Gentrifanatics!
Sometimes in life we all get in tight financial spots. A financial emergency is usually something big like getting fired or laid off from a job. I don’t know very many people that can’t relate with that!
You’ll also have to agree that sometimes, a financial emergency can be as simple as when a bill that you forgot about comes out of your account automatically. Then you’re left with little to no funds for longer than you’re comfortable with!
Then there are those true emergencies, like emergency room and doctor visits that there’s really no way to predict.
You could sit there and I could tell you to have 3 months of salary saved up in an emergency fund for these
types of situations…but you know that! Let’s assume that you don’t have a spare couple thousand dollars rolled up in a shoebox and financial trouble just hit you with a Tyson uppercut!
This has happened to me before and if it’s never happened to you, let me tell you; it is not pleasant!
In my early 20’s I owned a DJ company but business wasn’t going that well. I had just paid a bunch of money on my car note and now my landlord wanted $1500 in a week for the rent! My bank account wasn’t on “E” it was on the side of the road with a towel in the window!
What I needed was to stay in my spot. Maybe just as importantly I needed my credit to stay decent so that I could keep buying things to help my business. I was scrambling around trying to find a way to make some quick cash.
For being no where close to financially savvy, I made a pretty smart choice…I sold some of my stuff.
We won’t get into all the things I had that were worth money that I definitely didn’t need! Let me just say that in the early 2000’s a lot of the things I sold were chrome and spun or rattled my rear view mirror when I played Hypnotize!
Bottom line is I did what I had to do. I sold some stuff that I wanted but definitely didn’t need, and made some quick cash.
In this post I’ll share with you three of the best ways in 2018 to make quick cash no matter what type of financial emergency darkens your doorstep!
1. Financial Emergency Tip #1: Sharing your Ride
Are you paying a note on that car? Why not make it work for you?
Ride sharing is one of the most popular, and easiest ways to make money quickly during hard times. In anticipation of needing some extra money why not sign up with a ride sharing service now? Then when you need it you’re ready!
Usually you can start driving and making money within a week; two weeks tops!
Several of my friends make money this way so if you need any help getting started just drop me a line and I’d be happy to help you get set up!
Most everyone knows the popular ride sharing companies but, did you know that you don’t have to limit yourself driving for one or the other?
Go ahead and sign up for all the ones you can so that you won’t have a single point of failure.
Another ride sharing opportunity that I came across recently that doesn’t involve driving is called Turo.
Turo is kind of like Airbnb for cars. It lets you rent your personal car out to someone else for cash.
On it’s website Turo claims that “on average, Turo hosts can cover their payments by renting out their cars just nine days per month”!
It depends on what kind of car you have and other factors but it’s definitely something to look into, especially if you live in a city.
Ride sharing may not be ideal for some people. Remember, this is for a financial doomsday scenario where you need cash to get you and your family by until you find something better. Who knows, you may end up loving ride sharing and keep doing it on the side after you land a good paying full time gig.
Don’t forget, this probably isn’t going to make you rich. However, this very well could help you through times where money is tight and you need a little extra something to get through a financial emergency.
Hustle.
2.Financial Emergency Tip #2: Doing Tasks
Ok, this sounds like getting a job, and it kind of is!
What’s good about this tip is that you have more control over what you do and when you do it! This is beneficial because it allows you time to plan your next move while your earning money during your emergency.
One of my previous (extremely informative you should check it out after this) posts called 4 Brilliant Ways to Invest Your Tax Refund Money in 2018 talked about Fivver.
Fivver makes it so you can become a freelancer at anything you’re good at.
Popular freelance jobs are graphic design, writing, making and editing videos, and so much more.
Just like with ride sharing, setting it up isn’t instantaneous but it is fast. When it comes to actually making money, do yourself a favor and sell yourself!
Think of things that you’re good at and things that people want to pay to have done. Depending on your grind you can make some good side money on Fivver or even turn it into a 6 figure full time job!
You never know what people will pay you to do, you just need to make your talents known.
This brings us to the next task driven site that you can use to make extra cash during an emergency…it’s called Task Rabbit.
On Task Rabbit you pick different chores or errands that you think you can do. Some popular ones are:
- Helping People Move
- Furniture Assembly
- Cleaning
- Yard Work
- Waiting in Line
Similar to ride sharing, it takes about 2 weeks to set everything up for Task Rabbit, also they charge a $20 processing fee.
After you’re approved you need to take a two-hour orientation session before starting work.
Task Rabbit is currently only available in about 50 cities in the U.S., you have to be 21, have an SSN, pass a background check, and have a Facebook or LinkedIn page.
Some people make thousands of dollars per month but starting out you could still make a decent amount of money to keep yourself afloat during your tough times!
4. Financial Emergency Tip #3: Selling Your Stuff
Let’s face it, this is both the easiest and the hardest thing to do when you need money!
There’s the pride part of it…when I did this during tough times I physically took some stuff to this pawn shop called Cash Converters. They beat me over the head (as all pawn shops do). When it was all said and done I ended up getting about $250 for some stuff I paid like $800 for a couple of years earlier.
On top of that I was super self conscious that people were looking at me like I was a crack head. I just knew that the old lady going to subway next door was watching me and shaking her head with sorrow!
Fortunately we’re in a more digital age now so you can get rid of your extra stuff without looking like Tyrone Biggums!
Seriously though, you really don’t need most of the stuff you have now. I know you don’t, you know you don’t. It’s a psychological thing that’s really hard to shake but liberating once you get it!
Don’t be a hoarder!
So when that financial emergency hits here’s what you can do.
Get on eBay or Craigslist and let that stuff go!
Don’t take it to a pawn shop because they won’t give you anywhere near what it’s worth and you’ll look like a drug addict.
Have your craigslist and eBay accounts already set up (it’s free)! Make sure you take some really good pictures of what you’re selling so that it will go quickly.
Another thing that will make it sell even faster is the price. Prices doesn’t have to be as low as the pawn shop. If you really need the money make prices a little lower than similar items on the site.
Make sure you have a PayPal account so that you’ll have access to the money quickly.
Another way to get rid of your stuff that’s a little newer than craigslist and eBay is called Letgo.
Use the app to take pictures of what you want to sell and set your own price. Make the price negotiable which is a great option to sell something quickly.
Just remember, nothing is guaranteed to make you money exactly when you need it. Hopefully you got some lighter fluid to get your money making fire started!
For other ways to make money over the long term check out my previous post, 4 Easy Ideas in 2018 To Help You Cure the “Working For Someone Else Until You Die” Syndrome.
Connect with me and stay tuned for more awesome content on wealth building, health, and wellness.
As always I’ll be around for you…HMU if you have any questions!
