap and really effective to fill the hamper with strips of coloured paper. If you’d like to invest in an electric shredder you should be able to pick one up online for less than £20.

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

The filling

You can put whatever you like into a hamper – in fact, unique items will make yours really stand out.

Here are a few ideas for things you might want to put in yours, but if you’re still stuck check out these M&S hampers for inspiration.

Wine

For Christmas wine, visit the Sunday Times Wine Club and have a look at their latest offers. If you want to buy wine in bulk, this is a great place to shop, because it’s high quality and very reasonably priced. Take a look here for their latest offers.

In addition, have a look at the Tesco Wine Club, which is always running special offers and discounts on some quality

wines. View all their special offers here.

Chocolate

You simply must include chocolate in your hamper! Thorntons always has offers on Christmas goodies, so you can get lots more for your money.

For luxury hampers, you could visit Hotel Chocolat, which has some lovely, higher-quality (but pricier) chocolates. They also sell a delicious range of gluten-free products (for coeliacs) – view the full range here.

If you buy chocolates that are individually wrapped, you can divide a box up and place them in different hampers, saving you money. Find ones with pretty or festive packaging and they’ll liven up your hamper.

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

Tea and coffee

Everyone loves a good cup of tea or coffee, making luxury brands ideal for hampers.

Whittard Of Chelsea runs some lovely festive promotions, so you could put together a tealover’s pack with a cup and saucer in the middle with some small packs of speciality teas and a tea strainer around it.

Alternatively, pick some packs of special coffee beans and add a couple of mugs, a teapot or a cafetière for a complete cuppa

kit.

You can get these kinds of things very cheaply at places like Tesco and Marks & Spencer, saving you more money to buy really special tea and coffee. For something a little sweeter, Whittard Of Chelsea offers some gorgeous hot chocolates. With over 20 flavours to choose from, you should find something you like – we’ve got our eyes on the Rocky Road and Caramel varieties.

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

Finishing touches

Now you’ve packed your hamper full of goodies, add the finishing touches to your presentation.

Get your hands on some of that cellophane we mentioned earlier – from a florist or a garden centre – for around 50p a metre.

Cut a piece that’s big enough to completely wrap around the hamper and its contents.

Stick the hamper in the middle, then gather the corners of the cellophane together at the top and tie the whole thing up with a big bright ribbon.

You could also add tinsel, baubles, sprigs or holly or any other Christmassy items to make it even more attractive to buyers.

How to sell your hamper

Now you’ve made your wonderful hamper, it’s time to sell it.

Research

Think about who you're going to sell your hampers to. If you

live in a country village, then homemade products like jams and cakes are likely to sell better than a hamper packed with novelty Christmas gifts.

Ask your friends and family what they'd like to receive in a hamper, and if you're selling them locally, enquire in your neighbourhood too.

Get inspiration from professional hampers which you can view online. Virginia Hayward Hampers & Gifts has some gorgeous collections, as do Lakeland and M&S. For chocolaty hampers, Thorntons is sure to give you some mouth-watering ideas, and Boots also do a lovely range.

Check the regulations

Before putting any homemade food in your hampers, contact your local authorities to check regulations in your area. It might be that your kitchen has to be registered, or that you need some type of licence. Keep everything above board and you shouldn't have any problems. Find the contact details of your local council here.

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

Buy in bulk

You need to sell your hampers at a profit. If it costs you a fortune to make them, you might find yourself out of pocket, somewhat defeating the object!

Start by making a list of around five–10 items that you definitely want to include in your hampers.

Once you've got your list, think about how you could buy each product in bulk as this will save you a fortune. Amazon and eBay are great places to look for bargains, and most of the websites mentioned so far will save you a packet. Also, keep an eye out for special offers throughout the year, such as two-for-one deals and discounts on multi packs.

Pricing

Knowing how to price your hamper can be tricky. Your best bet is to jot down exactly how much it cost you to make

the hamper, taking into account the items inside it, the basket itself and the decorations. You should also factor in your own time (how long did you spend making it?) and any delivery costs you might have incurred. Once you've got that figure you'll need to decide how much you're going to mark the price up.

Trust your instincts – if you live in a good area and the items inside your hamper are of a high quality, set a price to reflect that. Likewise, if the items inside your hamper are quite low value then don't charge the earth or you'll find yourself very short of customers. They might buy once but you can guarantee they won't come back for seconds. Try to find out what your competitors (if there are any) are charging and where possible, charge less!

MAKE MONEY SELLING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

Advertising

Get your hampers seen by a large audience online by using Gumtree. These sites allow you to advertise for free and are really easy to use.

Make sure you try local farmers’ markets and car boot sales. The costs involved will be relatively low and it'll give you the chance to assess what sells well and the quality of your competition. You should also post leaflets through your neighbours’ doors advertising your services. Include prices, contact details and a really nice image of one of your hampers. Once you're a bit more confident in your abilities, post an ad in your local paper a month or so before Christmas.

If you're signed up to a social network like Twitter or Facebook, make sure you leave a post on there as well. Or, if the mere mention of social networks sends shudders down your spine, have a word with your friends and family.

The chances are one of them will be signed up to either Facebook or Twitter and advertising your services will take them a matter of seconds. Social networking is a very powerful tool and if you’re serious about selling hampers you need to hop aboard the wagon – or at least get someone else to on your behalf!

See MoneyMagpie’s Facebook and Twitter pages for inspiration.

MAKE MONEY SHOPPING

The easiest way to make money before Christmas is to earn while you shop. There are two ways to do this – using cashback sites, or with a cashback credit card.

Cashback sites

These days loads of us are doing the majority of our Christmas shopping online. It saves money and is much less hassle than battling the freezing weather and mammoth queues on the high street. So if you're going to shop online, do it early and through a cashback site to make some extra money.

There are loads to choose from, so use one that covers the shops you're likely to want to buy things from. Start with sites that give you cash just for signing up – Cashback Shopper gives you £5, and Ecashback gives you £2.50 immediately.

Quidco’s another Moneymagpie favourite – they’re linked with 3,500 retailers, so get signed up and you’ll be racking up the cashback in no time.

We’ve written a whole article on the joys of cashback shopping – take a look here.

Cashback cards

These work in a similar way to cashback sites, in that you are rewarded for spending. Don't confuse them with loyalty cards like the Boots card – cashback cards are credit cards that you use to buy items and pay later, not loyalty cards.

Don’t bother with these cards if you struggle to clear your credit card balance every month – the interest you'll have to pay will definitely outweigh the cashback benefits. For some great advice on getting out of the red and into the black, see our article on how to beat your credit card balance.

If you know that you can pay your credit card bill each month (in other words, before the interest kicks in), cashback cards are a great way to get something back when you shop.