10 Extra Money Making Job Ideas for Winter

Supplemental Income for the Unemployed and Disabled

The unemployment rates are very high and the number of underemployed people is higher. Disagreements over unemployment extensions has created political and interpersonal tension in the United States. While people wait for decisions about Tier 5 unemployment, there are side jobs to make extra money during the winter months. Some of these winter jobs ideas are not as lucrative as working for a Fortune 500 company, but they can work to supplement disability income and unemployment. College students can also use these winter job ideas to make extra money. Winter and Springtime provide people opportunities to make extra money although not always easy and fast money. These 10 extra money making job ideas for winter are not get rich quick ideas. Earning extra income takes creativity. If anything, these job ideas are a place to start thinking outside the box when it comes to making money.

10 Job Ideas to Earn Extra Money During Winter:

1. Salvation Army Bell Ringer. During the Christmas holidays the Salvation Army hires people to man the red money donation kettle. Contact the Salvation Army in your area to get more information and find out about pay.

2. Yard Work. Landscaping jobs are everywhere throughout the year.  Fall and winter months leave messy yards and more work than the public utilities companies can handle. Negotiate prices for storm cleanup.  After severe rain storms, floods, and snow storms there is plenty of cleanup for someone who owns a truck and chainsaw.  Clearing land requires labor.  People impacted by fallen trees, etc., are often left with the task of cleaning up.  Even when insurance claims are involved people have to pay out of pocket then get reimbursed. Offer lower prices that corporate cleanup to clear trees and debris while helping someone return to normal.

Landscaping is necessary year round. Working for someone during storm cleanup can build a reputation and gain future jobs.  Mowing lawns is great for teenagers to earn extra money. Tree trimming, weeding, tilling new flower beds, building fences, and preparing the land for spring and summer can pay well.

3. Clean Home Gutters. Cleaning house gutters is an easy job. Home winterizing requires cleaning the gutters because it prevents water damage and leaking roofs. House drainage systems are there for a reason. Gutters are easy to clean manually or using a gutter cleaner attachment. Using a ladder to get on the roof might be necessary, but not always. Choose the best gutter cleaning tools and make the job easier. You can also make extra money installing gutter guards if you know how to do it.

4. Deck and Patio Cleaning. Pressure washers are versatile tools that are used to clean gutters, scrub decks, clean patios, wash boats, scrub driveways, and many other outdoor jobs.  Springtime is great for offering a deck and patio cleaning service because people want to get their yards and home looking good for summer.  Sometimes people cannot physically spray and clean the back deck of moss and grime, but they need it done.  Certain climates necessitate routine cleaning, such as Northwest Washington and others living by the coast.  The moisture in the air creates dim porches and patios because of the moist air.  Buy factory-reconditioned pressure washers to get a discount on the power washer. 

5. Weatherize. Home weatherizing needs to be done regardless of the type of house you live in. Prepping a home for winter can save money and hassle down the road when cold weather hits. Offering home weatherizing services, such as putting in door sweeps, insulating windows, weatherstripping, cleaning gutters, clearing drains of leaves, or even just basic winter yard prep like rolling up hoses and insulating pipes. Preparing home for winter is something people forget about or just don't have the ability to do themselves. Offering a list of services can serve as a prompt for potential jobs.

Weatherizing a home takes some common sense and some basic tools. Wrapping pipes with insulation tape, cleaning the gutters, capping the dryer vent to prevent cold air leaks, raking the leaves away from drains near the home (prevents flooding), unhooking and rolling the hoses up, and putting insulation caps on spigots are all really important to maintain a house during the cold weather months. Frozen pipes can be a disaster so being prepared is really important.

Use skills as a handyman or woman.  Part time winter jobs can help bring money home. Personalize these extra money making jobs to fit your skills.  If you don't know how to help someone with their car but you are great at painting interior then offer that for money.  The trick is finding something that you are good at and capitalizing on it.

6. Write articles online for extra money. Writing online costs nothing to start and gives people many options.  People who can write good English can earn money writing for  revenue share sites or flat fee payment sites.  People earn money writing for revenue share sites because the site shares a percentage of ad revenue through the Google Adsense program and other ways like Chitika or Amazon affiliate programs or Linkshare.  Revenue share sites enable people to earn over the lifetime of the article so in the end it usually pays way more that flat fee articles, but the trade off is earning over time like investing money.  Hubpages, InfoBarrel, Squidoo, Associated Content, Suite 101, and Seekyt are all legitimate revenue share sites. 

Flat fee payment sites pay per article.  An easy flat fee site is Textbroker.com. Some others are Demand Studios (eHow.com article supplier), Seed.com (Seed.com review), Break Studios, and many others. Textbroker pays the least, but it is my favorite because it's simple.  They require a short writing sample and the others require writing resumes.  A lot of people are turning to the internet to make extra money. Never pay out anything because all of these sites are free to join.  if any sites ask you for money it is a scam.  Writing online is not a scam, but there are scam sites.  Leave a comment here for question about certain sites.

7. Shovel snowy walkways. De-ice driveways. Use snow storms for making extra money. Similar to mowing the lawn, shovel snow. Use a snow thrower or snow blower for deeper snow. This is something that is very helpful for elderly folks. Shoveling snow is a great idea for kids to make money during winter. If there is a summer lawn maintenance job then offer winter job services to the same clients. Clearing the snow is hard work, but it's a useful service. People want to keep clean driveways and safe walkways. Invest in a snow thrower or snow blower. The 2010/2011 winter forecast is for cold and lots of snow, covering half of the United States, so this is a valuable service to offer.

8. Winter Car Maintenance. Offer winter car maintenance services. Home weatherizing and winter car maintenance are two important annual things that people need to do to avoid trouble during the cold months. Set up a winter car maintenance check. Weatherizing homes and cars is important. Whether you can change tires at home and swap regular tires for snow tires or change a car's oil, it is a valid service that can make money. Post an ad offering your service. Start with the neighbors. Build up some references (that goes for all of these suggested money making job ideas). Clearly you should have the appropriate tools and skills to do this side job. People with mechanical skills that wont rip the driver off are in demand. Be honest. Cars need winter maintenance that includes changing the oil, checking and changing antifreeze, battery care, and checking tire pressure.

9. Apply for Christmas and seasonal jobs. In a tough economy jobs are limited so make a good resume no matter what. Stand out and make the employer think they need to hire you.

10. Hang Christmas lights. Similar to the patio cleaning, a lot of people want this done but they are not able physically. Companies are making a business out of winter home maintenance and hanging Christmas and holiday lights. Why not beat them to it? Charge a flat fee for hanging lights and decorations. If people make money doing personal organizing then this is a viable job opportunity.

Start with people that you know. When you save someone money then you are actually providing them with a service. This is a win-win situation for both of you. Utilize your neighbors. Whether it's asking them if they want work done or finally introducing yourself to see if they can refer you to a friend, start local. This is a quick and easy way to get your name out along with the services you want to offer. Send an email to your block/community email lists asking if anyone needs work done. This way you can reach more than one person at a time and the recipients know you live in their neighborhood so they might be more inclined to hire you (or your kid) for jobs to earn extra money during winter.Jobs during winter can also lead to calls during spring and summer.  If you prove yourself as a reliable worker then people will want to use you again.

Ways for Kids to Earn Money

Some of these extra money making ideas for winter are kid-friendly offering ways for kids to earn money depending on their age, of course. If you have a teen who wants to earn money then check out this list together. Several of these work for teens. Others are good father and son jobs and so on.

All of these job ideas are for women as well as men.  Depending on where you live if you are a woman you might be more likely to get a part time job doing some landscaping.  Part time winter jobs are great opportunities for parents to teach their kids about saving and budgeting money. Agree to open a bank account with the extra money that is earned.

Winter Job Ideas & Customer Service Tips

Sometimes it is hard to do these things because people do not want to answer their door and they do not trust the person who is there (you). The way you dress will make an impression.  Unfortunately, society says that a man who is unkempt is less likely to be trusted than one with a clean shave. Wear work clothes. Make an easy ID kit that has a business card, two pieces of identification and your address and phone number on it. Figure out your pricing before you try for the first customer. A flat fee system might work easier than hourly. Those you don’t know aren’t going to want to dispute time and how hard you worked. Estimate routine jobs before you go and make a list so the client can see. It might be helpful to have a copy of your ID for the person to see. Make a copy of your ID (scratch driver license number though because sometimes it’s a social security number) so the person who hires you has a picture and your contact information. It is your job to make the customer feel comfortable and in this case if you are working for people that don't know you in the beginning then offering them ways to identify you if something happens is important.  Besides that it's just plain smart.  There are not too many people who will offer their information up to guarantee good work.  Women may particularly respond to this if you are trying to do extra work for her.

When you give your receipt make sure it has a winterizing tip or some sort of gardening tip on it. It is helpful to ask for referrals. If you give a receipt that has a helpful tip and says to the current customer that they can save $5 or the person they refer you to can save then it’s more incentive to get more ways to get extra money making ideas for winter. If it works out then you might be called again or in the following year.

These 10 money making ideas for winter might not help you.  It depends on what you are willing to do for work and what type of skills you possess.  It also depends on how bad you need money and what type of tools and other resources you have for working.

If this list of winter work tips doesn't work then keep searching for the job ideas that make sense for you.  Manual labor and landscaping jobs are not for everyone. Sometimes you have to create your own job. Add to the list.

Good luck and happy holidays!