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

by Tara Kuczykowski on July 9, 2008 · 24 comments

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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.

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.

Looking for a few more ways to fund your Christmas budget? Check out my follow-up post!

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!

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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }

1 The Apron Queen July 9, 2008 at 4:21 am: Ack! Please don’t remind me of Xmas! Actually, I am signed up with several of these sites, but I’ve been negligent. Thanksfor the reminder.

Come try out my finger-licking good, messy, sticky, but SUPER easy BBQ rib recipe: http://anapronaday.blogspot.com/2008/07/easy-bbq-ribs-recipe.html
2 The Momster July 9, 2008 at 5:16 am: Thanks for the tips. I always start looking forward to Christmas when it’s miserably hot outside :)
3 R July 9, 2008 at 8:26 am: it’s never too early to start thinking about christmas! hobby lobby, garden ridge, and all the craft stores have had autumn decor on the shelves for a month now!

thanks for this tip!
4 Paulette July 9, 2008 at 12:31 pm: It is nice to know I am not the only one to start early. I shop for my presents and my Dad’s too. His are a challenge as he has a $5 limit on each person. The heads up you have given us this last year has made that goal easy to meet. Thanks Tara
5 jennwa July 9, 2008 at 12:47 pm: Thanks for the great tips, with 4 kids I need all the help I can get.
6 Audra Krell July 9, 2008 at 10:51 pm: I love to think about Christmas, anytime! Thanks for the reminder that we can be looking now for great bargains and kid pleasing gifts!
7 Tara July 9, 2008 at 11:37 pm: I love Christmas for so many reasons. It’s so much fun to be able to share all the things that I did when I was younger with my own kids. Thanks for getting in the spirit with me, everyone!
8 evenapencilhasfearto July 10, 2008 at 12:00 am: I ALWAYS shop for Christmas presents year round too! In fact, I just bought a Christmas present for my grandparents today. I saw it right before last Christmas, and happened to be out shopping for a wedding present when I noticed it was on sale. I still really loved it, so I bought it! Not only is shopping early great for the budget, it helps cut down on stress, which no one needs more of.
9 craftymom July 10, 2008 at 1:37 am: Great tips and it’s nice to know they’re coming from a reliable source!

I have not shopped early the past two years and I’ve regretted it.

We have four kids and will plan ahead this year!
10 Melissa July 11, 2008 at 5:46 am: yes thank you so much for this post. how long would you say you spend on surveys? and how much do you generally get paid?
11 Tara July 15, 2008 at 3:11 am: I apologize for not responding sooner, Melissa. I’ve gotten quite behind in my comments with work last week.

I don’t spend a lot of time on surveys currently, because I have a work-at-home transcription position. I most frequently fill them out when I’m nursing the baby or watching TV. I figure it’s kind of nice to make a little extra during my downtime.

Payment varies a lot. Some companies have a points system where you can cash out after you earn so many points, and others pay cash. A lot of it depends on whether you fall into highly desirable demographics, too. I haven’t been very good about tracking my cash outs for a while. I just figure any little bit extra is worth the small time investment.

Good luck!
12 Danielle July 15, 2008 at 3:49 am: The Opinion Outpost link isn’t working.
13 Tara July 15, 2008 at 4:11 am: Hmm, I just tried it, Danielle, and it worked for me. Maybe it was just a momentary glitch or something. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
14 Danielle July 15, 2008 at 11:10 pm: Tara, I just tried the Opinion Outlook link again. This is the message that I receive: Safari can’t open the page “http://media303.com/z/865/CD10954/&dp=207641” because it’s an invalid address.

What is their direct address (i.e. opinionoutlook.com???)

Thanks!
15 Tara July 15, 2008 at 11:38 pm: Hmm, well that’s very strange. The website is http://www.opinionoutpost.com. Thanks, Danielle!
16 Cindi-Moomettesgram's Musings July 31, 2008 at 1:03 pm: Thanks for the info. I’ll have to try these. The ones I’ve signed up for don’t seem to want Baby Boomer opinions!
17 Cindi-Moomettesgram's Musings July 31, 2008 at 1:03 pm: Thanks for the info. I’ll have to try these. The ones I’ve signed up for don’t seem to want Baby Boomer opinions!
18 Kathie August 6, 2008 at 6:34 pm: THANK YOU so much for posting these. I’ve been anxiously searching the last few weeks for surveys like these and havent had any luck. I have been thinking Christmas for the last few weeks and wondering how I was going to fund it. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
19 Tara August 7, 2008 at 3:27 am: I’m happy to help out. Every little bit can make a difference!
20 Tracie October 10, 2008 at 2:54 pm: Hello! I was wondering about the whole tax thing with earnings from taking surveys. So how does that work? Do I have to set some money aside, as I assume it is reported to the IRS with each company?
Thanks for your help!
Tracie
21 Deal Seeking Mom October 15, 2008 at 10:21 pm: Tracie, I’m so glad you’re being proactive on the subject! Of course I’ll preface this with letting you know that I’m not a tax expert, but this is what I’ve learned. All earnings should be claimed as income; however, you will not receive a 1040 from the company unless you’ve earned in excess of $400.
22 Elina October 21, 2008 at 5:10 am: This is really good info site. I am going to refer to my friends also.

Thanks..
Elina
23 Momma November 19, 2008 at 1:19 pm: Nice list of survey sites. I use a couple of these. It’s true that surveys give you some extra spending money! We also maintain a list of legitimate paid survey sites on the Engineer a Debt Free Life blog at http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/

We also have lots of money saving and frugal tips, plus bulk cooking recipes. Feel free to check it out!

Momma
Feature blogger at Engineer a Debt Free Life at http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/

Momma´s last blog post..Make money by searching online – Get free gift cards for searching the internet
24 rualetta thompson July 12, 2009 at 1:07 pm: thinking about skipping on the toys this year and getting the kids what they really need for christmas what do you think?