It will be here before you know it. Already my kids are making their wish lists, and the stores are starting their holiday sales. As I mentioned before, our Christmas tree is more like a “couple of sticks with some green toothpicks on it,” as my son describes, and there is extra tithing and charity. All of these things aren’t normally in the budget. That is why we are employing some strategies to earn a little extra money this year. Some effort now will help avoid great debt later.
Because our schedules are already packed tight with kids and work, getting second jobs really wouldn’t work for us, so we have to be a bit more creative. Here are three ways that we will be earning some extra money for Christmas.
Skip a grocery trip
Skipping a weekly grocery trip here and there actually does save us money. Yes, we still have to eat, but by skipping a week, we learn how to make do and stretch the resources a bit. I can dive into the pantry and freezer, and get creative with ingredients that might otherwise expire before they are used. Knowing that the milk has to last twice as long, I can ration it and cook with dry milk instead.
Sell unwanted items
We all manage to collect things that we outgrow or find no longer useful. While the bulk of these things get donated, there are one or two items that can be sold for a little pocket cash or even traded for goods or services that will benefit us this Christmas.
Have a buy nothing month
Similar but different from skipping a grocery trip is a buy nothing month. While we are pretty good about limiting the extras, knowing that you are absolutely going to buy nothing that isn’t necessary really puts the breaks on spending. For example, this week alone, I was tempted to buy a coffee when I didn’t have time to make it at home, go out for pizza when neither my husband nor I felt like cooking, and pick up a couple of new (used) books at the library. While these aren’t huge expenses, they can add up. Having a buy nothing month is a great way to tighten things up.
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