Life is unpredictable, and you may have to get some extra cash quickly. Perhaps your car has broken down, and you need to get it fixed. You may need to replace the washing machine.
Other times it can be much more serious, like needing to find money for a loved one’s funeral. Whatever life throws at you, it’s comforting to know that you have options. Take a look at some of the easiest ways to raise money in a hurry.
Crowdfunding
When you’re in a bind, it can sometimes help to rely on the help of others. Family and friends (and even total strangers) can be very kind when you’re in a desperate situation. Websites like JustGiving are ideal for telling your story and spreading the word.
It allows people to donate what they can and do it anonymously if they wish. You can set a time limit on the fundraising page and collect the donations straight to your bank account.
Sell Items
Selling items of value is another great way to raise money quickly. Look at the items of value you have in your home and collect the ones you don’t use often. For instance, most people have an old phone lying around that’s worth something.
There may be other miscellaneous items that you could sell too. If you have a private number plate on your car, it’s worth getting a number plate valuation to see what you could sell it for. You could purchase a new one when you’re in a better financial position.
Take On More Work
Easier said than done, right? However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take on more hours at your job. You can do many jobs in your own time and from home.
You could make hundreds more every week if you have a few hours every night, from admin assistance to social media management, writing, translation, and many more. There are tons of remote jobs available to people with all types of skills.
Optimize Personal Finances
Your life will always be in a state of change, but a lot of people fail to make their personal finances change with it. Debt, for instance, might be a heavy burden on your overall financial health. Perhaps you have a lot of different monthly payments to make.
Any missed payments can tack on hefty fees and interest. What if you were to go from many monthly payments to just one? By consolidating your payments, you may find that you’re paying significantly less than you were before.
Although any money that you save should also go towards your debt, it could allow you to save enough to make a purchase when you need something. Debt is just one aspect of your personal finances—albeit a major one.
Moving forward, do you remember the W-4 form you filled out with your employer when you first got hired? That is the form where you claim allowances for dependents and other major factors in your life.
You may have claimed zero allowances when you first got hired, but now you may be eligible to claim more as your life progressed. Maybe you should reanalyze your W-4 to see if you’re eligible to have less taken out of your paychecks.
You can use this free W-4 calculator to get a better idea of how claiming additional allowances will impact your overall take-home pay. There are a lot of ways you can optimize your personal finances—too many to list here, in fact. It might be worth your while to do some research on the subject.
You may be surprised at how many tips, tricks, and tactics there are that can effectively boost your financial health.
Create a Business
Businesses often take time to build, but small businesses can start making money straight away if they offer something people in the same locality need. For instance, you may have noticed that no one in your town makes birthday cakes. Or, maybe you’re handy at making unique jewellery pieces.
Businesses like this often start by selling to family and friends and very rarely need big investments. If you have the time to create something like this, it can lead to bigger and better things in the future.
Sell Pictures
If you have a keen eye for photography, you can make money in your spare time. Stock photo websites are always looking for new photographs for their clients. It could be anything from a photo of a sports game to a letterbox or a tree.
Every picture has a value, but the values may vary widely. The more you do it, the easier it will become to predict which pictures will earn you the most.
Sell Gold
Gold is always valuable. The world works on the assumption that if banks were to close and the internet failed and took cryptocurrency with it, gold would be the ultimate survivor. It’s part of the reason that gold bars are still stocked in bank vaults.
If you have gold jewellery or heirlooms passed down from previous generations, they could be valuable when you need them most. However, it’s worth waiting until gold is high in value in the financial market. When it reaches a peak, that’s the best time to sell. However, you must haggle for the best price.
When you need money quickly, you may need to utilise more than one of these methods to get the amount you need.
To Recap
Quickly raising money can be tricky, so it’s worth considering all of the options above to find one that suits you best. Whether you decide to sell your old items, work more hours or start a business, there are plenty of ways to get the money you need fast and efficiently. Just remember, with any of these methods, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons as well as the potential risks before going ahead.
