10 ways to make extra money for the holidays
By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com

As the holidays approach, most of us are searching for ways to earn extra cash. Here are 10 money-making suggestions. Consider them early presents. Some will fit perfectly, others can be adapted slightly and the rest you can pass on to someone else.

Even better, several of these opportunities can keep giving you added income well into the new year if you decide you want to turn one of these seasonal jobs into a year-round effort.

1. Work the Web
2. Bake for dough
3. Get a job that really delivers
4. Become a basket case
5. Get mysterious
6. Be an overachiever
7. Turn snow into cold cash
8. Get crafty
9. Raise your value
10. Wrap it up

1. Work the Web
"The weather doesn't make it easy to hold a garage sale in most parts of the country this time of year, but that doesn't slow eBay down," says Gary Foreman, publisher of The Dollar Stretcher.

Check the garage, attic and basement, says Michael Miller, author of The Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay. "Look for things you don't want. Look for last year's Christmas gifts that you don't use. Shirts you don't wear anymore. Your junk is someone else's treasure on eBay."

Want to attract the most auction attention? Write a nice accurate description that leaves buyers craving your item and be sure to post a picture. "People don't like to buy things sight unseen," he says. Selling items where the picture says it all? Pay an extra few nickels for the "gallery option," which displays your photo when the item is included in a search list.

To avoid problems, Miller recommends offering the option of paying for shipping insurance to the buyer. Also, stick to domestic buyers in the beginning and close your auction early enough (Dec. 19 at the latest) so that you can deliver the goodies to winning bidders in time.

If you're accepting money orders or checks, cash them and wait 10 days to make sure there aren't any problems before you mail the merchandise. If you want to accept credit cards (the most popular way to pay), sign up for PayPal, says Miller. For a percentage of the sale, the service takes the seller's credit card sale and puts money in your PayPal account. When you're ready to withdraw the money, you notify PayPal and they send you a check.

Don't want to get tangled up with shipping, long-distance payments and possible returns? Try a trading assistant, says Miller. The site has a directory of them. You just put in your ZIP code and find someone locally. Then you only have to get the goods to them; in turn they take a cut of the selling price. "I would look for something around 25 percent," Miller says.

Afraid you don't have anything good to sell? Hit the garage sales or flea markets for items you think have good resale potential and try your luck with those, says Foreman.