Media Release

One in three Australians desperate for extra cash this Christmas

    • 29% of Aussies look for new ways to fund Christmas
    • Women more likely to have a side hustle in December
    • Top 6 ways to increase income over Christmas

18 December, 2018, Sydney, Australia – More than five million Australians are spending their free time working a side hustle to make extra cash for Christmas, according to a survey by finder.com.au, the site that compares virtually everything.

The finder.com.au survey of 2,013 people found that nearly one in three (29%) Aussies are doing jobs on the side in December to help with the cost of Christmas.

The data revealed one in five (21%) Australians are picking up extra cash from selling their belongings on sites such as Gumtree and eBay.

The second most popular way to earn additional money for Christmas is freelance work (6%) on sites like Airtasker.

Other side gigs popular this Christmas include driving an Uber, renting out a spare room, delivering food and renting out a car.

Bessie Hassan, Money Expert at finder.com.au, said Christmas can be financially difficult for households.

“The last pay cheque of the year often has to stretch too far and earning money on the side means they might avoid a nasty credit card debt.

“Some want to make Christmas extra special this year, but others just want to make ends meet,” she said.

“Whether it’s for extra cash or to cover living costs, making an extra couple of hundred dollars can make a huge difference.”

Women are more likely than men to have a side hustle at this time of year, while the research also found South Australians are most likely to be looking for a cash stream outside of their primary source of income in the run-up to Christmas.

Millenials and Baby Boomers are leading the charge – 30% of each age group are earning money on the side in the countdown to December 25.

Ms Hassan said how much you can earn is limited only by the time you have to give.

“Do a spring clean and sell unwanted items. Some Aussies will be looking to pick up second-hand Christmas gifts.”

“We all want to pay for presents and parties but don’t want to end up with empty pockets or mammoth bills come January,” she said.

Do you intend to do any of the following to increase your income over Christmas?

Side hustleProportion of AustraliansNumber of Australians
Sell things online21%4,010,289
Make my skills available via Airtasker/Freelancer6%1,145,797
Drive an Uber4%763,865
Rent a room/whole house3%572,899
Deliver food3%572,899
Rent out my car1%190,966

source: finder.com.au survey of 2,013 Australians conducted in October 2018.

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Disclaimer

The information in this release is accurate as of the date published, but rates, fees and other product features may have changed. Please see updated product information on finder.com.au's review pages for the current correct values.

About Finder

Every month 2.6 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. We compare virtually everything from credit cards, phone plans, health insurance, travel deals and much more.

Our free service is 100% independently-owned by three Australians: Fred Schebesta, Frank Restuccia and Jeremy Cabral. Since launching in 2006, Finder has helped Aussies find what they need from 1,800+ brands across 100+ categories.

We continue to expand and launch around the globe, and now have offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland and the Philippines. For further information visit www.finder.com.au.

12.6 million average unique monthly audience (June- September 2019), Nielsen Digital Panel

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