7 ways to make some festive cash – fast!

Christmas is not only the most expensive time of year, it's also the longest stretch between pay days most of us have, but if you're desperate to get your hands on a bit of extra cash fast — without getting into debt - here are seven top tips to give you some help!
1. Sell your old mobile phone
If you've got an old, unused mobile phone gathering dust at home, don't just leave it stuck in a drawer, trade it in for cash!
Selling old mobile phones is becoming big business and there are stacks of websites out there that will be more than happy to take your old mobile off your hands - such as Mazuma Mobile, Fonebank and Envirofone.
It's well worth shopping around before choosing which website to go with, however, simply because prices can vary considerably. To give you a helping hand with this, you can use comparison sites such as sellmymobile.com and mobilephonerecycling.co.uk. All you have to do is type in your phone make and model and see which website is offering the best deal.
Once you've chosen a deal, all you have to do is send off your phone in a freepost envelope (which the company will send to you) and wait for the cash! You can read more about this in Turn your old mobile phone into cash.
Alternatively, you could see if you get a better offer on eBay.
2. Refer a friend
Many companies now offer deals through which you can earn money if you refer a friend. For example, if you refer a friend to Sky TV, you and your friend will receive £50 worth of M&S vouchers. And if you refer a friend to First Direct, you'll receive £50 cash.
Of course, the only problem with this scenario is that you need to find a friend to refer in the first place - and one that might actually be interested in the deal. So if you think you're going to struggle, check out refermehappy.com which matches potential referrers and 'friends' who are interested in certain offers. You will need to register on the site, but registration is free.
The website lists a range of deals with different companies, so you'll be able to search for companies where you're already a customer. Then all you have to do is state which deal you'd like to refer someone for and wait for a match. Some companies will allow you to refer more than one friend, so you'll make even more money!
If you ask to be put forward for a refer-a-friend offer, your first and last name will be emailed to a referrer along with a refermehappy email address. So similarly, if someone wants to be referred to you, their details and a refermehappy email address will be emailed to you. No other details will be passed on.
3. Get a new current account
Fancy getting your hands on £100? Well, if you switch your current account to the First Direct 1st Account, that's exactly what you'll receive! What's more, you'll be given another £100 if you choose to leave after six months - although given that First Direct is renowned for its excellent customer service, this is pretty unlikely.
Just be aware that you will need to pay £1,500 into the account each month and you won't receive any interest on the money you keep in the account.
Compare bank accounts online and switch now
4. Sell your photos
If you're handy with a camera and enjoy taking photographs, why not sell them online?
There are several stock photography agencies which will pay you for your photos on a per-download basis. For example, it's worth looking at websites such as Alamy, where you'll get 60% of each sale, Fotolia and PictureNation.
5. Sell your junk
Why not make room for all your new presents and have a clear-out of all those items you no longer need? If you've got a wardrobe full of unworn clothes or shelves full of unwanted DVDs, read books or faddy gadgets why not sell them on eBay or Amazon Marketplace?
It's easy to do and can be a fabulous way to earn a bit of money on the side! You can read more about it in Why eBay is better than Amazon.
6. Get renting
Got a driveway, but no car? Why not rent it out and make some quick cash? Depending on where you live (sought-after areas are obviously worth more), you can earn as much as £315 a week, according to parkatmyhouse.co.uk.
And renting out doesn't just have to be limited to driveways or garages. If you have a spare room, you can earn up to an extra £4,250 a year by renting it out to a lodger!
Spareground.co.uk also allows you to rent out any unused land or storage space.
And don't worry if you don't have any spare space to rent out, because Rentnotbuy allows you to rent out anything from clothing, to kitchen gadgets, to bikes!
7. Sell your skills
If you've got some spare time on your hands, why not sell your skills? If you're a particularly good cook, you can't get enough of cleaning or you love babysitting, you can advertise your skills for free on jobsgrapevine.
Once you've done that, simply wait for someone to get in touch and you can then work out a rate between you. Easy!