More Than 75% of Americans Have Side Hustles During the Holidays — Here Are the Most Popular Gigs This Season Many people expect retail prices to climb, and they're getting creative to save their wallets.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Americans say they'll need an average of $1,778 to cover holiday expenses.
- Nearly one in five people plan to start a side hustle to help with the costs this year.
U.S. shoppers say they plan to shell out an average of $1,778 on holiday spending this season, an 8% increase year over year, according to Deloitte's 2024 holiday retail survey. That's despite the fact that the majority of respondents (70%) expect higher retail prices, just as they did last year.
Side hustles — gigs that supplement earnings from 9-5s or other primary income sources — can help ease the financial strain.
More than three in four U.S. consumers are depending on side hustles to cover their holiday expenses this year, according to a survey of over 1,000 Americans conducted by SideHustles.com.
Nearly one in five respondents intend to start a side hustle to fund holiday spending, with 55% doing so to pay for gifts specifically. Additionally, although 19% of respondents plan to work their side gigs only through the holiday season, 81% anticipate sticking with them into the new year.
According to the survey, online freelance work is the most popular holiday side hustle, with 66% of respondents pursuing it.
Related: 4 Seasonal Side Hustles to Keep Your Pockets Jingling
Gigs related to selling goods online and food delivery took the second and third spots at 34% and 19%, respectively.
Tutoring (12%), ridesharing (8%) and selling baked goods (7%) rounded out the respondents' top five preferred side hustles.
Nearly one in 10 respondents expect to earn more than $1,000 a month from their side hustles during the holiday season.
However, those who fall short of earnings goals are ready to make some tradeoffs.
Americans are willing to cut back on personal holiday treats (58%), decorations (41%), holiday travel (41%), gifts for family and friends (38%) and hosting events or parties (36%), per the survey.
