ChickSpeak

Who else wants to earn some extra cash over winter break? Don’t let these few weeks of freedom pass you by—here are a few ways to make a buck or two over the break.

Seasonal Employment
If you can think of a company that is busy during the holiday season, you can probably bet that they take on seasonal employees (people who work only during the busiest weeks of the year). Most retail stores are hiring extra help (check your local mall), or you can check with shipping companies like UPS.

Scholarships
In her post on 5 Ways for Students to Earn Cash this Winter Break, Deborah at the Pay for College Blog recommends using this time away from school to apply scholarships. You aren’t distracted by schoolwork, and you have time to do research on which ones in you might be eligible for (AND to research the sometimes random topics, like “Why are fire sprinklers so important?”)

Stock Photography
Kelly at Hack College suggests signing up at iStockPhoto.com and submitting your best photos as stock images. It’s an easy way to make a few bucks if you’ve got the time and talent for it.

Sell Your Textbooks
Don’t let textbooks sit under your bed collecting dust—sell them during break before the new semester starts! There are a lot of sites you can use—I usually go with amazon.com or half.com.

Work for Parents or Neighbors
See if you can pick up work for your parents, neighbors, or your friends parents over the break—you could serve at a party, do chores around the house, spring clean, babysit, wrap gifts, do yard work, shovel snow, clean out a garage, wash cars, or housesit.

Write for a Website or Magazine
Have an idea for an article—or even a short story from a class assignment? Try submitting to a magazine or website. Associated Content is one website that pays for articles. You can also check out a copy of The Writer’s Market from the library and submit articles or short stories to magazines.

For more great tips from Jamie, a recent UC San Diego grad, check out her fantastic blog: http://www.survivingcollegelife.com