November 2011

Merchandise Shelf Stocker

#58 – Re-stocking merchandise during the holiday season

If you are a night owl and feel more productive after most stores close, being a merchandise restocker at your local Walmart, K-mart, toy store, or even your local grocery store might be something to look into. During the holidays they sometimes have a night crew to re-stock the shelves from the busy shopping days. You would probably get a discount at any of these stores while you are working there too. I was a “merchandiser” at KB Toys back in the day to make extra money at night after my day job. I enjoyed seeing all of the toys and filling the shelves so that “Santa” could buy things that were on the kids’ lists and make sure they were under Christmas trees for all the “nice” boys and girls that year!

Food Sampler…not just at Costco anymore

#59 – Food sampling in grocery stores, Walmart & Wholesale stores like Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s Wholesale

If you have an outgoing personality, like people and don’t mind wearing a hair net, being a food sampler during the holidays might be a great way to make some money. Some stores hire food samplers directly but most often these type of positions are hired through promotion companies. If there’s a store (or a few) in your area that you’d like to be a food sampler at, call the store and ask the manager or assistant manager who you should contact to be able to sample different products during the holidays. Be prepared to work evenings and weekends. Most stores only sample food items during the busy times. You might find a new product that you didn’t know you love while making money sharing it at your local grocery or wholesale store.

Holidays = Gift Wrapping

#60 – Gift Wrapping at Department Stores or Shopping Malls

I love getting a fantastically wrapped package as a gift and try to be creative when wrapping gifts for my family and friends. Most large department stores still offer gift wrapping services for free or a small fee. If you love wrapping presents for birthdays and all the holidays throughout the year, this might be a great part time gig for you this holiday season. I have a friend who worked evenings and weekends doing this for several holiday seasons to make extra money. She loved giving customers beautifully wrapped gifts and even though she was on her feet long hours and got a few paper cuts along the way, she enjoyed the money she made making bows and wrapping pretty packages for appreciative customers. Something to think about now before the shopping season is in full swing!

Holiday Ideas to Make Money Now through January

#61 – People are busy…

And…the holidays just make normally busy people even busier, adding stress and angst during a time that should be filled with love, fun and good times. Why not start an “Errand Running” business that offers different types of services from picking up dry cleaning, prescription drop off and pick up, grocery shopping, gift buying, gift wrapping and delivery…if you think about the types of errands you normally run, I’m sure you will be able to come up with a great business plan that would be a huge help to these already busy folks.

An errand service is something to think about…ask your friends and family who are busy, if a service like this would benefit them and save them time, then ask them how much would they pay to get some time back in their week. After all…time is money. If you could save someone several hours in the week so that they could spend more time doing something they enjoy, I’m sure you could make some money doing this as a business. Of course…make sure you do your research, check online to see what other services like this charge and compare the type of “errands” offered and if there is normally a charge for miles, a per errand charge or if they charge by the hour, etc… depending on where you live, you may want to limit the area that you service. Gas prices are expensive and you’ll make more money if you don’t have to put lots of miles on your car to do this. If you can run errands for more than one client in the same trip, you will also maximize your time and efficiency. Maybe try to organize errands for clients who live in the same are for the same day? This is a great time of year to offer this type of service and it’s also a great way to make some money, doing something that you already do for yourself!

See New Release feature films…BEFORE they are released for FREE

#62 – Movie Screenings – this is worth checking out regularly…

Most big ticket New Release Hollywood films offer FREE screenings in major cities. Check out gofobo for upcoming FREE movie screening in your area. You must sign up for an account and also request tickets to the screening in advance. When you get tickets to a screening you can’t wait to see, make sure you get there early. They release more tickets than there are seats and always turn people away…so if the screening says it starts at 7 pm, I’d recommend getting there at 6 pm. You will have to wait in line, so take some snacks and a drink…especially if you are coming right from work. This is a great way to see new movies for FREE. If you’ve cut movies out of your budget, this is a great way to put them back in and enjoy going to the movies again without spending a dime!

Denver…H & M Grand Opening Party next Wednesday, 11/9/11…VIP Style!

#63 – Party…VIP Style for FREE

If you live in the Denver metro area, you won’t want to miss the H & M Grand Opening party which is being held, Wednesday, 11/9/11, the night before H & M, Denver opens to the masses. To get on the “list”, make sure you register, as your name must be on the list or you will be turned away. Space is limited, so if they fill up, check back for cancellations. You can only register one person on the link, so if you’d like your “crew”, your mom, your boyfriend or husband to come with you…make sure they register too. The invite is non-transferable and you must have an ID that shows the name you register with and be 21 or older (that must mean cocktails are being served!) to be admitted. The party is FREE and is being promoted by 303 Magazine. H & M is also offering a 25% off discount to everyone who attends on top of their already fantastically low prices, so you definitely want to get on the “list” for this one.

What a great way to get out for a fun evening and do a little shopping…maybe even get a headstart on your holiday shopping. Hey here’s an idea…if you are looking for a part-time holiday job and live in Denver, go check the store out next Wednesday to see if you might like to work there. Then go back on a day when it’s not so busy, and see if they need some help…you might be pleasantly surprised if they do need your help. Little Miss Idea will be there with some friends enjoying the evening and shopping the deals for sure!