Christmas Season Job Ideas

Whether they're employed outside the home full-time, part-time, or not at all, many people take on an extra job around the holidays. Tightwaddy folks in particular are more prone to picking up extra hours. Aside from meticulous year-round planning or a windfall Christmas bonus, there's just no other way to avoid pulling out those credit cards. Here's some ideas for seasonal or occasional work. As you make your way down the list, hopefully you'll find something that meets both your interests & talents.

Babysitting
The Christmas season is a busy one for all families, increasing the need for good babysitters. If you have children of your own, you can often tag them along. One of the best ways to get babysitting business is word of mouth. Other ideas include hanging up flyers at the library, the grocery store or church.

Retail
Retail work is the first seasonal job that pops in our minds during Christmas. Its benefits include the massive amount of opportunities available, as well as the higher hourly wage that seasonal workers often make. Its drawbacks are few, and mostly apply to families. Since the hours are long, busy and sometimes inconsistent, it can make scheduling a real headache. Plus, this is very rarely the type of job where wee ones can tag along.

Catalog call centers
If you have one of these in your town, they often hire seasonally to handle the increase in calls. While you likely can't bring your kids to work, you will most likely get predictable hours.

Fed-Ex
Like clockwork during the month of November, Fed-Ex starts posting its signs for seasonal workers. Again, no children allowed, and you'll also have to be able to handle physical labor for several hours at a time. But, you will get predictable hours and you can make money working off those holiday calories, therefore saving money on a January gym membership.

If none of these seem up your alley, be sure to check out your local Craigslist. Start by searching the keywords "occasional," "temporary," "on-call," or "seasonal" in the jobs section. If nothing you like comes up that way, browse the pages of the industry you prefer.

And don't forget that Christmas is buying season everywhere, including consignment shops and eBay. If you have things to sell, now is a great time to try.