Remember when you were young and seeing $100 was like the financial equivalent of seeing the Easter Bunny? While $100 may have seemed like a large amount of money at the time, it no longer goes as far as it used to.
Looking for quick and easy ways to make a few dollars? You needn’t look past your front door. In fact, utilizing what you already own is one of the easiest ways you can make some quick cash.
1. Get Rid of Old Junk
Gather together your old and unused books, movies, video games and home items and get to selling. Online and off, there are many places where the stuff that’s cluttering your home can help you make a few dollars. eBay and Craigslist are two great places to start. Not sure where to begin? Take a look at our article on spring cleaning to help you get started.
2. Use Your Car to Make Money
Ever wonder how much people get paid to plaster various ads on their cars? You can easily make a few hundred dollars by allowing a company to advertise via your vehicle. It might draw a few more eyes at stoplights, but if you’re comfortable with sticking out like a sore thumb, then this could be a good opportunity for you.
3. Complete a Few Online Surveys
In addition to selling your stuff and turning your car into a mobile billboard, another easy way to make a quick buck is to fill out a few online surveys. CashCrate pays top-dollar for various surveys. It’s free to sign up, and they also have other ways to make money through referrals and other offers.
Easy Come, Easy Go
If you have the know-how and the gumption, it’s not hard to make a few extra dollars here and there. (Having a lot of old junk around the house doesn’t hurt either.) Yet as easy as it is to make a few extra dollars, it’s even easier to lose it. Let’s take a look at a few of the more common everyday expenses that people tend to overspend on and how you can cut costs instead.
1. Groceries
It’s not hard to spend more than $100 a week on groceries. Few people know how to shop on a budget, and even fewer seem to take advantage of the various sales and seasonal items most grocery stores offer.
Also Read: How to Shop on a Budget
2. Car Expenses
Most expenses associated with your car cost more than $100. Paying a lot for your car payment and insurance every month certainly doesn’t help. Keeping your car in tip-top shape will help it last longer, but it’s also important to make sure you’re paying the best possible price on your car’s loan.
Also Read: Tips for Negotiating Interest Rates
3. Heating and Cooling
Fuel and electricity prices are some of the biggest household expenses you’ll face. Keeping the heat in the low 60s and opening windows instead of using the air conditioning when possible lowers costs a bit, but you’ll still need to keep an eye on your budget.
Kick Your Impulse Purchasing Habits to the Curb
Saving money is hard. Spending money is easy. The easiest way to hold on to any amount of money is to curb impulse purchases.
Be sure to check out our other blog posts for more helpful budgeting tips.