15 Best Winter Side Hustles To Earn Extra Income

I used to believe that side hustles always paid peanuts. However, I’ve done so many that have paid decent amounts over the years. Some even pay better than a regular 9-5 if you play your cards right. 

I once worked three hours daily for a month shoveling snow and made over $2,000. What better way to get paid to work out while enjoying the winter?

Even better is turning your passion into a side hustle. One winter, I made over $4,000 decorating my neighbors’ homes for the holidays. I enjoyed doing it, so it didn’t feel tedious. 

Whether you’re looking to supplement your 9-5 or make extra money, this post will help you find the perfect side hustle for winter. 

The Best Winter Side Hustles 

There are many ways to make extra money during winter. Your choice should depend on your passions and schedule. Here are some of the best side hustles you can monetize this winter:

1. House Sitting 

Most people travel to warmer areas during winter and often hire someone to take care of their homes while they’re away. 

Your duties as a house sitter would include:

• Maintaining the home by cleaning regularly 
• Caring for plants and pets 
• Collecting the owner’s mail 
• Ensuring the security of the home 
• Answering the phone and taking messages 

These are typical activities you do in your home, so why not get paid to do them? Also, if you’re an adventurous soul, this is your chance to get paid to travel. 

You can offer house-sitting services in a state you’ve always wanted to travel to. The best part? You won’t need to pay for accommodation. 

House sitting is excellent because you don’t need any educational background to become one. However, most hosts require you to be at least 18 and have excellent communication skills.

If interested in this gig, explore sites like Trusted House Sitters and Nomador. 

2. Snow Shoveling 

Snow is everywhere during winter, so shoveling people’s driveways is among the best side hustles of the season. 

Anyone can do it, and it’s fantastic if your kids are looking for ways to make extra bucks during the holidays. 

My siblings and I used to shovel driveways every other winter, earning over $1,000 a month. 

We didn’t struggle looking for gigs because the service was in high demand in our neighborhood. All we did was go around telling our neighbors to hire us. 

After that, we only needed some shovels and warm clothes to get the work done. No initial capital was required. 

Alternatively, you can sign up on Indeed and ZipRecruiter to find snow removal jobs. You can make anywhere between $15 and $28 an hour. 

3. Delivery Gigs 

The winter weather is sometimes so cold that I’d rather stay in and have someone else run errands and deliver stuff to my doorstep. 

Many people are like this, which is why the delivery side hustle booms during the season. If you don’t mind driving or walking in the snow, grab your raincoat and head out to make a few dollars. 

You can register with companies like DoorDash, Instacart, or Amazon Flex to deliver food and groceries within your town. 

However, these companies have strict requirements for drivers. For instance, some may require owning a car with certain specifications.

One way around this is to run errands informally within your neighborhood by delivering items like firewood and Christmas trees. 

Depending on your location and the goods you deliver, you can earn between $15 and $30 per hour. 

4. Babysitting 

Do you like spending time with kids? Are you always thrilled to look after your younger siblings or cousins when the grownups are away? 

As I mentioned, monetizing your passions is an excellent way to make money because it doesn’t feel like a chore. 

As a babysitter, your main job is to care for the child while their parents are away. 

Some hosts may need you to do some light cooking, help the kids with their homework, or transport them from play dates.  

A significant upside of babysitting is you don’t require a strict educational background, especially if you get hired by people who trust you, like your family, friends, or neighbors. 

However, if you plan to search for babysitting gigs on Care.com or Babysits, you may need a certificate and basic knowledge of first aid. 

5. Rent Out Winter Gear 

Imagine playing with the kids or snuggling up in bed to watch a movie, and then you receive some money you didn’t expect. 

That’s the power of making your money work for you. Most wealthy people make money passively rather than actively and let the returns compound over time. 

While renting out winter gear may not make you wealthy, you can set up the business to make extra cash from the comfort of your home. 

The business is in high demand during the winter because many people who enjoy winter sports like skiing don’t always own the gear. 

If you have some snowboards or skiing gear sitting idle in the garage, this is the time to dust them up and use them to make money. 

Ensure your gear is in good condition to earn its full value. Partner with winter resorts in your neighborhood or list your services online to land clients. 

If you’re skilled in winter sports, offering basic training to your clients is also an excellent way to make additional cash. 

6. Holiday Home Interior Design

Interior design is one of my best hobbies that make money, and it has made me a decent amount of money over the years. 

Before you scroll on because you don’t have the educational background, rest assured you don’t need a college degree to decorate people’s homes over the holidays. 

You only need creativity and an eye for design to turn this fun hobby into a lucrative side hustle. Many people need extra help to decorate their homes for the holidays. 

You can decorate trees or hang lights throughout their yards. The earnings depend on the decor type and the space size. 

With five to 10 clients, you can make between $100 and $2,000 per project and well over $5,000 in one month. 

A bonus way to make extra cash if you already do this as a side hustle is to offer removal services after the holidays. You can charge less for this because removal isn’t as complex as installation. 

Thanks to the internet, advertising your services requires little effort. Simply decorate your home, create a video, and post it on social media. Let your work speak for itself. If it’s incredible, you’ll get a few orders. 

7. Pet Sitting 

Many people travel during the winter, so they need people to help take care of their pets. If you love spending time with furry friends, pet sitting is the best winter side hustle for you.

Your job as a pet sitter would  include:

• Feeding the pets
• Walking dogs 
• Cleaning and grooming the pets
• Cleaning their feeding trays 
• Monitoring their health and administering medicine 
• Transporting them to the vet 

Pet sitters earn $7.45 – $21.88 hourly. By providing additional services such as training and boarding, you can increase your pay to about $50 or more hourly. 

Consider signing up on Rover or offering pet-sitting services within your neighborhood. 

8. Freelance Writing 

Are you a writer who prefers being home with your laptop and coffee rather than going out during the winter? 

Offering freelance writing services is a fantastic way to make money this season from the comfort of your home. 

To become a freelance writer, you don’t need an educational background. You only need excellent communication skills and a command of language. 

Choose a niche, create your portfolio, and start hunting for clients. There are so many niches you could get into. Some of them include personal finance, health, and technology. 

Choosing a niche shouldn’t be a daunting task. Simply select a topic you’re passionate about. Plus, you don’t need to be an expert, as you can always learn more about your niche along the way.

Once your portfolio is ready, sign up on freelancing sites like Upwork, Guru, and Fiverr. 

9. Sell Handmade Crafts 

If you enjoy making things from scratch, you can make top-dollar selling handmade crafts this winter. 

You can knit or crotchet mittens, scarves, and sweaters to make your clients cozy during this cold season. 

Other items that sell well during the winter include holiday ornaments, decor, and greeting cards. You can also expand your business by selling gift bundles rather than single items. 

Even if you don’t have enough time to crotchet or build items from scratch, you can buy regular products, wrap them in Christmas-themed gift wrappers, throw in some thoughtful messages, and sell them to clients who wish to gift their loved ones. 

You can sell your items at your local market or from home. To reach more clients, consider online platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. 

10. Event Planning 

Winter parties are the best because the decor usually goes all out. It might be cold outside, but I can’t pass the chance to have thoughtful conversations under mistletoes or the warm glow of string lights.  

If you have an eye for winter design, why not leverage your talent for extra cash this festive season? You don’t need an educational background to plan events, especially if your work speaks for itself. 

Start small by organizing birthday and end-year parties for your family, friends, and the community. From there, you can advertise your services on social media. 

This is an excellent side hustle that you can do even after winter. With more experience, you can turn it into a full-time job. 

11. Tutoring 

Most parents sign their children up for tutoring during the winter to prevent them from falling behind during the holidays. 

It’s also the season when most high school students prepare for their finals. If you like teaching, you can make money tutoring students during the winter.

You can organize physical classes if you prefer interacting with your students in person. 

However, if you’d rather stay home with hot coffee or chocolate, consider offering online tutoring classes via Zoom. 

Start by advertising your services within your neighborhood and offering to tutor your relatives’ and friends’ kids for a small fee. 

If you’re well versed in in-demand subjects like Math and English, consider signing up on online platforms like Preply, Chegg, or Tutor.com. 

12. Blogging 

Blogging is one of my best side hustles of all time. The best part about it is that there’s no limit to how much you can make as a blogger. 

I find blogging easy and fulfilling because it involves teaching people about topics I’m passionate about. 

If you constantly find yourself going on and on about something, consider monetizing your knowledge through blogging. 

For example, if you enjoy traveling, you can check out and write articles about the best spots to visit during winter. 

If you have a knack for finance, you could make lots of money by teaching people how to manage their money and spot the best investments.  

There’s no limit to what you can write about, and you’ll always make money if your niche is relevant to your audience. 

However, blogging isn’t all rainbows and daisies, especially at first. I remember having to put in a lot of effort to build my audience and find brands to partner with. 

For some, fame happens overnight, but for others, you must be willing to invest time, money, and effort into your vision. 

If you’re interested in blogging this winter, choose a profitable niche and find a beginner-friendly hosting platform like Hostinger. 

From there, purchase a domain and start posting your articles. Remember to leverage social media to build a loyal readership. 

13. Work as a Ski Instructor 

Skiing is among the most demanded sports in winter. If you’re a pro and know everything about the technique and safety practices, you could make money teaching newbies the ropes. 

Ski resorts always hire in winter because many people flock to their grounds. You can contact such resorts near you or search for gigs on Indeed. 

Currently, there are over 200 ski instructor job postings on Indeed, most ranging from $15 to $30 hourly.

14. Work at a Christmas Tree Lot 

Helping people find the perfect Christmas tree sounds fun. It’s like being Santa but for Christmas trees rather than perfect gifts. 

If you land a job at a Christmas tree lot, your roles would include:

• Picking out trees for customers 
• Trimming and setting up displays 
• Prepping the trees for transport 

This gig usually peaks in late November and runs through December. You must start early, preferably in October or early November, to secure the job since spots fill up fast. 

You can check for vacancies in tree farms, nurseries, or lots. You can also check online job boards like Craigslist or Indeed.

The pay ranges between $10 and $15 hourly, but you can make more depending on your duties and location.

15. Winter Photography 

Are you wondering what to do with your dusty camera that’s in storage? Or perhaps you’re a photographer who needs some extra dollars this winter?

Whichever the case, winter photography is a nice way to spread the holiday cheer while earning some cash. 

Most families get together once a year during Christmas. Since everyone is present, such families are bound to take more pictures during this period. 

You can host photo sessions in your neighborhood and charge per session or hour. You can also offer door-to-door services and capture great family moments in their homes. 

Simply create a brochure and circulate it within your neighborhood to land clients. You can also advertise your services on local groups on Facebook Marketplace.

Final Thoughts 

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question about the best winter side hustle. It all depends on your passions, skills, and schedule. 

If you’re unsure which one to dive into, consider exploring several to determine what works for you. However, take care not to get overwhelmed in the process. 

Generally, side hustles are supposed to be easier than regular jobs because the former almost always contains an element of fun. 

However, you must invest in acquiring the skills to make money from your side hustle. You’ll likely not land clients if you offer mediocre services or sell poorly-made products. 

Utilize YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok for inspos on what you want to do. From there, practice until you hone your skills.