Whether you have a lot of unexpected medical bills, just lost your job, or your home was damaged by a fire, you need cash now. Unfortunately, most of us are completely unprepared when a financial emergency pops up in our everyday lives.
If you’re in this situation, you’re not alone. Six out of every ten American households have a financial emergency every year. Where do you go if you need cash quickly to pay for something important? Here are some clever ways to get money fast without hurting your finances in a way that can’t be fixed.
Sell Things
What do you have in your home that you don’t want or need anymore? If you think about it, there are probably many things, like books, old DVDs, old electronics, clothes, and more. Rather than keep them all even though you don’t want them anymore, and rather than throw them out, adding to landfill and environmental issues, why not sell them? You could hold a garage or lawn sale or use online sites like eBay to sell the goods. Or you could list them on Craigslist or similar.
If you have sentimental items that you know are worth some money, but you don’t want to sell, you could try a pawn shop instead. There are many tips to negotiate with a pawn shop, and it’s worth learning them ahead of time as this could be the ideal way to make money quickly without losing your belongings – as long as you buy them back as soon as you can.
Take On Odd Jobs
If you are unemployed and find yourself with more time on your hands, selling your services may be a viable option if you do not have any valuable stuff to offload. You could watch friends’ kids or pets, or you could start a dog-walking service in your neighborhood.
If you don’t want to deal with dogs or kids, you could offer to cut the grass and wash the cars of your neighbors or drive someone to their doctor’s appointments. You could also sign up to drive for Lyft or Uber if you like to drive.
You could also do grocery shopping for friends who are too busy or for older people. You could also offer to fix and paint things around people’s houses. Depending on how many tasks you take on and how much you charge for them, you could make a few hundred dollars in a single weekend. To get more work, try looking on websites like Thumbtack and TaskRabbit, or offer skills-based work on Freelancer, Fiverr, or Upwork.
Borrow From Family And Friends
This is the last idea because it should really be the last resort. Borrowing money from family and friends can be a quick fix, but it can also lead to bad feelings. When a friend or family member gives you money, it can be hard on your relationship if you don’t pay it back quickly. When people don’t pay back loans, it can make them feel bad about each other.
If you want to borrow money, you should probably write up a contract that says when you’ll start paying back the lender and if you’ll pay interest on the money.
