Earn some last-minute cash for holiday shopping

It’s not too late to make some extra cash for the holidays. You might find opportunities in surprising places.

•Call home decorators to see if they need help. These are the magicians who can transform a home into a winter wonderland, and often they are overscheduled and need little elves to hang the ornaments and mistletoe. If they’re decorating the outside of the house too, ask if the leaves need to be raked. If you’re skilled yourself, call model homes or large businesses with lobbies and ask about decorating.

•Call housecleaning services. They’re likely to have extra work as people want homes cleaned in advance of relatives coming.

•Call temp agencies. Not only are their regulars likely to take a few weeks off over the holidays, but companies need even more people as employees take off as well. Even rudimentary filing or phone skills could land you a temporary position. (If they like you, it might also lead to a permanent job.)

•Call caterers and ask if they’re overwhelmed with business. Ask about a delivery position or offer to provide preparation-intensive foods like veggie trays. Caterers often need people to run last-minute errands too, or help serve at large company parties. (You’ll likely need a white shirt and black pants for that.)

•Call all the stores in the local mall. If you catch a manager at the right time (overloaded with holiday shoppers and two employees who called in sick), you could snag a position.

•Ask local mall management if you can set up a table with holiday baked goods, even if it’s on the sidewalk outside a door. You’ll make more money if you offer hot drinks like cocoa or cider.

•If there is a rehab center, elderly facility or nursing home near you, ask management about acting as a personal shopper for patients who can’t get out. Set realistic fees.

•Put up signs offering to baby-sit children whose parents need to shop alone, probably at night.

•If you have baking skills and are due to go to a meeting of any kind, take samples of baked goods that you can provide. Know in advance what you’d charge and be ready to take orders immediately. Get part of your fee in advance.