Make More Money This Holiday Season

With the holiday season right around the corner, you may be taking a look at your budget. This time of year typically brings on higher expenses. In order to ensure you don’t have to dip into your emergency fund, you may want to think about using one of these ways to make more money during the holiday season.

Get A Seasonal Job
This time of year, many companies are looking to fill part-time jobs. The area you will be most successful in is retail. Stores look to hire people to keep up with the pace of holiday shoppers. Be sure to contact all your local retailers to see if they have any openings.

Additionally, you may be able to ask your boss for extra hours in the holiday season to try to make more money. If neither of those options work, it may help to contact a staffing agency. However, this may require you to pay an upfront cost to them finding you a job. If you are able to get a seasonal job, it could go a long way toward keeping you on budget during the holidays.

Sell Crafts
If you are the artsy type, selling your crafts may help bring in extra money. There are many holiday-themed crafts that you can potentially sell during this time. Some simple ideas include homemade wreaths and Christmas ornaments. No matter what you make, try finding a craft fair where you can set up a station. This will give you some exposure and hopefully allow you to bring in some extra money. Online auction sites, such as eBay, may be another place where you can sell your creations.

Sell Baked Goods
Another thing you may be able to sell is baked goods. The holiday season is a popular time for cookies and cakes, so if you are a good baker, you may be able to make some extra cash. You can sell them to friends and family members or find a local bake sale to participate in. You could even advertise your own bake sale if there aren’t any in the area. Many people bring baked goods to holiday parties or offer them as gifts, so they are in high demand this time of year.…

Design Your Black Friday Shopping Strategy Well In Advance

Black Friday Shopping Strategy Well In AdvanceThe day after Thanksgiving is known in the retail world as Black Friday. On this day, consumers can find significant savings on everything from clothing to electronics. But just because something is on sale, doesn’t mean you should dip into your emergency funds to buy it.

Before you make a major expense, you should ensure it fits with your overall budget. If you fail to do this, you may require a bad credit payday loan to cover other financial obligations.

If you run the numbers and you have the cash to purchase a few items this Black Friday, there are a few ways you should prepare.

Do Your Homework
Black Friday lines start to form outside of some stores days in advance, but before you reserve your spot, do some research on the various sales available.

On big-ticket items, such as televisions, retailers only keep a small stock, so you may need to rush to buy it once the store opens. If you know exactly what you want, this could improve your chances of getting in and out of the store without a hitch.

Compare Prices
Even though many different stores offer sales on Black Friday, some may have more significant discounts. If you look online, you may be able to learn which stores in your area are selling the product on your mind. Rather than standing in line at one retail location, you may be able to go next door and save even more money at another.

Map Out The Store
Prior to Black Friday, take some time to examine the layout of the stores that sell the items you want. This way during the mad rush, you’ll know exactly where you need to go when the doors open.

If there are multiple products on your list, determine the order in which you want to pick them up. This way you won’t waste time searching around the store.

Once again, unless Black Friday shopping fits with your long-term financial goals, you should refrain from buying any items, no matter how good the savings are.…