Every year, people take time away from work and school to celebrate the holidays with their families. For some students, it is the first time they’re seeing their family since the start of the semester. In the same instance, as school work dwindles, students find themselves with a surplus of time. When parents begin to return to work, students must find ways to use their time wisely. For college students, financial strain is pervasive. When asked her plans for winter, Misha Ipaye, sophomore early childhood major, jokingly responds, “Get a job. Get another job…” Because winter break is only 30 days, it is nonsensical for students to commit to long-term internships or volunteer work. Additionally, for college students temporary work is scarce because to most employers need a consistent long-term employee. .What most students don’t know is that there are countless other ways, outside of the traditional means, to turn their spare time into money.
The most obvious is seasonal holiday retail. When expressing what areas of employment students can find during winter break, Niya Boone, sophomore economics major, references retail opportunities first, “…the mall, retail, secretarial jobs, and tutoring. Also babysitting, anybody can babysit.” Retailers are increasingly busy during the holiday season and they are notorious for hiring mass amounts of employees to keep up with the plethora of consumers. However, landing a job in this particular area can become challenging because of the high frequency of people who are taking advantage of the hiring spike. The responsibilities can be quite strenuous given the demand associated with the holidays. As they get nearer each day, people are rushing to get all their affairs in order just in time. Between balancing their everyday duties with all the responsibility the holidays bring, it is not uncommon for people to become overwhelmed. They can be irritable and stressed, frustrated and even sad. The season brings a horde of emotions all of which employees often find themselves exposed to.
An easy and simple way to make some money is sell old textbooks as the semester ends. Most of the books used during the fall semester are no longer necessary. If students did not rent them, they can sell them to people looking to use them in the upcoming semester. Depending on how much was initially spent for the books, the reimbursement has the potential to last the entire winter break. Another thing that is frequently in high demand are tutors; they are constantly needed for various reasons. Tutors are needed in multiple areas of learning, including grade school students, high school students and winter session college students. The hours are flexible which leaves time to enjoy festivities with the family.
Separately, a parent’s time-off is considerably shorter than that of the child’s. For that reason, parents find themselves looking for a reliable caretaker who can start as soon as possible and ideally, has a very flexible availability. Therefore, babysitters become a necessary component of the holiday season. Similarly, several people find themselves in need of sitters for things besides children. People who go on vacation for the holidays are leaving their homes and pets unattended. In an effort to nurture these things from afar, they often hire trustworthy individuals to foster these beloved belongings. Pet and house sitting can both be considerably lucrative for such an effortless job. The hours for any type of sitting are enough to be profitable, but not inconvenient.
An equally convenient, low-maintenance position is being a focus group participant. It is slightly underrated because most focus groups are by nature unobtrusive. There is minimal obligation on the part of the participant and the compensation is reasonable. Advantageously, focus groups do not require individuals to pay taxes. It is remarkably feasible for people who do not have the means to attend a daily 9 to 5 job. A simple Google search of paid focus groups will reveal opportunities to apply for a traditionally elusive job. Another often overlooked quick-cash job is that of a mystery shopper. Responsibilities range from helping stores improve the quality of their experience to survey the store in a supervisorial capacity. Fortunately, there is no need of having prior experience and the duties are minimally demanding.
Another quick way to pick up some cash is to pick up some snow. Shoveling snow can be vigorous but it is also a good way to make some consistent cash. The winter brings an abundance of snow which elderly people or busy families cannot feasibly maintain. For them, students looking for work are ideal candidates for such a task. As snow falls, people look to them to shovel their driveways and this cycle is repeated throughout the winter. And as the holidays come to a close, Christmas light removal is another thing people pay for. Removing Christmas lights can be challenging and laborious; it consumes a considerable amount of time and can be relatively dangerous. So naturally, the ideal candidate to do it is a youthful vibrant college student.
These are just a few ways to make this holiday season a profitable and productive one. Boone intends to spend her winter strengthen her savings account. She states, “[I plan to] save up; I never save my money. Save up and get a job.” Taking advantage of these unique ways to make money can keep students from returning to school empty handed, and whatever money earned can be beneficial when buying books for next semester. Winter break for the Kean University community is from December 22 to January 21, don’t let those days go to waste!
