Gig Workers: Maximize Your Earnings This Holiday Season

Have you been looking for clever and creative ways to maximize your earnings this holiday season? In many cases, this can understandably seem tricky, but it shouldn't have to be. Luckily, our friendly team is on hand to help. As such, we have outlined some key things you need to know about the best temp jobs and gig work ideas that can help make those holiday expenses seem a little less painful after all.

After all, it shouldn't be hard to make extra income when you can earn more with gig work - and we have covered some of the best strategies to help in this regard today.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BOOST EARNINGS DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

The festive season is an incredibly special time of year for many of us. However, there is still no doubt that it can bring many financial burdens and pressures as well, and these are often exclusive to this difficult time of year. Indeed, the cost of buying Christmas gifts alone often works out at nearly $1000. Plus, current estimates suggest this year's spending may go up on average by around 10% - clearly showing the potential worries many families are facing.

So, there's no doubt that the holiday season can be expensive for many. As such, for the majority of households, securing an earnings boost in the run-up to Christmas and the festive season can be an excellent way to offset the rising costs of this year.

This is true both for you and your loved ones. So, whether you're treating someone else to a Christmas celebration or simply going out for yourself, there are plenty of options.

6 SIMPLE TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR EARNINGS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Whatever your motivations to maximize earnings this holiday season might be, ensuring you've started with a good approach is crucial! Luckily, the following six simple tips can definitely help maximize your earnings this holiday season. In doing so, you might find that your holidays go a lot more smoothly, too.

#1 Try Gig Work & Multiapp!

Around one-third of people already travel for Christmas. Why not harness that energy in the lead up to the event by partnering with some of the leading gig apps? You might just find it's an ideal way to boost your income accordingly!

Gig work, of course, can offer many potential benefits. The most obvious benefit of gig work, however, is that it is easy to fit around your schedule. You can quite literally be your own boss - and this offers you the freedom to work at a time that suits you!

Of course, it's not always clear which gig apps offer the best options for multi-apping. Generally speaking, though, these fall into one of two categories:

• Food delivery gig apps (such as GrubHub)
• Ridesharing gig apps (such as Uber)
  

You can also potentially complete gig work for numerous other types of apps, but for today's guide, we're keeping these two points in mind.

Some of the most common ride-sharing gig apps include Lyft and Uber. While these are two very distinct apps in their own right, their models are often very similar. And although Uber offers more services for clients overall, Lyft typically pays a slightly higher rate. So, there's something for every gig driver with these two apps. Fortunately, you won't need much to get started with Uber or Lyft; a driving license, a clean history, a four-door car (or more), and insurance are generally the most notable requirements.

As an alternative, you could also consider doing food deliveries through gig apps. Food delivery gig apps, such as Uber Eats and GrubHub, are rapidly becoming more common. This may be because these platforms are ideally suited to the modern trend toward convenience. And, while ride sharing may be lower over Christmas (when most people stay home), food deliveries can spike for the big day with people wanting to get 'ahead of the game.'

#2 Use Para for Multiapping

So, you've decided to start working on food delivery or ride-sharing apps. But did you know that you can multi-app with Para to further increase your systems' efficiency?

Para offers a plethora of different features for each system on its platform, making it an excellent tool to consider in your earnings arsenal. Some of the main features of the Para personal dispatch tool include food ready by times, dollar-per-mile estimates, and so on.

While these features aren't all tied directly to your earnings, they are hugely helpful when it comes to multiapping. Rapidly switch between platforms to take on the most effective, local, and lucrative jobs for your needs. The auto-decline feature also ensures that any low-value jobs are immediately ignored, so you won't have to waste time sorting them. Para does it all for you automatically - what's not to love? Be sure to consider joining the ParaWorks scheme as well to further bolster your earning opportunities.

At present, the Para auto-decline driver app is fully functional alongside Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, and Uber Eats. However, new features are constantly being developed and released, which could help streamline your income further. Be sure to join the Official Para Gig Drivers' Forum to keep up to date with the latest changes.

Before accepting any offer, make sure it matches your current route plan. Try to ensure that any offers don't end up too far beyond your search radius, too.

#3 Take on Extra Shifts

None of us want to go to work more often than we have to. However, if you are looking for a reliable, guaranteed way to make some additional income, taking extra work shifts may be helpful.

For most businesses, the Christmas rush is a busy time. It's a time when customers buy all of their Christmas presents and ingredients, making it an excellent time for getting additional shifts and overtime at work as well. And, while it doesn't offer the same flexibility and benefits as gig work, you know you'll at least be getting a set hourly rate.

So, extra shifts could be a good bet if you're just starting out with gig work now and need some time to get used to how it all works before you begin making big bucks. Be sure to discuss this with your manager if you'd like to take on extra work this winter to help take some of the financial pressures off during this festive time.

It's also worth remembering that, over the holiday season, many firms and companies offer temporary positions to help support their businesses during the festive period. While these jobs are unlikely to give a long-term job offer, they can boost your income in the interim between the start and the end of the holiday season. If you're lucky, you may even get offered a full-time contract, which can be a huge help to those on lower incomes or those with spare hours to dedicate to a position.

Make the Most of Further Opportunities for Progression

These extra hours, even in temporary roles, may often lead to regular work beyond the holiday season. As such, you might find that they open up more opportunities later to earn additional income, even part-time. But, of course, the jobs usually on offer are low-skilled; so, if you want more of a challenge, taking on multiapping and learning how to master this unique system could work for you.

Temporary jobs are very easy to pick up and get to grips with. This could range from stacking shelves, selling produce and products or helping out with events. There are plenty of roles to suit your needs.

#4 Reduce Inefficiencies & Minimize Downtime

Whether you're working on gig work or spending longer at the office finishing up than you should be, inefficiencies can impact your earnings this holiday season. With this thought in mind, taking steps to reduce inefficiencies and idle time in your job is vital.

Now, this is surprisingly easy for gig drivers; just download the Para app as your Gig HQ, and you'll be able to begin reducing your job management time in a matter of moments. Turn on the auto-decline feature on your device, and it will be ready. It's really that simple.

Outside of gig work, things become marginally harder, but plenty of excellent options are available. Creating a daily plan and timetable, organizing desks, boosting staff morale, and the like may all be excellent steps to earn more this holiday season when working in shops is naturally getting more stressful.

#5 Cut Out Unnecessary Spending While at Work

Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the fast-paced nature of the daily grind, especially when working on the road with gig jobs.

With this thought in mind, it is often deceptively and cruelly easy to reach for that extra coffee or sandwich when you begin feeling a little peckish ' especially as a food delivery driver, dropping countless delicious treats off to their new home. However, what might seem like an inconsequential purchase now can soon add up and cut into your earnings each month.

But did you know, the average person spends around $14.40 a week on coffee? Over the course of the month, that amounts to well over $50 alone ' and that's just on the coffee, let alone lunch! As such, avoiding these unnecessary expenses throughout the year, especially during the festive season's run-up, will definitely help. For reference, that equates to roughly the cost of your Christmas turkey, goose, meat, or meat alternative.

How to Cut Out Unnecessary Spending at Work

One way to help maximize earnings is simply to be cautious of all your spending and not spend unnecessarily. Cutting out excessive or unnecessary purchases, like those seemingly small buys, can help build savings. You'd be amazed at how far this can actually go to support your savings.

In addition, small purchases such as coffee, sandwiches, cakes, and unnecessary impulse buying can all seriously dent your earnings. One easy way to combat this is to ensure that you bring food to work with you. Though you may still be tempted by the allure and delicious scents of a freshly cooked bakery lunch daily (we understand), ignoring these pangs is easier when you start out with a full belly rather than working on nothing.

Simply cutting out the extra drinks and lunch can save serious amounts that would have otherwise been wasted. This may also significantly boost your health, making it a win-win situation for most of us. But, of course, that's not to say you can't treat yourself over the festive period. However, look to see where you are spending your money; if you can, it may be wise to try and cut back.

Being conscious of your spending will help you to budget and manage your money wisely, allowing you to spend more on the things that matter. Alternatively, take cash with you to work for your next hot drink; paying by cash helps prevent you from massively overspending on those dreaded 'munchies' cravings. And be sure to consider substituting that daily cup of coffee with a slightly healthier homemade brew or option, such as apple cider vinegar, chicory coffee, matcha tea, and the like.

Claim Back Fuel on Your Taxes

If you decide to go down the route of a food delivery or rideshare driver, you'll be able to claim back some of your fuel spending through tax relief. This is around $0.60 per mile, so it certainly adds up ' putting more money back in your pocket after rushing around all Christmas.

However, this only counts for business travel, so you can't use this for your holiday trips. You'll also need to keep a close eye on how much you travel; luckily, the Para app can help with this.

#6 Sell Your Pre-Loved Secondhand Items

There's a huge demand for second-hand goods at Christmas, especially if it's in good condition or in limited supply. With this thought in mind, now's an excellent time to sell your old items to other households this Christmas. Since it's likely that several people will also want the items at this given time of year, you may well get much more for them at this time of year than you would at any other point.

The best items to sell if you're looking to begin bringing in some additional income for the holiday season are often children's toys and collectibles, both of which would be in high demand as second-hand gifts for an unforgettable Christmas day.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Have you been struggling to streamline your earnings? Perhaps you're looking to make some extra income over the Christmas period that could help pay for the massive additional expenses during this time. Whatever the case might be, ensuring you have the right earning opportunities in place is integral, and solutions such as the Para app may help.

Para is a specialist driver helper app for rideshare and food delivery gig experts. This handy app is unique in its ability to help with more than just the very basics; ��it also allows you to streamline multiapping processes, manage your work on different apps more easily, and the like.

In short, Para is your go-to gig HQ to help reduce unpaid idle that doesn't bring in any benefits.