17 Profitable Ways To Make Money In December: A Data-Driven Guide

The holiday hype is real. In the United States alone, estimates predict end-of-year holiday retail sales will exceed $960 billion in 2022 [1]. Winter festivals like Christmas dominate spending, making December the most profitable month for many businesses.

As customers flock to stores and online shopping carts overflow, companies scramble to meet demand. This surge opens doors for clever side hustlers looking to earn extra cash. Whether through online channels or real-world gigs, December side jobs can pad savings ahead of rising 2023 costs.

This data-driven guide maps out the most profitable ways to make money before the year ends amidst seasonal exuberance.

Lucrative December Side Hustles: The Data

First, let’s examine data on the hottest holiday side hustles based on demand, earnings potential and hours typically worked in previous years:

Most Popular December Side Hustles

Side Hustle	Avg. Earned Per Month	Avg. Weekly Hours Worked
Private chef / caterer	$1,023	15 hours
Retail associate	$642	28 hours
Delivery driver	$934	33 hours
Childcare professional	$808	32 hours
Crafter selling online	$917	34 hours
Photographer	$753	17 hours
Dog walker / petsitter	$1,211	27 hours

Data adapted from Juniper Research andWonolo Holiday Jobs Reports 2022

Opportunities abound across sectors like retail, food, creative arts, childcare and transportation. Side hustlers can choose options suiting their expertise and availability.

But why exactly does December witness such a thriving gig economy? Let’s analyze some key consumer trends driving this demand.

What’s Fueling the Holiday Hustle?

Three factors create a conducive environment for seasonal side incomes:

1. Peak Spending

The October-December period sees 33% of annual retail sales, with December alone driving 10-15% as per National Retail Federation data:

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Consumer spending also rises for experiences, events, travel and food. This sudden splash of expenditures creates lucrative side job opportunities.

2. Time Constraints

Between holiday preparations and events, consumers have limited time for routine tasks. A survey showed 61% hire help for activities like:

Cooking holiday meals
Wrapping gifts
Decorating homes
Cleaning before / after gatherings
Running errands
Driving guests

This allows side hustlers to earn by providing time-saving convenience services.

3. Seasonal Needs

Wintery weather and festive activities also drive unique seasonal demands, fueling niche side incomes like:

Offering driveway snow removal
Selling handmade knitwear on Etsy
Photographing holiday portraits
DJing at corporate holiday parties

Catering to specific holiday needs allows side hustlers to fill demand gaps and set customized rates.

Now that we’ve explored the consumer environment creating December money-making potential, let’s map out the most lucrative opportunities by industry.

7 Hot Industries for December Side Incomes

The highest-earning holiday side hustles across the following industries:

1. Food and Beverage

Cater holiday meals and baked goods or bartend at festive events. Median hourly rate for private chefs is $28 [2].

2. Retail and Sales

Work as floor staff or cashiers at malls and department stores. Average holiday base pay is $15.40 per hour [3].

3. Transport and Delivery

Drive people around or deliver packages, food and groceries. Median pay for rideshare drivers is $14.73 per hour + tips [4].

4. Manual Labor

Shovel snow, help hang outdoor lights or assist with party setups. Hourly charges range from $20-50 depending on physicality.

5. Childcare and Eldercare

Offer child supervision services so parents can tackle holiday tasks. Average babysitter base rates are $16.50-$18.50 per hour [5].

6. Creative Services

Sell arts, crafts or design services on Etsy, Facebook or directly to clients. Crafters typically earn $25+ per hour [6].

7. Technology Services

Offer website development, tech support or data entry gigs on freelance sites. The average rate for tech tasks ranges from $30-50 per hour [7].

Now let’s explore actionable tips to start profiting across these domains.

Top Tips to Maximize December Side Incomes

Beyond just seasonal gigs, the final quarter also brings opportunities to profit from online platforms. Here are pro tips tailored to beginner, intermediate and expert side hustlers:

For New Side Hustlers

Start with Odd Jobs Facebook Groups

Join local groups like Odd Jobs dedicated to listing quick informal side gigs. Offer services around cleaning, delivery, handyman tasks or errands with flexible availability.

List Services on Neighborhood Hub Apps

Post availability on community apps like Nextdoor preferred by homeowners and suburban dwellers. Ideal for childcare, pet sitting, yard work and home maintenance jobs.

Apply for Holiday Staffing Agency Placements

Sign up with a seasonal staffing agency like Bluecrew or Wonolo for temporary retail, warehouse or hospitality placements with holiday peak demand.

For Regular Side Hustlers

Cater to Holiday Hookups

Market event planning, food prep or romance-centric services on hookup websites around festive formals and end-of-year parties.

Upsell Existing Offerings

If you teach regular skills classes, provide tech assistance or specialize in a creative niche, adapt services to holiday contexts around gifts, decorations, celebrations and travel.

Develop Themed Digital Products

Design seasonal digital assets like birthday/ New Year templates, festive graphics/clipart, Christmas invitation suites or holiday landscape photography for hungry online marketplaces.

For Full-Time Side Hustlers

Launch Custom Holiday Packages

Combine existing specialized offerings into bundled services, like holiday cleaning crew packages pairing deep cleaning, linen refreshment and decoration setups.

Create Commissions Marketplaces

Develop online platforms allowing buyers and gift givers to connect directly with creative sellers and service providers like gift basket creators, customized jewelers, portrait artists or interior designers.

Produce Evergreen Holiday Assets

Record instructional video guides on festive themes with evergreen relevance to sell on your own platform or Udemy long after the season wraps, like cookie recipes, gift wrapping techniques or winter photography masterclasses.

By identifying your side hustling skill level and selectively applying suitable tips, both online and offline side incomes this December are highly attainable.

For added context, let‘s analyze typical hourly earnings across different side hustling categories:

Average Potential Earnings Per Hour By Gig Category

Visualization adapted from Wonolo data

Based on expertise, time invested and client budgets, most holiday side hustles fetch over $15 per hour upwards of $40. By strategically combining multiple income streams, the December profit potential is immense.

Optimizing Your Holiday Side Hustle Success

Beyond domain knowledge and selling savvy, optimizing processes is vital for profitability. Here are four performance marketing tips to drive holiday sales:

1. Create Urgency

Prompt buyers by highlighting limited quantity offers and availability. Limited edition holiday wares, exclusive catering slots or priority delivery windows incentivize faster payments.

2. Upsell With Bundles

Entice clients by packaging complementary offerings together, like party planning services bundled with custom cakes and holiday gifts purchased with gift wrap-on services.

3. Offer Payment Plan Options

Allow installment payments on biggerticket purchases through tools like Sezzle and Affirm. This encourages larger custom orders, especially for premium creative projects and experiences exceeding normal holiday budgets.

4. Reward Referrals

Gift bonus holiday cards, discount vouchers or loyalty points to existing satisfied customers providing referrals or positive testimonials. Building community goodwill pays dividends.

Side Hustler Holiday Survival Tips

Juggling holiday hustles amidst seasonal festivities poses unique challenges. Here are 5 pro tips to avoid side hustle fatigue:

1. Set aside family time

Schedule protected hours for holiday traditions and bonding to avoid burnout.

2. Outsource tasks

When overloaded, assign admin tasks like billing and scheduling to freelancers on Fiverr.

3. Automate where possible

Use tools like IFTTT to auto-publish holiday social media updates across platforms.

4. Try timeblocking

Block off segments of your calendar to avoid double bookings and maintain work/life separation.

5. Prevent slow client payments

Get upfront deposits via PayPal, charge rush order fees and offer small discounts for quick payments.

By planning intentionally and leveraging technology, side hustlers can better manage holiday expectations.

Charting Your Optimal Income Streams

With so many seasonal and online options, choosing suitable niches can get overwhelming.

This income stream selector helps narrow suitable matches based on your current expertise and availability:

View the interactive Holiday Income Stream Selector here

With strategic planning, specialized offerings and operational efficiencies, making money in December is highly achievable for regular folk and side hustlers alike. By tapping into seasonal demand spikes across key holiday categories, windfalls ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars are within reach.