9 Christmas jobs to earn extra cash over the festive period
With Christmas around the corner you may be looking to top up your finances with a seasonal or part time job.
Here we look at some ideas for a side hustle over the festive period.
We also explain what the tax implications a second job may bring.
1. Food delivery driving - Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEATS
The food delivery industry shows no signs of slowing with the likes of Deliveroo and JustEat expanding into new towns all the time.
It can be good news for people who want a flexible job where they choose their own hours. And demand for food delivery is likely to rise around the Christmas period as people entertain guests, try to avoid the cold or take trips to unfamiliar locations and need some last minute goods.
According to our research, food delivery drivers can earn between £7-£13 an hour depending on their local area, when they work and the food delivery app they use.
There is a highly variable nature to customer orders so some shifts could see you earn much more than this, or - less.
We’ve put together a guide on how to earn more as a delivery driver.
Don't forget you will need insurance on your vehicle if driving to make your drops. We have all the information you need here:
Plus we've compared Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats to see which is best for you.
2. Amazon delivery driver
Black Friday and Christmas are peak times for Amazon deliveries.
Much like food delivery jobs, Amazon takes on drivers on an ad hoc basis with the driver in control of how much work they take on.
We researched how much you can earn with Amazon Flex driving to see if it's worth it. While Amazon's website says drivers can earn between £13 and £17 an hour, our research suggests that range is more like £8-£16 an hour.
We also have a really comprehensive guide to what you need to know and answers to common questions when it comes to Amazon Flex insurance, here.
3. Warehouse pick and packers
If delivery driving doesn't sound like your cup of tea you can still make money from the influx of orders made during the festive period.
From working in an Amazon depot to clothing, food or toy manufacturers, there are a range of industries with warehouses needing temporary help.
Some warehouse jobs run night shifts - which offer higher pay.
Alex Shapland-Howes, CEO of RideTandem, which operates shuttle buses for workers at some of the UK's largest employers such as DPD and Royal Mail, told NimbleFins the period up until Christmas is extremely busy as companies hire more staff to cover extra orders from Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the January sales.
He said: "For anyone looking to make a bit of extra money close to Christmas, temporary jobs can be great. A lot of companies offer 24/7 shift patterns so it can fit in around childcare or any other responsibilities you have.
"As well as large warehouses and logistics companies, food manufacturers are also under pressure ahead of Christmas to make sure everyone gets their turkey and all the trimmings for the big day. "And Royal Mail is busier too - needing to hire thousands of casual workers to sort Christmas cards and presents."
Alex, whose company particularly helps workers get to out of town areas, added: "Our services support businesses that struggle to hire due to poor, or unavailable, public transport. So if you think a company might be too far to commute, check with them if they are offering a company shuttle bus first."
4. Bars, restaurants and hotels
The six weeks before Christmas and New Year are a busy time for the hospitality industry, with Christmas parties, nights out and New Year's Eve celebrations.
There are also one-off events such as charity balls or private parties which all require staff.
Not only are venues busier, but regular staff may want to take some time off meaning there will be spare shifts to fill.
Jobs here include waiting staff, pot washers, bar staff, or even kitchen support and chambermaids.
You can either search job sites, sign up to an agency or ask in your local hospitality venues.
Event agencies can be a good bet for one-off events and these can be more lucrative but more ad-hoc.
5. Gift wrapping
That's right, you can get paid to wrap up presents!
If you love getting creative when wrapping your gifts for friends and family you might enjoy lending your services to a retailer or professional gift wrap business.
Jane Means hires seasonal workers at £12 an hour to gift wrap, and you could also find demand for the service in department stores or high end shops.
6. Cleaning
Aside from domestic cleaning, you might find more demand for cleaners in business premises during the Christmas period when there is higher footfall in popular places. Offices that close down for Christmas may also decide the break is a good time to do a deep clean while staff are away.
Plus, like the hospitality industry, some permanent cleaners may have annual leave booked.
You can search online for cleaning jobs or sign up with an agency.
7. Retail
Just like the hospitality industry, retailers need extra pairs of hands to deal with the influx of Christmas shoppers and turning stores around for the January sales.
Many of the big brands take on temporary customer assistants over the festive period. For example, M&S has more than 200 roles across the country in the run up to the 2024 Christmas, with jobs offering part time hours generally paying £12 an hour.
You'll need to be a quick learner and show passion for helping customers. It’s likely some shifts may require early mornings or late evenings and weekends.
8. Santa's little helpers
With Christmas grottos and festive events held in every village, town and city, there will be a host of elves, Father Christmases and Mrs Clauses required!
Venues will need help managing queues, taking photos, taking payments, setting up sites and much more to give a magical experience.
You can also sprinkle some festive cheer by enlisting as a performer such as a carol singer or Christmas character.
Event management companies and venues hosting festive events such as ice rinks, Christmas markets, and fairs need people to manage operations, set up venues, sales and customer service.
9. Sell your creations
If you have a craft hobby or special skill why not sell your creations online or at festive fairs?
Towns have Christmas markets or indoor events around Christmas to keep families entertained and invoke the community spirit and they will have stalls available to hire, enabling you to offer your products to the public.
Or you could set up a shopfront on online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay, Amazon or Folksy.
Of course there is no guarantee your items will sell, or how many you will sell, so it's not as dependable income. But often these hobbies can turn into more permanent side hustles if you get the bug!
Tips to getting a temp job
Keep an eye on jobs listings - especially on individual business websites.
Be flexible with availability - it's likely some of your shifts will be during anti-social hours. This could be weekends, early mornings or late nights.
Be prepared - have your CV and cover letter up to date, have references to hand and be ready for interviews.
Apply quickly - don't hang around for the deadline for applications, businesses will be wanting to fill the jobs quickly so be ready to act fast.
Second job tax
If you have a second job you will need to pay tax on it and the amount depends on how much income you have from your main job.
Each person in the UK gets a personal allowance which they can earn free of tax. Currently the personal allowance is £12,570.
Anything above that is taxed. £12,571-£50,270 is taxed at 20%. This is the basic rate.
Any income between £50,270 and £125,140 is taxed at 40% - called the higher rate.
Anything earned above that is taxed at 45%.
Your second job income essentially sits on top of your main income. So if you earned £50,000 a year in your usual job and then earned £2,000 in a second job you would have to pay 20% tax on the first £270 and then 40% on the rest.
You only get one personal allowance and this should be used on your main job. However, if you have two low paid jobs it is possible to split your personal allowance between the two.
For example, you had a main job paying £10,000 and a second job paying £3,000. You can contact HMRC to request they transfer your remaining personal allowance (in this case £2,570) onto the second job. Then you will only need to pay 20% tax on the remaining £430which falls outside of the personal allowance.
Alternatively, you can wait until the end of the tax year and ask for a refund.
If you're not sure how much you're going to earn on one of the jobs it might not be worth splitting your personal allowance in case you end up underpaying tax and being charged later down the line.
If you know you’ll be earning above your personal allowance you will probably want to inform HMRC of your second job to ensure you're paying the right amount of tax. Usually you will be automatically taxed 20% but if the amount you're earning pushes you into the higher rate when combining both incomes then you may be underpaying and be charged at the end of the tax year.
National Insurance may also be applied to your earnings. The threshold in 2024/25 is £242 a week. If you earn more than this you will have to pay NI contributions, which are 13.8%.
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