If you are short on holiday cash this year, you are not alone. With fewer retailers hiring Christmas help this holiday season, due to the recent economic downturn, Many Poor Santas will have to find creative ways to generate the Christmas money they need.
The first place to consider, when trying to come up with money for Christmas gifts and other holiday needs, is right in your own home.

Sell off your clutter, for Christmas cash
Poor Santa’s first suggestion is to check your jewelry boxes for any broken or out of style gold (and other precious metal/gemstone) items. With gold currently at high prices, you could get a decent payday. Beware of companies which require you mail your items to them for appraisal and payment. It puts you at a significant disadvantage. Reputable precious metal dealers can readily be found in your local yellow pages. You may even get invited to one of the currently popular “gold parties”, where a dealer “weighs & pays”, right at the host’s house.
Don’t overlook using Ebay or Craig’s List, to exchange out of use items for Christmas cash. Generally, items to be picked up by buyers are better sold on Craig’s List. Listing is both free and easy to use, and is especially great for selling your outgrown kid’s stuff, as well as yard equipment, tools and large items. Collectables and antiques that have been collecting dust, can bring a nice price on Ebay. Ebay is one of the few companies, which has not been hit hard by the recession. Items are still selling relatively well there.
If you have many smaller or less expensive items to sell, an indoor yard/tag sale, may be in order. During cold weather, these sales are few and far between. If well advertised, a cold weather tag sale can bring a large turnout of people, netting you a good amount of money for Christmas. I went to an estate sale in December a few years ago, and people were lined up to the street to get in.

Odd Jobs Flyers
Distribute flyers around neighborhoods, or on cars, offering your services to do holiday related odd jobs, like putting up Christmas lights and trees, assisting with kitchen chores for parties or if you have a truck transporting large gift items or Christmas trees. Many times people do not know where to find help for tasks like these. Think about what your talents and available equipment would qualify you to do, and put yourself out there.

There are also many ways to earn some extra Christmas money and gift cards online: Ways to Earn Amazon Gift Cards