5 Ways to Make Money on Break

Shoveling snow.
Final projects have been turned in, grades are being anxiously anticipated, and exam week is over at long last. Now, all the college students will be making their way home to spend a glorious few weeks devoid of anything resembling school work or responsibility. For many, it might begin to fall into the realm of boredom. So, if you find that you’ve got a little – or a lot – of extra time on your hands over break, and could use a bit of extra money (who couldn’t?) try these great ideas for making some quick cash over your winter break.

1. Shovel snow. Manual labor may not be the most exciting thing that anyone’s ever done, but you can’t deny, it’s effective. Around the holidays, people are busy enough without having to worry about the pesky weather getting in their way. So, offer to shovel people’s driveways and sidewalks in your neighborhood. Chances are, they’ll be more than receptive if you charge a fair amount and do a thorough job.

2. Wrap presents. This kind of goes along with the first tip. Around this time of year, thousands of gifts are being purchased and given at any given moment. Many people either don’t have time to wrap their own presents, have too many to think of tackling alone, or else just simply don’t want to deal with all the wrapping paper and scotch tape. Start by offering to wrap presents for your family, and then try people in your community, family friends, and your friends’ parents. People will be all too happy to hand over the arduous task to someone else this holiday season.

3. Get your old job back. If you worked at a local business during the summer, or back when you were in high school, go and talk to your old employer. If you left on good terms, chances are that they’ll be more than happy to offer you a temporary position during your winter break. Most businesses can use a few extra sets of hands during the holidays, what with all the extra shopping and eating being done. Plus, it builds your reputation with the employer, and makes it more likely that they’ll save a spot for you when they’re hiring for summer work.

4. Babysit. Do you know a lot of parents where you live that could use some time off? Maybe they just need time to shop for Christmas presents, clean the house for the expected influx of extended family members, or wrap aforementioned presents. Offer to watch their little tykes, either at their home or yours (though you might want to check with the other members of your family first before you sign your house up for daycare duty). They’ll be happy to have some time off, and you’ll be able to make some pretty good cash.

5. Seasonal help. Many larger retail stores hire tons of extra employees to deal with the strain of the holiday shopping season. Work usually only lasts a few weeks to a few months, but can often lead to more permanent employment, or may make it easier for you to get a job later in the summer or beyond. They often need extra customer service reps, gift wrappers, greeters, and sometimes elves or workers for Santa’s workshop, if it’s in a larger area. It’s all great experience and can lead to a nice paycheck!