I know it happens every year, but isn't there something depressing about seeing Christmas arrive in the shops in October? It's just one final kick-in-the-teeth reminder that summer has finally gone.
And we've months of cold, dark, dreary weather to look forward to.
Only broken by the doubtful pleasure of spending (and eating) too much at Christmas..
..
and then having to pay for it all in an even colder and drearier January.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm not a Christmas-pooper by any means.
I love it when it finally arrives and we can settle down to a lovely family Christmas Day together.
And with my entrepreneurial head on I know that the early start to Christmas makes perfect sense.
So here's a few ways you could make some extra money at Christmas: The best Christmas money makers are very much things you can (and really should) start up right now, quickly and easily, and operate at full pelt for the next eight weeks or so.
Then come the New Year shut them down and move onto something else.
I've been doing some digging and unearthed a few projects you might find interesting if you're looking for a Christmas money maker...
4 simple ways to make a little extra money at Christmas * Christmas crafts.
A good one if you've got artistic talents.
Or find local craftworkers and do a deal with them to market their products.
Right now people are looking for unique crafts and gifts that don't cost a bomb.
Things like candles, dried flower arrangements, potpourri, handmade decorations and other handicrafts.
Take a stall at a local craft fair or Christmas market to sell them.
* Got a digital camera? Why not use it to create unique local Christmas cards? Shoot some well known local scenes, preferably on a frosty morning or early evening when the lights start twinkling, and turn them into cards using an online print on demand service like Bonusprint.
Get local card shops, newsagents, sub post offices etc.
to sell them for you on a profit-sharing basis.
* Selling oneBay is absolutely perfect for seasonal moneymaking because you can be up and running in a few hours.
But come the week before Christmas you never have to set sight on it again if you don't want to.
Go for good value gift lines like watches, jewellery, electronics, CDs and DVDs, cosmetics and perfumes.
* A Christmas shop.
Most High Streets have those shops selling cards, decorations, toys and gifts, which only trade for a few weeks before Christmas.
Buy up a job lot of stock, rent an empty shop cheaply, then sell it off.
For a simpler take on this idea how about a good old car boot or Sunday market instead? Of course, one snag with Christmas moneymakers is that they are, by their very nature, seasonal.
Nobody will give you much for Christmas cards in January.