RichardContents
There are loads of ways to save money, but the reality is that most of them take time to arrange, and impacts can be slow to be felt.
What if you need extra money NOW – like this week?
What legitimate strategies can almost instantly provide you with a windfall to help get your finances on an even keel?
Fortunately, over the years I’ve uncovered a handful of such strategies, which I’d like to share with you today…
Upgrade Your Cell Phone – But Don’t
Cell phone operators are smart – they want to tie you into a contract for the next year or two, and they’re willing to offer you a shiny new phone to convince you to sign on the dotted line.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a free lunch – you’ll end up paying for that cell phone and more in bills over the coming months.
But here’s something you might not be aware of; there are two ways you can personally make quick money from cell phone upgrades.
The first of these is to upgrade to a new handset, then keep hold of your current phone and sell the brand new one. Putting it on eBay, Gumtree or Craigslist can result in an almost instant windfall for you.
The second option is to agree to upgrade – but without taking a new handset. Under such circumstances a number of cell phone providers will either give you cash in your hand right now, or credit your account with a considerable sum of money.
Last time I did this I d had so much credit on my account that I didn’t have to pay my phone bill for the next three months – and that made a considerable difference to my finances.
Swap Bank Accounts
Banks are in hot competition these days, desperate to drag you over to them. So much so, that a number of banks offer bonuses of $100 or more just for transferring your account over to them – and they do all the hard work of swapping over your payments!
So search around online, looking at banks in your local area, and see what sort of promotions or bonuses they have for transferring your account to them.
Sell Your Books
You wouldn’t think that selling books could be very profitable – but you’d be wrong.
In the past I’ve managed to raise some quick funds by listing my unwanted books on Amazon. There are two main tips here; firstly, I’ve found that hardback books sell for much more than paperbacks. Secondly, try to be competitive with pricing. You’ll see what everyone else is charging, so if you need some quick cash try undercutting them – if only by a few cents.
Simply spend some time this week with the Amazon app, gently going through uploading all your hardback books and wait for the sales to come in.
Freelance
Do you have skills that other business owners might find beneficial?
Can you, for example, write articles or produce attractive graphics?
The very first freelance project I landed earned me $1200 – and took only a couple of weeks to complete. Landing a few jobs worth a total of $100 or so isn’t difficult; especially if you’re pricing your services competitively.
So go set up a profile on UpWork or Elance, fill in your profile details and get applying for jobs. Remember: the sooner you land those freelance gigs, the sooner you’ll get paid.
Use Your Points
If you’re smart you’ll make full use of rewards points. I try not to buy anything where I’m not earning rewards points – from grocery shopping to fuel for my car. Even many bank accounts now give money-back for certain expenses.
If you quickly need to raise some funds, therefore, why not make use of all these points you’ve been clocking up and turn them into free shopping? Doing so will offset your costs, allowing you to spend considerably less than you otherwise might have done.
Search For Lost Pensions & Savings
As a final bonus tip, there are estimated to be millions of dollars in lost pensions and saving accounts.
Many of these are from when people have moved jobs (or homes) and inadvertently forgotten they had an account. These can go missing for years on end, accruing interest, until they get claimed.
According to the statistics, most claimants don’t even know their account existed until they started looking into it.
The easiest way to start your search is to use the Pensions Advisory Service (UK) or the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the USA.
One way to save this week would be to eat at home instead of eating out every meal. The numbers add up quickly.