Christmas in July: Earn Some Extra Cash Now!!!

I know. I know. You’re probably thinking I’ve lost it. “Christmas in July? It’s far too early to start thinking about that.” Yet, if you take a quick peek at the calendar you’ll discover that there are only 169 shopping days until Christmas – well, to be precise, as of writing this post there are actually 169 days, 3 hours, and 3 minutes . . . but who’s counting?

Well, you can bet I am! Five kids can get quite expensive at Christmastime. Well, they can be expensive anytime but even more so during the holidays. Yes, we do limit the amount that we spend on them, but as always, I want to ensure that I’m getting the most for my money. I flatly refuse to pay top dollar for an item just because it’s the hottest toy of the season, and to ensure that I’m not in a position where I’m tempted to do that, I like to start my shopping early. How early you ask? It’s never too early in my opinion. In fact, I often purchase items at the 75%-off clearance sales after Christmas to tuck away for the following year.

Not only does shopping early guarantee that I’ll have the best selection of items, but it also allows me to spread the expenses out over the entire year. We’ve made it through the last three Christmases without whipping out a credit card for a purchase once, even when DH was laid off last year. Fortunately, if you haven’t started your shopping yet, and I’m sure there’s a number of you out there, you still have the opportunity to earn some extra cash between now and Black Friday to pad your budget a little.

So without further ado, one of the easiest ways to earn a little extra money is with paid surveys. You can spend as much or as little time on this endeavor as YOU want to invest. If a survey interests you, take it; if it doesn’t, just delete the email. It’s true that some companies reward you with more frequent surveys the more you fill out for them, but you are never obligated. Furthermore, you should never pay for access to surveys. There are plenty of legitimate sites that you can sign up with directly with no fees whatsoever.

The following is a list of legitimate survey companies that I have firsthand experience with, e.g., I have taken surveys for them, cashed out, and most importantly, I have been PAID. It’s very simple to get started. Just register, fill out your profile information, and then they will email you with survey opportunities that match up with your profile. Generally you have to reach a certain threshold before you can cash out, but time is on your side still! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

• Opinion Outpost
• Valued Opinions
• Toluna
• Pinecone Research
• American Consumer Opinion Panel

So sign up for one, a few, or all, and you’ll be that much closer to having some extra cash in your pocket for your holiday spending! It’s definitely worked to keep our family out of the red for several years.

Stay tuned for more in the Christmas in July series to save money and/or fund your Christmas budget, and be sure to check out Doodles’ Place for some super cute Christmas crafts, tasty recipes, and more!!!

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!