Wouldn't it be great to "find" extra money from time-to-time? A holiday is just around the corner and you have relatives coming to visit. A child has the opportunity to go on a special field trip in a few months. You want to donate to a special cause or charity that's meaningful to you. You've worked really hard to grow your savings, pay off debt, and live more consciously. So, what are your options for finding cash for just such things? Well, there are actually quite a few. Now's the perfect time to get creative. Once you come up with one idea, the great ideas will just keep flowing. Below are some tried and true strategies for "finding" extra cash in ways that will benefit not only your wallet, but your physical and emotional state as well.
HAVE A GARAGE SALE. Take a couple of weekends to go through your closets, attic, basement, kid's rooms and identify any items that haven't been used in awhile. Review your home library. Books you've read, but don't think you'll read again? Toss 'em in the garage sale pile. Same for movies and video games. What about your kitchen cabinets? Does anyone really need three omelet skillets? And those drapes you took down two years ago thinking you'd alter them for another room? Really, if you haven't done it by now, you're not gonna do it, so put them in the pile for the garage sale. By going through your things you've not only found items to sell for extra cash, you've also done away with some household clutter and hopefully done a little organizing in the process. This strategy is a win on lots of different levels.
SELL ON EBAY OR CRAIG'S LIST. Follow the process above for fleshing out items to sell and put the best stuff on Ebay or Craig's list. We've had excellent success with both of these services.
ADJUST YOUR WITHHOLDING. Increase your number of exemptions for a few pay cycles and then put the number back to your regular withholding amount. Note: Only do this if you're sure you'll be getting a tax refund for the year. Getting slammed with an unanticipated tax bill sort of defeats the purpose. If you are interested in using this strategy, contact your Human Resources Department. They will be able to guide you through the process.
RECYCLE. If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I'm a big advocate of taking advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon for a nice long walk. We have some great country roads in our area that we walk fairly regularly. Why not get your exercise, do something good for the environment, and fatten your wallet? How? Just take along a trashbag and pick up the aluminum cans you find along the road. We used to make a game out of this when our kids were younger seeing who could find the most cans on a given walk. (One outing was especially lucrative when my youngest son hit the jackpot. He actually managed to find a $20 bill!) Once you've collected a nice pile of cans, smash 'em down, and head for your local recycler. Makes for some nice pocket money.
START A CHANGE JAR. At the end of each day, toss all of your change into a can or jar. If you're saving for something in particular, it's a helpful motivator to put the name and even a picture of what you're saving for on the jar. Once the jar is full, take an evening to roll the coins. You can do this with the kids. They'll benefit from spending time with you, improve their skills with counting, and see that small amounts of change can add up to significant amounts of money. Watching the dollars add up as you roll the coins makes a more powerful impact on a child's mind than simply taking the coins to the bank to go through the change counter. There's just something about actually touching those coins that speaks to the merits of saving. And, yes, adults can be impressed, too. One evening after rolling the spare change we'd been saving for several months, we ended up with a grand total of $140. Woo hoo!!
PLANT A BIGGER GARDEN. If you are a gardener, plant a few extra tomato plants, a couple extra rows of corn, and maybe a few more green beans than you think you'll need during any given growing season. Then take some of your bounty and set up a roadside stand or sell your wares at a local farmer's market. Specialty vegetables are usually very easy to sell because they are novel and interesting. Garlic and popcorn are two excellent sellers as they are bit more difficult to acquire at the farmer's market than say corn and green beans. You'll be surprised at the extra cash you can make doing this, and you'll meet some great folks in the process.
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