There are few things quite as stressful as urgently needing cash, and not having it! Like an emergency car repair, or a pipe breaking, or even a medical emergency! That’s the thing with life. It’s hard to always be prepared for anything and everything!
1. Sell your unused gift cards
Did you know that, statistically, $3 billion dollars worth of gift cards go unused, every single year? That’s a lot of money just sitting around, and most of us accidentally forget that we have them.
Instead of letting them age in your wallet or bag, you can instead sell them and get cash for them instead. Services like CardCash.com allow you to sell your gift cards for cash. There are fees involved, of course.
Another good option is to sell them to family and friends that might be willing to buy them from you. You might be surprised how much cash you have sitting around in unused gift cards. A good way to get started when you urgently need cash.
2. Sell off your unused items
Another great way to earn extra cash relatively quickly is to sell off your unused items. Thing is, almost all of us buy things, use them for a bit, and put them away.
With the advent of awesome internet thingies like Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, you could go through your closet or garage and list a few items. You might be surprised to be able to sell them on the same day!
3. Get a personal installment loan
When you urgently need cash, this might seem like a no brainer, but its also something to carefully consider. Debt is never a good idea, but a personal installment loan might help you get out of a financial bind.
These types of loans are meant to be for short term relief for urgent cash needs, but remember, it’s only short term. Only go this route if you are certain you will be able to pay it all back within a short amount of time.
4. Open a line of credit, and draw from it
Unlike a credit cards, lines of credit operate similarly, but with lower interest rates. They also allow you access to cash without incurring hefty fees and interest. These lines typically require having a decent credit score to qualify, so ask your bank what the qualifications are.
Like most credit options, you can apply online with your bank and have a decision within a day or so. Once you have it open, it can be drawn upon in the future. Again, just like any form of debt, this should be paid off asap!
5. Get an advance from your employer
I know, this sounds a bit unusual, but it’s worth a shot. Depending on your employer, they might have stipulations regarding getting advances for your salary. Alternatively, they might actually be quite lax about it, and willingly give you an advance.
Thing is, you’ll never know unless you try! You could request 50% of your paycheck early, and pay it back over the next couple of paychecks to come. As an emergency, it’s worth a shot, and you won’t get fired for asking! I promise 🙂
Final thoughts
These are only a few ways you can get cash, but there are always more creative ways of coming up with it. Thing to remember is that it’s always better to be prepared, than to be in an emergency unprepared.
Have an emergency fund
Throughout many many articles that I’ve written, having an emergency fund has always been at the forefront of many of them. It’s always important to be financially prepared so that you don’t have to feel so panicked when you need it! I wrote about How To Build An Emergency Fund Here.
Diversify your income
One more thing to remember is that, when you rely on one source of income, it becomes an emergency when that one source of income is gone. It’s important then to generate income in more ways than one. I’ve written about that in a few articles:
Good luck!
Like it? Pin it!
