Desperate Times: Creative Ways to Take Care of the Unexpected
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We’ve all been there. You’ve finally got your head above water, and bam, some emergency, incident or event happens. Unexpected hardships can deplete your savings, and for those of us who had no savings to begin with, it’s beyond stressful trying to get the cash together to pay for an emergency expense. Whether you’ve had an unexpected accident, an illness or injury, an unforeseen bill, lost your job unexpectedly, or have a debt to pay, finding the cash to get out of the hole can be a very scary prospect.
Photo Credit: cottonbro
Luckily, there are a few ways you can get the few extra pounds you need for those life emergencies and unexpected expenses. You don’t have to go it alone: with a few tips and tricks hopefully you can get the money you need to get out of the hole, and fast. Here’s a few ideas to get you started.
Online Selling/Thrifting/Consignments
These days, it’s hard to get out to sell things in person. With most antique shots, flea markets and thrift stores closed and/or on shortened hours due to social distancing, it’s near impossible to sell anything used. Luckily, there are plenty of avenues for selling online. Whether you’ve got a car to sell, some great, gently used furniture or clothing, a collection of vinyl, or some other valuable item, you can take advantage of one of the many online sales avenues to get your items sold and make some quick cash. Whether you want to sell your items outright on your own through somewhere like the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Ebay,or if you’d rather go the online consignment route, with sites like ThredUP, or even if you prefer to do it all via an app like LetGo, there’s plenty of choices for you to sell some goods and make some quick money.
PayDay Loans/Pay Advance Apps and More
If you need a larger sum of money and you need it quick, selling items online may not be your best bet. You need something guaranteed, efficient and quick. In this instance, payday loans might be the best option for you. Payday loans vary, with some offering great interest rates and easy applications, while others may be a little more strict, but all of them operate under the same basic guidelines. Most do not require you to have A+ credit to be approved, so regardless of your financial status, as long as you have employment and something to put up collateral, you’ll be able to get a quick and easy cash loan. Often you can get your money the same day you apply.
In recent years, other services similar to payday loans have cropped up. There are a number of apps out there that offer you an advance on your upcoming paycheck. Get your hard-earned funds a few days early, and then pay it back once you get paid. Other apps like CashApp allow you to borrow funds from a friend or family member that arrives immediately in your account. You can get extra money for referring friends. There are many apps like this out there, so do you research to see which one is the best option for you.
Quick Online Money
There are quite a few websites these days that pay quick cash for things like taking surveys, testing products, data entry, and so much more. Yes, you may have to weed through a few scams to find the true gems, but there are plenty of sites out there that pay real money for what only amounts to a few hours’ easy work. You won’t make thousands of dollars a day, but for someone who is struggling and just needs a little help, this may be a great idea.
These are just a few ideas for earning those extra pounds when you need it. Good luck!